Development and usage of microsatellite markers for population analysis of Corbicula japonica in Japan

Abstract

Six novel microsatellite markers were developed in Corbicula japonica and used (along with an additional locus that was previously reported for another species) for population analysis of this species in Japan. The samples were collected from 4 local populations: Lake Abashiri and Lake Oikamanai in Hokkaido, Lake Ogawara in Aomori Prefecture, and Lake Shinji in Shimane Prefecture. The genetic diversity of the Shinji population was lower than that of the other 3 populations. Pair-wise FSTanalysis revealed significant genetic differentiation among all of the local populations and suggested two groups: northern (Abashiri, Oikamanai, and Ogawara) and southern (Shinji). Bayesian clustering analysis also supported this grouping, and analysis of molecular variance showed a hierarchical population structure for the two groups when genetic differentiation was calculated using RST. It is concluded that these local populations are genetically different from each other and that there is marked differentiation between geographically distant populations. These results demonstrate that these new microsatellite markers are useful for estimating genetic diversity and population structure, and should aid future research on effective aquaculture systems and sustainable fisheries for this species. © 2012, The Plankton Society of Japan, The Japanese Association of Benthology. All rights reserved.