Genetic structure of island and mainland populations of bees from Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 08/08546-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Arias
• Grantee: Flávio de Oliveira Francisco
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Since last century mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been established as a powerful tool to resolve issues involving evolutionary aspects of populations and species. Another type of molecular marker widely used in population studies is microsatellites. Studies focusing genetic variability in populations are essential to know the biodiversity of an ecosystem. In Brazil, destruction or fragmentation of biomes, such as Amazon and Atlantic forest, has declined the populations of bees, with serious consequences to the pollination of local flora. Decreasing in population size due to habitat fragmentation can reduce the genetic variability of the population increasing their extinction rates. However, some environments are naturally fragmented and show a high number of endemic species: the islands. As in the mainland, the islands of the southern and southeastern Brazil are also suffering the consequences of human occupation, which is a risk to all diversity naturally found in these environments. Using the mtDNA and microsatellites as molecular markers, we intend to study the genetic variability and structure of populations of two bee species, Tetragonisca angustula and Bombus morio, in Atlantic forest fragments in SC, PR, SP, MG, and RJ states and on islands with more than 100 hectares (ha) located in SC, PR, SP, and RJ states. (AU)

Scientific publications

(11)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO R.; BRITO, RUTE M.; OLDROYD, BENJAMIN P.; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Hybridization and asymmetric introgression between Tetragonisca angustula and Tetragonisca fiebrigi. Apidologie, v. 45, n. 1, p. 1-9, JAN 2014. (04/15801-0, 08/08546-4)

FRANCISCO, F. O.; BRITO, R. M.; SANTIAGO, L. R.; GONCALVES, P. H. P.; PIOKER, F. C.; DOMINGUES-YAMADA, A. M. T.; ARIAS, M. C.. Isolation and characterization of 15 microsatellite loci in the stingless bee Plebeia remota (Apidae: Meliponini). CONSERVATION GENETICS RESOURCES, v. 3, n. 3, p. 417-419, JUL 2011. (04/15801-0, 08/08546-4)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; DOMINGUES-YAMADA, ALAYNE M. T.; GONCALVES, PAULO HENRIQUE P.; BRITO, RUTE M.; PIOKER, FABIANA C.; MATEUS, SIDNEI; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Characterization of microsatellite loci for the stingless bee Scaura latitarsis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH, v. 30, p. 7-11, 2013. (08/08546-4, 04/15801-0)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO DE OLIVEIRA; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO RODRIGUES; ARIAS, MARIA CRISTINA. Molecular genetic diversity in populations of the stingless bee Plebeia remota: A case study. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 36, n. 1, p. 118+, 2013. (04/15801-0, 08/08546-4)

BRITO, RUTE MAGALHAES; FRANCISCO, FLAVIO DE OLIVEIRA; FRANCOSO, ELAINE; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO RODRIGUES; ARIAS, MARIA CRISTINA. Very low mitochondrial variability in a stingless bee endemic to cerrado. GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, v. 36, n. 1, p. 124-128, 2013. (08/08546-4)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO R.; MIZUSAWA, YURI M.; OLDROYD, BENJAMIN P.; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Genetic structure of island and mainland populations of a Neotropical bumble bee species. JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION, v. 20, n. 3, p. 12-pg., 2016-06-01. (04/15801-0, 08/08546-4)

SANTIAGO, LEANDRO R.; FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; JAFFE, RODOLFO; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Genetic variability in captive populations of the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula. Genetica, v. 144, n. 4, p. 397-405, AUG 2016. (08/08546-4, 12/13200-5, 04/15801-0)

BRITO, RUTE M.; FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; HO, SIMON Y. W.; OLDROYD, BENJAMIN P.. Genetic architecture of the Tetragonula carbonaria species complex of Australian stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 113, n. 1, p. 149-161, SEP 2014. (08/08546-4)

SANTIAGO, LEANDRO RODRIGUES; PIOKER-HARA, FABIANA CURTOPASSI; FRANCISCO, FLAVIO DE OLIVEIRA; BRITO, RUTE MAGALHAES; PEREIRA GONCALVES, PAULO HENRIQUE; TRINDADE DOMINGUES-YAMADA, ALAYNE MAGALHAES; ARIAS, MARIA CRISTINA. Isolation and characterization of ten microsatellite loci in stingless bee Trigona spinipes (Apidae: Meliponini). ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, v. 18, n. 1, p. 138-140, JAN 2015. (04/15801-0, 08/08546-4)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO R.; MIZUSAWA, YURI M.; OLDROYD, BENJAMIN P.; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Population structuring of the ubiquitous stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula in southern Brazil as revealed by microsatellite and mitochondrial markers. Insect Science, v. 24, n. 5, p. 877-890, OCT 2017. (08/08546-4, 04/15801-0)

FRANCISCO, FLAVIO O.; SANTIAGO, LEANDRO R.; MIZUSAWA, YURI M.; OLDROYD, BENJAMIN P.; ARIAS, MARIA C.. Genetic structure of island and mainland populations of a Neotropical bumble bee species. Journal of Insect Conservation, v. 20, n. 3, p. 383-394, JUN 2016. (08/08546-4, 04/15801-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FRANCISCO, Flávio de Oliveira. Genetic structure and diversity of island and mainland populations of bees from Atlantic forest. 2012. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.