Polymorphism of the Hypervariable Region of the csd Gene in the Apis mellifera L. Population in Southern Urals

Abstract

In honey bees, sex is determined by an allelic combination of the csd gene. Low allelic diversity for the csd gene leads to a loss of colony strength due to the appearance of nonviable diploid drones from eggs homozygous for the csd gene. Therefore, there is a need in beekeeping to identify and monitor the allelic diversity of the csd gene. In this paper, we present the results of the polymorphism analysis of the hypervariable region of the csd gene in the local population of Apis melliferamellifera L. in the Southern Urals. Among 42 amino acid sequences encoded by alleles of the hypervariable region, 20 alleles were identified, five of which were previously unknown. It was shown that the allelic diversity for the csd gene for the studied population corresponds to those known for other populations of A. mellifera L.