Abstract
BackgroundThe Indian golden saturniid silkmoth (Antheraea assama), popularly known as muga silkmoth, is a semi-domesticated silk producing insect confined to a narrow habitat range of the northeastern region of India. Owing to the prevailing socio-political problems, the muga silkworm habitats in the northeastern region have not been accessible hampering the phylogeography studies of this rare silkmoth. Recently, we have been successful in our attempt to collect muga cocoon samples, although to a limited extent, from their natural habitats. Out of 87 microsatellite markers developed previously for A. assama, 13 informative markers were employed to genotype 97 individuals from six populations and analyzed their population structure and genetic variation.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe observed highly significant genetic diversity in one of the populations (WWS-1, a population derived from West Garo Hills region of Meghalaya state). Further analysis with and without WWS-1 population revealed that dramatic genetic differentiation (global FST = 0.301) was due to high genetic diversity contributed by WWS-1 population. Analysis of the remaining five populations (excluding WWS-1) showed a marked reduction in the number of alleles at all the employed loci. Structure analysis showed the presence of only two clusters: one formed by WWS-1 population and the other included the remaining five populations, inferring that there is no significant genetic diversity within and between these five populations, and suggesting that these five populations are probably derived from a single population. Patterns of recent population bottlenecks were not evident in any of the six populations studied.Conclusions/Significance A. assama inhabiting the WWS-1 region revealed very high genetic diversity, and was genetically divergent from the five populations studied. The efforts should be continued to identify and study such populations from this region as well as other muga silkworm habitats. The information generated will be very useful in conservation of dwindling muga culture in Northeast India.
Highlights
Comparison of genetic structure among populations of a species, which have carved their own niche in a narrow ecological range, can illuminate our understanding of environmental factors affecting their adaptation and selection forces operating on them to retain such species for a long time [1,2]
Our analysis showed no real evidence of a significant correlation between genetic and spatial distance of different populations
Among the six populations examined in this study, WWS-1 population showed very high genetic diversity and was genetically divergent from the remaining five populations
Summary
Comparison of genetic structure among populations of a species, which have carved their own niche in a narrow ecological range, can illuminate our understanding of environmental factors affecting their adaptation and selection forces operating on them to retain such species for a long time [1,2]. The Indian golden silkmoth (Antheraea assama, Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), popularly known as muga silkmoth, is a semidomesticated, golden colored silk producing insect, endemic to Northeast India [4]. It is a polyvoltine and polyphagous insect that feeds on 15 different host plant species. Historical records suggest the presence of muga silk in Northeast India since 321 BC Mentions about this insect can be found in the literature as early as 1662 BC [4]. The Indian golden saturniid silkmoth (Antheraea assama), popularly known as muga silkmoth, is a semidomesticated silk producing insect confined to a narrow habitat range of the northeastern region of India. Out of 87 microsatellite markers developed previously for A. assama, 13 informative markers were employed to genotype 97 individuals from six populations and analyzed their population structure and genetic variation
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