The use of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis for studies of genetic variation in populations of the blowfly Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in southern England

Abstract

AbstractThe use of the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction to characterize individual Lucilia sericata Meigen from southern England was evaluated. Some simple techniques which allowed the preservation and extraction of DNA to be optimized without the complications of transporting liquid nitrogen were investigated. The RAPD results show that closely related L. sericata, including those from a single strike, can be readily distinguished from each other on the basis of their RAPD profiles resolved using electrophoretic analysis; profiles were defined with ten random primers. Analysis of these RAPD data using a similarity coefficient method and a recently developed randomization test to detect the non-random association of alleles at different loci, allowed the genetic homogeneity of L. sericata within southern Britain to be explored. This study shows that while a number of factors can complicate the use and interpretation of RAPD fragments as genetic markers, RAPD fingerprinting can be a valuable technique for studies of intraspecific genetic variation in L. sericata.