Genetic Diversity
Genetic
Diversity among Eight Egyptian Snakes (Squamata-Serpents: Colubridae) Using
RAPD-PCR
Nadia H. M. Sayed
Zoology Dept., College for
Women for Science, Arts and Education, Ain Shams University, Heliopolis, Cairo,
Egypt.[email protected]
Abstract: Genetic
variations between 8 Egyptian snake species, Psammophis sibilans
sibilans, Psammophis Sudanensis, Psammophis Schokar Schokar, Psammophis
Schokari aegyptiacus,Spalerosophis diadema, Lytorhynchus diadema, , Coluber
rhodorhachis, Coluber nummifer were conducted using RAPD-PCR. Animals
were captured from several locality of Egypt (Abu Rawash-Giza, Sinai and
Faiyum). Obtained results revealed a total of 59 bands which were
amplified by the five primers OPB-01, OPB-13, OPB-14, OPE-05 and OPO-03 with an
average 11.8 bands per primer at molecular weights ranged from 3000-250
bp. The polymorphic loci between both species were 54 with percentage
91.5 %. The mean band frequency was 47% ranging from 39% to 62% per primer .The
similarity matrix value between the 8 Snakes species was ranged from 0.35
(35%) to 0.71 (71%) with an average of 60%. The genetic distance between
the 8 colubrid species was ranged from 0.29 (29%) to
0.65 (65%) with an average of 40 %. Dendrogram showed that, the 8 snake species
are separated from each other into two clusters .The first cluster contain 4
species of the genusPsammophis. The second cluster
include the 4 species of the genera, Spalerosophis; Coluber and Lytorhynchus..Psammophis
sibilans is sister to Psammophis Sudanensis with high
genetic similarity (71%) and Psammophis Schokar Schokar is
sister to Psammophis Schokari aegyptiacus with high genetic
similarity (70%). The Coluber rhodorhachis are clustered and
closer to Spalerosophis diadema (70%) than to Coluber
nummifer (57%). Therefore, the evolutionary history of snakes still
remains controversial. It is concluded that, the similarity coefficient and the
genetic distance value between the 8 snake species indicates that, the 8 snake
species are not identical and separated from each other.
[Nadia H. M.
Sayed. Genetic Diversity among Eight Egyptian Snakes (Squamata-Serpents:
Colubridae) Using RAPD-PCR. Life Sci J 2012;9(1):423-430]. (ISSN:
1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 63
Key Words: Colubridae , Serpents ,
RAPD-PCR, Phylogenetic Relationship, Egyptian snakes Full Text 63
