Inheritance pattern of RAPD markers in Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponinae).

Melipona quadrifasciata is an important pollinator agent in several regions of Brazil. Data concerning the genetics of this species are scarce in the literature. In this work we used the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to determine the degree of polymorphism and the inheritance pattern of these molecular markers in this species. Our ultimate goal is to establish tools to be used in the study of the genomic organization of M. quadrifasciata. Genomic DNA from progenies F(1) and BC(1) were assayed with 79 different primers, yielding an average of 6.67 bands and 1.68 polymorphisms per primer. Three types of polymorphisms were detected: band presence/absence, band intensity, and fragment-length polymorphisms. Most of the observed polymorphisms were band presence/absence, typical of RAPD-dominant markers. The number of observed polymorphisms and their segregation in accordance with a Mendelian proportion confirm the importance of this technique for genome analysis of species like M. quadrifasciata that are poorly studied at the genetic level.