[Variability of cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha(Walbaum) from the rivers of the continental coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and Zavyalov Island].

Data on the structure and variability of the nucleotide sequence of the cytochrome b (cytb) gene fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in pink salmon of adjacent generations from the rivers of the continental coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and Zavyalov Island were obtained. The differences between adjacent generations were discovered. By the marker studied, pink salmon of the even-year line are characterized by a high level of genetic variability. It is shown that reproductive isolation has led to accumulation of specific mutations of the mtDNA cytb gene in each line and, consequently, to their divergence. Analysis of the data showed that the share of intrapopulation genetic variability of northern Sea of Okhotsk pink salmon accounts for about 91%. The intergroup component that was calculated for adjacent generations of the species is relatively small and is 9%, which seems to be indicative of a relatively recent divergence of adjacent generations of salmon.