Microsatellite markers have been developed for a variety of abalones, and locus-specific homozygote excesses at population level have been recorded for microsatellite loci. To ascertain whether null alleles exist at microsatellite loci in the Pacific abalone, we studied the mode of inheritance of 7 microsatellite loci in 4 families with a reciprocal cross of 2 females x 2 males. All loci segregated codominantly, but only 3 loci ( Hdh1321, Hdh78, and Hdd108C) conformed to Mendelian segregation and can be used for parental analysis and population genetic studies. When null alleles were considered, 2 loci (Hdh1761 and Hdh1457) confirmed Mendelian expectations in all families, while the remaining 2 loci (Hdd114B and Hdd229) showed deviation from Mendelian segregation in at least one family even though null alleles were considered. These results indicated the need to test the inheritance pattern for microsatellite markers in abalones before using them for population genetic of parentage analysis.
We present novel microsatellite markers of the Japanese abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) for general mapping studies in this species. A total of 75 microsatellite markers were developed, and the allele-transmission patterns of these markers were studied in three families generated by pair crosses. For allele scoring, we employed the 5'-tailed primer polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which substantially reduces the cost for fluorescent labeling of primers. Of the 225 possible marker-family combinations (75 markers x 3 families), 18 cases of informative null-allele segregation were inferred. When such null-allele segregations were allowed, more than 70% of the 75 markers in the families turned out to be markers with an expected segregation ratio of 1:1:1:1, allowing maximal exploitation of the codominant nature of microsatellite markers. There were 16 instances of segregation distortion at the 5% significance level. The test for independence of segregation assigned the 75 markers into 17 linkage groups, which is in close agreement with the haploid chromosome number of H. discus hannai (n = 18). Six markers could not be placed into any linkage group. We suggest that these markers could help construct a H. discus hannai linkage map.
Inbreeding depression' may be an avoidable phenomenon for abalone culture. However, only a few studies have been carried out on inbreeding depression. In the present study, using six families produced in 1994, a factorial mating system including inbreeding and outbreeding was constructed in order to demonstrate inbreeding depression traits of the Pacific abalone. In total, 24 inbreeding and 21 outbreeding crosses were produced during three years (1999)(2000)(2001) and these offspring were reared for approximately one year. Significant differences in fertilization rate and growth were not observed between inbreeding and outbreeding crosses. However, the deformity rate of veliger larvae was always higher in inbreeding crosses than that of outbreeding crosses in all experiments. Moreover, a significantly high deformity rate was observed in some full-sib families of inbreeding. Alternatively, the survival rates of inbreeding crosses were much lower than for outbreeding crosses after about 4 months and one year in two rearing localities. These results indicate that inbreeding depression is observed in the traits of deformity rate and survival, but not in fertilization rate nor growth in the first generation of a full-sib family of the Pacific abalone.
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