Biodiv Sci ›› 2010, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (3): 241-250.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2010.241

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Effects of coal ash pollution on the genetic diversity of Brachionus calyciflorus based on rDNA ITS sequences

Gen Zhang1, Yilong Xi1,*(), Yinghao Xue1, Xin Hu2, Xianling Xiang1, Xinli Wen1   

  1. 1 Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotic Environment & Ecological Safety in Anhui, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000
    2 Center of Modern Analysis, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093
  • Received:2010-02-02 Accepted:2010-05-11 Online:2010-05-20 Published:2012-02-08
  • Contact: Yilong Xi

Abstract:

In this study, rDNA ITS sequences were analyzed to compare the genetic diversity of Brachionus calyciflorus from the coal ash contaminated (Lake Hui) and two uncontaminated lakes (Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming). The results showed that two sibling species in Brachionus calyciflorus species complex were defined in both Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming, but only one sibling species was found in Lake Hui. The coal ash pollution decreased the number of sibling species. Based on the sequences of sibling species I coexisting in all the three lakes, the haplotype diversity of the rotifer population from Lake Hui was the lowest (h=0.9516), and the nucleotide diversity of the rotifer population from Lake Hui (π=0.0066) was lower than that from Lake Tingtang (π=0.0073) but higher than that from Lake Fengming (π=0.0052). The lowest nucleotide diversity of the rotifer population from Lake Fengming might be attributed to the combined effects of the pollution from surrounding agricultural fields and higher predation pressure from Asplanchna and copepod. Among the three lakes, a lower Nm (1.95) but a higher Fst (0.11358) were found between rotifer populations from Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming, but higherNm values (>4) were confirmed between the rotifer populations from Lake Hui and Lake Tingtang as well as Lake Hui and Lake Fengming, with the lowerFst values of 0.03535 and 0.00276, respectively. AMOVA indicated that a higher percentage of variation (12.87%) was found between the populations from Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming, but lower percentages (3.78% and 2.78%) were evaluated between the populations from Lake Hui and Lake Tingtang as well as Lake Hui and Lake Fengming. There was a moderate level of gene exchange, but no obvious differentiation between the populations from coal ash polluted and unpolluted lakes.

Key words: sequence analysis, power plant, genetic differentiation, heavy metal, water quality analysis