COMPARISON OF GENETIC VARIATION OF SHIP STURGEON (ACIPENSER NUDIVENTRIS) IN THE SOUTHERN CASPIAN SEA AND URAL RIVER USING PCR-RFLP

Genetic variation of ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) from the Caspian Sea was investigated using NADF15/6 gene and PCR-RFLP analysis. A total of 80 specimens of the fish were collected from the south Caspian Sea and the Ural River from Kazakhstan. mtDNA ND5i6 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) digested using 39 Endonucleases Restriction Enzyme. Of the 39 enzymes, five showed polymorphism. Totally, ten composite haplotypes among 80 specimens were detected. Haplotype AAAAA showed maximum frequency (57.5%) whereas haplotypes BBAAA and BABAA showed minimum frequency (12%). Haplotype AAAAB was recognized specifically in Ural River specimens. Average haplotype and nucleotide diversity was 0.8516 and 0.007 respectively. Compared to other sturgeon species living in the Caspian Sea, nucleotide diversity of Ship Sturgeon was much lower (0.007). This may be due to smaller population size of this species. Monte-Carol simulation using 1000 interaction did not show any significant differences between haplotype distribution of the fish sampled in the south Caspian Sea (X2=35.48 , P=0.74). However, we detected a significant difference between haplotype of Ship Sturgeon from Ural River and the south Caspian Sea. We conclude that Ship Sturgeon from Ural River is different from the fish in the south Caspian Sea and suggest CfrI31 enzyme as a molecular marker for population differentiation in the Caspian Sea.