Antenna protein diversity of prawns (Macrobrachium) in the Mekong Delta

抄録

Seven prawn species (Macrobrachium equidens, M. esculentum, M. lanchesteri, M. mammillodactylus, M. mirabile, M. sintangense, and M. rosenbergii) occur in the rice fields, canals, and rivers of the Mekong Delta. The SDS-PAGE method of protein analysis was firstly applied to the structural protein of antennae in order to re-examine the classification of species and to seek diversity and genetic differentiation among them. Six traits were estimated, e. g. coefficient of variance (CV), phenotypic diversity (Ho), genetic diversity (H_EP), percentage of polymorphic individuals, percentage of polymorphic bands, and the sum of the effective number of alleles (SENA). Research revealed that M. equidens has the lowest level in all six traits, indicating that its population is declining dramatically. In addition, the genetic pool of M. rosenbergii in this region was decreased significantly due to farmers catching for cash. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on protein analysis, which confirmed and extended the classical classification of prawns in the Mekong Delta. The seven species fall into two groups based on their protein phenotypes and ecological adaptations. The results of this research will be useful for prawn conservation and breeding in the near future.