Genetic Variation among Nine Egyptian Gecko Species (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) Based on RAPD-PCR

The RAPD-PCR in the present study was used to determine the genetic variation among nine Egyptian gekkonid species; Tropiocolotes tripolitanus, Tropiocolotes nattererii, Hemidactylus turcicus, Cyrtopodion scaber, Stenodactylus petrii, Ptyodactylus guttatus, Ptyodactylus hasselquistii, Tarentola mauritanica and Tarentola annularis. The animals were captured from several localities from Egypt (Giza, Sinai and Matruh governorates). A total of 94 bands were amplified by the four primers OPAO4, OPBO3, OPB18 and OPCO1 with an average of 23.5 bands per primer at molecular weights ranged from 1267 to 112 bp. The polymorphic loci between species were 91 with percentage 96.8 %. The similarity coefficients value between the nine gekkonid species are ranged from 0.313(31.3%) to 0.576 (57.6%) with an average of 0.42 (42%). The genetic distance between the nine species was ranged from 0.424 (42.4%) to 0.687 (68.7%) with an average of 0.58 (58 %). The dendrogram showed that, the nine gekkonid species separated from each other into two clusters. The first cluster includes Tropiocolotes tripolitanus; Tropiocolotes nattererii; Hemidactylus turcicus; Cyrtopodion scaber; Stenodactylus petrii. The second cluster includes the rest of gekkonid species. The clade Tarentola annularis is sister taxon to T. mauritanica and the clade Ptyodactylus guttatus is sister taxon to P. hasselquistii. It is also noted that, the genus Tropiocolotes is closer to the genus Cyrtopodion than the other genera and the genus Tarentola is closer to the genus Ptyodactylus than the other genera. It is concluded that, the less similarity coefficient and the high genetic distance value between the 9 gekkonid species indicates that, the nine gekkonid species are not identical and separated from each other. [Ramadan A. M. Ali Genetic Variation among Nine Egyptian Gecko Species (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) Based On RAPD-PCR. Life Science Journal 2012;9(1):154-162]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.lifesciencesite.com