Genetic variation in different varieties of Siamese fighting fish using isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins

Abstract

Sarcoplasmic proteins of four colour varieties of Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens Regan, were analysed by isoelectric focusing (IEF). Genetic polymorphisms were detected in six loci having isoelectric points: 4.92-5.00 (Sp-1), 5.33-5.48 (Sp-2), 5.90 (Sp-3), 6.31-6.35 (Sp-4), 6.58-6.70 (Sp-5) and 6.90 (Sp-6). For the Sp-1, Sp-2, Sp-4 and Sp-5 loci, there were two co-dominant alleles. At Sp-3 and Sp-6, one allele was dominant and the other null. Individuals within each locus were classified into phenotypes A, AB and B. Only homozygotes were found at Sp-2. Allele frequencies were calculated for each locus and tested for accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Observed values for each phenotype at Sp-1, Sp-3, Sp-4, Sp-5 and Sp-6 agreed well with the expected ones. At Sp-2, genotypic frequencies for each variety deviated markedly (p < 0.01) from the equilibrium. When tested for homogeneity, no significant differences (p ≥ 0.95) in gene frequencies were found among the varieties except at Sp-2. Band sharing index (BSI), computed using the BIO-GENE v5.04 program, revealed high intravariety genetic similarities (0.701-0.740) and slightly above-average intervariety values (0.550-0.583). In this study, we estimated the levels of genetic variability in B. splendens, and proposed a genetic model for each polymorphic locus.