Population genetic analysis and characterization of nuclear gene regions and mitogenomes in four European "Donax" species

Resum

he wedge clam Donax trunculus is an important shellfish resource in Europe that is in regression in Galician natural beds (Northwest of Spain). Nowadays in Galicia, only two markets located in Arousa and Cedeira sell this species, demonstrating the decline of this resource. In order to conserve, manage and recover this resource effectively, the following genetic analyses have been carried out: First, mitochondrial DNA markers (16S and Cytb) were used to analyse the population diversity and population structure of natural beds from Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, the existence of Donax vittatus in the Atlantic coast of Iberian Peninsula, as another species to be conserved and/or managed, the development of molecular markers was needed to characterize its natural beds and to carry out studies similar to those conducted for D. trunculus. Likewise, given the existence of other Donax species (Donax semistriatus and Donax variegatus) in this region, the 5S rDNA, the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the mitogenomes were characterized in these four species, in order to describe species-specific molecular markers for their identification and to construct the phylogenetic relationships within the order Veneroida.