Allozyme variation among six populations of the freshwater-snail Oncomelania hupensis in Zhejiang, China.

ABSTRACT

Thirteen enzymes encoded by 16 loci of six population of Oncomelania hupensis in Zhejiang, China, were investigated by means of starch gel electrophoresis. Ten loci (AO, 6PGD, ME, AKP, OCT-1, HBDH-1, HBDH-2, XDH, MDH and MPI) were monomorphic and 6 loci (OCT-2, PGI, AAT, PGM-1, PGM-2 and ACP) were polymorphic. Three enzymes (OCT, HBDH and PGM) were encoded by 2 loci. The results indicated that there were allozyme variations in two subspecies, O.h. hupensis and O.h. fausti in Zhejiang, China. Nei's multilocus genetic distances (D) between subspecies ranged from 0.167 to 0.265. Minor genetic distances were detected between populations of the same subspecies. The results indicated that the enzyme acid phosphatase (ACP) is a possible marker to measure the degree of susceptibility of O. hupensis to S. Japonicum.