RAPID VERIFICATION OF MEIOTIC GYNOGENESIS AND POLYPLOIDY IN WHITE STURGEON (ACIPENSER-TRANSMONTANUS RICHARDSON)

We describe a novel random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) based tech nique to rapidly assess the overall success of treatments designed to induce gynogenesis. To test this technique we produced white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) meiotic gynogens. A total of 108 putative gy nogens of known parentage from four different experimental treatments were screened using RAPD primers which were known to generate sire-spe cific markers. Only two individuals showed amplification of sire-speci fic markers indicating that they had received some paternal inheritanc e and were not true gynogens. This simple RAPD-based technique could b e generally applicable for the verification of gynogenesis or androgen esis in other species, especially those which lack suitable phenotypic markers to trace the transmission of parental inheritance. We also de termined the ploidy of 2469 diploid, triploid, tetraploid and mosaic s turgeon by using a Coulter Counter to analyze erythrocyte nuclei size and verified the results with flow cytometry, The Coulter Counter prov ed to be a rapid and accurate technique for ploidy analysis in sturgeo n.