POLYMORPHISM WITHIN AND BETWEEN POPULATIONS OF CERATITIS-CAPITATA - COMPARISON BETWEEN RAPD AND MULTILOCUS ENZYME ELECTROPHORESIS DATA

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) were used to assess genetic variability in six wild populations and in five laboratory strains of Ceratitis capitata . The RAPD technique reveals larger amounts of genetic variation than the conventional MLEE, and can improve discrimination within and betwe en populations and strains. In our experimental conditions, RAPD analy sis with four different primers produces 174 polymorphic bands out of 176, while MLEE analysis at 26 enzyme loci scores 74 alleles. RAPD fin gerprints are peculiar to African flies, while different laboratory st rains have similar patterns, independently of their origins. The resul ts obtained by these two methods are significantly correlated, and are in agreement with the general trend of decreasing variability from Af rican populations towards the peripheral and laboratory ones. UPGMA de ndrograms derived from MLEE (protein) and RAPD (DNA) data show that a major part of intraspecific variability involves the differentiation o f central vs. peripheral populations.