Mitochondrial DNA variation in the grasshopper Sinipta dalmani: application of long-PCR to the development of a homologous probe.

RFLP analysis of mtDNA in natural populations is a valuable tool for phylogeographic and population genetic studies. The amplification of long DNA fragments using universal primers may contribute to the development of novel homologous probes in species for which no previous genomic information is available. Here we report how we obtained the complete mtDNA genome of Sinipta dalmani (Orthoptera) in 2 fragments (7 and 9 kb) using primers of conserved regions. The specificity of the PCR reactions was ultimately confirmed by several lines of evidence. These fragments were used as a probe for a mtDNA RFLP study in S. dalmani that analyzed the pattern of haplotype distribution and nucleotide diversity within and among chromosomally differentiated natural populations. Our results suggest that the restriction in gene flow detected at the molecular level may explain the chromosome differentiation detected previously and the maintenance of chromosome polymorphism in some areas of S. dalmani geographic distribution.