Determination of allozyme, protein and schistosome susceptibility in Biomphalaria alexandrina progenies produced by self and cross fertilization.

The mating system of B. alexandrina was studied under laboratory condition by allozyme analysis and SDS-PAGE protein analysis for parent snails and their progenies of two successive generations produced by self and cross fertilization. Allozyme analysis detected 11 genetic loci in 3 enzymes; ACP (3 loci), LDH (2 loci) and EST (6 loci). The mean number of Allele (A), average heterozygosity over loci (H) and dendrogram from cluster analysis based on genetic distances between snail groups showed a genetic heterogeneity in parents and 1st generation higher than that in the 2nd generation. Cross-fertilization and genetic heterogeneity among snails decreased through generations. Snails practiced self-fertilization showed genetic alterations and genetic heterogeneity was either decreased or increased. SDS-PAGE profile of tissue protein revealed that the mating system in B. alexandrina showed specific bands, 204 & 214 KDa, in snails bred by self-fertilization. D value based on shared protein bands number and estimated similarity between parents and progenies showed that parents were approximately similar with self and cross progenies in 1st generation and only with cross progenies in 2nd generation as self progenies showed increase or decrease in similarity. B. alexandrina susceptibility to S. mansoni was not affected when snails were bred by cross or self fertilization.