Estimation de la taille du génome de trois espèces d'abeilles sans aiguillon (Hymenoptera, Meliponinae) par cytométrie de flux

International audience; The present study standardizes a reproducible flow cytometry (FCM) protocol for DNA content measurement of bee species and applied it to Scaptotrigona and Melipona species. The mean nuclear DNA content value of male and female S. xantotricha was 0.42 pg (410.8 Mbp) and 0.44 pg (430.3 Mbp), respectively, while the mean haploid genome size was determined to be 0.93 pg (909.5 Mbp) for M. rufiventris and 0.95 pg (929.1 Mbp) for M. mondury. The variation observed in this study, albeit in a preliminary way, may be related with the variation in the heterochromatin content in the chromosomes of Scaptotrigona and Melipona species. The results provide a starting point for comparative analysis on the patterns of genome size variation in the stingless bees.