Mitochondrial Cytochrome B Gene (mitochondrial + cytochrome_b_gene)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR THE ORIGIN OF WORKERLESS SOCIAL PARASITES IN THE ANT GENUS POGONOMYRMEX

EVOLUTION, Issue 10 2002
Joel D. Parker
Abstract., Speciation of two social parasites from their respective hosts is tested using a molecular phylogeny. Alignment of 711 DNA base pairs of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was used to assess phylogenetic relationships of inquiline species to their hosts and to other members of the genus. We show that the inquiline social parasites of the North American seed harvester ants are monophyletic, descending from one of the known hosts (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) in the recent past and shifting hosts in a pattern similar to that observed in other Hymenopteran social parasites. In addition, the host populations unexpectedly were found to be polyphyletic. Populations of Pogonomyrmex rugosus from an area east of the Chiricahua Mountains in Southern Arizona belong to a mitochondrial clade separate from the more western clade of P. rugosus from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. Evidence of mitochondrial DNA introgression between P. rugosus and P. barbatus was also observed. We conclude that Emery's rule does not strictly hold for this system, but that the hosts and parasites are very closely related, supporting a loose definition of Emery's rule. [source]


Glacial survival or late glacial colonization?

JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 12 2006
Phylogeography of the root vole (Microtus oeconomus) in north-west Norway
Abstract Aim, It has been proposed that the root vole subspecies, Microtus oeconomus finmarchicus, survived the last glacial period on islands on the north-west coast of Norway. The Norwegian island of Andøya may have constituted the only site with permanent ice-free conditions. Geological surveys and fossil finds from Andøya demonstrate that survival throughout the last glacial maximum was probably possible for some plants and animals. In this study we aim to infer the recent evolutionary history of Norwegian root vole populations and to evaluate the glacial survival hypothesis. Methods, DNA sequence variation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was studied in 46 root voles from 19 localities. Location, Northern Fennoscandia and north-west Russia with a focus on islands on the north-west coast of Norway. Results The phylogeographical analyses revealed two North European phylogroups labelled ,Andøya' and ,Fennoscandia'. The Andøya phylogroup contained root voles from the Norwegian islands of Andøya, Ringvassøya and Reinøya and two localities in north-west Russia. The Fennoscandian phylogroup encompassed root voles from the three Norwegian islands of Kvaløya, Håkøya and Arnøya and the remaining specimens from Norway, northern Sweden and Finland. Nucleotide diversity within the Andøya and Fennoscandian phylogroups was similar, ranging from 0.5% to 0.7%. Main conclusions Both our genetic data and previously published morphological data are consistent with in situ glacial survival of root voles on Andøya during the last glacial maximum. However, the level of genetic diversity observed in the extant island populations, the past periods of severe climatic conditions on Andøya and the ecology of the root vole are somewhat difficult to reconcile with this model. A biogeographical scenario involving late glacial recolonization along the northern coasts of Russia and Norway therefore represents a viable alternative. Our results demonstrate that complex recolonization and extinction histories can generate intricate phylogeographical patterns and relatively high levels of genetic variation in northern populations. [source]


Weak phylogenetic effects on ecological niches of Sylvia warblers

JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2003
K. Böhning-Gaese
Abstract To understand the evolution of ecological niches it is important to know whether niche evolution is constrained by phylogeny. We approached this question for Sylvia warblers by testing if closely related species are more similar in 20 ecologically relevant morphological traits than distantly related species. Phylogenetic relatedness was quantified using a molecular phylogeny based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. By Principal Component Analysis (PCA) two major niche axes were extracted. We tested the individual ecomorphological traits and the positions of the species on the PCA axes for phylogenetic effects using Mantel tests. The results demonstrated small but significant phylogenetic effects only for the length of the middle toe, a trait probably correlated with locomotion. In general, however, phylogenetic effects were very weak. This suggests that ecological niches in passerine birds have the potential to evolve rapidly and are not subject to major phylogenetic constraints. [source]


Morphometric convergence and molecular divergence: the taxonomic status and evolutionary history of Gymnura crebripunctata and Gymnura marmorata in the eastern Pacific Ocean

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
W.D. Smith
To clarify the taxonomic status of Gymnura crebripunctata and Gymnura marmorata, the extent of morphological and nucleotide variation between these nominal species was examined using multivariate morphological and mitochondrial DNA comparisons of the same characters with congeneric species. Discriminant analysis of 21 morphometric variables from four species (G. crebripunctata, G. marmorata, Gymnura micrura and Gymnura poecilura) successfully distinguished species groupings. Classification success of eastern Pacific species improved further when specimens were grouped by species and sex. Discriminant analysis of size-corrected data generated species assignments that were consistently accurate in separating the two species (100% jackknifed assignment success). Nasal curtain length was identified as the character which contributed the most to discrimination of the two species. Sexual dimorphism was evident in several characters that have previously been relied upon to distinguish G. crebripunctata from G. marmorata. A previously unreported feature, the absence of a tail spine in G. crebripunctata, provides an improved method of field identification between these species. Phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses based on 698 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene indicate that G. crebripunctata and G. marmorata form highly divergent lineages, supporting their validity as distinct species. The closely related batoid Aetoplatea zonura clustered within the Gymnura clade, indicating that it may not represent a valid genus. Strong population structuring (overall ,ST = 0·81,P < 0·01) was evident between G. marmorata from the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula and the Gulf of California, supporting the designation of distinct management units in these regions. [source]


Phylogeny and speciation of the eastern Asian cyprinid genus Sarcocheilichthys

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
L. Zhang
The genus Sarcocheilichthys is a group of small cyprinid fishes comprising 10 species/sub-species widely distributed in East Asia, which represents a valuable model for understanding the speciation of freshwater fishes in East Asia. In the present study, the molecular phylogenetic relationship of the genus Sarcocheilichthys was investigated using a 1140 bp section of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Two different tree-building methods, maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian methods, yielded trees with almost the same topology, yielding high bootstrap values or posterior probabilities. The results showed that the genus Sarcocheilichthys consists of two large clades, clades I and II. Clade I contains Sarcocheilichthys lacustris, Sarcocheilichthys sinensis and Sarcocheilichthys parvus, with S. parvus at a basal position. In clade II, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus microoculus is at a basal position; samples of the widespread species, Sarcocheilichthys nigripinnis, form a large subclade containing another valid species Sarcocheilichthys czerskii. Sarcocheilichthys kiangsiensis is retained at an intermediate position. Since S. czerskii is a valid species in the S. nigripinnis clade, remaining samples of S. nigripinnis form a paraphyly. This speciation process is attributed to geographical isolation and special environmental conditions experienced by S. czerskii and stable environments experienced by the other S. nigripinnis populations. This type of speciation process was suggested to be very common. Samples of Sarcocheilichthys sinensis sinensis and Sarcocheilichthys sinensis fukiensis that did not form their own monophyletic groups suggest an early stage of speciation and support their sub-species status. Molecular clock analysis indicates that the two major lineages of the genus Sarcocheilichthys, clades I and II diverged c. 8·89 million years ago (mya). Sarcocheilichthys v. microoculus from Japan probably diverged 4·78 mya from the Chinese group. The northern,southern clades of S. nigripinnis began to diverge c. 2·12 mya, while one lineage of S. nigripinnis evolved into a new species, S. czerski, c. 0·34 mya. [source]


Mitochondrial and Wolbachia markers for the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi: little population differentiation between peridomestic sites and gerbil burrows in Isfahan province, Iran

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
P. Parvizi
Abstract., In Iran, Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the main vector of Leishmania major Yakimoff & Schokhor (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the causative agent of rural zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. This sandfly is abundant both in villages and in the burrows of the main reservoir host, the gerbil Rhombomys opimus (Licht.) (Rodentia: Gerbillidae). Populations of P. papatasi were sampled from the edges of villages in Isfahan province, using CDC miniature light traps in peridomestic sites and sticky papers placed at the entrances to gerbil burrows. Single peridomestic sites in two northern provinces were also sampled. Individual sandflies were characterized by PCR amplification and sequencing of fragments of their mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and of the wsp gene of endosymbiotic Wolbachia pipientis Hertig (alpha-Proteobacteria: Rickettsiaceae). The distributions of the haplotypes of these two maternally inherited genes were analysed to assess the population differentiation of P. papatasi, knowledge of which will be needed for planning control measures. For the first time these markers were used to characterize P. papatasi from gerbil burrows, and they indicated the absence not only of sympatric cryptic species but also of any long-term differentiation of lineages in different habitats. A single lineage of cytochrome b haplotypes was found, and both sexes in all populations had a high infection rate of the same A-group strain of Wolbachia (wPap). The distributions of cytochrome b haplotypes were consistent with females dispersing more than males, which has been reported for P. papatasi in other countries. The widespread distribution of wPap suggests that Wolbachia could be used to spread transgenes between populations of P. papatasi in different habitats. [source]


The divergence of two independent lineages of an endemic Chinese gecko, Gekko swinhonis, launched by the Qinling orogenic belt

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2010
JIE YAN
Abstract The genetic structure and demographic history of an endemic Chinese gecko, Gekko swinhonis, were investigated by analysing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 10 microsatellite loci for samples collected from 27 localities. Mitochondrial DNA data provided a detailed distribution of two highly divergent evolutionary lineages, between which the average pairwise distance achieved was 0.14. The geographic division of the two lineages coincided with a plate boundary consisting of the Qinling and Taihang Mts, suggesting a historical vicariant pattern. The orogeny of the Qinling Mts, a dispersal and major climatic barrier of the region, may have launched the independent lineage divergence. Both lineages have experienced recent expansion, and the current sympatric localities comprised the region of contact between the lineages. Individual-based phylogenetic analyses of nucDNA and Bayesian-clustering approaches revealed a deep genetic structure analogous to mtDNA. Incongruence between nucDNA and mtDNA at the individual level at localities outside of the contact region can be explained by the different inheritance patterns and male-biased dispersal in this species. High genetic divergence, long-term isolation and ecological adaptation, as well as the morphological differences, suggest the presence of a cryptic species. [source]


Postglacial colonization of the Tibetan plateau inferred from the matrilineal genetic structure of the endemic red-necked snow finch, Pyrgilauda ruficollis

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
YAN HUA QU
Abstract Most phylogeographical studies of postglacial colonization focus on high latitude locations in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we studied the phylogeographical structure of the red-necked snow finch Pyrgilauda ruficollis, an endemic species of the Tibetan plateau. We analysed 879 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 529 bp of the control region in 41 birds from four regional groups separated by mountain ranges. We detected 34 haplotypes, 31 of which occurred in a single individual and only three of which were shared among sampling sites within regional groups or among regional groups. Haplotype diversity was high (h = 0.94); nucleotide diversity was low (ð = 0.00415) and genetic differentiation was virtually non-existent. Analyses of mismatch distributions and geographically nested clades yielded results consistent with contiguous range expansion, and the expansion times were estimated as 0.07,0.19 million years ago (Ma). Our results suggest that P. ruficollis colonized the Tibetan plateau after the extensive glacial period (0.5,0.175 Ma), expanding from the eastern margin towards the inner plateau. Thus, in contrast to many of the postglacial phylogeographical structures known at high latitudes, this colonization occurred without matrilineal population structuring. This might be due to the short glacial cycles typical of the Tibetan plateau, adaptation of P. ruficollis to cold conditions, or refugia and colonized habitat being semicontinuous and thus promoting population mixing. [source]


Phylogeography of the dusky shrew, Sorex monticolus (Insectivora, Soricidae): insight into deep and shallow history in northwestern North America

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
John R. Demboski
Abstract Phylogenetic relationships among the dusky shrew (Sorexmonticolus) and eight related species (S. bairdi, S. bendirii, S. neomexicanus, S.ornatus, S. pacificus, S. palustris, S. sonomae and S.vagrans) were assessed using sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (801 bp). Analyses using parsimony and maximum likelihood revealed significant molecular variation not reflected in previous morphological studies of these species. Conversely, three morphologically defined species (S.bairdi, S.neomexicanusandS.pacificus) were poorly differentiated. SorexornatusandS.vagrans represented basal taxa for a more inclusive group that included: (i) a widespread Continental clade containing S.monticolus (Arizona to Alaska, including S. neomexicanus); (ii) a Coastal clade containing S.monticolus (Oregon to south-east Alaska, including S. bairdiandS. pacificus); (iii) the semiaquatic species (S. bendiriiandS. palustris); and (iv) S.sonomae. Additional subdivision was observed within the Continental clade corresponding to populations from the northern and southern Rocky Mountains. Average uncorrected sequence divergence between the Coastal and Continental clades was 5.3% (range 4.5,6.2%), which exceeds many interspecific comparisons within this species complex and within the genus Sorex. Lack of resolution of internal nodes within topologies suggests a deep history of rapid diversification within this group. Late Pleistocene/Holocene glacial perturbations are reflected in the shallow phylogeographic structure within these clades in western North America. Our results suggest also that S. monticolus is not monophyletic under current taxonomic nomenclature. This perspective on phylogeographic history was developed within a growing comparative framework for other organisms in western North America. [source]


Molecular evidence for the identity of the Magenta petrel

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2009
HAYLEY A. LAWRENCE
Abstract A lone petrel was shot from the decks of an Italian warship (the ,Magenta') while it was sailing the South Pacific Ocean in 1867, far from land. The species, unknown to science, was named the ,Magenta petrel' (Procellariiformes, Procellariidae, Pterodroma magentae). No other specimens of this bird were collected and the species it represented remained a complete enigma for over 100 years. We compared DNA sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from the Magenta petrel to that of other petrels using phylogenetic methods and ancient DNA techniques. Our results strongly suggest that the Magenta petrel specimen is a Chatham Island taiko. Furthermore, given the collection location of the Magenta petrel, our finding indicates that the Chatham Island taiko forages far into the Pacific Ocean (near South America). This has implications for the conservation of the taiko, one of the world's rarest seabirds. [source]


Non-invasive genetic identification of small mammal species using real-time polymerase chain reaction

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 6 2008
S. MORAN
Abstract DNA identification of non-invasive samples is a potentially useful tool for monitoring small mammal species. Here we describe a novel method for identifying five small mammal species: wood mouse, bank vole, common shrew, pygmy shrew and water shrew. Species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction primers were designed to amplify fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from hair and scat samples. We also amplified nuclear DNA from scats, demonstrating their potential as a source of DNA for population genetic studies. [source]


Monitoring of Venturia inaequalis harbouring the QoI resistance G143A mutation in French orchards as revealed by PCR assays

PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 1 2009
Séverine Fontaine
Abstract BACKGROUND: Genetic resistance to QoI fungicides may account for recent failures to control Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Winter in French orchards. Two PCR-based assays were developed to detect the G143A point mutation in the fungal mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The mutation is known to confer a high level of resistance to QoI fungicides. Occurrence of the G143A mutation in French field isolates collected from 2004 to 2007 was monitored. RESULTS: The QoI-resistant cytochrome b allele was specifically detected either following the cleavage of the amplified marker by a restriction endonuclease (CAPS assay) or its amplification using an allele-specific PCR primer. Using either method, the G143A mutation was found in 42% of the 291 field samples originating from French orchards in which apple scab proved difficult to be controlled. Monitoring of the G143A mutation in orchards located in 15 French administrative regions indicated that the mutation was detected at least once in nine of the regions, and its presence ranged from 33% to 64% of the orchards analysed in 2004 and in 2007 respectively. CONCLUSION: The PCR-based methods developed in this study efficiently reveal the presence of the G143A mutation in French V. inaequalis field populations. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Characterization of QoI resistance in Botrytis cinerea and identification of two types of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene

PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
S. Banno
Botrytis cinerea field isolates collected in Japan were screened for resistance to Qo inhibitor fungicides (QoIs). Of the 198 isolates screened, six grew well on a medium containing azoxystrobin, a QoI, when salicylhydroxamic acid, an alternative oxidase inhibitor, was present. The resistance mutation in the cytochrome b gene (cytb) was characterized. All QoI-resistant isolates had the same mutation (GGT to GCT) in cytb that led to the substitution of glycine by alanine at position 143 of cytochrome b, which is known to confer QoI resistance in plant pathogens. To detect this mutation, a hybridization probe assay based on real-time PCR amplification and melting curve analysis was developed. Using DNA samples prepared from aubergines coinfected with QoI-resistant and QoI-sensitive B. cinerea isolates, two similar peak profiles with their corresponding melting temperatures were obtained. This result suggests that QoI-resistant and QoI-sensitive isolates may compete equally in terms of pathogenicity, and the assay may be used to assess the population ratio of mutant and wild-type isolates. However, the hybridization probe did not anneal to PCR products derived from the DNA samples of some QoI-sensitive isolates. Structural analysis of cytb revealed that B. cinerea field isolates could be classified into two groups: one with three introns and the other with an additional intron (Bcbi-143/144 intron) inserted between the 143rd and 144th codons. All 88 isolates possessing the Bcbi-143/144 intron were azoxystrobin-sensitive, suggesting that the QoI-resistant mutation at codon 143 in cytb prevents self-splicing of the Bcbi-143/144 intron, as proposed in some other plant pathogens. [source]


Genetic variation of Lates calcarifer in Peninsular Malaysia based on the cytochrome b gene

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 15 2009
M Y Norfatimah
Abstract A 312 bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was sequenced from 132 sea bass Lates calcarifer individuals from nine populations across Peninsular Malaysia. Phylogenetic analysis and analysis of molecular variance within and among populations showed no significant geographical structuring. Several populations formed discrete units while others were of mixed populations. The former group suggests a low gene flow among some populations while the latter suggests that widespread translocations have impacted the other wild and cultured local populations. The data from this study have important implications for fishery management, conservation of sea bass stocks and translocation policy for aquaculture and stock enhancement in Peninsular Malaysia. [source]


Phylogeography and genetic structure of the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) inferred from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 4 2010
FERRUCCIO MALTAGLIATI
Phylogeographical analysis of Paracentrotus lividus was carried out by means of sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1143 bp) of 260 individuals collected at 22 Mediterranean and four Atlantic localities. Against a background of high haplotype diversity and shallow genetic structuring, we observed significant genetic divergence between the Adriatic Sea and the rest of the Mediterranean, as well as between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic sample groups. Furthermore, on the largest spatial scale, isolation by distance was detected. Three main haplogroups were identified by network and Bayesian assignment analyses. The relative proportions of haplogroups were different in the four regions considered, with the exception of Western and Eastern Mediterranean that showed a similar pattern. This result together with the outcome of Snn statistics, analysis of molecular variance and network analyses allowed to identify three weakly differentiated populations corresponding to the Atlantic, Western + Eastern Mediterranean, and Adriatic seas. Analyses of mismatch distribution and neutrality tests were consistent with the presence of genetic structuring and past demographic expansion(s). From a fisheries perspective, the results obtained in the present study are consistent with genetic sustainability of current exploitation; local depleted stocks are recurrently replenished by recruits that may have originated from nonharvested areas. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 910,923. [source]


Molecular phylogeny and evolution of the Asian lineage of vole genus Microtus (Rodentia: Arvicolinae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 3 2010
ANNA A. BANNIKOVA
To examine phylogenetic relationships within the Asian lineage of voles (Microtus) belonging to subgenus Alexandromys, the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb) was sequenced for its representatives, and the results were compared with the cytogenetic, morphological, and paleontological data. In all the trees inferred from maximum likelihood, parsimony, and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses, the Asian clade is subdivided into highly supported Alexandromys s.s. and moderately supported Pallasiinus lineages. Four subclades are recovered within Alexandromys: (1) Microtus maximowiczii and Microtus sachalinensis; (2) Microtus miiddendorffii s.l., Microtus mongolicus and Microtus gromovi; (3) Microtus fortis; and (4) Microtus limnophilus. Thus, M. limnophilus demonstrates clear affinities to Alexandromys s.s. but not to Microtus oeconomus (subgenus Pallasiinus), which was always regarded as its sibling species. The results obtained indicate M. mongolicus as a member of Alexandromys but not of the Microtus arvalis group, thus being concordant with the cytogenetic data. The mitochondrial data support the species status of M. gromovi; moreover, its placement as a part of a trichotomy with M. miiddendorffii s.l. and M. mongolicus contradicts the traditional affiliation of M. gromovi with M. maximowiczii. The divergence rate of cytb third position transversions in Microtus is estimated at approximately 8% per Myr, which corresponds to approximately 30% per Myr for all substitution types at all codon positions. The maximum likelihood distance based on complete sequence showed a tendency for a progressive underestimation of divergence and time for older splits. According to our molecular clock analysis employing nonlinear estimation methods, the split between Alexandromys and Pallasiinus and basal radiation within Alexandromys date back to approximately 1.2 Mya and 800 Kya, respectively. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 99, 595,613. [source]


Historical DNA from museum type specimens clarifies diversity of Asian leaf turtles (Cyclemys)

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008
BRYAN L. STUART
Species boundaries in Asian leaf turtles of the genus Cyclemys are difficult to define on the basis of morphology, primarily because many populations exhibit considerable ontogenetic variation in shell and head coloration. Two recent molecular phylogenetic hypotheses of Cyclemys species relationships, based largely on market and pet-trade samples of uncertain provenance, were highly incongruent. We used historical DNA methods to sequence fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from eight type specimens of Cyclemys (including one collected by Alfred Russel Wallace), and phylogenetically placed these type sequences into the context of published cytochrome b variation. Our phylogenetic hypothesis supports the recognition of four named species (Cyclemys atripons, Cyclemys dentata, Cyclemys oldhamii, and C. pulchristriata), as well as a fifth species of unknown geographical provenance obtained from the Hong Kong pet trade. The type sequences show that previous molecular phylogenetic studies were hampered by misidentifications, supporting the notion that Cyclemys of unknown provenance are not reliably identified to species solely on the basis of morphology. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 94, 131,141. [source]