Mitochondrial Haplotypes (mitochondrial + haplotype)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Genetic distinctness and phylogenetic relationships among Undaria species (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) based on mitochondrial cox3 gene sequences

PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007
Shinya Uwai
SUMMARY Genetic relationships among Undaria species and among populations of each species were studied based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cox3 gene. Although three Undaria species, U. peterseniana (Kjellman) Okamura, U. pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar and U. undarioides (Yendo) Okamura, have been described based mostly on blade morphology, plants with intermediate morphologies have also been found. Multiple plants from several populations in Japan were collected. Morphological characters could identify most of the samples unambiguously. A few samples with intermediate morphologies were also collected. Mitochondrial haplotypes found in each population were different for each identified species, and each species had multiple haplotypes. In the cox3 haplotype network analysis, the numbers of steps between haplotypes within and between species were similar, and haplotypes of each species did not group together. The close genetic relationships among species strongly suggest that these species are conspecific. Alternatively, recent speciation could be possible with maintenance of ancestral polymorphisms within the species (i.e. incomplete lineage sorting). Haplotypes of samples with intermediate morphologies were different for each sample and the same as ones found in the local population, suggesting interspecific hybridizations among species. [source]


Medieval remains from Lithuania indicate loss of a mitochondrial haplotype in Bison bonasus

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 10 2006
CECILIA ANDERUNG
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Origin of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) from the Yucatan peninsula inferred from mitochondrial DNA analysis

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
Kylea E. Clarke
Abstract Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) sampled at sites in Europe, Africa and South Ámerica were analysed using a mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) marker. These samples were used to provide baseline information for a detailed analysis of the process of Africanization of bees from the neotropical Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Radical changes in mitochondrial haplotype (mitotype) frequencies were found to have occurred in the 13-year period studied. Prior to the arrival of Africanized bees (1986) the original inhabitants of the Yucatan peninsula appear to have been essentially of southeastern European origin with a smaller proportion having northwestern European ancestry. Three years after the migration of Africanized bees into the area (1989), only very low levels of maternal gene flow from Africanized populations into the resident European populations had occurred. By 1998, however, there was a sizeable increase in the proportion of African mitotypes in domestic populations (61%) with feral populations having 87% of mitotypes classified as African derived. The results suggest that the early stages of Africanization did not involve a rapid replacement of European with African mitotypes and that earlier studies probably overestimated the prevalence of African mitotypes. [source]


Population changes in Phytophthora infestans in Taiwan associated with the appearance of resistance to metalaxyl,

PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 9 2002
Kenneth L Deahl
Abstract In recent years, late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont) De Bary, has increased in severity in many parts of the world, and this has been associated with migrations which have introduced new, arguably more aggressive, populations of the pathogen. In Taiwan, late blight has been endemic on outdoor tomato crops grown in the highlands since the early 1900s, but recent epidemics have been more damaging. To ascertain the present status of the Taiwanese population of P infestans, 139 isolates of the pathogen collected and maintained by the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) were characterized using mating type, metalaxyl sensitivity, allozyme genotype, mitochondrial haplotype and RFLP fingerprinting. Up to 1997, all isolates were found to belong to the old clonal lineage of P infestans (US-1 and variants), but in isolates from 1998 a new genotype appeared, and by 2000 this had apparently completely displaced the old population. This new genotype was an A1 mating type and has the dilocus allozyme genotype 100/100/111, 100/100 for the loci coding for glucose-6-phosphate isomerase and peptidase, respectively. These characters, together with RG57 fingerprinting, indicated that these isolates belonged to the US-11 clonal lineage, a minority (11%) being a previously unreported variant of US-11. Whereas metalaxyl-resistant isolates were not detected in the old population, 96% of the new genotypes proved resistant, with the remainder being intermediate in sensitivity. It may be inferred from this sudden, marked change in the characteristics of the Taiwanese P infestans that a new population of the pathogen was introduced around 1997,98 and that this may well have already been metalaxyl-resistant when it arrived, although a role for in situ selection cannot be excluded. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Phylogeography of the leaf beetle Chrysolina virgata in wetlands of Japan inferred from the distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes

ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2004
Teiji SOTA
Abstract The genetic differentiation among populations of the leaf beetle Chrysolina virgata living in wetlands of Japan was studied based on the sequence data of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene region (750 bp). Two distinct lineages of mitochondrial haplotypes were found: one (clade A) consisted of 26 haplotypes distributed over the distribution range of C. virgata between north-east Honshu and Kyushu, whereas the other (clade B) was monotypic and confined to a small region in north-east Honshu where it coexisted with clade A. Nested clade analysis for these haplotypes suggested that range expansion and following differentiation due to isolation by distance might have resulted in the present distribution pattern of the haplotypes in clade A. We discuss the evolutionary process leading to the occurrence of two distinct haplotype clades in Japan in terms of repeated colonization from the continent and range expansion and contraction during climatic changes. [source]


EVOLUTION OF WOLBACHIA-INDUCED CYTOPLASMIC INCOMPATIBILITY IN DROSOPHILA SIMULANS AND D. SECHELLIA

EVOLUTION, Issue 9 2002
Sylvain Charlat
Abstract., The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia invades arthropod host populations through various mechanisms, the most common of which being cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI involves elevated embryo mortality when infected males mate with uninfected females or females infected with different, incompatible Wolbachia strains. The present study focuses on this phenomenon in two Drosophila species: D. simulans and D. sechellia. Drosophila simulans populations are infected by several Wolbachia strains, including w Ha and w No. Drosophila sechellia is infected by only two Wolbachia: w Sh and w Sn. In both Drosophila species, double infections with Wolbachia are found. As indicated by several molecular markers, w Ha is closely related to w Sh, and w No to w Sn. Furthermore, the double infections in the two host species are associated with closely related mitochondrial haplotypes, namely si I (associated with w Ha and w No in D. simulans) and se (associated with w Sh and w Sn in D. sechellia). To test the theoretical prediction that Wolbachia compatibility types can diverge rapidly, we injected w Sh and w Sn into D. simulans, to compare their CI properties to those of their sister strains w Ha and w No, respectively, in the same host genetic background. We found that within each pair of sister strains CI levels were similar and that sister strains were fully compatible. We conclude that the short period for which the Wolbachia sister strains have been evolving separated from each other was not sufficient for their CI properties to diverge significantly. [source]


Ancient mitochondrial DNA analyses of Iberian sturgeons

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 1 2009
A. Ludwig
Summary Today's European sturgeons are relics of erstwhile widely distributed populations, diminished mainly by overfishing and habitat changes over the centuries. While extinct European populations in the Baltic and North seas have been identified as Acipenser oxyrhinchus or A. sturio, a clear species determination on the Iberian Peninsula is still lacking. Plans to conserve existing populations and to re-introduce extinct wild populations in European rivers will benefit from information of historic population/genotype composition. In this study, we used techniques involving ancient DNA as well as morphological comparisons based on bony scutes to identify twelve samples from five archaeological sites (650bc,1500ad, one sample dated 10.1,11.8 ky) on the Iberian Peninsula. All amplified PCR products of bony scutes (n = 5) had the mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of European sturgeon. Neither mitochondrial haplotypes of A. naccarii nor mitochondrial haplotypes of A. oxyrinchus were found. [source]


Association with host mitochondrial haplotypes suggests that feminizing microsporidia lack horizontal transmission

JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
J. E. Ironside
Abstract The amphipod crustacean Gammarus duebeni hosts two feminizing microsporidian parasites, Nosema granulosis and Microsporidium sp. Samples of G. duebeni were collected from three sites on the Scottish island of Great Cumbrae and screened for microsporidia using polymerase chain reaction. Associations between the prevalence of the two feminizing parasites and haplotypes of the host mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) were investigated. The prevalence of both parasites varied significantly among the host's COI haplotypes, suggesting that horizontal transmission is rare or absent in the life cycles of the feminizing microsporidia and that all transmission must therefore be vertical. Life cycles in which all transmission is vertical are common among bacterial parasites but have never before been demonstrated in Eukaryotic parasites. [source]


Genetic tests of the taxonomic status of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) from the high mountain zone of the Andringitra Massif, Madagascar

JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2000
Anne D. Yoder
Abstract A recent survey of the high-mountain zone of the Madagascar Parc National (PN) d'Andringitra revealed the presence of an apparently isolated troop of the ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta. These animals display phenotypic and ecological characteristics that are unusual for the monotypic genus Lemur, thus raising the possibility that they are members of a different undescribed species. We present analyses of two mitochondrial genes to test the hypothesis that L. catta from Andringitra should be considered a distinct species. The results indicate that taxonomic revision is not warranted under the expectations of the phylogenetic, coalescent, or biological species concepts. Rather, the genetic patterns observed among the Andringitra and lowland mitochondrial haplotypes are consistent with those expected for a single species. [source]


Population genetic structure, gene flow and sex-biased dispersal in frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii)

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 15 2008
BEATA UJVARI
Abstract By using both mitochondrial and nuclear multiloci markers, we explored population genetic structure, gene flow and sex-specific dispersal of frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii) sampled at three locations, separated by 10 to 50 km, in a homogenous savannah woodland in tropical Australia. Apart from a recombinant lizard, the mitochondrial analyses revealed two nonoverlapping haplotypes/populations, while the nuclear markers showed that the frillneck lizards represented three separate clusters/populations. Due to the small population size of the mtDNA, fixation may occur via founder effects and/or drift. We therefore suggest that either of these two processes, or a combination of the two, are the most likely causes of the discordant results obtained from the mitochondrial and the nuclear markers. In contrast to the nonoverlapping mitochondrial haplotypes, in 12 out of 74 lizards, mixed nuclear genotypes were observed, hence revealing a limited nuclear gene flow. Although gene flow should ultimately result in a blending of the populations, we propose that the distinct nuclear population structure is maintained by frequent fires resulting in local bottlenecks, and concomitant spatial separation of the frillneck lizard populations. Limited mark,recapture data and the difference in distribution of the mitochondrial and nuclear markers suggest that the mixed nuclear genotypes were caused by juvenile male-biased dispersal. [source]


Phylogeography of a northeast Asian spruce, Picea jezoensis, inferred from genetic variation observed in organelle DNA markers

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 16 2007
M. AIZAWA
Abstract Range-wide genetic variation of the widespread cold-temperate spruce Picea jezoensis was studied throughout northeast Asia using maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA and paternally inherited chloroplast DNA markers. This study assessed 33 natural populations including three varieties of the species in Japan, Russia, China, and South Korea. We depicted sharp suture zones in straits around Japan in the geographical distribution pattern of mitochondrial haplotypes (GST = 0.901; NST = 0.934). In contrast, we detected possible extensive pollen flow without seed flow across the straits around Japan during the past population history in the distribution pattern of chloroplast haplotypes (GST = 0.233; NST = 0.333). The analysis of isolation by distance of the species implied that by acting as a barrier for the movement of seeds and pollen, the sharp suture zones contributed considerably to the level of genetic differentiation between populations. Constructed networks of mitochondrial haplotypes allowed inference of the phylogeographical history of the species. We deduced that the disjunction with Kamchatka populations reflects range expansion and contraction to the north of the current distribution. Within Japan, we detected phylogeographically different types of P. jezoensis between Hokkaido and Honshu islands; P. jezoensis in Honshu Island may have colonized this region from the Asian continent via the Korean peninsula and the species in Hokkaido Island is likely to have spread from the Asian continent via Sakhalin through land bridges. Japanese endemism of mitochondrial haplotypes in Hokkaido and Honshu islands might have been promoted by separation of these islands from each other and from the Asian continent by the straits during the late Quaternary. [source]


Population fragmentation leads to spatial and temporal genetic structure in the endangered Spanish imperial eagle

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
B. MARTÍNEZ-CRUZ
Abstract The fragmentation of a population may have important consequences for population genetic diversity and structure due to the effects of genetic drift and reduced gene flow. We studied the genetic consequences of the fragmentation of the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) population into small patches through a temporal analysis. Thirty-four museum individuals representing the population predating the fragmentation were analysed for a 345-bp segment of the mitochondrial control region and a set of 10 nuclear microsatellite loci. Data from a previous study on the current population (N = 79) were re-analysed for this subset of 10 microsatellite markers and results compared to those obtained from the historical sample. Three shared mitochondrial haplotypes were found in both populations, although fluctuations in haplotype frequencies and the occurrence of a fourth haplotype in the historical population resulted in lower current levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity. However, microsatellite markers revealed undiminished levels of nuclear diversity. No evidence for genetic structure was observed for the historical Spanish imperial eagle population, suggesting that the current pattern of structure is the direct consequence of population fragmentation. Temporal fluctuations in mitochondrial and microsatellite allelic frequencies were found between the historical and the current population as well as for each pairwise comparison between historical and current Centro and historical and current Parque Nacional de Dońana nuclei. Our results indicate an ancestral panmictic situation for the species that management policies should aim to restore. A historical analysis like the one taken here provides the baseline upon which the relative role of recent drift in shaping current genetic patterns in endangered species can be evaluated and this knowledge is used to guide conservation actions. [source]


The rise and fall of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) during Pleistocene glaciations: expansion and retreat with hybridization in the Iberian Peninsula

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
J. MELO-FERREIRA
Abstract The climatic fluctuations during glaciations have affected differently arctic and temperate species. In the northern hemisphere, cooling periods induced the expansion of many arctic species to the south, while temperate species were forced to retract in southern refugia. Consequently, in some areas the alternation of these species set the conditions for competition and eventually hybridization. Hares in the Iberian Peninsula appear to illustrate this phenomenon. Populations of Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis), brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and broom hare (Lepus castroviejoi) in Northern Iberia harbour mitochondrial haplotypes from the mountain hare (Lepus timidus), a mainly boreal and arctic species presently absent from the peninsula. To understand the history of this past introgression we analysed sequence variation and geographical distribution of mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b haplotypes of L. timidus origin found in 378 specimens of these four species. Among 124 L. timidus from the Northern Palaearctic and the Alps we found substantial nucleotide diversity (2.3%) but little differentiation between populations. Based on the mismatch distribution of the L. timidus sequences, this could result from an expansion at a time of temperature decrease favourable to this arctic species. The nucleotide diversity of L. timidus mtDNA found in Iberian L. granatensis, L. europaeus and L. castroviejoi (183, 70 and 1 specimens, respectively) was of the same order as that in L. timidus over its range (1.9%), suggesting repeated introgression of multiple lineages. The structure of the coalescent of L. granatensis sequences indicates that hybridization with L. timidus was followed by expansion of the introgressed haplotypes, as expected during a replacement with competition, and occurred when temperatures started to rise, favouring the temperate species. Whether a similar scenario explains the introgression into Iberian L. europaeus remains unclear but it is possible that it hybridized with already introgressed L. granatensis. [source]


Refugial isolation and secondary contact in the dyeing poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 14 2006
BRICE P. NOONAN
Abstract Recent palaeoclimactic research suggests that fluctuating environmental conditions throughout the Pleistocene of Amazonia occurred with previously unrecognized frequency. This has resulted in a theoretical shift from glacially influenced fluctuations to those driven by precessional rhythms. This theoretical revolution has a profound impact on expectations of biotic diversity within biogeographical regions that have long been based on the idea of large-scale landscape fragmentation associated with increased aridity and glacial cycles. Generally speaking, this shifts phylogeographical expectations from that of (i) large areas of sympatry of closely related (but not sister) species whose origins lie in separate refugia, and current distributions are the results of cyclic connectivity of those two refugia (refuge hypothesis), to that of (ii) fine scale genetic structure, often associated with elevation, and divergence well below expected speciation levels [disturbance,vicariance (DV) hypothesis]. To date there have been few tests of the expectations of the DV hypothesis based on empirical studies of Neotropical floral and faunal communities. Herein we examine phylogeographical structure of Dendrobates tinctorius, an amphibian species endemic to the uplands of the eastern Guiana Shield, based on sampling of 114 individuals from 24 localities. Phylogenetic, nested clade, and dispersal,vicariance (DIVA) analyses of cytochrome b sequence data reveal the presence of two mitochondrial lineages that are associated with previously identified western and eastern uplands of this area. The geographical distribution of mitochondrial haplotypes and the results of DIVA and coalescent analyses suggest that there has been extensive secondary contact between these lineages indicating a complex history of connectivity between these western and eastern highlands, supporting the predictions of the DV hypothesis. [source]


Mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite variation in the eider duck (Somateria mollissima) indicate stepwise postglacial colonization of Europe and limited current long-distance dispersal

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2004
R. Tiedemann
Abstract To unravel the postglacial colonization history and the current intercolony dispersal in the common eider, Somateria mollissima, we analysed genetic variation at a part of the mitochondrial control region and five unlinked autosomal microsatellite loci in 175 eiders from 11 breeding colonies, covering the entire European distribution range of this species. As a result of extreme female philopatry, mitochondrial DNA differentiation is substantial both among local colonies and among distant geographical regions. Our study further corroborates the previous hypothesis of a single Pleistocene refugium for European eiders. A nested clade analysis on mitochondrial haplotypes suggests that (i) the Baltic Sea eider population is genetically closest to a presumably ancestral population and that (ii) the postglacial recolonization progressed in a stepwise fashion via the North Sea region and the Faroe Islands to Iceland. Current long-distance dispersal is limited. Differentiation among colonies is much less pronounced at microsatellite loci. The geographical pattern of this nuclear genetic variation is to a large extent explained by isolation by distance. As female dispersal is very limited, the geographical pattern of nuclear variation is probably explained by male-mediated gene flow among breeding colonies. Our study provides genetic evidence for the assumed prominent postglacial colonization route shaping the present terrestrial fauna of the North Atlantic islands Iceland and the Faroes. It suggests that this colonization had been a stepwise process originating in continental Europe. It is the first molecular study on eider duck populations covering their entire European distribution range. [source]


Genetic variation within and among fragmented populations of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Ronald A. Van Den Bussche
Abstract As a result of recurrent droughts and anthropogenic factors, the range of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has contracted by 92% and the population has been reduced by approximately 97% in the past century, resulting in the smallest population size and most restricted geographical distribution of any North American grouse. We examined genetic variation through DNA sequence analysis of 478 base pairs of the mitochondrial genome and by assaying allelic variation at five microsatellite loci from lesser prairie-chickens collected on 20 leks in western Oklahoma and east-central New Mexico. Traditional population genetic analyses indicate that lesser prairie-chickens maintain high levels of genetic variation at both nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Although some genetic structuring among lesser prairie-chicken leks was detected within Oklahoma and New Mexico for both nuclear and mitochondrial loci, high levels of differentiation were detected between Oklahoma and New Mexico populations. Nested-clade analysis of mitochondrial haplotypes revealed that both historic and contemporary processes have influenced patterns of haplotype distributions and that historic processes have most likely led to the level of differentiation found between the Oklahoma and New Mexico populations. [source]


Polymorphic population genetic markers for the Australian wood cockroach Panesthia australis

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 3 2006
D. RUNCIMAN
Abstract Primers for five polymorphic nuclear DNA (nDNA) markers and one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene (COI) were developed for the Australian wood cockroach Panesthia australis using a range of techniques. Eight mitochondrial haplotypes and four to 36 alleles per nuclear locus were detected in 744 cockroaches. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.117 to 0.816 in a sample of 30 animals from one population. The markers will be useful for population biology and for the measurement of the effects of habitat fragmentation on this ecologically important forest-dependent species. [source]


Genetic diversity of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices as determined by mitochondrial large subunit rRNA gene sequences is considerably higher than previously expected

NEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 2 2008
Boris Börstler
Summary ,,Glomus intraradices is a widespread arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), which has been found in an extremely broad range of habitats, indicating a high tolerance for environmental factors and a generalist life history strategy. Despite this ecological versatility, not much is known about the genetic diversity of this fungal species across different habitats or over large geographic scales. ,,A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach for the mitochondrial rRNA large subunit gene (mtLSU), distinguished different haplotypes among cultivated isolates of G. intraradices and within mycorrhizal root samples from the field. ,,From analysis of 16 isolates of this species originating from five continents, 12 mitochondrial haplotypes were distinguished. Five additional mtLSU haplotypes were detected in field-collected mycorrhizal roots. Some introns in the mtLSU region appear to be stable over years of cultivation and are ancestral to the G. intraradices clade. ,,Genetic diversity within G. intraradices is substantially higher than previously thought, although some mtLSU haplotypes are widespread. A restriction fragment length polymorphism approach also was developed to distinguish mtLSU haplotypes without sequencing. Using this molecular tool, intraspecific genetic variation of an AMF species can be studied directly in field plants. [source]


High mitochondrial differentiation levels between wild and domestic Bactrian camels: a basis for rapid detection of maternal hybridization

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 3 2010
K. Silbermayr
Summary Hybridization between wild species and their domestic congeners often threatens the gene pool of the wild species. The last wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) populations in Mongolia and China are examples of populations facing such a hybridization threat. To address this key issue in the conservation of wild camels, we analysed wild, hybrid and domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) originating from Mongolia, China and Austria. Through screening of an 804-base-pair mitochondrial fragment, we identified eight mitochondrial haplotypes and found high sequence divergence (1.9%) between C. ferus and C. bactrianus. On the basis of a mitochondrial DNA sequence fixed difference, we developed a diagnostic PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay to differentiate between wild and domestic camel samples. We applied the assay to 81 individuals and confirmed the origin of all samples including five hybrids with known maternal ancestry. The PCR-RFLP system was effective for both traditional (blood, skin) and non-invasive samples (faeces, hair), as well as for museum specimens. Our results demonstrate high levels of mitochondrial differentiation between wild and domestic Bactrian camels and that maternal hybridization can be detected by a rapid and reliable PCR-RFLP system. [source]


Mitochondrial DNA diversity and origins of South and Central American goats

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 3 2009
M. Amills
Summary We have analysed the genetic diversity of South and Central American (SCA) goats by partially sequencing the mitochondrial control region of 93 individuals with a wide geographical distribution. Nucleotide and haplotype diversities reached values of 0.020 ± 0.00081 and 0.963 ± 0.0012 respectively. We have also observed a rather weak phylogeographic structure, with almost 69% of genetic variation included in the within-breed variance component. The topology of a median-joining network analysis including 286 European, Iberian, Atlantic and SCA mitochondrial sequences was very complex, with most of the haplotypes forming part of independent small clusters. SCA sequences showed a scattered distribution throughout the network, and clustering with Spanish and Portuguese sequences occurred only occasionally, not allowing the distinguishing of a clear Iberian signature. Conversely, we found a prominent cluster including Canarian, Chilean, Argentinian and Bolivian mitochondrial haplotypes. This result was independently confirmed by constructing a Bayesian phylogenetic tree (posterior probability of 0.97). Sharing of mitochondrial haplotypes by SCA and Canarian goats suggests that goat populations from the Atlantic archipelagos, where Spanish and Portuguese ships en route to the New World used to stow food and supplies, participated in the foundation of SCA caprine breeds. [source]


Genetic differentiation in pointing dog breeds inferred from microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequence

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2008
D. Parra
Summary Recent studies presenting genetic analysis of dog breeds do not focus specifically on genetic relationships among pointing dog breeds, although hunting was among the first traits of interest when dogs were domesticated. This report compares histories with genetic relationships among five modern breeds of pointing dogs (English Setter, English Pointer, Epagneul Breton, Deutsch Drahthaar and German Shorthaired Pointer) collected in Spain using mitochondrial, autosomal and Y-chromosome information. We identified 236 alleles in autosomal microsatellites, four Y-chromosome haplotypes and 18 mitochondrial haplotypes. Average FST values were 11.2, 14.4 and 13.1 for autosomal, Y-chromosome microsatellite markers and mtDNA sequence respectively, reflecting relatively high genetic differentiation among breeds. The high gene diversity observed in the pointing breeds (61.7,68.2) suggests contributions from genetically different individuals, but that these individuals originated from the same ancestors. The modern English Setter, thought to have arisen from the Old Spanish Pointer, was the first breed to cluster independently when using autosomal markers and seems to share a common maternal origin with the English Pointer and German Shorthaired Pointer, either via common domestic breed females in the British Isles or through the Old Spanish Pointer females taken to the British Isles in the 14th and 16th centuries. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence indicates the isolation of the Epagneul Breton, which has been formally documented, and shows Deutsch Drahthaar as the result of crossing the German Shorthaired Pointer with other breeds. Our molecular data are consistent with historical documents. [source]


Molecular data reveals California as the potential source of an invasive leafhopper species, Macrosteles sp. nr. severini, transmitting the aster yellows phytoplasma in Hawaii

ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
J.J. Le Roux
Abstract A species of aster leafhopper (Macrosteles sp.) became established in 2001 on Oahu, Hawaii, and through the transmission of the aster yellows phytoplasma, caused devastating losses to the island's watercress industry. DNA sequence data were analysed from two mitochondrial genes [cytochrome oxidase subunit 1(CO1) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 1 (NADH1)] and one nuclear gene (wingless, Wg) (combined total of 1874 bp) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between putative US mainland source populations of aster leafhoppers and those introduced to Hawaii. These data were applied to elucidate the origin(s) and identity of Hawaiian infestations and the amount of genetic diversity within introduced invasive populations. Both phylogenetic search criteria (Bayesian and maximum likelihood models) converged onto similar tree topologies for all three gene regions and suggested that Hawaii infestations represent a single undescribed leafhopper species unrelated to the common aster leafhopper, Macrosteles quadrilineatus. An exact haplotype match was found from a specimen intercepted from watercress shipped to Hawaii from Los Angeles, California, suggesting this region as the potential source for Hawaiian infestations. Two mitochondrial haplotypes were identified in Hawaii suggesting two or perhaps just a single introduction of more than one female. [source]


Mitochondrial DNA variability in Poles and Russians

ANNALS OF HUMAN GENETICS, Issue 4 2002
B. A. MALYARCHUK
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation was examined in Poles (from the Pomerania-Kujawy region; n = 436) and Russians (from three different regions of the European part of Russia; n = 201), for which the two hypervariable segments (HVS I and HVS II) and haplogroup-specific coding region sites were analyzed. The use of mtDNA coding region RFLP analysis made it possible to distinguish parallel mutations that occurred at particular sites in the HVS I and II regions during mtDNA evolution. In total, parallel mutations were identified at 73 nucleotide sites in HVS I (17.8%) and 31 sites in HVS II (7.73%). The classification of mitochondrial haplotypes revealed the presence of all major European haplogroups, which were characterized by similar patterns of distribution in Poles and Russians. An analysis of the distribution of the control region haplotypes did not reveal any specific combinations of unique mtDNA haplotypes and their subclusters that clearly distinguish both Poles and Russians from the neighbouring European populations. The only exception is a novel subcluster U4a within subhaplogroup U4, defined by a diagnostic mutation at nucleotide position 310 in HVS II. This subcluster was found in common predominantly between Poles and Russians (at a frequency of 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively) and may therefore have a central-eastern European origin. [source]