Identifying unique populations in long-dispersal marine species: Gulfs as priority conservation areas

Identification of areas which should be a subject of protection is crucial for safeguarding the marine ecosystems. Amongst the reasons for protecting a region or location, the existence of unique populations or evolutionary significant units for one or more key species is a priority. The North American silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis, is currently managed as two stocks (northern and southern) without considering gulf areas separately. Employing microsatellite and mitochondrial markers we have detected significant F_ST values between hake individuals inhabiting gulfs and those distributed in the open sea, and asymmetric gene flow, higher from the gulf to the open sea than in the opposite direction. These differences can be interpreted as signals of separate populations in gulfs which may act as sources of variability for hake species. Occurrence of similar phenomena in Atlantic waters in both the northern and the southern Hemisphere, for these two pelagic–demersal hake species, suggests that gulfs may constitute a target for designing marine protected areas and confirms the adequacy of gulf-specific management already employed in Argentina.     

一种改进的方法提取白头鹤粪便DNA

现有的粪便DNA提取方法通用性不好,DNA纯度不高不适用于白头鹤等水鸟,本研究探索一种改进的硫氰酸胍裂解法。通过线粒体DNA细胞色素b、控制区基因和微卫星DNA的PCR扩增及线粒体DNA控制区序列的测定,经琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测以及测定序列显示,提取的DNA模板纯度高,效果很好,证实改进方法的可靠性、有效性。为其他濒危水鸟的非损伤取样提供了新的材料和方法,为其保护遗传学的研究提供一定的新技术。     

苜蓿遗传多样性和亲缘关系的SSR和ISSR分析

在苜蓿(Medicago sativa L.)基因组SSR和ISSR分析的基础上,筛选出8对SSR引物和12个ISSR随机引物,通过PCR扩增在55个国内外苜蓿品种(品系)中获得126条多态性位点.利用SSR和ISSR标记对其DNA指纹图谱和遗传多样性进行研究.采用类平均法(UPGMA)Nei氏距离进行聚类分析,将55个苜蓿种质划分为4个大类群和7个类型,为苜蓿引种、亲本选配和种质资源评价提供依据.分子标记分析结果表明:我国苜蓿地方品种遗传基础广阔,在基因型表现特异性的同时又有较强的地域性;我国苜蓿育成品种间的遗传距离大,表现出遗传基础的异质性.     

Genetic conservation of South African wattled cranes

The wattled crane (Grus carunculatus), a species highly dependent on wetlands, is the largest and rarest of the six African crane species. The once vast range of the wattled crane now consists of only three disjunct populations. The South African population has shown dramatic declines and supplementation of this population using eggs from south-central Africa has been proposed. The objectives of this study were to compare levels of genetic variation in South African and south-central African populations to determine if such supplementation is needed, and if so, whether the south-central African populations represent a genetically similar source for supplementation. We surveyed genetic variation in samples from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana using 12 microsatellite DNA loci and a 400-bp fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop. Samples from Zimbabwe and Botswana were deemed genetically similar and pooled to increase sample size. Subsequent analyses indicate that the pooled south-central and South African populations show differentiation in microsatellite DNA genotypes, as well as mitochondrial DNA. As the results from both genetic markers indicate genetic isolation, these populations should be managed as separate entities. As no indication was seen from either microsatellite or mtDNA data that significant loss of genetic diversity has occurred within South African wattled cranes, supplementation from outside populations may not be necessary at this time.     

Microsatellite DNA Analysis of Wild Hops, Humulus lupulus L.

To study the relationships and genetic diversity among wild hops, Humulus lupulus, we analyzed 133 samples of wild hops collected from Europe, Asia and North America using polymorphism on 11 microsatellite loci. Although only three primers showed bands in Japanese hops, all other samples showed polymorphic bands at most loci. There were no duplicate genotypes among samples of European, Chinese and North American hops, and each individual hop could be distinguished completely. The phylogenetic tree constructed from DA distance with the UPGMA method showed a large cluster comprised of European hops, although Russian hops from the Caucasus and Altai regions were separate from the European cluster. Chinese and North American samples gave distinct clusters suggesting genetic differentiation. This study has indicated that hop microsatellite DNA is differentiated, and is dependent upon the origin in regions of Europe, Asia and North America.     

Analysis of Microsatellite Diversity in Ethiopian Tetraploid Wheat Landraces

The extent and patterns of microsatellite diversity in 141 Ethiopian tetraploid wheat landraces consisting of three species Triticum durum Desf., T. dicoccon Schrank and T. turgidum L. were analyzed using 29 microsatellite markers. A high level of polymorphism and a large number of alleles unique for each species were detected. Compared to emmer (T. dicoccon) and poulard (T. turgidum) wheats, a higher genetic diversity was observed in T. durum. The A-genome was more polymorphic than the B-genome in all the three species. Microsatellites with (GA) _n -repeats had a higher number of alleles than (GT) _n -repeats. A species pairwise comparison was made to determine the percentage of shared alleles and a large number of common alleles among species were observed. Average gene diversity, across the 29 microsatellite loci, was 0.684 for T. durum, 0.616 for T. dicoccon and 0.688 for T. turgidum. Genetic distances were lower between T. durum and T. turgidum (0.26) than between T. durum and T. dicoccon (0.34) or between T. turgidum and T. dicoccon (0.38). A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found between the number of alleles per locus and the gene diversity in all the three species. Allelic frequency variation was highest between T. turgidum and T. dicoccon (10.62%) and lowest between T. durum and T. turgidum (4.86%). A genetic similarity coefficient of 0.34, 0.46 and 0.37 was found in T. durum, T. dicoccon, and T. turgidum, respectively. The dendogram, which was constructed on the basis of a similarity matrix using the UPGMA algorithm, distinguished all accessions represented in the study.     

Allelic Size Standards and Reference Genotypes to Unify International Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Microsatellite Data

Standardisation of microsatellite allele profiles between laboratories is of fundamental importance to the transferability of genetic fingerprint data and the identification of clonal individuals held at multiple sites. Here we describe two methods of standardisation applied to the microsatellite fingerprinting of 429 Theobroma cacao L. trees representing 345 accessions held in the worlds largest Cocoa Intermediate Quarantine facility: the use of a partial allelic ladder through the production of 46 cloned and sequenced allelic standards (AJ748464 to AJ48509), and the use of standard genotypes selected to display a diverse allelic range. Until now a lack of accurate and transferable identification information has impeded efforts to genetically improve the cocoa crop. To address this need, a global initiative to fingerprint all international cocoa germplasm collections using a common set of 15 microsatellite markers is in progress. Data reported here have been deposited with the International Cocoa Germplasm Database and form the basis of a searchable resource for clonal identification. To our knowledge, this is the first quarantine facility to be completely genotyped using microsatellite markers for the purpose of quality control and clonal identification. Implications of the results for retrospective tracking of labelling errors are briefly explored.     

中国冬、春性小麦品种遗传多样性的微卫星标记分析

为了明确中国目前各麦区育成品种的遗传基础,为育种工作者提供育种材料的遗传变异信息,利用141对SSR标记对中国冬、春麦区的73份小麦材料进行了遗传多样性分析,共检测出513个等位位点,每对引物等位变异数为2～10,平均为3.61;多态性信息指数(PIC)为0.08～0.88,平均为0.60.遗传距离(GD)为0.12～0.48,平均为0.35.聚类分析结果显示,73个品种聚为四大类11个组,在一定程度上反映了供试材料的冬春性差异及品种之间的亲缘关系.对7个部分同源群多样性的比较结果表明,4和6两个部分同源群多样性较低.并对小麦品种遗传基础狭窄的原因以及拓宽中国小麦品种遗传基础的可能途径进行了讨论.     

小麦杂种优势群研究 Ⅴ.微卫星分子标记遗传距离与普通小麦和斯卑尔脱小麦种间杂种优势的关系

通过对普通小麦与斯卑尔脱小麦和普通小麦品种间两组亲本微卫星分子标记遗传距离及 30个普通小麦与斯卑尔脱小麦种间双列杂交杂种和 2 0个普通小麦品种间双列杂交杂种优势及亲本配合力的测定 ,研究了微卫星分子标记遗传距离与杂种优势、F1性状值及组合特殊配合力之间的关系。结果表明 ,普通小麦与斯卑尔脱小麦种间的杂种优势明显高于普通小麦品种间的杂种优势。普通小麦与斯卑尔脱小麦间的平均遗传距离为 0 .6 5 2 ,普通小麦品种间的遗传距离为 0 .4 0 4 ,普通小麦与斯卑尔脱小麦种间杂种单株产量平均优势为 111.39% ,普通小麦品种间杂种的产量优势平均为 11.14 %。研究发现 ,在所采用的两组亲本内 ,遗传距离与所考察的各性状杂种优势没有必然的联系 ,但当遗传差异从品种间扩大到种间时 ,遗传距离与各性状杂种优势呈显著正相关。说明利用种间杂交既可以明显扩大亲本间的遗传差异 ,又可以显著提高小麦的杂种优势潜力。     

Long-term trends in the shore fishery of the Transkei coast,South Africa

The hypothesis that a single dominant male (GAA) monopolized all matings within the elephant population of South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park between 1982 and 1996 was tested using microsatellite analysis. In addition, behavioural data on male musth periods, female oestrous periods, and observations of matings were collected between 1996 and 1999, and used to determine whether there is any behavioural evidence of current mating monopoly by GAA. Exclusion analysis and a likelihood-based approach were employed to assess paternity using genetic data, although low genetic diversity in the Addo elephant population limited the power of these techniques. However, GAA could be excluded as father of a minimum of 34 % of calves, and was the most likely father of a maximum of only 28 % of calves. Behavioural data support the genetic data, since there is no indication that GAA monopolizes mating opportunities. Therefore, the hypothesis that a single dominant male has monopolized all matings within the Addo elephant population since 1982 can be rejected.