微卫星标记中的无效等位基因

微卫星标记以其独有的优点广泛应用于遗传学研究,但无效等位基因(null alleles)的存在与潜在影响是其最大缺陷之一,在研究工作中并未得到足够重视.本文在综述国内外相关文献的基础上,明确了微卫星无效等位基因的概念与特点,对其可能的产生原因、频率估算方法、相关分析软件及其对群体遗传学、亲本分析等研究结果的影响进行述评,以期对无效等位基因有较为全面、深入的了解.微卫星无效等位基因的产生与SSR侧翼序列的变异(点突变、插入或缺失)及引物结合位点有关,其与同工酶标记中的无效等位基因有本质区别,并非基因本身的自然属性.虽然微卫星无效等位基因具有普遍性、复杂性和隐匿性等特点,但完全可以通过Hardy-Weinberg平衡检验、亲子代基因型分析和重新设计引物等方法认识、检测并估算其频率.无效等位基因会对遗传学相关研究结果造成显著影响,如降低群体遗传多样性,加大群体间遗传分化;降低亲本分析排除率,甚至可能造成亲本分析结果的错误与混乱.今后研究工作中,我们应对无效等位基因予以足够重视并谨慎对待,从标记位点选择、无效等位基因数据调整及重新设计引物分析等多个方面尽可能减少和避免其影响,以获得最真实的分析结果.     

花鲈微卫星标记分离及其多态性分析

该文利用FIASCO法(fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats)和GenBank数据库搜索法开发花鲈微卫星标记,并对筛选的标记进行多态性检测.两种方法共获得54条能够设计引物的序列,扩增结果显示15对引物具有多态性,多态性微卫星位点的等位基因数为2～10个.15个多态性位点中,4个位点偏离了Hardy-Weinberg平衡;各位点间没有连锁不平衡现象;仅位点SP52可能存在无效等位基因;除SP17和SP468外,其余引物的P1C值均在0.5以上,可用于花鲈群体遗传分析等研究.     

微卫星分子标记及其在动物遗传育种中的研究进展

微卫星分子标记在基因组中具有含量丰富、多态性、共显性和易于检测等优点,是动物遗传育种应用中一种重要的分子标记技术。随着科学技术的飞速发展,微卫星标记的研究方法也日新月异:生物信息学技术的兴起使得微卫星位点的获得越来越方便;高通量测序技术的成熟使得开发新微卫星标记更加简单高效;自动化的序列分析仪器使得微卫星DNA的检测越来越快速准确;同时微卫星标记的应用范围也越来越广泛,其功能的开发正逐渐从刚开始的个别位点研究转变到全基因组微卫星分析。本研究简单介绍了微卫星分子标记的特点,重点综述了目前微卫星分子标记的获得、开发和筛选方法,及其在动物遗传育种中的应用,将为微卫星分子标记的研究提供理论支持。     

基于PCR的SSR标记分离方法综述

SSR分子标记是目前应用最广泛的第二代共显性分子遗传标记。SSR标记具有物种特异性,要应用该方法需要提前开发相应物种的特异SSR标记,而获得微卫星标记的经典方法是通过构建基因组片段文库和特殊标记SSR探针杂交法获取,这些方法经济成本相对较高且耗时耗力。近年来,该领域的研究中积累了很多研究成果和技术改进,发展起来几种基于PCR简便易操作且节约成本的SSR标记分离方法,例如基于RAPD的微卫星分离方法、基于ISSR抑制PCR扩增法、序列标签微卫星分析法、选择性扩增微卫星分析法以及荧光ISSR-PCR分离微卫星和微卫星扩增文库法等。本文主要对这些方法逐一进行综述,旨在为各个物种SSR标记的开发提供参考。     

微卫星位点获取方法的研究进展

微卫星标记(simple sequence repeat,SSR)是进行分子遗传学研究的一种有效手段,并以其多态性高、信息含量大、保守性等特点成为最受人们欢迎的分子标记之一.但微卫星标记具有种族特异性,必须采用特异引物进行PCR检测,因而存在引物开发的问题.本文就筛选基因组文库法、微卫星富集法、数据库查找法、近缘物种筛选法、TOMMI法和FI-ASCO法等具有代表性的微卫星标记开发策略进行了综述,旨在为分子生态学研究过程中微卫星位点筛选方法的选择提供参考.     

中国对虾微卫星家系鉴定的模拟分析与应用

本研究基于中国对虾群体所获的微卫星标记等位基因频率进行了计算机模拟分析,并选择5个微卫星标记,就单独养殖家系群体微卫星标记家系鉴定的准确性及混养家系群体微卫星标记家系鉴定的应用价值做了研究.模拟分析表明4个微卫星标记可以鉴定95%的后裔.而单独养殖的家系鉴定准确率达到92.9%,在30个可能的父母对,215尾中国对虾组成的混养家系群体中,90.7%的后裔可以鉴定其父母.本研究结果表明微卫星分子标记可以应用于中国对虾的家系鉴定.模拟分析与实际应用的差异及父母与子代间的错配部分原因是由于无效等位基因的出现,基因分型错误也是一个重要原因.基于父母LOD值的分析可以降低错配的几率.     

采用高通量技术开发花鲈二碱基重复微卫星标记

花鲈是中国重要的捕捞和养殖对象之一。本研究利用高通量测序法开发花鲈微卫星标记,共获得60632个二至六碱基重复微卫星序列,从52747个二碱基重复序列中随机挑选150个位点进行引物合成及多态性检测,最终开发出27个具有多态性的微卫星标记。群体遗传学检测结果显示,27个微卫星标记的等位基因数为6~22(均值12.667),观测杂合度(Ho)为0.323~1.000(均值0.614),期望杂合度(He)为0.723~0.934(均值0.861),多态信息含量(PIC)为0.665~0.915(均值0.830),各位点PIC值均大于0.500,表明所开发的二碱基重复微卫星标记均具有较高的多态性。哈迪-温伯格平衡(HWE)检测结果显示,14个标记符合HWE,其中LM2-11与LM2-2、LM2-16之间存在连锁不平衡(p<0.050),其他符合HWE的标记间不存在连锁不平衡。Wilcoxon检验结果显示,花鲈群体并未偏离L-shaped分布,表明其经历过近期的遗传瓶颈效应。本研究开发的27个微卫星位点可为花鲈的分子标记辅助育种、增殖放流遗传效应评估、群体遗传学等研究提供有效的分子标记。     

中华绒螯蟹两种微卫星DNA分型方法的应用比较

为对比荧光标记毛细管电泳和聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳在微卫星等位基因分型上的效果,试验选择6对微卫星引物,对60个中华绒螯蟹个体基因组DNA进行PCR扩增,荧光标记法共检测出等位基因129个,平均每个位点21.5个等位变异,聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳共检测出等位基因174个,平均每个位点29个等位变异。对位点Esin67的PCR产物分别进行重复检测,发现荧光标记法的重复率为100%,而聚丙烯酰胺凝电泳法两次结果存在较大差异,证实了荧光标记法检测的可靠性显著高于聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳。对两种方法的检测效率和经济成本的分析表明,荧光标记法虽然成本较高,但效率高于聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法。建立单重PCR的多重毛细管电泳技术是提高效率、降低成本的有效途径。     

水稻微卫星标记的发展和应用

微卫星又称简单序列重复。它是由几个核苷酸（一般２～４个）为重复单位组成的串联重复序列。相同座位上的重复序列由于重复次数的不同而造成序列长度的多态性。微卫星标记是一种共显性标记,具有等位基因丰富、检测技术简单等优点。微卫星标记在基因组作图、品种鉴定、种质保存、分子标记辅助选择等方面有着广泛的应用。目前水稻中已发展了３００多个微卫星标记。     

微卫星标记在大熊猫研究中的应用进展

大熊猫是我国保护最为成功、研究最为深入的珍稀动物之一,可以为其它珍稀濒危物种的保护研究工作提供参考。20世纪70年代末期借助无线电颈圈,大熊猫的生态学研究工作取得了突破性进展,近20年来微卫星标记和非损伤性遗传取样技术的联合使用,将大熊猫的保护研究工作提升到一个崭新的高度。本文在综合所有已发表大熊猫微卫星标记的基础上,梳理了微卫星标记在圈养大熊猫亲子鉴定与遗传管理,野生大熊猫个体识别与种群数量调查、遗传多样性评估、扩散和种群遗传结构研究中的应用情况,并着重介绍了其中29个重要的微卫星标记。同时指出目前微卫星标记的使用存在标记选择不统一、等位基因读数无统一规程等问题,并对应用前景进行了前瞻。     

Discrimination of hybrid classes using cross-species amplification of microsatellite loci: methodological challenges and solutions in Daphnia

Microsatellite markers are important tools in population, conservation and forensic studies and are frequently used for species delineation, the detection of hybridization and introgression. Therefore, marker sets that amplify variable DNA regions in two species are required; however, cross-species amplification is often difficult, as genotyping errors such as null alleles may occur. To estimate the level of potential misidentifications based on genotyping errors, we compared the occurrence of parental alleles in laboratory and natural Daphnia hybrids (Daphnia longispina group). We tested a set of 12 microsatellite loci with regard to their suitability for unambiguous species and hybrid class identification using F(1) hybrids bred in the laboratory. Further, a large set of 44 natural populations of D. cucullata, D. galeata and D. longispina (1715 individuals) as well as their interspecific hybrids were genotyped to validate the discriminatory power of different marker combinations. Species delineation using microsatellite multilocus genotypes produced reliable results for all three studied species using assignment tests. Daphnia galeata × cucullata hybrid detection was limited due to three loci exhibiting D. cucullata-specific null alleles, which most likely are caused by differences in primer-binding sites of parental species. Overall, discriminatory power in hybrid detection was improved when a subset of markers was identified that amplifies equally well in both species.     

Inheritance of Microsatellite DNA Markers in the Pacific Abalone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis discus hannai</Emphasis>

Microsatellite markers have been developed for a variety of abalones, and locus-specific homozygote excesses at population level have been recorded for microsatellite loci. To ascertain whether null alleles exist at microsatellite loci in the Pacific abalone, we studied the mode of inheritance of 7 microsatellite loci in 4 families with a reciprocal cross of 2 females × 2 males. All loci segregated codominantly, but only 3 loci (Hdh1321, Hdh78, and Hdd108C) conformed to Mendelian segregation and can be used for parental analysis and population genetic studies. When null alleles were considered, 2 loci (Hdh1761 and Hdh1457) confirmed Mendelian expectations in all families, while the remaining 2 loci (Hdd114B and Hdd229) showed deviation from Mendelian segregation in at least one family even though null alleles were considered. These results indicated the need to test the inheritance pattern for microsatellite markers in abalones before using them for population genetic or parentage analysis.     

A search for null alleles at the microsatellite locus of chum salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus keta</Emphasis> Walbaum)

Population studies with the use of microsatellite markers face a problem of null alleles, i.e., the absence of a PCR product, caused by the mutations in the microsatellite flanking regions, which serve as the sites of primer hybridization. In this case, the microsatellite primer associated with such mutation is not amplified, leading to false homozygosity in heterozygous individuals. This, in turn, results in biased population genetic estimates, including the excess of homozygotes at microsatellite loci. Analysis of the population structure of a Pacific salmon species, chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta Walbaum), revealed the presence of null alleles at the Oke3 microsatellite locus in the population samples, in which an excess of homozygotes was observed. The analysis was performed using different combinations of modified primers chosen to match the Oke3 locus. The use of these primers enabled identification of true heterozygotes among those individuals, which were previously diagnosed as homozygotes with the use of standard primers. Removal of null alleles eliminated the excess homozygotes in the chum salmon samples described. In addition to the exclusion of false homozygosity, the use of modified primers makes it possible to introduce polymorphic primer variants associated with certain microsatellite alleles into population studies.     

Inheritance and diversity of simple sequence repeat (SSR) microsatellite markers in various families of Picea abies

A large number of sequence-specific SSRs were screened by using electrophoresis on metaphore agarose gels with the bands visualized by ethidium bromide staining. Many SSRs appeared as codominant and many as dominant markers, with presence or absence of bands. A simple Mendelian inheritance pattern for most codominant and dominant SSR loci was found. For many codominant SSR markers, null alleles were detected. The proportion of dominant microsatellites detected in this study (close to 50 %) was much higher than that commonly reported in many other studies. A high proportion of dominant markers together with a high frequency of codominant markers with null alleles may represent two important limitations for the use of microsatellites in different studies. On the other hand, many polymorphic codominant SSR microsatellite markers were found to be highly repeatable, and can be used for population studies, seed certification, quality control of controlled crosses, paternity analysis, pollen contamination, and mapping of QTL in related families. In this paper, we report on the inheritance pattern and diversity of codominant and dominant SSR microsatellites in seven families of Picea abies sharing a common mother.     

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from the pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from an enriched partial genomic library for the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), one of the most important cotton pests in the world. The total number of alleles ranged from two to 12 for a sample of 50 individuals and the expected heterozygosity at these loci ranged from 0.042 to 0.830. Although the presence of null alleles in some loci is suspected, these polymorphic markers are likely to provide useful tools for the population genetic studies of this species.     

Characterization of five microsatellite loci in the Pine Processionary Moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera Notodontidae Thaumetopoeinae)

Five microsatellite markers were developed for the lepidopteran species Thaumetopoea pityocampa using an enrichment protocol. All loci could be amplified with no evidence of null alleles and will be useful for population genetic studies. The number of alleles ranged from three to 12 for a population of 30 individuals. Observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.53 to 0.80. No significant heterozygote deficiency was detected. Four markers might be of interest for Th. wilkinsoni.     

Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

To study the population genetics as well as the mating system of captive zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) populations, we developed primers for 12 microsatellite loci and screened them in 529 individuals from two successive generations of a single captive population. All markers were polymorphic with five to 14 alleles per locus. We checked all markers for Mendelian inheritance in 307 offspring whose parents were known for sure. Four markers showed evidence for the presence of null alleles. Once allowing for null alleles, we found no mismatches between offspring and parents, suggesting a very low rate of mutation. Average observed and expected heterozygosities across the eight loci showing no evidence for null‐alleles was 0.819 and 0.812, respectively.     

Sixteen novel microsatellite loci developed for the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Sixteen novel microsatellite DNA loci were developed from the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) using a magnetic-bead capture method. A total of 115 alleles were obtained for these markers, ranging from 4 to 12 alleles per locus (average 7.188). These loci exhibited high levels of polymorphic information content and expected heterozygosity, 0.558–0.855 (average 0.729) and 0.628–0.885 (average 0.778), respectively. Therefore, the allelic polymorphism and heterozygosity show that the giant pandas raised in China Research and Conservation Center possess abundant genetic variation. In addition, if the three markers showing null alleles were excluded, the remaining 13 microsatellite loci still presented extremely low non-exclusion probabilities of parentage (0.002), paternity (0.000) and identity (0.000). As a result, this new suit of microsatellite markers would be a very informative tool for the genetic and conservation studies of giant pandas.     

Microsatellite size homoplasies and null alleles do not affect species diagnosis and population genetic analysis in a fungal species complex

The suitability of 13 microsatellite loci for species diagnosis and population genetics in 11 species of the Phialocephala fortinii s.l.-Acephala applanata species complex (PAC) was assessed. Two data sets were compared to test possible biases in species typing and clone detection resulting from null alleles and size homoplasies. The first data set was based on fragment lengths derived from a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and the second data set was received from singleplex PCR at lower stringency and sequencing. Most null alleles observed in the multiplex PCR assay could be amplified during singleplex PCR under less stringent conditions. Size homoplasies resulting from mutations in flanking regions and differences in microsatellite structures were observed. For example, Phialocephala uotolensis possessed a (CT)(13) in addition to the (GT)(x) motif at locus mPF_0644. Despite the occurrence of null alleles and size homoplasies, species diagnosis and population genetic analysis studies were not affected. These markers will facilitate studies on population biology, ecology and biogeography of PAC species.