The maintenance of genetic diversity under host–parasite coevolution in finite,structured populations

As a corollary to the Red Queen hypothesis, host–parasite coevolution has been hypothesized to maintain genetic variation in both species. Recent theoretical work, however, suggests that reciprocal natural selection alone is insufficient to maintain variation at individual loci. As highlighted by our brief review of the theoretical literature, models of host–parasite coevolution often vary along multiple axes (e.g. inclusion of ecological feedbacks or abiotic selection mosaics), complicating a comprehensive understanding of the effects of interacting evolutionary processes on diversity. Here we develop a series of comparable models to explore the effect of interactions between spatial structures and antagonistic coevolution on genetic diversity. Using a matching alleles model in finite populations connected by migration, we find that, in contrast to panmictic populations, coevolution in a spatially structured environment can maintain genetic variation relative to neutral expectations with migration alone. These results demonstrate that geographic structure is essential for understanding the effect of coevolution on biological diversity.     

The use of the isoenzymic marker gene Got-1 in the recognition of incompatibility S alleles in apple

The S incompatibility system of apple was confirmed through the application of the gene Got-1 for glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase as a marker for the S locus. The 11S alleles proposed by Kobel et al. (1939) were confirmed through anomalous segregations for Got-1 observed in 14 semi-compatible crosses and regular segregations observed in 2 fully compatible crosses. The S allele genotypes of Idared (S ₃ S ₇), Cox (S ₅ S ₉) and Fiesta (S ₃ S ₅) were determined and found to fall within the original series. By associating parental incompatibility genotypes with the segregation of Got-1 alleles, we were able to deduce the coupling of S and Got-1 alleles in 9 varieties.     

RFLP patterns of gliadin alleles in Triticum aestivum L.: implications for analysis of the organization and evolution of complex loci

A correspondence between RFLP patterns and gliadin alleles at the Gli-1 and Gli-2 loci was established in a set of 70 common wheat (T.aestivum L.) cultivars using -gliadin (K32) and -gliadin (pTU1) specific probes. All Gli-B1 and Gli-D1 alleles which differed in encoded -gliadins showed definite RFLP patterns after hybridization with the K32 probe. Two groups of Gli-B1 alleles, Gli-B1b-like and Gli-B1e-like, were identified, and these could originate from distinct genotypes of the presumptive donor of the B-genome. Intralocus recombination and/or gene conversion as well as small deletions, gene silencing and gene amplification were assumed to be responsible for the origin of new gliadin alleles. Silent -gliadin sequences were shown to exist in all of the genotypes studied. K32 also differentiated Gli-A1a from all other Gli-A1 alleles as well as the Gli-B11 allele in cultivars carrying the 1B/1R (wheat/rye) translocation. PTU1 was shown to recognize several Gli-A2 alleles, but not the Gli-B2 or Gli-D2 alleles. Moreover, this probe hybridized to chromosome 1R sequences suggesting the existence of rye gene(s), probably silent, for -gliadin-like proteins on chromosome 1R.     

Asymptotic line-of-descent distributions

Asymptotic distributions are derived for the number of non-mutant ancestors, at time t in the past, of a sample of n from a neutral infinite alleles model. Either the number of non-mutant ancestors L _n (t) has a normal distribution or n-L_n(t) has a Poisson distribution as n , t 0.     

Population genetics ofAnisakis simplex (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and their use as biological indicators of host stocks

Synopsis The extent to which data concerning the population genetics of a parasite — namely larvalAnisakis simplex, may be used as an auxilliary source of information on various aspects of the marine migrations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is examined.Frequencies of the various acid phosphatase alleles could not be used in distinguishing between or estimating the proportions of North American and European salmon occurring off west Greenland. The genetic structure of larvae from salmon taken in Scotland was different from that taken in Ireland and England confirming an earlier conclusion that the feeding habits of the fish from Scotland were significantly different. In the western Atlantic, salmon from northern Newfoundland and also salmon from the Bay of Fundy had apparently ingested different populations (or different proportions of the same nematode population) than salmon from Miramachi and Chaleur Bay areas. Samples from northern Newfoundland and Labrador were also genetically different. These findings are discussed in relation to the available literature concerning salmon migrations, explanations are put forward and areas of future research suggested.     

Mitochondrial mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. III. Nitrous acid.

Nitrous acid (NA) induced mutations efficiently in mitDNA, conferring resistance to erythromycin and weakly induces mit- mutations. In some strains of yeast it also enhanced rho- mutations. The frequencies of nuclear and mitochondrial mutations induced with NA are compared.     

濒危植物秦岭石蝴蝶的SCoT遗传多样性分析

利用筛选到的24条SCoT引物,分析秦岭石蝴蝶人工繁育和野生种群60份材料的遗传多样性和遗传结构,为秦岭石蝴蝶的濒危机制和制定种群保护与修复策略提供理论依据。结果显示:(1)60份秦岭石蝴蝶供试样品的观察等位基因数平均为1.51,有效等位基因数平均为1.31,Nei's基因多样性平均为0.2305,Shannon指数平均为0.3703,表明供试材料种群的遗传多样性较低。(2)种群间的遗传距离与遗传相似系数分析结果表明,3个种群60份供试材料间的遗传相似系数为0.9551~0.9705,平均相似系数0.9634,进一步表明供试材料之间的遗传相似性极高,遗传背景较为狭窄。(3)秦岭石蝴蝶种群分子方差分析结果显示15%的变异来自于种群间,而85%的变异来自于种群内部。综合分析表明,秦岭石蝴蝶各种群内和种群之间的遗传多样性较低,遗传背景狭窄,这可能是秦岭石蝴蝶适应环境能力差,从而导致其濒危的重要原因之一。     

Genomic Consequences of Long-Term Population Decline in Brown Eared Pheasant

Population genetic theory and empirical evidence indicate that deleterious alleles can be purged in small populations. However, this viewpoint remains controversial. It is unclear whether natural selection is powerful enough to purge deleterious mutations when wild populations continue to decline. Pheasants are terrestrial birds facing a long-term risk of extinction as a result of anthropogenic perturbations and exploitation. Nevertheless, there are scant genomics resources available for conservation management and planning. Here, we analyzed comparative population genomic data for the three extant isolated populations of Brown eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) in China. We showed that C. mantchuricum has low genome-wide diversity and a contracting effective population size because of persistent declines over the past 100,000 years. We compared genome-wide variation in C. mantchuricum with that of its closely related sister species, the Blue eared pheasant (C. auritum) for which the conservation concern is low. There were detrimental genetic consequences across all C. mantchuricum genomes including extended runs of homozygous sequences, slow rates of linkage disequilibrium decay, excessive loss-of-function mutations, and loss of adaptive genetic diversity at the major histocompatibility complex region. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to perform a comprehensive conservation genomic analysis on this threatened pheasant species. Moreover, we demonstrated that natural selection may not suffice to purge deleterious mutations in wild populations undergoing long-term decline. The findings of this study could facilitate conservation planning for threatened species and help recover their population size.     

The polymorphism in the promoter region of metallothionein 1 is associated with heat tolerance of scallop Argopecten irradians

Metallothioneins (MTs), a superfamily of cysteine-rich proteins, perform multiple functions, such as maintaining homeostasis of essential metals, detoxification of toxic metals and scavenging of oxyradicals. In this study, the promoter region of a metallothionein (MT) gene from Bay scallop Argopecten irradians (designed as AiMT1) was cloned by the technique of genomic DNA walking, and the polymorphisms in this region were screened to find their association with susceptibility or tolerance to high temperature stress. One insert–deletion (ins–del) polymorphism and sixteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the amplified promoter region. Two SNPs, − 375 T–C and − 337 A–C, were selected to analyze their distribution in the two Bay scallop populations collected from southern and northern China coast, which were identified as heat resistant and heat susceptible stocks, respectively. There were three genotypes, T/T, T/C and C/C, at locus − 375, and their frequencies were 25%, 61.1% and 13.9% in the heat susceptible stock, while 34.2%, 42.1% and 23.7% in the resistant stock, respectively. There was no significant difference in the frequency distribution of different genotypes between the two stocks (P > 0.05). In contrast, at locus − 337, three genotypes A/A, A/C and C/C were revealed with the frequencies of 11.6%, 34.9% and 53.5% in the heat susceptible stock, while 45.7%, 32.6% and 21.7% in the heat resistant stock, respectively. The frequency of C/C genotype in the heat susceptible stock was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in the heat resistant stock, while the frequency of A/A in the heat resistant stock was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in the heat susceptible stock. Furthermore, the expression of AiMT1 mRNA in scallops with C/C genotype was significantly higher than that with A/A genotype (P < 0.05) after an acute heat treatment at 28 °C for 120 min. These results implied that the polymorphism at locus − 337 of AiMT1 was associated with the susceptibility/tolerance of scallops to heat stress, and the − 337 A/A genotype could be a potential marker available in future selection of Bay scallop with heat tolerance.