Microbial succession in the traditional Chinese Luzhou-flavor liquor fermentation process as evaluated by SSU rRNA profiles

The community succession of microbes inhabited in the fermenting lees of Luzhou-flavor liquor was investigated based on small-subunit rRNA culture independent method. All sequences recovered from fermenting lees respectively fell into the genera of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Pelobacter, Actobacter, Serratia, Burkholderia, Rhodoccous, Corynebacterium, Arthrobacter, Microbacterium, Curtobacterium, Leptotrichia, Methanocuuleus, Saccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, Saccharomycopsis, Pichia, Talaromyces, Aspergillus, Eurotium, Fomitopsis and Trichosporon. The fungal Pichia, Saccharomycopsis and Talaromyces were most abundant in the lees fermented for 1 day, the fungal Eurotium and the bacteria Burkholderia, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus were dominant in the lees fermented for 7 days, only the bacteria Lactobacillus, Burkholderia were prevalent in the lees fermented for 60 days. Most genera almost existed in the fermenting lees, while their distributions were significantly different in 1, 7 and 60 days fermented lees. The prokaryotic community similarity coefficient was from 0.5000 to 0.5455 and followed to 0.1523, and that of eukaryotic community was from 0.5466 to 0.5259 and to 0.3750 when compared at species level. These results suggested that many microbes in lees have community successions associated with fermenting and that such successions maybe contribute the fermentation process of Luzhou-flavor liquor and is main reasons that the characteristic flavor factors are produced.     

Diversity and Succession of Actinobacteria in the Forelands of the Tianshan Glacier,China

Actinobacteria are typically soil bacteria that have important roles in soil development and biogeochemical cycling. However, little is known about the occurrence or the succession of communities of Actinobacteria in new habitats. In this study, we investigated the diversity and succession of the actinobacterial communities that inhabited the forelands of the Tianshan Glacier (China), which ranged in successional age from 0 to 100 years since the forefield was deglaciated. Actinobacteria was one of the dominant phyla in the glacier foreland and included the orders Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Rubrobacteriales and Solirubrobacteriales. Actinomycetales was the dominant order, but its relative abundance decreased through the chronosequence. Acidimicrobiales and Solirubrobacteriales were more abundant in the late stages of succession than in the early ones. The abundance of Rubrobacteriales was only high at 74a. The dominant genera Nocardioides and Arthrobacter were widely distributed and were found in each stage of succession. With nonparametric and rarefaction estimated analyses, we found that the phylotype richness of Actinobacteria was significantly correlated with time (r = 0.886, p = 0.019). The succession of actinobacterial communities was divided into 3 stages: the early stage (6a), the intermediate stage (10a and 20a) and the late stage (60a, 74a, and 100a). Based on the canonical correspondence analysis, the actinobacterial communities were affected significantly by soil pH (r = ?0.834, p = 0.039) and somewhat by the C/N ratio (r = 0.783, p = 0.066). The nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that the effect of geographical isolation on the actinobacterial communities was greater than that of the soils in the development of the chronosequence.     

子午岭植被自然演替中植物多样性变化及其与土壤理化性质的关系

在野外样方调查和室内实验分析的基础上,采用相关性分析和多元逐步回归方法,分析了黄土高原子午岭地区不同演替阶段群落物种多样性、土壤理化特性以及二者的相互关系.结果表明:群落物种多样性随演替进展呈增长趋势,但其增长并非完全线性,主要表现为草本群落演替阶段物种多样性指数高于灌木演替阶段.0~20 cm和20~40 cm土层土壤的全氮、有效氮和有机质等土壤养分指标随着植被演替不断增大.在演替过程中,土壤含水量变化虽有波动,但总体上升,土壤容重波动下降,说明演替过程中土壤环境在不断得到改善.40~60 cm土层土壤理化性质变化未表现出一定规律,说明其与植被演替没有必然联系.物种多样性指数与土壤因子的相关性分析表明,群落演替过程中物种多样性变化与土壤因子存在一定相关性,其中0~20 cm土层土壤的全氮和有机质与物种的多样性指数呈显著正相关.随着土层加深,物种多样性对土壤理化性质影响表现出减弱趋势.     

川西北高寒草甸蚁丘植物群落演替：种类组成与物种多样性

蚂蚁通过构建蚁丘,提高了群落生境异质性,影响群落物种组成,甚至生态系统结构和功能。我们在川西北典型高寒草甸调查了平地（非蚁丘,即距离蚁丘4～5m的草地）和不同大小广布弓背蚁（Cam-ponotus herculeanus）蚁丘（小蚁丘、中蚁丘和大蚁丘3种,平均面积大小分别为309．45cm^2、948．45cm^2、2124．90cm^2）上的植物种类组成、物种多样性,以及每个物种的高度,盖度和多度,在此基础上分析了蚁丘植物群落演替进程中的优势种变迁及其机制。调查发现,与平地相比,天气晴朗条件下蚁丘的土壤温度在白天较高,而在夜晚较低,日变化的波动性较大;蚁丘中心的相对湿度低于边缘,更低于平地。群落结构分析表明,不同大小蚁丘之间植物物种丰富度和多样性差异不显著,但是优势种变化明显。随蚁丘增大,钩状嵩草（Kobresia uncinoides）的群落地位（重要值）逐渐上升,小、中、大蚁丘上的次优种分别为拉拉藤（Galium aparine）、羊茅（Festuca ovina）、垂穗披碱草（Elymus nutans）。蚁丘上禾草类优势度显著高于平地,而杂草类优势度则显著低于平地。平地上菊科（Compositae）和毛莨科（Ranunculaceae）植物占优势,蚁丘上莎草科（Cyperaceae）和禾本科（Gramineae）植物占优势。文中还讨论了蚁丘植物群落演替的可能机制,以及蚁丘对整个草甸群落组成和动态的潜在意义。     

石羊河下游民勤绿洲退耕地植被自然演替特征及物种多样性分析

采用重要值、Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon-wiener和Simpson多样性指数、Pielou和Alatalo均匀度指数对石羊河下游民勤绿洲不同年限退耕地自然恢复的植物群落进行了研究。结果表明:(1)石羊河下游民勤绿洲退耕地在50a自然恢复过程中共出现植物34种,14科,其中灌木6种,草本28种,分别占总物种数的17.65%和82.35%;藜科(8种)、禾本科(6种)、蒺藜科(4种)植物占总物种数的52.94%。(2)研究区退耕后50a植物群落演替经历为:田旋花→藜→苦苣菜→骆驼蒿→骆驼蓬→盐生草→黑果枸杞→红砂→盐爪爪的演替过程。(3)群落物种丰富度和多样性指数均随退耕时间的延长而呈现出波动式下降的变化趋势,而均匀度指数则呈现出在退耕初期(1～5a)先下降然后呈波动式上升的变化趋势。研究表明,随着退耕年限的增加,群落物种组成逐渐减少,植物群落演替向前发展的大致经历分为4个阶段:退耕1～5a为一年生草本和宿根植物迅速恢复阶段,退耕5～15a为一年生草本植物向多年生草本演替阶段,退耕15～30a为多年生草本向多年生灌木演替阶段,退耕30～50a为多年生灌木植物稳定阶段。     

Plant Community Succession on Ant-hills of a Sub-alpine Meadow in Northwestern Sichuan,China: Species Composition and Diversity

Ants may increase habitat heterogeneity by means of building ant-hills, thereby changing community species composition and ecosystem structure and functioning. We investigated plant height, coverage and abundance for each species and calculated species richness and diversity for ant-hills of Camponotus herculeanus differing in size (309.45cm2, 948.45cm2, 2124.90cm2 for the small, intermediate and large ant-hills, respectively). The dominant species was subsequently identified for the three size-classes of ant-hills and the mechanism underlying anthill community succession was derived. Our results showed that diurnal temperature fluctuation was greater in ant-hills than the surrounding flat soil, where the temperature of the ant-hills was higher in daytime but lower at night relative to the counterpart. The soil moisture was lower in center than in edge of ant-hills whose moisture was lower than the flat soil. Plant species diversity and richness were not significantly different among the three classes of ant-hills while the dominant species conspicuously changed. The importance value of the most dominant species, Kobresia uncinoides, increased significantly with increasing ant-hill size; the subdominant species was Galium aparine, Festuca ovina, Elymus nutans for the small, intermediate and large ant-hills, respectively. The dominance of grasses was significantly higher, but that of forbs was lower on ant-hills than in surrounding communities. The ant-hills were dominated by species from Cyperaceae and Gramineae while Compositae and Ranunculaceae dominated the surrounding communities. In addition, we discussed the possible mechanisms driving ant-hill community succession and the potential significance of ant-hills to the whole community composition and dynamics in the alpine meadow.     

Species Richness,Forest Structure,and Functional Diversity During Succession in the New Guinea Lowlands

Much of the world's tropical forests have been affected by anthropogenic disturbance. These forests are important biodiversity reservoirs whose diversity, structure and function must be characterized across the successional sequence. We examined changes in structure and diversity along a successional gradient in the lowlands of New Guinea. To do this, we measured and identified all stems ≥5 cm diameter in 19 0.25 ha plots ranging in age from 3 to >50 yr since disturbance. We also measured plant functional traits related to establishment, performance, and competitive ability. In addition, we examined change in forest structure, composition, species diversity, and functional diversity through succession. By using rarefaction to estimate functional diversity, we compared changes in functional diversity while controlling for associated differences in stem and species density. Basal area and species density increased with stand age while stem density was highest in intermediate secondary forests. Species composition differed strongly between mature and secondary forests. As forests increased in basal area, community‐weighted mean wood density and foliar carbon increased, whereas specific leaf area and proportion of stems with exudate decreased. Foliar nitrogen peaked in medium‐aged forests. Functional diversity was highest in mature forests, even after accounting for differences in stem and species diversity. Our study represents one of the first attempts to document successional changes in New Guinea's lowland forest. We found robust evidence that as succession proceeds, communities occupy a greater range of functional trait space even after controlling for stem and species density. High functional diversity is important for ecological resiliency in the face of global change.     

Bacterial,archaeal and eukaryotic diversity in Arctic sediment as revealed by 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene clone libraries analysis

We studied the microbial diversity in the sediment from the Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Arctic, in the summer of 2005 based on the analysis of 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene clone libraries. The sequences of the cloned 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene inserts were used to determine the species identity or closest relatives by comparison with sequences of known species. Compared to the other samples acquired in Arctic and Antarctic, which are different from that of ours, the microbial diversity in our sediment is much higher. The bacterial sequences were grouped into 11 major lineages of the domain Bacteria: Proteobacteria (include α-, β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-Proteobacteria); Bacteroidetes; Fusobacteria; Firmicutes; Chloroflexi; Chlamydiae; Acidobacteria; Actinobacteria; Planctomycetes; Verrucomicrobiae and Lentisphaerae. Crenarchaeota were dominant in the archaeal clones containing inserts. In addition, six groups from eukaryotes including Cercozoa, Fungi, Telonema, Stramenopiles, Alveolata, and Metazoa were identified. Remarkably, the novel group Lentisphaerae was reported in Arctic sediment at the first time. Our study suggested that Arctic sediment as a unique habitat may contain substantial microbial diversity and novel species will be discovered.     

Changes in the microbial community structure during thermophilic composting of manure as detected by the quinone profile method

Quinone profiles and physico-chemical properties were measured to characterize the microbial community structure during a 14-day thermophilic composting of cattle manure mixed with rice straw as a bulking agent. The change in total quinone content (TQ) and the divergence of quinone (DQ) indicated that the microbial biomass reached a peak followed by a decrease, whereas the microbial community diversity increased continuously during the composting process. The high mole fraction of ubiquinones in the raw materials, and at the beginning of the composting period suggested that fungi and/or Proteobacteria were present. The predominance of MK-7 from days 3 to 7 suggested that Bacillus spp. were the main microbial species. An increase in partially saturated and long-chain menaquinones during the latter composting period indicated that the proliferation of various species of Actinobacteria was occurring. The microbial community structure, as expressed by TQ and DQ, corresponded well to physico-chemical properties such as the C/N ratio, pH, O₂ consumption and compost mass reduction.     

秦岭南坡松栎林群落演替过程中物种组成及多样性动态分析

为揭示秦岭南坡植物群落演替与物种多样性之间的复杂关系,采用空间代替时间的方法在秦岭南坡油松林、松栎混交林和锐齿栎林群落典型分布区域设置45个样地进行了群落学调查,统计分析了油松林→松栎混交林→锐齿栎林这一演替序列过程中草、灌、乔3层的物种组成和α物种多样性动态。结果表明:(1)秦岭南坡油松林、松栎混交林和锐齿栎林3种群落共有维管植物312种,隶属于73科183属,其中草本植物136种,灌木(含木质藤本)98种,乔木78种;油松林群落包含52科117属190种,松栎混交林群落含有60科95属129种,锐齿栎林群落则为50科109属178种。(2)沿油松林→松栎混交林→锐齿栎林群落演替序列,草本层物种均匀度和物种多样性显著降低,物种丰富度呈"V"形变化趋势;灌木层物种丰富度、均匀度以及物种多样性均无显著差异;乔木层物种多样性呈明显的单峰型变化,其中松栎混交林群落物种多样性指数最高。研究表明,秦岭南坡松栎林群落物种多样性随演替进展总体上呈现单峰型变化,与中期物种多样性假说一致;物种多样性可能仅仅是群落稳定的一个基础或前提条件。     

Cryptic Speciation in the Genus Cryptoglena (Euglenaceae) Revealed by Nuclear and Plastid SSU and LSU rRNA Gene

The photosynthetic euglenoid genus Cryptoglena is differentiated from other euglenoid genera by having a longitudinal sulcus, one chloroplast, two large trough‐shaped paramylon plates positioned between the chloroplast and pellicle, and lack of metaboly. The genus contains only two species. To understand genetic diversity and taxonomy of Cryptoglena species, we analyzed molecular and morphological data from 25 strains. A combined data set of nuclear SSU and LSU and plastid SSU and LSU rRNA genes was analyzed using Bayesian, maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and distance (neighbor joining) methods. Although morphological data of all strains showed no significant species‐specific pattern, molecular data segregated the taxa into five clades, two of which represented previously known species: C. skujae and C. pigra, and three of which were designated as the new species, C. soropigra, C. similis, and C. longisulca. Each species had unique molecular signatures that could be found in the plastid SSU rRNA Helix P23_1 and LSU rRNA H2 domain. The genetic similarity of intraspecies based on nr SSU rDNA ranged from 97.8% to 100% and interspecies ranged from 95.3% to 98.9%. Therefore, we propose three new species based on specific molecular signatures and gene divergence of the nr SSU rDNA sequences.     

Dominant bacterioplankton populations in the meromictic Lake Suigetsu as determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene fragments

Lake Suigetsu is a typical meromictic lake in Japan characterized by a permanent chemocline at a depth of between 3 and 8 m separating the oxic freshwater mixolimnion from anoxic saline sulfidogenic monimolimnion. Dominant bacterioplankton populations in Lake Suigetsu were investigated using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene fragments. The bacterial population was vertically stratified, and temporal shifts in the microbial communities were observed in both the oxic and anoxic layers of Lake Suigetsu during the sampling period. Several dominant DGGE bands were excised and sequenced. In the chemocline, green sulfur bacteria phylogenetically related to the genera Prosthecochloris, Pelodyctyon, and Chlorobium within the phylum Chlorobi were dominant; the colorless sulfur bacteria closely related to the genus Thiomicrospira were detected. These sulfur bacterial groups appear to be important in the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur and/or carbon in Lake Suigetsu. Bacterial sequences affiliated with the Bacteroidetes phylum were frequent among the dominant fragments in the DGGE profiles throughout the water column. Populations possessing a fermentative metabolism exist in Bacteroidetes, suggesting they may contribute to the degradation of organic matter in the anoxic environment of Lake Suigetsu.     

Diversity and structure of the archaeal community in the leachate of a full-scale recirculating landfill as examined by direct 16S rRNA gene sequence retrieval

The diversity and structure of the archaeal community in the effluent leachate from a full-scale recirculating landfill was characterized by direct 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) retrieval. Total-community DNA was extracted from the microbial assemblages in the landfill leachate, and archaeal 16S rDNAs were amplified with a universally conserved primer and an Archaea-specific primer. The amplification product was then used to construct a 16S rDNA clone library, and 70 randomly selected archaeal clones in the library were grouped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of representatives from each unique RFLP type showed that the archaeal library was dominated by methanogen-like rDNAs. Represented in the kingdom of Euryarchaeota were phylotypes highly similar to the methanogenic genera Methanoculleus, Methanosarcina, Methanocorpusculum, Methanospirillum and Methanogenium, where the clone distribution was 48, 11, 3, 1 and 1, respectively. No sequences related to known Methanosaeta spp. were retrieved. Four rDNA clones were not affiliated with the known methanogenic Archaea, but instead, they were clustered with the uncultured archaeal sequences recently recovered from anaerobic habitats. Two chimeric sequences were identified among the clones analyzed.     

Diversity and distribution of subterranean bacteria in groundwater at Oklo in Gabon, Africa, as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

This paper describes how groundwater was sampled, DNA extracted, amplified and cloned and how information available in the ribosomal 16S rRNA gene was used for mapping diversity and distribution of subterranean bacteria in groundwater at the Bangombé site in the Oklo region. The results showed that this site was inhabited by a diversified population of bacteria. Each borehole was dominated by species that did not dominate in any of the other boreholes; a result that probably reflects documented differences in the geochemical environment. Two of the sequences obtained were identified at genus level to represent Acinetobacter and Zoogloea , but most of the 44 sequences found were only distantly related to species in the DNA database. The deepest borehole, BAX01 (105 m), had the highest number of bacteria and also total organic carbon (TOC). This borehole harboured only Proteobacteria beta group sequences while sequences related to Proteobacteria beta, gamma and delta groups and Gram-positive bacteria were found in the other four boreholes. Two of the boreholes, BAX02 (34 m) and BAX04 (10 m) had many 16S rRNA gene sequences in common and they also had similar counts of bacteria, content of TOC, pH and equal conductivity, suggesting a hydraulic connection between them.     

Ants as Bioindicators of Natural Succession in Savanna and Riparian Vegetation Impacted by Dredging in the Jequitinhonha River Basin,Brazil

We investigated the response of ant species to landscape and geomorphologic parameters of a long‐term (7–11 years) restoration project in the Jequitinhonha River (Northern State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) margins, previously dredged by a diamond mining company. Geomorphological changes from the dredging were severe and the area is unlikely to be adequately restored, mainly due to the negative effects of flooding. Our hypothesis is that ant species assemblages bioindicate successional stages and soil characteristics. We studied the association of effects from the river's flooding zone, the native vegetation, and sedimentary grain size with that of ant species diversity, abundance, and composition. An ant sampling program was conducted in April 2005, using three methods: baits, pitfall traps, and direct collection. Grain size was measured by sieving. In total, 10,784 ants were sampled, belonging to 7 subfamilies, 24 genera and 45 morphospecies. Ant species richness was greater in the undisturbed savanna area than in the restored habitats, and equivalently greater in the ecotone and intermediate zone habitats than on the river bank, the poorest habitat. Atta sexdens rubropilosa indicated a condition related to small forest remnants having well‐structured soil. On the other hand, ants with a body length of under 0.5 cm (Dorymyrmex pyramicus and Pheidole fallax) predominated in sandy areas, where the majority of the granules were the finest. The lack of organic matter and soil structure for constructing suitable nests may prevent large ants from colonizing such areas, and thus inhibit the advance of natural succession.     

Microbial diversity of cold-seep sediments in Sagami Bay, Japan, as determined by 16S rRNA gene and lipid analyses

Microbial communities in Calyptogena sediment and microbial mats of Sagami Bay, Japan, were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and lipid biomarker analysis. Characterization of 16S rRNA gene isolated from these samples suggested a predominance of bacterial phylotypes related to Gammaproteobacteria (57-64%) and Deltaproteobacteria (27-29%). The Epsilonproteobacteria commonly found in cold seeps and hydrothermal vents were only detected in the microbial mat sample. Significantly different archaeal phylotypes were found in Calyptogena sediment and microbial mats; the former contained only Crenarchaeota clones (100% of the total archaeal clones) and the latter exclusively Euryarchaeota clones, including the anaerobic oxidation of methane archaeal groups ANME-2a and ANME-2c. Many of these lineages are as yet uncultured and undescribed groups of bacteria and archaea. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis suggested the presence of sulphate-reducing and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria. Results of intact glyceryl dialkyl glyceryl tetraether lipid analysis indicated the presence of nonthermophilic marine planktonic archaea. These results suggest that the microbial community in the Sagami Bay seep site is distinct from previously characterized cold-seep environments.     

Microbial Diversity in Uranium Deposits from Jaduguda and Bagjata Uranium Mines,India as Revealed by Clone Library and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Analyses

Microbial communities within subsurface uranium (U) deposits were explored to understand the nature of community composition and their potential role in biogeochemical cycle and bioremediation. Geochemical analysis revealed that the U ores were mainly hosted on metamorphosed chlorite-biotite schists, containing varied organic carbon and elevated level of several heavy metals (U, Cu, Cr, Zn, etc.). Microbial diversity as explored by 16S rRNA gene clone library and DGGE analyses revealed predominance of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes along with Firmicutes and candidate division OP9 within the domain Bacteria and Euryarchaeota within the domain Archaea. Among the physiochemical parameters, level of organic carbon showed considerable impact on influencing community diversity and composition. Samples from Jaduguda with high organic carbon showed abundance of bacteria known for metabolizing different carbon compounds and affiliated to unclassified uncultured members of Chitnophagaceae (Bacteroidetes), Gp4 of Acidobacteria and unclassified β-Proteobacteria and halophilic, nitrate-reducing γ-Proteobacteria. A relatively diverse assemblage of species capable of autotrophic/heterotrophic N₂ fixation, CH₄ utilization, H₂(0)/Fe(II)/Mn(II)/S(0) oxidation, NO₃/Fe(III) reduction, U and other metal precipitation/mineralization and affiliated to families Rhizobiaceae, Bradyrhizobiaceae, Caulobacteraceae, Comamonadaceae and genera Acinetobacter, Marinobacter and Alcanivorax constituted the Bagjata samples. Distribution and interrelations among abundance of various bacterial groups detected in other U mines/radioactive waste sites were compared with our data. Overall, the study reported distinct compositions of indigenous microbial communities among the samples from two mines and provided a better insight in geomicrobiology of U deposits.     

Methanogen and bacterial diversity and distribution in deep gas hydrate sediments from the Cascadia Margin as revealed by 16S rRNA molecular analysis

The microbial community of a deep (to 234 m below the sea floor) sediment gas hydrate deposit (Cascadia Margin Ocean Drilling Program Site 889/890, Leg 146) was analysed for the first time by molecular genetic techniques. Both bacterial and methanogen diversity were determined by phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal DNA sequences. High molecular mass DNA, indicative of active bacteria, was present in all of the samples. Ribosomal RNA genes were amplified from extracted DNA extracted from sediment using bacteria, and methanogen specific PCR primers, the latter designed in this study. Phylogenetic analysis of approximately 400 bacterial clones demonstrated that 96% were members of the Proteobacteria. These clones were affiliated with the alpha, beta and gamma subdivisions, with Caulobacter (Zymomonas group), Ralstonia and Pseudomonas phylotypes predominating. The methanogen clones were of low diversity and clustered in three sub-groups. Two of these sub-groups (contained 96% of the 400 clones) were closely related to Methanosarcina mazeii, while the third sub-group clustered in the Methanobacteriales. This analysis of a deep sediment gas hydrate environment shows a bacteria and methanogen community of limited diversity and confirms that the gas hydrate zone is biogeochemically active. These results are consistent with the presence of bacterial populations capable of methanogenesis throughout the core, and suggest that the methane hydrate at this site is at least partially biogenic in origin.     

Genetic diversity of the Chinese goat in the littoral zone of the Yangtze River as assessed by microsatellite and mtDNA

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of goats in the Yangtze River region using microsatellite and mtDNA to better understand the current status of those goat genetic diversity and the effects of natural landscape in fashion of domestic animal genetic diversity. The genetic variability of 16 goat populations in the littoral zone of the Yangtze River was estimated using 21 autosomal microsatellites, which revealed high diversity and genetic population clustering with a dispersed geographical distribution. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial D‐loop region (482 bp) was conducted in 494 goats from the Yangtze River region. In total, 117 SNPs were reconstructed, and 173 haplotypes were identified, 94.5% of which belonged to lineages A and B. Lineages C, D, and G had lower frequencies (5.2%), and lineage F haplotypes were undetected. Several high‐frequency haplotypes were shared by different ecogeographically distributed populations, and the close phylogenetic relationships among certain low‐frequency haplotypes indicated the historical exchange of genetic material among these populations. In particular, the lineage G haplotype suggests that some west Asian goat genetic material may have been transferred to China via Muslim migration.