Genetic diversity and population structure of teosinte

The teosintes, the closest wild relatives of maize, are important resources for the study of maize genetics and evolution and for plant breeding. We genotyped 237 individual teosinte plants for 93 microsatellites. Phylogenetic relationships among species and subspecific taxa were largely consistent with prior analyses for other types of molecular markers. Plants of all species formed monophyletic clades, although relationships among species were not fully resolved. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Mexican annual teosintes divide into two clusters that largely correspond to the previously defined subspecies, Z. mays ssp. parviglumis and ssp. mexicana, although there are a few samples that represent either evolutionary intermediates or hybrids between these two subspecies. The Mexican annual teosintes show genetic substructuring along geographic lines. Hybridization or introgression between some teosintes and maize occurs at a low level and appears most common with Z. mays ssp. mexicana. Phylogeographic and phylogenetic analyses of the Mexican annual teosintes indicated that ssp. parviglumis diversified in the eastern part of its distribution and spread from east to west and that ssp. mexicana diversified in the Central Plateau of Mexico and spread along multiple paths to the north and east. We defined core sets of collections of Z. mays ssp. mexicana and ssp. parviglumis that attempt to capture the maximum number of microsatellite alleles for given sample sizes.     

滇杨种群遗传多样性与遗传结构

滇杨(Populus yunnanensis)是我国西南地区的特有树种, 具有速生、易无性繁殖、适应性强等优良特性, 是典型的南方型杨属树种。研究滇杨遗传多样性及种群结构对其种质资源的收集、保存和利用具有重要的意义。本研究从我国滇杨主要分布区云南和四川共采集了6个种群, 包括云南的昭通(ZT)、会泽(HZ)、嵩明(SM)、洱源(EY)、拉市海(LS)以及四川的美姑(MG), 共64个个体, 利用34对SSR分子标记和3对cpDNA叶绿体标记开展遗传多样性与遗传结构研究。SSR引物共检测到154个等位基因, 平均等位基因数为4.529, 观测杂合度(Ho)与期望杂合度(He)分别为0.552和0.472, 遗传分化系数(Fst)平均值为0.238, 多态性信息含量指数(PIC)平均值为0.421, 基因流(Nm)为0.806。滇杨的遗传结构分析(DAPC)与遗传距离的主坐标分析(PCoA)、UPGMA聚类分析均将6个种群划分为3个亚类: 第І亚类包括昭通种群、会泽种群和嵩明种群的4个个体, 第ІІ亚类包括嵩明种群的6个个体以及洱源种群和拉市海种群, 第III亚类为美姑种群; 嵩明种群包含第І和第ІІ两个亚类的混合遗传成分。3个cpDNA联合序列中共检测到35个变异位点, 分为13个单倍型, 其中单倍型H5在种群中分布最为广泛, 其余的单倍型均为种群特有的单倍型。分子方差分析(AMOVA)表明种群内的遗传变异大于种群间变异。研究表明滇杨不同种群的遗传分化具有地域性, 可选择就地保护; 昭通种群遗传多样性最高, 且包含7种叶绿体单倍型, 单倍型类型最多, 应优先保护。     

Genetic diversity and population structure in urban white-tailed deer

Habitat fragmentation in urban areas has left many species isolated and vulnerable to loss of genetic variation. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), however, thrive in urban areas. We compared genetic diversity and structure among deer in 2 urban metroparks with deer in a fenced reserve and with deer from an open, continuously distributed population to inform urban deer management. If urban deer maintain species' typical matrilineal genetic structure, removal of female groups may effectively reduce local abundance. However, if gene flow in urban areas is high, dispersal may impede efforts to reduce abundance. Although genetic diversity was high and mean relatedness was near zero in all locations, distributions of pairwise relatedness in urban metroparks and the fenced reserve contained greater proportions of closely and distantly related deer than the open locations, likely attributable to matrilineal structure. In addition, deer from the metroparks (approx. 65 km apart) were moderately differentiated (F_st = 0.092) indicating gene flow in urban areas may be less than in other landscapes. Our results indicate that removal of matrilineal groups may reduce local urban deer abundance without inducing immigration from surrounding areas. © The Wildlife Society, 2012     

Genetic diversity and population structure of five Ethiopian chicken ecotypes

This study aimed to analyse the genetic diversity and population structure of five Ethiopian chicken ecotypes (N = 155), which were compared with six commercial purebreds (N = 180). For the analysis of genetic diversity, 26 AVIANDIV microsatellite markers were used. The number of alleles in Ethiopian ecotypes ranged from 2 to 19 per locus, with a mean of 6.1. The average observed heterozygosity within ecotype varied between 0.53 and 0.57. The overall heterozygote deficiency (F(IT)) in Ethiopian ecotypes was 0.124 ± 0.037. Over 68% of F(IT) was because of within-ecotype deficiency (F(IS)). In the phylogenetic tree, Ethiopian ecotypes clustered into two groups. The analysis of the relationship between populations using the structure program provided further evidence for the occurrence of at least two subgroups in the Ethiopian ecotypes. Findings of this study may provide the background for future studies to identify the origin of the two gene pools representing the Ethiopian chicken ecotypes and to characterize the gene variants influencing economically important traits.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of three Indian horse breeds

The genetic relationships of three Indian horse breeds—Marwari, Spiti, and Kathiawari were studied by genotyping 96 individuals with 20 polymorphic microsatellite markers. A total of 157 alleles were detected across 20 polymorphic loci. The Marwari population showed the highest allelic diversity (A = 5.7 and Ar = 5.14), followed by Spiti (A = 4.9 and Ar = 4.74) and Kathiawari (A = 4.1 and Ar = 3.82). The gene diversity was highest in the Spiti population (He = 0.67), followed by Marwari (He = 0.66) and Kathiawari (He = 0.59). Within population inbreeding estimates (f) in Marwari, Spiti and Kathiawari breeds were 0.18, 0.08, and 0.07, respectively, suggesting high level of inbreeding in these breeds. Analysis of bottleneck revealed evidence of recent bottleneck in Spiti and Kathiawari populations. Pair-wise Fst analysis, AMOVA and assignment tests demonstrated high genetic differentiation and low gene flow between populations. The information about genetic diversity and population structure will be useful for the future development of effective breeding management in order to preserve these Indian horse breeds.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus carnosus strains

The species Staphylococcus carnosus is a non-pathogenic representative of the coagulase negative staphylococci. Specific strains are applied as meat starter cultures. The species consists of two subspecies, S. carnosus ssp. carnosus and S. carnosus ssp. utilis. In order to place S. carnosus strains, characterized in former studies, in a genetic background that allows a typing of candidates for starter cultures, a Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) scheme was developed. Internal fragments of the genes tpiA, xprT, dat, gmk, glpK, narG, cstA, encoding triosephosphate isomerase, xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase, d-amino acid aminotransferase, guanylate kinase, glycerol kinase, the α-chain of the respiratory nitrate reductase, and a carbon starvation protein where chosen. Genes were selected based on their equal distribution in the genome, taxonomic value in subspecies differentiation and metabolic function. This MLST was applied to 44 S. carnosus strains, most of them previously analyzed for their suitability as starter cultures.The number of alleles varied between zero (tpiA) and five (cstA) and allowed the definition of nine sequence types (ST). ST1 was most abundant (18 strains), followed by ST2 (8) and ST4 (6). The nine STs confirmed a close relationship of all strains despite their isolation source and year, but lacked correlation with physiological activities relevant for starter cultures. The low amount of STs in the strain set lets us suggest that recombination between strains is rare. Thus, it is hypothesized that evolutionary events seem to be due to single point mutations rather than intrachromosomal recombination, and that the species possesses a clonal population structure.     

Genetic diversity and population structure in wild Sichuan rhesus macaques

Because wild rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) populations have suffered major declines, there is a growing need to characterize their genetic and population structure in order to protect the genetic integrity of this species. In this study, we genotyped a sample comprising 120 wild rhesus macaques from six sites in Sichuan Province for 30 nuclear microsatellite (STR) loci using an ABI 3130xl genetic analyzer. Bayesian analyses and PCA clearly differentiated monkeys from Heishui from those at other sites. The samples from all six sites exhibited high gene diversity suggesting that the Sichuan wild rhesus macaque populations are not threatened by a lack of genetic diversity. Deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was more frequent in the Danba and Heishui populations. This may be due to the more fragmented habitat and less disturbance by humans in this area that foster greater subpopulation structuring than occurs in eastern China. We suggest that this population subdivision is the result of both long-term geographic barriers and human activity.     

宽叶泽苔草居群内遗传多样性研究

(武汉大学生命科学学院植物系统学与进化生物学研究室,武汉430072)摘要:采用RAPD分子标记对宽叶泽苔草(Caldesiagrandis)湖南浪畔湖居群30个家系共180个子代样品进行了居群内家系间以及家系内的遗传多样性分析。从100个随机引物中筛选出12个有效引物,共产生112条带,其中79条表现出多态性,占总条带数的70.5%。宽叶泽苔草各个家系多态位点百分率(PPB)在7.1%–40.2%之间。各个家系基因多样性范围在0.02–0.14之间(家系水平的基因多样性为0.10),Shannon指数的范围在0.04–0.21之间(家系水平的Shannon指数为0.18)。对宽叶泽苔草30个家系的AMOVA分析结果显示,家系间的基因分化系数Gst=0.231,即总的变异中有23.1%的变异存在于家系间,家系内的遗传变异占总遗传变异的76.9%,家系间和家系内变异均极显著(P<0.001)。采用UPGMA法对宽叶泽苔草30个家系180个子代进行聚类的结果表明:同一家系的子代个体并不能完全聚在一起。基于家系间的遗传分化系数Gst对宽叶泽苔草30个家系间的基因流进行估测,结果显示:Nm=0.83,表明宽叶泽苔草各个家系之间有较高的基因流。     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae)

Using 19 allozyme loci we studied genetic diversity in 18 populations of Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae) from the southeastern United States. Of the 19 loci surveyed, 17 (89.5%) were polymorphic in at least one of the populations sampled. There was considerable variation among populations in the percentage of polymorphic loci (range = 31.6-84.2%, mean = 67.6%). Similar heterogeneity among populations was observed for mean number of alleles per polymorphic locus (range = 2.0-3.0; mean = 2.48) and mean expected heterozygosity (range = 0.113-0.288; mean = 0.213). On average, 83% of the total genetic diversity was found within populations. Duplications of three allozyme loci were detected in several populations. The life-history characteristics of Y. filamentosa (a long-lived, semiwoody, predominantly outcrossing monocot with a large geographical range) may contribute to the maintenance of such high levels of genetic diversity. These results contradict expectations of the genetic structure of Y. filamentosa based on observations of the dispersal and pollination behavior of its sole pollinator, Tegeticula yuccasella, the yucca moth.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of 20 North European cattle breeds

Blood samples were collected from 743 animals from 15 indigenous, 2 old imported, and 3 commercial North European cattle breeds. The samples were analyzed for 11 erythrocyte antigen systems, 8 proteins, and 10 microsatellites, and used to assess inter- and intrabreed genetic variation and genetic population structures. The microsatellites BoLA-DRBP1 and CSSM66 were nonneutral markers according to the Ewens-Watterson test, suggesting some kind of selection imposed on these loci. North European cattle breeds displayed generally similar levels of multilocus heterozygosity and allelic diversity. However, allelic diversity has been reduced in several breeds, which was explained by limited effective population sizes over the course of man-directed breed development and demographic bottlenecks of indigenous breeds. A tree showing genetic relationships between breeds was constructed from a matrix of random drift-based genetic distance estimates. The breeds were classified on the basis of the tree topology into four major breed groups, defined as Northern indigenous breeds, Southern breeds, Ayrshire and Friesian breeds, and Jersey. Grouping of Nordic breeds was supported by documented breed history and geographical divisions of native breeding regions of indigenous cattle. Divergence estimates between Icelandic cattle and indigenous breeds suggested a separation time of more than 1,000 years between Icelandic cattle and Norwegian native breeds, a finding consistent with historical evidence.     

Genetic diversity and population structure in French populations of Mycosphaerella graminicola

Mycosphaerella graminicola populations were examined in France with microsatellite markers and PCR-SSCP analysis of partial actin and β-tubulin encoding sequences. A total of 363 isolates was sampled in 2005 from 17 provinces, and genotypes from corresponding strains were characterized. Unique haplotypes comprised 84% of the population, and gene diversity was high nationwide (0.70) and locally. A moderate genetic differentiation (G(ST) = 0.18) was found and indicated that in France the M. graminicola population was more structured than in other previously studied European countries. Bayesian structure analysis identified three genetic clusters distributed among the 17 provinces. Our results highlighted the potential for the adaptation of the fungus to local conditions, leading to genetic clusters among the French population of the fungus as well as genotype flow between regional clusters.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis (CMN) is a gram-positive bacterium and an incitant of Goss's bacterial wilt and leaf blight or "leaf freckles" in corn. A population structure of a wide temporal and geographic collection of CMN strains (n = 131), originating between 1969 and 2009, was determined using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and repetitive DNA sequence-based BOX-PCR. Analysis of the composite data set of AFLP and BOX-PCR fingerprints revealed two groups with a 60% cutoff similarity: a major group A (n = 118 strains) and a minor group B (n = 13 strains). The clustering in both groups was not correlated with strain pathogenicity. Group A contained two clusters, A1 (n = 78) and A2 (n = 40), with a linkage of 75%. Group A strains did not show any correlation with historical, geographical, morphological, or physiological properties of the strains. Group B was very heterogeneous and eight out of nine clusters were represented by a single strain. The mean similarity between clusters in group B varied from 13% to 63%. All strains in group B were isolated after 1999. The percentage of group B strains among all strains isolated after 1999 (n = 69) was 18.8%. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Genetic diversity and population structure in Vallisneria spinulosa (Hydrocharitaceae)

Vallisneria spinulosa is a dominant submerged macrophyte in lakes of the middle–lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Allozyme variation, clonal diversity and population genetic structure were investigated for a total of 396 individuals sampled from 10 extant populations. V. spinulosa maintained high levels of genetic variation both at the species (P = 46.2, A = 1.69, H_e = 0.23) and at the population level (P = 46.2, A = 1.58, H_e = 0.21). Although aquatic macrophytes commonly exhibit low genetic variation within populations, the obligately outcrossing mating system of V. spinulosa and pervasive gene flow likely account for the high levels of diversity maintained within populations. All V. spinulosa populations contained high clonal diversity with a mean proportion of distinguishable genotypes of 0.57 and a mean Simpson's diversity index of 0.95, indicating that populations were founded sexually or that successful seedling recruitment occurred after initial colonization. Partitioning of genetic diversity revealed a surprisingly low population differentiation (G_ST = 0.06) as compared to other hydrophilous angiosperms. No evidence of isolation-by-distance was found (r = 0.056, P = 0.312), suggesting that gene flow was not restricted geographically. The UPGMA cluster analysis revealed that several widely separated populations grouped together, suggesting long-distance gene flow among populations. The high vagility of V. spinulosa and extensive hydrologic connectivity among populations have facilitated long-distance gene flow and resulted in the pattern of population genetic structure in V. spinulosa.     

Genetic diversity of commercially grown Moringa oleifera Lam. cultivars from India by RAPD, ISSR and cytochrome P450-based markers

Moringa oleifera is a less used, drought-tolerant tropical plant, rich in nutritionally and nutraceutically important bioactive compounds. It is native to India and now under cultivation in many countries, but no data is available on genetic variability. Three DNA marker techniques, i.e., random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and cytochrome P₄₅₀ gene-based markers were used for the detection of genetic variability in eight Indian cultivars of M. oleifera, collected from various states of India. A total of 17 RAPD, 6 ISSR and 7 pairs of cytochrome P₄₅₀-based markers generated 48.68, 48.57 and 40.00 % polymorphisms, respectively. The marker index (MI) for each of these marker systems (3.25 for RAPD, 4.73 ISSR and 2.95 for Cyt P₄₅₀-based markers) suggest that ISSR markers are the most effective for assessment of genetic diversity. Based on the three types of marker data, the eight cultivars of M. oleifera were grouped into four sub-clusters in a dendrogram, but without any distinct geographical pattern. This suggests spread of planting material and high rates of gene flow through cross pollination. High bootstrap values (94.4 and 82.3) were obtained at major nodes of the dendrogram using the winboot software. The dendrogram and PCA plots generated from the binary data matrices of the three marker systems were found highly concordant to each other. This study reveals a huge genetic diversity among the cultivars and this can be utilised for conservation and cultivar development in breeding programmes to produce high yielding, nutritionally superior cultivars.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of the invasive alien red swamp crayfish

High genetic diversity is thought to characterize successful invasive species, as the potential to adapt to new environments is enhanced and inbreeding is reduced. The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, native to northeastern Mexico and south-central USA was introduced to Nanjing, China from Japan in 1929. Little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of this species in China. We examined the genetic diversity and population structure of six P. clarkii populations using nine polymorphic microsatellites. Among the six populations, Nanjing population showed the highest allele number, allele richness and gene diversity, which is consistent with records indicating Nanjing may be the first site of introduction. In all six populations, significant heterozygote deficit was observed, suggesting founder effects and non-random mating. Analysis of bottleneck under infinite allele model, stepwise mutation model and two-phased model of mutation revealed evidence of a recent bottleneck in all these populations. Pairwise genetic distance analysis, AMOVA and assignment tests demonstrated high genetic differentiation between populations. Pairwise genetic distance did not fit the pairwise geographic distance, suggesting that human mediated dispersal have played a role in the population expansion and genetic differentiation.     

中国北方球孢白僵菌的遗传多样性和种群遗传结构

将在中国北方13省采集分离的622株球孢白僵菌按省份划分成13个亚种群,其中寄主可以鉴定到目的8目昆虫和蜘蛛目的568株按目划分成9个亚种群,用ISSR(简单重复序列区间)分子标记技术进行遗传多样性和种群遗传结构分析.结果表明:各多样性指数皆显示我国北方地区球孢白僵菌的遗传多样性水平较高,种群的异质性较强.其中内蒙古亚种群的遗传多样性和种群异质性最高,河南亚种群最低;鳞翅目亚种群的遗传多样性和种群异质性最高,蜘蛛目亚种群最低.河南与辽宁亚种群间以及蜘蛛目与螳螂目亚种群间的遗传分化系数以及遗传距离最大,宁夏与陕西亚种群间以及鞘翅目与膜翅目亚种群间最小.按寄主目划分的亚种群间的平均遗传分化系数和平均遗传距离均低于按省份划分的亚种群.这些结果以及基于遗传距离的亚种群聚类分析都证明我国北方球孢白僵菌的遗传谱系与寄主来源和地理来源均无关系.我国北方球孢白僵菌的变异主要是由各不同寄主目内科间及属间的变异造成的,也是由各省不同采集地以及采集地内部不同微生境间的差异造成的.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese pony breeds using microsatellite markers

China is one of the principal origins of ponies in the world. We made a comprehensive analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese ponies based on 174 animals of five indigenous Chinese pony breeds from five provinces using 13 microsatellite markers. One hundred and forty-four alleles were detected; the mean number of effective alleles among the pony breeds ranged from 5.38 (Guizhou) to 6.78 (Sichuan); the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.82 (Guizhou) to 0.85 (Debao, Sichuan). Although abundant genetic variation was found, the genetic differentiation was low between the ponies, with 6% total genetic variance among the different breeds. All the pairwise F(ST) values were significant; they varied from 0.0424 for the Sichuan-Yunnan pair to 0.0833 for the Guizhou-Sichuan pair. All five pony breeds deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except the Yunnan pony. Phylogenetic trees of the five pony breeds based on genetic distances were constructed using a neighbor-joining method. The Sichuan and Yunnan ponies were grouped into the same branch, with a high bootstrap support value (97%). Guizhou and Ningqiang ponies were clustered into the same branch with a bootstrap value of 56%, whereas the Debao pony was placed in a separate group, with a bootstrap value of 56%. This grouping pattern was supported by genetic structure analysis.     

利用InDel标记分析中国香菇菌株的遗传多样性与群体结构

通过对5个香菇菌株重测序,以香菇L808-1菌株的全基因组序列为参考基因组,分析了这些菌株中插入/缺失（InDel）标记位点在香菇基因组10条染色体上的分布,并筛选了插入/缺失碱基数≥15的位点,合成了449对InDel标记引物。经过PCR和电泳检测,其中237对引物条带清晰。最终筛选出107个PIC≥0.3的标记作为核心InDel标记对来自国内的44份香菇菌株进行遗传多样性分析。聚类分析显示栽培菌株和野生菌株各自聚为一支,所选香菇菌株间存在明显的群体分层。群体结构分析显示香菇种质资源可分为4个亚群,主成分分析显示香菇菌株之间的位置及距离与聚类分析和群体结构分析结果相符。香菇InDel分子标记的开发与应用,为香菇核心种质的构建和种质资源育种引用提供了基础。     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Escherichia coli isolated from freshwater beaches

Escherichia coli is an important member of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and warm-blooded animals (primary habitat). In the external environment outside the host (secondary habitat), it is often considered to be only a transient member of the microbiota found in water and soil, although recent evidence suggests that some strains can persist in temperate soils and freshwater beaches. Here we quantified the population genetic structure of E. coli from a longitudinal collection of environmental strains isolated from six freshwater beaches along Lake Huron and the St. Clair River in Michigan. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed extensive genetic diversity among 185 E. coli isolates with an average of 40 alleles per locus. Despite evidence for extensive recombination generating new alleles and genotypic diversity, several genotypes marked by distinct MLEE and MLST profiles were repeatedly recovered from separate sites at different times. A PCR-based phylogrouping technique showed that the persistent, naturalized E. coli belonged to the B1 group. These results support the hypothesis that persistent genotypes have an adaptive advantage in the secondary habitat outside the host.