Comparison of microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers for the genetic analysis of a Galloway cattle population

Highly informative genetic markers are essential for efficient management of cattle populations, as well as for food safety. After a decade of domination by microsatellite markers, a new type of genetic marker, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), has recently appeared on the scene. In the present study, the exclusion power of both kinds of markers with regards to individual identification and parental analysis was directly compared in a Galloway cattle population. Seventeen bovine microsatellites were distributed in three incremental marker sets (10, 14 and 17 microsatellite markers) and used for cattle genotyping. A set of 43 bovine SNP was used for genotyping the same cattle population. The accuracy of both kinds of markers in individual identification was evaluated using probability of identity estimations. These were 2.4 x 10(-8) for the 10 microsatellite set, 2.3 x 10(-11) for the 14 microsatellite set, and 1.4 x 10(-13) for the 17 microsatellite marker set. For the 43 SNP markers, the estimated probability of identity was 5.3 x 10(-11). The exclusion power of both kinds of markers in parental analysis was evaluated using paternity exclusion estimations, and, in addition to this, by estimation of the parental exclusion probability in 18 Galloway family trios. Paternity exclusion was estimated to be over 99% for microsatellites, and approx. 98% for SNP. Both, microsatellite and SNP sets of markers showed similar parental exclusion probabilities.     

Genetic variation among females affects paternity in a dioecious plant

Flowering plants rely on vectors for pollen transfer, and cannot choose their mates. Although recipient plants are unable to choose which pollen they receive, post‐pollination selection (acting pre‐ or post‐zygotically) may modify the outcome of pollination. Here we show that genetic variation among pollen recipients can predict the outcome of pollen competition (seed paternity) in the dioecious white campion. To investigate whether genetic variation among pollen recipients affects paternity, we applied the same pollen mixture from two males to three females, two of which full sisters and the third one chosen at random (unrelated). To control for maternal environmental effects, the plants used for these crosses were greenhouse‐reared F₁. We replicated this in two populations, for a total of 51 crosses, and genotyped a total of 772 offspring to assign paternity. If genetic variation affects paternity, we expected greater similarity of paternity success of the focal male with the sisters, compared to the unrelated female. Paternity of the focal male was significantly more repeatable over sisters, compared to repeatability over the mean of sisters and the unrelated females. When populations were analyzed separately, this was significant in one of the two populations. Paternity was not significantly correlated with stigma size. This provides evidence that in at least one population, genetic variation among individual plants influences the donors’ paternity success, as assessed through genetic analysis of the seedling. Since due to gravity‐dispersed seeds natural patches may often consist of related plants, the observed effect may contribute to variation in male reproductive success.     

Polymorphic microsatellite loci and low-invasive DNA sampling inMacaca cyclopis

Polymorphic genetic markers and methods for DNA sampling in the field are the basic requirements for studies on population and conservation genetics of wildMacaca cyclopis. In this paper we screened microsatellites for their polymorphism and accessed the validity in paternity identification and gene typing of DNA samples from various sources. Among the 36 primer sets tested, 21 are polymorphic with an average observed heterozygosity 0.56. All theeight loci examined for a parent-offspring triad followed Medelian inheritance. Application of the two most polymorphic loci in paternity identification of a daptive group showed that the top-ranking male sired all the juveniles. DNA samples from wound and menstrual bleeding, or from ejaculates and hairs produced concordant microsatellite banding patterns for specific individuals. The success in DNA extraction from samples collected low-invasively and the polymorphic loci screened in this study can be applied in future studies on population and conservation genetics of natural primate populations.     

Nicaraguan population data on LDLR,GYPA, D7S8, HBGG,GC and HLA-DQA1 loci

Nicaraguans have become the most numerous and fastest increasing minority in Costa Rica: at present they represent around 6% of the total population of the country. We have analyzed the allele and genotype frequencies of six PCR-based genetic markers (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC, and HLA-DQA1) in 100 unrelated Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica. All loci studied were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Some statistical parameters of forensic interest were also calculated (h, PD and CE). Allele frequencies of the markers HLA-DQA1 and GYPA were found to be significantly different between the populations of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Nevertheless, genetic distances showed that Nicaragua is close to other Hispanic-admixed populations like those from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and USA Hispanics. The loci set was assessed to be useful for paternity testing and individual identification in the Nicaraguan population residing in Costa Rica.     

Inheritance of null alleles for microsatellites in the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi [Peck] [Coleoptera: Curculionidae])

Four families of the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) produced by controlled breeding were used to study the mode of inheritance at four microsatellite loci. The results confirmed the Mendelian segregation of all loci. Three of the four loci showed the presence of null alleles. The observed high polymorphism of P. strobi microsatellites increased their usefulness for paternity determination. The presence of null alleles predicates the need to redesign primers before using them in population genetics studies where pedigree is unknown.     

微卫星在种公牛个体识别与亲缘鉴定方面的应用

采用美国ABI公司牛亲子鉴定试剂盒(Bovine Paternity PCR Typing Kit, 包括11个常染色体)和3个自选的Y染色体微卫星座位, 检测我国部分种公牛站肉用种公牛14个微卫星座位的多态性分布, 评估其遗传多样性, 并探讨其用于个体识别与亲缘鉴定的可行性。结果表明: 种公牛在14个微卫星座位中遗传多样性均较高, 其中MCM158座位的平均多态信息含量最高达到0.888, ETH10座位的最低, 为0.482。单个座位的个体识别能力在0.715~0.968之间, 累积个体识别能力为99.99%, 累计非父排除率达到99.99%, 表明采用的14个位点适用于个体识别和亲缘鉴定。     

微卫星标记在种群生物学研究中的应用

微卫星是以几个碱基 (一般为 1～ 6个 )为重复单位组成的简单的串联重复序列 ,具有丰度高、多态性高、共显性标记、选择中性、可自动检测等优点。本文着重介绍了微卫星在种群生物学研究中的应用。微卫星位点可以提供具高分辨率的遗传信息 ,这一特点使微卫星既适合于个体水平上的研究 ,又适合于种群水平上的研究。在个体水平上包括个体识别、交配系统和亲本分析、基因流等研究。微卫星是常用的个体识别手段 ,但在克隆植物遗传结构研究方面的应用还很有限 ;微卫星提高了交配系统和亲本分析、基因流等研究的准确性。在种群水平上微卫星可用于遗传结构、有效种群大小、种群的系统发育重建等研究。微卫星在很多物种 (包括珍稀物种 )的遗传结构研究中得到应用 ;利用微卫星标记确定有效种群大小、检测有效种群大小的波动可以促使我们正确理解种群遗传结构动态和种群进化过程 ;微卫星在种群的系统发育重建研究方面有很大的应用潜力。然而微卫星并不是研究所有问题的唯一选择。文中还讨论了在实际工作中应如何正确利用分子标记等问题     

Comparative analysis of STR and SNP polymorphism in the populations of sockeye salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus nerka</Emphasis>) from Eastern and Western Kamchatka

Sockeye salmon samples from five largest lacustrine-riverine systems of Kamchatka Peninsula were tested for polymorphism at six microsatellite (STR) and five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. Statistically significant genetic differentiation among local populations from this part of the species range examined was demonstrated. The data presented point to pronounced genetic divergence of the populations from two geographical regions, Eastern and Western Kamchatka. For sockeye salmon, the individual identification test accuracy was higher for microsatellites compared to similar number of SNP markers. Pooling of the STR and SNP allele frequency data sets provided the highest accuracy of the individual fish population assignment.     

适用于种群遗传管理的小熊猫微卫星亲子鉴定体系的建立

由于标记缺失、生产记录不详、亲权关系不明及部分个体来源不清等历史问题,中国小熊猫圈养种群存在谱系错漏、近亲繁殖等风险。近年来,随着小熊猫种群规模不断扩大,管理者们对谱系的准确性提出了更高的需求,亲子鉴定工作也成为了研究的重点。本文采用26个微卫星标记,对国内3个小熊猫圈养种群进行了亲缘关系运算,完成了相关谱系的查错与整理。26个位点多态性与稳定性良好,联合非亲排除概率达到0.9999以上,可解决国内小熊猫圈养种群的各类亲子鉴定需求。在单亲未知或双亲未知的情况下,8或11个位点组合可实现亲子鉴定。5个位点组合可进行个体识别。在小熊猫圈养管理过程中,应用一套亲子鉴定体系对小熊猫圈养的谱系进行查漏补缺,有利于制定科学的配对计划、避免近亲繁殖,对小熊猫种群保护有着重要意义。     

Microsatellites reveal heterosis in red deer.

The fitness consequences of inbreeding and outbreeding are poorly understood in natural populations. We explore two microsatellite-based variables, individual heterozygosity (likely to correlate with recent inbreeding) and a new individual-specific internal distance measure, mean d2 (focusing on events deeper in the pedigree), in relation to two measures of fitness expressed early in life, birth weight and neonatal survival, in 670 red deer calves (Cervus elaphus) born on the Isle of Rum between 1982 and 1996. For comparison, we also analyse inbreeding coefficients derived from pedigrees in which paternity was inferred by molecular methods. Only 14 out of 231 calves (6.1%) had non-zero inbreeding coefficients, and neither inbreeding coefficient nor individual heterozygosity was consistently related to birth weight or neonatal survival. However, mean d2 was consistently related to both fitness measures. Low mean d2 was associated with low birth weight, especially following cold Aprils, in which foetal growth is reduced. Low mean d2 was also associated with low neonatal survival, but this effect was probably mediated by birth weight because fitting birth weight to the neonatal survival model displaced mean d2 as an explanatory variable. We conclude that in the deer population fitness measures expressed early in life do not show evidence of inbreeding depression, but they do show evidence of heterosis, possibly as a result of population mixing. We also demonstrate the practical problems of estimating inbreeding via pedigrees compared with a direct marker-based estimate of individual heterozygosity. We suggest that, together, individual heterozygosity and mean d2, estimated using microsatellites, are useful tools for exploring inbreeding and outbreeding in natural population.     

贵州地区汉族人群THO1、TPOX、CSF1PO基因座的遗传多态性

为了解贵州地区汉族群体中THO1、TPOX、CSF1PO基因座的遗传多态性,获得这3个基因座的群体遗传学数据和法医学相关数据。采自贵州地区汉族无关个体的110份EDTA抗凝血样用Chelex法提取DNA,应用PCR复合扩增技术扩增样本后,聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分型。对3个STR基因座的等位基因频率进行了调查分析,并与其他汉族人群的等位基因频率进行了比较。在贵州汉族群体中,3个基因座的基因型分布符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡。3个STR基因座总个体识别率为0.9986,累积非父排除率为0.832。表明这3个基因座在法医学个体识别及亲子鉴定中是很有价值的遗传标记系统。 Abstract:To understand the genetic polymorphism at THO1,TPOX,CSF1PO STR loci for Han population in Guizhou Province,and construct a preliminary database,EDTA-blood specimens were collected from the 110 unrelated individuals in Han population from Guizhou.The DNA samples were extracted with Chelex method and amplified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.The PAGE was used to type the PCR products.The allele frequencies were compared with other Han populations.The genotype distributions of THO1,TPOX and CSF1PO were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.The combined PD and PE were 0.9986 and 0.832 respectively.All of the three loci in this study provide useful marker for forensic paternity test and individual identification.     

Genetic variability,structure and assignment of Spanish and French pig populations based on a large sampling

The Spanish and French pig populations share the common practice of quasi systematic paternity control of pure breed and composite line males. Ten microsatellite markers are in common between Spain and France controls, among the 17 markers used in France and the 13 used in Spain. After the adjustment of allele sizes, it is possible to merge the two datasets and to obtain a set of 5791 animals, including the vast majority of the males in the Duroc, Landrace, Large White and Piétrain French and Spanish breeds. Twelve French composite lines are also available. The genetic diversity analysis of these pig populations is presented, as well as the assignment of an individual to its breed. The effects of heterogeneous sampling across time and of relatedness among animals are also assessed. Consistent with the results of the previous studies, we found that different populations from the same breed clearly clustered together. In addition, all populations of this study, whether purebred or composite, are quite well differentiated from the other ones. As a result, we note that the 10 microsatellites commonly used for paternity control ensure a powerful detection of the breed of origin, with the power of detection being 95–99%. The detection of the exact population within breed is more difficult, but the power exceeds 70% for most of the populations. Practical implications include, for instance, the detection of outlier animals, crosses and admixture events.     

Comparative analysis of STR and SNP polymorphism in the populations of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) from Eastern and Western Kamchatka

Sockeye salmon samples from five largest lacustrine-riverine systems of Kamchatka Peninsula were tested for polymorphism at six microsatellite (STR) and five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. Statistically significant genetic differentiation among local populations from this part of the species range examined was demonstrated. The data presented point to pronounced genetic divergence of the populations from two geographical regions, Eastern and Western Kamchatka. For sockeye salmon, the individual identification test accuracy was higher for microsatellites compared to similar number of SNP markers. Pooling of the STR and SNP allele frequency data sets provided the highest accuracy of the individual fish population assignment.     

Pedigree reconstruction in wild cichlid fish populations

It is common practice to use microsatellites to detect parents and their offspring in wild and captive populations, in order to reconstruct a pedigree. However, correct inference is often constrained by a number of factors, including the absence of demographic data and ignorance regarding the completeness of parental sampling. Here we present a new Bayesian estimator that simultaneously estimates the pedigree and the size of the unsampled population. The method is robust to genotyping error, and can estimate pedigrees in the absence of demographic data. Using a large-scale microsatellite assay in four wild cichlid fish populations of Lake Tanganyika (1000 individuals in total), we assess the performance of the Bayesian estimator against the most popular assignment program, Cervus. We found small but significant pedigrees in each of the tested populations using the Bayesian procedure, but Cervus had very high type I error rates when the size of the unsampled population was assumed to be lower than what it was. The need of pedigree relationships to infer adaptive processes in natural populations places strong constraints on sampling design and identification of multigenerational pedigrees in natural populations.     

基于微卫星位点的人工圈养豚鹿亲子关系鉴定

豚鹿属我国国家I级重点保护动物,目前国内野生种群已经灭绝,人工圈养数量少,已极度濒危。成都动物园是国内最大的豚鹿饲养单位,对该园内豚鹿进行亲子鉴定及遗传谱系建立是我国豚鹿拯救工程中一重要环节。本文利用7个微卫星标记对成都动物园27只豚鹿个体进行了基因分型,在母本已知情况下成功鉴定了13对父子关系,其中排除法鉴定8对,似然法鉴定5对且置信度达95%。将亲子鉴定的结果辅以动物园豚鹿圈养的历史记录,我们构建了该园豚鹿的遗传谱系图。本文的研究成果将为后续人工繁殖中亲本雌雄配对的个体选择以及种群的遗传管理提供参考。     

Identification of a RAPD marker linked to progressive rod-cone degeneration in dogs

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis has been used widely in plant and fungi for identification of markers linked to genetic traits and mapping, but its use is limited to identification of intra- and inter-species difference in domestic mammals. We report here identification of a RAPD-derived marker linked to progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd), an inherited autosomal recessive retinal disease of dogs. A total of 400 standard 10-mer primers were used for amplification by use of DNA samples from normal (+/+) and affected (prcd/prcd) dogs. A single primer was identified which amplified a 1.5-kb DNA fragment only from normal dogs. PCR with longer primers designed from the sequence-characterized amplified region of the 1.5-kb DNA fragment identified a co-dominant multi-allelic polymorphism in the prcd-informative pedigree. Three recombinants were identified among 34 informative offsprings, yielding a LOD score of 5.568 at θ= 0.091. This marker was mapped to two canine–rodent hybrid cell lines in which two genes (canine homologues of human breast cancer 1 susceptibility gene, and cGMP phosphodiesterase γ-subunit gene), and three anonymous microsatellites have been identified. This is the first reported identification of a RAPD-derived marker with multiple alleles linked to a mammalian disease locus. Received: 20 February 1998 / Accepted: 24 April 1998     

9号染色体10个STR基因座的遗传制图

运用小规模实验初步探讨了以中国人群为基础的遗传图绘制工作的必要性。18个无关汉族3代家系共131份血样采自甘肃省白银地区,常规PCR扩增9号染色体的10个STR基因座,采用非变性聚丙烯酰凝胶电泳分析。PCR产物经克隆测序确定核心序列重复次数,采用标准命名法命名各等位基因,用POPGENE软件包计算各基因座等位基因频率,并进行Hardy-Weiberg平衡检验,用Linkage软件包进行各基因座之间连锁关系分析。根据连锁分析结果绘制了中国人群由10个STR基因座构成的9号染色体遗传图。基于中国人群体的9号染色体10个STR连分析锁分析结果与GDB检索结果之间存在较显著的差异,这种差异同时表现在个别基因座之间和0号染色体遗传图总长度上。男、女遗传结果之间在较显著的差异,这种差异同时表现在个别基因之间和9号染色体总长度上。男、女遗传图总长度为129．21cM和178．4cM,均大高加索入。说明了在运用GDB数据之前,有必要根据实验群体进行基因座的初步评估,并且有必要对基于中国人群体的遗传图进行进一步的研究。     

Inferring the ancestry of African wild dogs that returned to the Serengeti-Mara

An endangered population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) disappeared from the Serengeti-Mara area in 1991. The reasons for the extinction are not well understood, but disease was implicated in the disappearance. In 2001, wild dogs naturally re-established themselves in the region. We conducted genetic profiling on samples collected prior and subsequent to this event, as well as samples from three geographically close populations, to determine the potential source of colonisers. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence of re-colonisation from these nearby wild dog populations. Rather, our analyses suggest that the re-established animals are primarily derived from the same genetic population as the pre-extinction animals, indicating that wild dogs are likely to have persisted in the Serengeti-Mara after 1991. We also detected some migrants that could be derived from genetically distinct populations outside the recovery area. Overall, we did not detect a decline in genetic diversity at either neutral microsatellites or major histocompatibility complex loci, indicating that the supposed disappearance of wild dogs in the Serengeti-Mara did not substantially impact genetic variation of the population.     

Genetic diversity and assessment of 23 microsatellite markers for parentage testing of Santa Inês hair sheep in Brazil

Santa Inês is the most common hair sheep breed in Brazil and probably has the highest genetic diversity among sheep breeds in this country. Successful breeding programs for Brazilian sheep breeds are not common for various reasons, including a lack of control of parentage in the flocks. We developed an allele frequency database for 23 STR loci for the Santa Inês breed based on 285 animals sampled from five populations distributed across the central-western and north-eastern regions of Brazil. The marker set included seven microsatellites used in the 2011 International Society for Animal Genetics sheep genotyping comparison tests and all eight microsatellites currently approved by the Brazilian Agricultural Ministry laboratory accreditation guidelines for sheep identification. The microsatellites had an average of 10 alleles and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.745. Combined paternity exclusion probabilities when no parent or one parent was known were >99.99%. A small proportion (5.8%) of the existing genetic variation was found to be among the Santa Inês populations, possibly derived from genetic drift and selection. We found that the marker panel proposed by the Agricultural Ministry, although generally useful, should be enhanced by including more markers for improved exclusionary power in parentage testing. This database provides a useful tool for parentage testing of this major Brazilian breed, contributing to improved management and breeding of existing herds.     

Cloning of highly polymorphic microsatellites in the horse

We have isolated equine microsatellites by screening a genomic library with (TG)n and (TC)n probes. TG microsatellites were found to be more abundant than TC repeats, with an estimated frequency of one per 100,000bp. Sequence analysis of eight TG-positive clones revealed varying structures of the repeat regions; perfect stretches of TG repeats, imperfect stretches of TG repeats and compound regions of TG and TC repeats. Five loci were analysed by PCR and showed extensive polymorphism; three to seven alleles and heterozygosities of 0.40-0.76 were observed when screening 20-30 unrelated individuals. The high degree of polymorphism, their abundance and the possibility of automating the typing procedure make these loci ideal for standardized paternity testing in the horse. Furthermore, we demonstrate that single hairs can be used as starting material for the PCR analysis.