Genetic variation and hybridization in SwedishSchoenus (Cyperaceae)

Schoenus ferrugineus andS. nigricans have restricted distributions in Sweden and are almost exclusively confined to calcareous fen habitats. AtS. nigricans sites,S. ferrugineus is usually also present, and hybrids are frequently found. In this report, I used allozymes to estimate the amount of gene flow between the two species, and to compare the partitioning of genetic diversity in each of them. Thirteen loci were analysed at eight different enzyme systems. Seven loci were variable between or within the species. The two species had completely different alleles at two of the seven variable loci, whereas there was overlap at five loci. In all, 22 different alleles were found. Six of these alleles were confined toS. nigricans, and five alleles were confined toS. ferrugineus. Nei's genetic identity was 0.55.—InS. ferrugineus, three loci (23%) were polymorphic, and the average number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 2.0 (each polymorphic locus had two alleles). InS. nigricans, three loci (23%) were polymorphic, and the average number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 2.3.—The proportion of genetic diversity due to variation among sites (G _ST) was fairly similar in the two species, mean over loci = 0.12 inS. ferrugineus and 0.15 inS. nigricans. However, the proportion of genetic diversity due to variation among individuals within sites (G _IS) differed markedly between the two species, mean over loci = 0.54 inS. ferrugineus and 0.17 inS. nigricans. Accordingly, there was a much higher individual heterozygosity inS. nigricans than inS. ferrugineus. — Most hybrids were interpreted as F₁ hybrids. However, a small proportion, 0.5–1.6 %, were F_n hybrids or back-crosses.—On the Swedish mainland, all former occurrences ofS. nigricans are extinct, but viable hybrids are still present at a few sites in southernmost Sweden.     

The Leiognathus splendens complex (Perciformes: Leiognathidae) with the description of a new species, Leiognathus kupanensis Kimura and Peristiwady

Taxonomic analysis of a group of morphologically similar ponyfishes (Perciformes: Leiognathidae) establishes the Leiognathus splendens complex comprising four valid species: L. jonesi James, 1971, widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, from Mauritius to Papua New Guinea, north to Hainan I. (China), and south to Brisbane, Australia; L. kupanensis sp. nov., currently known only from Kupang, Timor, Indonesia; L. rapsoni Munro, 1964, currently known only from India, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, and L. splendens Cuvier, 1829, widely distributed in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans, from India to Papua New Guinea, and from southern Japan to northern Australia. The L. splendens complex can be defined by the following combination of characters: body depth 42–60% of standard length; mouth protruding downward; slender, minute teeth uniserially on jaws; lower margin of orbit above the horizontal through the gape when mouth closed; breast almost completely scaled; lateral line complete, and a dark blotch on top of spinous dorsal fin. Diagnostic characters of the members are as follows: L. jonesi—anterior dorsolateral body surface with a semicircular naked area on nape, and a paler dark blotch on spinous dorsal fin; L. kupanensis—anterior dorsolateral body surface widely naked; L. rapsoni—cheek scaled; L. splendens—anterior dorsolateral body surface completely scaled and a jet black blotch on spinous dorsal fin.     

Characteristics of oviposition behaviour of the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus on four different host plants

Oviposition behaviour of Meligethes aeneus F. (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is characterised and quantified on four different plant species. Six behavioural components are identified: W—walking, WA—walking with abdomen on surface, R—resting, B—biting, AOH—placing abdomen over the bite hole and OVI—oviposition. Comparison of host acceptance behaviours on Brassica napus L., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern, Brassica nigra (L.) Koch and Sinapis alba L. showed that S. alba was accepted as a host only after a long exposure to the plant. Behaviour on the Brassica species was similar, however on B. nigra beetles spent a high proportion of time actually ovipositing. We conclude that important cues for oviposition are located both on the bud surface and inside the bud.     

Molecular phylogeny ofForsythia (Oleaceae) based on chloroplast DNA variation

Phylogenetic relationships of ten wild species and several cultivars ofForsythia were reconstructed based on the chloroplast (cp) DNA variation. A total of 216 cpDNA variants, 44 of which were potentially phylogenetically informative, was detected using 24 restriction endonucleases. Phylogenetic analysis usingFontanesia andAbeliophyllum as outgroups revealed four well defined species groups in the genus: 1)F. suspensa, 2)F. europaea — F. giraldiana, 3)F. ovata — F. japonica — F. viridissima, and 4)F. koreana — F. manshurica — F. saxatilis. The amount of support for each monophyletic group was evaluated by various methods including character number, decay analysis, parsimony bootstrapping, Neighbour-Joining (NJ) — bootstrapping, NJ-jackknifing, and the topology-dependent permutation tail probability (T-PTP) test. The data do not support the hybrid origin ofF. intermedia fromF. suspensa andF. viridissima. The disjunctly distributed European species,F. europaea, was identified as a sister species of the ChineseF. giraldiana and it was probably derived through recent long distance dispersal.     

Relationship between tryptophan biosynthesis and indole-3-acetic acid production in Azospirillum: identification and sequencing of a trpGDC cluster

Summary Screening the tryptophan (Trp)-dependent indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production of different Azospirillum species revealed that A. irakense KA3 released 10 times less IAA into the medium than A. brasilense Sp7. A cosmid library of strain Sp7 was transferred into A. irakense KA3 with the aim of characterizing genes involved in IAA biosynthesis. Trp-dependent IAA production was increased in two transconjugants which both contained an identical 18.5 kb HindIII fragment from Sp7. After Tn5 mutagenesis, cosmids carrying Tn5 insertions at 36 different positions of the 18.5 kb fragment were isolated and transferred into strain KA3. IAA production by the recipient strains was screened by HPLC. The Tn5 insertions of 4 clones with decreased IAA production were mapped on a 2 kb Sall — SphI fragment. Recombination of Tn5 insertions at this locus into the genome of strain Sp7 led to Trp auxotrophic mutants. A 5.2 kb EcoRI — SalI fragment including the kb SalI — SphI fragment was sequenced and six open reading frames were identified. Three of them were clustered and their deduced amino acid sequences showed significant similarity to TrpG, TrpD and TrpC, which are enzymes involved in tryptophan biosynthesis. One of the remaining open reading frames probably encodes an acetyltransferase. The region responsible for the enhanced Trp-dependent IAA production in strain KA3 corresponded to trpD, coding for the phosphoribosyl anthranilate transferase.     

Linkage group IV of fish of the genus Xiphophorus (Poeciliidae): Assignment of loci coding for pyruvate kinase-1, glucosephosphate isomerase-1, and isocitrate dehydrogenase-1

Electrophoretic variation ascribable to three enzyme loci, coding for a pyruvate kinase (PK1), a glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI1), and an isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1), was observed in three species of fish of the genus Xiphophorus. Electrophoretic patterns in F₁ hybrid heterozygotes confirmed the dimeric structures of GPI and IDH, and indicated a multimeric structure for pyruvate kinase. Variant alleles at the three loci exhibited normal Mendelian segregation in backcross hybrids. Linkage analyses indicate a gene order and estimated recombination of PK1—10%—GPI1—41%—IDH1. No significant interference or sex- or population-specific recombination difference was detected. This group (designated linkage group IV) was shown to assort independently from the nine loci comprising linkage groups I, II, and III and from 23 other informative markers, within the limits of the data. No conclusions with respect to homology of linkage relationships could be reached, due to the presence of presumably duplicated loci in these fish coding for isozymes whose homology with enzymes in other vertebrate species is as yet unestablished.This work was supported in part by Public Health Service Research Grant CA-28909.     

The rotifer fauna and population dynamics of Lake Studer 2 (Kerguelen Archipelago) with description ofFilinia terminalis kergueleniensis n. ssp. and a new record ofKeratella sancta Russel 1944

Two species of Anabas Cuvier, 1816 (Osteichthyes: Anabantidae): A. testudineus (Bloch, 1795) and A. oligolepis Bleeker, 1855 are widely distributed in India. Since both species are represented in one habitat — Lake Kolleru, and are very closely related, they were compared using starch gel electrophoresis. Electrophoretic separation of proteins of eye lens, skeletal muscle and heart muscle revealed differences such as i) absence of one protein fraction in one of them, ii) mobility and iii) staining intensity of some of the bands. The esterase (non-specific) patterns of serum, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, heart muscle and eggs also showed differences. The LDH fraction of eye lens showed a difference in mobility.     

On the phytosociological status of Juncus maritimus on British saltmarshes

Summary Six noda occurring on British saltmarshes in whichJuncus maritimus is an important constituent are described. Using numerical techniques these noda are related to previously described communities. It is suggested that two noda be incorporated in theHalimionetum portulacoidis andAtriplici — Agropyretum pungentis while three others are considered to form theJuncus maritimus — Oenanthe lachenalii Ass. R. Tx. 1937 which is included within theArmerion maritimae. The status of theTriglochin — Juncus maritimus nodum remains uncertain. The affinities between northern European and MediterraneanJ. maritimus communities are discussed and it is suggested that the differences between them are not as great as might be supposed from their conventional assignment to separate classes. The variation within theJuncetum gerardii is discussed and it is considered that most of the vegetation described as theJunco — Caricetum extensae may be incorporated in theJuncetum gerardii.Nomenclature follows Hubbard (1968) forPoaceae, and Clapham, Tutin & Warburg (1962) for other British vascular plants. Bryophyte nomenclature is according to Warburg (1963).I should like to thank Dr. H. J. B. Birks for providing the necessary computer programs, I. C. Prentice for comments and criticism and Miss S. Bishop for help in preparing the figures.     

Natural and experimental hybridization inArmeria (Plumbaginaceae):A. villosa subsp.carratracensis

An experimental crossing program was carried out in order to test the hypothesis thatArmeria villosa subsp.carratracensis, a serpentine endemic from Southern Spain, is of hybrid origin. Fruit-set and mainly pollen stainability data in artificial hybrids demonstrate that internal interspecific barriers are weak. Two generations of backcrossing with the two putative parents —A. colorata andA. villosa subsp.longiaristata— can restore pollen stainability to an average of 83.2 and 68.7, respectively. A morphometric analysis of 148 specimens belonging to parental species, different artificial hybrid generations and wild putative hybrid race shows that (1) morphological characters have a strong genetic basis and thus are good markers in identifying hybrids and introgression inArmeria; (2) artificial backcrossing produces in morphometrical characters a variation which conforms in both trend and magnitude to what is commonly attributed in the wild to introgression; (3) the position of the putative hybrid race is intermediate between the two parental species used in the program. These results are in accordance with the hypothesis of hybrid origin ofA. villosa subsp.carratracensis. Natural and experimental hybridization inArmeria, I     

Bone and Joint Disorders in Wild Japanese Macaques from Nagano Prefecture,Japan

I studied bone and joint disorders in wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata fuscata) in order to discern some aspects of their life history from the skeletal material. The specimens comprise 107 nearly complete skeletons of subadults and adults that were killed as crop-raiding monkeys between 1997 and 1998 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The most frequent disorder is angular deformity due to fractures: 80 healed fractures in 31 of 52 males and 71 healed fractures in 26 of 55 females. Secondary osteoarthritis due to fractures is rare. Two males have osteochondritis dissecans bilaterally on the posterior surface of the lateral femoral condyles. Degenerative changes are common in the aged individuals. Fractures of the trunk—clavicle, scapula, vertebrae, ribs or hip—are frequent in the males. Contrarily, the majority of fractures in females are in the hands and feet. While most fractures in males appear to have occurred during adulthood, those in females occurred during childhood and senescence. Interindividual violence should not be regarded as a principal cause for fractures in males and females because there is no bite wound except perhaps for one case of an amputated digit. Fractures of the trunk in males were probably caused by impact forces against their shoulders or hips or both caused by rolling down a steep slope or falling out of trees, perhaps during intertroop transfers.     

Pollen morphology ofSonchus and related genera,and a general discussion

The pollen morphology of the taxa belonging to the generaAetheorhiza Cass.,Launaea Cass.,Reichardia Roth andSonchus L. in the Iberian Peninsula has been studied with light and electron microscopy. The pollen is 3(-4)-zonocolporate and echinolophate (without polar lacunae, but in general with prelacunae), with equatorial ridges and 15–20 lacunae: 3–4 poral, 6–8 abporal and 6–8 paraporal. Small to medium size, P × E = 19–36 × 23–42 µm; sometimes two different sizes have been found. Exine 3–9 µm thick and ornamentation microreticulate and echinate. The results clearly show the relationships between genera. Moreno-Socías, E., Mejías, J. A., Díez, M. J., 1994: Morfología polínica deLactuceae (Asteraceae) en la Península Ibérica, I.Lactuca y géneros relacionados. — Acta Bot. Malacitana.19: 103–113.     

Isolation and characterization of a feather-degrading enzyme from Bacillus pseudofirmus FA30-01

We isolated the feather-degrading Bacillus pseudofirmus FA30-01 from the soil sample of poultry farm. The isolate completely degraded feather pieces after liquid culture at 30°C (pH 10.5) for 3 days. Strain FA30-01 is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium and was identified with B. pseudofirmus based on 16S rDNA analysis. The keratinase enzyme produced by strain FA30-01 was refined using ammonium sulfate precipitation, negative-ion DEAE Toyopearl exchange chromatography, and hydroxyapatite chromatography. The refinement level was 14.5-fold. The molecular weight of this enzyme was 27.5 kDa and it had an isoelectric point of 5.9. The enzyme exhibited activity at pH 5.1–11.5 and 30–80°C with azokeratin as a substrate, although the optimum pH and temperature for keratinase activity were pH 8.8–10.3 and 60°C, respectively. This enzyme is one of the serine-type proteases. Subtilisin ALP I and this enzyme had 90% homology in the N-terminal amino acid sequence. Since this enzyme differed from ALP I in molecular weight, heat resistance and isoelectric point, they are suggested to be different enzymes.     

Unlocking the ring: Occurrence and development of the uninterrupted intrabullar septum in Canidae

The maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and some of the earliest canids are known for the peculiar ring-like shape of their intrabullar septum (an incomplete bony partition in the auditory bulla). In attempt to understand the origin of this character state, the auditory bullae in adult and juvenile dried skulls of 28 species of living Caninae were examined with a special emphasis on the occurrence of a ring-like (uninterrupted) septum. In addition to C. brachyurus, this morphology was invariably found in the bush dog, Speothos venaticus, what makes the presence of the uninterrupted septum the first osteological synapomorphy supporting the Chrysocyon–Speothos clade recently revealed by molecular systematics.The canine juvenile morphologies indicate that the intrabullar septum is ring-like at its early developmental stage. As ontogeny progresses, the septum resorbs differentially, depending on taxon, to become horseshoe- or crescent-like. By this transformation of the initially ring-like septum, Caninae seem to ontogenetically parallel a trend found in the phylogeny of Hesperocyoninae, an extinct canid group. The reverse recapitulation occurs, however, in the evolution of Caninae themselves, with their most-derived members having a least-resorbed septum. This implies that the ontogenetic criterion cannot be used for inference of the polarity of septal character states within the Caninae. The evolution of the canine intrabullar septum could have involved a series of heterochronies towards increasingly paedomorphic states in several lineages of the tribe Canini.New data were also obtained on the bone composition of the canid intrabullar septum. While the dorsal septum is entotympanic, the ventral one is in fact ectotympanic in adult Caninae. This compound structure results from penetration of the ventral entotympanic sinus into the ectotympanic.     

Myf5 −/− :MyoD −/− amyogenic fetuses reveal the importance of early contraction and static loading by striated muscle in mouse skeletogenesis

The mechanical loading of striated muscle is thought to play an important role in shaping bones and joints. Here, we examine skeletogenesis in late embryogenesis (embryonic day 18.5) in Myf5 ^−/− :MyoD ^−/− fetuses completely lacking striated muscle. The phenotype includes enlarged and fused cervical vertebrae and postural anomalies, some viscerocranial anomalies, long bone truncation and fusion, absent deltoid tuberosity of the humerus, scapular and clavicular hypoplasia, cleft palate, and cleft sternum. In contrast, neurocranial bone development was essentially normal. While the magnitude of individual effects varied throughout the skeletal system, the results are consistent with skeletal development depending on functional muscles. Novel abnormalities in the amyogenic fetuses relative to less severely paralyzed phenotypes extend our understanding of skeletogenic dependence on embryonic muscle contraction and static loading. I. Rot-Nikcevic, T. Reddy, and K.J. Downing contributed equally to this work.     

Predation by vertebrates and invertebrates on the seeds of five canopy tree species of an Amazonian forest

We studied the pre-germination loss of seeds to invertebrate and vertebrate seed predators of 5 species of Amazonian trees (Astrocaryum macrocalyx—Palmae; Bertholletia excelsa—Lecithydaceae; Calatola venezuelana—Icacinaceae; Dipteryx micrantha—Leguminosae (Papilionoidae); Hymenaea courbaril-Leguminosae (Caesalpinoidae)). These five species were selected from a large tree flora on several criteria. All possess large (3–10 cm) well-protected seeds that might plausibly be attractive to mammalian seed predators. The reproductive biology of three of the species, or close congeners, had been studied elsewhere in the Neotropics (Astrocaryum, Dipteryx, Hymenaea); one is important to the economy of southeastern Peru (Bertholletia); and one, despite large and apparently edible seeds, appeared to suffer no pre-germination loss to predators (Calatola). We conducted the research in mature forests in the Manu National Park of southeastern Peru where mammal densities are unperturbed by human activities. Densities of adult trees of the five species in our area range from very high (>30 per ha: Astrocaryum) to very low (1 per ha: Hymenaea).Loss of seeds to all causes, and to mammalian seed predators in particular, was determined for seeds placed in 2-square meter mammal exclosures and in open controls located at 10 m (near) and 50 m (far) from a large mature individual of the target species (with minor variations in the design for Astrocaryum and Calatola). The exclosures were of two types: impermeable—designed to exclude all mammals, but not invertebrate seed predators, and semipermeable—designed to admit small (<500 g), but not large mammals. Experimental and control plots were stocked with apparently viable seeds during the dry-wet transition period (October–November) and scored one year later.A significant distance effect (higher predation near vs far from a large conspecific adult) was found in only one of the species (Astrocaryum), the only one to be attacked with high frequency by invertebrate seed predators. The absence of any detectable distance effect attributable to mammals suggests that mammals, over the course of a year, thoroughly search the forest floor for seeds. Invertebrates may thus be responsible for most pre-germination distance (density) effects. With respect to the treatments, we found three qualitatively distinct results: seeds of three species (Astrocaryum, Bertholletia, Dipteryx) were significantly protected by the impermeable, but not semipermeable exclosures, implicating small mammals in seed loss; the seeds of one species (Hymenaea) were significantly protected by exclosures of both types, implicating large mammals; and the seeds of one species (Calatola) exhibited 100% survival, whether or not protected by exclosures.The importance of large mammals as seed predators is generally underestimated in these experiments because semipermeable exclosures may serve as foraging reserves for small mammals. Finally, we noted no relationship between the intensity of mammalian seed predation (as suggested by the survival of unprotected seeds) and the abundance of adults of the five species in the environment. The diversity of results obtained for the five species reveals that large-seeded tropical trees may display a wide range of demographic patterns, and points to the likely importance of post-germination bottlenecks in the population biology of many species, even those that may experience severe pre-germination seed loss.     

Mitochondrial genome diversity among cultivars of daucus carota (ssp. sativus) and their wild relatives

Summary Restriction fragment patterns of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from 13 carrot cultivars (Daucus carota ssp. sativus), wild carrot (ssp. carota), ssp. gummifer, and D. capillifolius were compared with each other using four restriction endonucleases. The mtDNAs of the 13 carrot cultivars could be classified into three distinct types — I, II and III — and were also clearly distinguishable from the mtDNAs of wild carrot (type IV), gummifer (V) and D. capillifolius (VI). The proportions of common restriction fragments (F values) shared by two of the three mtDNA types (I, II and III) of carrot cultivars were approximately 0.5–0.6. The F values were 0.4–0.5 for mitochondrial genomes between wild carrot, ssp. gummifer and D. capillifolius. The mitochondrial genomes between wild carrot and the carrot cultivars showed closer homologies those between wild carrot, ssp. gummifer, and D. capillifolius. The diversity of the mitochondrial genomes among the carrot cultivars is too high to presume that it was generated from the cytoplasm of only one common ancestor during the relatively short history of carrot breeding. These results suggested that the three types of cytoplasms found in the carrot cultivars might have existed in a prototype of D. carota in pre-historical times.     

Breeding systems and pollination inVigna minima (Leguminosae,Papilionoideae)

Four types of floral breeding systems—(i) chasmogamy, (ii) aerial pseudocleistogamy, (iii) subterranean pseudocleistogamy and (iv) obligate subterranean true cleistogamy—are observed in the populations ofVigna minima inhabiting the Western Ghats (India). Five categories of phenotypes are recognized based on the number and kinds of floral breeding systems found in a given individual. The frequencies of different categories of phenotypes not only show intra- and interpopulation variation, but also fluctuate from generation to generation suggesting differences in the genetic structure of populations. This polymorphism in the breeding system of a single species is unique and may be adaptive. Obligate subterranean true cleistogamy and amphicarpy appear to be adaptations to jungle fires and soil erosion.—The flowers are of the flag-blossom type and insect visitors act as tripping agents. The tripping mechanism together with the polymorphic floral breeding system result in a balanced mixture of selfing and outcrossing. Such a recombination system may enhance the fitness ofV. minima which is essentially a colonizing species.     

How dams on the River Danube might have caused hybridization and influenced the appearance of a new cyprinid taxon

Synopsis When a new species is found, or a known one collected outside its recognized distribution, most people either assume that the species has been overlooked in the past or that it has recently invaded the area in question from elsewhere. While other, more evolutionary explanations are possible, these are nearly always ignored, in spite of the common perception that animals are constantly in states of change. Recent findings in the Danube River are used as examples for such alternative interpretations. The case of two forms of Vimba — short and long snouted — which live in sympatry in the upper Danube is dispelled, as one of them is identified as a hybrid between female V. vimba and male Blicca bjoerkna. Frequent occurrences of this hybrid (and a few of its backcrosses) in recent times are explained by man-induced alteration of reproductive isolation between their parent species, caused by the impoundment of the river by dams built as part of the Rhein-Main-Donau Kanal. These impoundments, however, might be responsible not only for the creation of hybrids but also for direct speciation, as the case of Gobio albipinnatus may represent. The ability for epigenetic creation of two alternative life-history states (as part of the theory of alprehost) and the survival of an alternative state when environmental conditions change might be ultimately responsible for the appearance of a new taxon.     

Genetic Status and Fluctuating Asymmetry in an Endangered Population of the Moth Dysauxes ancilla L. (Lepidoptera: Ctenuchidae)

Genetic status and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) were assessed in a small, isolated and endangered population of the moth Dysauxes ancilla in Sweden. A sample from the German population, within the continuous breeding area of the species, was used for comparison. The levels of FA were significantly higher in the Swedish population, indicating a reduced ability to withstand developmental stress. Two polymorphic loci showed significantly higher variation in the Swedish population, indicating that there are no serious effects on genetic factors. Therefore, it is suggested that the increased level of FA in the Swedish population is due to the stress of living in an ecologically marginal habitat. The Swedish population is a northern outpost separated from the continuous distribution area of species and environmental stress caused by variable and extreme abiotic factors, for example climatic conditions, could explain a higher FA. However, it is still an open question if a higher FA from environmental stress also constitutes an increased extinction risk.     

Structural comparison of promoter and coding sequence of type I collagen alpha 1 chain gene duplicates between zebrafish and flounder/fugu lineages

Alpha 1 chain (Colα1(I)) and alpha 2 chain (Colα2(I)) are universal components of type I collagen in tetrapods, but rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) have a third: alpha 3 chain (Colα3(I)). This study tests whether Colα3(I) is a duplicate of Colα1(I) by whole-genome duplication (WGD) that occurred early in the ray-fin fish lineage. We also examine how their promoter sequence was modified after WGD. We cloned Colα1(I), Colα2(I) and Colα3(I) cDNAs and their promoters from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and obtained corresponding sequences from the genome databanks of two pufferfishes Takifugu rubripes and Tetraodon nigroviridis, by BLAST-Search using flounder sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of N-terminal sequences of ca. 100 amino acids, including signal peptide and N-propeptide sequences before short triple helical domain, indicates that Colα3(I), found only in teleosts, is a duplicate of Colα1(1) by WGD. Colα1(I) and Colα3(I) genes begin to be transcribed at different stages of Takifugu embryogenesis, suggesting that their structure of promoter is modified differently after WGD. In flounder, Takifugu and Tetraodon, the structure of proximal region of promoter is highly conserved within Colα1(I) and within Colα3(I); no homology is apparent except for the TATA element motif between Colα1(I) and Colα3(I) of each species. Unexpectedly, zebrafish Colα1(I) promoter is more homologous to Colα3(I) of flounder and fugu than Colα1(I) is. These results suggest that each duplicated Colα1(I) gene promoter inherited a unique structure after WGD, but the manner of modification differed between the phylogenetically separated zebrafish and flounder/pufferfish lineages.