Structure of F-actin needles from extracts of sea urchin oocytes

The mouse L-cell line LD maintains its mitochondrial DNA genome in the form of a head-to-tail unicircular dimer of the monomeric 16,000 base-pair species. This situation permits a comparison of the mechanism of replication of this dimeric molecule with our previous studies of replication of monomeric mouse L-cell mitochondrial DNA. Whereas monomeric mitochondrial DNA requires about one hour for a round of replication, the dimeric molecule requires almost three hours. Denaturing agarose gel electrophoretic analyses of replicative intermediates reveals several discrete size classes of partially replicated daughter strands of dimeric mitochondrial DNA. This suggests that replication occurs with specific discontinuities in the rate of daughter strand synthesis. The strand specificity of these daughter strands was determined by hybridization with ³²P-labeled DNA representing either the heavy or light strand mitochondrial DNA sequence. The sizes and strand specificities of these discrete daughter strands indicate that the same set of control sequences is functional in both dimer and monomer mitochondrial DNA replication.Immediately following a round of replication, the majority of dimeric mitochondrial DNA molecules contain displacement loops, as assessed by their sensitivity to nicking within the displaced DNA strand by single-strand DNA specific S₁ nuclease under conditions which leave supercoiled DNA intact. This result is in contrast with the conformation of newly replicated monomeric mitochondrial DNA molecules, which lack both superhelical turns and displacement loops. This indicates that dimeric mitochondrial DNA proceeds through a different series of post-replicative processing steps than does monomeric mitochondrial DNA. We postulate that intermediates at late stages of dimeric mitochondrial DNA replication contain displacement loops which remain intact following closure of the full-length daughter strands.     

Complete mitochondrial genome of Malaysian Mahseer (Tor tambroides)

This is the first documentation of the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Malaysian Mahseer, Tor tambroides. The 16,690 bp mitogenome with GenBank accession number JX444718 contains 13 protein genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and a noncoding control region (D-loop) as is typical of most vertebrates. The phylogenomic reconstruction of this newly generated data with 21 Cypriniformes GenBank accession ID concurs with the recognized status of T. tambroides within the subfamily Cyprininae. This is in agreement with previous hypotheses based on morphological and partial mitochondrial analyses.     

Highly conserved D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequences (Numts) in tiger (Panthera tigris)

Using oligonucleotide primers designed to match hypervariable segments I (HVS-1) ofPanthera tigris mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we amplified two different PCR products (500 bp and 287 bp) in the tiger (Panthera tigris), but got only one PCR product (287 bp) in the leopard (Panthera pardus). Sequence analyses indicated that the sequence of 287 bp was a D-loop-like nuclear mitochondrial sequence (Numts), indicating a nuclear transfer that occurred approximately 4.8–17 million years ago in the tiger and 4.6–16 million years ago in the leopard. Although the mtDNA D-loop sequence has a rapid rate of evolution, the 287-bp Numts are highly conserved; they are nearly identical in tiger subspecies and only 1.742% different between tiger and leopard. Thus, such sequences represent molecular ‘fossils’ that can shed light on evolution of the mitochondrial genome and may be the most appropriate outgroup for phylogenetic analysis. This is also proved by comparing the phylogenetic trees reconstructed using the D-loop sequence of snow leopard and the 287-bp Numts as outgroup.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Northeast Asian cattle to other cattle populations determined using mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequence polymorphism

Phylogenetic relationships of Northeast Asian cattle to various other cattle breeds including Bos taurus, Bos indicus, and Bison bison were assessed using mtDNA D-loop sequences. A neighbor-joining tree was constructed using sequences determined for 4 Cheju Black, 4 Cheju Yellow, 4 Korean Yellow cattle (Bos taurus), and 2 American Brahman cattle (Bos indicus), and also published sequences for 31 Japanese Black cattle, 45 European breed cattle, 6 African zebus, 2 African taurines, and 6 Indian zebus. Five American bisons (Bison bison) were used as an outgroup. The neighbor-joining tree showed that American bisons and Indian zebus are clearly separate from other cattle breeds, respectively, and African cattle clustered together, although with a low bootstrap probability (<50%). Results indicate that cattle in Northeast Asia, Europe, and Africa are closely related to each other–suggesting their recent divergence, but are separate from Indian zebus.     

Phylogeography of the African buffalo based on mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal loci: Pleistocene origin and population expansion of the Cape buffalo subspecies

Population genetics and phylogeography of the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are inferred from genetic diversity at mitochondrial D-loop hypervariable region I sequences and a Y-chromosomal microsatellite. Three buffalo subspecies from different parts of Africa are included. Nucleotide diversity of the subspecies Cape buffalo at hypervariable region I is high, with little differentiation between populations. A mutation rate of 13-18% substitutions/million years is estimated for hypervariable region I. The nucleotide diversity indicates an estimated female effective population size of 17 000-32 000 individuals. Both mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal diversity are considerably higher in buffalo from central and southwestern Africa than in Cape buffalo, for which several explanations are hypothesized. There are several indications that there was a late middle to late Pleistocene population expansion in Cape buffalo. This also seems to be the period in which Cape buffalo evolved as a separate subspecies, according to the net sequence divergence with the other subspecies. These two observations are in agreement with the hypothesis of a rapid evolution of Cape buffalo based on fossil data. Additionally, there appears to have been a population expansion from eastern to southern Africa, which may be related to vegetation changes. However, as alternative explanations are also possible, further analyses with autosomal loci are needed.     

川金丝猴mtDNA D-loop序列遗传多态性分析

采用非损伤性DNA分析技术,分析了甘肃白水江保护区、陕西长青保护区、湖北神农架保护区3个川金丝猴(Rhinopithecus roxellana)种群中的20份粪便样品和2份肌肉样品,成功扩增了mtDNA D-loop区部分片段。经过GenBank数据库的BLAST比对,确定了22份样品均来自川金丝猴,经过Clustal W和DNASP软件分析,在22份川金丝猴mtDNA D-loop区393bp中,共检测出54个多态性位点,分为17个单倍型,单倍型多态性(h)为0.965,核苷酸多态性(π)为3.10%。3个种群之间的遗传距离为0.003～0.098,核苷酸差异为0.08%～2.80%,表明所得到的川金丝猴样品中存在着较丰富的遗传多态性,种群间存在一定的遗传差异。     

凉地方牛群体母系遗传背景研究

黄牛（Bos taurus）的驯养作为农耕文化重要内容之一,在我国历史悠久,长久以来形成的役用型逐步被肉用型所替代。为了揭示平凉地方牛群体的遗传背景,分析其是否具有生产优质牛肉的遗传基础,本研究测定了88头平凉地方牛群体mtDNA D-loop HVS序列,并对包括平凉地方牛群体在内的我国23个地方牛群体单倍型分布及系统发生关系进行了分析。结果表明,mtDNA D-loop 高变区,在平凉地方牛群体共有52个单倍型,而23个地方牛群体共有95个单倍型,这些单倍型在系统发生树和中介网络关系中分布于两个分枝,即瘤牛型和普通牛进化枝。因此,我们认为平凉地方牛群体和我国其他牛种一样,存在普通牛和瘤牛两个母系起源的遗传背景。     

Mitochondrial DNA coding region sequences support the phylogenetic distinction of two Indian wolf species

Two small endangered populations of Indian wolves were recently shown to be distant from other wolf and dog mtDNA lineages characterized so far. None of the inner branches in the tree of canid species based on partial hypervariable D-loop sequences were, however, statistically supported by the data raising the question whether the two Indian wolf lineages represent two new species, occupying an intermediate position between Canis latrans and C. lupus or have diverged from the sub-species of C. lupus due to isolation and drift. Here we report complete D-loop, cytochrome b, and 16S rRNA sequences data for 23 additional wolves from India analysed in the context of other canid species. Extended analyses of D-loop data and partial sequences of 16S rRNA showed highly reticulated pattern and were unable to resolve unambiguously the phylogenetic relationship of Indian wolves among other canid species. The phylogenetic reconstructions of cytochrome b sequences, however gave significant statistical support for the inner branches supporting genetic distinction of the two Indian wolf lineages within themselves as well as from all other wolves of the world, including individuals belonging to subspecies C. lupus chanco and C. lupus pallipes to which the two Indian wolf populations have been traditionally assigned. Their genetic differentiation relative to worldwide variation of wolves supports the suggestion to treat them as separate wolf species, C. himalayensis and C. indica .     

中国驴种线粒体DNA D-loop多态性研究

利用Clustal W软件对我国5个家驴品种26个个体的mtDNA D—loop区399bp序列进行同源序列比对,共检测到核苷酸多态位点23个,只有转换1种类型,约占所测核苷酸的5．76％。以欧洲驴D—loop作对照,我国5个家驴品种D—loop区序列的平均核苷酸变异率为1．80％,其中凉州驴的平均核苷酸变异率为0．35％．云南驴为1．25％,关中驴为2．30％,新疆驴为2．91％,佳米驴为2．20％。家驴品种内与品种间mtDNA D—loop区序列歧异度分别为0．25％-5．01％和4．51％-5．51％,说明家驴品种间D—loop区序列多态性比较丰富。在所测家驴个体中,mtD NAD—loop序列由11种单倍型组成,单倍型比例为42．31％,表明我国家驴mtDNA遗传多态性正逐步丧失,需要加强其种质资源保护。引用GenBank中亚洲野驴和欧洲家驴的序列,构建了我国5个家驴品种的NJ分子系统树,首次从分子水平证实中国家驴可能起源于非洲野驴,而与亚洲野驴无关。     

Multiple maternal origins of native modern and ancient horse populations in China

To obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of domestic horses in China, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequence diversity from nine horse breeds in China in conjunction with ancient DNA data and evidence from archaeological and historical records. A 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequence from 182 modern samples revealed a total of 70 haplotypes with a high level of genetic diversity. Seven major mtDNA haplogroups (A–G) and 16 clusters were identified for the 182 Chinese modern horses. In the present study, nine 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequences of ancient remains of Bronze Age horse from the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia in China ( c. 4000–2000a bp ) were used to explore the origin and diversity of Chinese modern horses and the phylogenetic relationship between ancient and modern horses. The nine ancient horses carried seven haplotypes with rich genetic diversity, which were clustered together with modern individuals among haplogroups A, E and F. Modern domestic horse and ancient horse data support the multiple origins of domestic horses in China. This study supports the argument that multiple successful events of horse domestication, including separate introductions of wild mares into the domestic herds, may have occurred in antiquity, and that China cannot be excluded from these events. Indeed, the association of Far Eastern mtDNA types to haplogroup F was highly significant using Fisher's exact test of independence ( P  = 0.00002), lending support for Chinese domestication of this haplogroup. High diversity and all seven mtDNA haplogroups (A–G) with 16 clusters also suggest that further work is necessary to shed more light on horse domestication in China.