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A P Vogler

Publications and source records attributed to A P Vogler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Testing introgressive hybridization hypotheses using statistical network analysis of nuclear and cytoplasmic haplotypes in the leaf beetle Timarcha goettingensis species complex.

Previous studies of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) in the Timarcha goettingensis species complex using mitochondrial (cox2) and nuclear (ITS-2 rRNA) markers revealed two main clades confined to the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe but showing incongruent distributions indicative of gene exchange between both groups. Because of the anastomosing nature of hybridization, which disrupts the cladistic structure of character variation, phylogenetic trees might be inappropriate to represent and study this process. Here we test for evidence of hybridization in the T. goettingensis complex by analyzing the extra homoplasy arising in hybrid genomes from the simultaneous analysis of genetically independent markers. Haplotype networks obtained by Templeton's statistical parsimony analysis were generated for combined (concatenated) cox2 and ITS-2 sequences from 167 individuals of the T. goettingensis complex. Networks were used to detect runs of homoplasious characters physically clustered along a nucleotide sequence, as evidence for recombination between both gene partitions. A hypergeometric tail probability for the chance occurrence of physically clustered character changes on the connections linking networks of genotypes was applied. The test recognized two instances of statistically significant clustering, indicating the presence of cox2-ITS-2 mosaic genotypes and reticulation of both main T. goettingensis clades, supporting the reticulate origin of samples of T. maritima in southwestern France and T. sinuatocollis/T. monserratensis in the eastern Pyrenees. Although the assessment of reticulation in DNA sequences does not provide direct proof for hybridization, the geographical distribution of mosaic genotypes in the vicinity of "pure" genotypes supports the effect of gene flow between the two divergent lineages. The study demonstrates the utility of statistical parsimony networks for the detection of hybrids in the growing number of phylogeographic studies based on multiple gene markers.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗
PubMed2005

DNA taxonomy, phylogeny and Pleistocene diversification of the Cicindela hybrida species group (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae).

Species delimitation is complicated where morphological variation is continuous or poorly subdivided, but for taxonomic convenience it is common practice to separate and name geographical groups to capture this variation. DNA-based approaches may be used to test if these groups in fact represent historically divided, discrete species entities. The Cicindela hybrida complex (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) is an assemblage of up to seven morphologically recognized species and 15 subspecies with wide distribution in the Palaearctic region. We sequenced a discontinuous segment of 1899 bp of mtDNA including three regions (coxI, rrnL+trnL2+nad1, cob) for a total of 99 specimens from 36 sampling localities across Europe, revealing 48 haplotypes. Four major clades could be identified corresponding to geographical groups from central Iberia, Ukraine, central Europe, and a band from the Atlantic Iberian coast to northern Europe. Taking into account further subdivisions within these clades, four of the six named species included in the analysis were recognizable by applying various procedures for species delimitation. Age estimates from calibrated molecular clocks date the diversification of the hybrida group within the past 2 million years (Myr), and the separation of the northern clade within 0.4 Myr. Nested clade analysis revealed the rapid range expansion of the northern group consistent with postglacial dispersal, but we did not find support for specific source population(s) in the postulated southern refugia. The evolutionary framework based on mtDNA sequences is shown to identify species entities as discrete clusters of closely related sequences and provides an objective system for delineating and recognizing hierarchically structured groups. In the case of the C. hybrida complex, these groups largely coincided with those established from morphology. The study adds further support to the utility of mtDNA-based sequence profiles (the 'DNA taxonomy') as a rapid and objective synthesis of evolutionary diversity and as reference system for communication.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and population history of Meladema diving beetles on the Atlantic Islands and in the Mediterranean basin (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae).

The phylogeny and population history of Meladema diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) were examined using mitochondrial DNA sequence from 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase I genes in 51 individuals from 22 populations of the three extant species (M. imbricata endemic to the western Canary Islands, M. lanio endemic to Madeira and M. coriacea widespread in the Western Mediterranean and on the western Canaries), using a combination of phylogenetic and nested clade analyses. Four main lineages are observed within Meladema, representing the three recognized species plus Corsican populations of M. coriacea. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate the sister relationship of the two Atlantic Island taxa, and suggest the possible paraphyly of M. coriacea. A molecular clock approach reveals that speciation within the genus occurred in the Early Pleistocene, indicating that the Atlantic Island endemics are not Tertiary relict taxa as had been proposed previously. Our results point to past population bottlenecks in all four lineages, with recent (Late-Middle Pleistocene) range expansion in non-Corsican M. coriacea and M. imbricata. Within the Canary Islands, M. imbricata seems to have independently colonized La Gomera and La Palma from Tenerife (although a colonization of La Palma from La Gomera cannot be discarded), and M. coriacea has independently colonized Tenerife and Gran Canaria from separate mainland lineages. In the Mediterranean basin this species apparently colonized Corsica on a single occasion, relatively early in its evolutionary history (Early Pleistocene), and has colonized Mallorca recently on multiple occasions. On the only island where M. coriacea and M. imbricata are broadly sympatric (Tenerife), we report evidence of bidirectional hybridization between the two species.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Incongruent nuclear and mitochondrial phylogeographic patterns in the Timarcha goettingensis species complex (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae).

Phylogeographic analyses have mostly been based on single-gene genealogies but it is unclear how conclusions from such studies depend on the choice of gene markers. We conducted a nested geographical clade analysis [A.R. Templeton, E. Routman and C.A. Phillips (1995) Genetics 140: 767-782] based on nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) sequences in the Timarcha goettingensis species complex (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), and compared the inferences with an updated version of previously published results using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II (COIl) sequences. Inferences from ITS2 suggest that patterns of marker distribution are mostly explained by restricted gene flow with isolation by distance. In contrast, COII revealed a history of geographical structure resulting from episodic population contiguous-range expansions. Both markers also show different genealogical patterns, which are associated to the effects of genetic introgression in a putative hybrid zone between two major lineages in the complex. Altogether, these differences are attributed to distinct population and/or evolutionary dynamics of the markers, and offer a more accurate phylogeographic description for the T. goettingensis complex.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Discovery of Aspidytidae, a new family of aquatic Coleoptera.

The six extant aquatic families of Hydradephaga (Coleoptera) known so far represent a diverse group of beetles morphologically highly modified for life in the water. We report the discovery of a new genus with two species from South Africa and China, which differ greatly from all extant families, but resemble the Jurassic-Cretaceous dagger Liadytidae (the dagger symbol indicates that the taxa are known only as fossils). Based on a combined phylogenetic analysis of molecular and morphological data we erect a new family, Aspidytidae, which is the sister group of Dytiscidae plus Hygrobiidae. We propose a new scenario for the evolution of swimming behaviour in adephagan beetles, in which the transition into the aquatic environment is followed by complex and repeated changes in lifestyles, including the secondary complete loss of swimming ability in Aspidytidae.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of EST libraries from seven beetle species: towards a framework for phylogenomics of the Coleoptera.

Relatively little is known about Coleoptera genes and genomes and how these compare in different taxa. We describe here the construction, DNA sequencing and sequence comparisons of cDNA libraries from seven beetle species. A total of 6717 bacterial colonies were screened for cDNA insert containing plasmids and 2784 size selected clones were 5'- and 3'-end sequenced to produce 1620 assembled sequences. Similarity comparisons with existing protein sequence databases revealed that 65.1% had matches (E < 10(-4)) in other organisms, with greater numbers of matches in Drosophila melanogaster than Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae databases. tBlastX comparisons also revealed numerous similarity hits (E < 10(-20)) in intra- and interlibrary comparisons. These results show the potential of small cDNA libraries for discovery and comparative analysis of genes useful for phylogenomic and functional studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The effect of habitat type on speciation rates and range movements in aquatic beetles: inferences from species-level phylogenies.

Most aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae are tightly associated either with running (lotic) or stagnant (lentic) water bodies. The range size of lotic species is known to be, on average, much smaller than that of lentic species, presumably as a result of differences in dispersal strategies in each habitat type. We explored possible effects of these differences on clade evolution and speciation rates by comparing species-level phylogenies based on cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA mitochondrial genes for two genera, the lentic Ilybius and the lotic Deronectes. The expectation that species turnover is higher in lotic lineages due to their lower dispersal propensity compared to lentic species was not strongly supported. Deronectes displays a higher frequency of recent splits than Ilybius, consistent with the hypothesis, but the difference was not significant compared to expected patterns under a constant speciation rate null model. Similarly, when the degree of sympatry was plotted against relative node age, more allopatric splits were evident in the lentic Deronectes, suggesting a slower rate of range movement since speciation, but the differences were not significant. We discuss two explanations for our failure to detect differences between the two clades. First, current methods for analysing species-level phylogenies may be sensitive to taxonomic and sampling artefacts. Second, lentic and lotic clades may indeed display similar levels of species turnover despite occupying very different habitats at different spatial scales. More work is needed to investigate the effects of population level processes and spatial scale on macroevolutionary dynamics.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Extensive trans-species mitochondrial polymorphisms in the carabid beetles Carabus subgenus Ohomopterus caused by repeated introgressive hybridization.

To study the potential importance of introgressive hybridization to the evolutionary diversification of a carabid beetle lineage, we studied intraspecific and trans-species polymorphisms in the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene sequence (1083 bp) in four species of the subgenus Ohomopterus (genus Carabus) in central and eastern Honshu, Japan. Of the four species, C. insulicola is parapatric with the other three, and can hybridize naturally with at least two. This species possesses two haplotypes of remote lineages. We classified ND5 haplotypes using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism with TaqI endonuclease for 524 specimens, and sequenced 143 samples. Analysis revealed that each species was polyphyletic in its mitochondrial DNA phylogeny, representing a marked case of trans-species polymorphism. Recent one-way introgression of mitochondria from C. arrowianus nakamurai to C. insulicola, and from C. insulicola to C. esakii, was inferred from the frequency of identical sequences between these species and from direct evidence of hybridization in their contact zones. Other intraspecific polymorphisms in the four species may be due to undetected introgressive hybridization (e.g. C. insulicola to C. maiyasanus) or from stochastic lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphisms. This beetle group has a genital lock-and-key system, with species-specific or subspecies-specific genital morphology that may act as a barrier to hybridization. However, our results demonstrate that introgressive hybridization has occurred multiple times, at least for mitochondria, despite differences among, and stability within, morphological characters that distinguish local populations. Thus, hybridization and introgression could have been key processes in the evolutionary diversification of Ohomopterus.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Incongruence of mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees in the Carabid beetles Ohomopterus.

We studied the molecular phylogeny of the carabid subgenus Ohomopterus (genus Carabus), using two mitochondrial (mt) DNA regions (16SrRNA and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5) and three nuclear DNA regions (wingless, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and an anonymous locus). We revisited the previously reported incongruence between the distribution of mtDNA markers and morphologically defined species (Su et al., 1996; J. Mol. Evol. 43:662-671), which those authors attributed to "type switching", a concerted change in many morphological characters that results in the repeated evolution of a particular morphological type. Our mtDNA gene tree obtained from 44 individuals representing all 15 currently recognized species of Ohomopterus revealed that haplotypes isolated from individuals of a single "species" were frequently separated into distant clades, confirming the previous report. The three nuclear markers generally conformed better-with the morphologically defined species than did the mitochondrial markers. The phylogenetic signal in mtDNA and nuclear DNA data differed strongly, and these two partitions were significantly incongruent with each other according to the incongruence length difference test of Farris et al. (1994; Cladistics 10:315-320), although the three nuclear partitions were not homogeneous either. Our results did not support the type-switching hypothesis that had been proposed to fit the morphological data to the mitochondrial gene tree: The incongruence of the mtDNA tree with other nuclear markers indicates that the mtDNA-based tree does not reflect species history any better than the morphological data do. Incongruence of gene trees in Ohomopterus may have been promoted by the complex processes of geographic isolation and hybridization in the Japanese Archipelago that have led to occasional gene flow and recombination between separated entities. The occurrence of reticulate patterns in this group is intriguing, because species of Ohomopterus exhibit extremely divergent genitalic structures that represent a highly efficient reproductive isolation mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

How slippage-derived sequences are incorporated into rRNA variable-region secondary structure: implications for phylogeny reconstruction.

We analyzed the type and frequency of mutational changes in hypervariable rRNA regions, using the highly length-variable region V4 of the small subunit rRNA locus of tiger beetles (Cicindelidae) as an example. Phylogenetic analysis of indels in closely related species showed that (1) most indels are single nucleotides (usually A or T and sometimes G) or di-nucleotides of A and T. These occur at numerous foci, and they exhibit a strong bias for duplication of 5' single and di-nucleotide motifs but not 3' motifs. (2) Insertions/deletions in stem-forming regions affected paired and unpaired bases with about equal frequency but they did not disrupt the secondary structure. (3) Recurring mutations involving short repeats of the same bases caused parallel evolution of similar sequence motifs in the rRNA of different lineages. The observed types of change are consistent with the propostion that slippage is the main mutational mechanism. Slippage-derived sequences tend to be self-complementary, and therefore the stem-loop structure could be self-organizing as a consequence of the underlying mutational mechanism. Thus, the secondary structure in the cicindelid V4 region may be conserved due to the dynamics of the mutational mechanism rather than to functional constraints. These processes may also have a tendency to produce similar primary sequences irrespective of phylogenetic associations. The findings have implications for sequence alignment in phylogenetic analysis and should caution against the use of secondary structure to improve the determination of positional homology in hypervariable regions.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Polymorphic microsatellite markers identified in individual Plasmodium falciparum oocysts from wild-caught Anopheles mosquitoes.

The oocysts of Plasmodiom falciparam that form on the midgut wall of anopheline vectors represent the meiotic products of the sexual cycle of the parasite and are useful for genetic analyses. Recognizing the limitations of current markers for the analysis of genetic variation, we describe a protocol for the DNA isolation and PCR amplification of microsatellite loci from individual oocysts. We present a simple method for the storage and isolation of individual Plasmodium oocysts from wild-caught mosquitoes and demonstrate that it is possible to extract sufficient oocyst DNA for approximately 50 amplifications. Genotyping was successful for 10 microsatellite loci and, using Genescan technology, we found extensive microsatellite polymorphism in an analysis of a dozen oocysts from each of 2 Anopheles gambiae female specimens collected within 6 months at the same location in northern Tanzania. All of the loci exhibited at least 2 alleles, with a maximum of 5. Homozygous and heterozygous oocysts could easily be discerned, but most of the oocysts were homozygous. The procedure has great potential for shedding light on genetic mechanisms operating during meiosis in mosquito vectors and the influence this may have on the genetic structure of natural populations of P. falciparum.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

Modelling the secondary structures of slippage-prone hypervariable RNA regions: the example of the tiger beetle 18S rRNA variable region V4.

Variable regions within ribosomal RNAs frequently vary in length as a result of incorporating products of slippage. This makes constructing secondary structure models problematic because base homology is difficult or impossible to establish between species. Here, we model such a region by comparing the results of the MFOLD suboptimal folding algorithm for different species to identify conserved structures. Based on the reconstruction of base change on a phylogenetic tree of the species and comparison against null models of character change, we devise a statistical analysis to assess support of these structures from compensatory and semi-compensatory (i.e. G.C to G.U or A.U to G.U) mutations. As a model system we have used variable region V4 from cicindelid (tiger beetle) small subunit ribosomal RNAs (SSU rRNAs). This consists of a mixture of conserved and highly variable subregions and has been subject to extensive comparative analysis in the past. The model that results is similar to a previously described model of this variable region derived from a different set of species and contains a novel structure in the central, highly variable part. The method we describe may be useful in modelling other RNA regions that are subject to slippage.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Phylogeny of North American Cicindela tiger beetles inferred from multiple mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Tiger beetles in the genus Cicindela (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) have been used as a model system for studies in ecology and conservation biology. Work on this group will greatly benefit from the availability of a phylogenetic hypothesis. We selected a representative sample of 23 North American Cicindela and 6 outgroups to reconstruct a phylogeny based on 1896 nucleotide positions from three mitochondrial genes (Cytochrome b, Cytochrome oxidase III, and 16S rRNA). Cladistic analysis of these three data sets yielded widely different tree topologies, but character conflict between them appears to be relatively low. The combined analysis of all data resulted in three similar shortest trees of 3453 steps. One of these was also recovered after successive weighting and was considered the best estimate of relationships. The most basal taxa of North American Cicindela (s.l.) were in the cosmopolitan subgenus Cylindera. The derived taxa were in the subgenus Cicindela (s. str.), a group dominating at higher latitudes in the Nearctic and Palearctic Region. The molecular analysis was essentially in agreement with the traditional classification which has been worked out based on male genitalic structures by E. Rivalier (1954, Rev. Entomol. Française 21:249-268). In the molecular analysis, Rivalier's species groups and subgenera were mostly found to be composed of closely related taxa but several of them were not monophyletic. Implicit in the traditional classification is a sequence from basal to derived groups which we found to be essentially reversed in the molecular analysis. We also discuss the conceptual differences in the establishment of the traditional classification by Rivalier (1954) and the cladistic analysis presented in this study.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Phylogenetic analysis of slippage-like sequence variation in the V4 rRNA expansion segment in tiger beetles (Cicindelidae).

Sequence variation in the middle part of the small-subunit rRNA was studied for representatives of the major groups in the family Cicindelidae (Coleoptera). All taxa exhibited a much expanded segment in variable region V4 compared to D. melanogaster. This expanded segment was not found in other groups of beetles, including three taxa in the closely related Carabidae. Secondary structure predictions indicate that the expanded segment folds into a single stem-loop structure in all taxa. Despite its structural conservation, the fragment differs strongly in primary sequence, even between closely related sister taxa. Several features of these sequences are consistent with slippage replication as the mechanism that has generated this sequence variation: the level of internal sequence repetition as measured by the relative simplicity factor (RSF), its variation in length between close relatives, and the strong nucleotide bias compared to the remainder of the gene. With few exceptions, there was also a correlation between sequence length and the level of sequence repetition, frequently interpreted as the result of slippage. Phylogenies inferred from the expansion segment were not consistent with existing hypotheses from other molecular data for the group. This indicates that DNA sequences in this region are not homologous throughout the entire Cicindelidae, but it leaves open the possibility that this expansion segment can be used for phylogeny reconstruction within subgroups. The implications of a phylogenetic approach to the understanding of slippage-like evolution are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

A molecular phylogeny of the tiger beetles (Cicindelidae): congruence of mitochondrial and nuclear rDNA data sets.

As a basis for comparative studies in the family Cicindelidae (tiger beetles), a phylogenetic hypothesis for major groups was established based on molecular data, focusing on the taxa of the New World. Two markers, mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear 18S rRNA, were sequenced for a total of 912 nucleotides and 30 taxa. All Cicindelidae were inferred to be a monophyletic group by the presence of a segment in the 5' region of the 18S rDNA which is predicted to fold into a single stem-loop structure not present in the outgroup. The total number of variable and potentially informative positions was smaller in the 18S data set, but their higher internal consistency resulted in a strong phylogenetic signal. Inferred relationships were stable over a wide range of alignment parameters, but the inclusion of alignment-sensitive positions and presumptive gap characters added substantially to the resolution and overall support of the tree. Both data sets were in general congruence. The combined evidence suggests that relationships in Cicindelidae as currently recognized have to be reconsidered. No convincing evidence could be found for the traditional subdivision into two subfamilies, Cicindelinae and Collyrinae. The latter is embedded within the Cicindelinae and clearly not the sister to all other cicindelids. Most of the current tribes and subtribes, particularly in the Megacephalini, are paraphyletic groups, whereas monophyly of the large tribe Cicindelini is well supported by the molecular data.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Homologues of the engrailed gene from five molluscan classes.

We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify, clone, and sequence 10 engrailed homeodomains from 8 species in the five major molluscan classes, including the serially organized chiton (Polyplacophora) lineage. The Drosophila melanogaster gene engrailed (en) is one of several genes involved in embryonic segment polarity determination. Studies of engrailed sequence and expression in molluscs are of interest due to questions regarding the evolution and homology of segmentation in these taxa. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence comparisons reflect evolutionary conservation within helices of the en homeodomain and ancient divergences in the region 3' to the homeodomain.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Evolution and phylogenetic information content of the ITS-1 region in the tiger beetle Cicindela dorsalis.

Sequence divergence in the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS-1) of the ribosomal DNA locus was assessed in subspecies of the coastal North American tiger beetle, Cicindela dorsalis. The spacer region was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and cloned for sequencing. Of a total of 50 clones obtained from 12 specimens, 42 clones were different in at least one nucleotide position. In a parsimony analysis of these sequences, the main phylogenetic distinction was found to separate sequences from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Within these two assemblages phylogenetic resolution was low, and the variation within individuals was almost as high as the variation within the entire lineage. The pattern of sequence variation suggests the existence of two forms of the ITS-1 that are maintained on different chromosomes. Polymorphisms of limited geographical distribution could be detected, and 41 additional clones were partly sequenced, to assess the geographic distribution of these polymorphisms in more detail. In a population aggregation analysis, the geographic pattern of ITS-1 distribution was basically congruent with that obtained in earlier studies from mitochondrial DNA in the same C. dorsalis populations.

Animals↗