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S71 is a phylogenetically distinct human endogenous retroviral element with structural and sequence homology to simian sarcoma virus (SSV).

Human endogenous retroviral element S71 had previously been shown to contain gag- and pol-related regions and a 3' LTR-like sequence. The nucleotide sequence of S71 was determined and compared with the corresponding regions of SSV and its helper virus SSAV. The 1.48-kb S71 gag region consists of matrix protein p15 (MA)-, capsid protein p30 (CA)-, and nucleocapsid protein p10 (NC)-related sections and the 1.82-kb pol region of tether, RNase H (RH), and endonuclease/integrase (IN) sections. The S71 nucleotide sequence contains a 167 amino acid open reading frame encompassing MA. The boundaries of the S71 element are delimited by direct repeats and the entire element is 5.4 kb long. Similarity between S71 and the v-sis-bearing, defective SSV provirus also covers overall structural organization, including the presence of presumably nonretroviral sequences. Both the gag and the pol regions of S71 contain sequences highly conserved in numerous retroviruses. Phylogenetic analysis with conserved CA, RH, and IN sequences showed that of all other (C-type) human retroviral elements available for comparison, S71 is most closely related to infectious primate and murine retroviruses. This suggests that S71 represents a phylogenetic subgroup of its own. In addition we identified short ranges of conserved amino acid sequences within C-type retroviral gag and pol genes sufficient for phylogenetic analysis. Use of these may facilitate large-scale phylogenetic evaluation of C-type retroviral elements and allow rapid classification of new elements.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phylogenetic position of the genus Perkinsus (Protista, Apicomplexa) based on small subunit ribosomal RNA.

Parasites of the genus Perkinsus destroy marine molluscs worldwide. Their phylogenetic position within the kingdom Protista is controversial. Nucleotide sequence data (1792 bp) from the small subunit rRNA gene of Perkinsus sp. from Anadara trapezia (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from Moreton Bay, Queensland, was used to examine the phylogenetic affinities of this enigmatic genus. These data were aligned with nucleotide sequences from 6 apicomplexans, 3 ciliates, 3 flagellates, a dinoflagellate, 3 fungi, maize and human. Phylogenetic trees were constructed after analysis with maximum parsimony and distance matrix methods. Our analyses indicate that Perkinsus is phylogenetically closer to dinoflagellates and to coccidean and piroplasm apicomplexans than to fungi or flagellates.

Animals↗

Construction of molecular evolutionary phylogenetic trees from DNA sequences based on minimum complexity principle.

Ever since the discovery of a molecular clock, many methods have been developed to reconstruct the molecular evolutionary phylogenetic trees. In this paper, we deal with the problem from the viewpoint of an inductive inference and apply Rissanen's minimum description length principle to extract the minimum complexity phylogenetic tree. Our method describes the complexity of the molecular phylogenetic tree by three terms which are related to the tree topology, the sum of the branch lengths and the difference between the model and the data measured by logarithmic likelihood. Five mitochondrial DNA sequences, from the human, the common chimpanzee, the pygmy chimpanzee, the gorilla and the orangutan, are used for investigating the validity of this method. It is suggested that this method might be superior to the traditional method in that it still shows good accuracy even near the root of phylogenetic trees.

Algorithms↗

A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Leuconostoc based on reverse transcriptase sequencing of 16 S rRNA.

The phylogenetic interrelationships of members of the genus Leuconostoc and some heterofermentative lactobacilli, which phenotypically resemble leuconostocs, were investigated by comparative analysis of their 16 S rRNA sequences. The six species, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leu. carnosum, Leu. citreum, Leu. gelidum, Leu. lactis and Leu. pseudomesenteroides exhibited a high degree of sequence similarity with each other and formed a phylogenetically coherent group, quite separate from all other lactic acid bacteria investigated. The species Leu. paramesenteroides was found to be phylogenetically distinct from the Leu. mesenteroides group of species and formed a natural grouping with the heterofermentative lactobacilli, Lb. confusus, Lb. kandleri, Lb. minor and Lb. viridescens. The rRNA sequence of the acidophilic species, Leu. oenos, displayed exceptionally low levels of homology with all of the other taxa examined. The 16 S sequence of Leu. oenos showed major nucleotide differences in relatively highly conserved positions of the molecule indicating this species is phylogenetically distinct and warrants a separate genus.

Base Sequence↗

Genetic algorithm for large-scale maximum parsimony phylogenetic analysis of proteins.

Inferring phylogeny is a difficult computational problem. For example, for only 13 taxa, there are more then 13 billion possible unrooted phylogenetic trees. Heuristics are necessary to minimize the time spent evaluating non-optimal trees. We describe here an approach for heuristic searching, using a genetic algorithm, that can reduce the time required for weighted maximum parsimony phylogenetic inference, especially for data sets involving a large number of taxa. It is the first implementation of a weighted maximum parsimony criterion using amino acid sequences. To validate the weighted criterion, we used an artificial data set and compared it to a number of other phylogenetic methods. Genetic algorithms mimic the natural selection's ability to solve complex problems. We have identified several parameters affecting the genetic algorithm. Methods were developed to validate these parameters, ensuring optimal performance. This approach allows the construction of phylogenetic trees with over 200 taxa in practical time on a regular PC.

Algorithms↗

Using models of nucleotide evolution to build phylogenetic trees.

Molecular phylogenetics and its applications are popular and useful tools for making comparative investigations in genetics; however, estimating phylogenetic trees is not always straightforward. Some phylogenetic estimators use an explicit model of nucleotide evolution to estimate evolutionary parameters such as branch lengths and tree topology. There are many models to choose from, and use of the optimal model for a particular data set is important to avoid a loss of power and accuracy in phylogenetic estimations. Here, we review some molecular evolutionary forces and the parameters included in some common models of evolution used to interpret resulting patterns of molecular variation. We present some statistical methods of selecting a particular model of nucleotide evolution, and provide an empirical example of model selection. Statistical model selection strikes a balance between the bias introduced by some models and the increased variance of parameter estimates that results from using other models.

Animals↗

Phylogenetic analysis of Phytophthora species based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.

A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Phytophthora was performed, 113 isolates from 48 Phytophthora species were included in this analysis. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on regions of mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1; NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1) and nuclear gene sequences (translation elongation factor 1alpha; beta-tubulin) and comparisons made to test for incongruence between the mitochondrial and nuclear data sets. The genus Phytophthora was confirmed to be monophyletic. In addition, results confirm that the classical taxonomic grouping as described by [Waterhouse (1963)] does not reflect true phylogenetic relations. Phytophthora species were redistributed into 8 clades, providing a more accurate representation of phylogenetic relationships within the genus Phytophthora. The evolution and transition of morphological, pathogenic, and reproductive traits was inferred from the cladogram generated in this study. Mating system was inferred to be a homoplasious trait, with at least eight independent transitions from homothallism to heterothallism observed.

Biological Evolution↗

How do obligate parasites evolve? A multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of downy mildews.

Plant parasitism has independently evolved as a nutrition strategy in both true fungi and Oomycetes (stramenopiles). A large number of species within phytopathogenic Oomycetes, the so-called downy mildews, are defined as obligate biotrophs since they have not, to date, been cultured on any artificial medium. Other genera like Phytophthora and Pythium can in general be cultured on standard or non-standard agar media. Within all three groups there are many important plant pathogens responsible for severe economic losses as well as damage to natural ecosystems. Although they are important model systems to elucidate the evolution of obligate parasites, the phylogenetic relationships between these genera have not been clearly resolved. Based on the most comprehensive sampling of downy mildew genera to date and a representative sample of Phytophthora subgroups, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships from a multi-gene dataset containing both coding and non-coding nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted under several optimality criteria and the results were largely consistent between all the methods applied. Strong support is achieved for monophyly of a clade comprising both the genus Phytophthora and the obligate biotrophic species. The facultatively parasitic genus Phytophthora is shown to be at least partly paraphyletic. Monophyly of a cluster nested within Phytophthora containing all obligate parasites is strongly supported. Within the obligate biotrophic downy mildews, four morphologically or ecologically well-defined subgroups receive statistical support: (1) A cluster containing all species with brownish-violet conidiosporangia, i.e., the genera Peronospora and Pseudoperonospora; (2) a clade comprising the genera with vesicular to pyriform haustoria (Basidiophora, Benua, Bremia, Paraperonospora, Plasmopara, Plasmoverna, Protobremia); (3) a group containing species included in Hyaloperonospora and Perofascia which almost exclusively infect Brassicaceae; (4) a clade including the grass parasites Viennotia oplismeni and Graminivora graminicola. Phylogenetic relationships between these four clades are not clearly resolved, and neither is the position of Sclerospora graminicola within the downy mildews. Character analysis indicates an evolutionary scenario of gradually increasing adaptation to plant parasitism in Peronosporales and that at least the most important of these adaptive steps occurred only once, including major host shifts within downy mildews.

Animals↗

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), and the phylogenetic relationships among Siluriformes.

The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is the largest scale-less freshwater fish of the world, and a critically endangered species. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence (16,533 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of the Mekong giant catfish, and conducted phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial protein (the combined amino acid sequences of all 13 mitochondrial protein coding genes) and rRNA (the combined nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes) data sets in order to further clarify the relative phylogenetic position of P. gigas, and to recover phylogenetic relationships among 15 out of the 33 families of Siluriformes. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, minimum evolution, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference) of the protein data set were congruent with a basal split of the order into Loricarioidei and Siluroidei, and supported a closer relationship of the Mekong giant catfish (family Pangasiidae) to Siluridae than to Bagridae. The rRNA-based Bayesian phylogeny recovered Callichthyidae as the sister group of all other analyzed non-diplomystid catfish families, rendering Loricarioidei paraphyletic. In addition, Loricariidae were recovered as paraphyletic due to the inclusion of Astroblepidae. However, none of the two relationships received bootstrap support in the maximum parsimony, minimum evolution, and maximum likelihood analyses, and should be interpreted with caution. The derived position of Cetopsidae within Siluroidei, the sister group relationship of Pseudopimelodidae and Pimelodidae, and a close relationship of Doradidae and Auchenipteridae to the exclusion of Mochokidae were strongly supported. Pangasiidae was placed as a single lineage without clear affinities.

Animals↗

Do homoiologies impede phylogenetic analyses of the fossil hominids? An assessment based on extant papionin craniodental morphology.

Homoiologies are phylogenetically misleading resemblances among taxa that can be attributed to phenotypic plasticity. Recently, it has been claimed that homoiologies are widespread in the hominid skull, especially in those regions affected by mastication-related strain, and that their prevalence is a major reason why researchers have so far been unable to obtain a reliable estimate of hominid phylogeny. To evaluate this "homoiology hypothesis", we carried out analyses of a group of extant primates for which a robust molecular phylogeny is available-the papionins. We compiled a craniometric dataset from measurements that differ in their susceptibility to mastication-related strain according to developmental considerations and experimental evidence. We used the coefficient of variation and analysis of variance with post hoc least significant difference comparisons in order to evaluate the variability of the measurements. The prediction from the homoiology hypothesis was that dental measurements, which do not remodel in response to strain, should be less variable than low-to-moderate-strain measurements, and that the latter should be less variable than high-strain measurements. We then performed phylogenetic analyses using characters derived from the measurements and compared the resulting phylogenetic hypotheses to the group's consensus molecular phylogeny. The prediction was that, if the homoiology hypothesis is correct, the agreement between the craniometric and molecular phylogenies would be best in the analyses of dental characters, intermediate in the analyses of low-to-moderate-strain characters, and least in the analyses of high-strain characters. The results of this study support the suggestion that mastication-related mechanical loading can result in variation in hominid cranial characters. However, they do not support the hypothesis that homoiology is a major reason why phylogenetic analyses of hominid crania have so far yielded conflicting and weakly supported hypotheses of relationship. These findings are consistent with a recent test of the homoiology hypothesis using craniodental data from extant hominoids, and cast doubt on the validity of the homoiology hypothesis, as originally formulated.

Animals↗

Phylogenetic invariants for the general Markov model of sequence mutation.

A phylogenetic invariant for a model of biological sequence evolution along a phylogenetic tree is a polynomial that vanishes on the expected frequencies of base patterns at the terminal taxa. While the use of these invariants for phylogenetic inference has long been of interest, explicitly constructing such invariants has been problematic. We construct invariants for the general Markov model of kappa-base sequence evolution on an n-taxon tree, for any kappa and n. The method depends primarily on the observation that certain matrices defined in terms of expected pattern frequencies must commute, and yields many invariants of degree kappa+1, regardless of the value of n. We define strong and parameter-strong sets of invariants, and prove several theorems indicating that the set of invariants produced here has these properties on certain sets of possible pattern frequencies. Thus our invariants may be sufficient for phylogenetic applications.

Base Sequence↗

Phylogenetic analysis of enteric species of the family Enterobacteriaceae using the oriC-locus.

Phylogenetic analysis of 38 enteric species belonging to the Enterobacteraceae family was carried out using the non-coding locus oriC, the chromosomal replication origin. The oriC loci were amplified with conserved oligonucleotides and the PCR fragments were sequenced directly. The results establish a phylogenetic tree for the classification of different species of the genera Escherichia, Shigella, Salmonella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Raoultella, Kluyvera, Cedecea and Buttiauxella. Functional important protein-binding sites located in oriC are well conserved throughout the enteric group. More over, due to a high overall divergence value phylogenetic trees were robust and well supported by bootstrap analysis. In comparison with 16S rDNA analysis, the oriC sequences indicated a greater evolutionary divergence for bacteria. We propose that the oriC locus might be a suitable phylogenetic marker for the identification and classification of bacteria, in particular for closely related species.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of baculoviruses from Lepidoptera.

PCR amplification of the highly conserved baculovirus genes late expression factor 8 (lef-8), late expression factor 9 (lef-9) and polyhedrin/granulin (polh/gran) combined with molecular phylogenetic analyses provide a powerful tool to identify lepidopteran-specific baculoviruses and to study their diversity. In the present investigation, we have improved the degenerate oligonucleotides and corroborated the approach that was recently described by Lange et al. (Lange, M., Wang, H., Zhihong, H., Jehle, J.A., 2004. Towards a molecular identification and classification system of lepidopteran-specific baculoviruses. Virology 325, 36-47.). Baculovirus DNA was isolated from 71 uncharacterized historic baculovirus samples, and partial gene sequences were amplified by using gene-specific degenerate PCR primers. The obtained PCR products were directly sequenced, and the deduced amino acid sequences were compiled and aligned with published sequences of these target genes. A phylogenetic tree of 117 baculoviruses was inferred using maximum parsimony and distance methods. Based on the comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the partial lef-8, lef-9 and polh/gran genes, we propose a phylogenetic species criterion for lepidopteran-specific baculoviruses that uses the genetic distances of these genes for species demarcation.

Animals↗

Investigating phylogenetic relationships of sunfishes and black basses (Actinopterygii: Centrarchidae) using DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

The 32 species of the Centrarchidae are ecologically important components of the diverse fish communities that characterize North American freshwater ecosystems. In spite of a rich history of systematic investigations of centrarchid fishes there is extensive conflict among previous hypotheses that may be due to restricted taxon or character sampling. We present the first phylogenetic analysis of the Centrarchidae that combines DNA sequence data from both the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes and includes all described species. Gene sequence data were collected from a complete mtDNA protein coding gene (NADH subunit 2), a nuclear DNA intron (S7 ribosomal protein intron 1), and a portion of a nuclear DNA protein-coding region (Tmo-4C4). Phylogenetic trees generated from analysis of the three-gene dataset were used to test alternative hypotheses of centrarchid relationships that were gathered from the literature. Four major centrarchid lineages are present in trees generated in maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian maximum likelihood analyses (BML). These lineages are Acantharchus pomotis, Micropterus, Lepomis, and a clade containing Ambloplites, Archoplites, Centrarchus, Enneacanthus, and Pomoxis. Phylogenetic trees resulting from MP and BML analyses are highly consistent but differ with regard to the placement of A. pomotis. Significant phylogenetic incongruence between mtDNA and nuclear genes appears to result from different placement of Micropterus treculi, and is not characteristic of relationships in all other parts of the centrarchid phylogeny. Slightly more than half of the 27 previously proposed hypotheses of centrarchid relationships were rejected based on the Shomodaira-Hasegawa test.

Animals↗

Linking phylogenetics with population genetics to reconstruct the geographic origin of a species.

Reconstructing ancestral geographic origins is critical for understanding the long-term evolution of a species. Bayesian methods have been proposed to test biogeographic hypotheses while accommodating uncertainty in phylogenetic reconstruction. However, the problem that certain taxa may have a disproportionate influence on conclusions has not been addressed. Here, we infer the geographic origin of Drosophila simulans using 2,014 bp of the period locus from 63 lines collected from 18 countries. We also analyze two previously published datasets, alcohol dehydrogenase related and NADH:ubiquinone reductase 75 kDa subunit precursor. Phylogenetic inferences of all three loci support Madagascar as the geographic origin of D. simulans. Our phylogenetic conclusions are robust to taxon resampling and to the potentially confounding effects of recombination. To test our phylogenetically derived hypothesis we develop a randomization test of the population genetics prediction that sequences from the geographic origin should contain more genetic polymorphism than those from derived populations. We find that the Madagascar population has elevated genetic polymorphism relative to non-Madagascar sequences. These data are corroborated by mitochondrial DNA sequence data.

Animals↗

Contribution of RPB2 to multilocus phylogenetic studies of the euascomycetes (Pezizomycotina, Fungi) with special emphasis on the lichen-forming Acarosporaceae and evolution of polyspory.

Despite the recent progress in molecular phylogenetics, many of the deepest relationships among the main lineages of the largest fungal phylum, Ascomycota, remain unresolved. To increase both resolution and support on a large-scale phylogeny of lichenized and non-lichenized ascomycetes, we combined the protein coding-gene RPB2 with the traditionally used nuclear ribosomal genes SSU and LSU. Our analyses resulted in the naming of the new subclasses Acarosporomycetidae and Ostropomycetidae, and the new class Lichinomycetes, as well as the establishment of the phylogenetic placement and novel circumscription of the lichen-forming fungi family Acarosporaceae. The delimitation of this family has been problematic over the past century, because its main diagnostic feature, true polyspory (numerous spores issued from multiple post-meiosis mitoses) with over 100 spores per ascus, is probably not restricted to the Acarosporaceae. This observation was confirmed by our reconstruction of the origin and evolution of this form of true polyspory using maximum likelihood as the optimality criterion. The various phylogenetic analyses carried out on our data sets allowed us to conclude that: (1) the inclusion of phylogenetic signal from ambiguously aligned regions into the maximum parsimony analyses proved advantageous in reconstructing phylogeny; however, when more data become available, Bayesian analysis using different models of evolution is likely to be more efficient; (2) neighbor-joining bootstrap proportions seem to be more appropriate in detecting topological conflict between data partitions of large-scale phylogenies than posterior probabilities; and (3) Bayesian bootstrap proportion provides a compromise between posterior probability outcomes (i.e., higher accuracy, but with a higher number of significantly supported wrong internodes) vs. maximum likelihood bootstrap proportion outcomes (i.e., lower accuracy, with a lower number of significantly supported wrong internodes).

Ascomycota↗

Simultaneous analysis of five molecular markers provides a well-supported phylogenetic hypothesis for the living bony-tongue fishes (Osteoglossomorpha: Teleostei).

Fishes of the Superorder Osteoglossomorpha (the "bonytongues") constitute a morphologically heterogeneous group of basal teleosts, including highly derived subgroups such as African electric fishes, the African butterfly fish, and Old World knifefishes. Lack of consensus among hypotheses of osteoglossomorph relationships advanced during the past 30 years may be due in part to the difficulty of identifying shared derived characters among the morphologically differentiated extant families of this group. In this study, we present a novel phylogenetic hypothesis for this group, based on the analysis of more than 4000 characters from five molecular markers (the mitochondrial cytochrome b, 12S and 16S rRNA genes, and the nuclear genes RAG2 and MLL). Our taxonomic sampling includes one representative of each extant non-mormyrid osteoglossomorph genus, one representative for the monophyletic family Mormyridae, and four outgroup taxa within the basal Teleostei. Maximum parsimony analysis of combined and equally weighted characters from the five molecular markers and Bayesian analysis provide a single, well-supported, hypothesis of osteoglossomorph interrelationships and show the group to be monophyletic. The tree topology is the following: (Hiodon alosoides, (Pantodon buchholzi, (((Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, Scleropages sp.), (Arapaima gigas, Heterotis niloticus)), ((Gymnarchus niloticus, Ivindomyrus opdenboschi), ((Notopterus notopterus, Chitala ornata), (Xenomystus nigri, Papyrocranus afer)))))). We compare our results with previously published phylogenetic hypotheses based on morpho-anatomical data. Additionally, we explore the consequences of the long terminal branch length for the taxon Pantodon buchholzi in our phylogenetic reconstruction and we use the obtained phylogenetic tree to reconstruct the evolutionary history of electroreception in the Notopteroidei.

Animals↗

Phylogenetic analysis of Myriapoda using three nuclear protein-coding genes.

We assessed the ability of three nuclear protein-encoding genes-elongation factor-1alpha (EF-1alpha), RNA polymerase II (Pol II), and elongation factor-2 (EF-2)-from 59 myriapod and 12 non-myriapod species to resolve phylogenetic relationships among myriapod classes and orders. In a previous study using EF-1alpha and Pol II (2134 nt combined) from 34 myriapod taxa, Regier and Shultz recovered widely accepted classes, orders, and families but failed to resolve interclass and interordinal relationships. The result was attributed to heterogenous rates of cladogenesis (specifically, the inability of the slowly evolving sequences to capture phylogenetic signal during rapid phylogenetic diversification) but the possibility of inadequate taxon sampling or limited sequence information could not be excluded. In the present study, the myriapod taxon sample was increased by 25 taxa (73%) and sequence length per taxon was effectively doubled through addition of EF-2 (4318 nt combined). Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of the expanded data set recovered a monophyletic Myriapoda, all four myriapod classes and all multiply sampled orders, often with high node support. However, except for three diplopod clades (Colobognatha, Helminothomorpha, and a subgroup of Pentazonia), few interordinal relationships and no interclass relationships were well supported. These results are similar to those of the earlier study by Regier and Shultz, which indicates that taxon sample and sequence length alone do not readily explain the weakly supported resolution in the earlier study. We review recent paleontological evidence to further develop our proposal that heterogeneity in phylogenetic signal provided by our slowly evolving sequences is due to heterogeneity in the temporal structure of myriapod diversification.

Animals↗