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Variation in ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers 1 among eastern populations of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).

The base sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS 1) of ribosomal DNA of the tick Ixodes scapularis Say (= I. dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman & Corwin) was determined to assess genetic divergence between populations along the eastern (Atlantic) seaboard of the United States. Twenty sequences were obtained from localities down the eastern margin of the species's range: 10 from the southeast (Georgia and Florida), seven from the middle east (North Carolina, Maryland), and three from the northeast (Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York). Both the neighbor-joining and parsimony methods cluster most of the southeastern sequences together and most of the middle eastern sequences together but fail to cluster those from the northeast. In addition, an F ratio test revealed significant between-region sequence variation. Thus, there appears to be genetic structuring on at least a macrogeographic scale. Only 23% (SEM = 6.4%) of the sequence variation occurs between regions, with the vast majority of variation, 77% (SEM = 6.4%), being within region. These data, plus other published data, indicate that I. scapularis constitutes a single species. However, the pattern of variation is consistent with restricted gene flow between regions or, alternatively, with recent introgression between northern and southern types in the middle-eastern part of the species's range.

Animals↗

Characterization of the Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in Madagascar.

Morphological analysis of phallosome and multilocus electrophoresis were used to characterize populations of the Culex pipiens L. complex from Madagascar. Samples phenotypically and genetically corresponding to Cx. p. quinquefasciatus Say were found on the east and west coasts, whereas, on the high plateau, 1 sample was composed mostly of phenotypical Cx. p. pipiens L., genetically introgressed with quinquefasciatus at some loci (Hbdh, Aat-2, and Hk-1). A hybrid zone between the 2 taxa was detected on the plateau on a genetic basis, whereas at the morphological level a predominance of Cx. p. quinquefasciatus specimens and deficit of intermediates was observed. Accordingly, morphological analysis failed to describe satisfactorily the hybridization phenomena. Despite the high level of gene exchange, a complete mixing of the 2 gene pools apparently does not occur, possibly because of differential selective pressures in the climatically heterogeneous environment of the Madagascar plateau.

Animals↗

Phylogeny of species of Triatoma (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.

DNA sequence comparisons of 12S, 16S, and COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among 8 species of Triatoma [7 belonging to the infestans complex and T. circummaculata (Stål), a member of a different complex based on morphology]. There was remarkable mtDNA similarity between T. infestans (Klug) and T. platensis Neiva that can be explained by mtDNA introgression. Evolutionary trees were constructed using Panstrongylus megistus (Burmeister) as the outgroup. This outgroup gave evidence that the root of the group would be between T. vitticeps (Stål) and the rest of the species. The placement of T. circummaculata into the middle of the infestans complex is not consistent with the morphological classification, suggesting that the current systematics of this group does not reflect phylogenetic affinities.

Animals↗

Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) complex in Virginia.

Immature Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) were sampled from aquatic habitats throughout Virginia, reared to adults, and examined by isozyme electrophoresis to assess their taxonomic status. Data from 22 counties showed that C. v. variipennis is widespread and common, the predominant taxon throughout Virginia, and genetically similar to C. v. variipennis in Maryland. Because C. v. variipennis is considered an inefficient vector of the bluetongue viruses, this observation is consistent with the low seroprevalence of bluetongue in indigenous livestock of the mid-Atlantic region. Culicoides v. sonorensis Wirth & Jones, considered to be the primary North American vector of the bluetongue viruses, was recovered in large numbers only from a wastewater lagoon at a dairy in southeastern Virginia, but also was detected at low levels in 6 other counties. Comparison of genetic distances and patterns of discriminating alleles among Virginia populations of C. v. variipennis and C. v. sonorensis showed that respective subspecies are genetically distinct and show no evidence of introgression, irrespective of geographic- and habitat-level sympatry. The persistence of a pure C. v. sonorensis population in a dairy wastewater lagoon may reflect physico-chemical factors that influence the distribution of immature C. variipennis complex populations. A better understanding of the distribution of the C. variipennis complex will benefit regionalization of U.S. exports of livestock and livestock germplasm to bluetongue-free countries.

Animals↗

Translating Flood-Tolerance Biology into Breeding: A 5D Framework for Next-Generation Rice Varieties.

Flooding is among the most devastating abiotic stresses limiting rice productivity. Although SUB1A introgression conferred submergence tolerance in several mega-varieties, this single-gene approach is insufficient for the diverse flood types-flash floods, stagnant floods, anaerobic germination, and deepwater inundation-progressively intensifying with climate change. Here, we review the physiological mechanisms and genetic architecture underlying tolerance to each flood type, emphasizing the dual role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in signalling and damage, the management of elemental toxicities (Fe2+, Mn2+) under altered soil redox, and lessons from wetland species and lowland rice. We then examine why marker-assisted selection has failed for polygenic, multi-stress tolerance and identify persistent breeding bottlenecks. Building on this biological foundation, we outline an integrated 5D framework (Demand, Discovery, Design, Development, Deployment) that links gene-bank diversity, multi-omics discovery, predictive breeding and on-farm validation through continuous feedback. We discuss how connected breeding, the transition-from-trait-to-environment (TTE) strategy, and speed breeding can accelerate genetic gain, and we close with research priorities centred on the biology of multi-flood tolerance to develop climate-resilient rice.

5D breeding framework↗

Genome remodelling in three modern S. officinarumxS. spontaneum sugarcane cultivars.

This study provides evidence that nuclear and chromosome remodelling has taken place in sugarcane, a vegetative crop with a complex genome derived from interspecific hybridizations between Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum. Detailed knowledge on the chromosomal compositions of the three clones analysed was acquired. (1) All hybrid cultivars were found to be aneuploid, affecting both parental genomes (having chromosomes in addition to full genomes), with chromosome numbers from 2n=102-106 in My5514 and up to 2n=113-117 in C236-51. (2) Comparative in situ hybridization showed that about 16% of these chromosomes are inherited from S. spontaneum and less than 5% are recombinant or translocated chromosomes containing sequences of both S. officinarum and S. spontaneum. (3) Differences between the observed DNA contents (estimated by flow cytometry) and those expected from the number of chromosomes, allowed the introgression of additional S. spontaneum or S. officinarum DNA pieces into the B42231 and C236-51 cultivars to be estimated. (4) Size heterogeneity between S. officinarum homologous chromosomes carrying the 18S-5.8S-25S and 5S ribosomal genes (identified by FISH with pTa71 and pTa794, respectively) confirms remodelling occurred by chromosomal interchange events, at least in these homologous chromosomes. (5) Simultaneous visualization of nucleoli and NORs showed that all 18S-5.8S-25S loci were potentially functional in the three clones, independent of their origin and size.

Chromosome Mapping↗

A genetic map of candidate genes and QTLs involved in tomato fruit size and composition.

In order to screen for putative candidate genes linked to tomato fruit weight and to sugar or acid content, genes and QTLs involved in fruit size and composition were mapped. Genes were selected among EST clones in the TIGR tomato EST database (http://www.tigr.org/tdb/tgi/lgi/) or corresponded to genes preferentially expressed in the early stages of fruit development. These clones were located on the tomato map using a population of introgression lines (ILs) having one segment of Lycopersicon pennellii (LA716) in a L. esculentum (M82) background. The 75 ILs allowed the genome to be segmented into 107 bins. Sixty-three genes involved in carbon metabolism revealed 79 loci. They represented enzymes involved in the Calvin cycle, glycolysis, the TCA cycle, sugar and starch metabolism, transport, and a few other functions. In addition, seven cell-cycle-specific genes mapped into nine loci. Fourteen genes, primarily expressed during the cell division stage, and 23 genes primarily expressed during the cell expansion stage, revealed 24 and 26 loci, respectively. The fruit weight, sugars, and organic acids content of each IL was measured and several QTLs controlling these traits were mapped. Comparison between map location of QTLs and candidate gene loci indicated a few candidate genes that may influence the variation of sugar or acid contents. Furthermore, the gene/QTL locations could be compared with the loci mapped in other tomato populations.

Chromosome Mapping↗

A centromeric region on chromosome 6(6H) affects dormancy in an induced mutant in barley.

Genetic control of seed dormancy in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has mostly been described in terms of quantitative variation. Although some molecular markers for dormancy QTL have been identified, the corresponding genes involved in the regulation of the process have not been cloned. Induced barley mutants may constitute useful material to study the physiology and genetics of seed dormancy. The objective of this study was to identify the genetic control of this trait in a mutant (TL43) produced in the barley cv. Triumph. This mutant was selected for reduced dormancy and reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA). Two sets of F6 barley lines were selected for high and low levels of dormancy from a cross between the original dormant parent and the sodium azide-induced non-dormant TL43 mutant. Unexpectedly, given the near-isogenic nature of these two genotypes, polymorphism was detected for an SSR located in the centromeric region of chromosome 6(6H) out of a total of 92 molecular markers evenly distributed along the genome. Fortunately, upon three cycles of intensive divergent selection, every dormant and non-dormant F5 line consistently showed the genotype for this region identical to Triumph and TL43, respectively. Based on the mutagenic effect presumably attributed to sodium azide, mostly single point mutations, it cannot be clearly established if such extensive genomic variation on chromosome 6(6H) is due to the mutagenic treatment or may be an introgression from an unknown source. The means that could originate such heterogeneity are discussed; however, regardless of its origin, this genomic region shows a strong association with the expression of seed dormancy and provides an additional genetic locus for further studies of the mechanistic basis of this complex trait. In addition, since TL43 shows reduced sensitivity to ABA, the response to this hormone was determined on the F6 seed from the two sets of selected F5 lines. The results confirmed that the initial level of dormancy in the seed lot is the most important factor in determining ABA sensitivity.

Abscisic Acid↗

Marker-assisted selection to improve drought adaptation in maize: the backcross approach, perspectives, limitations, and alternatives.

A number of different marker-assisted selection (MAS) approaches do exist for the improvement of polygenic traits. Results of a marker-assisted backcross (MABC) selection experiment aimed at improving grain yield under drought conditions in tropical maize are presented and compared with alternative MAS strategies. The introgression of favourable alleles at five target regions involved in the expression of yield components and flowering traits increased grain yield and reduced the asynchrony between male and female flowering under water-limited conditions. Eighty-five per cent of the recurrent parent's genotype at non-target loci was recovered in only four generations of MABC by screening large segregating populations (2200 individuals) for three of the four generations. Selected MABC-derived BC(2)F(3) families were crossed with two testers and evaluated under different water regimes. Mean grain yield of MABC-derived hybrids was consistently higher than that of control hybrids (crosses from the recurrent parent to the same two testers as the MABC-derived families) under severe water stress conditions. Under those conditions, the best five MABC-derived hybrids yielded, on average, at least 50% more than control hybrids. Under mild water stress, defined as resulting in <50% yield reduction, no difference was observed between MABC-derived hybrids and the control plants, thus confirming that the genetic regulation for drought tolerance is dependent on stress intensity. MABC conversions involving several target regions are likely to result in partial rather than complete line conversion. Simulations were conducted to assess the utility of such partial conversions, i.e. containing favourable donor alleles at non-target regions, for subsequent phenotypic selection. The results clearly showed that selecting several genotypes (10-20) at each MABC cycle was most efficient. In the light of these results, alternative approaches to MABC are discussed, including recurrent selection, illustrated by an example of improving the adaptation of maize to low temperatures. Given the current approaches for MAS and the choices of marker technologies available now and potential for future developments, the use of MAS techniques in further improving grain yield under abiotic stresses in maize appears very promising.

Crosses, Genetic↗

Nonneutral admixture of immigrant genotypes in African Drosophila melanogaster populations from Zimbabwe.

Drosophila melanogaster originated in Africa and colonized the rest of the world only recently (approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago). Using 151 microsatellite loci, we investigated patterns of gene flow between African D. melanogaster populations representing presumptive ancestral variation and recently colonized European populations. Although we detected almost no evidence for alleles of non-African ancestry in a rural D. melanogaster population from Zimbabwe, an urban population from Zimbabwe showed evidence for admixture. Interestingly, the degree of admixture differed among chromosomes. X chromosomes of both rural and urban populations showed almost no non-African ancestry, but the third chromosome in the urban population showed up to 70% of non-African alleles. When chromosomes were broken into contingent microsatellite blocks, even higher estimates of admixture and significant heterogeneity in admixture was observed among these blocks. The discrepancy between the X chromosome and the third chromosome is not consistent with a neutral admixture hypothesis. The higher number of European alleles on the third chromosome could be due to stronger selection against foreign alleles on the X chromosome or to more introgression of (beneficial) alleles on the third chromosome.

Africa↗

Maternal and paternal lineages in cross-breeding bovine species. Has wisent a hybrid origin?

The tribe Bovini comprises cattle and cattle-like species. Reconstructions of their phylogeny have so far been incomplete and have yielded conflicting conclusions about the relationship of American bison and wisent (European bison). We have compared the sequences of three mitochondrial and two Y-chromosomal DNA segments. Mitochondrial DNA indicates that four distinct maternal lineages diverged after an early split-off of the buffalo species, leading to (1) taurine cattle and zebu, (2) wisent, (3) American bison and yak, and (4) banteng, gaur, and gayal, respectively. At a higher level, lineages (1) and (2) and lineages (3) and (4) are probably associated. In contrast, Y-chromosomal sequences indicate a close association of American and European bison, which is in agreement with their morphological similarity, complete fertility of hybrid offspring, and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints of nuclear DNA. One explanation for the anomalous divergence of the mitochondrial DNA from the two bison species is lineage sorting, which implies that two distinct mitochondrial lineages coexisted in the bison-yak branch until the recent divergence of American bison and wisent. Alternatively, the wisent may have emerged by species hybridization initiated by introgression of bison bulls in another ancestral species. This "transpatric" mode of species formation would be consistent with the recent appearance of the wisent in the fossil record without clearly identifiable ancestors.

Animals↗

Successful lateral transfer requires codon usage compatibility between foreign genes and recipient genomes.

We present evidence supporting the notion that codon usage (CU) compatibility between foreign genes and recipient genomes is an important prerequisite to assess the selective advantage of imported functions, and therefore to increase the fixation probability of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. This contrasts with the current tendency in research to predict recent HGTs in prokaryotes by assuming that acquired genes generally display poor CU. By looking at the CU level (poor, typical, or rich) exhibited by putative xenologs still resembling their original CU, we found that most alien genes predominantly present typical CU immediately upon introgression, thereby suggesting that the role of CU amelioration in HGT has been overemphasized. In our strategy, we first scanned a representative set of 103 complete prokaryotic genomes for all pairs of candidate xenologs (exported/imported genes) displaying similar CU. We applied additional filtering criteria, including phylogenetic validations, to enhance the reliability of our predictions. Our approach makes no assumptions about the CU of foreign genes being typical or atypical within the recipient genome, thus providing a novel unbiased framework to study the evolutionary dynamics of HGT.

Archaea↗

Evidence for archaic Asian ancestry on the human X chromosome.

The human RRM2P4 pseudogene has a pattern of nucleotide polymorphism that is unlike any locus published to date. A gene tree constructed from a 2.4-kb fragment of the RRM2P4 locus sequenced in a sample of 41 worldwide humans clearly roots in East Asia and has a most-recent common ancestor approximately 2 Myr before present. The presence of this basal lineage exclusively in Asia results in higher nucleotide diversity among non-Africans than among Africans. A global survey of a single-nucleotide polymorphism that is diagnostic for the basal, Asian lineage in 570 individuals shows that it occurs at frequencies up to 53% in south China, whereas only one of 177 surveyed Africans carries this archaic lineage. We suggest that this ancient lineage is a remnant of introgressive hybridization between expanding anatomically modern humans emerging from Africa and archaic populations in Eurasia.

Africa↗

The transition to self-compatibility in Arabidopsis thaliana and evolution within S-haplotypes over 10 Myr.

A recent investigation found evidence that the transition of Arabidopsis thaliana from ancestral self-incompatibility (SI) to full self-compatibility occurred very recently and suggested that this occurred through a selective fixation of a nonfunctional allele (PsiSCR1) at the SCR gene, which determines pollen specificity in the incompatibility response. The main evidence is the lack of polymorphism at the SCR locus in A. thaliana. However, the nearby SRK gene, which determines stigma specificity in self-incompatible Brassicaceae species, has extremely high sequence diversity, with 3 very divergent SRK haplotypes, 2 of them present in multiple strains. Such high diversity is extremely unusual in this species, and it suggests the possibility that multiple, different SRK haplotypes may have been preserved from A. thaliana's self-incompatible ancestor. To study the evolution of S-haplotypes in the A. thaliana lineage, we searched the 2 most closely related Arabidopsis species Arabidopsis lyrata and Arabidopsis halleri, in which most populations have retained SI, and found SRK sequences corresponding to all 3 A. thaliana haplogroup sequences. Our molecular evolutionary analyses of these 3 S-haplotypes provide an independent estimate of the timing of the breakdown of SI and again exclude an ancient transition to selfing in A. thaliana. Comparing sequences of each of the 3 haplogroups between species, we find that 2 of the 3 SRK sequences (haplogroups A and B) are similar throughout their length, suggesting that little or no recombination with other SRK alleles has occurred since these species diverged. The diversity difference between the SCR and SRK loci in A. thaliana, however, suggests crossing-over, either within SRK or between the SCR and SRK loci. If the loss of SI involved fixation of the PsiSCR1 sequence, the exchange must have occurred during its fixation. Divergence between the species is much lower at the S-locus, compared with reference loci, and we discuss two contributory possibilities. Introgression may have occurred between A. lyrata and A. halleri and between their ancestral lineage and A. thaliana, at least for some period after their split. In addition, the coalescence times of sequences of individual S-haplogroups are expected to be less than those of alleles at non-S-loci.

Arabidopsis↗

Sheep mitochondrial DNA variation in European, Caucasian, and Central Asian areas.

Three distinct mitochondrial maternal lineages (haplotype Groups A, B, and C) have been found in the domestic sheep. Group B has been observed primarily in European domestic sheep. The European mouflon carries this haplotype group. This could suggest that European mouflon was independently domesticated in Europe, although archaeological evidence supports sheep domestication in the central part of the Fertile Crescent. To investigate this question, we sequenced a highly variable segment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in 406 unrelated animals from 48 breeds or local varieties. They originated from a wide area spanning northern Europe and the Balkans to the Altay Mountains in south Siberia. The sample included a representative cross-section of sheep breeds from areas close to the postulated Near Eastern domestication center and breeds from more distant northern areas. Four (A, B, C, and D) highly diverged sheep lineages were observed in Caucasus, 3 (A, B and C) in Central Asia, and 2 (A and B) in the eastern fringe of Europe, which included the area north and west of the Black Sea and the Ural Mountains. Only one example of Group D was detected. The other haplotype groups demonstrated signs of population expansion. Sequence variation within the lineages implied Group A to have expanded first. This group was the most frequent type only in Caucasian and Central Asian breeds. Expansion of Group C appeared most recently. The expansion of Group B involving Caucasian sheep took place at nearly the same time as the expansion of Group A. Group B expansion for the eastern European area started approximately 3,000 years after the earliest inferred expansion. An independent European domestication of sheep is unlikely. The distribution of Group A variation as well as other results are compatible with the Near East being the domestication site. Groups C and D may have been introgressed later into a domestic stock, but larger samples are needed to infer their geographical origin. The results suggest that some mitochondrial lineages arrived in northern Europe from the Near East across Russia.

Animals↗

A genomic fossil reveals key steps in hemoglobin loss by the antarctic icefishes.

Antarctic icefishes are the only vertebrates that do not have hemoglobin and erythrocytes in their blood. These startling phenotypes are associated in several icefish species with deletions of juvenile and adult globin loci, which in red-blooded teleosts are typically composed of tightly linked pairs of alpha- and beta-globin genes. It is unknown if the loss of hemoglobin expression in icefishes was the direct result of such deletions or if other mutational events compromised globin chain synthesis prior to globin gene loss. In this study, we show that 15 of the 16 icefish species have lost the adult beta-globin gene but retain a truncated alpha-globin pseudogene. Surprisingly, a phylogenetically derived icefish species, Neopagetopsis ionah, possesses a complete, but nonfunctional, adult alphabeta-globin complex. This cluster contains 2 distinct beta-globin pseudogenes whose phylogenetic origins span the entire Antarctic notothenioid radiation, consistent with an origin via introgression. Maximum likelihood ancestral state reconstruction supports a scenario of icefish globin gene evolution that involves a single loss of the transcriptionally active adult alphabeta-globin cluster prior to the diversification of the extant species in the clade. Through lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphism, 2 types of alleles became fixed in the clade: 1) the alpha-globin pseudogene of the majority of species and 2) the inactive alphabeta-globin complex of N. ionah. We conclude that the globin pseudogene complex of N. ionah is a "genomic fossil" that reveals key intermediate steps on the pathway to loss of hemoglobin expression by all icefish species.

Animals↗

Multilocus analysis of nucleotide variation and speciation in Oryza officinalis and its close relatives.

Nucleotide variation in 10 unlinked nuclear genes was investigated in species-wide samples of Oryza officinalis and its close relatives (Oryza eichingeri and Oryza rhizomatis). Average estimates of nucleotide diversity were the lowest in O. rhizomatis ((sil) = 0.0038) and the highest in O. eichingeri ((sil) = 0.0057) that is disjunctly distributed in Africa and Sri Lanka. These wild rice species appeared to harbor relatively low levels of nucleotide variation relative to other plant species because the diversity level of O. eichingeri is only 23-46% of those in Zea species and 35% of that in Arabidopsis thaliana. The lower nucleotide diversity in these Oryza species could be best explained by their smaller historic effective population sizes. The speciation model test indicated that O. officinalis and its close relatives might have undergone a process of population contraction since divergence from their ancestor. Incongruent topologies among 10 gene trees, particularly regarding the positions of O. eichingeri and O. rhizomatis accessions might be attributed to lineage sorting arising from ancient polymorphism and hybridization/introgression between the Sri Lankan O. eichingeri and O. rhizomatis. However, the null hypothesis of the isolation model was not rejected for any contrast between taxa, which suggested that no subsequent gene flow shaped the present patterns of nucleotide variation since their divergence and that introgression was not pervasive in this group of species. Our molecular dating provides an approximate divergence time of 0.37 Myr between 2 geographical races of O. eichingeri, much more recent compared with the times of other speciation events in this group (0.63-0.68 Myr). A long-distance dispersal from West Africa to Sri Lanka was more likely to play a role in the disjunct distribution of O. eichingeri.

Africa↗

Four independent electrophoretic markers in spadefoot toads.

Four enzyme-encoding genes (Idh-1, Idh-2, Ldh-1, and Mdh-1), with alleles diagnostic for the spadefoot toads Scaphiopus multiplicatus and Scaphiopus bombifrons, were investigated in order to characterize their inheritance and linkage relationships. Electrophoretic phenotypes in the offspring of natural crosses exhibit Mendelian segregation, behaving as genotypes produced by alternative alleles at four independently assorting loci. These phenotypes are useful markers of genetic identity and the degree of genetic admixture in the analyses of hybrid zone dynamics for these two species. Concurrent use of a morphological index verified the diagnostic value of the markers. The morphological index is useful for the identification of parental species and many F1 hybrids, however offspring of backcrosses usually express parental species characteristics. Electrophoretic typing allows the identification of all hybrids and 87 percent of the offspring from backcrosses. It also facilitates the identification of tadpoles, which are extremely difficult to distinguish morphologically. The technique is useful for the assessment of introgression and the evaluation of reproductive interaction in these species, even though it slightly underestimates backcross offspring.

Alleles↗