Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of wood mice (genus Apodemus Kaup, 1829) based on complete mtDNA cytochrome b sequences, with emphasis on Chinese species

Phylogenetic relationships among 15 species of wood mice (genus Apodemus) were reconstructed to explore some long-standing taxonomic problems. The results provided support for the monophyly of the genus Apodemus, but could not reject the hypothesis of paraphyly for this genus. Our data divided the 15 species into four major groups: (1) the Sylvaemus group (A. sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, A. alpicola, and A. uralensis), (2) the Apodemus group (A. peninsulae, A. chevreri, A. agrarius, A. speciosus, A. draco, A. ilex, A. semotus, A. latronum, and A. mystacinus), (3) A. argenteus, and (4) A. gurkha. Our results also suggested that orestes should be a valid subspecies of A. draco rather than an independent species; in contrast, A. ilex from Yunnan may be regarded as a separate species rather than a synonym of orestes or draco. The species level status of A. latronum, tscherga as synonyms of A. uralensis, and A. chevrieri as a valid species and the closest sibling species of A. agrarius were further corroborated by our data. Applying a molecular clock with the divergences of Mus and Rattus set at 12 million years ago (Mya) as a calibration point, it was estimated that five old lineages (A. mystacinus and four major groups above) diverged in the late Miocene (7.82-12.74 Mya). Then the Apodemus group (excluding A. mystacinus) split into two subgroups: agrarius and draco, at about 7.17-9.95 Mya. Four species of the Sylvaemus group were estimated to diverge at about 2.92-5.21 Mya. The Hengduan Mountains Region was hypothesized to have played important roles in Apodemus evolutionary histories since the Pleistocene. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic relationships of the mustache toads inferred from mtDNA sequences

Species of the genus Vibrissaphora are unique among all annurans in that males exhibit external cornified spines in the maxillary region during the breeding season. They were separated from species of the genus Leptobrachium based on this unique character. We construct a phylogeny using the 16S, ND4, and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes of 42 individuals from eight species of Vibrissaphora and five species of Leptobrachium from mainland China, Southeast Asia, and Hainan Island. Species of both Oreolalax and Scutiger were used as outgroups. The results indicate that: L. huashen and L. chapaense form a clade that is nested within Vibrissaphora, and L. hainanense is the sister taxon to the clade comprising all Vibrissaphora plus L. chapaense and L. huashen; V. boringiae is grouped with a clade consisting of V. leishanensis, V. liui, and V. yaoshanensis; and V. yaoshanensis is a species separate from V. liui. We propsed taxonomix changes that reflect these findings. Also based on the resulting phylogenetic trees, we propose that the mustache toads originated in the trans-Himalayan region of southwest China, and that the evolution of maxillary spines, large body size, and reverse sexual size dimorphism in these frogs was influenced by intrasexual selection due to adopting a resource-defense polygyny matting system.

A call for mtDNA data quality control in forensic science

There is increasing evidence that many of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) databases published in the fields of forensic science and molecular anthropology are flawed. An a posteriori phylogenetic analysis of the sequences could help to eliminate most of the errors and thus greatly improve data quality. However, previously published caveats and recommendations along these lines were not yet picked up by all researchers. Here we call for stringent quality control of mtDNA data by haplogroup-directed database comparisons. We take some problematic databases of East Asian mtDNAs, published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Science International, as examples to demonstrate the process of pinpointing obvious errors. Our results show that data sets are not only notoriously plagued by base shifts and artificial recombination but also by lab-specific phantom mutations, especially in the second hypervariable region (HVR-II). (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic relationship of Chinese and Japanese gamecocks revealed by mtDNA sequence variation

Cockfighting has a very long history dating back to as early as 2500 years ago in China. Cockfighting was intertwined with human cultural traditions, helped disperse chickens across the world, and influenced the subsequent breed selection. Therefore, trac

A reappraisal of complete mtDNA variation in East Asian families with hearing impairment

In a number of recent studies, we summarized the obvious errors and shortcomings that can be spotted in many (if not most) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data sets published in medical genetics. We have reanalyzed here the complete mtDNA genome data published

Genetic diversity and origin of Chinese cattle revealed by mtDNA D-loop sequence variation

To determine the origin and genetic diversity of Chinese cattle, we analyzed the complete mtDNA D-loop sequences of 84 cattle from 14 breeds/populations from southwest and west China, together with the available cattle sequences in GenBank. Our results sh

mtDNA haplogroup distribution in Chinese patients with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy and G11778A mutation

Mitochondrial DNA background has been shown to be involved in the penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in western Eurasian populations. To analyze mtDNA haplogroup distribution pattern in Han Chinese patients with LHON and G11778A muta

High penetrance of sequencing errors and interpretative shortcomings in mtDNA sequence analysis of LHON patients

For identifying mutation(s) that are potentially pathogenic it is essential to determine the entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from patients suffering from a particular mitochondrial disease, such as Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Howe

The search of 'novel' mtDNA mutations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: MITOMAPping as a risk factor

MITOMAP is by far the most frequently cited Web resource that is referred to in substantiating novelty of an mtDNA mutation. This database, as is now known, has quite an incomplete coverage of the mtDNA mutations from the literature. This circumstance has

树鼠mtDNA限制性内切酶图谱及其与小家鼠褐家鼠的亲缘关系

本实验用ＡｐｅⅠ，ＡｖａⅠ，ＢａｍＨⅠ，ＢｃｌⅠ，ＢｇｌⅠ，ＣｌａⅠ，ＥｃｏＲⅠ，ＥｃｏＲＶ，ＨｐａⅠ，ＰｓｔⅠ，ＰｖｕⅡ，ＳｃａⅠ，ＸｂａⅠ等１３种限制性内切酶分析树鼠（Ｃｈｉｒｏｍｙｓｃｕｓｃｈｉｒｏｐｅｓ）的ｍｔＤＮＡ限制性片段长度多态性，并用双酶解法构建了其中８种酶的限制性内切酶图谱。根据限制性片段差异法和分子钟，计算并讨论树鼠和小家鼠（Ｍｕｓｍｕｓｃｕｌｕｓ）、褐家鼠（Ｒａｔｔｕｓｎｏｒｖｅｇｉｃｕｓ）的ｍｔＤＮＡ遗传距离和亲缘关系。结果表明树鼠与褐家鼠的关系较接近，两者的分歧时间在距今１５００─２０００万年前，即处于中新世早中期。

云南黄牛和大额牛的mtDNA多态性研究

云南黄牛有两种类型的mtDNA分子, 一种是普遍黄牛类型, 另一种是瘤牛类型, 两者的频率 分别为33%和67%。没有发现过渡型和重组型。昆明黑白花奶牛的mtDNA与云南黄牛的相关似 。云南黄牛可能具有两种起源, 即普通黄牛起源和瘤牛起源。今天的云南黄牛群体是这两种类型的混合。大额牛的限制性类型与瘤牛相同, 表明大额牛的起源与瘤牛有密切关系。图2 表1参18

猪獾和黄鼬mtDNA物理图谱及位点变异性初探

用12种限制性内切酶分析了猪獾和黄鼬的mtDNA限制性片段, 并用双酶法构建限制性内切酶图谱。对哺乳动物mtDNA限制性位点在远缘物种间的保守性和变异性进行了探讨。

利用mtDNA 16S rRNA序列差异鉴定江西青岚湖的河蚌物种

对从青岚湖采集的 10属 14种河蚌的 19个样本进行了 16SrRNA的序列测定 ,并同GenBank中鄱阳湖流域相同物种河蚌的序列比较 ,分析了基于Kimura 2 parameter模型参数得到的遗传距离 ,并构建了它们的UPGMA树。结果显示 ,所有用于比较的河蚌种间遗传距离变化范围在 0 .0 2 74— 0 .2 2 90 ,平均为 0 .132 5 ,种内遗传距离在0 .0 0 34— 0 .0 0 6 8之间 ,平均为 0 .0 0 4 5 ,种间遗传距离远大于种内距离。表明以 16SrR

用mtDNA 12S rRNA序列变异检验鲤形目鱼类系统发育关系(英文)

通过对鲤形目鱼类 5个科的代表类群的完整线粒体 12SrRNA进行测序和分析 ,以检验目前的形态学假说。经序列比对后 ,有 10 0 0个位点 ,其中 467个位点在茎区 ,53 3个在环区 ;有 3 95个位点为变化位点 ,其中 2 67个为系统发育信息位点。采用邻接法和最大简约法进行了系统发育分析 ,其结果支持鲤科鱼类成为一个单系群 ,非鲤科的鲤形目鱼类成为另一个单系群的观点 ,这与Siebert提出的假说相一致。鲤科鱼类包含 3个主要的分支 ,即鱼丹系、鲤系和雅罗鱼系 ;但在非鲤科鲤形目鱼类中 ,其