Distinctive Paleo-Indian Migration Routes from Beringia Marked by Two Rare mtDNA Haplogroups

Background: It is widely accepted that the ancestors of Native Americans arrived in the New World via Beringia approximately 10 to 30 thousand years ago (kya). However, the arrival time(s), number of expansion events, and migration routes into the Western

银额果蝇自然群体中的mtDNA多态性研究──Ⅱ．银额果蝇的起源和分化

本文以８种限制性内切酶对８个银额果蝇群体进行了ｍｔＤＮＡ的限制性片段长度多态性（ＲＦＬＰ）分析。发现现生银额果蝇种群可以分成三个相对独立的群体，即东部、中部和西部群体。结合其它有关资料，我们推测，银额果蝇可能起源于马来半岛南部和加里曼丹岛一带。起初分成东西两支向北扩散。东支发展成现在的东部群体；西支则在中南半岛北部又分成两个支系；从而形成了现生银额果蝇群体的东部、中部和西部的地理分布模式。

银额果蝇自然群体中的mtDNA多态性

采用mtDNA RFLP技术, 探讨了银额果蝇自然群体中的mtDNA多态性及其与银额果蝇起源、扩 散的关系。图4表3参9(梁嘉)

银额果蝇自然群体中的mtDNA多态性研究 I: 银额果蝇自然群体内存在丰富的mtDNA多态性

运用限制性内切酶对银额果蝇自然群体进行了mtDNA的限制性片段长度多态性(RFLP)分析。 发现银额果蝇自然群体中存在极为丰富的mtDNA多态性, 从82个单雌系中, 共检测到34种限 制性类型。对这一现象的效应和成因进行了探讨。图3表7参19

西南地区家猪和野猪mtDNA遗传多样性研究

用20种限制性内切酶分析来自中国西南地区的家猪和野猪的mtDNA群体遗传多样性。结果表 明: 在全部28只个体中, 共检出26种限制性态型, 归结为6种不同的限制性类型, 限制性类 型的差异主要来源于少数几个限制性位点的偶然突变。利用现代分子群体遗传学方法, 对这些猪的遗传多样性进行评估, 结果表明中国西南地区猪的mtDNA变异度很低, 遗传多样性贫 乏, 提示西南地区的猪起源于一个共同的祖先, 在品种形成的早期可能受到创立者效应的制约。图1表3参11

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