Numerous reports of hybridization between wild
Canis
species and domestic dog suggest that hybridization between golden jackal and dog is likely. Here we present an assay of a Y chromosome marker for ...discriminating between golden jackal (
Canis aureus
) and dog (
Canis lupus familiaris
) paternal ancestry. Taking advantage of an insertion found in a dog
Zfy
intron haplotype but not in a golden jackal haplotype, we developed a three-primer PCR system in which species are differentiated based on the number of amplicons. Two amplicons are produced from domestic dog DNA template, while one amplicon is produced from golden jackal DNA template. Both amplicons can be analyzed in a single agarose gel electrophoresis run, while the longer amplicon also serves as an internal control. The method was validated using 27 golden jackal and 25 dog samples; all samples showed the expected amplicons. This simple and cost-effective method should prove useful for determining the direction of golden jackal–dog hybridization.
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) includes highly polymorphic genes involved in antigen presentation, which is crucial for adaptive immune response. They represent fitness related genetic ...markers particularly informative for populations exposed to environmental challenges. Here we analyse the diversity and evolutionary traits of MHC class II DQA and DQB genes in the dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba and Grampus griseus from the Mediterranean Sea. We found substantial nucleotide and functional diversity, as well as strong evidence of balancing selection indicated by allele and supertype frequencies, Tajima's D statistics and dN/dS tests. The Risso's dolphin, considered the least abundant in the region, showed the effect of divergent allele advantage at the nucleotide and functional-peptide levels. An outstanding polymorphism was found in the striped dolphin, particularly intriguing in the DQA gene where the Ewens-Watterson test detected a selection sweep that occurred in recent history. We hypothesize that morbillivirus, which has recurrently invaded Mediterranean populations over the last decades, exerted the detected selective pressure.
Domestic equidae display polymorphism within ELA-DRA locus which is not characteristic for other species. We characterised sequence polymorphism present at ELA-DRA locus exon 2 and estimated allele ...frequencies in two autochthonous breeds, Posavina and Croatian Coldblood. In 88 horses, four different alleles were found, one of them not reported before in horses. The new allele shows non-synonymous mutation at position 65 (T→A) causing amino acid change (Phe→Tyr) in antigen binding site and synonymous mutation at position 105 (C→T). Our findings emphasize the importance of DRA polymorphism among equids and some specific DRA frequency pattern potentially specific in draught horses.
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are commonly used markers for monitoring adaptive genetic and evolutionary potential of species. In this study, we investigated genetic variation ...of the MHC class II DRB locus in the chamois genus Rupicapra by using next-generation sequencing. Sequencing of 102 samples led to the identification of 25 alleles, 11 of which are novel. The high ratio of the relative rates of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutations (dN/dS) suggests a signal of positive selection on this locus. We analyzed patterns of genetic variation within and among 2 subspecies of Northern Chamois and compared them to previously published studies using neutral markers to provide a basis for assessing the effects of demographic processes. Our analyses have shown that alleles are likely to be maintained by balancing selection in different populations with similar frequencies and that this mechanism also works in small, isolated populations that are strongly affected by genetic drift.
In this study on the chamois genus Rupicapra, researchers explored genetic variation of the MHC class II DRB locus using next-generation sequencing. The research highlights a strong signal of positive selection at this locus, indicated by the high dN/dS ratio. The study also revealed that balancing selection maintains alleles across different chamois populations, including those that are small and isolated, emphasizing the evolutionary significance of this genetic mechanism.
Fascioloidosis is a parasitic disease caused by a trematode Fascioloides magna. Since major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes play an important role in the immune response, the aim of this study ...was to compare the potential differences in MHC class II SLA-DRB1 exon 2 genes between wild boar populations from infected (cases) and non-infected areas (controls). During the winter of 2021, a total of 136 wild boar tissue samples were collected, 39 cases and 97 controls. DNA was extracted and sequenced using the Illumina platform. Differences in distributions of allele combinations were calculated using the Chi-Square test for homogeneity and between proportions using the large-sample test and Fisher–Irwin test. Analysis revealed 19 previously described swine leucocyte antigen (SLA) alleles. The number of polymorphic sites was 79 (29.6%), with 99 mutations in total. Nucleotide diversity π was estimated at 0.11. Proportions of the alleles SLA-DRB1*12:05 (p = 0.0008379) and SLA-DRB1*0101 (p = 0.0002825) were statistically significantly higher in controls, and proportions of the SLA-DRB1*0602 (p = 0.006059) and SLA-DRB1*0901 (p = 0.0006601) in cases. Alleles SLA-DRB1*04:09, SLA-DRB1*0501, SLA-DRB1*11:09, and SLA-DRB1*1301 were detected only in cases, while SLA-DRB1*0404, SLA-DRB1*0701, SLA-DRB1*02:10, and SLA-DRB1*04:08 were present only in controls. We did not confirm the existence of specific alleles that could be linked to F. magna infection. Detected high variability of the MHC class II SLA-DRB1 exon 2 genes indicate high resistance potential against various pathogens.
Aim To use the method of meta-analysis to assess the influence of island population isolation on the sub-structuring of the Croatian population, as well as the influence of regional population groups ...on the sub-structuring of the Southeastern European population with regard to basic population genetic statistical parameters calculated by using STR locus analysis. Methods Bio-statistical analyses were performed for 2877 unrelated participants of both sexes from Southeastern Europe. Nine autosomal STR loci (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, TH01, TPOX, CSF1PO, D5S818, D13S317, and D7S82) were analyzed by using standard F-statistics and population structure analysis (Structure software). Results Genetic differentiation of Croatian subpopulations assessed with the F.sub.ST method was higher at the level of the Croatian population (0.005) than at the level of Southeastern Europe (0.002). The island of Vis showed the most pronounced separation in the Croatian population, and Albanians from Kosovo in the population of Southeast Europe, followed by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. Conclusion The higher structure of Croatian subpopulations in relation to Southeastern Europe suggest a certain degree of genetic isolation, most likely due to the influence of endogamy within rural island populations.
Various anthropogenic threats negatively influence the survival of cetaceans in all world seas. Thanks to a long-running marine mammal surveillance program, we are able to report the results of a ...detailed analysis of the influence of cetacean-fisheries interactions and marine litter ingestion on cetacean mortality in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea over the last three decades. The total number of dead cetaceans was 459, and included 334 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), 40 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), ten Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus), six Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and four fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). Three hundred of them were examined postmortally. Cetacean-fisheries interaction occurred frequently in the Adriatic Sea, being detected in 96 (20.9%) of the recorded cases. Bycatch was the most abundant cetacean-fisheries interaction, with 66 (14.4%) cases recorded. Good nutritional condition and evidence of recent feeding were the most common findings recorded in bycatch cases, followed by persistent froth in the airways, edematous lungs, bruises and an amputated fluke or tail. Cetacean-fisheries interactions other than bycatch affected 30 animals and included larynx strangulations, long-term tail entanglement and fishing gear in the stomach. Ingestion of marine litter that was not related to fisheries was recorded in four animals. This study reveals the considerable negative anthropogenic influence on cetaceans in the Adriatic Sea, especially the bottlenose dolphin that is considered to be the most numerous cetacean species therein, and demonstrates the need for the urgent development of a cetacean bycatch reduction program. Finally, it also shows the importance of sustaining national surveillance programs to gain scientifically based knowledge important for cetacean protection and prospects for their long-term survival.
Wolf-dog hybridization in Croatia Kusak, Josip; Fabbri, Elena; Galov, Ana ...
Veterinarski arhiv,
01/2018, Letnik:
88, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Wolf-dog hybridization is considered as one of the main threats for wolf conservation since the admixture and introgression of domestic genes may disrupt local adaptations and threaten the long term ...survival of wild wolf populations. We investigated the occurrence of wolf-dog hybridization in Croatia by analyzing a panel of 12 autosomal microsatellite markers using Bayesian admixture tests, and assessed its directionality by the use of maternally and paternally inherited markers in combination with morphometric data and morphological features. A systematic analysis of morphologic features and morphometric data was used to rank the studied individuals into either phenotypic wild-type wolves or suspected hybrids. By combining Bayesian assignment results with phenotypic features, we set three thresholds which differentiated wolves from hybrids with maximized hybrid detection and a minimized chance for false positive hybrid identification. On the basis of phenotype, out of 176 wild canids, 157 (89.2%) were categorized as wolves and 19 (10.8%) as suspected hybrids. On the basis of the Bayesian admixture tests and phenotype together, five (2.8 percent) animals were classified as wolf-dog hybrids, four of them as backcrosses with wolves, and one as a backcross with a dog. Mitochondrial DNA suggested that all hybrids originated from the mating of female wolves and male dogs. Two male hybrids had Y chromosome haplotypes common to both wolves and dogs, while the other two had wolf private Y chromosome haplotypes. One wolf had a dog Y-haplotype, indicating a past introgression of dog genes. All hybrids were found in Dalmatia, where wolves settled recently, and where they live close to humans, with a high rate of human-caused mortality. These conditions are considered as favorable for wolf-dog hybridization. However, we found a low hybridization prevalence in Croatia, which is nonetheless expected to persist as long as the conditions favoring its occurrence are met. The ecological, sociological, conservation and management implications of hybrid occurrence are yet to be determined. Key words: wolf; dog; Canis lupus; hybridization; Croatia; Bayesian admixture analysis; microsatellites; parental markers
With increasing advances in telemetry technology, prospecting behaviour was identified in many seabirds; mostly in immatures, but also in adults - during pre-breeding and post-breeding periods and ...among failed breeders. However, prospecting has not yet been documented among active breeders. We equipped 17 Common terns Sterna hirundo with GPS-UHF data-loggers and tracked their movements during late incubation and chick rearing in continental Croatia. We monitored the fate of their clutches until chicks left the nest. Birds of both sexes visited other breeding colonies within relatively short distances, while they still had active nests. These results confirm for the first time the presence of prospecting trips during incubation and chick-rearing in active breeders. Such behaviour probably developed because quick and unpredictable changes in their freshwater habitats can cause failure of whole colonies, forcing them to renest at other sites during the same breeding season. Prospecting during the first breeding attempt might shorten the renesting interval, and increase renesting success when multiple breeding sites are available on an easily accessible area. With increasing vulnerability of colony sites due to climate change, studies of scattered colonies are needed to better understand renesting and adult prospecting strategies.
The golden jackal, widely distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa, is one of the less studied carnivores in the world and the genetic structure of the European populations is unknown. In the last ...century jackals strongly declined mainly due to human persecution, but recently they expanded again in eastern Europe. With the aim to determine the genetic structure and the origin of expanding jackals, we analyzed population samples obtained from Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia (Dalmatia and Slavonia) and individuals sampled in north-eastern Italy. Samples were typed at the hypervariable part of the mitochondrial DNA control-region (mtDNA CR1) and at 15 canine autosomal microsatellite loci (STR), and analyzed using multivariate, Bayesian and landscape genetic methods. The mtDNA CR1 was monomorphic, showing a single haplotype shared among all the populations. The STR loci were variable, with 2–14 alleles and intermediate values of heterozygosity (Ho = 0.47; He = 0.51). Genetic diversity was significantly partitioned (θST = 0.07; P < 0.001) and the populations were partially distinct, perhaps in consequence of recent fragmentations. Jackals from Dalmatia were the most genetically differentiated. Assignment testing and gene flow analyses suggested that jackals colonizing Italy have admixed origins from Dalmatian and Slavonian populations. They are not first generation migrants, suggesting that dispersal towards north-eastern Italy is a stepping-stone process. Golden jackal and wolf colonization patterns might be different, with prevalent short-distance dispersal in jackals versus prevalent long distance dispersal in wolves. The admixed origin of jackals in the Alps ensures abundant genetic variability, which may enhance adaptive fitness and expectancy of population growth. The intersections between Dinaric–Balkan and Eastern Alps are areas of population expansion and admixture, highlighting their conservation, ecological and evolutionary values.
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