Development of primers for amplification and further research on the D-loop control region for the Common Spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus (Amphibia)

Habitat loss and degradation are the most obvious and acute factors which influence amphibian decline. Fortunately, however, habitat deterioration is potentially reversible. Recognizing the factors critical for the species is therefore essential for successful habitat restoration and maintenance. In this study we explored the habitat requirements of the common spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus), a severely declining species in Europe. The toad is considered a typical representative of herpetofauna in open agricultural landscapes but at its northern and western range edge the species occurs also in forested areas. So far, studies on the habitat requirements of the common spadefoot toad have only focused on agricultural areas and the significance of forest habitats has remained indistinct. In order to determine the habitat characteristics vital for the species as well as the function of forests as possible sink or source habitats, we explored 34 water bodies and their surroundings comparatively in forested and open landscapes in Estonia. Our study demonstrated that land cover type did not influence the presence of the species – the limiting habitat factors were related to soil type and quality of the reproduction site only. Respectively, the species preferred large fish free sun exposed water bodies in areas with sandy soil. In our study sites such conditions were best met in old growth coniferous forest areas. Thus we suggest that these types of forests holding viable populations of the common spadefoot toad should be protected with large scale clear cuttings as well as altering of hydrology avoided.

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Age, size and body condition do not equally reflect population response to habitat change in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11678

Author(s):

Dan Cogălniceanu ◽

Florina Stănescu ◽

Diana Székely ◽

Theodor-Sebastian Topliceanu ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Median Lifespan ◽

Terrestrial Habitats ◽

The Common ◽

The Impact ◽

Physical Expansion

Urbanization impacts biodiversity both directly through physical expansion over land, and indirectly due to land use conversion and human behaviors associated with urban areas. We assessed the response of a common spadefoot toad population (Pelobates fuscus) to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from urban development by studying changes in size, body condition and age parameters. We compared samples collected in the early 2000s (sample A) and later on during 2012–2014 (sample B). The terrestrial habitats in the study area were severely reduced and fragmented due to the expansion of the human settlement. We found no significant differences in the age parameters between the two sampling periods; the median lifespan shortened from 3.5 (sample A) to 3.0 years (sample B), while the other age parameters were similar in both samples. In contrast, snout-vent length, body mass and body condition experienced a significant decrease over time. Our results suggest that changes in body size and body condition, rather than age parameters, better reflect the response of the common spadefoot toad population to declining habitat quality. Therefore, body measurements can provide reliable estimates of the impact of habitat degradation in amphibian populations.

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Genetic diversity and population structure of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) in Kenya: implication for conservation and aquaculture

Belgian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.26496/bjz.2017.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 147 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James E. Barasa ◽

Sinebongo Mdyogolo ◽

Romulus Abila ◽

Johannes Paul Grobler ◽

Robert A. Skilton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Structure ◽

Control Region ◽

Clarias Gariepinus ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Fish Farm ◽

African Catfish ◽

Important Species ◽

Loop Control ◽

D Loop ◽

Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium

African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, is an important species in aquaculture and fisheries in Kenya. Mitochondrial D-loop control region was used to determine genetic variation and population structure in samples of C. gariepinus from 10 sites including five natural populations (Lakes Victoria (LVG), Kanyaboli (LKG), Turkana (LTA), Baringo (LBA) and Jipe (LJP), and five farms (Sangoro Aquaculture Center (SAN), Sagana Aquaculture Centre (SAG), University of Eldoret Fish Farm (UoE), Kibos Fish Farm (KIB), and Wakhungu Fish Farm (WKU)) in Kenya. Similarly, samples from eight localities (four natural populations: LVG/LKG, LTA, LBA, and four farmed: SAN, SAG, KIB, UoE) were genotyped using six microsatellite DNA loci. For the D-loop control region, samples from natural sites exhibited higher numbers of haplotypes and haplotype diversities compared to farmed samples, and 88.2% of haplotypes were private. All except LJP and LTA shared haplotypes, and the highest number of shared haplotypes (8) was detected in KIB. The 68 haplotypes we found in 268 individuals grouped into five phylogenetic clades: LVG/LKG, LTA, LBA, LJP and SAG. Haplotypes of farmed C. gariepinus mostly have haplotypes typical of LVG/LKG, and some shared haplotypes of the LBA population. Microsatellite analysis showed farmed samples have higher numbers of alleles than natural samples, but higher observed and expected heterozygosity levels were found in samples of natural populations. Fifteen pair-wise comparisons had significantly different FST values. All samples were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Samples from the eight localities grouped into four genetic clusters (LVG/LKG, LTA, LBA and SAG), indicating genetically distinct populations, which should be considered for aquaculture and conservation.

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An unusually coloured individual of the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

Fragmenta Faunistica ◽

10.3161/00159301ff2020.63.2.137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 137-140

Author(s):

Piotr Paweł KAZIMIRSKI ◽

Keyword(s):

Predator Avoidance ◽

Green Light ◽

Ecological Effects ◽

Yellowish Green ◽

Anuran Species ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

The Common ◽

Light Green ◽

Olive Green

The background colouration of the spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus, an anuran species found in Europe is typically light grey/yellow grey/light olive-green. However, an atypical specimen, whose background was brightly coloured yellowish green (light green/lime/yellow coloured), with darker small spots distributed through dorsal parts and four main spots slightly shaped was observed in Poland (Great Poland, Mościejewo village), near to two ponds. The ecological effects of green coloured individual can be adaptively important, through its similarity to the vegetation (predator avoidance).

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Analysis of the common spadefoot toad (PELOBATES FUSCUS) skin secretions on the presence of the potential hemostasis system effectors

Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Series Biology ◽

10.17721/1728_2748.2019.77.38-44 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 38-44

Author(s):

I. Udovychenko ◽

D. Oliynyk ◽

J. Dudkina ◽

T. Halenova ◽

O. Savchuk

Keyword(s):

Biologically Active ◽

Raw Material ◽

Amphibian Skin ◽

Active Compounds ◽

Skin Glands ◽

Hemostasis System ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Skin Secretions ◽

The Common

Since nowadays the chemical synthesis of new bioactive compounds is a complicated and expensive procedure, alongside with the increased price for drugs based on synthetic biologically active compounds, scientists lay emphasize on natural sources as a promising raw material for various biologically active substances. Amphibian skin glands secretions are a powerful source of potential pharmacological agents. Currently their antimicrobial, antiviral, cardiotonic and antidiabetic activities have been studied in detail, although almost nothing is known about the effects of the tailless amphibians' skin secretions on the functioning of the hemostasis system. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential effects of the components of skin glands secretions of a representative of Ukrainian batrakhofauna – the Common spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus) on some parameters of hemostasis system. In the result of chromatographic separation of general skin secretions, 4 protein fractions were obtained, containing a variety of proteins with molecular masses ranging from 17 to 150 kDa. The components of fraction 1 activated prothrombin and factor X in plasma. Several components of fraction 4 had proteolytic activity and substrate specificity for collagen. The components of fractions 1 and 2 prolonged plasma coagulation time in the APTT. Thus, it was proved the presence of biologically active compounds in the P. fuscus skin secretions, that indicates the prospects for further research to identify the individual components responsible for the manifestation of the shown effects in order to provide clues in understanding the structural and functional characteristics and mechanism of action. Moreover, advances in this area will further increase the use of amphibian skin secretions as a raw material for the development of new original pharmaceutical agents and/or biotechnological products

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Characterization of the mitochondrial Huso huso genome with new aspects into its organization with presence of tandem repeat in the 12SrRNA and tRNA-Glu

10.21203/rs.3.rs-894057/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Khadijeh Dadkhah ◽

Ghodrat Rahimi Mianji ◽

Ali barzegar ◽

Ayoub Farhadia

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Genome ◽

Control Region ◽

Tandem Repeat ◽

Duplication Event ◽

Regulatory Elements ◽

Repeat Sequence ◽

Loop Control ◽

Coding Regions ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

D Loop

Abstract The sturgeon group is an economically important group in the world due to the production of caviar, and they are also a suitable old species for researching on the evolution of the mitochondrial genome. In H.huso sequencing, we identified a distinct genome organization relative to other species that has never been reported before. In this specie, the mitochondrial genome consisted of 13 genes encoding proteins, 22tRNA and 2rRNA, and two non-coding regions that followed other vertebrates. In addition, H.huso had an pseudo tRNA-Glu between ND6 and Cytb and also had a 52-nucleotide tandem repeat with two replications in the 12SrRNA. This duplication event is related to the slipped strand during replication, which can remain in the strand as a result of mispairing during replication. Furthermore, an 82 bp repeat sequence with three replications was observed in the D-loop control region, which is usually visible in different species. Regulatory elements are also visible in the control region of the mitochondrial genome that include termination sequences and conserved regulatory blocks. Genomic compounds showed the highest conservation in terms of rRNA and tRNA, while protein-encoded genes and non-encoded regions had the highest divergence. The mitochondrial genome was phylogenetically assayed using 13 protein-encoding genes.

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Salinity Tolerance in Pelobates Fuscus (Laurenti, 1768) Tadpoles (Amphibia: Pelobatidae)

Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa” ◽

10.2478/travmu-2013-0008 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Florina Stănescu ◽

Ruben Iosif ◽

Diana Székely ◽

Paul Székely ◽

Daniela Roşioru ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Deionized Water ◽

Salinity Treatment ◽

Spadefoot Toad ◽

Pelobates Fuscus ◽

Size At Metamorphosis ◽

Salinity Levels ◽

The Common ◽

The Mean ◽

Mean Time

Abstract We investigated the effect of salinity on larval development and survival rate to metamorphosis in the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768). Our hypothesis was that higher salinity would decrease tadpole survival rate and body size at metamorphosis, and delay metamorphosis. The response of the tadpoles was evaluated through an experimental design with three salinity treatments of 2, 4, and 8‰ compared to a control (deionized water). Survival varied across the treatments: neither of the tadpoles in 8‰ salinity treatment survived the experiment, nor achieved metamorphosis. Salinity levels of 2 and 4‰ had no significant influence on the mean time to metamorphosis, body mass and SVL at metamorphosis. Our results suggest that P. fuscus tadpoles have a tolerance threshold for brackish water up to 4‰, above which survival is impaired.

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The very low genetic variability on Aceh Tamiang’s (Indonesia) population of Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) inferred by cytochrome oxidase I (CO I) and D-loop (control region)

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity ◽

10.13057/biodiv/d210624 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

Author(s):

JOKO GUNTORO ◽

WIRDATETI ◽

AWAL RIYANTO

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variability ◽

Cytochrome Oxidase ◽

Control Region ◽

Haplotype Diversity ◽

Cytochrome Oxidase I ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Loop Control ◽

Loop Region ◽

D Loop

Abstract. Guntoro J, Wirdateti, Riyanto A. 2020. The very low genetic variability on Aceh Tamiang’s (Indonesia) population of Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) inferred by cytochrome oxidase I (CO I) and D-loop (control region). Biodiversitas 21: 2514-2520. Populations of Batagur borneoensis have been rapidly decreasing due to the harvesting of adults and eggs for food and the construction of beachfront property causing the loss of nesting areas. By the new Indonesian regulation, since 2018 this turtle listed in the protected animal. Meanwhile, IUCN placed as critically endangered which indicating a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future (www.iucnredlist.org). We used cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and control region D-loop region to investigate intraspecific variations on Aceh Tamiang’s population of painted terrapin, Batagur borneoensis. DNA material was gathered from saliva collected from 90 juveniles in the reaching facility of Sukacita Lestari Indonesia Foundation which hatched from eggs collected from December 2015 to April 2016 from 30 nests on beach area at Aceh Tamiang. The population showed very low genetic variability (haplotype diversity, Hd = 0.457 based on COI and 0.405 based on D-loop; nucleotide diversity, π = 0.00089 based on COI and 0.00076 based on D-loop). So, we suggested that further study such as more exploration to find new wild populations and genetic study across wild populations should be done to reveal genetic variability and genetic structure which important to decide the conservation strategy. At the time for Aceh Tamiang's population, the ranching conservation program should be maintained at least to keep the successful hatchling from hunters and natural predators both during eggs laying and hatching.

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