Detection of Heterozygosity and Allelic Frequency of Indian and Southeast Asian Types of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Bangladesh using Microsatellite Markers

Background: The two types of Asian weaver ant species, Oecophylla smaragdina, Indian types and Southeast (SE) Asian types can co-occur in the same habitat. Previous study on mtDNA based phylogenesis of O. smaragdina in Bangladesh has revealed the presence of the mixture of both Indian and SE Asian type of O. smaragdina. However, the nuclear DNA based study showed some inconsistency leading the chance of hybridization as colonies encountered from two localities contained O. smaragdina workers from more than one type as identified via longwave length rhodopsin (LWRh) and mitochondrial COI and Cytb gene analysis. The purpose of present study was to detect hybridization status and to find out the identical allele for Indian and SE Asian type of O. smaragdina from different colonies. Method: A total of seven O. smaragdina colonies had been collected from Bangladesh during 2013 to December 2016. Microsatellite analysis were performed for Gene mapping and heterozygosity study with 11 microsatellite loci through electropherogrum study generated by peak scanner software.Result: Among 11 microsatellite loci, two loci, MS 8.24 and MS 6.45 provided the identical allele position for Indian and SE Asian types while no allelic position were identified with nine microsatellite loci. The results inferred that weaver ant of both Indian and SE Asian type engage in bidirectional interspecific gene flow. The strong possibility of hybridization between these two types is inferred, which indicates that barriers to hybridization do not exist or can be completely overcome. This is unexpected, given that they are non-sister species and broadly sympatric in nature. These findings also indicate the possible occurrence of hybrid-hybrid crosses in some localities of weaver ant, a phenomenon rarely observed in ants.

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Nuclear DNA microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity and gene flow in the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos)

Molecular Ecology ◽

10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.00892.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 421-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 141

Author(s):

Lisette Waits ◽

Pierre Taberlet ◽

Jon E. Swenson ◽

Finn Sandegren ◽

Robert Franzen

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Gene Flow ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

Brown Bear ◽

Microsatellite Analysis ◽

Dna Microsatellite Analysis ◽

Dna Microsatellite

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Microsatellite loci for the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina

Molecular Ecology Notes ◽

10.1111/j.1471-8286.2004.00752.x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 608-610 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. AZUMA ◽

J. TAKAHASHI ◽

S. HIGASHI ◽

M. SASAKI

Keyword(s):

Microsatellite Loci ◽

Oecophylla Smaragdina ◽

Weaver Ant

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Global Population Genetic Structure and Male-Mediated Gene Flow in the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas): Analysis of Microsatellite Loci

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/166.4.1857 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 166 (4) ◽

pp. 1857-1870

Author(s):

Mark A Roberts ◽

Tonia S Schwartz ◽

Stephen A Karl

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Microsatellite Loci ◽

Genetic Divergence ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Single Copy ◽

Sea Turtle ◽

Population Connectivity ◽

Population Subdivision ◽

Cryptic Variation

Abstract We assessed the degree of population subdivision among global populations of green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, using four microsatellite loci. Previously, a single-copy nuclear DNA study indicated significant male-mediated gene flow among populations alternately fixed for different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and that genetic divergence between populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was more common than subdivisions among populations within ocean basins. Even so, overall levels of variation at single-copy loci were low and inferences were limited. Here, the markedly more variable microsatellite loci confirm the presence of male-mediated gene flow among populations within ocean basins. This analysis generally confirms the genetic divergence between the Atlantic and Pacific. As with the previous study, phylogenetic analyses of genetic distances based on the microsatellite loci indicate a close genetic relationship among eastern Atlantic and Indian Ocean populations. Unlike the single-copy study, however, the results here cannot be attributed to an artifact of general low variability and likely represent recent or ongoing migration between ocean basins. Sequence analyses of regions flanking the microsatellite repeat reveal considerable amounts of cryptic variation and homoplasy and significantly aid in our understanding of population connectivity. Assessment of the allele frequency distributions indicates that at least some of the loci may not be evolving by the stepwise mutation model.

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Molecular Signatures of Reticulate Evolution within the Complex of European Pine Taxa

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12040489 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 489

Author(s):

Bartosz Łabiszak ◽

Witold Wachowiak

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Reticulate Evolution ◽

Modeling Framework ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Interspecific Gene Flow ◽

Nucleotide Sequence Variation ◽

History Of ◽

Best Fitting ◽

Species Integrity

Speciation mechanisms, including the role of interspecific gene flow and introgression in the emergence of new species, are the major focus of evolutionary studies. Inference of taxonomic relationship between closely related species may be challenged by past hybridization events, but at the same time, it may provide new knowledge about mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of species integrity despite interspecific gene flow. Here, using nucleotide sequence variation and utilizing a coalescent modeling framework, we tested the role of hybridization and introgression in the evolutionary history of closely related pine taxa from the Pinus mugo complex and P. sylvestris. We compared the patterns of polymorphism and divergence between taxa and found a great overlap of neutral variation within the P. mugo complex. Our phylogeny reconstruction indicated multiple instances of reticulation events in the past, suggesting an important role of interspecific gene flow in the species divergence. The best-fitting model revealed P. mugo and P. uncinata as sister species with basal P. uliginosa and asymmetric migration between all investigated species after their divergence. The magnitude of interspecies gene flow differed greatly, and it was consistently stronger from representatives of P. mugo complex to P. sylvestris than in the opposite direction. The results indicate the prominent role of reticulation evolution in those forest trees and provide a genetic framework to study species integrity maintained by selection and local adaptation.

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Geographic Structure of Mitochondrial and Nuclear Gene Polymorphisms in Australian Green Turtle Populations and Male-Biased Gene Flow

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/147.4.1843 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 147 (4) ◽

pp. 1843-1854 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Nancy N FitzSimmons ◽

Craig Moritz ◽

Colin J Limpus ◽

Lisa Pope ◽

Robert Prince

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Genetic Structure ◽

Green Turtle ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

Nuclear Gene ◽

Chelonia Mydas ◽

Single Copy ◽

Microsatellite Data ◽

Ecological Data ◽

Infinite Allele Model

Abstract The genetic structure of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries located around the Australian coast was assessed by (1) comparing the structure found within and among geographic regions, (2) comparing microsatellite loci vs. restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of anonymous single copy nuclear DNA (ascnDNA) loci, and (3) comparing the structure found at nuclear DNA markers to that of previously analyzed mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region sequences. Significant genetic structure was observed over all regions at both sets of nuclear markers, though the microsatellite data provided greater resolution in identifying significant genetic differences in pairwise tests between regions. Inferences about population structure and migration rates from the microsatellite data varied depending on whether statistics were based on the stepwise mutation or infinite allele model, with the latter being more congruent with geography. Estimated rates of gene flow were generally higher than expected for nuclear DNA (nDNA) in comparison to mtDNA, and this difference was most pronounced in comparisons between the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The genetic data combined with results from physical tagging studies indicate that the lack of nuclear gene divergence through the GBR is likely due to the migration of sGBR turtles through the courtship area of the nGBR population, rather than male-biased dispersal. This example highlights the value of combining comparative studies of molecular variation with ecological data to infer population processes.

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Interspecific Gene Flow Shaped the Evolution of the Genus Canis

Current Biology ◽

10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (23) ◽

pp. 4152 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shyam Gopalakrishnan ◽

Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding ◽

Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal ◽

Jonas Niemann ◽

Jose A. Samaniego Castruita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Interspecific Gene Flow

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Polymorphism and division of labour in a socially complex ant: neuromodulation of aggression in the Australian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2015.0704 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 282 (1811) ◽

pp. 20150704 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

J. Frances Kamhi ◽

Kelley Nunn ◽

Simon K. A. Robson ◽

James F. A. Traniello

Keyword(s):

Social Systems ◽

Division Of Labour ◽

Oecophylla Smaragdina ◽

Minor Worker ◽

Task Specialization ◽

Territorial Defence ◽

Weaver Ant ◽

Eusocial Insects ◽

Worker Size ◽

Pharmacological Manipulations

Complex social structure in eusocial insects can involve worker morphological and behavioural differentiation. Neuroanatomical variation may underscore worker division of labour, but the regulatory mechanisms of size-based task specialization in polymorphic species are unknown. The Australian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina , exhibits worker polyphenism: larger major workers aggressively defend arboreal territories, whereas smaller minors nurse brood. Here, we demonstrate that octopamine (OA) modulates worker size-related aggression in O. smaragdina . We found that the brains of majors had significantly higher titres of OA than those of minors and that OA was positively and specifically correlated with the frequency of aggressive responses to non-nestmates, a key component of territorial defence. Pharmacological manipulations that effectively switched OA action in major and minor worker brains reversed levels of aggression characteristic of each worker size class. Results suggest that altering OA action is sufficient to produce differences in aggression characteristic of size-related social roles. Neuromodulators therefore may generate variation in responsiveness to task-related stimuli associated with worker size differentiation and collateral behavioural specializations, a significant component of division of labour in complex social systems.

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