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Genetic analysis of samples from wild populations opens new perspectives on hybridization between long-tailed (Macaca fascicularis) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Bunlungsup S, Kanthaswamy S, Oldt RF, Smith DG, Houghton P, Hamada Y, et al.

Am J Primatol, 2017 12;79(12).
PMID: 29095514 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22726

In the past decade, many researchers have published papers about hybridization between long-tailed and rhesus macaques. These previous works have proposed unidirectional gene flow with the Isthmus of Kra as the zoogeographical barrier of hybridization. However, these reports analyzed specimens of unknown origin and/or did not include specimens from Thailand, the center of the proposed area of hybridization. Collected specimens of long-tailed and rhesus macaques representing all suspected hybridization areas were examined. Blood samples from four populations each of long-tailed and rhesus macaques inhabiting Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos were collected and analyzed with conspecific references from China (for rhesus macaques) and multiple countries from Sundaic regions (for long-tailed macaques). Ninety-six single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers specifically designed to interrogate admixture and ancestry were used in genotyping. We found genetic admixture maximized at the hybrid zone (15-20°N), as well as admixture signals of varying strength in both directions outside of the hybrid zone. These findings show that the Isthmus of Kra is not a barrier to gene flow from rhesus to long-tailed populations. However, to precisely identify a southernmost barrier, if in fact a boundary rather than simple isolation by distance exists, the samples from peninsular Malaysia must be included in the analysis. Additionally, a long-tailed to rhesus gene flow boundary was found between northern Thailand and Myanmar. Our results suggest that selection of long-tailed and rhesus macaques, the two most commonly used non-human primates for biomedical research, should take into account not only the species identification but also the origin of and genetic admixture within and between the species.

Matched MeSH terms: Macaca mulatta/genetics*
Fulltext Ancestry, Plasmodium cynomolgi prevalence and rhesus macaque admixture in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) bred for export in Chinese breeding farms

Zhang X, Meng Y, Houghton P, Liu M, Kanthaswamy S, Oldt R, et al.

J Med Primatol, 2017 04;46(2):31-41.
PMID: 28266719 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12256

BACKGROUND: Most cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) used in the United States as animal models are imported from Chinese breeding farms without documented ancestry. Cynomolgus macaques with varying rhesus macaque ancestry proportions may exhibit differences, such as susceptibility to malaria, that affect their suitability as a research model.
METHODS: DNA of 400 cynomolgus macaques from 10 Chinese breeding farms was genotyped to characterize their regional origin and rhesus ancestry proportion. A nested PCR assay was used to detect Plasmodium cynomolgi infection in sampled individuals.
RESULTS: All populations exhibited high levels of genetic heterogeneity and low levels of inbreeding and genetic subdivision. Almost all individuals exhibited an Indochinese origin and a rhesus ancestry proportion of 5%-48%. The incidence of P. cynomolgi infection in cynomolgus macaques is strongly associated with proportion of rhesus ancestry.
CONCLUSIONS: The varying amount of rhesus ancestry in cynomolgus macaques underscores the importance of monitoring their genetic similarity in malaria research.

Matched MeSH terms: Macaca mulatta/genetics
Fulltext Definition of Mafa-A and -B haplotypes in pedigreed cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Otting N, Doxiadis GG, Bontrop RE

Immunogenetics, 2009 Dec;61(11-12):745-53.
PMID: 19937015 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-009-0412-9

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I B gene/allelic repertoire was investigated in a pedigreed population of cynomolgus macaques of mixed Indonesian/Malaysian origin. The Mafa-B alleles detected in this cohort are mostly specific for a given geographic area, and only a small number of alleles appears to be shared with other populations. This suggests the fast evolution of Mafa-B alleles due to adaptation to new environments. In contrast to humans, the B locus in Old World monkeys displays extensive copy number variation. The Mafa-B and previously defined -A gene combinations segregate in families and thus allowed the definition of extended haplotypes. In many cases it was possible to assign a particular Mafa-I allele to one of these Mafa-A/B haplotypes as well. The presence of a large number of stable haplotypes in this cohort of animals, which was pedigreed for up to eight generations, looks promising for developing discriminative MHC typing tools that are less cumbersome. Furthermore, the discovery of 53 unreported Mafa-B sequences expands the lexicon of alleles significantly, and may help in understanding the complex organisation of the macaque B region.

Matched MeSH terms: Macaca mulatta/genetics

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