Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 166 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext High connectivity in Rastrelliger kanagurta: influence of historical signatures and migratory behaviour inferred from mtDNA cytochrome b
    Akib NA, Tam BM, Phumee P, Abidin MZ, Tamadoni S, Mather PB, et al.
    PLoS One, 2015;10(3):e0119749.
    PMID: 25786216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119749
    Phylogeographic patterns and population structure of the pelagic Indian mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta were examined in 23 populations collected from the Indonesian-Malaysian Archipelago (IMA) and the West Indian Ocean (WIO). Despite the vast expanse of the IMA and neighbouring seas, no evidence for geographical structure was evident. An indication that R. kanagurta populations across this region are essentially panmictic. This study also revealed that historical isolation was insufficient for R. kanagurta to attain migration drift equilibrium. Two distinct subpopulations were detected between the WIO and the IMA (and adjacent populations); interpopulation genetic variation was high. A plausible explanation for the genetic differentiation observed between the IMA and WIO regions suggest historical isolation as a result of fluctuations in sea levels during the late Pleistocene. This occurrence resulted in the evolution of a phylogeographic break for this species to the north of the Andaman Sea.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*
  2. Fulltext A genetic comparison of two alleged subspecies of Philippine cynomolgus macaques
    Smith DG, Ng J, George D, Trask JS, Houghton P, Singh B, et al.
    Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 2014 Sep;155(1):136-48.
    PMID: 24979664 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22564
    Two subspecies of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are alleged to co-exist in the Philippines, M. f. philippensis in the north and M. f. fascicularis in the south. However, genetic differences between the cynomolgus macaques in the two regions have never been studied to document the propriety of their subspecies status. We genotyped samples of cynomolgus macaques from Batangas in southwestern Luzon and Zamboanga in southwestern Mindanao for 15 short tandem repeat (STR) loci and sequenced an 835 bp fragment of the mtDNA of these animals. The STR genotypes were compared with those of cynomolgus macaques from southern Sumatra, Singapore, Mauritius and Cambodia, and the mtDNA sequences of both Philippine populations were compared with those of cynomolgus macaques from southern Sumatra, Indonesia and Sarawak, Malaysia. We conducted STRUCTURE and PCA analyses based on the STRs and constructed a median joining network based on the mtDNA sequences. The Philippine population from Batangas exhibited much less genetic diversity and greater genetic divergence from all other populations, including the Philippine population from Zamboanga. Sequences from both Batangas and Zamboanga were most closely related to two different mtDNA haplotypes from Sarawak from which they are apparently derived. Those from Zamboanga were more recently derived than those from Batangas, consistent with their later arrival in the Philippines. However, clustering analyses do not support a sufficient genetic distinction of cynomolgus macaques from Batangas from other regional populations assigned to subspecies M. f. fascicularis to warrant the subspecies distinction M. f. philippensis.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  3. Haplotype-habitat associations of Coptotermes gestroi (Termitoidae: Rhinotermitidae) from mitochondrial DNA genes
    Cheng S, Thinagaran D, Mohanna SZ, Noh NA
    Environ Entomol, 2014 Aug;43(4):1105-16.
    PMID: 24915136 DOI: 10.1603/EN13318
    Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) or the Asian subterranean termite is a serious structural pest in urban settlements in Southeast Asia that has been introduced to other parts of the world through human commerce. Although mitochondrial DNA markers were previously used to shed light on the dispersal history of the Asian subterranean termite, there were limited attempts to analyze or include populations of the termite found in the wild in Southeast Asia. In this study, we analyzed the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes of Asian subterranean termite colonies found in mangrove swamps, beach forests, plantations, and buildings in semi-urban and urban areas to determine the relationship between colonies found in the wild and the urban habitat, and to investigate the possibility of different ecotypes of the termite in Peninsular Malaysia. Our findings show that the 16S rRNA haplotypes recovered from this study clustered into eastern, western, and southern populations of the termite, while the cox1 haplotypes were often specific to an area or site. The 16S rRNA and cox1 genes or haplotypes showed that the most abundant haplotype occupied a wide range of environments or habitats. In addition, the cox1 tree showed evidence of historical biogeography where basal haplotypes inhabited a wide range of habitats, while apical haplotypes were restricted to mangrove swamps and beach forests. Information on the haplotype-habitat association of C. gestroi will enable the prediction of habitats that may harbor or be at risk of invasion in areas where they have been introduced.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  4. Complete mitochondrial genome of the Tioman Island rock gecko, Cnemaspis limi (Sauria, Gekkota, Gekkonidae)
    Yan J, Tian C, Zhou J, Bauer AM, Lee Grismer L, Zhou K
    Mitochondrial DNA, 2014 Jun;25(3):181-2.
    PMID: 23631365 DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2013.792066
    We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the Tioman Island rock gecko, Cnemaspis limi, which is known as an endemic species to Malaysia. The complete mitogenome is 16,680 bp in size, consisting of 37 genes coding for 13 proteins, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs and one control region. The A + T content of the overall base composition of H-strand is 53.09% (T: 23.20%, C: 32.48%, A: 29.89% and G: 14.43%). The major non-coding region (control region) is 1254 bp in length with the A + T content of 55.09% and four replicates of a 76-bp repeat within this region.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  5. Morphological and genetic variations of the freshwater leech, Hirudinaria spp., in Peninsular Malaysia
    Chong LK, Ong AH, Tan SG, Taranjeet KA, Peris MM, Sana AM, et al.
    Biochem Genet, 2014 Jun;52(5-6):283-95.
    PMID: 24535156 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-014-9647-8
    In this study the genetic diversity of local freshwater leeches (Hirudinaria spp.) was inferred using mtDNA COI gene analysis and compared with the gross external variations of 26 freshwater leech specimens obtained from the wild and leech farms. Based on a neighbor-joining tree generated from 516 COI base sequences, four distinct clades of Hirudinaria were seen with interspecific genetic divergence in the range of 7.6-14.5%. The external morphological variations based on the presence of stripes, location of gonopores, and anus separated the samples into four morphologically distinct groups matching the four clades obtained from the molecular data. Two black stripes at the ventral region were observed only in specimens found clustered with clades that contained the GenBank-reported H. manillensis, whereas the brown or dark green coloration without stripes on the ventral region was seen in samples that clustered with H. javanica and H. bpling clades.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  6. Mitochondrial DNA analyses reveal low genetic diversity in Culex quinquefasciatus from residential areas in Malaysia
    Low VL, Lim PE, Chen CD, Lim YA, Tan TK, Norma-Rashid Y, et al.
    Med Vet Entomol, 2014 Jun;28(2):157-68.
    PMID: 23848279 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12022
    The present study explored the intraspecific genetic diversity, dispersal patterns and phylogeographic relationships of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaysia using reference data available in GenBank in order to reveal this species' phylogenetic relationships. A statistical parsimony network of 70 taxa aligned as 624 characters of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 685 characters of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII) gene revealed three haplotypes (A1-A3) and four haplotypes (B1-B4), respectively. The concatenated sequences of both COI and COII genes with a total of 1309 characters revealed seven haplotypes (AB1-AB7). Analysis using tcs indicated that haplotype AB1 was the common ancestor and the most widespread haplotype in Malaysia. The genetic distance based on concatenated sequences of both COI and COII genes ranged from 0.00076 to 0.00229. Sequence alignment of Cx. quinquefasciatus from Malaysia and other countries revealed four haplotypes (AA1-AA4) by the COI gene and nine haplotypes (BB1-BB9) by the COII gene. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that Malaysian Cx. quinquefasciatus share the same genetic lineage as East African and Asian Cx. quinquefasciatus. This study has inferred the genetic lineages, dispersal patterns and hypothetical ancestral genotypes of Cx. quinquefasciatus.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  7. Phylogeography and demographic history of two widespread Indo-Pacific mudskippers (Gobiidae: Periophthalmus)
    Polgar G, Zane L, Babbucci M, Barbisan F, Patarnello T, Rüber L, et al.
    Mol Phylogenet Evol, 2014 Apr;73:161-76.
    PMID: 24486991 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.01.014
    This study provides a first description of the phylogeographic patterns and evolutionary history of two species of the mudskipper genus Periophthalmus. These amphibious gobies are distributed throughout the whole Indo-Pacific region and Atlantic coast of Africa, in peritidal habitats of soft-bottom coastal ecosystems. Three sequence datasets of two widely distributed species, Periophthalmus argentilineatus and P. kalolo, were obtained by amplifying and sequencing two mtDNA markers (D-loop and 16S rDNA) and the nDNA rag1 region. The three datasets were then used to perform phylogeographic, demographic and population genetic analyses. Our results indicate that tectonic events and past climatic oscillations strongly contributed to shape present genetic differentiation, phylogeographic and demographic patterns. We found support for the monophyly of P. kalolo, and only shallow genetic differentiation between East-African and Indo-Malayan populations of this species. However, our collections of the morphospecies P. argentilineatus include three molecularly distinct lineages, one of them more closely related to P. kalolo. The presence of Miocenic timings for the most recent common ancestors of some of these morphologically similar clades, suggests the presence of strong stabilising selection in mudskippers' habitats. At population level, demographic analyses and palaeoecological records of mangrove ecosystems suggest that Pleistocene bottlenecks and expansion plus secondary contact events of the studied species were associated with recurrent sea transgressions during interglacials, and sea regressions or stable regimes during glacials, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  8. Fulltext Microsatellite and mitochondrial markers reveal strong gene flow barriers for Anopheles farauti in the Solomon Archipelago: implications for malaria vector control
    Ambrose L, Cooper RD, Russell TL, Burkot TR, Lobo NF, Collins FH, et al.
    Int J Parasitol, 2014 Mar;44(3-4):225-33.
    PMID: 24440418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.12.001
    Anopheles farauti is the primary malaria vector throughout the coastal regions of the Southwest Pacific. A shift in peak biting time from late to early in the night occurred following widespread indoor residue spraying of dichlorodiphenyltrichloro-ethane (DDT) and has persisted in some island populations despite the intervention ending decades ago. We used mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequence data and 12 newly developed microsatellite markers to assess the population genetic structure of this malaria vector in the Solomon Archipelago. With geographically distinct differences in peak A. farauti night biting time observed in the Solomon Archipelago, we tested the hypothesis that strong barriers to gene flow exist in this region. Significant and often large fixation index (FST) values were found between different island populations for the mitochondrial and nuclear markers, suggesting highly restricted gene flow between islands. Some discordance in the location and strength of genetic breaks was observed between the mitochondrial and microsatellite markers. Since early night biting A. farauti individuals occur naturally in all populations, the strong gene flow barriers that we have identified in the Solomon Archipelago lend weight to the hypothesis that the shifts in peak biting time from late to early night have appeared independently in these disconnected island populations. For this reason, we suggest that insecticide impregnated bed nets and indoor residue spraying are unlikely to be effective as control tools against A. farauti occurring elsewhere, and if used, will probably result in peak biting time behavioural shifts similar to that observed in the Solomon Islands.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  9. Fulltext First molecular data and the phylogenetic position of the millipede-like centipede Edentistoma octosulcatum Tömösváry, 1882 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae)
    Vahtera V, Edgecombe GD
    PLoS One, 2014;9(11):e112461.
    PMID: 25389773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112461
    Edentistoma octosulcatum Tömösváry, 1882, is a rare, superficially millipede-like centipede known only from Borneo and the Philippines. It is unique within the order Scolopendromorpha for its slow gait, robust tergites, and highly modified gizzard and mandible morphology. Not much is known about the biology of the species but it has been speculated to be arboreal with a possibly vegetarian diet. Until now its phylogenetic position within the subfamily Otostigminae has been based only on morphological characters, being variably ranked as a monotypic tribe (Arrhabdotini) or classified with the Southeast Asian genus Sterropristes Attems, 1934. The first molecular data for E. octosulcatum sourced from a newly collected specimen from Sarawak were analysed with and without morphology. Parsimony analysis of 122 morphological characters together with two nuclear and two mitochondrial loci resolves Edentistoma as sister group to three Indo-Australian species of Rhysida, this clade in turn grouping with Ethmostigmus, whereas maximum likelihood and parsimony analyses of the molecular data on their own ally Edentistoma with species of Otostigmus. A position of Edentistoma within Otostigmini (rather than being its sister group as predicted by the Arrhabdotini hypothesis) is consistently retrieved under different analytical conditions, but support values within the subfamily remain low for most nodes. The species exhibits strong pushing behaviour, suggestive of burrowing habits. Evidence against a suggested vegetarian diet is provided by observation of E. octosulcatum feeding on millipedes in the genus Trachelomegalus.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*
  10. Fulltext Continental monophyly and molecular divergence of Peninsular Malaysia's Macaca fascicularis fascicularis
    Abdul-Latiff MA, Ruslin F, Faiq H, Hairul MS, Rovie-Ryan JJ, Abdul-Patah P, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:897682.
    PMID: 25143948 DOI: 10.1155/2014/897682
    The phylogenetic relationships of long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis fascicularis) populations distributed in Peninsular Malaysia in relation to other regions remain unknown. The aim of this study was to reveal the phylogeography and population genetics of Peninsular Malaysia's M. f. fascicularis based on the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA. Sixty-five haplotypes were detected in all populations, with only Vietnam and Cambodia sharing four haplotypes. The minimum-spanning network projected a distant relationship between Peninsular Malaysian and insular populations. Genetic differentiation (F(ST), Nst) results suggested that the gene flow among Peninsular Malaysian and the other populations is very low. Phylogenetic tree reconstructions indicated a monophyletic clade of Malaysia's population with continental populations (NJ = 97%, MP = 76%, and Bayesian = 1.00 posterior probabilities). The results demonstrate that Peninsular Malaysia's M. f. fascicularis belonged to Indochinese populations as opposed to the previously claimed Sundaic populations. M. f. fascicularis groups are estimated to have colonized Peninsular Malaysia ~0.47 million years ago (MYA) directly from Indochina through seaways, by means of natural sea rafting, or through terrestrial radiation during continental shelf emersion. Here, the Isthmus of Kra played a central part as biogeographical barriers that then separated it from the remaining continental populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  11. Fulltext Mitochondrial DNA markers reveal high genetic diversity but low genetic differentiation in the black fly Simulium tani Takaoka & Davies along an elevational gradient in Malaysia
    Low VL, Adler PH, Takaoka H, Ya'cob Z, Lim PE, Tan TK, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(6):e100512.
    PMID: 24941043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100512
    The population genetic structure of Simulium tani was inferred from mitochondria-encoded sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunits I (COI) and II (COII) along an elevational gradient in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. A statistical parsimony network of 71 individuals revealed 71 haplotypes in the COI gene and 43 haplotypes in the COII gene; the concatenated sequences of the COI and COII genes revealed 71 haplotypes. High levels of genetic diversity but low levels of genetic differentiation were observed among populations of S. tani at five elevations. The degree of genetic diversity, however, was not in accordance with an altitudinal gradient, and a Mantel test indicated that elevation did not have a limiting effect on gene flow. No ancestral haplotype of S. tani was found among the populations. Pupae with unique structural characters at the highest elevation showed a tendency to form their own haplotype cluster, as revealed by the COII gene. Tajima's D, Fu's Fs, and mismatch distribution tests revealed population expansion of S. tani in Cameron Highlands. A strong correlation was found between nucleotide diversity and the levels of dissolved oxygen in the streams where S. tani was collected.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*
  12. Fulltext Population genetic structure of Aedes albopictus in Penang, Malaysia
    Zawani MK, Abu HA, Sazaly AB, Zary SY, Darlina MN
    Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(4):8184-96.
    PMID: 25299203 DOI: 10.4238/2014.October.7.13
    The mosquito Aedes albopictus is indigenous to Southeast Asian and is a vector for arbovirus diseases. Studies examining the population genetics structure of A. albopictus have been conducted worldwide; however, there are no documented reports on the population genetic structure of A. albopictus in Malaysia, particularly in Penang. We examined the population genetics of A. albopictus based on a 445-base pair segment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase 1 gene among 77 individuals from 9 localities representing 4 regions (Seberang Perai Utara, Seberang Perai Tengah, Northeast, and Southwest) of Penang. A total of 37 haplotypes were detected, including 28 unique haplotypes. The other 9 haplotypes were shared among various populations. These shared haplotypes reflect the weak population genetic structure of A. albopictus. The phylogenetic tree showed a low bootstrap value with no genetic structure, which was supported by minimum spanning network analysis. Analysis of mismatch distribution showed poor fit of equilibrium distribution. The genetic distance showed low genetic variation, while pairwise FST values showed no significant difference between all regions in Penang except for some localities. High haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity was observed for cytochrome oxidase 1 mtDNA. We conclude that there is no population genetic structure of A. albopictus mosquitoes in the Penang area.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  13. Fulltext Is there a cryptic species of the golden snapper (Lutjanus johnii)?
    Adibah AB, Darlina MN
    Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(4):8094-104.
    PMID: 25299194 DOI: 10.4238/2014.October.7.4
    For centuries, morphology-based fish identification has been applied without molecular evaluation. Many studies showed that specimens with a similar morphology are frequently found to be quite genetically distinct. One of the fish species that still remains taxonomically problematic is a commercial snapper species, Lutjanus johnii. Because of morphological ambiguities among local fish taxonomists in Malaysia, we examined the ability of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene to genetically examine the taxonomic status of L. johnii. A 626-base pair COI region was successfully amplified and aligned with conspecific sequences that were retrieved from GenBank. The phylogenetic tree obtained showed two major clusters; the first cluster consists of L. johnii from Straits of Malacca, Thailand, Australia, and China while the second cluster comprises L. johnii from China and India. The latter group showed sequence divergence greater than 3.5%. After observing this, we suspected that there might be a cryptic species between the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. This is the first molecular report concerning the commercial species of snapper, L. johnii, in Malaysia, which had only gained provisional recognition from morphological examination.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  14. Mitochondrial DNA diversity of mud crab Scylla olivacea (Portunidae) in Peninsular Malaysia: a preliminary assessment
    Rosly HA, Nor SA, Yahya K, Naim DM
    Mol Biol Rep, 2013 Nov;40(11):6407-18.
    PMID: 24062076 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-013-2755-4
    A primary factor in population management and wildlife conservation is the delineation of population units derived from descriptions of population genetic structure. Yet, predicting factors that influence the patterns of gene flow in a population particularly at landscape scales remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Here we report a population genetic study of the mud crab Scylla olivacea examined based on a 542 bp segment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase I gene among 91 individuals from six localities in the west and east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. In total 55 unique haplotypes were distinguished with 45 private haplotypes and a single common haplotype shared among all populations studied. The other ten haplotypes were shared among various populations. The sharing of this haplotype reflects the connection of the mangrove areas between east and west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. High haplotype diversity (h = 0.968 ± 0.021; mean ± SD) and low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.120 ± 0.015; mean ± SD) were displayed, which may be indicative of genetic bottleneck events. No significant phylogenetic lineages were recognized using neighbour-joining and maximum parsimony methods. Hierarchical AMOVA analysis indicated that 99.33 % of the genetic variation was contained within populations and 0.67 % occurred among populations, suggesting no geographical patterning among populations studied, supported by F st test. Mismatch distribution analysis showed that the observed distribution of the pairwise mutation differences among haplotypes was multimodal, which is not concordant with a sudden range expansion scenario. However, neutrality tests showed non-significant negative values suggesting that the populations studied may have experienced past population growth, but the expansion may have been restricted to separate local areas that resulted in the non-significant negative Fu's Fs and Tajima's D value. Overall, this present preliminary study was able to be a reference on the phylogenetic relationships and assessment of genetic structure of Scylla sp. in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*
  15. Fulltext Distinct genetic clades of Malaysian Copera damselflies and the phylogeny of platycnemine subfamilies
    Lim PE, Tan J, Eamsobhana P, Yong HS
    Sci Rep, 2013 Oct 17;3:2977.
    PMID: 24131999 DOI: 10.1038/srep02977
    The phylogenetic relationships of some taxa in the Platycnemidinae at the species and generic levels have been investigated. Phylogenetic trees were generated from both individual mitochondrial encoded COI, COII, 16S rDNA and nuclear encoded 28S rDNA and also combined sequences; these data indicate that the component taxa of the genus Copera belong to two distinct genetic clades - the marginipes group and the annulata group. There was no distinct genetic difference between the red-legged and yellow-legged morphs of C. vittata. Molecular data showed that the annulata group is considered a member of the genus Platycnemis, as originally proposed. The genus Coeliccia, a member of the subfamily Calicnemiinae (Platycnemididae), is not grouped with the Platycnemidinae. The Disparoneurinae of the 'Protoneuridae' showed a closer relationship to the Platycnemidinae than the Calicnemiinae. The dataset supports the placement of the Disparoneurinae as a subfamily of the Platycnemididae. This resolves the monophyly of Platycnemididae.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  16. Fulltext Mitochondrial hepatopathies: advances in genetics, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes
    Lee WS, Sokol RJ
    J Pediatr, 2013 Oct;163(4):942-8.
    PMID: 23810725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.05.036
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  17. Fulltext Lack of population genetic structure and host specificity in the bat fly, Cyclopodia horsfieldi, across species of Pteropus bats in Southeast Asia
    Olival KJ, Dick CW, Simmons NB, Morales JC, Melnick DJ, Dittmar K, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2013 Aug 08;6:231.
    PMID: 23924629 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-231
    BACKGROUND: Population-level studies of parasites have the potential to elucidate patterns of host movement and cross-species interactions that are not evident from host genealogy alone. Bat flies are obligate and generally host-specific blood-feeding parasites of bats. Old-World flies in the family Nycteribiidae are entirely wingless and depend on their hosts for long-distance dispersal; their population genetics has been unstudied to date.

    METHODS: We collected a total of 125 bat flies from three Pteropus species (Pteropus vampyrus, P. hypomelanus, and P. lylei) from eight localities in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We identified specimens morphologically and then sequenced three mitochondrial DNA gene fragments (CoI, CoII, cytB; 1744 basepairs total) from a subset of 45 bat flies. We measured genetic diversity, molecular variance, and population genetic subdivision (FST), and used phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses to quantify parasite genetic structure across host species and localities.

    RESULTS: All flies were identified as Cyclopodia horsfieldi with the exception of two individuals of Eucampsipoda sundaica. Low levels of population genetic structure were detected between populations of Cyclopodia horsfieldi from across a wide geographic range (~1000 km), and tests for isolation by distance were rejected. AMOVA results support a lack of geographic and host-specific population structure, with molecular variance primarily partitioned within populations. Pairwise FST values from flies collected from island populations of Pteropus hypomelanus in East and West Peninsular Malaysia supported predictions based on previous studies of host genetic structure.

    CONCLUSIONS: The lack of population genetic structure and morphological variation observed in Cyclopodia horsfieldi is most likely due to frequent contact between flying fox species and subsequent high levels of parasite gene flow. Specifically, we suggest that Pteropus vampyrus may facilitate movement of bat flies between the three Pteropus species in the region. We demonstrate the utility of parasite genetics as an additional layer of information to measure host movement and interspecific host contact. These approaches may have wide implications for understanding zoonotic, epizootic, and enzootic disease dynamics. Bat flies may play a role as vectors of disease in bats, and their competence as vectors of bacterial and/or viral pathogens is in need of further investigation.

    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  18. Fulltext Molecular identification of Malaysian Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) using life stage specific mitochondrial DNA
    Kavitha R, Tan TC, Lee HL, Nazni WA, Sofian AM
    Trop Biomed, 2013 Jun;30(2):211-9.
    PMID: 23959486 MyJurnal
    DNA identification of blow fly species can be a very useful tool in forensic entomology. One of the potential benefits that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has offered in the field of forensic entomology is species determination. Conventional identification methods have limitations for sibling and closely related species of blow fly and stage and quality of the specimen used. This could be overcome by DNA-based identification methods using mitochondrial DNA which does not demand intact or undamaged specimens. Mitochondrial DNA is usually isolated from whole blow fly and legs. Alternate sources for mitochondrial DNA isolation namely, egg, larva, puparium and empty puparium were explored in this study. The sequence of DNA obtained for each sample for every life cycle stage was 100% identical for a particular species, indicating that the egg, 1st instar, 2nd instar, 3rd instar, pupa, empty puparium and adult from the same species and obtained from same generation will exhibit similar DNA sequences. The present study also highlighted the usefulness of collecting all life cycle stages of blow fly during crime scene investigation with proper preservation and subsequent molecular analysis. Molecular identification provides a strong basis for species identification and will prove an invaluable contribution to forensic entomology as an investigative tool in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*
  19. Microsatellite markers uncover cryptic species of Odontotermes (Termitoidae: Termitidae) from Peninsular Malaysia
    Cheng S, Lee CT, Wan MN, Tan SG
    Gene, 2013 Apr 15;518(2):412-8.
    PMID: 23328646 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.12.084
    Termites from the genus Odontotermes are known to contain numerous species complexes that are difficult to tell apart morphologically or with mitochondrial DNA sequences. We developed markers for one such cryptic species complex, that is, Odontotermes srinakarinensis sp. nov. from Maxwell Hill Forest Reserve (Perak, Malaysia), and characterised them using a sample of 41 termite workers from three voucher samples from the same area. We then genotyped 150 termite individuals from 23 voucher samples/colonies of this species complex from several sites in Peninsular Malaysia. We analysed their population by constructing dendograms from the proportion of shared-alleles between individuals and genetic distances between colonies; additionally, we examined the Bayesian clustering pattern of their genotype data. All methods of analysis indicated that there were two distinct clusters within our data set. After the morphologies of specimens from each cluster were reexamined, we were able to separate the two species morphologically and found that a single diagnostic character found on the mandibles of its soldiers could be used to separate the two species quite accurately. The additional species in the clade was identified as Odontotermes denticulatus after it was matched to type specimens at the NHM London and Cambridge Museum of Zoology.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
  20. Nuclear and chloroplast DNA phylogeography reveals Pleistocene divergence and subsequent secondary contact of two genetic lineages of the tropical rainforest tree species Shorea leprosula (Dipterocarpaceae) in South-East Asia
    Ohtani M, Kondo T, Tani N, Ueno S, Lee LS, Ng KK, et al.
    Mol Ecol, 2013 Apr;22(8):2264-79.
    PMID: 23432376 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12243
    Tropical rainforests in South-East Asia have been affected by climatic fluctuations during past glacial eras. To examine how the accompanying changes in land areas and temperature have affected the genetic properties of rainforest trees in the region, we investigated the phylogeographic patterns of a widespread dipterocarp species, Shorea leprosula. Two types of DNA markers were used: expressed sequence tag-based simple sequence repeats and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequence variations. Both sets of markers revealed clear genetic differentiation between populations in Borneo and those in the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (Malay/Sumatra). However, in the south-western part of Borneo, genetic admixture of the lineages was observed in the two marker types. Coalescent simulation based on cpDNA sequence variation suggested that the two lineages arose 0.28-0.09 million years before present and that following their divergence migration from Malay/Sumatra to Borneo strongly exceeded migration in the opposite direction. We conclude that the genetic structure of S. leprosula was largely formed during the middle Pleistocene and was subsequently modified by eastward migration across the subaerially exposed Sunda Shelf.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links