Microsatellite conservation and Bayesian individual assignment in four Anguilla species
Maes, G.E.; Pujolar, J.M.; Raeymaekers, J.A.M.; Dannewitz, J.; Volckaert, F.A.M.J. (2005). Microsatellite conservation and Bayesian individual assignment in four Anguilla species, in: Maes, G.E. Evolutionary consequences of a catadromous life-strategy on the genetic structure of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.). pp. 43-60 In: Maes, G.E. (2005). Evolutionary consequences of a catadromous life-strategy on the genetic structure of European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.). PhD Thesis. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Faculteit Wetenschappen: Leuven. 223 pp., more |
| Authors | | Top | - Maes, G.E., more
- Pujolar, J.M.
- Raeymaekers, J.A.M., more
| - Dannewitz, J.
- Volckaert, F.A.M.J., more
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| Abstract | Microsatellite flanking regions are thought to be highly conserved in fish taxa, enabling their application in other species within or outside the source family. However, microsatellite based phylogenetic reconstructions remain doubtful due to allele size homoplasy. Species identification using multi-locus genotypes may suffer less from this phenomenon, when using moderately variable markers. We evaluated the degree of conservation of microsatellite flanking regions and level of polymorphism in relation to phylogenetic distance in four eel species (Anguilla anguilla, A. rostrata, A. japonica and A. marmorata). Using multiplex P CR reactions developed for the first two taxa, we assessed the discrimination power of an individual based assignment method to differentiate all four species without prior information. Detection and classification of each species was performed with high confidence (> 90 %), as well as assignment of randomly sampled individuals to pre-defined species (> 95%). Our results demonstrate the highly conserved nature of microsatellites and their level of polymorphism in Anguilla species, and the power to discriminate between locus-specific and population dynamic effects on genetic variability. Although an inverse relationship was found between genetic diversity and differentiation estimates due to homoplasy, assignment proved to be superior to multivariate and distance based approaches. The method enables the rapid screening of the species status of morphologically similar juveniles and adults using only four loci and the detection of natural hybridization or anthropogenic mixing between internationally traded species. |
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