Известия высших учебных заведений. Поволжский регион: Естественные науки (Dec 2022)

Refined mtDNA typing technique for hybridization studies of great (Spermophilus major Pall.) and yellow (S. fulvus Licht.) ground squirrels

  • S.V. Titov,
  • O.V. Chernyshova,
  • M.D. Simakov,
  • A.A. Kuz'min

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21685/2307-9150-2022-3-6
Journal volume & issue
no. 3

Abstract

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Background. The research of hybrid populations in space and time is an urgent task of evolutionary biology and population ecology. Despite the rather successful study of modern hybrid zones of ground squirrels (Rodentia, Sciuridae, Spermophilus), there are questions about the use of molecular genetic markers for this in the process of observation of hybrid populations. The purpose of the study was to develop a refined mtDNA typing technique that allows detecting the Spermophilus fulvus-specific and introgressive S. majorintroduced haplotype A in individuals of large and yellow ground squirrels, as well as their hybrids. Materials and methods. The genetic material for the work was formed from the collection of DNA samples of the Department of Zoology and Ecology of PSU. The analytical sample consisted of 13 DNA samples of S. fulvus and 18 samples of S. major obtained from ground squirrels caught in the contact zone. When developing the method of refined typing of haplotype «А» mtDNA, the nucleotide sequences of the control region (D-loop) (1007 bp) of the S. major (n = 9) and the S. fulvus (n = 4) obtained during sequencing were used. Results. The analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the mtDNA haplotype "A" fragment (from 337 to 692 bp, 355 bp) of 2 species-specific samples revealed only 2 sites with restriction endonuclease recognition sites by which it is possible to identify them. At the same time, three restriction fragments (94, 102 and 159 bp) are expected to be obtained for the S. major sample, and two fragments (102 and 253 bp) are expected for the S. fulvus sample. Conclusions. Nucleotide analysis of the sequences of haplotype "A" of ground squirrel mtDNA available in the database showed the correctness of the identification of species-specific features of the refined typing of this mtDNA haplotype in S. major and S. fulvus.

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