Genetic Variation in Clonal Vertebrates Detected by Simple-Sequence DNA Fingerprinting

The measurement of clonal heterogeneity is central to understanding the evolutionary and population genetics of the roughly 50 species of vertebrates that lack effective genetic recombination. Simple-sequence DNA finger-printing with oligonucleotide probes (CAC)5and (GACA)4is a sensitive and efficie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1990-08, Vol.87 (15), p.5653-5657
Main Authors: Turner, Bruce J., Elder, John F., Laughlin, Thomas F., Davis, William P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Boggarts
DNA - genetics
DNA - isolation & purification
DNA fingerprinting
Evolution
Fishes - genetics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetic heterogeneity
Genetic Variation
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Histocompatibility
Keys
Nucleotide Mapping
Oligonucleotide Probes
Restriction Mapping
Species
Specimens
Vertebrates
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Summary:The measurement of clonal heterogeneity is central to understanding the evolutionary and population genetics of the roughly 50 species of vertebrates that lack effective genetic recombination. Simple-sequence DNA finger-printing with oligonucleotide probes (CAC)5and (GACA)4is a sensitive and efficient means of detecting this heterogeneity in natural populations of two clonal fishes, Poecilia formosa, an apomictic unisexual, and Rivulus marmoratus, a selfing hermaphrodite. The fingerprints are clonally stable for at least three generations. The technique clearly differentiates allozymically identical laboratory lines of R. marmoratus that were previously distinguishable only by histocompatibility analysis. The technique also reveals apparent cases of shifts in clonal composition of a natural population of each species. Clonal variation in most natural populations is quite high. For example, a sample of 19 specimens of P. formosa from one station on the Rio Soto la Marina contained 16 clones (average clonal frequency = 0.07). This level of clonal diversity implies that mutation, subsequent to the founding of clonal lineages, is an important source of variation in these populations. It also suggests that chance (sampling error) has a previously unappreciated role in determining the clonal composition of populations even though some of the clones may be divergent in biologically significant features.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.87.15.5653