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The savannah side-necked turtle Podocnemis vogli is a species restricted to the savannas of the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. Because of its apparent abundance, it is currently categorized as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List. However, throughout its distribution range, several populations have been extirpated or individuals in remaining populations are consumed and trafficked, and the species' habitat has been highly degraded. To start assessing the conservation status of the species, 5 populations along their distribution range in Colombia were analyzed using 19 microsatellite loci to perform a population genetics study. Ten of those markers were useful in revealing (1) high levels of genetic diversity, (2) a marked genetic structure of 5 populations, and (3) low and asymmetric gene flow among them. However, the analyses also revealed the loss of genetic diversity (low allelic richness) and recent bottlenecks in some populations. Those identified detrimental indicators are evidencing a population decline most likely related to anthropic activities. These 5 populations correspond to 5 independent management units. The results of this research allow us to propose management and conservation guidelines for these populations in the Orinoco ecoregion. Resumen La tortuga sabanera Podocnemis vogli es una especie restringida a las sabanas de la cuenca del Orinoco en Colombia y Venezuela. Debido a su aparente abundancia, actualmente está categorizada como en Preocupación Menor (LC) por la Lista Roja de la UICN. Sin embargo, a lo largo de su rango de distribución, varias poblaciones han sido extirpadas o los individuos en poblaciones remanentes son consumidos y traficados, y el hábitat de la especie se ha degradado intensamente. Para comenzar a evaluar el estado de conservación de la especie, se analizaron cinco poblaciones a lo largo de su rango de distribución en Colombia utilizando 19 loci microsatélites para realizar un estudio de genética poblacional. Diez de esos marcadores fueron útiles para revelar: (1) altos niveles de diversidad genética, (2) una estructura genética marcada de cinco poblaciones y (3) flujo de genes bajo y asimétrico entre ellas. Sin embargo, los análisis también revelaron la pérdida de diversidad genética (baja riqueza alélica) y cuellos de botella recientes en algunas poblaciones. Esos indicadores perjudiciales identificados están evidenciando una disminución de las poblaciones, muy probablemente relacionada con las actividades antrópicas. Estas cinco poblaciones corresponden a cinco Unidades de Manejo Independientes. Los resultados de esta investigación nos permiten proponer lineamientos de manejo y conservación para estas poblaciones en la ecorregión del Orinoco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Informacion Tecnica Economica Agraria is the property of Asociacion Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario (AIDA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coffea arabica es una de las especies más importantes a nivel económico, al producir una de las bebidas más consumidas en el mundo. Este estudio evaluó molecularmente algunas de las variedades de café cultivadas en el departamento del Valle del Cauca con el fin de que los resultados contribuyan a direccionar los planes de mejoramiento y fomentar la producción de café regional. Se muestrearon en 140 individuos correspondientes a cinco variedades de café y se usaron ocho marcadores microsatélite para hacer la caracterización molecular a partir de los estimadores de diversidad genética, un dendrograma basados en las distancias de Nei y un AMOVA. Se encontró una heterocigosidad promedio observada muy baja (0.004), sin embargo, la heterocigosidad promedio esperada junto con el número de haplotipos mostraron que a pesar de haber sido sometidas a programas de mejoramiento aún existe una gran diversidad genética en todas las variedades. Esto junto con el resultado del AMOVA, revelan que esta diversidad se encuentra alojada en diferentes tipos de homocigotos que provocan una gran variación al comparar los individuos dentro de cada variedad. Finalmente, las distancias de Nei muestran una diferenciación de la variedades siendo más parecidas aquellas con una mayor intensidad de selección artificial.

Coffea arabica is one of the most economically important species, producing one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In this study, with the purpose of using the results to guide improvement plans and promote regional coffee production, some of the coffee varieties grown in the department of Valle del Cauca were molecularly evaluated. 140 individuals corresponding to five coffee varieties were sampled. Eight microsatellites were used to carry out the molecular characterization based on genetic diversity estimators, a dendrogram based on Nei distances and an AMOVA. The observed average heterozygosity was 0.004, however, the expected average heterozygosity together with the number of genotypes showed that despite having been subjected to breeding programs, there is still genetic diversity in all varieties. This, together with the result of the AMOVA, revealed that this diversity is housed in different types of homozygotes, which cause a great variation in the comparison of individuals within each variety. Finally, the Nei distances showed a differentiation of the varieties. Those with a greater intensity of artificial selection are more similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how changes in landscape properties influence common species is relevant as it allows us to identify patterns that could be shared with co-distributed species that occupy the same landscapes. The northeastern United States (NE-USA: New York state and the six states of New England) is heavily urbanized and affected by continuous and prolonged anthropogenic activities, leading to intensive landscape fragmentation and loss of natural forests. Here, we used a landscape genetics approach to explore the genetic diversity and structure of the Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans , and how resulting patterns may be related to landscape fragmentation and forest loss in the NE-USA. To study G. volans genetic variation and population structure, we amplified and genotyped 10 microsatellites loci from DNA extracted from tissue samples stored in biological collections and natural history museums. To assess the influence of landscape on gene flow and connectivity, we used two genetic distances metrics–proportion of shared alleles and codominant marker, and tested two landscape cost models approaches–least cost path and isolation by resistance. We identified three genetic clusters, with low but significant genetic differentiation between them. We did not find correlation between geographic distance and genetic variation in these populations. According to landscape models, land cover and elevation were the best predictors of genetic connectivity of G. volans , although were poorly related to genetic distances. Our results suggest that gene flow occurs between G. volans populations across the NE-USA despite the changed landscape configuration, implying potential dispersal of individuals between patches. Nonetheless, individuals from the eastern periphery of the distribution may have been temporarily isolated in the past due to historical deforestation. The current regeneration of hardwood forests represents a positive outlook for the genetic integrity of G. volans populations in the NE-USA because more possibilities for corridors and patches of habitable forests emerge. These changes would improve the connectivity of the species in the region and avoid possible local extinction events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, is an important fishery species with high potential for aquaculture. Genetic characterization of its natural populations is necessary to avoid stock collapse and loss of genetic diversity. Previous studies carried out in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), however, have shown contrasting results in the genetic structure of fish populations, particularly in species of Lutjanidae. Therefore, to understand the genetic structure of spotted rose snapper in the TEP, twelve microsatellite loci were used to assess the genetic diversity and explore the hypothesis of population genetic structure in samples of the species collected throughout the TEP. Fin clips from 186 sampled individuals (27 to 49 per site) were analyzed from five sites in the three regional biogeographic provinces, delimited by shoreline reef habitat breaks: La Paz (Cortez province), Colima and Oaxaca (Mexican province), Chiriqui and Port of Panama (Panamic province). Results of global Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA), population pairwise FST, hierarchical AMOVA, and a discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) reflected a panmictic population involving the entire set of sampled sites. The role of larval dispersal, post-recruitment migration, and marine current dynamics as drivers of genetic connectivity in this species is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este trabajo se han utilizado 4 loci microsatélites para hacer una caracterización genética de los dos primeros lotes de individuos de la especie Litopenaeus vannamei introducidos en Cuba para el cultivo y para valorar también, desde el punto de vista genético, la posibilidad de crear un banco de reproductores a partir de estos lotes. Los resultados obtenidos indican niveles de variación genética (heterocigosidad media Ho=0,560, número medio de alelos Na=7,5) inferiores a los que previamente se han informado en otras poblaciones salvajes y de cultivo de la especie. Los niveles de relación genética entre individuos (grado de parentesco) son, al menos en uno de los lotes, significativamente altos (Lote 1 rmedia =-0.0080, Lote 2 rmedia =+0,1515). Se recomienda una estrategia de recopilación de la mayor variación genética posible, ya sea a partir de las poblaciones salvajes de origen de estos lotes de cultivo, ó a partir de cruzamientos entre lotes de origen común pero genéticamente diferentes. Para ello es necesario implementar herramientas como la crío-conservación de gametos y el genotipado con loci microsatélites para evitar cruzamientos entre individuos emparentados y seguir la heredabilidad de caracteres de interés para el cultivo.

El bovino Criollo Mixteco es un recurso genético poco explorado, pero de gran valor por su potencial para ser empleado en sistemas de producción respetables con el entorno y adaptables a las condiciones del mismo. La identificación y caracterización de este recurso local es un punto primordial para su conservación y mejora, es por esto que en el presente estudio se llevó a cabo el análisis de la diversidad y relaciones genéticas de la población de bovinos Criollos Mixtecos de Oaxaca, mediante el empleo de 19 marcadores de ADN microsatélites y 32 poblaciones bovinas de referencia, pertenecientes al consorcio BIOBOVIS de la Red CONBIAND. El número medio de alelos detectados fue de 8.8 ± 2.1 y el número efectivo de alelos estimado fue de 4.5 ± 1.2. La diversidad genética representada por los valores de heterocigosidad esperada (0.7700 ± 0.0682) y observada (0.7170 ± 0.0998), se encontró dentro del rango de estimadores obtenidos en estudios previos con poblaciones bovinas locales empleando marcadores microsatélites. El análisis de la estructura poblacional reveló una influencia predominante de germoplasma ibérico (Bos taurus). Se observa además una estrecha relación entre el Criollo Mixteco y el resto de poblaciones bovinas criollas mexicanas a excepción del Criollo Lechero Tropical.

The diversity of native potatoes cultivated above 3500 masl in the Pasco region (Central Andes of Peru) has not been fully characterized. It is currently subject to constant genetic erosion caused by biotic and abiotic factors. The research aimed to characterize phenotypically and genotypically 40 native potato landraces representative of 4 Solanum species. Twenty phenotypic descriptors and 10 microsatellites were used for genetic evaluation. Likewise, the ploidy level was evaluated based on the number of chloroplasts in the stomata. The clustering analysis was performed using the Infostat software and the R program with the Adegenet and Polysat libraries. The phenotypic characterization allowed to obtain five groups with a distance coefficient of 9.5. The molecular characterization found seven groups and 58 alleles in total. The average number of alleles per microsatellite was 5.5. 13.2 % of duplicates were identified. The microsatellites STG001, STM1106, ST0032, and STM5127 with an average He of 0.8 and a polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.5 - 0.8 were the most informative. Finally, the ploidy results were 13 % diploid, 35 % triploid, and 52 % tetraploid. It was evidenced low diversity when using a set of 10 SSR markers, which indicates limited applicability for studying the genetic diversity of local potato landraces. It is necessary to involve a broader range of markers and a more diverse set of genotypes from the Pasco region for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Terra Latinoamericana is the property of Sociedad Mexicana de la Ciencia del Suelo A.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and aims: Enterolobium contortisiliquum is a South American native forest tree. Gene pool variability and germinate variables were estimated in populations from Northeastern Argentina in order to analyze the relationship among gene flow, mating system, and dispersal. M&M: Individuals from Eldorado and Ituzaingó populations and seeds from Ituzaingó were genotyped by means of five and four nuclear microsatellite loci, respectively. Germinate variables were determined while genetic diversity and population structure were characterized. Indirect gene flow and pollen-mediated gene flow were estimated. Nuclear genetic variability differentiation at locus and gene pool levels was determined. Results: The analyzed populations showed high genetic diversity. At least one or two pollen donor trees by fruit were detected. Also, the absence of population genetic structure as a consequence of high pollen and seed-mediated gene flow was detected. The seeds showed the highest genetic differentiation at locus and gene pool levels. Conclusions: The high gene flow levels detected contribute to maintaining the gene pool variability while the high genetic diversity, the absence of both inbreeding and population genetic structure together with pollen-mediated gene flow support allogamy as the main mating system in the analyzed populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: Abies hidalgensis es una especie endémica del estado de Hidalgo, México, adscrita en la Lista Roja de la IUCN en la categoría VuD2, que se ha confundido con A. guatemalensis en algunas poblaciones donde hay extracción de madera en rollo reportada como A. religiosa, lo que genera duda sobre las o la especie que se distribuyen y aprovechan en el estado de Hidalgo. Preguntas y / o Hipótesis: ¿Qué especie o especies del género Abies se distribuyen y aprovechan en Hidalgo, México?,¿Cuál es la distribución geográfica de A. hidalgensis? Especies de estudio: Abies hidalgensis, A. religiosa. Sitio y años de estudio: Municipios de Acaxochitlán, Acoculco, Agua Blanca de Iturbide, Epazoyucan, Mineral del Monte, Pachuca, Singuilucan, Tenango de Doria, Tepeapulco y Zimapán, en el estado de Hidalgo. Años 2015 a 2017. Métodos: Se analizaron 18 caracteres morfológicos mediante análisis de funciones discriminantes. Se estimó la diferenciación genética a partir del análisis de tres microsatélites nucleares desarrollados para A. guatemalensis. Resultados: Abies hidalgensis se distribuye al sureste y Abies religiosa en la zona centro-sur de Hidalgo. Los caracteres morfológicos distintivos son: canales resiníferos, forma del ápice, y caracteres morfológicos asociados a los conos ovulados y las semillas. Los estudios genéticos indican que Abies sp. muestra mayor divergencia y diversidad genética con respecto a A. hidalgensis y A. religiosa. El coeficiente de endogamia es mayor en A. religiosa. Conclusiones: En el estado Hidalgo se distribuyen dos especies del género Abies.

Introducción y objetivos: Enterolobium contortisiliquum constituye un recurso forestal nativo sudamericano. En el presente trabajo se estimó la variabilidad del acervo génico y se evaluaron variables germinativas en poblaciones del Noreste argentino de esta especie para analizar la relación entre el flujo génico, el sistema de fecundación y la dispersión. M&M: Se genotipificaron individuos de las poblaciones Eldorado e Ituzaingó y semillas de Ituzaingó mediante cinco y cuatro loci microsatélites nucleares, respectivamente. Se determinaron variables germinativas, se caracterizó la diversidad genética y la estructura genética poblacional, se estimaron los niveles de flujo génico de manera indirecta, se identificó la presencia de alelos heredados vía polen y se determinó la representatividad de la variabilidad genética nuclear a nivel de locus y de acervo génico. Resultados: Las poblaciones analizadas presentaron elevada diversidad genética. Se detectó el aporte, como mínimo, de uno o dos árboles donantes de polen por fruto y ausencia de estructura genética poblacional como consecuencia de elevados niveles de flujo génico mediado por polen y semillas. Las semillas presentaron la mayor diferenciación respecto a su complemento tanto a nivel de locus como de acervo génico. Conclusiones: Los elevados niveles de flujo génico detectados contribuyen al mantenimiento de la variabilidad del acervo génico mientras que, la detección de elevados niveles de diversidad genética, valores nulos del coeficiente de endogamia, ausencia de estructura genética y alelos heredados vía polen a partir de una fuente externa a las poblaciones estudiadas respalda que la alogamia es el sistema de fecundación dominante en ellas.

The "Majes Valley" in the province of Castilla - Arequipa Region, with a tradition in the production of wine and pisco, from grapevines introduced in the mid-sixteenth century, which are still preserved by some producers, with little knowledge of the varietal richness they possess, generating confusion in the identification of varieties and devaluing their winegrower potential. In this work, a varietal survey was carried out by wine-growing areas, characterizing the local varieties of old vineyards, with 14 primary descriptors recommended by the OIV-2009 and genetically identifying a sample of 11 phenotypes with the use of 9-SSR molecular markers when compared in the VIVC international database record. Seven wine-growing areas of the valley and 39 varieties with local names were identified, initially forming 13 groups of different names, which when analyzed by means of the canonical discriminant analysis and of main components, high inter- and intra-group phenotypic variability is evidenced due to the influence of some characters. In the analysis of the berry color the blue-black coloration predominates. Four varieties registered in the VIVC were genetically identified, corresponding to 'Listan Prieto' (syn. Negra Criolla and Moscatel), 'Quebranta' (syn.Vinera), 'Muscat Hamburg' (syn.Italia Negra) and 'Jacquez' (syn. Borgoña Majeña) and 2 unregistered varieties "Cantarita" and "Aceituna de Cotahuasi". A varietal diversity with characteristics of interest in viticulture and plant breeding is observed, with contribution to the varietal identity of known and new creole varieties, contributing to the heritage value of the vine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: Los avances en las técnicas de biología molecular, como son el descubrimiento de la Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa (PCR) y el empleo de secuencias polimórficas del ADN mitocondrial en la región d-Loop se han utilizado para describir líneas maternas en animales, la mayoría en aves. Objetivo. Realizar una revisión sobre las técnicas de laboratorio aplicadas a genética molecular y su importancia en la conservación de los recursos zoogenéticos. Desarrollo: Los marcadores moleculares en especial los microsatélites, se hicieron cada vez más útiles, rentables y generalizados a medida que se perfeccionaban los protocolos y la tecnología, los métodos genéticos proporcionan información confiable para contribuir a la conservación de los recursos zoogenéticos de manera especial en circunstancias en las que las orientaciones más tradicionales son inadecuadas. Conclusiones: El empleo de técnicas moleculares proporciona medidas objetivas de la diversidad entre y dentro de razas, permite estudiar las relaciones genéticas entre ellas, así como evidenciar atributos genéticos únicos o fenómenos de aislamiento genético en el pasado.

El “Valle de Majes” en la provincia de Castilla - Región Arequipa, posee una tradición en la producción de vino y pisco, a partir de vides introducidas a mediados del siglo XVI, que aún conservan algunos productores, con escaso conocimiento de la riqueza varietal que poseen, generando confusión en la identificación de variedades y desvalorando su potencial vitivinícola. En este trabajo se realizó una prospección varietal por zonas vitivinícolas, caracterizando las variedades locales de viñedos antiguos, con 14 descriptores primarios recomendados por la OIV-2009 e identificando genéticamente una muestra de 11 fenotipos con uso de marcadores moleculares 9-SSR al ser comparados en el registro de base de datos internacionales VIVC. Se identificaron siete zonas vitícolas del valle y 39 variedades con nominación local, formando inicialmente 13 grupos de diferentes nombres, que al ser analizadas mediante el análisis discriminante canónico y de componentes principales se evidencia alta variabilidad fenotípica inter e intragrupal por la influencia de algunos caracteres. En el análisis del color de baya predomina la coloración azul-negro. Se identificaron genéticamente 4 variedades registradas en el VIVC que corresponden a ´Listan Prieto` (sin. Negra Criolla y sin. Moscatel), ´Quebranta` (sin.Vinera), Muscat Hamburg (sin. Italia Negra) y Jacquez (sin. Borgoña Majeña) y 2 variedades no registradas “Cantarita” y “Aceituna de Cotahuasi”. Se observa una diversidad varietal con características de interés en la vitivinicultura y fitomejoramiento, con aporte en la identidad varietal de conocidas y nuevas variedades criollas, contribuyendo al valor patrimonial de la vid.

El objetivo fue caracterizar genéticamente 23 subpoblaciones de oveja Pelibuey de México y un rebaño cubano mediante nueve marcadores microsatélites. En el análisis por iniciadores, se observaron 99 alelos y un contenido de información polimórfica (PIC) de 0.84. El FIS, FST y FIT tuvieron valores de 0.007, 0.151 y 0.158, respectivamente. Tres iniciadores (OarFCB304, OarJMP29 e ILSTS5) mostraron desviaciones en el equilibrio de Hardy-Weinberg (HWE; P0.05). El análisis de estructura poblacional determinó que el número de poblaciones ancestrales (K) fue igual a 2, mostrando consistencia con el PCA. Se concluye que la oveja Pelibuey de México tiene una alta diversidad genética y que sus subpoblaciones se agrupan en dos grupos, uno de los cuales muestra el material genético más preservado.

El vino es una bebida altamente comercializada; en las últimas tres décadas se ha observado un aumento en la globalización de este producto. Las empresas vitivinícolas buscan nuevos avances tecnológicos que permitan aumentar la producción de vino mediante el mejoramiento del cultivo de vides y el uso de estándares de calidad para responder a la alta competitividad del mercado. Hoy en día, la industria vitivinícola se enfrenta a problemáticas mundiales como el descenso del consumo y aumento de excedentes; por lo que se busca a futuro la obtención de productos más competitivos, mejoras de calidad y tipicidad de los vinos. El objetivo de esta revisión es recabar las principales aplicaciones de la ingeniería genética y la biotecnología aplicada a la viticultura. Desde los métodos actuales de identificación molecular de variedades de vid hasta la producción de vinos botritizados mediante el uso de técnicas microbiológicas que permiten la infección de las uvas con el hongo Botrytis cinerea y el uso de transgénicos, entre otros; tomando en cuenta la bioética y bioseguridad que debe estar presente en el desarrollo de estas tecnologías innovadoras que impactan positivamente en el cultivo y producción de las variedades de vides.

The yellow-shouldered bat, Sturnira parvidens (Phyllostomidae), is an abundant and widespread species in southern North America and Mesoamerica. Despite its important ecological role, no genomic resources exist for this species. Using low-coverage short Illumina 150 bp pair-end reads sequencing, this study reports the mitochondrial chromosome and nuclear repetitive elements, including microsatellites, in S. parvidens. The mitochondrial genome of S. parvidens is 16,612 bp in length and is comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Repetitive elements constituted ~67% of the nuclear genome while ~33% of the genome represented single- or low-copy sequences. A moderate proportion of repetitive sequences (31% putative families) could not be assigned to known repeat element families. Considering only annotated repetitive elements, the most ubiquitous repetitive elements belonged to Class I-LINE and Satellite DNA, which were considerably more abundant than Class I-LTR elements and Class II-DNA transposons (TcMar-Mariner and hAT-Charlie). A total of 193 microsatellites were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a crop of economic importance for Nayarit, Mexico. Soursop fruits have had an excellent acceptance in the regional market, making it difficult its commercialization to distant places because the production is highly perishable, in addition to the fact that the trees in the soursop orchards are mostly ecotypes or phenotypes without any genetic improvement plan. Due to the lack of commercial varieties and a germplasm bank, it is important to know the genetic diversity to identify and select genotypes; one of the tools for this purpose is the use of molecular markers. The objective of this research was to analyze the genetic diversity of soursop in the main producing areas of Nayarit. Genomic DNA was extracted from soursop leaves from 11 orchards (populations) in the following areas: Compostela (five populations), Tepic (three populations) and San Blas (three populations). Subsequently, we performed molecular analysis using SSR and SRAP molecular markers. The results indicated that the SSRs showed no polymorphism between the populations. On the other hand, we found 116 polymorphic loci in the SRAP markers with an average percentage of polymorphic loci (P) among the producing areas of 29.55 %. Likewise, an AMOVA was performed, showing that the highest percentage of variance is found within the populations. Furthermore, cluster analyzes demonstrated the formation of three independent groups. Therefore, a high homozygosity and low genetic diversity of soursop were obtained between the areas and populations studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two biotypes of Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, known as Old Type and New Type, that differ in their origin and beef production are formally recognized. In Colombia, this breed has been commercialized for approximately 80 years. Studies on the origin, kinship and levels of genetic diversity of this breed in Colombian herds are scarce, yet important for planning crossing and management strategies. Objective: To measure the genetic diversity and structure of two Colombian herds of Old Type and New Type biotypes of Aberdeen Angus from Huila and Cundinamarca provinces and assess mitochondrial introgression with other breeds. Methods: A set of ten microsatellites and sequences of the Mitochondrial Control Region were characterized. Estimators of genetic diversity and population differentiation along with tests of population assignment were applied. Results: Nuclear loci were highly polymorphic as shown by the Polymorphic Information Content (0.599) and the Probability of Identity (1.896 10-08). Both populations were highly diverse and clearly differentiated into two groups corresponding to the Old Type and New Type phenotypes. In contrast, mitochondrial data failed to distinguish these two groups and showed extensive admixture. Conclusions: This study optimized a set of ten highly polymorphic nuclear markers that may be used for parentage and population genetic studies of Aberdeen Angus. Genetic differentiation in these loci agreed with phenotypic differences of the Old and New Types. However, mitochondrial data indicated ancestry of multiple European breeds in the origin of Colombian Aberdeen Angus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualización: los cítricos son una de las especies arbóreas más cultivadas en todo el mundo. Poseen una gran importancia económica por su producción es mayor a cualquier otro frutal. Vacío de conocimiento: pese a la gran demanda de cítricos en Colombia, se conoce muy poco acerca del origen y la diversidad genética. Asimismo, no se han realizado estudios de caracterización molecular de las variedades de cítricos de la colección de la Universidad de los Llanos, los cuales son importantes para implementar estrategias de conservación y uso potencial de los recursos genéticos. Propósito del estudio: evaluar la diversidad genética de cuatro variedades de cítricos (Naranja Tangelo, Naranja Valencia, Mandarina Arrayana y Limón Castilla), establecidas en la Universidad de los Llanos con siete cebadores ISSR. Metodología: la caracterización molecular se realizó en los laboratorios de Biotecnología Vegetal y Genética y Reproducción Animal de la Universidad de los Llanos. Se generó una matriz binaria de ausencia y presencia. La similitud genética entre los individuos se calculó utilizando el coeficiente de similitud de Nei y Li (1979). El análisis clúster se realizó por el método UPGMA y se generó un dendrograma utilizando el paquete estadístico NTSYS, versión 2.02 PC. Se estimó la heterocigosidad insesgada, el porcentaje de loci polimórficos y el f estadístico insesgado con un intervalo de confianza del 95%, utilizando el paquete estadístico TFPGA, versión 1.3. Resultados y conclusiones: se obtuvo un total de 80 bandas, de las cuales el 86.25% fueron polimórficas. La heterocigosidad estimada promedio para la población total fue de 0,29, que evidencia una moderada diversidad genética. Los cebadores CGA y AG fueron los de mayor aporte a la estimación del polimorfismo genético. Se encontró poca diferenciación genética (Fst = 0,03). A un nivel de similitud de 0.42 se formaron siete grupos, siendo los grupos 1 y 2 los que agruparon la mayor cantidad de genotipos de las cuatro especies, siendo en su mayoría de mandarina Arrayana y de naranja Tangelo. Los siete cebadores fueron significativos para la estimación de la diversidad genética en cítricos y constituyen una herramienta con gran potencial para posteriores trabajos de mejoramiento en esta especie.

Maintaining the existing biodiversity of endangered species is a goal of conservation management programs, and a major component of many collaborative efforts undertaken by zoos, field biologists, and conservation scientists. Over the past 3 decades, the San Diego Zoo has performed long-term genetic studies in support of the recovery program for the critically endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). This work has included sex determination of hatchlings and parentage confirmation using microsatellite genotyping. This paper describes the genetic work associated with the California Condor recovery program, which aims to provide a highly accurate pedigree for making informed captive pairing and release recommendations. Initial genotyping began after reintroduced California Condors started reproducing, and the focus was on birds hatched from their wild-laid eggs. However, genetic analysis showed discrepancies relative to behavioral observations of wild birds and led to the species-wide testing of all available samples. This genetic study has resolved instances of individual misidentifications and parental misassignments, verified the first cases of extra-pair paternity in this species, identified parentage where chicks were observed being raised by trios, and found 2 apparent de novo mutations in the captive condor population. Correcting the California Condor pedigree according to genetic parental analysis has produced more accurate estimates of mean kinship values among living birds, ranking potential breeders according to their actual breeding value and helping managers to make informed decisions about captive pairing and release of condors in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualization: Citrus trees are one of the most cultivated tree species in the world. They are of great importance since their production is greater than that of any other fruit tree. Knowledge gap: Despite the great demand for citrus fruits in Colombia, there is limited knowledge about the origin and genetic diversity. Likewise, molecular characterization studies of citrus varieties established in the work collection of the Universidad de los Llanos have not been carried out, which is of vital importance to implement conservation strategies and potential use of genetic resources. Purpose: to evaluate the genetic diversity of four citrus varieties (Tangelo orange, Valencia orange, Arrayana mandarin and Castilla lemon), established at the University of the Llanos with seven ISSR primers. Methodology: The molecular characterization was carried out in the Plant Biotechnology and Animal Reproduction and Genetics laboratories of the Universidad de los Llanos Universidad de los Llanos. A binary matrix of absence and presence was generated. The genetic similarity between the individuals was calculated using the coefficient of similarity of Nei and Li (1979). The cluster analysis was performed by the UPGMA method and a dendrogram was generated using the NTSYS statistical package, version 2.02 pc. The unbiased heterozygosity, the percentage of polymorphic loci, and the unbiased f statistic were estimated with a 95% confidence interval, using the TFPGA statistical package, version 1.3. Results and conclusions: A total of 80 bands were obtained, of which 86.25% were polymorphic. The average estimated heterozygosity for the total population was 0.29, which shows a moderate genetic diversity. The CGA and AG primers were the ones with the greatest contribution to the estimation of genetic polymorphism. Little genetic differentiation was found (Fst = 0.03). At a level of similarity of 0.42, seven groups were formed, with groups 1 and 2 being the ones that grouped the largest number of genotypes of the four species, being mostly Arrayana mandarin and Tangelo orange. The seven primers were significant for the estimation of genetic diversity in citrus fruits and constitute a tool with great potential for further improvement work in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agriscientia is the property of Revista AgriScientia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introducción. Los hongos entomopatógenos son importantes biopesticidas que se utilizan para controlar plagas invertebradas en la agricultura. La generación de información genética y sus relaciones geográficas son importantes para estudios de diversidad y para la protección de recursos biológicos. Objetivo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la diversidad alélica y las relaciones genéticas y geográficas de la colección de hongos entomopatógenos de los géneros Beauveria y Metarhizium del Departamento de Investigación y Extensión de la Caña de Azúcar (DIECA), de la Liga Agrícola Industrial de la Caña de Azúcar (LAICA). Materiales y métodos. El trabajo se llevó a cabo en DIECA y en la Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, entre los años 2014 y 2015. Un total de catorce aislamientos de Beauveria y trece de Metarhizium fueron aislados de diversos himenópteros y coleópteros de Costa Rica y de Brasil. Se realizaron análisis de relaciones genéticas por medio de marcadores tipo microsatélite (SSR), doce para Beauveria y trece para Metarhizium. Se realizaron pruebas de Mantel para analizar las matrices geográficas y genéticas. Resultados. Todos los cebadores para amplificar SSRs en Beauveria generaron productos, mientras que solo ocho de los trece pares de Metarhizium generaron productos. Varios juegos de cebadores fueron altamente informativos para Beauveria. Solo uno de los pares de cebadores fue moderadamente informativo para los aislamientos de Metarhizium. Cinco pares de cebadores para SSR de Beauveria generaron perfiles genéticos únicos en ocho de los catorce aislamientos (57%). Las relaciones genéticas revelaron dos clados principales entre los aislamientos de Beauveria, donde uno de los clados se dividió en dos grupos. Los aislamientos de Metarhizium estuvieron relacionados estrechamente con la excepción de un aislamiento (MaI12). Un modelo lineal explicó el 26% de la variabilidad de la correlación entre las distancias genéticas y geográficas en los aislamientos de Beauveria. En Metarhizium no se encontró una correlación. Conclusión. Mayor número de marcadores u otro sistema de marcadores serían necesarios para distinguir los aislamientos de la colección, sin embargo, fueron altamente informativos y serán útiles para futuros estudios.

La papa andina nativa Solanum tuberosum Grupo Andigenum ha sido cultivada durante milenios en los Andes del noroeste de Argentina. Las variedades nativas de papa poseen una gran diversidad de formas y colores de sus tubérculos. Una de las variedades de más amplia distribución en el NOA es la variedad ̒Collareja̕. En el Banco Activo de Germoplasma de la EEA Balcarce (INTA) (BAL) se conservan accesiones de ̒Collareja̕, muestreadas en diferentes departamentos y localidades de Jujuy. En este estudio se examinó la variabilidad genética de las accesiones de la variedad ̒Collareja̕ conservadas en el BAL y, en paralelo se evaluó morfológica y molecularmente una muestra de ̒Collareja̕ proveniente de una parcela de un agricultor andino. La variabilidad fue examinada usando descriptores morfológicos y cuatro Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs). La distribución espacial de los marcadores fenotípicos y moleculares fue calculada con técnicas estadísticas multivariadas, y se estimaron los Índice de Contenido Polimórfico (PIC) para cada SSR. Los resultados revelaron variabilidad a nivel morfológico y genómico en los tubérculos de la muestra de ̒Collareja̕ del campo del agricultor. Las accesiones de ̒Collareja̕ del BAL también mostraron variabilidad molecular, pero diferencial respecto a la estimada en el campo del agricultor, y con mayor polimorfismo de acuerdo a los valores PIC. Con estos resultados preliminares discutimos respecto de la variabilidad morfológica y molecular encontrada, su posible impacto sobre el muestreo del germoplasma, y las estrategias de conservación in situ y ex situ sobre las variedades andinas de papa en general y de ̒Collareja̕ en particular.

Background: Advances in molecular biology techniques, such as PCR testing, and the use of polymorphic sequences of mitochondrial DNA in the d-Loop region, have been frequently used to describe maternal lines in animals, especially in birds. Aim. To conduct a review of laboratory techniques applied to molecular genetics, and their importance in the preservation of zoogenetic resources. Development: Molecular markers, especially microsatellites, became more useful and profitable, as protocols and technology were optimized; genetic methods provide reliable information that helps in the preservation of zoogenetic resources, particularly when the most traditional methods are inadequate. Conclusions: The utilization of molecular techniques offers objective measurements of the diversity among, and inside races, which permits to study their genetic relations, and to provide evidence of unique genetic attributes or genetic isolation phenomena from the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected‐area systems should conserve intraspecific genetic diversity. Because genetic data require resources to obtain, several approaches have been proposed for generating plans for protected‐area systems (prioritizations) when genetic data are not available. Yet such surrogate‐based approaches remain poorly tested. We evaluated the effectiveness of potential surrogate‐based approaches based on microsatellite genetic data collected across the Iberian Peninsula for 7 amphibian and 3 reptilian species. Long‐term environmental suitability did not effectively represent sites containing high genetic diversity (allelic richness). Prioritizations based on long‐term environmental suitability had similar performance to random prioritizations. Geographic distances and resistance distances based on contemporary environmental suitability were not always effective surrogates for identification of combinations of sites that contain individuals with different genetic compositions. Our results demonstrate that population genetic data based on commonly used neutral markers can inform prioritizations, and we could not find an adequate substitute. Conservation planners need to weigh the potential benefits of genetic data against their acquisition costs. Article impact statement: Conservation plans based on supposed surrogates of genetic data can perform much worse than those based directly on genetic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variability generally is associated with adaptive potential of species and can be assessed using microsatellite markers. Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) are endangered, migratory nectarivores thought to be experiencing population declines. Despite historical and current tracking efforts, migratory connections among roost sites remain elusive. Our objective was to assess the genetic variability and connectivity of two of the most geographically separated populations of L. nivalis currently known—a mating roost in central Mexico used from September to March, and a maternity roost in western Texas used by adult females and their young from June to August. Twelve loci developed for L. yerbabuenae and four for Glossophaga soricina amplified L. nivalis DNA; of those 16 loci, seven (all from L. yerbabuenae) were useful in genetic analyses of 113 individuals. High levels of genetic variation in L. nivalis from the two sites were not significantly different and no substructure was detected between these two roost sites separated by more than 1,200 km. Further, we recovered evidence of close relationship (parent–offspring) in nine pairs of juveniles captured at the northern roost and adults from the southern roost, confirming a connection between the two locations. For this endangered species, the level of variation detected, the lack of a recent bottleneck, and estimates of effective population size, are encouraging for future recovery. Management plans aimed at conserving Mexican long-nosed bats should recognize the need for managing these bats as a single population and conserving foraging and roosting habitat along migratory routes to reduce population fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neotropical catfishes Ageneiosus pardalis, Pimelodus grosskopfii and Sorubim cuspicaudus are migratory fishes of commercial importance that exhibit decreasing populations due to overfishing and other anthropic interventions. This study used species-specific microsatellite loci to test the hypothesis that threatened fish populations show genetic vulnerability signs and are genetically structured in the middle and lower sections of the Cauca River. The studied species exhibit genetic diversity levels higher than the average values reported for Neotropical Siluriformes; however, they seem to have suffered recent bottlenecks and they present significant endogamy levels that are higher for the critically endangered catfish P. grosskopfii. Furthermore, both Ageneiosus pardalis and S. cuspicaudus are each formed by one genetic group, while Pimelodus grosskopfii comprises two coexisting genetic groups. The information obtained in this study is useful for the decision making in management plans that are appropriate for the sustainability of these three species populations within the proposal for the expansion of the hydroelectric development and other anthropic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to genetically characterize 23 subpopulations of the Mexican Pelibuey sheep and a Cuban flock using nine microsatellite markers. A total of 99 alleles and a polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.84 were observed. The observed FIS, FST, and FIT were 0.007, 0.151, and 0.158, respectively. Three primers (OarFCB304, OarJMP29, and ILSTS5) showed deviations in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE; P<0.05). In a subpopulation analysis, the number of alleles per subpopulation ranged from 28 to 49, the mean number of alleles (MNA) was 4.08, and the effective number of alleles (NE) was 3.25. The observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.726 and 0.731, respectively. Six of the 24 evaluated subpopulations showed deviations of the HWE (P<0.05). The FIS values by subpopulation varied between -0.71 and 0.138. Nine private alleles were detected, and no shared alleles were observed. Using a principal component analysis (PCA), subpopulations were grouped into two clusters. Mantel's test determined that the genetic distance (measured by Nei's unbiased minimum distances) was not related to the geographic distance (r= -0.062; P>0.05). The population structure analysis determined two founder populations (K), similar to the PCA. This study concludes that the Pelibuey sheep in Mexico have high genetic diversity and that its subpopulations are grouped into two clusters, one of which shows the most preserved genetic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of the genetic diversity and structure of plant species is essential in order to comprehend the degree of biodiversity loss and to develop successful restoration programs. Handroanthus is an important genus that presents one of the most valuable timbers of South America. Handroanthus chrysanthus is an important species distributed in Central and South America. Microsatellite markers are not previously developed for this species. Ten microsatellites for Handroanthus chrysanthus developed using high-throughput sequencing are presented here. The usefulness of these microsatellite loci for the genetic analysis of subspecies H. chrysanthus subsp. chrysanthus (distributed in coastal dry forests) and subspecies H. chrysanthus subsp. meridionalis (distributed in premontane moist forests) is analyzed. At least eight polymorphic microsatellites are useful for each subspecies, seven of which can be used in both subspecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El río Magdalena es una de las cuencas más importantes de Colombia, cuenta con gran cantidad de especies de peces importantes para la economía de muchas comunidades en el país. Sin embargo, una reducción marcada en las poblaciones de distintas especies asociadas se ha presentado por diferentes factores. Dentro de estos, se destaca la construcción de la represa de Betania, como respuesta a los requerimientos energéticos en Colombia. No obstante, especies migratorias como Prochilodus magdalenae, de importancia económica para la pesquería artesanal, se han visto seriamente afectadas, por lo que se ha generado la necesidad de analizar su estructura y diversidad genética, teniendo en cuenta la construcción de la represa como posible factor de fragmentación. Para esto, se hace adecuado el uso de microsatélites como marcador molecular en diferentes localidades de estudio aguas arriba y abajo de la represa. Esto permitió evaluar en 171 individuos el estado de la diversidad genética, cómo se encuentra distribuida esta variabilidad en las localidades de estudio y cómo influyen algunos factores como la construcción de la represa sobre su estructura genética. En este sentido, se obtuvieron 111 alelos distribuidos en siete loci 100 % polimórficos. Los promedios generales para la heterocigosidad observada fueron de 0,2169, mientras que para las esperadas fueron de 0,8316. Los estadísticos de Fst y PhiPT mostraron que existe una moderada diferenciación entre la represa de Betania y todas las localidades muestreadas. El análisis de inferencia bayesiana detectó la coexistencia de tres poblaciones en la cuenca del río, entre las que destaca la de Betania. Estos resultados se pueden estar presentando, debido a la fragmentación que genera la represa en el río, impidiendo el flujo genético entre las localidades aguas arriba y aguas abajo de la represa

La familia Heliconiaceae tiene un solo género, Heliconia L., con aproximadamente 250 especies. Debido al colorido de sus brácteas son muy usadas para fines ornamentales presentando una creciente comercialización en el mercado internacional, lo que ha incentivado el aumento en el área productiva en los países de Centro y Sur América, al proporcionar una mayor oferta y demanda del producto. Sin embargo, existe en este género, confusión sobre el número de especies y las relaciones entre ellas. Esta inapropiada nomenclatura, puede originar problemas a nivel comercial y científico. En esta investigación realizada durante el 2014, se caracterizaron genéticamente 44 individuos del género Heliconia de importancia comercial en el centro occidente de Colombia, que corresponden a 4 especies, y un híbrido interespecífico, por medio de la amplificación de marcadores microsatélites previamente desarrollados para Heliconia bihai y Heliconia caribaea y marcadores microsatélites propios obtenidos del desarrollo de una librería genómica enriquecida con microsatélites para Heliconia orthotricha. Se seleccionaron 18 marcadores para realizar las caracterizaciones. Se utilizaron las estrategias de amplificación directa, así como la transferibilidad de marcadores. El equilibrio Hardy-Weinberg (EHW) se rompió para algunos de los marcadores empleados en las diferentes especies de este estudio, ya que pertenecían a cultivares comerciales con alta presión de selección por parte de los cultivadores. El marcador Hb_C115 presentó el ligamiento con un mayor número de marcadores. Muchos de los marcadores están ligados entre sí y al no poseer mapas de ligamiento para ninguna especie del género no es posible determinar la cercanía de los mismos en los cromosomas. Se confirma la transferibilidad de los microsatélites desarrollados para diferentes especies del género Heliconia, como una herramienta útil en la caracterización varietal, la cual podría ser de gran uso en la comercialización de flores e intercambio de material vegetal para propagación asexual.

Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Considering the importance of maintaining the genetic diversity in native animals, this study conducted to analyse genetic diversity in dromedary populations in the north of Kerman province, Iran, using eight autosomal microsatellite markers. Eighty-one blood samples were collected from five different populations and DNA was extracted. The highest and the lowest allele number and effective alleles were shown in YWLL08 (21 and 4) and VOLP32 (14.97 and 3.11), respectively. The expected heterozygosity varied from 0.778 in Sahra-e Jahad population to 0.847 in Nogh population. The test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium showed significant deviations in most loci. The mean multilocus FST value (0.057) suggested that differentiation is moderate between populations. From total genetic diversity, only 6% were due to differentiation among populations, while the remaining 94% corresponded to differences among individuals within each population. The results of the current study indicated that the Camelus dromedarius populations in the north of Kerman province have a relativity high genetic variation and the data could be useful for designing the breeding strategies and conservation. The degree of variability demonstrated implies that studied populations are rich reservoirs of genetic diversity that must be preserved. A future direction to our study can be studying all of the Iranian Camelus dromedarius populations to better evaluate the level of inbreeding and establish the appropriate conservation strategies aimed to avoid losses of genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecuador is a country with a high biodiversity of animal genetic resources of agri-food interest, although scientific information on them is scarce. This work aims is the study of the genetic diversity of Creole pigs in the Planning Zone Five of Ecuador, integrated by the provinces of Bolívar, Guayas, Los Ríos and Santa Elena. There, this population plays a fundamental role in rural communities as the main source of protein for the family unit and as a source of complementary income in traditional production systems. Ninety samples are analyzed with 25 microsatellites recommended by the FAO for studies of porcine genetic diversity. Parameters of genetic variability are calculated (mean number of alleles, effective number of alleles, heterozygosity, PIC and FIS coefficient). Individual DSA genetic distances are calculated and a dendrogram is constructed. The studied Ecuadorian pig shows a high in-breed genetic diversity and it do not deviate significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No genetic differentiation is detected between the pigs sampled in the different provinces, so it could be managed as a single population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectacled bear (Ursidae: Tremarctos ornatus) is an emblematic umbrella species and one of the top carnivores in the Andean mountains. It is also listed as vulnerable by IUCN and as endangered by CITES. We analyzed the genetic structure of this species in nine geographical regions representing the three Andean Cordilleras in Colombia. We sequenced six mitochondrial genes in 115 spectacled bears; a subset of these specimens (n = 61) were genotyped at seven nuclear microsatellites. We addressed three objectives: 1) determine the genetic diversity and historical demographic changes of the spectacled bear in Colombia; 2) determine phylogeographic patterns of genetic divergence among spectacled bear populations in Colombia; and 3) estimate the levels of gene flow among different regions of Colombia. Our analyses show evidence of high mitochondrial genetic diversity in spectacled bears, both in Colombia as well as in each of the nine regions, most particularly Norte de Santander, Nariño, and Antioquia-Córdoba. In addition, we detected population expansion in Colombia that occurred around 24,000 years ago, followed by a population decrease during the last 7,000 years, and a sudden expansion in the last 300 years. Phylogenetic analyses showed few well-supported clades, with some haplotypes detected in all the departments and Colombian Andean Cordilleras, and other haplotypes restricted to certain geographical areas (Antioquia, Norte de Santander, Cundinamarca, and Nariño). We detected significant genetic heterogeneity among some departments and among the three Colombian Andean Cordilleras for both mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Nevertheless, the moderate levels of gene flow estimated from F ST statistics suggest that geographical barriers have not been definitive obstacles to the dispersion of the spectacled bear throughout Colombia. Despite these gene flow estimates, significant spatial autocorrelation was detected for spectacled bear in Colombia, where two kinds of spatial patterns were discovered: genetic patches of 144 km of diameter, and isolation by distance among bears separated from 578 to 800 km. The two most northern spectacled bear populations of Colombia (Norte de Santander and Antioquia) also were the two most differentiated. Their distinctiveness may qualify them as distinct Management Units (MUs) in the context of conservation policies for the spectacled bear in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carnivores are decreasing globally due in part to anthropogenic ecological disturbances. In Argentina, human activities have fragmented wildlife habitat, thereby intensifying puma–livestock conflict and leading to population control of the predator species by hunting. We investigated genetic variability and population structure of pumas (Puma concolor) from three south-central Argentine provinces with two different management policies for the species: full protection versus legal hunting. All genetic estimates were based on 83 individuals genotyped at 25 species-specific microsatellite loci. The overall genetic diversity was high (observed heterozygosity = 0.63), but lower than in other South American populations. Spatial analyses revealed the presence of two bottlenecked genetic clusters with very similar diversity and low gene flow (3% per generation) between them. However, analyses based on a priori separated groups showed that gene flow follows increasing values of hunting pressure, converging to the area with the greatest number of individuals harvested. Our results suggest that hunting pressure likely is contributing to the gene flow pattern, limiting pumas' movements and creating a metapopulation dynamic among geographic subpopulations. Integrated demographic and genetic approaches are needed to better understand pumas' movements across the landscape and adopt successful management plans to achieve long-term population viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) breeding programs in Northwestern Mexico have focused in developing extra-largeseeded Kabuli cultivars, but additional efforts are required to generate genotypes with better grain quality traits. Information about molecular genetic diversity of Mexican chickpea germplasm and other genotypes from international collections may be valuable sources to improve nutritional properties. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity based on microsatellite markers and the variation in grain quality traits of 14 Kabuli genotypes from Mexico and nine Desi genotypes from other countries. The hypothesis was that the genetic variation detected allows the differentiation of the genotypes according to their origin. DNA was extracted and analyzed with 31 markers distributed across the chickpea genome. A total of 164 alleles were obtained (average of 5.3 alleles per locus) and a total gene diversity of 0.72, which demonstrated a broad genetic base of the chickpeas analyzed. The UPGMA-cluster analysis, modelbased population structure and principal component analysis revealed two major groups, one formed by Desi chickpeas and the other by Kabuli genotypes. The chickpeas also showed a wide variability in seed coat color, seed weight, seed coat proportion, and starch, protein and phenolics content, which was significantly associated with 12 microsatellite markers. These genetic materials represent a broad source of variation for improving chickpea grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite of the substantial economic and human health problems produced by rodents of the genus Rattus almost nothing is known about its actual dispersal. In the present study we analyze the genetic subdivision of R. norvegicus inhabiting poultry farms of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the relation between geographic and genetic distances by means of variation in microsatellite loci. We genotyped 40 rats captured between April-06 and June-07 from nine poultry farms distributed in an area of 110 km². No genetic subdivision was found among different poultry farms. This result supports the hypothesis of high connectivity between R. norvegicus inhabiting poultry farms in Buenos Aires. Because this species is a known host of diverse zoonosis as leptospirosis and trichinosis, our results point out that there is a great risk of transmission for distances lower than 12 km. Health control and preventive measures should therefore be applied simultaneously in all nearby poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this work was to develop a standardized molecular protocols, to differentiate red and gray tilapia lineages using DNA microsatellites and to evaluate SCAR-5F-X/5R and SCAR-5F/5R-Y markers associated with the phenotypic sex of O. niloticus. The UNH106 microsatellite allowed differentiating genetically the lineages of red tilapia from gray. The markers UNH136, UNH115 and UNH995 presented monomorphic loci in both the red and gray tilapia in the population stock of the Centro Experimental de Genética of the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Fragment sizes for microsatellites and the reference gene β actin are described. The effectiveness of SCAR markers as informative in the determination of the genetic sex in XX and YY females and XY y YY males of red tilapia and XX females and XY males of gray tilapia was also confirmed.

En este trabajo se determinó la variabilidad genética de 30 accesiones de papa nativas (Solanum tuberosum L.) del banco de germoplasma que administra la Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (Corpoica), mediante cinco marcadores moleculares de tipo microsatélites (SSRs). En total, se identificaron 33 alelos con un rango entre 2 (STMS1049) hasta 10 (STMS1106), donde el contenido de información polimórfica (PIC) varió entre 0,368 (STM1049) hasta 0,574 (STM2022). El análisis de agrupamiento distribuyó las 30 accesiones de papas en siete grupos genéticos, con índices de similitud que oscilaron entre 0,452 (1231) hasta 0,841 (1439). A partir de los resultados obtenidos se puede concluir que con el uso de los marcadores moleculares empleados el material presentó variabilidad, poniendo en manifiesto el gran valor que tiene esta colección para los programas de mejoramiento genético de la especie.

The mexican backyard turkey, is a native breed in danger of extinction, at present the habit of conserving the native genetic resources of each population has been lost, trying to cross animals with commercial lines for the production of turkey meat, damaging and losing the genetic stock of native turkeys in México. The objective of this work is to carry out the genetic characterization of the mexican transfer turkey using microsatellites and to study the possible genetic structure of this population. A panel of 38 microsatellites is analyzed in 51 samples of transfer turkey, taken from different areas of the city of Veracruz, México. The main parameters of genetic diversity have been evaluated: expected and observed heterozygosity, number of alleles, F statistics and Correspondence Factor Analysis using the GENETIX software. Genetic distances between individuals (DSA) with which a dendrogram has been constructed using the POPULATIONS program are calculated. The tree is displayed with the TREEVIEW program. The genetic structure is studied with the STRUCTURE program. All microsatellites used polymorphic results, with a minimum of 2 alleles found on the MNT 264 microsatellite and a maximum of 14 alleles on the MNT274 and RHT024 markers, with an average number of alleles of 6.79. The average values of HE and HO are 0.619 and 0.620 respectively. The following F statistics show the following values in the total sample: FIS 0.128 (P <0.05), FIT 0.152 (P <0.05) and FST 0.027, (P <0.05). The characterized backyard turkey population does not have genetic substructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]