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A phylogenetic perspective on sequence evolution in microsatellite loci.

Y Zhu1, D C Queller, J E Strassmann

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA.

Journal of Molecular Evolution
|May 5, 2000
PubMed
Summary
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Microsatellite repeat regions in Polistinae wasps show conserved structures but rapid evolution in repeat numbers. Imperfections in repeats are phylogenetically informative, with slippage driving changes.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Evolution

Background:

  • Microsatellites, or simple sequence repeats (SSRs), are widely used genetic markers.
  • Their evolution, particularly in noncoding regions, provides insights into mutation processes and phylogenetic relationships.
  • The Polistinae subfamily of wasps offers a model system for studying deep evolutionary divergences (>140 million years).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of microsatellite repeat regions in 58 Polistinae wasp species.
  • To explore phylogenetic approaches for understanding microsatellite evolution, including character mapping and comparative analysis.
  • To identify factors influencing repeat number and structure variation across a deep phylogeny.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phylogenetic analysis of three noncoding microsatellite loci across 58 Polistinae species.
  • Comparative analysis of repeat structures, including basic repeat motifs, imperfections, and repeat numbers.
  • Mapping of repeat region characteristics onto the species phylogeny.

    • Main Results:

    • The basic repeat structure of microsatellite loci was highly conserved but contained phylogenetically informative imperfections.
    • Repeat numbers evolved more rapidly than other changes, consistent with the stepwise mutation model driven by replication slippage.
    • Longer and perfect repeats correlated with greater evolutionary change rates; closely related species had longer uninterrupted repeats and more motifs, but not longer total repeat regions.
    • No evidence supported consistent differences in repeat numbers across species or a population size effect on directionality.

    Conclusions:

    • Phylogenetic variation in microsatellite repeat regions can be explained by neutral evolution combined with known mutation processes.
    • Microsatellite evolution involves a balance between slippage-driven growth and degradation through accumulated imperfections.
    • Character mapping and comparative analysis using phylogenetic approaches offer novel insights into microsatellite evolution.