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Use of cellular oncogene probes to identify Morone hybrids

I I Wirgin1, L Maceda, C Mesing

  • 1Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University Medical Center, Tuxedo 10987.

The Journal of Heredity
|September 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Cellular oncogene (c-onc) probes effectively identify fish hybrids and backcrosses. These DNA markers confirm Mendelian inheritance and help trace the lineage of wild Morone hybrids.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Ichthyology

Background:

  • Accurate identification of fish hybrids and their lineage is crucial for population genetics and conservation.
  • Traditional methods may not always provide definitive results for complex hybridizations within the Morone genus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of cellular oncogene (c-onc) probes for identifying F1 hybrids and backcrosses in the fish genus Morone.
  • To assess the heritability of nuclear DNA genotypes derived from c-onc probes.
  • To determine the lineage of wild Morone hybrids of unknown ancestry.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of total DNA from four North American Morone species.
  • Digestion of DNA with Eco RI and Hin dIII restriction enzymes.
  • Southern blotting and hybridization with six different c-onc probes (v-abl, v-erb B, c-myc, c-H-ras, c-K-ras, v-src).
  • Analysis of hatchery-produced F1 hybrids and backcrosses.
  • Application of probes to wild suspected hybrids from Alabama and Virginia.
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) RFLP analysis for ancestral history.

Main Results:

  • Fixed genotypic differences were observed among the four Morone species using all six c-onc probes and single restriction enzyme digests.
  • All F1 hybrids showed heterozygosity in diagnostic nuclear DNA fragments, confirming Mendelian inheritance.
  • Backcross analysis revealed both recombinant and parental genotypes at all six polymorphic c-onc sequences.
  • c-onc probes successfully identified the lineage of suspected wild Morone hybrids.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular oncogene (c-onc) probes are reliable molecular markers for unequivocally identifying F1 hybrids and backcrosses in Morone species.
  • These probes facilitate the quantification of introgression in natural fish populations.
  • Combined with mtDNA RFLP analysis, c-onc probes provide a comprehensive ancestral history for individual fish.

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