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Published on: October 5, 2017
Microsatellite Mutation Rate in Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)
Hanna Panagiotopoulou1, James D Austin1, Katarzyna Zalewska1
1Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia; Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
Understanding mutation rates can greatly extend the utility of population and conservation genetic analyses. Herein, we present an estimate of genome-wide microsatellite mutation rate in Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) based on parent-offspring transmission patterns. We screened 307 individuals for parentage and mutation-rate analysis applying 43 variable markers. Out of 13228 allele transfers, 11 mutations were detected, producing a mutation rate of 8.3 × 10-4 per locus per generation (95% confidence interval: 1.48 × 10-3, 4.15 × 10-4). Single-step mutations predominated and there were trends toward mutations in loci with greater polymorphism and allele length. Two of the detected mutations were most probably cluster mutations, being identified in 12 and 28 sibs, respectively. Finally, we observed evidences of polyploidy based on the sporadic presence of 3 or 4 alleles per locus in the genotyped individuals, supporting previous reports of incomplete diploidization in Atlantic sturgeon.
