scholarly journals Lacking conservation genomics in the giant Galápagos tortoise

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Loire ◽  
Nicolas Galtier
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Conservation Policy ◽  
Population Substructure ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Conservation Genomics ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Peer Community ◽  
Ngs Data

AbstractThis preprint has been reviewed and recommended by Peer Community In Evolutionary Biology (http://dx.doi.org/10.24072/pci.evolbiol.100031).Conservation policy in the giant Galápagos tortoise, an iconic endangered animal, has been assisted by genetic markers for ∼15 years: a dozen loci have been used to delineate thirteen (sub)species, between which hybridization is prevented. Here, comparative reanalysis of a previously published NGS data set reveals a conflict with traditional markers. Genetic diversity and population substructure in the giant Galápagos tortoise are found to be particularly low, questioning the genetic relevance of current conservation practices. Further examination of giant Galapagos tortoise population genomics is critically needed.

scholarly journals Population Genomics Training for the Next Generation of Conservation Geneticists: ConGen 2018 Workshop

2020 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-236
Author(s):  
Amanda Stahlke ◽  
Donavan Bell ◽  
Tashi Dhendup ◽  
Brooke Kern ◽  
Samuel Pannoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Genomics ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Conservation Genomics ◽  
Genetics Research ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Genomic Tools ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Ngs ◽  
Ngs Data

Abstract The increasing availability and complexity of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data sets make ongoing training an essential component of conservation and population genetics research. A workshop entitled “ConGen 2018” was recently held to train researchers in conceptual and practical aspects of NGS data production and analysis for conservation and ecological applications. Sixteen instructors provided helpful lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises regarding how to plan, produce, and analyze data for many important research questions. Lecture topics ranged from understanding probabilistic (e.g., Bayesian) genotype calling to the detection of local adaptation signatures from genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data. We report on progress in addressing central questions of conservation genomics, advances in NGS data analysis, the potential for genomic tools to assess adaptive capacity, and strategies for training the next generation of conservation genomicists.

scholarly journals Reconstruction of body mass evolution in the Cetartiodactyla and mammals using phylogenomic data

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Figuet ◽  
M. Ballenghien ◽  
N. Lartillot ◽  
N. Galtier
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Substitution Rate ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Gc Content ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Synonymous Substitution ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Peer Community

ABSTRACTThis preprint has been reviewed and recommended by Peer Community In Evolutionary Biology (http://dx.doi.org/10.24072/pci.evolbiol.100042).Reconstructing ancestral characters on a phylogeny is an arduous task because the observed states at the tips of the tree correspond to a single realization of the underlying evolutionary process. Recently, it was proposed that ancestral traits can be indirectly estimated with the help of molecular data, based on the fact that life history traits influence substitution rates. Here we challenge these new approaches in the Cetartiodactyla, a clade of large mammals which, according to paleontology, derive from small ancestors. Analysing transcriptome data in 41 species, of which 22 were newly sequenced, we provide a dated phylogeny of the Cetartiodactyla and report a significant effect of body mass on the overall substitution rate, the synonymous vs. non-synonymous substitution rate and the dynamics of GC-content. Our molecular comparative analysis points toward relatively small Cetartiodactyla ancestors, in agreement with the fossil record, even though our data set almost exclusively consists of large species. This analysis demonstrates the potential of phylogenomic methods for ancestral trait reconstruction and gives credit to recent suggestions that the ancestor to placental mammals was a relatively large and long-lived animal.

Of Whales and Dugongs: Examining the Rise of Colonial Conservation as Development in Madagascar’s Marine History

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merrill Baker-Médard
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Policy ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Current Conservation ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Local Resource ◽  
Conservation And Development ◽  
The Way

This work explores how colonial marine conservation policy in Madagascar had the dual purpose of facilitating the expansion of capital and ‘civilising’ the way Malagasy fishers used marine resources. I analyse how the legacy of narratives that emerged to bolster state-led conservation intervention during the colonial period are still present in current conservation and development narratives, perpetuating in some cases the coloniser–colonised relationship between conservation organisations and local resource users. These findings indicate a need to revamp certain aspects of marine conservation legislation in Madagascar and the need for conservation organisations to explicitly acknowledge this history when working with local resource users in order to avoid reproducing historical injustices.

scholarly journals Screening Metagenomic Data for Viruses Using the E-Probe Diagnostic Nucleic Acid Assay

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (10) ◽  
pp. 1125-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Stobbe ◽  
W. L. Schneider ◽  
P. R. Hoyt ◽  
U. Melcher
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Yellow Mosaic Virus ◽  
Metagenomic Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Golden Yellow ◽  
Nucleic Acid Assay ◽  
Ngs Data

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is not used commonly in diagnostics, in part due to the large amount of time and computational power needed to identify the taxonomic origin of each sequence in a NGS data set. By using the unassembled NGS data sets as the target for searches, pathogen-specific sequences, termed e-probes, could be used as queries to enable detection of specific viruses or organisms in plant sample metagenomes. This method, designated e-probe diagnostic nucleic acid assay, first tested with mock sequence databases, was tested with NGS data sets generated from plants infected with a DNA (Bean golden yellow mosaic virus, BGYMV) or an RNA (Plum pox virus, PPV) virus. In addition, the ability to detect and differentiate among strains of a single virus species, PPV, was examined by using probe sets that were specific to strains. The use of probe sets for multiple viruses determined that one sample was dually infected with BGYMV and Bean golden mosaic virus.

scholarly journals PRDM9 Diversity at Fine Geographical Scale Reveals Contrasting Evolutionary Patterns and Functional Constraints in Natural Populations of House Mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1686-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Covadonga Vara ◽  
Laia Capilla ◽  
Luca Ferretti ◽  
Alice Ledda ◽  
Rosa A Sánchez-Guillén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Functional Constraints ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Data Set

Abstract One of the major challenges in evolutionary biology is the identification of the genetic basis of postzygotic reproductive isolation. Given its pivotal role in this process, here we explore the drivers that may account for the evolutionary dynamics of the PRDM9 gene between continental and island systems of chromosomal variation in house mice. Using a data set of nearly 400 wild-caught mice of Robertsonian systems, we identify the extent of PRDM9 diversity in natural house mouse populations, determine the phylogeography of PRDM9 at a local and global scale based on a new measure of pairwise genetic divergence, and analyze selective constraints. We find 57 newly described PRDM9 variants, this diversity being especially high on Madeira Island, a result that is contrary to the expectations of reduced variation for island populations. Our analysis suggest that the PRDM9 allelic variability observed in Madeira mice might be influenced by the presence of distinct chromosomal fusions resulting from a complex pattern of introgression or multiple colonization events onto the island. Importantly, we detect a significant reduction in the proportion of PRDM9 heterozygotes in Robertsonian mice, which showed a high degree of similarity in the amino acids responsible for protein–DNA binding. Our results suggest that despite the rapid evolution of PRDM9 and the variability detected in natural populations, functional constraints could facilitate the accumulation of allelic combinations that maintain recombination hotspot symmetry. We anticipate that our study will provide the basis for examining the role of different PRDM9 genetic backgrounds in reproductive isolation in natural populations.

scholarly journals Geography Shapes the Population Genomics of Salmonella enterica Dublin

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2220-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin J Fenske ◽  
Anil Thachil ◽  
Patrick L McDonough ◽  
Amy Glaser ◽  
Joy Scaria
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Virulence Plasmid ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Data Set

Abstract Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin (S. Dublin) is a bovine-adapted serotype that can cause serious systemic infections in humans. Despite the increasing prevalence of human infections and the negative impact on agricultural processes, little is known about the population structure of the serotype. To this end, we compiled a manually curated data set comprising of 880 S. Dublin genomes. Core genome phylogeny and ancestral state reconstruction revealed that region-specific clades dominate the global population structure of S. Dublin. Strains of S. Dublin in the UK are genomically distinct from US, Brazilian, and African strains. The geographical partitioning impacts the composition of the core genome as well as the ancillary genome. Antibiotic resistance genes are almost exclusively found in US genomes and are mediated by an IncA/C2 plasmid. Phage content and the S. Dublin virulence plasmid were strongly conserved in the serotype. Comparison of S. Dublin to a closely related serotype, S. enterica serotype Enteritidis, revealed that S. Dublin contains 82 serotype specific genes that are not found in S. Enteritidis. Said genes encode metabolic functions involved in the uptake and catabolism of carbohydrates and virulence genes associated with type VI secretion systems and fimbria assembly respectively.

Whole-genome association mapping in elite inbred crop varietiesThis article is one of a selection of papers from the conference “Exploiting Genome-wide Association in Oilseed Brassicas: a model for genetic improvement of major OECD crops for sustainable farming”.

Genome ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 967-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbie Waugh ◽  
David Marshall ◽  
Bill Thomas ◽  
Jordi Comadran ◽  
Joanne Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Pool ◽  
Physical Map ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Population Substructure ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Marker Loci ◽  
Genome Association ◽  
Whole Genome Association

We have previously shown that linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the elite cultivated barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) gene pool extends, on average, for <1–5 cM. Based on this information, we have developed a platform for whole genome association studies that comprises a collection of elite lines that we have characterized at 3060 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker loci. Interrogating this data set shows that significant population substructure is present within the elite gene pool and that diversity and LD vary considerably across each of the seven barley chromosomes. However, we also show that a subpopulation comprised of only the two-rowed spring germplasm is less structured and well suited to whole genome association studies without the need for extensive statistical intervention to account for structure. At the current marker density, the two-rowed spring population is suited for fine mapping simple traits that are located outside of the genetic centromeres with a resolution that is sufficient for candidate gene identification by exploiting conservation of synteny with fully sequenced model genomes and the emerging barley physical map.

scholarly journals A Novel Method to Detect Bias in Short Read NGS Data

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Alnasir ◽  
Hugh P. Shanahan
Keyword(s):  
Biological Significance ◽  
Gc Content ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Short Read ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Type Data ◽  
Ngs Data

AbstractDetecting sources of bias in transcriptomic data is essential to determine signals of Biological significance. We outline a novel method to detect sequence specific bias in short read Next Generation Sequencing data. This is based on determining intra-exon correlations between specific motifs. This requires a mild assumption that short reads sampled from specific regions from the same exon will be correlated with each other. This has been implemented on Apache Spark and used to analyse two D. melanogaster eye-antennal disc data sets generated at the same laboratory. The wild type data set in drosophila indicates a variation due to motif GC content that is more significant than that found due to exon GC content. The software is available online and could be applied for cross-experiment transcriptome data analysis in eukaryotes.

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