GENETIC POLYMORPHISM OF METAPOPULATIONS OF THE SPOTTED GROUND SQUIRREL
(SPERMOPHILUS SUSLICUS GÜLD.) OF THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA: ANALYSIS OF NDNA MARKERS 

Zaks Svetlana Sergeevna, Candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher, scientific and educational laboratory of molecular ecology and systematics of animals, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), E-mail: s.s.zaks@yandex.ru
Kuz'min Anton Alekseevich, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, sub-department of biotechnology and technosphere safety, Penza State Technological University (1a/11 Baidukova lane/Gagarina street, Penza, Russia),
E-mail: kuzmin-puh@yandex.com
Simakov Maksim Dmitrievich, Postgraduate student, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia),
E-mail: maksimakov@bk.ru
Titov Sergey Vital'evich, Doctor of biological sciences, professor, head of sub-department of zoology and ecology, dean of the faculty of physics, mathematics and natural sciences, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia),
E-mail: svtitov@yandex.ru 

591.557:599.322.2 

DOI

10.21685/2307-9150-2018-3-6 

Background. In recent years, fragmentation of the historical area of mammal species has become quite common under the influence of environmental factors of natural and anthropogenic nature. Over the last 40 years the habitat of the spotted ground squirrels in the Volga region has change much. The Eastern part of the spotted ground squirrel area acquired metapopulation structure as a result of rapid fragmentation. The aim of the study was to research the genetic polymorphism of populations of the spotted ground squirrel in the Eastern part of the area, according to the study of the variability of a marker of nuclear DNA HOX b5. The results will be compared with the data obtained earlier.
Materials and methods. Genetic structure of 12 local spotted souslik’s populations on the territory of Ul’yanovsk Region was studied. These susliks populations are part of the previously identified 5 metapopulations. Specific for ground squirrels primers applicable for gene HOX b5 amplification were used. 29 samples from these populations were sequenced. Populations’ genetic structure was described on the ratio of haplotypes and genotypes of HOX b5 using the results of previous studies of the structure of populations of spotted ground squirrel on the fragment gene p53.
Results. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences (713 pn) fragment of the gene HOX b5 of 12 geographical populations of the spotted ground squirrel has shown highly conserved sequence of this molecular marker (C = 0,999). Was identified only one nucleotide replacement at position 173 – a transition A–G. Carried out the ML analysis of the nucleotide sequences allowed us to combine the separate geographically isolated point in two groups – group “A” and group “G” (according to the available nucleotide at position 173). The polymorphism of the studied nuclear marker HOX b5 decreases from South to North and from East to West within the boundaries of the fragmented Eastern part of the spotted ground squirrel area.
The most monomorphic were Central and North-Western metapopulations. Along the same line, there is a decrease in the proportion of the less common haplotype (G) of this nuclear marker.
Conclusions. The study of polymorphism of two nuclear markers (HOX b5 and 6 intron of p53 gene) showed that these markers reliably differentiate populations of spotted gopher. The second marker is more informative for such studies. Metapopulations II (Eastern or Volga) and IV (Northern) do not differ in both markers by haplotype frequencies and genotype frequencies. These results indicate the homogeneity of the population in these metapopulations. Perhaps their geographical differentiation is only external, internally they are genetically homogeneous. 

Key words

Spotted Ground Squirrel, nuclear DNA, gene p53, gene HOX b5, Ul’yanovsk Region 

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