GENETIC STRUCTURE OF SPOTTED GROUND SQUIRREL POPULATIONS (SPERMOPHILUS SUSLICUS GÜLD.) IN MIDDLE VOLGA REGION ACCORDING TO nDNA ANALYSIS DATA 

Zaks Svetlana Sergeevna, Candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher, research department, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), s.s.zaks@yandex.ru
Kuzmin 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), kuzmin-puh@yandex.com
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), svtitov@yandex.ru

591.557:599.322.2

10.21685/2307-9150-2016-4-1

Background. The study of population polymorphism in wide spread animal species has always been one of topical tasks of population ecology. Such researches are especially important when studying habitats of species that rapidly decrease in numbers or have long-term depressive statements. The goal of the research work is to study genetic polymorphism levels of individuals in living populations of Spotted Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus Güld.), found in the territory of Ulyanovsk region, using nuclear DNA locus – intron 6 gene p53.
Materials and methods. The genetic structure of 24 local spotted souslik populations in the territory of Ulyanovsk region was studied. The total sample size – 203 individuals. Specific primers for ground squirrels applicable for intron 6 gene p53 amplification were used. The genetic structure of populations was described by 4 parameters: percentage of gene’s alleles in a population, heterozygosity level, Hardy – Weinberg equilibrium, fixation indices (F-statistics) using Arlequin ver. 3.1 and Statistica for Windows software.
Results. During the analysis of intron 6 gene p53 fragments two alleles with different masses were detected. The study of allelic diversity of 24 populations of spotted souslik in Ulyanovsk region has revealed frequency predominance of the S1 allele. In the total sample (n = 202) the frequency of S1-allele was 0,693. Herewith the х2-test of expected and observed genotypes’ frequencies (S1/S1, S1/S2, S2/S2) hasn’t revealed any deviations from a theoretical model of their distribution (1,723, df = 2, p = 0,423). The obtained results confirm the metapopulation structure revealed earlier.
Conclusions. The analysis of genotypes’ frequencies according to the used nDNA locus between populations as well as the whole data shows that autonomous genetic processes correspond to the Hardy – Weinberg’s law. Consequently, there is no selection in these populations. The observed dissociation of populations is reasoned by geographical barriers. It displays itself in the metapopulation structure of the eastern part of specie’s habitat and is confirmed by genetic data according to intron 6 gene p53 allelic distribution.

spotted ground squirrel, nuclear DNA, gene p53, Ulyanovsk region

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