The utility of single nucleotide polymorphisms in inferences of population history

Secondary contact and changes in coastal habitat availability influence the nonequilibrium population structure of a salmonid (Oncorhynchus keta)

Numerous empirical studies have reported lack of migration–drift equilibrium in wild populations. Determining the causes of nonequilibrium population structure is challenging because different evolutionary processes acting at a variety of spatiotemporal scales can produce similar patterns. Studies of contemporary populations in northern latitudes suggest that nonequilibrium population structure is probably caused by recent colonization of the region after the last Pleistocene ice age ended ∼13 000 years ago. The chum salmon's (Oncorhynchus keta) range was fragmented by dramatic environmental changes during the Pleistocene. We investigated the population structure of chum salmon on the North Alaska Peninsula (NAP) and, using both empirical data and simulations, evaluated the effects of colonization timing and founder population heterogeneity on patterns of genetic differentiation. We screened 161 single nucleotide polymorphisms and found evidence of nonequilibrium population structure when the slope of the isolation-by-distance relationship was examined at incremental spatial scales. In addition, simulations suggested that this pattern closely matched models of recent colonization of the NAP by secondary contact. Our results agree with geological and archaeological data indicating that the NAP was a dynamic landscape that may have been more recently colonized than during the last deglaciation because of dramatic changes in coastal hydrology over the last several thousand years.

Genetic relationships in an international collection of Puccinia horiana isolates based on newly identified molecular markers and demonstration of recombination

The obligate biotrophic pathogen Puccinia horiana is the causal agent of chrysanthemum white rust. Although P. horiana is a quarantine organism, it has been able to spread to most chrysanthemum-producing regions in the world since the 1960s; however, the transfer routes are largely obscure. An extremely low level of allelic diversity was observed in a geographically diverse set of eight isolates using complexity reduction of polymorphic sequences (CRoPS) technology. Only 184 of the 16,196 contigs (1.1%) showed one or more single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Thirty-two SNPs and one simple-sequence repeat were translated into molecular markers and used to genotype 45 isolates originating from North and South America, Asia, and Europe. In most cases, phylogenetic clustering was related to geographic origin, indicating local establishment. The European isolates mostly grouped in two major populations that may relate to the two historic introductions previously reported. However, evidence of recent geographic transfer was also observed, including transfer events between Europe and South America and between Southeast Asia and Europe. In contrast with the presumed clonal propagation of this microcyclic rust, strong indications of marker recombination were observed, presumably as a result of anastomosis, karyogamy, and somatic meiosis. Recombination and transfer also explain the geographic dispersal of specific markers. A near-to-significant correlation between the genotypic data and previously obtained pathotype data was observed and one marker was associated with the most virulent pathotype group. In combination with a fast SNP detection method, the markers presented here will be helpful tools to further elucidate the transfer pathways and local survival of this pathogen.

SNP development from RNA-seq data in a nonmodel fish: how many individuals are needed for accurate allele frequency prediction?

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are rapidly becoming the marker of choice in population genetics due to a variety of advantages relative to other markers, including higher genomic density, data quality, reproducibility and genotyping efficiency, as well as ease of portability between laboratories. Advances in sequencing technology and methodologies to reduce genomic representation have made the isolation of SNPs feasible for nonmodel organisms. RNA-seq is one such technique for the discovery of SNPs and development of markers for large-scale genotyping. Here, we report the development of 192 validated SNP markers for parentage analysis in Tripterygion delaisi (the black-faced blenny), a small rocky-shore fish from the Mediterranean Sea. RNA-seq data for 15 individual samples were used for SNP discovery by applying a series of selection criteria. Genotypes were then collected from 1599 individuals from the same population with the resulting loci. Differences in heterozygosity and allele frequencies were found between the two data sets. Heterozygosity was lower, on average, in the population sample, and the mean difference between the frequencies of particular alleles in the two data sets was 0.135 ± 0.100. We used bootstrap resampling of the sequence data to predict appropriate sample sizes for SNP discovery. As cDNA library production is time-consuming and expensive, we suggest that using seven individuals for RNA sequencing reduces the probability of discarding highly informative SNP loci, due to lack of observed polymorphism, whereas use of more than 12 samples does not considerably improve prediction of true allele frequencies.

How to fail at species delimitation

Species delimitation is the act of identifying species-level biological diversity. In recent years, the field has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of methods available for delimiting species. However, most recent investigations only utilize a handful (i.e. 2-3) of the available methods, often for unstated reasons. Because the parameter space that is potentially relevant to species delimitation far exceeds the parameterization of any existing method, a given method necessarily makes a number of simplifying assumptions, any one of which could be violated in a particular system. We suggest that researchers should apply a wide range of species delimitation analyses to their data and place their trust in delimitations that are congruent across methods. Incongruence across the results from different methods is evidence of either a difference in the power to detect cryptic lineages across one or more of the approaches used to delimit species and could indicate that assumptions of one or more of the methods have been violated. In either case, the inferences drawn from species delimitation studies should be conservative, for in most contexts it is better to fail to delimit species than it is to falsely delimit entities that do not represent actual evolutionary lineages.

Multiplex SNP-SCALE: a cost-effective medium-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping method

We describe a convenient, cost-effective and flexible medium-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping method, Multiplex SNP-SCALE, which enables the simultaneous amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of up to 25 (or potentially more) loci followed by electrophoresis in an automated DNA sequencer. We extended the original SNP-SCALE method to include (i) use of a commercial multiplex PCR kit, (ii) a four-dye system, (iii) much-reduced (2-µL) reaction volumes, (iv) drying down of template DNA before PCR, (v) use of pig-tailed primers, (vi) a PCR product weighting system, (vii) a standard optimized touchdown PCR thermocycling programme, and (viii) software (SNP-SCALE Primer Designer) that automatically designs suitable SNP-SCALE primers for a batch of loci. This new protocol was validated for different types of SNPs. The method is cost- and time-effective for medium-scale evolutionary and ecological projects involving 10s to 100s of loci.

Application of single nucleotide polymorphisms to non-model species: a technical review

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have gained wide use in humans and model species and are becoming the marker of choice for applications in other species. Technology that was developed for work in model species may provide useful tools for SNP discovery and genotyping in non-model organisms. However, SNP discovery can be expensive, labour intensive, and introduce ascertainment bias. In addition, the most efficient approaches to SNP discovery will depend on the research questions that the markers are to resolve as well as the focal species. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of several past and recent technologies for SNP discovery and genotyping and summarize a variety of SNP discovery and genotyping studies in ecology and evolution.

Fish scales and SNP chips: SNP genotyping and allele frequency estimation in individual and pooled DNA from historical samples of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Background

DNA extracted from historical samples is an important resource for understanding genetic consequences of anthropogenic influences and long-term environmental change. However, such samples generally yield DNA of a lower amount and quality, and the extent to which DNA degradation affects SNP genotyping success and allele frequency estimation is not well understood. We conducted high density SNP genotyping and allele frequency estimation in both individual DNA samples and pooled DNA samples extracted from dried Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) scales stored at room temperature for up to 35 years, and assessed genotyping success, repeatability and accuracy of allele frequency estimation using a high density SNP genotyping array.

Results

In individual DNA samples, genotyping success and repeatability was very high (> 0.973 and > 0.998, respectively) in samples stored for up to 35 years; both increased with the proportion of DNA of fragment size > 1000 bp. In pooled DNA samples, allele frequency estimation was highly repeatable (Repeatability = 0.986) and highly correlated with empirical allele frequency measures (Mean Adjusted R² = 0.991); allele frequency could be accurately estimated in > 95% of pooled DNA samples with a reference group of at least 30 individuals. SNPs located in polyploid regions of the genome were more sensitive to DNA degradation: older samples had lower genotyping success at these loci, and a larger reference panel of individuals was required to accurately estimate allele frequencies.

Conclusions

SNP genotyping was highly successful in degraded DNA samples, paving the way for the use of degraded samples in SNP genotyping projects. DNA pooling provides the potential for large scale population genetic studies with fewer assays, provided enough reference individuals are also genotyped and DNA quality is properly assessed beforehand. We provide recommendations for future studies intending to conduct high-throughput SNP genotyping and allele frequency estimation in historical samples.

Analyses of the population structure in a global collection of Phytophthora nicotianae isolates inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

Genetic variation within the heterothallic cosmopolitan plant pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae was determined in 96 isolates from a wide range of hosts and geographic locations by characterizing four mitochondrial (10% of the genome) and three nuclear loci. In all, 52 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (an average of 1 every 58 bp) and 313 sites with gaps representing 5,450 bases enabled the identification of 50 different multilocus mitochondrial haplotypes. Similarly, 24 SNPs (an average of 1 every 69 bp), with heterozygosity observed at each locus, were observed in three nuclear regions (hyp, scp, and β-tub) differentiating 40 multilocus nuclear genotypes. Both mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed a high level of dispersal of isolates and an inconsistent geographic structuring of populations. However, a specific association was observed for host of origin and genetic grouping with both nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. In particular, the majority of citrus isolates from Italy, California, Florida, Syria, Albania, and the Philippines clustered in the same mitochondrial group and shared at least one nuclear allele. A similar association was also observed for isolates recovered from Nicotiana and Solanum spp. The present study suggests an important role of nursery populations in increasing genetic recombination within the species and the existence of extensive phenomena of migration of isolates that have been likely spread worldwide with infected plant material.

Novel genomic resources for a climate change sensitive mammal: characterization of the American pika transcriptome

BACKGROUND

When faced with climate change, species must either shift their home range or adapt in situ in order to maintain optimal physiological balance with their environment. The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small alpine mammal with limited dispersal capacity and low tolerance for thermal stress. As a result, pikas have become an important system for examining biotic responses to changing climatic conditions. Previous research using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) has revealed evidence for environmental-mediated selection in O. princeps populations distributed along elevation gradients, yet the anonymity of AFLP loci and lack of available genomic resources precluded the identification of associated gene regions. Here, we harnessed next-generation sequencing technology in order to characterize the American pika transcriptome and identify a large suite of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which can be used to elucidate elevation- and site-specific patterns of sequence variation.

RESULTS

We constructed pooled cDNA libraries of O. princeps from high (1400 m) and low (300 m) elevation sites along a previously established transect in British Columbia. Transcriptome sequencing using the Roche 454 GS FLX titanium platform generated 780 million base pairs of data, which were assembled into 7,325 high coverage contigs. These contigs were used to identify 24,261 novel SNP loci. Using high resolution melt analysis, we developed 17 of these SNPs into genotyping assays, which were validated with independent DNA samples from British Columbia Canada and Oregon State USA. In addition, we detected haplotypes in the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 of the mitochondrial genome that were fixed and different among elevations, suggesting that this may be an informative target gene for studying the role of cellular respiration in local adaptation. We also identified contigs that were unique to each elevation, including a high elevation-specific contig that was a positive match with the hemoglobin alpha chain from the plateau pika, a species restricted to high elevation steppes in Asia. Elevation-specific contigs may represent candidate regions subject to differential levels of gene expression along this elevation gradient.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first broad-scale, transcriptome-level study conducted within the Ochotonidae, providing novel genomic resources for studying pika ecology, behaviour and population history.

A resource of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms generated by RAD tag sequencing in the critically endangered European eel

Reduced representation genome sequencing such as restriction-site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing is finding increased use to identify and genotype large numbers of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in model and nonmodel species. We generated a unique resource of novel SNP markers for the European eel using the RAD sequencing approach that was simultaneously identified and scored in a genome-wide scan of 30 individuals. Whereas genomic resources are increasingly becoming available for this species, including the recent release of a draft genome, no genome-wide set of SNP markers was available until now. The generated SNPs were widely distributed across the eel genome, aligning to 4779 different contigs and 19,703 different scaffolds. Significant variation was identified, with an average nucleotide diversity of 0.00529 across individuals. Results varied widely across the genome, ranging from 0.00048 to 0.00737 per locus. Based on the average nucleotide diversity across all loci, long-term effective population size was estimated to range between 132,000 and 1,320,000, which is much higher than previous estimates based on microsatellite loci. The generated SNP resource consisting of 82,425 loci and 376,918 associated SNPs provides a valuable tool for future population genetics and genomics studies and allows for targeting specific genes and particularly interesting regions of the eel genome.

Transcriptome-wide comparison of sequence variation in divergent ecotypes of kokanee salmon

Background

High throughput next-generation sequencing technology has enabled the collection of genome-wide sequence data and revolutionized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in a broad range of species. When analyzed within a population genomics framework, SNP-based genotypic data may be used to investigate questions of evolutionary, ecological, and conservation significance in natural populations of non-model organisms. Kokanee salmon are recently diverged freshwater populations of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that exhibit reproductive ecotypes (stream-spawning and shore-spawning) in lakes throughout western North America and northeast Asia. Current conservation and management strategies may treat these ecotypes as discrete stocks, however their recent divergence and low levels of gene flow make in-season genetic stock identification a challenge. The development of genome-wide SNP markers is an essential step towards fine-scale stock identification, and may enable a direct investigation of the genetic basis of ecotype divergence.

Results

We used pooled cDNA samples from both ecotypes of kokanee to generate 750 million base pairs of transcriptome sequence data. These raw data were assembled into 11,074 high coverage contigs from which we identified 32,699 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms. A subset of these putative SNPs was validated using high-resolution melt analysis and Sanger resequencing to genotype independent samples of kokanee and anadromous sockeye salmon. We also identified a number of contigs that were composed entirely of reads from a single ecotype, which may indicate regions of differential gene expression between the two reproductive ecotypes. In addition, we found some evidence for greater pathogen load among the kokanee sampled in stream-spawning habitats, suggesting a possible evolutionary advantage to shore-spawning that warrants further study.

Conclusions

This study provides novel genomic resources to support population genetic and genomic studies of both kokanee and anadromous sockeye salmon, and has the potential to produce markers capable of fine-scale stock assessment. While this RNAseq approach was successful at identifying a large number of new SNP loci, we found that the frequency of alleles present in the pooled transcriptome data was not an accurate predictor of population allele frequencies.

Aegilops tauschii single nucleotide polymorphisms shed light on the origins of wheat D-genome genetic diversity and pinpoint the geographic origin of hexaploid wheat

Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum, genomes AABBDD) originated by hybridization of tetraploid Triticum turgidum (genomes AABB) with Aegilops tauschii (genomes DD). Genetic relationships between A. tauschii and the wheat D genome are of central importance for the understanding of wheat origin and subsequent evolution. Genetic relationships among 477 A. tauschii and wheat accessions were studied with the A. tauschii 10K Infinium single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Aegilops tauschii consists of two lineages (designated 1 and 2) having little genetic contact. Each lineage consists of two closely related sublineages. A population within lineage 2 in the southwestern and southern Caspian appears to be the main source of the wheat D genome. Lineage 1 contributed as little as 0.8% of the wheat D genome. Triticum aestivum is subdivided into the western and Far Eastern populations. The Far Eastern population conserved the genetic make-up of the nascent T. aestivum more than the western population. In wheat, diversity is high in chromosomes 1D and 2D and it correlates in all wheat D-genome and A. tauschii chromosomes with recombination rates. Gene flow from A. tauschii was an important source of wheat genetic diversity and shaped its distribution along the D-genome chromosomes.

Comparative analyses of plastid sequences between native and introduced populations of aquatic weeds Elodea canadensis and E. nuttallii

Non-indigenous species (NIS) are species living outside their historic or native range. Invasive NIS often cause severe environmental impacts, and may have large economical and social consequences. Elodea (Hydrocharitaceae) is a New World genus with at least five submerged aquatic angiosperm species living in fresh water environments. Our aim was to survey the geographical distribution of cpDNA haplotypes within the native and introduced ranges of invasive aquatic weeds Elodea canadensis and E. nuttallii and to reconstruct the spreading histories of these invasive species. In order to reveal informative chloroplast (cp) genome regions for phylogeographic analyses, we compared the plastid sequences of native and introduced individuals of E. canadensis. In total, we found 235 variable sites (186 SNPs, 47 indels and two inversions) between the two plastid sequences consisting of 112,193 bp and developed primers flanking the most variable genomic areas. These 29 primer pairs were used to compare the level and pattern of intraspecific variation within E. canadensis to interspecific variation between E. canadensis and E. nuttallii. Nine potentially informative primer pairs were used to analyze the phylogeographic structure of both Elodea species, based on 70 E. canadensis and 25 E. nuttallii individuals covering native and introduced distributions. On the whole, the level of variation between the two Elodea species was 53% higher than that within E. canadensis. In our phylogeographic analysis, only a single haplotype was found in the introduced range in both species. These haplotypes H1 (E. canadensis) and A (E. nuttallii) were also widespread in the native range, covering the majority of native populations analyzed. Therefore, we were not able to identify either the geographic origin of the introduced populations or test the hypothesis of single versus multiple introductions. The divergence between E. canadensis haplotypes was surprisingly high, and future research may clarify mechanisms that structure native E. canadensis populations.

Genome-wide SNP and population divergence of finless porpoises

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are rapidly becoming the population genomic markers in addressing ecology, evolution, and conservation issues for their high capacity to access variability across the genome. We isolated a total of 140 ideal SNPs from the finless porpoise and used 78 (under Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium) of them to conduct those issues especially for addressing population genetic differentiation. Bayesian clustering and principal component analyses all suggested that finless porpoises in Chinese waters could be divided into three distinct genetic groupings. Low levels of within-population genetic variation (mean H_E = 0.3405, standard deviation = 0.1188) and significant differentiation among populations (F_ST = 0.1050–0.1628, P < 0.01) were confirmed. Limited gene flow was found especially between the freshwater Yangtze River porpoise and the oceanic Yellow Sea and South China Sea populations, which strongly suggested that some barriers might have restricted their genetic exchange. These evidences not only support a recent subdivision of the finless porpoise into two species but also suggest a full species status for the Yangtze finless porpoise, especially considering the significant genetic divergence between freshwater and marine porpoises, in combination with the unique distribution of Yangtze finless porpoises in freshwater and their distinctness in physiological and morphological features.

A combined strategy involving Sanger and 454 pyrosequencing increases genomic resources to aid in the management of reproduction, disease control and genetic selection in the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

Background

Genomic resources for plant and animal species that are under exploitation primarily for human consumption are increasingly important, among other things, for understanding physiological processes and for establishing adequate genetic selection programs. Current available techniques for high-throughput sequencing have been implemented in a number of species, including fish, to obtain a proper description of the transcriptome. The objective of this study was to generate a comprehensive transcriptomic database in turbot, a highly priced farmed fish species in Europe, with potential expansion to other areas of the world, for which there are unsolved production bottlenecks, to understand better reproductive- and immune-related functions. This information is essential to implement marker assisted selection programs useful for the turbot industry.

Results

Expressed sequence tags were generated by Sanger sequencing of cDNA libraries from different immune-related tissues after several parasitic challenges. The resulting database (“Turbot 2 database”) was enlarged with sequences generated from a 454 sequencing run of brain-hypophysis-gonadal axis-derived RNA obtained from turbot at different development stages. The assembly of Sanger and 454 sequences generated 52,427 consensus sequences (“Turbot 3 database”), of which 23,661 were successfully annotated. A total of 1,410 sequences were confirmed to be related to reproduction and key genes involved in sex differentiation and maturation were identified for the first time in turbot (AR, AMH, SRY-related genes, CYP19A, ZPGs, STAR FSHR, etc.). Similarly, 2,241 sequences were related to the immune system and several novel key immune genes were identified (BCL, TRAF, NCK, CD28 and TOLLIP, among others). The number of genes of many relevant reproduction- and immune-related pathways present in the database was 50–90% of the total gene count of each pathway. In addition, 1,237 microsatellites and 7,362 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also compiled. Further, 2,976 putative natural antisense transcripts (NATs) including microRNAs were also identified.

Conclusions

The combined sequencing strategies employed here significantly increased the turbot genomic resources available, including 34,400 novel sequences. The generated database contains a larger number of genes relevant for reproduction- and immune-associated studies, with an excellent coverage of most genes present in many relevant physiological pathways. This database also allowed the identification of many microsatellites and SNP markers that will be very useful for population and genome screening and a valuable aid in marker assisted selection programs.

Development and Validation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) Markers from Two Transcriptome 454-Runs of Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) Using High-Throughput Genotyping

The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a commercially valuable flatfish and one of the most promising aquaculture species in Europe. Two transcriptome 454-pyrosequencing runs were used in order to detect Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to immune response and gonad differentiation. A total of 866 true SNPs were detected in 140 different contigs representing 262,093 bp as a whole. Only one true SNP was analyzed in each contig. One hundred and thirteen SNPs out of the 140 analyzed were feasible (genotyped), while Ш were polymorphic in a wild population. Transition/transversion ratio (1.354) was similar to that observed in other fish studies. Unbiased gene diversity (He) estimates ranged from 0.060 to 0.510 (mean = 0.351), minimum allele frequency (MAF) from 0.030 to 0.500 (mean = 0.259) and all loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. A large number of SNPs (49) were located in the coding region, 33 representing synonymous and 16 non-synonymous changes. Most SNP-containing genes were related to immune response and gonad differentiation processes, and could be candidates for functional changes leading to phenotypic changes. These markers will be useful for population screening to look for adaptive variation in wild and domestic turbot.

Going where traditional markers have not gone before: utility of and promise for RAD sequencing in marine invertebrate phylogeography and population genomics

Characterization of large numbers of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout a genome has the power to refine the understanding of population demographic history and to identify genomic regions under selection in natural populations. To this end, population genomic approaches that harness the power of next-generation sequencing to understand the ecology and evolution of marine invertebrates represent a boon to test long-standing questions in marine biology and conservation. We employed restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to identify SNPs in natural populations of the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, an emerging cnidarian model with a broad geographic range in estuarine habitats in North and South America, and portions of England. We identified hundreds of SNP-containing tags in thousands of RAD loci from 30 barcoded individuals inhabiting four locations from Nova Scotia to South Carolina. Population genomic analyses using high-confidence SNPs resulted in a highly-resolved phylogeography, a result not achieved in previous studies using traditional markers. Plots of locus-specific FST against heterozygosity suggest that a majority of polymorphic sites are neutral, with a smaller proportion suggesting evidence for balancing selection. Loci inferred to be under balancing selection were mapped to the genome, where 90% were located in gene bodies, indicating potential targets of selection. The results from analyses with and without a reference genome supported similar conclusions, further highlighting RAD-seq as a method that can be efficiently applied to species lacking existing genomic resources. We discuss the utility of RAD-seq approaches in burgeoning Nematostella research as well as in other cnidarian species, particularly corals and jellyfishes, to determine phylogeographic relationships of populations and identify regions of the genome undergoing selection.

Rapid, economical single-nucleotide polymorphism and microsatellite discovery based on de novo assembly of a reduced representation genome in a non-model organism: a case study of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua

By combining next-generation sequencing technology (454) and reduced representation library (RRL) construction, the rapid and economical isolation of over 25 000 potential single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and >6000 putative microsatellite loci from c. 2% of the genome of the non-model teleost, Atlantic cod Gadus morhua from the Celtic Sea, south of Ireland, was demonstrated. A small-scale validation of markers indicated that 80% (11 of 14) of SNP loci and 40% (6 of 15) of the microsatellite loci could be amplified and showed variability. The results clearly show that small-scale next-generation sequencing of RRL genomes is an economical and rapid approach for simultaneous SNP and microsatellite discovery that is applicable to any species. The low cost and relatively small investment in time allows for positive exploitation of ascertainment bias to design markers applicable to specific populations and study questions.

The integration of multiple independent data reveals an unusual response to Pleistocene climatic changes in the hard tick Ixodes ricinus

In the last few years, improved analytical tools and the integration of genetic data with multiple sources of information have shown that temperate species exhibited more complex responses to ice ages than previously thought. In this study, we investigated how Pleistocene climatic changes affected the current distribution and genetic diversity of European populations of the tick Ixodes ricinus, an ectoparasite with high ecological plasticity. We first used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to investigate the phylogeographic structure of the species and its Pleistocene history using coalescent-based methods; then we used species distribution modelling to infer the climatic niche of the species at last glacial maximum; finally, we reviewed the literature on the I. ricinus hosts to identify the locations of their glacial refugia. Our results support the scenario that during the last glacial phase, I. ricinus never experienced a prolonged allopatric divergence in separate glacial refugia, but persisted with interconnected populations across Southern and Central Europe. The generalist behaviour in host choice of I. ricinus would have played a major role in maintaining connections between its populations. Although most of the hosts persisted in separate refugia, from the point of view of I. ricinus, they represented a continuity of 'bridges' among populations. Our study highlights the importance of species-specific ecology in affecting responses to Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles. Together with other cases in Europe and elsewhere, it contributes to setting new hypotheses on how species with wide ecological plasticity coped with Pleistocene climatic changes.

Genetic diversity and recombination in natural populations of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora from China

Nematophagous fungi can trap and capture nematodes and other small invertebrates. This unique ability has made them ideal organisms from which to develop biological control agents against plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. However, effective application of biocontrol agents in the field requires a comprehensive understanding about the ecology and population genetics of the nematophagous fungi in natural environments. Here, we genotyped 228 strains of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora using 12 single nucleotide polymorphic markers located on eight random DNA fragments. The strains were from different ecological niches and geographical regions from China. Our analyses identified that ecological niche separations contributed significantly, whereas geographic separation contributed relatively little to the overall genetic variation in our samples of A. oligospora. Interestingly, populations from stressful environments seemed to be more variable and showed more evidence for recombination than those from benign environments at the same geographic areas. We discussed the implications of our results to the conservation and biocontrol application of A. oligospora in agriculture and forestry.

Novel SNP development and analysis at a NADP+ -specific IDH enzyme gene in a four species mixed oak forest

Closely related Quercus species generally exhibit low levels of genetic differentiation despite their ecological and morphological differences. However, at a few so-called 'outlier' loci they seem to remain genetically distinct. Isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH) are key enzymes involved in the metabolic pathway of the citrate cycle. IDH has also been characterised as an 'outlier' marker, significantly differentiating the closely related Q. robur and Q. petraea with the isozyme technique. This ability to differentiate the species was tested here at molecular level: 13 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were identified and developed within a NADP(+) -specific IDH gene in Quercus spp. and applied as molecular markers in a four species mixed oak forest in eastern Europe, where Q. robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens and Q. frainetto naturally co-exist. From the 13 developed SNPs, three groups were formed: non-synonymous, synonymous and non-coding SNPs. The levels of total gene diversity were moderate for all species investigated. The non-synonymous SNPs showed lower levels of gene diversity. Overall, the four closely related Quercus spp. were significantly differentiated (except Q. petraea with Q. frainetto). Analysis of non-random association of alleles revealed no clear physical clustering of the SNP sites in significant linkage disequilibrium (LD). However, separate LD analysis for each species showed a lower number of sites in significant LD for Q. robur than for the other species, possibly reflecting the history of the species in this specific geographical site and less efficient recombination effect due to the larger effective population size of Q. robur. Eleven statistically significant associations were found between seven SNPs and morphological traits that are commonly used to differentiate oak species.

Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in cutthroat trout subspecies using genome reduction, barcoding, and 454 pyro-sequencing

Background

Salmonids are popular sport fishes, and as such have been subjected to widespread stocking throughout western North America. Historically, stocking was done with little regard for genetic variation among populations and has resulted in genetic mixing among species and subspecies in many areas, thus putting the genetic integrity of native salmonid populations at risk and creating a need to assess the genetic constitution of native salmonid populations. Cutthroat trout is a salmonid species with pronounced geographic structure (there are 10 extant subspecies) and a recent history of hybridization with introduced rainbow trout in many populations. Genetic admixture has also occurred among cutthroat trout subspecies in areas where introductions have brought two or more subspecies into contact. Consequently, management agencies have increased their efforts to evaluate the genetic composition of cutthroat trout populations to identify populations that remain uncompromised and manage them accordingly, but additional genetic markers are needed to do so effectively. Here we used genome reduction, MID-barcoding, and 454-pyrosequencing to discover single nucleotide polymorphisms that differentiate cutthroat trout subspecies and can be used as a rapid, cost-effective method to characterize the genetic composition of cutthroat trout populations.

Results

Thirty cutthroat and six rainbow trout individuals were subjected to genome reduction and next-generation sequencing. A total of 1,499,670 reads averaging 379 base pairs in length were generated by 454-pyrosequencing, resulting in 569,060,077 total base pairs sequenced. A total of 43,558 putative SNPs were identified, and of those, 125 SNP primers were developed that successfully amplified 96 cutthroat trout and rainbow trout individuals. These SNP loci were able to differentiate most cutthroat trout subspecies using distance methods and Structure analyses.

Conclusions

Genomic and bioinformatic protocols were successfully implemented to identify 125 nuclear SNPs that are capable of differentiating most subspecies of cutthroat trout from one another. The ability to use this suite of SNPs to identify individuals of unknown genetic background to subspecies can be a valuable tool for management agencies in their efforts to evaluate the genetic structure of cutthroat trout populations prior to constructing and implementing conservation plans.

Methodological streamlining of SNP discovery and genotyping via high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) in non-model species

The exponential growth of genetic resources is fueled by continued advances in genomic technologies and the adoption of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for population studies. Concomitant to these developments, there is growing need for rapid screening and subsequent genotyping of SNPs in non-model organisms. Here we provide a rapid and low-cost workflow utilizing high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) for nuclear marker development and genotyping of 774 Atlantic and Mediterranean swordfish (Xiphias gladius) that is amendable to other species. Preliminary HRMA screening of amplicons (>290bp) for 10 nuclear loci revealed the presence of nucleotide polymorphisms, however, length and variability precluded diagnostic genotyping. Two variants of HRMA were therefore utilized to provide diagnostic genotyping assays. Short-amplicon HRMA (SA-HRMA), in which primers flank closely a SNP of interest, was identified as a low cost, rapid, closed-tube diagnostic genotyping assay that could distinguish between homozygous genotypes by ΔTm, and heterozygous genotypes by heteroduplex melting curve profiles. When the patterns of sequence variation were not suitable for SA-HRMA, unlabeled probe (UP)-HRMA was utilized. UP-HRMA has the advantage of being capable of genotyping multiple linked SNPs in a single closed-tube assay without Bayesian haplotype reconstruction, and can identify new SNPs while genotyping populations. Almost 37% of the SNPs genotyped via UP-HRMA were discovered while genotyping populations and not from preliminary screening. Analysis of swordfish in the North Atlantic (NA, n=419), South Atlantic (SA, n=296), and Mediterranean (MED, n=59) found no significant linkage disequilibrium. To assess whether deviations in HWE could be the result of genotyping error rather than population admixture only swordfish from reported spawning areas in the NA (n=49), MED (n=59), and SA (n=42) were analyzed and all loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Significant genetic differentiation (P<0.001) was identified among populations.

Two different high throughput sequencing approaches identify thousands of de novo genomic markers for the genetically depleted Bornean elephant

High throughput sequencing technologies are being applied to an increasing number of model species with a high-quality reference genome. The application and analyses of whole-genome sequence data in non-model species with no prior genomic information are currently under way. Recent sequencing technologies provide new opportunities for gathering genomic data in natural populations, laying the empirical foundation for future research in the field of conservation and population genomics. Here we present the case study of the Bornean elephant, which is the most endangered subspecies of Asian elephant and exhibits very low genetic diversity. We used two different sequencing platforms, the Roche 454 FLX (shotgun) and Illumina, GAIIx (Restriction site associated DNA, RAD) to evaluate the feasibility of the two methodologies for the discovery of de novo markers (single nucleotide polymorphism, SNPs and microsatellites) using low coverage data. Approximately, 6,683 (shotgun) and 14,724 (RAD) SNPs were detected within our elephant sequence dataset. Genotyping of a representative sample of 194 SNPs resulted in a SNP validation rate of ∼ 83 to 94% and 17% of the loci were polymorphic with a low diversity (H_o = 0.057). Different numbers of microsatellites were identified through shotgun (27,226) and RAD (868) techniques. Out of all di-, tri-, and tetra-microsatellite loci, 1,706 loci had sufficient flanking regions (shotgun) while only 7 were found with RAD. All microsatellites were monomorphic in the Bornean but polymorphic in another elephant subspecies. Despite using different sample sizes, and the well known differences in the two platforms used regarding sequence length and throughput, the two approaches showed high validation rate. The approaches used here for marker development in a threatened species demonstrate the utility of high throughput sequencing technologies as a starting point for the development of genomic tools in a non-model species and in particular for a species with low genetic diversity.

Rank and order: evaluating the performance of SNPs for individual assignment in a non-model organism

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are valuable tools for ecological and evolutionary studies. In non-model species, the use of SNPs has been limited by the number of markers available. However, new technologies and decreasing technology costs have facilitated the discovery of a constantly increasing number of SNPs. With hundreds or thousands of SNPs potentially available, there is interest in comparing and developing methods for evaluating SNPs to create panels of high-throughput assays that are customized for performance, research questions, and resources. Here we use five different methods to rank 43 new SNPs and 71 previously published SNPs for sockeye salmon: F(ST), informativeness (I(n)), average contribution to principal components (LC), and the locus-ranking programs BELS and WHICHLOCI. We then tested the performance of these different ranking methods by creating 48- and 96-SNP panels of the top-ranked loci for each method and used empirical and simulated data to obtain the probability of assigning individuals to the correct population using each panel. All 96-SNP panels performed similarly and better than the 48-SNP panels except for the 96-SNP BELS panel. Among the 48-SNP panels, panels created from F(ST), I(n), and LC ranks performed better than panels formed using the top-ranked loci from the programs BELS and WHICHLOCI. The application of ranking methods to optimize panel performance will become more important as more high-throughput assays become available.

Is gene flow promoting the reversal of pleistocene divergence in the Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli)?

The Pleistocene glacial cycles left a genetic legacy on taxa throughout the world; however, the persistence of genetic lineages that diverged during these cycles is dependent upon levels of gene flow and introgression. The consequences of secondary contact among taxa may reveal new insights into the history of the Pleistocene’s genetic legacy. Here, we use phylogeographic methods, using 20 nuclear loci from regional populations, to infer the consequences of secondary contact following divergence in the Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli). Analysis of nuclear data identified two geographically-structured genetic groups, largely concordant with results from a previous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) study. Additionally, the estimated multilocus divergence times indicate a Pleistocene divergence, and are highly concordant with mtDNA. The previous mtDNA study showed a paucity of sympatry between clades, while nuclear patterns of gene flow show highly varied patterns between populations. The observed pattern of gene flow, from coalescent-based analyses, indicates southern populations in both clades exhibit little gene flow within or between clades, while northern populations are experiencing higher gene flow within and between clades. If this pattern were to persist, it is possible the historical legacy of Pleistocene divergence may be preserved in the southern populations only, and the northern populations would become a genetically diverse hybrid species.

Parallel tagged amplicon sequencing reveals major lineages and phylogenetic structure in the North American tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) species complex

Modern analytical methods for population genetics and phylogenetics are expected to provide more accurate results when data from multiple genome-wide loci are analysed. We present the results of an initial application of parallel tagged sequencing (PTS) on a next-generation platform to sequence thousands of barcoded PCR amplicons generated from 95 nuclear loci and 93 individuals sampled across the range of the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) species complex. To manage the bioinformatic processing of this large data set (344 330 reads), we developed a pipeline that sorts PTS data by barcode and locus, identifies high-quality variable nucleotides and yields phased haplotype sequences for each individual at each locus. Our sequencing and bioinformatic strategy resulted in a genome-wide data set with relatively low levels of missing data and a wide range of nucleotide variation. structure analyses of these data in a genotypic format resulted in strongly supported assignments for the majority of individuals into nine geographically defined genetic clusters. Species tree analyses of the most variable loci using a multi-species coalescent model resulted in strong support for most branches in the species tree; however, analyses including more than 50 loci produced parameter sampling trends that indicated a lack of convergence on the posterior distribution. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential for amplicon-based PTS to rapidly generate large-scale data for population genetic and phylogenetic-based research.

The spatial genetic differentiation of the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata F. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) populations in West Africa

The legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, is an endemic insect pest that causes significant yield loss to the cowpea crop in West Africa. The application of population genetic tools is important in the management of insect pests but such data on M. vitrata is lacking. We applied a set of six microsatellite markers to assess the population structure of M. vitrata collected at five sites from Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. Observed polymorphisms ranged from one (marker 3393) to eight (marker 32008) alleles per locus. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.0 to 0.8 and 0.0 to 0.6, respectively. Three of the loci in samples from Nigeria and Burkina Faso deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE), whereas no loci deviated significantly in samples from Niger. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that 67.3% level of the genetic variation was within individuals compared to 17.3% among populations. A global estimate of F ST=0.1 (ENA corrected F ST=0.1) was significant (P⩽0.05) and corroborated by pairwise F ST values that were significant among all possible comparisons. A significant correlation was predicted between genetic divergence and geographic distance between subpopulations (R2=0.6, P=0.04), and cluster analysis by the program STRUCTURE predicted that co-ancestry of genotypes were indicative of three distinct populations. The spatial genetic variance among M. vitrata in West Africa may be due to limited gene flow, south-north seasonal movement pattern or other reproductive barriers. This information is important for the cultural, chemical and biological control strategies for managing M. vitrata.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism discovery and diversity in the model legume Medicago truncatula

Extensive genomic resources are available in the model legume Medicago truncatula. Here, we present the discovery and design of the first array of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in M. truncatula through large-scale Sanger resequencing of genomic fragments spanning the genome, in a diverse panel of 16 M. truncatula accessions. Both anonymous fragments and fragments targeting candidate genes for flowering phenology and symbiosis were surveyed for nucleotide variation in almost 230 kb of unique genomic regions. A set of 384 SNP markers was designed for an Illumina's GoldenGate assay, genotyped on a collection of 192 inbred lines (CC192) representing the geographical range of the species and used to survey the diversity of two natural populations. Finally, 86% of the tested SNPs were of high quality and exhibited polymorphism in the CC192 collection. Even at the population level, we detected polymorphism for more than 50% of the selected SNPs. Analysis of the allele frequency spectrum in the CC192 showed a reduced ascertainment bias, mostly limited to very rare alleles (frequency <0.01). The substantial polymorphism detected at the species and population levels, the high marker quality and the potential to survey large samples of individuals make this set of SNP markers a valuable tool to improve our understanding of the effect of demographic and selective factors that shape the natural genetic diversity within the selfing species Medicago truncatula.

Cryptic species, native populations and biological invasions by a eucalypt forest pathogen

Human-associated introduction of pathogens and consequent invasions is very evident in areas where no related organisms existed before. In areas where related but distinct populations or closely related cryptic species already exist, the invasion process is much harder to unravel. In this study, the population structure of the Eucalyptus leaf pathogen Teratosphaeria nubilosa was studied within its native range in Australia, including both commercial plantations and native forests. A collection of 521 isolates from across its distribution was characterized using eight microsatellite loci, resulting in 112 multilocus haplotypes (MLHs). Multivariate and Bayesian analyses of the population conducted in structure revealed three genetically isolated groups (A, B and C), with no evidence for recombination or hybridization among groups, even when they co-occur in the same plantation. DNA sequence data of the ITS (n = 32), β-tubulin (n = 32) and 27 anonymous loci (n = 16) were consistent with microsatellite data in suggesting that T. nubilosa should be considered as a species complex. Patterns of genetic diversity provided evidence of biological invasions by the pathogen within Australia in the states of Western Australia and New South Wales and helped unravel the pattern of invasion beyond Australia into New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay. No significant genetic differences in pathogen populations collected in native forests and commercial plantations were observed. This emphasizes the importance of sanitation in the acquisition of nursery stock for the establishment of commercial plantations.

Population genetics of the wood-rotting basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes in a fragmented forest landscape

Armillaria cepistipes is a common wood-rotting basidiomycete fungus found in most forests in Central Europe. In Switzerland, the habitat of A. cepistipes is fragmented because of the presence of major geographical barriers, in particular the Alps, and past deforestation. We analysed the impact of habitat fragmentation on the current spatial genetic structure of the Swiss A. cepistipes population. A total of 167 isolates were sampled across an area of 41 000 km(2) and genotyped at seven microsatellite and four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. All isolates belonged to different genotypes which, according to the Bayesian clustering algorithm implemented in Tess, originated from a single gene pool. Our analyses indicate that the overall A. cepistipes population shows little, but significant (F(ST)=0.02), genetic differentiation. Such a situation suggests gene flow is strong, possibly due to long-distance dispersal of airborne basidiospores. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that we could not detect a pattern of isolation by distance. Gene flow is partially restricted by the high mountain ranges of the Alps, as indicated by a signal of spatial autocorrelation detected among genotypes separated by less than about 80-130 km. In contrast, past deforestation seems to have no significant effect on the current spatial population structure of A. cepistipes. This might indicate the existence of a time lag between the current spatial genetic structure and the processes that have induced this specific structure.

Rates of assay success and genotyping error when single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping in non-model organisms: a case study in the Antarctic fur seal

Although single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are increasingly being recognized as powerful molecular markers, their application to non-model organisms can bring significant challenges. Among these are imperfect conversion rates of assays designed from in silico resources and the enhanced potential for genotyping error relative to pre-validated, highly optimized human SNPs. To explore these issues, we used Illumina's GoldenGate assay to genotype 480 Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) individuals at 144 putative SNPs derived from a 454 transcriptome assembly. One hundred and thirty-five polymorphic SNPs (93.8%) were automatically validated by the program GenomeStudio, and the initial genotyping error rate, estimated from nine replicate samples, was 0.004 per reaction. However, an almost tenfold further reduction in the error rate was achieved by excluding 31 loci (21.5%) that exhibited unclear clustering patterns, manually editing clusters to allow rescoring of ambiguous or incorrect genotypes, and excluding 18 samples (3.8%) with unreliable genotypes. After stringent quality filtering, we also found a counter-intuitive negative relationship between in silico minor allele frequency and the conversion rate, suggesting that some of our assays may have been designed from paralogous loci. Nevertheless, we obtained over 45 000 individual SNP genotypes with a final error rate of 0.0005, indicating that the GoldenGate assay is eminently capable of generating large, high-quality data sets for non-model organisms. This has positive implications for future studies of the evolutionary, behavioural and conservation genetics of natural populations.

Identification of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in deer (Odocoileus spp.) using the BovineSNP50 BeadChip

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are growing in popularity as a genetic marker for investigating evolutionary processes. A panel of SNPs is often developed by comparing large quantities of DNA sequence data across multiple individuals to identify polymorphic sites. For non-model species, this is particularly difficult, as performing the necessary large-scale genomic sequencing often exceeds the resources available for the project. In this study, we trial the Bovine SNP50 BeadChip developed in cattle (Bos taurus) for identifying polymorphic SNPs in cervids Odocoileus hemionus (mule deer and black-tailed deer) and O. virginianus (white-tailed deer) in the Pacific Northwest. We found that 38.7% of loci could be genotyped, of which 5% (n = 1068) were polymorphic. Of these 1068 polymorphic SNPs, a mixture of putatively neutral loci (n = 878) and loci under selection (n = 190) were identified with the F_ST-outlier method. A range of population genetic analyses were implemented using these SNPs and a panel of 10 microsatellite loci. The three types of deer could readily be distinguished with both the SNP and microsatellite datasets. This study demonstrates that commercially developed SNP chips are a viable means of SNP discovery for non-model organisms, even when used between very distantly related species (the Bovidae and Cervidae families diverged some 25.1−30.1 million years before present).

SNP marker detection and genotyping in tilapia

We have generated a unique resource consisting of nearly 175 000 short contig sequences and 3569 SNP markers from the widely cultured GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) strain of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In total, 384 SNPs were selected to monitor the wider applicability of the SNPs by genotyping tilapia individuals from different strains and different geographical locations. In all strains and species tested (O. niloticus, O. aureus and O. mossambicus), the genotyping assay was working for a similar number of SNPs (288-305 SNPs). The actual number of polymorphic SNPs was, as expected, highest for individuals from the GIFT population (255 SNPs). In the individuals from an Egyptian strain and in individuals caught in the wild in the basin of the river Volta, 197 and 163 SNPs were polymorphic, respectively. A pairwise calculation of Nei's genetic distance allowed the discrimination of the individual strains and species based on the genotypes determined with the SNP set. We expect that this set will be widely applicable for use in tilapia aquaculture, e.g. for pedigree reconstruction. In addition, this set is currently used for assaying the genetic diversity of native Nile tilapia in areas where tilapia is, or will be, introduced in aquaculture projects. This allows the tracing of escapees from aquaculture and the monitoring of effects of introgression and hybridization.