Maternal genomic variability of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) reveals the uniqueness of East-Caucasian and Central Italian populations

Introduced, Mixed, and Peripheral: Conservation of Mitochondrial-DNA Lineages in the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) Population in the Urals

Translocations and introductions are important events that allow organisms to overcome natural barriers. The genetic background of colonization success and genetic consequences of the establishment of populations in new environments are of great interest for predicting species’ colonization success. The wild boar has been introduced into many parts of the world. We analyzed sequences of the mitochondrial-DNA control region in the wild boars introduced into the Ural region and compared them with sequences from founder populations (from Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East). We found that the introduced population has high genetic diversity. Haplotypes from all the major phylogenetic clades were detected in the analyzed group of the animals from the Urals. In this group, no haplotypes identical to Far Eastern sequences were detectable despite a large number of founders from that region. The contribution of lineages originating from Eastern Europe was greater than expected from the proportions (%) of European and Asian animals in the founder populations. This is the first study on the genetic diversity and structure of a wild boar population of mixed origin at the northern periphery of this species’ geographical range.

Changes in the Genetic Structure of Lithuania’s Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Population Following the Outbreak of African Swine Fever

The emergence of African swine fever (ASF) in Lithuania and its subsequent persistence has led to a decline in the population of wild boar (Sus scrofa). ASF has been spreading in Lithuania since its introduction, therefore it is important to understand any genetic impact of ASF outbreaks on wild boar populations. The aim of this study was to assess how the propensity for an outbreak has shaped genetic variation in the wild boar population. A total of 491 wild boar samples were collected and genotyped using 16 STR markers. Allele richness varied between 15 and 51, and all SSR loci revealed a significant deviation from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Fixation indices indicated a significant reduction in heterozygosity within and between subpopulations. PCoA and STRUCTURE analysis demonstrated genetic differences between the western region which had had no outbreaks (restricted zone I) and the region with ASF infection (restricted zones II and III). It is concluded that environmental factors may play a particular role in shaping the regional gene flow and influence the genetic structure of the wild boar population in the region with ASF outbreaks.

Evolutionary patterns of plastome resolve multiple origins of the Ns-containing polyploid species in Triticeae

Tracing evolutionary history proves challenging for polyploid groups that have evolved rapidly, especially if an ancestor of a polyploid is extinct. The Ns-containing polyploids are recognized as the NsXm and StHNsXm genomic constitutions in Triticeae. The Ns originated from Psathyrostachys, while the Xm represented a genome of unknown origin. Here, we use genetic information in plastome to trace the complex lineage history of the Ns-containing polyploid species by sampling 26 polyploids and 90 diploid taxa representing 23 basic genomes in Triticeae. Phylogenetic reconstruction, cluster plot of genetic distance matrix, and migration event demonstrated that (1) the Ns plastome originated from different Psathyrostachys species, and the Xm plastome may originate from an ancestral lineage of Henrardia, Agropyron, and Eremopyrum; (2) the Ns, Xm, and St genome donors separately served as the maternal parents during the speciation of the Ns-containing polyploid species, resulting in a maternal haplotype polymorphism; (3) North AmericanLeymusspecies might originate from colonization during late Miocene via the Bering land bridge and were the paternal donor of the StHNsXm genome Pascopyrum species. Our results shed new light on our understanding of the rich diversity and ecological adaptation of the Ns-containing polyploid species.

Genome‐wide analysis of hybridization in wild boar populations reveals adaptive introgression from domestic pig

The admixture of domestic pig into French wild boar populations has been monitored since the 1980s thanks to the existence of a cytogenetic difference between the two sub‐species. The number of chromosomes is 2n = 36 in wild boar and 2n = 38 in pig, respectively. This difference makes it possible to assign the “hybrid” status to wild boar individuals controlled with 37 or 38 chromosomes. However, it does not make it possible to determine the timing of the hybridization(s), nor to guarantee the absence of domestic admixture in an animal with 2n = 36 chromosomes. In order to analyze hybridization in greater detail and to avoid the inherent limitations of the cytogenetic approach, 362 wild boars (WB) recently collected in different French geographical areas and in different environments (farms, free ranging in protected or unprotected areas, animals with 2n = 36, 37 or 38 chromosomes) were genotyped on a 70K SNP chip. Principal component analyses allowed the identification of 13 “outliers” (3.6%), for which the proportion of the genome of “domestic” origin was greater than 40% (Admixture analyses). These animals were probably recent hybrids, having Asian domestic pig ancestry for most of them. For the remaining 349 animals studied, the proportion of the genome of “wild” origin varied between 83% and 100% (median: 94%). This proportion varied significantly depending on how the wild boar populations were managed. Local ancestry analyses revealed adaptive introgression from domestic pig, suggesting a critical role of genetic admixture in improving the fitness and population growth of WB. Overall, our results show that the methods used to monitor the domestic genetic contributions to wild boar populations should evolve in order to limit the level of admixture between the two gene pools.

Genotyping data of French wild boar populations using porcine genome-wide genotyping array

Objective

The admixture of domestic pig into wild boar populations is controlled until now, by cytogenetic analysis. Even if a first-generation hybrid animal is discernable because of its 37-chromosome karyotype, the cytogenetic method is not applicable in the case of advanced intercrosses. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the use of SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) markers as an alternative technology to characterize recent or past hybridization between the two sub-species. The final goal would be to develop a molecular diagnostic tool.

Data description

The Geneseek Genomic Profiler High-Density porcine beadchip (GGP70KHD, Illumina, USA), comprising 68,516 porcine SNPs, was used on a set of 362 wild boars with diverse chromosomal statuses collected from different areas and breeding environments in France. We generated approximately 62,192–64,046 genotypes per wild boar. The present dataset might be useful for the community (i) for developing molecular tools to evaluate the admixture of domestic pig into wild boar populations, and (ii) for genetic diversity studies including wild boar species or phylogeny analyses of Suidae populations.

Raw data files and a processed matrix data file were deposited in the ArrayExpress at European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) data portal under accession number E-MTAB-10591.

Genome-Wide Selection Sweep between Wild and Local Pigs from Europe for the Investigation of the Hereditary Characteristics of Domestication in Sus Scrofa

The phenotypic characteristics of existing domestic pigs (DPs) greatly differ from those of wild boar (WB) populations thousands of years ago. After thousands of years of human domestication, WB and DP have diverged greatly in terms of genetics. Theoretically, worldwide local pigs have independent contributions from their local WBs at the beginning of Sus scrofa domestication. The investigation of the vicissitude of the heredity material between domestic populations and their wild ancestors will help in further understanding the domestication history of domestic animals. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide association scan (GWSA) and phylogeny estimation with a total of 1098 public European Illumina 60K single nucleotide polymorphism data, which included 650 local DPs and 448 WBs. The results revealed that the phylogenetic relationship of WBs corresponds to their geographical distribution and carries large divergence with DPs, and all WB breeds (e.g., HRWB, SBWB, and TIWB) presents a closely linkage with the middle WB (e.g., HRWB, and PLWB). In addition, 64 selected candidate genes (e.g., IDH2, PIP5K1B, SMARCA2, KIF5C, and TJP2) were identified from GWSA. A total of 63 known multiple biological functional pathways were annotated by 22 genes, and ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis pathways that belong to the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were significantly enriched (p < 0.05). The most frequent (28.57%) pathways were classified under metabolism. We confirmed that the middle European WB has made an important genetic contribution to the entire European WB populations. A series of selected genes discovered from this study provides the scientific community with a deeper understanding of the heredity performance of metabolism and emotion and the real purpose behind domestication.

Resilience to Historical Human Manipulations in the Genomic Variation of Italian Wild Boar Populations

Human activities can globally modify natural ecosystems determining ecological, demographic and range perturbations for several animal species. These changes can jeopardize native gene pools in different ways, leading either to genetic homogenization, or conversely, to the split into genetically divergent demes. In the past decades, most European wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations were heavily managed by humans. Anthropic manipulations have strongly affected also Italian populations through heavy hunting, translocations and reintroductions that might have deeply modified their original gene pools. In this study, exploiting the availability of the well-mapped porcine genome, we applied genomic tools to explore genome-wide variability in Italian wild boar populations, investigate their genetic structure and detect signatures of possible introgression from domestic pigs and non-native wild boar. Genomic data from 134 wild boar sampled in six areas of peninsular Italy and in Sardinia were gathered using the Illumina Porcine SNP60 BeadChip (60k Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms – SNPs) and compared with reference genotypes from European specimens and from domestic pigs (both commercial and Italian local breeds), using multivariate and maximum-likelihood approaches. Pairwise FST values, multivariate analysis and assignment procedures indicated that Italian populations were highly differentiated from all the other analyzed European wild boar populations. Overall, a lower heterozygosity was found in the Italian population than in the other European regions. The most diverging populations in Castelporziano Presidential Estate and Maremma Regional Park can be the result of long-lasting isolation, reduced population size and genetic drift. Conversely, an unexpected similarity was found among Apennine populations, even at high distances. Signatures of introgression from both non-Italian wild boar and domestic breeds were very limited. To summarize, we successfully applied genome-wide procedures to explore, for the first time, the genomic diversity of Italian wild boar, demonstrating that they represent a strongly heterogeneous assemblage of demes with different demographic and manipulation histories. Nonetheless, our results suggest that a native component of genomic variation is predominant over exogenous ones in most populations.

Genetic Diversity, Admixture and Analysis of Homozygous-by-Descent (HBD) Segments of Russian Wild Boar

The wild boar is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig and one of the most common species of ungulates. At the beginning of the 20th century, the wild boar was practically exterminated in the European part of Russia. In the period 1935-1988, 7705 boars were caught in various regions of the European part of Russia, the Far East, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Tajikistan and resettled in the territory of Russia. Asian and European wild boars dwell the territory of Russia. The aim of our research was to study the genetic diversity and structure of wild boar populations in different regions of Russia using genome-wide genotyping. We have determined the genetic distances, population structure, parameters of genetic diversity and significantly expanded our understanding of the genetic state of the Russian wild boar. For the first time, we calculated autozygosity of the wild boar of the European and Asian subspecies using Homozygous-by-Descent (HBD) Segments analysis, which is important in terms of population recovery. We also found evidence of hybridization between Russian wild boar and domestic pigs. A group of European wild boars showed introgression of the Asian boar into population. The mean level of the inbreeding coefficient in European wild boar was higher than in Asian wild boar, and combined groups of the European boar had higher inbreeding coefficient than Russian wild boars. These results obtained can be used in population management.

Ancient Faunal History Revealed by Interdisciplinary Biomolecular Approaches

Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and even epigenomes. At an unprecedented resolution, the study of ancient biomolecules has made it possible for us to disentangle the complex processes that shaped the ancient faunal diversity across millennia, with the potential to aid in implicating probable causes of species extinction and how humans impacted the genetics and ecology of wild and domestic species. However, even now, few studies explore interdisciplinary biomolecular approaches to reveal ancient faunal diversity dynamics in relation to environmental and anthropogenic impact. This review will approach how biomolecules have been implemented in a broad variety of topics and species, from the extinct Pleistocene megafauna to ancient wild and domestic stocks, as well as how their future use has the potential to offer an enhanced understanding of drivers of past faunal diversity on Earth.

Clear phylogeographic pattern and genetic structure of wild boar Sus scrofa population in Central and Eastern Europe

The wild boar Sus scrofa is one of the widely spread ungulate species in Europe, yet the origin and genetic structure of the population inhabiting Central and Eastern Europe are not well recognized. We analysed 101 newly obtained sequences of complete mtDNA genomes and 548 D-loop sequences of the species and combined them with previously published data. We identified five phylogenetic clades in Europe with clear phylogeographic pattern. Two of them occurred mainly in western and central part of the continent, while the range of the third clade covered North-Eastern, Central and South-Eastern Europe. The two other clades had rather restricted distribution. In Central Europe, we identified a contact zone of three mtDNA clades. Population genetic structure reflected clear phylogeographic pattern of wild boar in this part of Europe. The contribution of lineages originating from the southern (Dinaric-Balkan) and eastern (northern cost of the Black Sea) areas to the observed phylogeographic pattern of the species in Central and Eastern Europe was larger than those from the regions located in southern France, Iberian, and Italian Peninsulas. The present work was the first mitogenomic analysis conducted in Central and Eastern Europe to study genetic diversity and structure of wild boar population.

Asia-wide phylogeography of wild boar (Sus scrofa) based on mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome: Revising the migration routes of wild boar in Asia

Genetics of pigs has been well studied in Europe and Asia, but most of previous studies of molecular phylogeny of Sus scrofa have been based on sequences of both wild and domestic forms. In this study we analysed genetic traits of Sus scrofa from 13 regions in Asia (including previously undisclosed Eastern Caucasus and Trans-Baikal regions) using purely wild boar samples. Mitochondrial control region and Y-chromosome genes (AMELY & USP9Y) were employed to resolve phylogeographic relationships. We discussed spatio-temporal dynamics of wild boar distribution and compared molecular data to morphological and cytogenetic data on wild boar variability and taxonomy. A total of 51 haplotypes were detected in mtDNA control region and five haplotypes were found in combined sequences of Y-chromosome genes. The phylogeography of Asia-wide wild boars supported a hypothesis of migration from South-East Asia to South Asia, followed by migration to East and West Asia. We present a hypothesis about independent dispersal of wild boars into West Asia from South and North-East Asia. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny generally fits the morphologically based intraspecies taxonomy. Distribution of chromosomal variants of wild boar presently does not show clear correlation with mtDNA clades.