Four new microsatellite primer pairs were developed in tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) based on the database mining and other twenty-six primer pairs by fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) method. The polymorphism of each locus was further evaluated in 40 individuals of one population plus 5 tree peony related species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 7 and the expected (H e ) and observed (H o ) heterozygosity at each locus ranged from 0.42 to 0.78 and 0.28 to 0.59, respectively. These microsatellite markers will be useful for investigating genetic diversity and studies of population genetic structure of tree peony.Additional key words: database mining, FIASCO, SSR, tree peony. Abbreviations: AFLP -amplified fragment length polymorphism; CTAB -cetyltrimethylammonium bromide; FIASCO -fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats; ISSR -inter-simple sequence repeat; RAPD -random amplified polymorphic DNA; SRAP -sequence-related amplified polymorphism; SSR -microsatellite or simple sequence repeat.
Termites from the genus Odontotermes are known to contain numerous species complexes that are difficult to tell apart morphologically or with mitochondrial DNA sequences. We developed markers for one such cryptic species complex, that is, Odontotermes srinakarinensis sp. nov. from Maxwell Hill Forest Reserve (Perak, Malaysia), and characterised them using a sample of 41 termite workers from three voucher samples from the same area. We then genotyped 150 termite individuals from 23 voucher samples/colonies of this species complex from several sites in Peninsular Malaysia. We analysed their population by constructing dendograms from the proportion of shared-alleles between individuals and genetic distances between colonies; additionally, we examined the Bayesian clustering pattern of their genotype data. All methods of analysis indicated that there were two distinct clusters within our data set. After the morphologies of specimens from each cluster were reexamined, we were able to separate the two species morphologically and found that a single diagnostic character found on the mandibles of its soldiers could be used to separate the two species quite accurately. The additional species in the clade was identified as Odontotermes denticulatus after it was matched to type specimens at the NHM London and Cambridge Museum of Zoology.
Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) or the Asian subterranean termite is a serious structural pest in urban settlements in Southeast Asia that has been introduced to other parts of the world through human commerce. Although mitochondrial DNA markers were previously used to shed light on the dispersal history of the Asian subterranean termite, there were limited attempts to analyze or include populations of the termite found in the wild in Southeast Asia. In this study, we analyzed the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes of Asian subterranean termite colonies found in mangrove swamps, beach forests, plantations, and buildings in semi-urban and urban areas to determine the relationship between colonies found in the wild and the urban habitat, and to investigate the possibility of different ecotypes of the termite in Peninsular Malaysia. Our findings show that the 16S rRNA haplotypes recovered from this study clustered into eastern, western, and southern populations of the termite, while the cox1 haplotypes were often specific to an area or site. The 16S rRNA and cox1 genes or haplotypes showed that the most abundant haplotype occupied a wide range of environments or habitats. In addition, the cox1 tree showed evidence of historical biogeography where basal haplotypes inhabited a wide range of habitats, while apical haplotypes were restricted to mangrove swamps and beach forests. Information on the haplotype-habitat association of C. gestroi will enable the prediction of habitats that may harbor or be at risk of invasion in areas where they have been introduced.
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