Estimation of gene diversity at the b locus of the constant region of the immunoglobulin light chain in natural populations of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Portugal, Andalusia and on the Azorean Islands.

Abstract

The minimal gene diversity at a locus of the antibody constant region, as estimated in natural populations of rabbit, revealed levels of heterozygosity similar to those reported for the major histocompatibility complex in human and murine populations. Sera of 416 wild rabbits were collected on the Iberian peninsula and on three islands of the Azorean archipelago and analyzed for the occurrence of the serological markers of the b locus of the immunoglobulin light chain. All four serotypes present in domestic rabbits were found in Portugal. They represented less than 50% of the gene pool. In Andalusia this was less than 15% and on the Azorean islands less than 10%. The pronounced and systematic hierarchy in allele frequencies, previously found in populations from the more recent distribution area of the species, was not observed. On the peninsula, the frequencies of the "domestic" alleles were similar, averaging 10%. The Portuguese sample revealed a total heterozygosity of at least 87%. This high value was supported by at least 11 serologically different alleles, none of them occurring at frequencies above 20%. These data are in agreement with an Iberian origin of the European rabbit and strongly suggest the coalescence of b locus allelic lines drawn from Iberian and western populations. The role of balancing selection in the evolution of the b locus polymorphism was further emphasized.

Rabbit Genetic Resources Can Provide Several Animal Models to Explain at the Genetic Level the Diversity of Morphological and Physiological Relevant Traits

“…Using morphometric analyses and molecular markers (starting from biochemical markers and then by analyzing mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genome differences), two subspecies of wild European rabbits have been described: O. c. algirus (originally spread in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula) and O. c. cuniculus (originally distributed in the northeastern regions of the Iberian Peninsula and South of France [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]). At the molecular level, these two subspecies were first reported to carry two separated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages (clades A and B) that have about 4.5% nucleotide differences [8,9,12,13].…”

“…At the molecular level, these two subspecies were first reported to carry two separated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages (clades A and B) that have about 4.5% nucleotide differences [8,9,12,13]. Differences between these two subspecies were subsequently also clearly evidenced at the nuclear DNA level (e.g., [10,14,15]. The phylogeographical pattern of these wild European rabbit populations suggests that the two groups remained isolated for a certain time and evolved independently.…”

Η βιολογία του αγριοκούνελου (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) στο νησί της Λήμνου

“…Σύμφωνα με τον Gibb (1990) και τους Williams et al (1995), διακρίνονται δυο ευρωπαϊκά υποείδη, το O. c. cuniculus και το O. c. huxleyi. Ωστόσο, έρευνες που έγιναν βασισμένες σε μοριακά δεδομένα καταλήγουν στο συμπέρασμα ότι υπάρχουν δύο μόνο υποείδη του αγριοκούνελου: το O. c. cuni-culus και το O. c. algirus, που αντιστοιχούν σε δυο γενετικούς κλάδους, οι οποίοι εξελίσσονται ανεξάρτητα για πολύ μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα (Biju-Duval et al 1991, Van der Loo et al 1991, Ferrand και Branco 2007. Η συστηματική κατάταξη του είδους αναγράφεται στον πίνακα 1.1. για να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως πηγή τροφής για τον άνθρωπο, είτε ως θηραματικό είδος που θα εμπλούτιζε κυνηγότοπους.…”