Is there low maternal genetic variation in West Asian populations of leopard?

Abstract

Persian leopards Panthera pardus saxicolor have been extirpated from over 84% of their historic range and are now limited to rugged landscapes of West Asia and the Caucasus. Understanding and maintaining genetic diversity and population connectivity is important for preventing inbreeding and genetic drift, both of which can threaten population viability. All previous analyses of intraspecific genetic variation of West Asian leopards based on the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 gene have reported low mitogenomic diversity. In the current study, we sequenced 959 bp of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene to describe the spatial genetic structure of 22 wild Persian leopards across Iran, which hosts most of the subspecies extant range. The findings based on phylogenetic trees and median-joining network indicated that leopards from Iran formed a distinct subclade, i.e., P. p. saxicolor. The AMOVA analysis showed significant differentiation (88.55%) between the subclades of Persian leopards and other Asian leopards. The lowest levels of haplotype (0.247) and nucleotide (0.00078) diversity were estimated in Persian leopards from Iran. Mitochondrial genome sequencing revealed only two closely related haplotypes. There was no evidence for recent sudden demographic expansion scenario in Persian leopards. The low diversity in cytochrome b gene could potentially be brought about by selective pressure on mitochondria to adapt to oxidative stress and higher metabolic rates in cold environments.

Mitochondrial CO1 gene haplotype diversity of Sumatran Tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae (Pocock, 1929) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae)

“…Panthera pardus saxicolor exhibited comparably low diversity levels in haplotypes (0.247) and nucleotides (0.00078) (Farhadinia et al 2020), Puma concolor mtDNA diversity (0,006) (Caragiulo et al 2013), In the case of Panthera tigris in the Sundarbans, haplotype diversity was 0.50, and nucleotide diversity was 0.00266 (Aziz et al 2022). Previous research by Luo et al (2004), involving the analysis of several gene sequences in mtDNA (4078 bp), consistently reported low nucleotide diversity values (0.00717±0.00444).…”

A unique single nucleotide polymorphism in Agouti Signalling Protein (ASIP) gene changes coat colour of Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) to dark black

“…fragment length polymorphism (mtDNA-RFLP), and minisatellites to resolve six phylogeographic groups of leopards, including P. p kotiya [1]. Intraspecific genetic variation was analyzed using the mitochondrial gene, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (NADH-5), which exhibits relatively high rates of mutation in carnivores and has been employed for analysis in the majority of felids, including the leopards [1,3,50]. Mitochondrial markers were utilized to identify leopard coalescence and lineage sorting processes [1,30,49,51].…”

A unique single nucleotide polymorphism in Agouti Signalling Protein (ASIP) gene changes coat colour of Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) to dark black

“…Previous studies included morphological traits and three molecular genetic methods allozymes (3), mitochondrial DNA (18) restricted fragment length polymorphism (mtDNA–RFLP), and minisatellites to resolve six phylogeographic groups of leopards, including P.panthera kotiya (1). Intraspecific genetic variation of West Asian leopards was analyzed using the mitochondrial gene, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 ( NADH-5 ), which exhibits a relatively high rate of mutation in leopards (19). Mitochondrial markers have been employed to identify leopard coalescence and lineage sorting processes (1,12,18,20).…”

“…Intraspecific genetic variation of West Asian leopards was analyzed using the mitochondrial gene, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (NADH-5), which exhibits a relatively high rate of mutation in leopards (19). Mitochondrial markers have been employed to identify leopard coalescence and lineage sorting processes (1,12,18,20).…”