The objective of this study was to investigate the population structure of village chickens found in the five agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe. Twenty-nine microsatellites were genotyped for chickens randomly selected from 13 populations, including the five eco-zones of Zimbabwe (n = 238), Malawi (n = 60), Sudan (n = 48) and six purebred lines (n = 180). A total of 280 alleles were observed in...

both cultured and uncultured chorionic villi were of fetal origin, (b) the 632C3T transition was heterozygous (Fig. 1B), and (c) the complex I enzyme activities were normal (Table 1). A healthy boy was born after an uncomplicated pregnancy. He is now 3 years of age and does not show any symptoms of mitochondrial disease. This case demonstrates the difficulties that can arise from prenatal diagn...

Local breeds are important for the maintenance of genetic diversity and future food security. Nowadays, the worldwide distribution of pigs is dominated by a few breeds, tending towards a severe loss of pig biodiversity. Thus, it is critical to maintain distinct populations of pig breeds. The Greek black pig, a breed raised locally and known for the high quality of its meat for cured products, i...

We present the preliminary results of efforts to develop new class of nuclear genetic markers, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), for bowhead whale genetic studies. We have screened over 9000 bp of random bowhead DNA sequence, identifying 67 SNPs. Nineteen SNP assays were optimized initially and used to genotype modern and historical bowhead DNA samples from St. Lawrence Island and Barrow,...

Haageocereus tenuis is a prostrate cactus restricted to a small area of 2 km(2) near the city of Lima, Peru. The species is triploid and propagates mainly through stem fragmentation. In addition, propagation via agamospermy is documented and adventitious embryony is also inferred as a mechanism. Although seedling recruitment has not been observed in nature, we have shown that asexually produced...

The evolution of mating signals is closely linked to sexual selection. Acoustic ornaments are often used as secondary sexual traits that signal the quality of the signaller. Here we show that song performance reflects age and reproductive success in the rock sparrow (Petronia petronia). In an Alpine population in south-east France, we recorded the songs of males and assessed their genetic breed...

The level of genetic variation throughout the entire worldwide range of the mangrove species Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. was examined using microsatellite markers. Three microsatellite loci detected high levels of allelic diversity (70 alleles in total), essential for an accurate estimation of population genetic parameters. The informativeness of the microsatellite loci tended to increase ...

Evidence has emerged that the initiation and growth of gliomas is sustained by a subpopulation of cancer-initiating cells (CICs). Because of the difficulty of using markers to tag CICs in gliomas, we have previously exploited more robust phenotypic characteristics, including a specific morphology and intrincic autofluorescence, to identify and isolate a subpopulation of glioma CICs, called FL1(...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Experimental crosses between the diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) and the octoploid garden strawberry (F. × ananassa Duch.) can lead to the formation of viable hybrids. However, the extent of such hybrid formation under natural conditions is unknown, but is of fundamental interest and importance in the light of the potential future cultivation of transgenic st...

Studies of population genetics increasingly use next-generation DNA sequencing to identify microsatellite loci in nonmodel organisms. There are, however, relatively few studies that validate the feasibility of transitioning from marker development to experimental application across populations and species. North American coralsnakes of the Micrurus fulvius species complex occur in the United St...