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Widespread unidirectional transfer of mitochondrial DNA: a case in western Palearctic water frogs
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Widespread unidirectional transfer of mitochondrial DNA: a case in western Palearctic water frogs

Jörg Plötner, Thomas Uzzell, Peter Beerli, Christina Spolsky, Torsten Ohst, Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Gaston-Denis Guex, Heinz-Ulrich Reyer and Hansjürg Hotz
Journal of evolutionary biology, v 21(3), pp 668-681
27 Mar 2008
PMID: 18373588
url
https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc2505272View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified) Open

Abstract

clonal reproduction hybridization hybridogenesis interspecies introgression mtDNA Rana esculenta complex
Interspecies transfer of mitochondrial (mt) DNA is a common phenomenon in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates, normally linked with hybridization of closely related species in zones of sympatry or parapatry. In Central Europe, in an area north of 48° N latitude and between 08° and 22° E longitude, western Palearctic water frogs show massive unidirectional introgression of mtDNA: 33.7% of 407 R. ridibunda possessed mtDNA specific for R. lessonae . In contrast, no R. lessonae with R. ridibunda mtDNA was observed. That R. ridibunda with introgressed mitochondrial genomes were found exclusively within the range of the hybrid R. esculenta and that most hybrids had lessonae mtDNA (90.4% of 335 individuals investigated) is evidence that R. esculenta serves as a vehicle for transfer of lessonae mtDNA into R. ridibunda . Such introgression has occurred several times independently. The abundance and wide distribution of individuals with introgressed mitochondrial genomes show that R. lessonae mt genomes work successfully in a R. ridibunda chromosomal background despite their high sequence divergence from R. ridibunda mtDNAs (14.2–15.2% in the ND2/ND3 genes). Greater effectiveness of enzymes encoded by R. lessonae mtDNA may be advantageous to individuals of R. ridibunda and probably R. esculenta in the northern parts of their ranges.

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Domestic collaboration
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Web of Science research areas
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Genetics & Heredity
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