Mitochondrial Genetic Diversity of Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) from European Russia and Transcaucasian Countries.

Sokolova, N. A.; Korablev, N. P.; Korablev, P. N.; Hernandez-Blanco, J. A.; Kaloyan, G. A.; Gyonjyan, A. A.; Malkhasyan, A. H.; Sorokin, P. A.

In this study, we examined the mitochondrial DNA diversity of Eurasian otter from European Russia and Transcaucasian countries and compared it with other European populations. We used a fragment of the mtDNA control region (255 bp) and also included previously detected haplotypes from NCBI. Six haplotypes were found in 75 samples from European Russia and Transcaucasian countries. Lut1 was the most common haplotype (62.1% of samples); Lut4 was detected in 17.6% of samples; the other four haplotypes were newly detected. Haplotype diversity for European Russia and Transcaucasian countries were h = 0.56 ± 0.054; nucleotide diversity was π = 0.0016 ± 0.002. When we elongated the fragment of mtDNA (820 bp), haplotype (0.85 ± 0.03) and nucleotide diversity (π = 0.002 ± 0.001) were increased and 14 haplotypes were found. The geographic distribution of haplotypes depends neither on region nor river system. The central haplotype was detected throughout European Russia and Transcaucasian countries, as well as minor haplotypes, observed in a fewer number of regions. Therefore, the genetic diversity of Eurasian otter from European Russia and Transcaucasian countries is higher than in the rest of Europe. In addition, the population structure replicates the European pattern with several regional features.

RUSSIA; GENETIC variation; MITOCHONDRIAL DNA; HAPLOTYPES; OTTERS; MITOCHONDRIA; WATERSHEDS

Russian Journal of Genetics, 2023, Vol 59, Issue 7, p698

1022-7954

Academic Journal

10.1134/S1022795423070116