Genetic Diversity of Wild Quail in China Ascertained with Microsatellite DNA Markers

G B Chang,X K Shi,H Chang,G M Song,W M Zhao,Y J Mao,D J Ji,X P Liu

doi:10.5713/ajas.2007.1783

Abstract

The genetic diversity of domestic quail and two wild quail species, Japanese (Coturnix coturnix) and Common quail (Coturnix japonica), found in China was studied using microsatellite DNA markers. According to a comparison of the corresponding genetic indices in the three quail populations, such as Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), Mean Heterozygosity (H) and Fixation Index, wild Common quail possessed rich genetic diversity with 4.67 alleles per site. Its values for PIC and H were the highest, 0.5732 and 0.6621, respectively. Domestic quail had the lowest values, 0.5467 and 0.5933, respectively. Wild Japanese quail had little difference in genetic diversity from domestic quail. In addition, from analyses of the fuzzy cluster based on standard genetic distance, the similarity relationship matrix coefficient between wild Japanese quail and domestic quail was 0.937, and that between wild Common quail and domestic quail was 0.783. All of these results showed that the wild Japanese quail were closer to the domestic quail for phylogenetic relationship than wild Common quail. These results at the molecular level provide useful data about quail's genetic background and further supported the hypothesis that the domestic quail originated from the wild Japanese quail.

Highlights

Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) belong to Aves, Calliformes, Phasianidae, Coturnix
This paper analyzed the genetic diversity of the two wild quails with 9 microsatellite DNA markers, and compared them with domestic quails, aiming to determine genetic variance and phylogenetic relationship between wild and domestic quail populations in order to explore new wild quail resources and promote sustainable development of the quail industry
Statistical methods The calculation of Heterozygosity (H) (Nei, 1978), Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) (Bostein et al, 1980), Effective Number of Alleles (Ne) (Kimura and Ohta, 1973), Fixation Index (F) (Wright, 1978), and Coefficient of Gene Differentiation (Gst) (Nei, 1973) was done according to procedures described in the literature

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) belong to Aves, Calliformes, Phasianidae, Coturnix. Japanese quail are mainly found in East Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, Siberia, and Kuye Island, ranging from 100 to 150 degrees east longitude, and from 17 to 55 degrees north latitude (Sano et al, 1994). Most areas of China have the two wild species and the number of the Japanese quail is more than that of the Common quail. They are all migratory birds and their ranges greatly overlap. Domestic quail, derived from Japanese quail (Coturnix joponica), as laying, meat, and laboratory animals have produced a flourishing industry. The use of quail is diversified including laying, meat, and laboratory types (Kimura, 1996). This paper analyzed the genetic diversity of the two wild quails with 9 microsatellite DNA markers, and compared them with domestic quails, aiming to determine genetic variance and phylogenetic relationship between wild and domestic quail populations in order to explore new wild quail resources and promote sustainable development of the quail industry

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION