Preliminary molecular variability among haplotypes of Saudi Arabian house sparrow &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Passer domesticus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Sayed A M Amer,Metwally M Montaser,Mohammed Shobrak

doi:10.4236/oje.2011.13010

Abstract

Genetic variability of Passer domesticus from different localities of Saudi Arabia was investigated. Six hundred and fifty nine nucleotides were sequenced from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. There was a slight difference among the studied haplotypes and most substitutions were synonymous. In some haplotypes at the west of Arabian Peninsula (mountainous habitat), two transitions only were non-synonymous. The data were used to construct the relationship of the Arabian house sparrow to its con specific taxa from Europe and America. Neigh-bor-joining (NJ), maximum-par-simony (MP) and maximum-likelihood (ML) analytical methods were used. The three methods showed clustering of the Arabian haplotypes in one group and their sister relationship with the haplotypes from Netherlands and America. A spanish Haplotypes came basal to both groups. Collecting more samples and more DNA data could be of necessary to clearly address the genetic variability of this rapidly propagated species in Arabia.

Highlights

The house sparrow, Passer domesticus is distributed in Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia such as Middle East, Indian subcontinent and a narrowing band from northern Asia toward the Pacific coast
Unambiguous 659 sites from cytb gene for 17 samples of the house sparrow P. domesticus were sequenced in this study
A Spanish haplotype was distant from other Arabians, Netherlands and American individuals (D = 0.006) and more distant from Jazan haplotype (D = 0.008)

Summary

Introduction

The house sparrow, Passer domesticus is distributed in Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia such as Middle East, Indian subcontinent and a narrowing band from northern Asia toward the Pacific coast. There have been several studies of the genetics of house sparrows on species and population level [5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. The aim of the present study was to collect samples of the house sparrow from around the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to sequence an orthologous gene from each of these samples.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion