Development and Validation of 89 Novel Expressed Sequence Tag-Derived Microsatellite Markers in Blood Clam,Tegillarca granosa

Blood clam, Tegillarca granosa, is an important shellfish in Chinese mariculture industry. Investigative research in this species, such as genetic linkage mapping, requires a large panel of molecular markers. In present study, a total of 89 polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed in T. granosa using the sequence database of Life Sciences Technology 454 next generation sequencing technology. All 89 loci were characterized in 20 individual clams from a natural population inhabiting Yueqing Gulf, Zhejiang Province, China. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus varied between 2 and 15, while the observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content varied between 0.000 and 1.000, 0.102 and 0.921, and 0.048 and 0.886, respectively. Of the 89 loci identified, 32 loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium following Bonferroni correction. Thirty nine markers, which were shown to be polymorphic in a full-sibling family, were tested in Mendelian segregations. As expected, 32 loci were co-dominantly segregated in a Mendelian fashion. These novel developed microsatellite markers represent useful research tools for investigation of population genetic structure and genetic diversity in this species.     

Development of three multiplex PCR primer sets for ark shell (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scapharca broughtonii</Emphasis>) and their validation in parentage assignment

Scapharca broughtonii is a commercially important and over-exploited species. In order to investigate its genetic diversity and population structure, 43 novel polymorphic microsatellites were isolated and characterized. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 22 with an average of 6.93, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.233 and 1.000, and 0.250 and 0.953, with an average of 0.614 and 0.707, respectively. Three highly informative multiplex PCRs were developed from nine of those microsatellites for S. broughtonii. We evaluated and validated these multiplex PCRs in 8 full-sib families. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.539. The frequency of null alleles was estimated as 3.13% of all the alleles segregation based on a within-family analysis of Mendelian segregation patterns. Parentage analysis of real offspring demonstrated that 100% of all offspring were unambiguously allocated to a pair of parents based on 3 multiplex sets. Those 43 microsatellite loci with high variability will be helpful for the analysis of population genetics and conservation of wild stock of S. broughtonii. The 3 sets of multiplex PCRs could be an important tool of pedigree reconstruction, population genetic analysis and brood stock management.     

Genetic variation assessed with microsatellites in mass selection lines of the Pacific oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>) in China

Four successive mass selection lines of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, selected for faster growth in breeding programs in China were examined at ten polymorphic microsatellite loci to assess the level of allelic diversity and estimate the effective population size. These data were compared with those of their base population. The results showed that the genetic variation of the four generations were maintained at high levels with an average allelic richness of 18.8–20.6, and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.902–0.921. They were not reduced compared with those of their base population. Estimated effective population sizes based on temporal variances in microsatellite frequencies were smaller to that of sex ratio-corrected broodstock count estimates. Using a relatively large number of broodstock and keeping an equal sex ratio in the broodstock each generation may have contributed to retaining the original genetic diversity and maintaining relatively large effective population size. The results obtained in this study showed that the genetic variation was not affected greatly by mass selection progress and high genetic variation still existed in the mass selection lines, suggesting that there is still potential for increasing the gains in future generations of C. gigas. The present study provided important information for future genetic improvement by selective breeding, and for the design of suitable management guidelines for genetic breeding of C. gigas.     

Development of genomic microsatellite multiplex PCR using dye-labeled universal primer and its validation in pedigree analysis of Pacific oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>)

There is an increasing requirement for traceability of aquaculture products, both for consumer protection and for food safety. There are high error rates in the conventional traceability systems depending on physical labels. Genetic traceability technique depending on DNA-based tracking system can overcome this problem. Genealogy information is essential for genetic traceability, and microsatellite DNA marker is a good choice for pedigree analysis. As increasing genotyping throughput of microsatellites, microsatellite multiplex PCR has become a fast and cost-effective technique. As a commercially important cultured aquatic species, Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas has the highest global production. The objective of this study was to develop microsatellite multiplex PCR panels with dye-labeled universal primer for pedigree analysis in C. gigas, and these multiplex PCRs were validated using 12 full-sib families with known pedigrees. Here we developed six informative multiplex PCRs using 18 genomic microsatellites in C. gigas. Each multiplex panel contained a single universal primer M13(?21) used as a tail on each locus-specific forward primer and a single universal primer M13(?21) labeled with fluorophores. The polymorphisms of the markers were moderate, with an average of 10.3 alleles per locus and average polymorphic information content of 0.740. The observed heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.492 to 0.822. Cervus simulations revealed that the six panels would still be of great value when massive families were analysed. Pedigree analysis of real offspring demonstrated that 100% of the offspring were unambiguously allocated to their parents when two multiplex PCRs were used. The six sets of multiplex PCRs can be an important tool for tracing cultured individuals, population genetic analysis, and selective breeding program in C. gigas.     

Genome-wide mining,characterization, and development of microsatellite markers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Marsupenaeus japonicus</Emphasis> by genome survey sequencing

The kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus, is one of the most cultivated and consumed species of shrimp. However, very few molecular genetic/genomic resources are publically available for it. Thus, the characterization and distribution of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) remains ambiguous and the use of SSR markers in genomic studies and marker-assisted selection is limited. The goal of this study is to characterize and develop genome-wide SSR markers in M. japonicus by genome survey sequencing for application in comparative genomics and breeding. A total of 326 945 perfect SSRs were identified, among which dinucleotide repeats were the most frequent class (44.08%), followed by mononucleotides (29.67%), trinucleotides (18.96%), tetranucleotides (5.66%), hexanucleotides (1.07%), and pentanucleotides (0.56%). In total, 151 541 SSR loci primers were successfully designed. A subset of 30 SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested in 42 individuals from a wild population, of which 27 loci (90.0%) were successfully amplified with specific products and 24 (80.0%) were polymorphic. For the amplified polymorphic loci, the alleles ranged from 5 to 17 (with an average of 9.63), and the average PIC value was 0.796. A total of 58 256 SSR-containing sequences had significant Gene Ontology annotation; these are good functional molecular marker candidates for association studies and comparative genomic analysis. The newly identified SSRs significantly contribute to the M. japonicus genomic resources and will facilitate a number of genetic and genomic studies, including high density linkage mapping, genome-wide association analysis, marker-aided selection, comparative genomics analysis, population genetics, and evolution.     

Characterization of genome-wide microsatellites of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharina japonica</Emphasis> based on a preliminary assembly of Illumina sequencing reads

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSR) function widely and locate dependently in genome. However, their characteristics are often ignored due to the lack of genomic sequences of most species. Kelp (Saccharina japonica), a brown macroalga, is extensively cultured in China. In this study, the genome of S. japonica was surveyed using an Illumina sequencing platform, and its microsatellites were characterized. The preliminarily assembled genome was 469.4 Mb in size, with a scaffold N₅₀ of 20529 bp. Among the 128370 identified microsatellites, 90671, 25726 and 11973 were found in intergenic regions, introns and exons, averaging 339.3, 178.8 and 205.4 microsatellites per Mb, respectively. These microsatellites distributed unevenly in S. japonica genome. Mononucleotide motifs were the most abundant in the genome, while trinucleotide ones were the most prevalent in exons. The microsatellite abundance decreased significantly with the increase of motif repeat numbers, and the microsatellites with a small number of repeats accounted for a higher proportion of the exons than those of the intergenic regions and introns. C/G-rich motifs were more common in exons than in intergenic regions and introns. These characteristics of microsatellites in S. japonica genome may associate with their functions, and ultimately their adaptation and evolution. Among the 120140 pairs of designed microsatellite primers, approximately 75% were predicted to be able to amplify S. japonica DNA. These microsatellite markers will be extremely useful for the genetic breeding and population evolution studies of kelp.     

Significant population genetic structure detected in the rock bream <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oplegnathus fasciatus</Emphasis> (Temminck &amp; Schlegel, 1844) inferred from fluorescent-AFLP analysis

Oplegnathus fasciatus (rock bream) is a commercial rocky reef fish species in East Asia that has been considered for aquaculture. We estimated the population genetic diversity and population structure of the species along the coastal waters of China using fluorescent-amplified fragment length polymorphisms technology. Using 53 individuals from three populations and four pairs of selective primers, we amplified 1 264 bands, 98.73% of which were polymorphic. The Zhoushan population showed the highest Nei’s genetic diversity and Shannon genetic diversity. The results of analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 59.55% of genetic variation existed among populations and 40.45% occurred within populations, which indicated that a significant population genetic structure existed in the species. The pairwise fixation index F _st ranged from 0.20 to 0.63 and were significant after sequential Bonferroni correction. The topology of an unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean tree showed two significant genealogical branches corresponding to the sampling locations of North and South China. The AMOVA and STRUCTURE analyses suggested that the O. fasciatus populations examined should comprise two stocks.     

流沙湾卵鳎微卫星标记的遗传多样性分析

为分析湛江流沙湾海域优势渔种卵鳎的遗传多样性,应用微卫星标记技术,选用15对微卫星引物,以等位基因数、基因杂合度、多态信息含量、固定指数等遗传参数为指标,评估卵鳎群体内的遗传多态性。结果表明:共检测到90个等位基因,等位基因数从1~12不等,平均为6.0;有效等位基因数从1.0~8.4,平均为4.0,多态性位点比例为53%,显示其具有中等杂合子水平,其中8个多态位点的期望杂合度(He)为0.670~0.881,平均为0.800,观测杂合度(Ho)为0.353~1.000,平均为0.773,多态信息含量(PIC)值为0.616~0.870,平均为0.773,群体内固定指数F为-0.199~0.564,平均为0.046;流沙湾卵鳎群体具有高度遗传多样性。     

Profile of candidate microsatellite markers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastiscus marmoratus</Emphasis> using 454 pyrosequencing

Sebastiscus marmoratus is an important sedentary ovoviparous fish distributed in near-shore coastal waters from the coast of China to Japan. Candidate S. marmoratus microsatellite markers were developed in the present study using 454 pyrosequencing, and the marker profile was analyzed. A total of 2 000 000 raw sequence reads were assembled to reduce redundancy. Among them, 1 043 dinucleotide, 925 trinucleotide, 692 tetranucleotide, and 315 pentanucleotide repeats were detected. AC repeats were the most frequent motifs among the dinucleotide repeats, and AAT was the most abundant among the trinucleotide repeats. AAAT, ATAG, and ATCC were the three most common tetranucleotide motifs, and AAGAT and AATAT were the most dominant pentanucleotide motifs. The greatest numbers of loci and potentially amplifiable loci were found in dinucleotide repeats, whereas trinucleotide repeats had the fewest. In summary, a wide range of candidate microsatellite markers were identified in the present study using a rapid and efficient 454 pyrosequencing approach.     

Long-term effects of di-octyl phthalate on the expression of immune-related genes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tegillarca granosa</Emphasis>

Di-octyl phthalate (DOP) is widely used as a plasticizer in the plastics industry. As a result, DOP is often found in marine water ecosystems where many species are exposed to it. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of long-term (14 d) DOP exposure (2.6, 7.8, or 31.2 mg/L) on the expression of immunerelated genes in Tegillarca granosa. The expression of small heat shock protein (sHSPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) were highest in clams exposed to 31.2 mg/L DOP on days 7 and 14. The relative expression of Tg-ferritin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and metallothionein (MT) increased initially then decreased as the concentration of DOP increased. The hemoglobin of T. granosa (Tg-HbI) exhibited two distinct expression patterns at two time points. Our results suggest that the immune response of T. granosa against DOP pollution varies depending on the dose. Additionally, we identified some immune-related genes that are promising candidates for biomarkers of DOP.     

Location of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio anguillarum</Emphasis> resistance-associated trait loci in half-smooth tongue sole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynoglossus semilaevis</Emphasis> at its microsatellite linkage map

A cultured female half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) was crossed with a wild male, yielding the first filial generation of pseudo-testcrossing from which 200 fish were randomly selected to locate the Vibrio anguillarum resistance trait in half-smooth tongue sole at its microsatellite linkage map. In total, 129 microsatellites were arrayed into 18 linkage groups, ≥4 each. The map reconstructed was 852.85 cM in length with an average spacing of 7.68 cM, covering 72.07% of that expected (1 183.35 cM). The V. anguillarum resistance trait was a composite rather than a unit trait, which was tentatively partitioned into Survival time in Hours After V. anguillarum Infection (SHAVI) and Immunity of V. Anguillarum Infection (IVAI). Above a logarithm of the odds (LOD) threshold of 2.5, 18 loci relative to SHAVI and 3 relative to IVAI were identified. The 3 loci relative to IVAI explained 18.78%, 5.87% and 6.50% of the total phenotypic variation in immunity. The microsatellites bounding the 3 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of IVAI may in future aid to the selection of V. anguillarum-immune half-smooth tongue sole varieties, and facilitate cloning the gene(s) controlling such immunity.     

Genetic diversity in two Japanese flounder populations from China seas inferred using microsatellite markers and COI sequences

Japanese flounder is one of the most important commercial species in China; however, information on the genetic background of natural populations in China seas is scarce. The lack of genetic data has hampered fishery management and aquaculture development programs for this species. In the present study, we have analyzed the genetic diversity in natural populations of Japanese flounder sampled from the Yellow Sea (Qingdao population, QD) and East China Sea (Zhoushan population, ZS) using 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequencing data. A total of 68 different alleles were observed over 10 microsatellite loci. The total number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 9, and the number of genotypes per locus ranged from 3 to 45. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity in QD were 0.733 and 0.779, respectively, and in ZS the heterozygosity values were 0.708 and 0.783, respectively. Significant departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed in 7 of the 10 microsatellite loci in each of the two populations. The COI sequencing analysis revealed 25 polymorphic sites and 15 haplotypes in the two populations. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity in the QD population were 0.746±0.072 8 and 0.003 34±0.001 03 respectively, and in ZS population the genetic diversity values were 0.712±0.047 0 and 0.003 18±0.000 49, respectively. The microsatellite data (F_st =0.048 7, P<0.001) and mitochondrial DNA data (F_st =0.128, P<0.001) both revealed significant genetic differentiation between the two populations. The information on the genetic variation and differentiation in Japanese flounder obtained in this study could be used to set up suitable guidelines for the management and conservation of this species, as well as for managing artificial selection programs. In future studies, more geographically diverse stocks should be used to obtain a deeper understanding of the population structure of Japanese flounder in the China seas and adjacent regions.     

Isolation and characterization of 49 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Decapterus maruadsi using SLAF-seq,and cross-amplification to related species

Decapterus maruadsi is a commercially important species in China, but has been heavily exploited in some areas. There is a growing need to develop microsatellites promoting its genetic research for the adequate management of this fishery resources. The recently developed specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) is an efficient and high-resolution method for genome-wide microsatellite markers discovery. In this study, 28 905 microsatellites (mono- to hexa-nucleotide repeats) were identified using SLAF-seq technology, of which di-nucleotide was the most frequent (13 590, 47.02%), followed by mono-nucleotide (8 138, 28.15%), tri-nucleotide (5 727, 19.81%), tetra-nucleotide (1 104, 3.82%), pentanucleotide (234, 0.81%), and hexa-nucleotide (112, 0.39%). One hundred and thirty-two microsatellite loci (di- and tri-nucleotide) were randomly selected for amplification and polymorphism, of which 49 were highly polymorphic and well-resolved. The average number of alleles per locus was 13.63, ranging from 4 to 25, and allele sizes varied between 110 bp and 309 bp. The observed heterozygosity ( H_o ) and expected heterozygosity ( H_e ) ranged from 0.233 to 1.000 and from 0.374 to 0.959, with mean values of 0.738 and 0.836, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.341 to 0.941 (mean=0.806). However, 12 loci deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Furthermore, transferability tests were also successful in validating the utility of the developed markers in five phylogenetically related species of family Carangidae. A total of 48 microsatellite markers were successfully cross-amplified in Decapterus macarellus, Decapterus macrosoma, Decapterus kurroides, Trachurus japonicus, and Selaroides leptolepis. The present microsatellites provided the first known set of microsatellite DNA markers for D. maruadsi, D. macarellus, D. kurroides, and D. macrosoma, and would be useful for further population genetic and molecular phylogeny studies as well as help with the fisheries management formulation and implementation of the understudied species.

     

Quantitative trait loci detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Edwardsiella tarda</Emphasis> resistance in Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis> using bulked segregant analysis

In recent years, Edwardsiella tarda has become one of the most deadly pathogens of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), causing serious annual losses in commercial production. In contrast to the rapid advances in the aquaculture of P. olivaceus, the study of E. tarda resistance-related markers has lagged behind, hindering the development of a disease-resistant strain. Thus, a marker-trait association analysis was initiated, combining bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. Based on 180 microsatellite loci across all chromosomes, 106 individuals from the F1333 (♀: F0768 ×♂: F0915) (Nomenclature rule: F+year+family number) were used to detect simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and QTLs associated with E. tarda resistance. After a genomic scan, three markers (Scaffold 404-21589, Scaffold 404-21594 and Scaffold 270-13812) from the same linkage group (LG)-1 exhibited a significant difference between DNA, pooled/bulked from the resistant and susceptible groups (P <0.001). Therefore, 106 individuals were genotyped using all the SSR markers in LG1 by single marker analysis. Two different analytical models were then employed to detect SSR markers with different levels of significance in LG1, where 17 and 18 SSR markers were identified, respectively. Each model found three resistance-related QTLs by composite interval mapping (CIM). These six QTLs, designated qE1–6, explained 16.0%–89.5% of the phenotypic variance. Two of the QTLs, qE-2 and qE-4, were located at the 66.7 cM region, which was considered a major candidate region for E. tarda resistance. This study will provide valuable data for further investigations of E. tarda resistance genes and facilitate the selective breeding of disease-resistant Japanese flounder in the future.     

Inheritance mode of microsatellite loci and their use for kinship analysis in the Pacific oyster （Crassostrea gigas）

Five full-sib families of the Pacific oyster （Crassostrea gigas） larvae were used to study the mode of inheritance at eight microsatellite loci, and the feasibility of these markers for kinship estimate was also examined. All eight microsatellite loci were compatible with Mendelian inheritance. Neither evidence of sex-linked barriers to transmission nor evidence of major barriers to fertilization between gametes from the parents was shown. Three of the eight loci showed the presence of null alleles in four families, demonstrating the need to conduct comprehensive species-specific inheritance studies for microsatellite loci used in population genetic studies. Although the null allele heterozygotes were considered as homozygotes in the calculation of genetic distance, offspring from five full-sib families were unambiguously discriminated in the neighbor-joining dendrogram. This result indicates that the microsatellite markers may be capable of discriminating between related and unrelated oyster larvae in the absence of pedigree information, and is applicable to the investigation of the effective number of parents contributing to the hatchery population of the Pacific oyster.     

Development of Three Multiplex PCR Primer Sets for Ark Shell(Scapharca broughtonii) and Their Validation in Parentage Assignment

Scapharca broughtonii is a commercially important and over-exploited species.In order to investigate its genetic diversity and population structure,43 novel polymorphic microsatellites were isolated and characterized.The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 22 with an average of 6.93,and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.233 and 1.000,and 0.250 and 0.953,with an average of 0.614 and 0.707,respectively.Three highly informative multiplex PCRs were developed from nine of those microsatellites for S.broughtonii.We evaluated and validated these multiplex PCRs in 8 full-sib families.The average polymorphism information content(PIC) was 0.539.The frequency of null alleles was estimated as 3.13% of all the alleles segregation based on a within-family analysis of Mendelian segregation patterns.Parentage analysis of real offspring demonstrated that 100% of all offspring were unambiguously allocated to a pair of parents based on 3 multiplex sets.Those 43 microsatellite loci with high variability will be helpful for the analysis of population genetics and conservation of wild stock of S.broughtonii.The 3 sets of multiplex PCRs could be an important tool of pedigree reconstruction,population genetic analysis and brood stock management.     

Multiplex PCR Sets of Novel Microsatellite Loci for Iwagaki Oyster Crassostrea nippona and Their Application in Parentage Assignment

Iwagaki oyster,Crassostrea nippona,widely distributes along the seashore of Eastern Asia,and has been considered to be a potential breeding species due to its delicious taste and high commercial value.In order to study its genetic background and population structure,we developed 46 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers using next-generation sequencing technique and characterized them in 30 individuals.The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 22,while the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.133 to 1.000 and 0.455 to 0.949,respectively.Fifteen microsatellite markers were selected and grouped into five highly informative multiplex PCRs for C.nippona.We evaluated and validated these multiplex PCRs in a cultured population including 173 candidate parents and 486 offspring.In actual parentage analysis,80%of the offspring were correctly assigned to their parental pairs using three multiplex PCRs.Furthermore,the success rate of parentage assignment reached 96%when the other two multiplex PCRs were added.These 46 microsatellite loci with high variability and the five multiplex PCRs described here provide a powerful tool for pedigree reconstruction,resource conservation and selective breeding program of C.nippona.     

Inheritance pattern of microsatellite loci and their use for kinship analysis in the Japanese scallop Patinopecten yessoensis

The inheritance mode of seven microsatellite markers was investigated in Patinopecten yessoensis larvae from four controlled crosses, and the feasibility of using these markers for kinship estimation was also examined. All the seven microsatellite loci were compatible with Mendelian inheritance. Neither sex-linked barriers to transmission nor major barriers to fertilization between gametes from the parents were evident. Two of the seven loci showed the presence of null alleles in two families, suggesting the need to conduct comprehensive species-specific inheritance studies for microsatellite loci used in population genetic studies. However, even if the null allele heterozygotes were considered as homozygotes in the calculation of genetic distance, offspring from four families were all unambiguously discriminated in the neighbor-joining dendrogram. This result indicates that the microsatellite markers used may be capable of discriminating between related and unrelated scallop larvae in the absence of pedigree information, and of investigating the effective number of parents contributing to the hatchery population of the Japanese scallop.     

红鳍笛鲷微卫星DNA标记的开发与遗传多样性分析

以三亚外海的红鳍笛鲷(Lutjanus erythropterus)自然群体为研究对象,利用磁珠富集法开发19个适用于红鳍笛鲷的微卫星DNA标记,其中16个为多态性标记,等位基因数为2～11,期望杂合度为0.242～0.896,观测杂合度为0.156～1.000,Ler 14、Ler 29、Ler 49等3个位点偏离哈迪-温伯格平衡(P<0.0031),Ler9-Ler18、Ler12-Ler19、Ler46-Ler47、Ler46-Ler49、Ler18-Ler50、Ler14-Ler51等6对位点间检测到明显的连锁(P<0.05),Ler29、Ler13、Ler49、Ler19、Ler24、Ler25、Ler14、Ler51、Ler18、Ler9等10个位点属于高度多态位点[多态信息含量(PIC)>0.5],Ler47、Ler12、Ler15、Ler46等4个为中度多态位点(0.25>PIC>0.5)。