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Mitochondrial DNA variability to explore the relationship complexity of Schizothoracine (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

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Abstract

Despite numerous studies on the taxonomy of a highly complex group of schizothoracine (snow trouts), with over five recognized species from Kashmir, India (Schizothorax niger, Schizothorax esocinus, Schizothorax plagiostomus, Schizothorax curvifrons and Schizothorax labiatus) based on traditional morphological data, the relationships between these species is poorly understood and the taxonomic validity is still under debate. To resolve the evolutionary relationships among these species, we sequenced mitochondrial fragments, including 16Sr RNA, Cytb and the D-loop. Separate analyses of 16S and Cytb showed intermixing of the species and 16S was found more conserved than Cytb. The D-loop was found highly variable and showed length variation between and within species. Length variation was observed in di-nucleotide (TA)n microsatellite repeats with a variable number of repeat units (n = 7–14) that did not show heteroplasmy. Central conserved sequence blocks (CSBs) in D-loop sequences were found comparable to other vertebrate species. All phylogenetic reconstructions recovered the focal taxa as a monophyletic clade within the schizothoracines. Analyses with combined mitochondrial data sets showed close genetic relationships of all the five species. In addition to a close relationship between S. niger and S. curvifrons, two distinct groupings of S. ecoscinus and S. plagiostomus were supported by all the analyses. This study gives an insight into molecular phylogeny of the species and improves our understanding of historical and taxonomic relationships derived from morphological and ecological studies.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India under Project No. SR/SO/AS-15/2010. We are highly thankful to Prof. Jonathon Stillman, Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley for his suggestions and making necessary corrections. The help of Michael S. Brewer, Brain Lavin, Bastien Boussau and Hina Fayaz Bhat are greatly acknowledged. We also thank anonymous reviewers for very helpful comments.

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  1. Division of Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Shuhama, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology – Kashmir, Shuhama, Srinagar, 190006, India

    Syed Mudasir Ahmad

  2. Faculty of Fisheries, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology – Kashmir, Shuhama, Srinagar, 190006, India

    Farooz Ahmad Bhat, Masood-ul Hassan Balkhi & Bilal Ahmad Bhat

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  1. Syed Mudasir Ahmad
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Correspondence to Syed Mudasir Ahmad.

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Ahmad, S.M., Bhat, F.A., Balkhi, Mu.H. et al. Mitochondrial DNA variability to explore the relationship complexity of Schizothoracine (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Genetica 142, 507–516 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-014-9797-y

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