title: The population genetics of the alpha-2 globin locus of orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus).
abstract: In this study, the molecular population genetics of the orangutan's alpha-2 globin (HBA2) gene were investigated in order to test for the action of natural selection. Haplotypes from 28 orangutan chromosomes were collected from a 1.46-kilobase region of the alpha-2 globin locus. While many aspects of the data were consistent with neutrality, the observed heterogeneous distribution of polymorphisms was inconsistent with neutral expectations. Furthermore, a single amino acid variant, found in both the Bornean and the Sumatran orangutan subspecies, was associated with different alternative synonymous variants in each subspecies, suggesting that the allele may have spread separately through the two subspecies after two distinct origination events. This variant is not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). These observations are consistent with neutral models that incorporate population structure and models that invoke selection. The orangutan Plasmodium parasite is a plausible selective agent that may underlie the variation at alpha-2 globin in orangutans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Hunter College-City University of New York, New York, 10021, USA. msteiper@hunter.cuny.edu
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Steiper
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Karesh
authors.forename: Annelisa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilbourn
authors.forename: Edwin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.forename: Maryellen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruvolo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D040461:Gene Components; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005914:Globins / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D007214:Indonesia; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008288:Malaria / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010961:Plasmodium; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005914:Globins