title: Phylogeography and molecular adaptation of Siberian salamander Salamandrella keyserlingii based on mitochondrial DNA variation.
abstract: We assessed the phylogeographic pattern of Siberian salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii, Dybowski, 1870), which appear to be the most northern ectothermic, terrestrial vertebrate in Northern Eurasia, by sequence analysis of a 611-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 159 specimens from different localities (Khabarovsk region, Sakhalin, Yakutia, Magadan region, Chukotka, Kamchatka and others). The data revealed that cytochrome b lineages of S. keyserlingii are divided into haplogroups A, B and C. Haplogroup A and B sequences are widespread in the Far East region, whereas haplogroup C consisting of several phylogenetic clusters (C1, C2, C3) is present in the all range of S. keyserlingii. Among them, cluster C3 appears to be specific for Sakhalin; most likely, it has arisen in situ in this island, with the entry time of the founder mtDNA estimated at about 0.4 MY. Analysis of cytochrome b gene variation by using different neutrality tests (including those based on K(A)/K(S)-ratio) has shown that differences between haplogroups were statistically insignificant, thus suggesting selective neutrality. However, analysis of amino acid changes allowed us to detect a signature of molecular adaptation, which might have led to appearance of adaptive cytochrome b variants in haplogroup C, originating most likely at the end of Eopleistocene (about 0.64 MY based on the haplogroup C divergence level). It seems probable that this adaptive mechanism could promote subsequent populating of new regions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Magadan 685000, Russia. malyarchuk@ibpn.ru
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malyarchuk
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derenko
authors.forename: Daniil
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perkova
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grzybowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lejrikh
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bulakhova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014562:Caudata / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D045303:Cytochromes b