title: Japanese Wolves are Genetically Divided into Two Groups Based on an 8-Nucleotide Insertion/Deletion within the mtDNA Control Region.
abstract: The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (198- to 598-bp) of four ancient Canis specimens (two Canis mandibles, a cranium, and a first phalanx) was examined, and each specimen was genetically identified as Japanese wolf. Two unique nucleotide substitutions, the 78-C insertion and the 482-G deletion, both of which are specific for Japanese wolf, were observed in each sample. Based on the mtDNA sequences analyzed, these four specimens and 10 additional Japanese wolf samples could be classified into two groups- Group A (10 samples) and Group B (4 samples)-which contain or lack an 8-bp insertion/deletion (indel), respectively. Interestingly, three dogs (Akita-b, Kishu 25, and S-husky 102) that each contained Japanese wolf-specific features were also classified into Group A or B based on the 8-bp indel. To determine the origin or ancestor of the Japanese wolf, mtDNA control regions of ancient continental Canis specimens were examined; 84 specimens were from Russia, and 29 were from China. However, none of these 113 specimens contained Japanese wolf-specific sequences. Moreover, none of 426 Japanese modern hunting dogs examined contained these Japanese wolf-specific mtDNA sequences. The mtDNA control region sequences of Groups A and B appeared to be unique to grey wolf and dog populations.
authors: 1 Laboratory of Food and Environmental Hygiene.
authors: Naotaka
authors: N
authors: Ishiguro
authors: 1 Laboratory of Food and Environmental Hygiene.
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Inoshima
authors: 2 Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied and Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors: Tokuma
authors: T
authors: Yanai
authors: 3 Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan.
authors: Motoki
authors: M
authors: Sasaki
authors: 4 Nara National Culture Properties Research Institute, Nara 630-8577, Japan.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Matsui
authors: 5 Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Kikuchi
authors: 6 Department of Maritime Civilizations, School of Marine and Technology, Tokai University, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan.
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Maruyama
authors: 7 Department of Advanced Sciences, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama 240-0193, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Hitomi
authors: H
authors: Hongo
authors: 8 Laboratory of Human Paleoecology, Russian Academy of Science, Far Eastern Division, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology, 89, Pushkinskaya, St. Vladivostok, 690600, Russia.
authors: Yuri E
authors: YE
authors: Vostretsov
authors: 9 Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620144, Russia.
authors: Viatcheslav
authors: V
authors: Gasilin
authors: 9 Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, 620144, Russia.
authors: Pavel A
authors: PA
authors: Kosintsev
authors: 10 Research Center of Chinese Frontier Archaeology of Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Quanjia
authors: 10 Research Center of Chinese Frontier Archaeology of Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
authors: Wang
authors: W
authors: Chunxue
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007564:Japan; D019596:Wolves / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Canis lupus familiaris; Canis lupus hodophilax; Japanese wolf; genetic variation; mitochondrial DNA; phylogeography