Mitogenomic analysis for coelacanths (Latimeria chalumnae) caught in Tanzania

Sasaki, Takeshi; Sato, Tetsu; Seiko, Miura; Bwathondi, P.O.J.; Ngatunga, Benjamin P.; Okada, Norihiro

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2006.09.021

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…AP012177 to AP012199) ( Table S1). The lengths and gene organization of the mtDNA determined in the present study were concordant with those previously reported by Sasaki et al (11). The length of full mtDNA genomes of coelacanths in the WIO is 16,445 bp for all samples.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…shows the genealogical relationships of these haplotypes. Consistent with the description of Schartl et al (9) and Sasaki et al (11), haplotype_3 was shared by most of the coelacanths caught in Comoros, Tanzania, South Africa, and Madagascar. The sharing of a haplotype among broad areas of the WIO may support the idea that the coelacanths captured off African mainland were drifters or very recent founders (4,6,9).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…We first performed multiple alignments of the full mtDNA genomes determined in this study and those determined by Sasaki et al (11) to estimate the nucleotide variation among individuals. In this alignment, a Comoran individual determined previously (12) was not included because of several critical sequence errors, such as a 21-nt deletion in ATPase6 and a 3-nt insertion in COI (see ref.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Africa, 3 Madagascar, 1 Mozambique and Kenya) mtDNA d-loop region sequences reported by Schartl et al (9). Although two additional sequences were not enough to provide a definitive conclusion, they showed that haplotype 5, defined by Schartl et al (9), was observed only in Kenya and northern Tanzania but not in the Comoros, implying that this haplotype may distinguish the population of Tanzania from that of Comoros (11). In the present study, we determined the complete mtDNA genomes of 21 additional Tanzanian and 2 Comoran coelacanth individuals and analyzed them together with the published sequences to examine whether a genetically distinct, reproducing coelacanth population exists off the Tanzanian coast.…”

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confidence: 92%

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Genetically distinct coelacanth population off the northern Tanzanian coast

Nikaido

Sasaki

Emerson

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Since the sensational discovery of a living coelacanth off the east coast of South Africa, the geographic distribution of viable coelacanth populations has been a subject of debate. In the past, the coelacanths off the African mainland were thought to be strays from the Comoros because most coelacanths captured were caught in the waters surrounding the Comoros archipelagos. However, in recent years, a large number of coelacanths were captured off the coast of Tanzania, including nine living specimens observed in a remotely operated vehicles survey. Thus, it is possible that there is a reproducing population inhabiting waters off the Tanzania coast. We have sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of 21 Tanzanian and 2 Comoran coelacanths and analyzed these sequences together with two additional full mitochondrial genomes and 47 d-loop sequences from the literature. We found that the coelacanth population off the northern Tanzanian coast is genetically differentiated from those of the southern Tanzania coast and the Comoros, whereas no significant genetic differentiation occurs between the latter two localities. The differentiation between the northern and southern Tanzanian coast populations is consistent with the hypothesis that the existence of northward-flowing ocean current along the Tanzanian coast may reduce or prevent gene flow from the northern to the southern population. Finally, we estimated that the population localized to the southern Tanzanian coast and the Comoros diverged from other coelacanths at least 200,000 y ago. These results indicate that the coelacanths off the northern Tanzania coast are not strays but a genetically distinct group. Our study provides important information for the conservation of this threatened “living fossil.”

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 92%

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Genetically distinct coelacanth population off the northern Tanzanian coast

Nikaido

Sasaki

Emerson

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…After the discovery of a second living coelacanth in the Comoros archipelagos (Smith 1953), the existence of a viable coelacanth population was confirmed in this area. In addition to the Comoros archipelagos, several coelacanths have been captured off the coasts of Mozambique (Schliewen et al 1993), Madagascar (Heemstra et al 1996), Kenya (De Vos and Oyugi 2002), and Tanzania (Sasaki et al 2007). Nikaido et al (2011) recently demonstrated that a coelacanth population off the northern coastal region of Tanzania is genetically distinct from that of Comoros, indicating that the northern coastal region of Tanzania is the second habitat of coelacanths in the western Indian Ocean.…”

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confidence: 99%

Coelacanth genomes reveal signatures for evolutionary transition from water to land

et al. 2013

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Coelacanths are known as ''living fossils,'' as they show remarkable morphological resemblance to the fossil record and belong to the most primitive lineage of living Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods). Coelacanths may be key to elucidating the tempo and mode of evolution from fish to tetrapods. Here, we report the genome sequences of five coelacanths, including four Latimeria chalumnae individuals (three specimens from Tanzania and one from Comoros) and one L. menadoensis individual from Indonesia. These sequences cover two African breeding populations and two known extant coelacanth species. The genome is~2.74 Gbp and contains a high proportion (~60%) of repetitive elements. The genetic diversity among the individuals was extremely low, suggesting a small population size and/or a slow rate of evolution. We found a substantial number of genes that encode olfactory and pheromone receptors with features characteristic of tetrapod receptors for the detection of airborne ligands. We also found that limb enhancers of bmp7 and gli3, both of which are essential for limb formation, are conserved between coelacanth and tetrapods, but not ray-finned fishes. We expect that some tetrapod-like genes may have existed early in the evolution of primitive Sarcopterygii and were later co-opted to adapt to terrestrial environments. These coelacanth genomes will provide a cornerstone for studies to elucidate how ancestral aquatic vertebrates evolved into terrestrial animals.

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