Phylogeography of the Turkish brown troutSalmo truttaL.: mitochondrial DNA PCR‐RFLP variation

Abstract

In the present study, mitochondrial DNA polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was used to assess the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships among 27 brown trout Salmo trutta populations from Turkey. The complete NADH 5/6 region and a second segment comprising the cytochrome b gene and D-loop of mtDNA amplified by PCR were digested with six and five restriction enzymes, respectively. A total of 27 haplotypes were observed and divided into three major phylogenetic assemblages, namely Danubian (DA), Adriatic (AD) and a newly proposed Tigris (TI) lineage. The timing of the net nucleotide divergence between the major lineages along with the geological history of Turkey suggested pre-Pleistocene isolation of the Turkish brown trout and provided evidence that Turkey could be considered as a centre of diversification for these lineages. The average haplotype diversity (0Á1397) and the nucleotide diversity (0Á000416) within populations were low in comparison to the observed interpopulation nucleotide diversity (0Á021266). PCR-RFLP analysis showed that most of the mtDNA sequence variation found in the Turkish brown trout populations was imputable to differences among lineages. On the other hand, there was also an obvious relationship between geographical distribution of the populations and their clustering. The present study showed that brown trout populations from Turkey are highly divergent and mainly have a unique genetic profile that could be used for conservation and management purposes.

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“…In the previous studies, Salmo trutta macrostigma, Salmo trutta labrax, Salmo trutta abanticus subspecies and Salmo platycephalus were reported in Turkish waters (Behnke, 1968;Balık, 1984;Geldiay and Balık, 1988;Çetinkaya, 1996;Tabak et al, 2001;Alp et al, 2003;Alp and Kara, 2004;Kuru, 2004). However, the last molecular studies claimed that trout in Turkey were divided into three phylogenetic assemblages, namely Danubian, Adriatic and Tigris lineages including one species of Salmo trutta (Bernatchez, 2001;Bardakçı et al, 2006). Since the present study was not related with that taxonomic confusion, research materials were admitted as Salmo trutta macrostigma and Salmo trutta labrax resting on the above researcher.…”

Geography and host biogeography matter for understanding the phylogeography of a parasite

“…Two relevant alternative host species for Heligmosomoides in these regions are A. flavicollis and A. mystacinus, because both species are abundant in the region and display a deep phylogeographic break between the Balkan and Turkish regions (Michaux et al, , 2005a). Yet, this phylogeographic rupture is usual as the hedgehog Erinaceus concolor, the grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus, the Black alder Alnus glutinosa, the lesser white toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens (reviewed in Hewitt, 1999), and more recently in Fraxinus angustifolia and in the brown trout Salmo trutta (Bardakci et al, 2006;Heuertz et al, 2006) display it too. Thus, the fracture between Balkan and Turkish populations is not in itself sufficient to argue for co-differentiation between Heligmosomoides and either A. flavicollis or A. mystacinus.…”

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“…It is an important centre for inland water fauna, thus facilitating a mixture of African and Asian species for a short period (Por, 1989), and leading many to assume the Middle East as a major biogeographical crossroad with elements from the Palaearctic, the Mediterranean and the Oriental regions (Banarescue, 1977;Por andDimentman, 1985, 1989). The Middle East may have been an important intersection for ichthyofauna or a centre of speciation as a phylogenetic study of Cyprinae and Leuciscinae species from the Middle East and neighbouring biogeographical regions demonstrated (Durand et al, 2000;Durand et al, 2002;Bardakci et al, 2006).…”