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The use of genetic variability for the purposes of conservation biology: case studies of populations in captivity and nature
Opelka Somerová, Barbora ; Frynta, Daniel (advisor) ; Veselý, Milan (referee) ; Vojar, Jiří (referee)
2 Abstract In this dissertation thesis, I focused mainly on the topic of endangered species conservation in three projects, which were realized in cooperation with Prague ZOO. The other two subprojects, which are part of this dissertation, deal with the topic of genetic diversity analysis in nature and were realized in cooperation with institutions in Indonesia and Armenia. In all these projects I used a similar laboratory and computational methodology, although each project addressed different problems. In the main and probably the most important project, I studied the skinks of genus Tiliqua living in the Moluccas, New Guinea (Irian Jaya) and adjacent islands. I analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear markers to reveal the phylogenetic and population relationships. In the second project, I focused on the study of ex situ population of Mauremys annamensis in European captive breeding. The goal was to determine the haplotype diversity and detect the F1 hybrids in population. In the third project, I examined the genetic variability of Orlitia borneensis in European zoological gardens for the purposes of ex situ breeding program organization. The fourth project is focused on examination of genetic variability of Chilabothrus angulifer population, which is kept in European breeding. I studied ...
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Chemical communication in field mice of the genus ApodemusApodemus
Obstová, Lucie ; Stopka, Pavel (advisor) ; Vohralík, Vladimír (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with a special sebaceous organ that probably serves as a chemical communication means with four species of Apodemus field mouse - A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. agrarius and A. microps. This organ is found on the ventral side of a tail, so it is classified as a caudal organ. It consists of significantly enlarged sebaceous glands. It is particularly developed mainly with males; however, both females and infants have it as well. Its morphological structure has the same base regardless of the species, gender, and/or age; however the extent of development varies among species. The organ releases a secretion whose chemical content is unknown so far. Thanks to the gas-liquid chromatography, researchers have found out that there are both variations in the secretion contents among individual species, as well as within the same species. This kind of secretion is basically a characteristic feature of an individual, as it bears information about the species, gender, age and even the population affiliation. Functions of the organ stay unknown as well. It might serve to mark the territory, to play a role in social interactions (i.e. agonistic behaviour) and/or to be an important part of copulatory behaviour.
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Mechanisms of the transfer of chemical signals in field mice of the genus Apodemus
Havrdová, Leona ; Stopková, Romana (advisor) ; Vošlajerová, Barbora (referee)
Proteins from the lipocalin family play significant roles during the transport of chemical signals. These globular proteins (molecular mass: 17,7 - 21,7 kDa) are able to bind a wide spectrum of volatile ligands. Since they decay continuously, the scent impact is prolonged. Major urinary proteins (MUPs) are lipocalins, typically found in the urine and used during olfactory communication in the house mouse. But the urine is not the only source of chemical signals. Many species of mammals perform selfgrooming - a technique in which saliva is transported into the fur. The goal of the thesis is to identify main proteins that are involved in chemical communication by selected species of the genus Apodemus, and to discover the source of production (i.e. saliva or urine). The Experion capillary electrophoresis system was used to confirm the absence of lipocalins in the urine in two Apodemus species (A. uralensis, A. sylvaticus). Furthermore, a lot of lipocalins is present in the saliva of above-mentioned species. The quantity and types of salivary lipocalins was identified by 2D electrophoresis along with mass spectrometry analyses (MALDI MS/MS) in three species of the genus Apodemus (A. uralensis, A. sylvaticus and A. flavicollis). The conclusion of this inter-specific comparison suggests, that sociality...
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Genus Apodemus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the Quaternary fossil record of Central Europe.
Knitlová, Markéta
Wood mice of the genus Apodemus rank among the most common extant mammals throughout Europe. A history of its species and their distributional ranges is to be looked upon as a serious topic relevant also for general concepts on current setting of European biotic diversity. Nevertheless, despite several phylogeographic studies on that subject and a rich fossil record of the genus, many details of that issue remains only very poorly comprehended. This state is essentially caused by enormous complications with phenotype discrimination of individual species, their extensive variation and broad between-species overlaps in all phenotype traits. The present project was intended to establish the techniques enabling reliable species identification applicable to fragmentary fossil materials and to use them for retrieving information on range dynamics and phylogenetic history of individual species during the Quaternary past. It begun with detailed morphometric analyses of extant populations, using the characters available in fossils, and with establishing a concept of alternative parataxonomic classification covering the complete phenotype span of the genus. The respective techniques were applied onto an extensive set of well-dated records from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary series from diverse...
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Host specificity, genetic variability and genealogy in populations of model parasite species
MARTINŮ, Jana
Parasites represent one of the most common ecological strategies and host-parasite coevolution belongs among the major processes governing evolution of biodiversity on the global scale. Genetic structure and diversity of populations of parasites and their hosts, and their genetic connectivity are the key elements in long-term population survival and evolution. Host switches often disturb the parallel evolution of interacting taxa, even in highly host-specific parasites. Evaluation of importance of the degree of intimacy between parasites and hosts is not a trivial task, because evolutionary patterns observed today were formed by an interplay of many (sometimes previously unforeseen) historical and ecological factors. To reveal the mechanisms of coevolution between parasites and their hosts, inter- and intra-specific genealogical structures in three model systems were analyzed: namely, the sucking lice Polyplax serrata and Apodemus hosts, chewing lice of the genus Menacanthus and endoparasitic coccidean genus Eimeria from Apodemus mice.
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Genus Apodemus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the Quaternary fossil record of Central Europe.
Knitlová, Markéta
Wood mice of the genus Apodemus rank among the most common extant mammals throughout Europe. A history of its species and their distributional ranges is to be looked upon as a serious topic relevant also for general concepts on current setting of European biotic diversity. Nevertheless, despite several phylogeographic studies on that subject and a rich fossil record of the genus, many details of that issue remains only very poorly comprehended. This state is essentially caused by enormous complications with phenotype discrimination of individual species, their extensive variation and broad between-species overlaps in all phenotype traits. The present project was intended to establish the techniques enabling reliable species identification applicable to fragmentary fossil materials and to use them for retrieving information on range dynamics and phylogenetic history of individual species during the Quaternary past. It begun with detailed morphometric analyses of extant populations, using the characters available in fossils, and with establishing a concept of alternative parataxonomic classification covering the complete phenotype span of the genus. The respective techniques were applied onto an extensive set of well-dated records from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary series from diverse...
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Genus Apodemus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in the Quaternary fossil record of Central Europe.
Knitlová, Markéta ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Macholán, Miloš (referee) ; Čermák, Stanislav (referee)
Wood mice of the genus Apodemus rank among the most common extant mammals throughout Europe. A history of its species and their distributional ranges is to be looked upon as a serious topic relevant also for general concepts on current setting of European biotic diversity. Nevertheless, despite several phylogeographic studies on that subject and a rich fossil record of the genus, many details of that issue remains only very poorly comprehended. This state is essentially caused by enormous complications with phenotype discrimination of individual species, their extensive variation and broad between-species overlaps in all phenotype traits. The present project was intended to establish the techniques enabling reliable species identification applicable to fragmentary fossil materials and to use them for retrieving information on range dynamics and phylogenetic history of individual species during the Quaternary past. It begun with detailed morphometric analyses of extant populations, using the characters available in fossils, and with establishing a concept of alternative parataxonomic classification covering the complete phenotype span of the genus. The respective techniques were applied onto an extensive set of well-dated records from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary series from diverse...
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Mechanisms of the transfer of chemical signals in field mice of the genus Apodemus
Havrdová, Leona ; Stopková, Romana (advisor) ; Vošlajerová, Barbora (referee)
Proteins from the lipocalin family play significant roles during the transport of chemical signals. These globular proteins (molecular mass: 17,7 - 21,7 kDa) are able to bind a wide spectrum of volatile ligands. Since they decay continuously, the scent impact is prolonged. Major urinary proteins (MUPs) are lipocalins, typically found in the urine and used during olfactory communication in the house mouse. But the urine is not the only source of chemical signals. Many species of mammals perform selfgrooming - a technique in which saliva is transported into the fur. The goal of the thesis is to identify main proteins that are involved in chemical communication by selected species of the genus Apodemus, and to discover the source of production (i.e. saliva or urine). The Experion capillary electrophoresis system was used to confirm the absence of lipocalins in the urine in two Apodemus species (A. uralensis, A. sylvaticus). Furthermore, a lot of lipocalins is present in the saliva of above-mentioned species. The quantity and types of salivary lipocalins was identified by 2D electrophoresis along with mass spectrometry analyses (MALDI MS/MS) in three species of the genus Apodemus (A. uralensis, A. sylvaticus and A. flavicollis). The conclusion of this inter-specific comparison suggests, that sociality...
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The role of caudal organ in chemical communication in field mice of the genus Apodemus
Obstová, Lucie ; Stopka, Pavel (advisor) ; Petrák, Jiří (referee)
This thesis deals with the chemical communication of wood mouse of genus Apodemus with a focus on the special sebaceous gland on the ventral side of the tail - the caudal organ. Role of the caudal organ in chemical communication is unclear. To illustrate the function of the sebaceous glands, I decided to use metods of 454 pyrosequencing, proteomic analysis and qPCR. I created a database of transcriptionally active genes of caudal organ using 454 pyrosequencing. In proteomic analysis, I focused on proteins with a molecular weight 14-18kDa to verify the presence of the lipocalins, proteins involved in chemical communication. I compared the relative mRNA abundance of selected genes between individuals of the opposite sex using qPCR. In my research, I found that the caudal organ is active organ and caudal organ could participate in chemical communication. I detected a different relative mRNA abundance of genes in males and females at the mRNA level, which could play a role in differences in development of caudal organ between individuals of the opposite sex. Finally, I suggested possible ways of using the caudal organ in the chemical communication in wood mouse genus Apodemus from the obtained results. Key words: caudal organ, Apodemus, chemical communication, FABP5, Scd1
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