Detection of mitochondrial insertions in the nucleus (NuMts) of Pleistocene and modern muskoxen ...

• Main Authors: Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis, MacPhee, Ross, Greenwood, Alex D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Columbia University 2007
• Subjects: Evolution Biology; DNA > Research; Mitochondrial DNA; Bioinformatics; FOS: Computer and information sciences; Cytology; muskox; ovibos moschatus; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d82v2dj5; https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D82V2DJ5

Background: Nuclear insertions of mitochondrial sequences (NuMts) have been identified in a wide variety of organisms. Trafficking of genetic material from the mitochondria to the nucleus has occurred frequently during mammalian evolution and can lead to the production of a large pool of sequences with varying degrees of homology to organellar mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. This presents both opportunities and challenges for forensics, population genetics, evolutionary genetics, conservation biology and the study of DNA from ancient samples. Here we present a case in which difficulties in ascertaining the organellar mtDNA sequence from modern samples hindered their comparison to ancient DNA sequences. Results: We obtained mitochondrial hypervariable region (HVR) sequences from six ancient samples of tundra muskox (Ovibos moschatus) that were reproducible but distinct from modern muskox sequences reported previously. Using the same PCR primers applied to the ancient specimens and the primers used to ...