Sequencing_mtDNA_in_Mountain_and_other_primates

Gorilla is the closest ape to human after the chimpanzee, and there are two species of gorilla, Western (divided into Lowland and Cross River subspecies) and Eastern (divided into Lowland and Mountain subspecies). All gorillas are endangered and some, like the Mountain Gorilla, number only a few hundred. Genetic study can provide insights into their history, and inform their conservation. The Great Ape Genome Project is sequencing whole genomes of a variety of Great Apes, including some gorillas, and Sanger is sequencing the genomes of some additional gorillas, including the first Mountain Gorillas to be available for genetic analysis. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a particularly useful maternally-inherited marker. Although the whole-genome sequences will contain abundant reads derived from mtDNA, their interpretation is difficult for gorillas because there are many closely-related copies of mtDNA integrated into the nuclear genome in addition to the copies of primary interest, which are carried by the mitochondrion. This study will use established techniques to specifically amplify the mtDNA from the mitochondria and then sequence it. We have available 14 Western Lowland Gorillas, 7 Eastern Lowland and 7 Eastern Mountain Gorillas. mtDNA from these will be amplified, followed by MiSeq next-generation sequencing. This will provide insights into the mtDNA genetic variation within the different gorilla subspecies, including the first glimpses into the level of mtDNA variation in Mountain Gorillas and their relationship to other gorillas.