Isolation of microsatellite loci by next-generation sequencing of the critically endangered Northern Bald ibis, Geronticus eremita

The Northern Bald Ibis is one of the rarest bird species, extinct in Europe for 400 years and critically endangered worldwide. The European Union-co-financed LIFE+ project “Reason for Hope - Reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis in Europe” aims to reintroduce the species in Europe (Germany, Austria, Italy). In order to obtain information on the genetic diversity within zoo colonies and the reintroduced population, fifteen polymorphic microsatellite markers, specific for the Northern Bald Ibis, Geronticus eremita (LINNAEUS, 1785), have been isolated from next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) and are here described. The microsatellite primers were tested in 30 individuals and measures of genetic variability were calculated. Values for the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.393 to 0.867, while expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.573 to 0.718. Ten out of fifteen loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and only one showed indication for the presence of null alleles. The newly d...

隐鹮（Northern Bald Ibis）是全球最珍稀的鸟类物种之一，已在欧洲绝迹400年，且在全球范围内处于极危状态。由欧盟联合资助的LIFE+项目「希望之因——在欧洲重新引入隐鹮」（Reason for Hope - Reintroduction of the Northern Bald Ibis in Europe）旨在德国、奥地利、意大利三国境内重新引入该物种。为获取动物园种群及重新引入种群的遗传多样性相关信息，研究人员通过下一代测序（next-generation sequencing，采用Illumina MiSeq平台）数据，分离得到15对针对隐鹮（学名：Geronticus eremita (LINNAEUS, 1785)）的特异性多态性微卫星引物，并对其进行了详细描述。该微卫星引物在30个个体中完成扩增测试，研究人员据此计算了遗传变异相关指标：观测杂合度（observed heterozygosity）的取值范围为0.393至0.867，期望杂合度（expected heterozygosity）的取值范围为0.573至0.718。15个位点中有10个符合哈迪-温伯格平衡（Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium），仅1个位点显示存在无效等位基因（null alleles）。本研究新开发的……