Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Genes Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue "Wildlife Genomics and Genetic Diversity"

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2024 | Viewed by 2451

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wenping Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
Interests: genetic diversity, genome, population genetics, metagenome; evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodiversity is a key component of ecosystems, responsible for driving variation in ecosystem productivity, stability and resilience. The ecological consequences of genetic diversity, therefore, lie at the core of efforts to understand the links between biodiversity and ecosystem function. The nature of genomics and genetic diversity in wildlife has always been the basic problem of evolutionary genetics, as well as gene flow, population depression, population growth, and so on. However, despite its cardinal role in evolutionary theory and application, the maintenance of genetic diversity remains largely enigmatic, notwithstanding the dramatic discoveries of molecular biology, which revealed the abundant genetic diversity in nature. Moreover, it is not clear how widely the ecological effects of genetic diversity apply in wildlife and little is known about the relative importance of genetic diversity vs. other factors that influence the ecological processes of interest in wildlife.

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on the genomics and genetic diversity of wildlife, including animals, plants, and microorganisms and will aim to fill these gaps in research by evaluating the following aspects: (1) the genomics and genetic diversity in wildlife through all kinds of molecular markers, (2) the mechanisms by which environment- and genetic-driven trait variation occur in wildlife, (3) the ecological and evolutionary consequences of genotypic diversity effects on interactions in wildlife, (4) the genetic diversity consequences among stress factors; (5) the linkages between the evolutionary forces that shape the expression of additive genetic variation and ecological genetic diversity effects.

Dr. Wenping Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

animal
plant
microorganism
genome
metagenome
genetic diversity
genomics diversity
molecular marker
mitochondrial DNA
chloroplast DNA

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Open AccessCommunication

An Enhanced Method for the Use of Reptile Skin Sheds as a High-Quality DNA Source for Genome Sequencing

and

Genes 2023, 14(9), 1678; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14091678 - 25 Aug 2023

Viewed by 322

Abstract

With the emergence of high-throughput sequencing technology, a number of non-avian reptile species have been sequenced at the genome scale, shedding light on various scientific inquiries related to reptile ecology and evolution. However, the routine requirement of tissue or blood samples for genome sequencing often poses challenges in many elusive reptiles, hence limiting the application of high-throughput sequencing technologies to reptile studies. An alternative reptilian DNA resource suitable for genome sequencing is in urgent need. Here, we used the corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) as a reptile model species to demonstrate that the shed skin is a high-quality DNA source for genome sequencing. Skin sheds provide a noninvasive type of sample that can be easily collected without restraining or harming the animal. Our findings suggest that shed skin from corn snakes yields DNA of sufficient quantity and quality that are comparable to tissue DNA extracts. Genome sequencing data analysis revealed that shed skin DNA is subject to bacteria contamination at variable levels, which is a major issue related to shed skin DNA and may be addressed by a modified DNA extraction method through introduction of a 30 min pre-digestion step. This study provides an enhanced method for the use of reptile shed skins as a high-quality DNA source for whole genome sequencing. Utilizing shed skin DNA enables researchers to overcome the limitations generally associated with obtaining traditional tissue or blood samples and promises to facilitate the application of genome sequencing in reptilian research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wildlife Genomics and Genetic Diversity)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Evolutionary Adaptation of Genes Involved in Galactose Derivatives Metabolism in Oil-Tea Specialized Andrena Species

and

Genes 2023, 14(5), 1117; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14051117 - 22 May 2023

Viewed by 865

Abstract

Oil-tea (Camellia oleifera) is a woody oil crop whose nectar includes galactose derivatives that are toxic to honey bees. Interestingly, some mining bees of the genus Andrena can entirely live on the nectar (and pollen) of oil-tea and are able to metabolize these galactose derivatives. We present the first next-generation genomes for five and one Andrena species that are, respectively, specialized and non-specialized oil-tea pollinators and, combining these with the published genomes of six other Andrena species which did not visit oil-tea, we performed molecular evolution analyses on the genes involved in the metabolizing of galactose derivatives. The six genes (NAGA, NAGA-like, galM, galK, galT, and galE) involved in galactose derivatives metabolism were identified in the five oil-tea specialized species, but only five (with the exception of NAGA-like) were discovered in the other Andrena species. Molecular evolution analyses revealed that NAGA-like, galK, and galT in oil-tea specialized species appeared under positive selection. RNASeq analyses showed that NAGA-like, galK, and galT were significantly up-regulated in the specialized pollinator Andrena camellia compared to the non-specialized pollinator Andrena chekiangensis. Our study demonstrated that the genes NAGA-like, galK, and galT have played an important role in the evolutionary adaptation of the oil-tea specialized Andrena species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wildlife Genomics and Genetic Diversity)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Description of the Three Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Sitta (S. himalayensis, S. nagaensis, and S. yunnanensis) and Phylogenetic Relationship (Aves: Sittidae)

and

Genes 2023, 14(3), 589; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14030589 - 26 Feb 2023

Viewed by 806

Abstract

Nuthatches (genus Sitta; family Sittidae) are a passerine genus with a predominantly Nearctic and Eurasian distribution. To understand the phylogenetic position of Sitta and phylogenetic relations within this genus, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of three Sitta species (S. himalayensis, S. nagaensis, and S. yunnanensis), which were 16,822–16,830 bp in length and consisted of 37 genes and a control region. This study recovered the same gene arrangement found in the mitogenomes of Gallus gallus, which is considered the typical ancestral avian gene order. All tRNAs were predicted to form the typical cloverleaf secondary structures. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of sequences of 18 species obtained a well-supported topology. The family Sittidae is the sister group of Troglodytidae, and the genus Sitta can be divided into three major clades. We demonstrated the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Sitta (S. carolinensis + ((S. villosa + S. yunnanensis) + (S. himalayensis + (S. europaea + S. nagaensis)))). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wildlife Genomics and Genetic Diversity)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Wildlife Genomics and Genetic Diversity"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI