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Microsatellite mutations in litters of the Australian lizard Egernia stokesii
Author(s) -
Michael G. Gardner,
Bull,
Andrea M. Cooper,
Duffield
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2000.00189.x
Subject(s) - biology , genetics , microsatellite , allele , mutation , lizard , offspring , gene , evolutionary biology , zoology , pregnancy
Seven tetranucleotide (AAAG) loci were analysed in a population (including 19 litters) of the Australian lizard Egernia stokesii . In an examination of 76 offspring we observed 13 mutations involving five loci. Two of our loci were highly mutable, with observed mutation rates of 2.7% and 4.2%, representing some of the highest mutations rates reported so far. A high proportion of mutations (46.2%) could not be assigned to changes involving only a single repeat, suggesting that mutations in at least two of the loci follow a multistep model. There was no significant bias of mutations leading to an increase or decrease in allele size; however, all multistep mutations involved a loss of repeats. These results add to increasing evidence casting doubt on microsatellite mutations being primarily single step mutations.