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Variation in pancreatic amylase gene copy number among Eurasian badgers (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Meles ) and its relationship to diet
Author(s) -
Abduriyim S.,
Nishita Y.,
Abramov A. V.,
Solovyev V. A.,
Saveljev A. P.,
Kosintsev P. A.,
Kryukov A. P.,
Raichev E.,
Väinölä R.,
Kaneko Y.,
Masuda R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/jzo.12649
Subject(s) - biology , meles , mustelidae , zoology , badger , adaptation (eye) , omnivore , copy number variation , ecotype , ecology , evolutionary biology , gene , predation , genetics , neuroscience , genome
Occurrence of copy number variation ( CNV ) of gene loci is important in the adaptation of species and populations to their environments. High copy numbers of mammalian genes encoding the digestive enzyme amylase, which plays a role in starch digestion, have been associated with adaptation to high‐starch foods. Here, we investigated CNV in the pancreatic amylase gene ( AMY 2 ) in Eurasian badgers ( Meles species) and related taxa using real‐time quantitative PCR . We found that Meles anakuma and M. meles , as well as the other mustelids Mustela sibirica , Martes melampus and Martes zibellina , had only one copy of the AMY 2 locus, whereas in Meles leucurus the copy number varied between one and four. The AMY 2 copy number also varied significantly among M. leucurus populations. This suggests that M. leucurus is better adapted to a diet rich in starch and/or glycogen than its congeners. As Meles spp. are basically omnivorous but favor a carnivoran diet, for example, earthworms and amphibians, we speculate that the CNV is related to the dearth of animal food in the range of M. leucurus , which enforces a more vegetal diet. This in turn would favor more efficient digestion of dietary starch, which could be achieved by increasing the copy number of AMY2 .