Analysis of genetic variability and population structure in wild population of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phylogeographic structure of raccoon dogs based on sequence polymorphisms of the mtDNA control region and to investigate the impactof anthropogenic pressure on the formation of population structure and the genetic diversity of raccoon dogs using microsatellite markers. A totai of 153 N.procyonoides individuals legally harvested by the hunters and found killed on the roads from 37 sampling sites across Lithuania were investigated. VVe analyzed 22 sequences of the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and 15 microsatellite loci for genetic characterization of the studied populations. The phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA in raccoon dogs demonstrated the presence of two haplogroups. The patterns of molecular genetic variation in raccoon dogs from Lithuania obtained in the present study indicated higher genetic diversity of these animals as compared with those from West Europe, but lower genetic polymorphism as compared with raccoon dogs introduced to the European part of Russia. The analysis of microsatellite loci shovved a high level of genetic variation observed within subpopulations, but low level of variation portioned among subpopulations. The significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances indicated isolation that reflected the distance betvveen locations. The fencing of highvvays and very intensive traffic could be barriers to gene flow betvveen the western and eastern sampling areas of raccoon dogs.