Revealing the Genetic Differentiation of Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout 1769) Populations by Analyzing Two Mitochondrial Markers

Year 2025, Volume: 53 Issue: 1, 77 - 86, 01.01.2025

Derya Çetintürk

https://doi.org/10.15671/hjbc.1531280

Abstract

Rattus norvegicus (Brown rat) has a great importance for public health and economy because it lives in close association with human populations. However, molecular systematic studies on global populations of R. norvegicus are very few. In this study, sequences obtained from Europe, Asia, Africa, and America regions were analyzed using mitochondrial Cytochrome-b and Cytochrome oxidase-I gene regions and genetic differentiation levels between these populations were revealed. Accordingly, samples belonging to the studied populations did not split in Bayesian Inference trees and Median-joining networks; these samples also formed common haplotypes, and mean genetic distance and fixation index values were generally low. The results of the study showed that gene flow between these populations may be continuing due to the transportation activity by humans.

Keywords

Rattus norvegicus, Brown rat, Cytochrome-b, Cytochrome oxidase I

Ethical Statement

Türkiye samples (n: 28) belong to AUMAC (Ankara University Mammalian Research Collection - https://mammalia.ankara.edu.tr/) (Ankara University Local Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments (Document no: 2018-14-81)).

Supporting Institution

-

Thanks

I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Nuri Yiğit for helping to provide the specimens for this study.

Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout 1769) Populasyonlarının Genetik Farklılaşmasının İki Mitokondriyal Belirtecin Analiz Edilmesi İle Ortaya Çıkarılması

Abstract

Rattus norvegicus (Kahverenkli sıçan) insan popülasyonlarıyla yakın ilişki içinde yaşaması nedeniyle halk sağlığı ve ekonomi açısından büyük öneme sahiptir. Ancak, R. norvegicus'un küresel popülasyonları üzerine moleküler sistematik çalışmalar çok azdır. Bu çalışmada, Avrupa, Asya, Afrika ve Amerika bölgelerinden elde edilen diziler, mitokondriyal Sitokrom-b ve Sitokrom oksidaz-I gen bölgeleri kullanılarak analiz edilmiş ve bu popülasyonlar arasındaki genetik farklılaşma düzeyleri ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Buna göre, çalışılan popülasyonlara ait örnekler Bayesian Çıkarım Ağaçları ve Median-joining ilişki ağlarında ayrılmamıştır; bu örnekler aynı zamanda ortak haplotipler oluşturmuştur ve ortalama genetik uzaklık ve fiksasyon indeksi değerleri genel olarak düşüktür. Çalışmanın sonuçları, bu populasyonlar arasındaki gen akışının, insanların taşıma aktivitesi nedeniyle devam ediyor olabileceğini göstermiştir.

Keywords

Rattus norvegicus, Kahverenkli sıçan, Sitokrom-b, Sitokrom oksidaz-I

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