Partial characterization of the mitochondrial dna (mtdna) in gazelles (gazella marica) in Şanlıurfa province

Abstract

Gazelles are one of the important species unique to Türkiye, as in most Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Gazelles in Türkiye belong to the Gazella subgutturosa species, which has two subspecies: Şanlıurfa gazelle (Gazella marica) and Hatay Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella). Numbers of Şanlıurfa gazelle (Gazella marica) are decreasing in Türkiye as well as all over the world, and today they are found in a limited area on the southern border, mostly around the province of Şanlıurfa. The aim of this study is to examine the 400 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (mtDNA cyt-b) gene, which is frequently used in phylogenetic studies in gazelles, by sequence analysis. Samples were taken from a total of 40 male and female gazelles from populations in four different holdings in Şanlıurfa province. Sequence analysis results did not reveal any nucleotide diversity in terms of the examined region. the samples examined in after constructed phylogenetic tree which was evaluated together with the sequences covering the same region in the database of the obtained sequence analysis result showed that the samples exanimated were clustered together with Gazella marica samples, in line with previous studies. This study implies that the cyt-b gene region of mtDNA is not promising to assess genetic variability and phylogenetic relationships among gazelle populations surviving in Şanlıurfa province. Due to its limitations on reveal genetic diversity in Gazella marica it should be screened genetic variability and phylogenetic relationships in this grup by using other regions of mtDNA as control region.