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Mol. Biol. Evol. 20(1):54-61. 2003
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msg005
© 2003 by the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. ISSN: 0737-4038

Microsatellite Evolution at Two Hypervariable Loci Revealed by Extensive Avian Pedigrees

Nadeena R. Beck, Michael C. Double and Andrew Cockburn

Evolutionary Ecology Group, School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

Genealogies generated through a long-term study of superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) were used to investigate mutation within two hypervariable microsatellite loci. Of 3,230 meioses examined at the tetranucleotide locus (Mcyµ8), 45 mutations were identified, giving a mutation rate of 1.4%. At the dinucleotide locus (Mcyµ4) 30 mutations were recorded from 2,750 meioses giving a mutation rate of 1.1%. Mutations at both loci primarily (80%; 60/75) involved the loss or gain of a single repeat unit. Unlike previous studies, there was no significant bias toward additions over deletions. The mutation rate at Mcyµ8 increased with allele size, and very long alleles (>70 repeats) mutated at a rate of almost 20%. The length of the mutating allele and allele span, however, were strongly correlated so it was not possible to isolate the causative factor. Allele size did not appear to affect mutation rate at Mcyµ4, but the repeat number was considerably lower at this locus. The gender of the mutating parent was significant only at Mcyµ8, where mutations occurred more frequently in maternal alleles. However, at both loci we found that alleles inherited from the mother were on average larger than those from the father, and this in part drove the higher mutation rate among maternally inherited alleles at Mcyµ8.

Key Words: microsatellites • Malurus cyaneus • mutation


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