Complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA control region of the Japanese serow Capricornis crispus (Bovidae: Caprinae)

Abstract

The Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus, is an indigenous species to Japan. It has been strictly protected for nearly half a century, whereas culling for control has been permitted in some areas since the late 1970s. In order to investigate the intraspecific genetic diversity of the Japanese serow, a study on the mtDNA control region was conducted. In the present study, the complete nucleotide sequences of the control region (1031 bp) and its flanking proline tRNA gene (65 bp) from six serows were determined. In total, ten variable sites were observed in control region sequences, resulting in four different haplotypes. All of the substitutions among these haplotypes were transitions. Central, left and right domains of the control region were identified by comparison with cow sequences. Conserved sequence block-1 (CSB-1) and a polypyrimidine tract were also identified in the right domain. Two tandemly repeated sequences of 76 bp were found in the left domain. These features were compared with four Caprinae species. Sequences of the central domain, CSB-1 and polypyrimidine tract were homologous among them. The copy number of tandem repeat units varied among species. The estimated genetic distances suggest that the Formosan serow is probably a distinct species from the Japanese serow.