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Intracolonial genetic variation in the scleractinian coral Seriatopora hystrix

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Abstract

In recent years, increasing numbers of studies revealed intraorganismal genetic variation, primarily in modular organisms like plants or colonial marine invertebrates. Two underlying mechanisms are distinguished: Mosaicism is caused by somatic mutation, whereas chimerism originates from allogeneic fusion. We investigated the occurrence of intracolonial genetic variation at microsatellite loci in five natural populations of the scleractinian coral Seriatopora hystrix on the Great Barrier Reef. This coral is a widely distributed, brooding species that is at present a target of intensive population genetic research on reproduction and dispersal patterns. From each of 155 S. hystrix colonies, either two or three samples were genotyped at five or six loci. Twenty-seven (~17%) genetically heterogeneous colonies were found. Statistical analyses indicated the occurrence of both mosaicism and chimerism. In most cases, intracolonial variation was found only at a single allele. Our analyses suggest that somatic mutations present a major source of genetic heterogeneity within a single colony. Moreover, we observed large, apparently stable chimeric colonies that harbored clearly distinct genotypes and contrast these findings with the patterns typically observed in laboratory-based experiments. We discuss the error that mosaicism and chimerism introduce into population genetic analyses.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (NU 51/5 to BN and RT) and by a HWP grant from the Ludwig Maximilian University. C. Haacke and C. Laforsch provided field assistance. We thank the directors and staff of the Lizard and Heron Island Research Stations for their cooperation. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority kindly gave us permission to sample S. hystrix. We thank J. M. Jeschke, S. Giessler and C. Mayer for fruitful discussions. Constructive and insightful criticism from K. P. Lampert and the anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript.

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  1. B. Nürnberger

    Present address: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Großhaderner Straße 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

    E. Maier, A. Buckenmaier & B. Nürnberger

  2. Lehrstuhl für Evolutionsökologie und Biodiversität der Tiere, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    R. Tollrian

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  1. E. Maier
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  2. A. Buckenmaier
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Correspondence to E. Maier.

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Maier, E., Buckenmaier, A., Tollrian, R. et al. Intracolonial genetic variation in the scleractinian coral Seriatopora hystrix . Coral Reefs 31, 505–517 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0857-9

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