Molecular Genetics of Alouatta caraya: Isolation of Short Tandem Repeats (STRs).

OKLANDER LI, ZUNINO GE, CORACH D.

Porto Alegre, BRASIL

Congreso; XI Congreso Brasileiro de Primatologia.; 2005

Sociedade Brasileira de Primatologia

Nowadays genetic methods are being increasingly used to study several aspects of primate societies. Among others, the use of microsatellites, also called short tandem repeats (STRs), allowed to analyze diverse aspects of mating systems, dispersal patterns, social organization and levels of inbreeding. STRs originally isolated from humans amplify sequences in many old world monkeys species. However, in Neotropical primates these sequences are not found or possess reduced number of alleles, rendering monomorphic genotypes, accordingly, few molecular studies had been published on this group. In A. caraya previous allozyme and mitochondrial DNA studies have shown only limited genetic variation in Argentinean northeast populations. Therefore, the detection and isolation of species-specific microsatellites is mandatory to discern several genetic population parameters in this species.In order to develop an molecular system for identification of Alouatta caraya we obtained a genomic library, enriched in repeated sequences. The enrichment was carried out by two techniques of selective hibridización: Vectrex® Avidin D and Dynabeads® M-280 Streptavidin. Genomic. The enriched sequences were cloned in E.coli by TOPO TA Cloning Kit®. Clones containg repetitive sequences were detected by chemeoluminiscent probes and isolated. A total of 40 clones were obtained, ranging the insert sizes between 500 to 1.00bp. At the moment three candidates STRs have been isolated whose repetitive unite are: (CA), (CTTT) and (GTTTT). Investigation of population atributes of these new STRs is at the moment undercourse. This study will contribute to the availability of molecular marker usefull for studies in natural populations of this and other species of Plathyrrine monkeys.