Standardization, amplification and evaluation of microsatellite loci previously selected in Tolypeutes tricinctus

• Grant number: 13/12199-6
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Effective date (Start): September 08, 2013
• Effective date (End): December 07, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal researcher: Nadia de Moraes Barros
• Grantee: Helena Tadiello de Moraes
• Supervisor abroad: Nuno Miguel dos Santos Ferrand de Almeida
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/16632-3 - Genetic diversity of Cingulata assessed by mitochondrial and microsatellite markers: the case of a Tolypeutes tricinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) population from Cerrado., BP.MS

Abstract

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) is a mammal that belongs to the order Cingulata. That species is endemic to Brazil and occurs in habits areas of Caatinga and Cerrado. By the early 1990s it was believed that this species was extinct, being rediscovered in different localities. Due to hunting and habitat loss, the Brazilian three-banded armadillo is endangered and is classified as vulnerable according to IUCN. The studies published regarding this species in the field of Evolutionary Biology and Genetics are phylogenetic or taxonomic focused on the group of the xenartros, genetic diversity studies has not been done. This project proposes: 1) To standardize the amplification of multiple and independent microsatellite markers previously selected through the multiplex amplification approach; 2) To obtain 40 polymorphic loci and to genotype these markers in 33 individuals sampled from a population located in the Brazilian Cerrado; 3) To evaluate the quality of genotyping, checking for errors as null alleles and microsatellites imperfections and significant deviations from the expected Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. (AU)