Dataset Information

Mitogenomes of contemporary Spitsbergen stock bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus).

ABSTRACT: The Spitsbergen stock of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) is considered Critically Endangered by IUCN. Over recent decades, there have been only a few sightings, and very few biological samples are available for molecular analyses. Hence, genetic diversity of the extant Spitsbergen stock is unknown. Here, we present mitochondrial genomes from eight skin biopsy samples that were collected in 2006 and 2010. There were three different haplotypes, two of which have not previously been detected. Six samples shared the same haplotype, indicating that they were obtained from closely related whales, or possibly the same individual. Average nucleotide diversity was ??=?0.0037, with a total of 93 variable positions among the haplotypes.

SUBMITTER: Nyhus ES

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7799570 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Mitogenomes of contemporary Spitsbergen stock bowhead whales (<i>Balaena mysticetus</i>).

Nyhus Erik Sanderud ES Lindqvist Charlotte C Kovacs Kit K Lydersen Christian C Wiig Øystein Ø Bachmann Lutz L

Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources 20161122 1

The Spitsbergen stock of bowhead whales (<i>Balaena mysticetus</i>) is considered Critically Endangered by IUCN. Over recent decades, there have been only a few sightings, and very few biological samples are available for molecular analyses. Hence, genetic diversity of the extant Spitsbergen stock is unknown. Here, we present mitochondrial genomes from eight skin biopsy samples that were collected in 2006 and 2010. There were three different haplotypes, two of which have not previously been dete ...[more]

PMID: 33473670

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Project description:In recent decades, harmful algal blooms (HABs) producing paralytic shellfish toxins (including saxitoxin, STX) have become increasingly frequent in the marine waters of Alaska, USA, subjecting Pacific Arctic and subarctic communities and wildlife to increased toxin exposure risks. Research on the risks of HAB toxin exposures to marine mammal health commonly relies on the sampling of marine mammal gastrointestinal (GI) contents to quantify HAB toxins, yet no studies have been published testing the stability of STX in marine mammal GI matrices. An understanding of STX stability in test matrices under storage and handling conditions is imperative to the integrity of toxin quantifications and conclusions drawn thereby. Here, STX stability is characterized in field-collected bowhead whale feces (stored raw in several treatments) and in fecal extracts (50% methanol, MeOH) over multiple time points. Toxin stability, as the percent of initial concentration (T0), was reported for each storage treatment and time point. STX was stable (mean 99% T0) in 50% MeOH extracts over the 8-week study period, and there was no significant difference in STX concentrations quantified in split fecal samples extracted in 80% ethanol (EtOH) and 50% MeOH. STX was also relatively stable in raw fecal material stored in the freezer (mean 94% T0) and the refrigerator (mean 93% T0) up to 8 weeks. STX degraded over time in the room-temperature dark, room-temperature light, and warm treatments to means of 48 ± 1.9, 38 ± 2.8, and 20 ± 0.7% T0, respectively, after 8 weeks (mean ± standard error; SE). Additional opportunistically analyzed samples frozen for ≤4.5 years also showed STX to be relatively stable (mean 97% T0). Mean percent of T0 was measured slightly above 100% in some extracts following some treatments, and (most notably) at some long-term frozen time points, likely due to evaporation from samples causing STX to concentrate, or variability between ELISA plates. Overall, these results suggest that long-term frozen storage of raw fecal samples and the analysis of extracts within 8 weeks of extraction in 50% MeOH is sufficient for obtaining accurate STX quantifications in marine mammal fecal material without concerns about significant degradation.

Dataset Information

Mitogenomes of contemporary Spitsbergen stock bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus).

Publications

Mitogenomes of contemporary Spitsbergen stock bowhead whales (<i>Balaena mysticetus</i>).

Similar Datasets

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