Cattle mitogenome variation reveals a post-glacial expansion of haplogroup P and an early incorporation into northeast Asian domestic herds

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 20842
• Main Authors: Mannen, Hideyuki, Yonezawa, Takahiro, Murata, Kako, Noda, Aoi, Kawaguchi, Fuki, Sasazaki, Shinji, Olivieri, Anna, Achilli, Alessandro, Torroni, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 30.11.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/181/2474; 631/181/457; 631/181/735; 631/181/757; Animals; Base Sequence - genetics; Bayesian analysis; Bos taurus; Bos taurus indicus; Breeding - methods; Cattle; Cattle - genetics; Chromosomes - genetics; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Evolution, Molecular; Genetic Variation - genetics; Genome, Mitochondrial - genetics; Haplotypes - genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Japan; Mitochondria - genetics; Mitochondrial DNA; multidisciplinary; Phylogeny; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Japan; Asia
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78040-8

Surveys of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation have shown that worldwide domestic cattle are characterized by just a few major haplogroups. Two, T and I, are common and characterize Bos taurus and Bos indicus , respectively, while the other three, P, Q and R, are rare and are found only in taurine breeds. Haplogroup P is typical of extinct European aurochs, while intriguingly modern P mtDNAs have only been found in northeast Asian cattle. These Asian P mtDNAs are extremely rare with the exception of the Japanese Shorthorn breed, where they reach a frequency of 45.9%. To shed light on the origin of this haplogroup in northeast Asian cattle, we completely sequenced 14 Japanese Shorthorn mitogenomes belonging to haplogroup P. Phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses revealed: (1) a post-glacial expansion of aurochs carrying haplogroup P from Europe to Asia; (2) that all Asian P mtDNAs belong to a single sub-haplogroup (P1a), so far never detected in either European or Asian aurochs remains, which was incorporated into domestic cattle of continental northeastern Asia possibly ~ 3700 years ago; and (3) that haplogroup P1a mtDNAs found in the Japanese Shorthorn breed probably reached Japan about 650 years ago from Mongolia/Russia, in agreement with historical evidence.