RT Journal Article
T1 Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a Middle Pleistocene cave bear reconstructed from ultrashort DNA fragments
A1 Dabney, Jesse
A1 Knapp, Michael
A1 Glocke, Isabelle
A1 Gansauge, Marie-Theres
A1 Weihmann, Antje
A1 Nickel, Birgit
A1 Valdiosera Morales, Cristina
A1 García García, Nuria
A1 Pääbo, Svante
A1 Arsuaga Ferreras, Juan Luis
A1 Meyer, Matthias
AB Although an inverse relationship is expected in ancient DNA samples between the number of surviving DNA fragments and their length, ancient DNA sequencing libraries are strikingly deficient in molecules shorter than 40 bp. We find that a loss of short molecules can occur during DNA extraction and present an improved silica-based extraction protocol that enables their efficient retrieval. In combination with single-stranded DNA library preparation, this method enabled us to reconstruct the mitochondrial genome sequence from a Middle Pleistocene cave bear (Ursus deningeri) bone excavated at Sima de los Huesos in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. Phylogenetic reconstructions indicate that the U. deningeri sequence forms an early diverging sister lineage to all Western European Late Pleistocene cave bears. Our results prove that authentic ancient DNA can be preserved for hundreds of thousand years outside of permafrost. Moreover, the techniques presented enable the retrieval of phylogenetically informative sequences from samples in which virtually all DNA is diminished to fragments shorter than 50 bp.
PB National Academy of Sciences
SN 0027-8424
YR 2013
FD 2013-09-24
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/34436
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/34436
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 21 abr 2025