Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Sci China Life Sci. 2012 Jun;55(6):483-96. doi: 10.1007/s11427-012-4334-7. Epub 2012 Jun 29.
The silkworm, Bombyx mori, played an important role in the old Silk Road that connected ancient Asia and Europe. However, to date, there have been few studies of the origins and domestication of this species using molecular methods. In this study, DNA sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear loci were used to infer the phylogeny and evolutionary history of the domesticated silkworm and its relatives. All of the phylogenetic analyses indicated a close relationship between the domesticated silkworm and the Chinese wild silkworm. Domestication was estimated to have occurred about 4100 years ago (ya), and the radiation of the different geographic strains of B. mori about 2000 ya. The Chinese wild silkworm and the Japanese wild silkworm split about 23600 ya. These estimates are in good agreement with the fossil evidence and historical records. In addition, we show that the domesticated silkworm experienced a population expansion around 1000 ya. The divergence times and the population dynamics of silkworms presented in this study will be useful for studies of lepidopteran phylogenetics, in the genetic analysis of domestic animals, and for understanding the spread of human civilizations.
家蚕在连接古代亚洲和欧洲的古老丝绸之路上扮演了重要的角色。然而，迄今为止，使用分子方法研究该物种的起源和驯化的研究很少。在这项研究中，使用线粒体和核基因座的 DNA 序列来推断驯化家蚕及其近缘种的系统发育和进化历史。所有的系统发育分析都表明，驯化家蚕与中国野桑蚕之间存在密切的关系。驯化发生在大约 4100 年前，而不同地理种群的家蚕辐射发生在大约 2000 年前。中国野桑蚕和日本野桑蚕大约在 23600 年前分离。这些估计与化石证据和历史记录非常吻合。此外，我们还表明，家蚕在大约 1000 年前经历了一次种群扩张。本研究中提出的家蚕分歧时间和种群动态将有助于鳞翅目系统发育学、家畜的遗传分析以及理解人类文明的传播的研究。
