Costas Triantaphyllidis

Laboratory:

Department of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54006 Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece.

Contact person (name and e-mail):

Costas Triantaphyllidis, triant@bio.auth.gr

Persons working on brown trout population genetics:

Apostolos P. Apostolidis, Costas Triantaphyllidis

General research topics of the laboratory:

Genetic population structure, phylogeography, conservation and management.

General description of research on brown trout population genetics:

The majority of research at the laboratory is the genetics of fishes. The most important topic is population genetic structure and phylogeography of the wild Greek brown trout populations. Studies on the identification of the taxonomic distinctiveness of individual populations and subsequent conservation and management of these are also important.

Our research is almost exclusively empirical and based on molecular markers (mainly protein electrophoresis, mtDNA (PCR-RFLP and sequencing) and cytogenetics).

List of projects (brown trout) for the past 3 years:

Study #1

Researcher:	Apostolos P. Apostolidis, Costas Triantaphyllidis (supervisor).
Collaborators:	Y. Karakousis
Source of project funding:	EC and Greek Government.
Topic:	Genetic population structure, genetic diversity, phylogeography, identification of specific markers.
Objective:	To examine the population genetic structure of brown trout populations of Greece and to clarify their phylogenetic relationships with other European populations.
Design:	Genetic structure and phylogeography of the most natural Greek brown trout populations in relation with several European populations was studied. This involved the investigation of 11 enzymic systems which correspond to 26 putative loci and subsequent statistical analyses.
Methodology:	Allozymes.
Trout population:	Resident populations and hatchery stocks.
Origin of samples:	Greece, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Albania. Mediterranean Sea Basin, Adriatic Sea Basin, Atlantic Sea Basin, North Sea Basin.
Status:	Started 1993 and finished 1996.

Study #2

Researcher:	Apostolos P. Apostolidis, Costas Triantaphyllidis (supervisor).
Collaborators:	Panos S. Economidis, Anastasia Kouvatsi
Source of project funding:	EC and Greek Government.
Topic:	Phylogeography, genetic population structure, stocking effects.
Objective:	To investigate the genetic differentiation of Greek brown trout populations at the mtDNA level and to propose a biogeographical hypothesis explaining the pattern of genetic differentiation observed among contemporary populations in the southern Balkans.
Design:	To investigate the genetic variation and the phylogenetic relationships among brown trout populations from the south Adriatic-Ionian and Aegean sea basins, as revealed by mtDNA analysis. This involved mtDNA PCR-RFLP and sequencing analysis.
Methodology:	MtDNA sequencing (a segment of 310 bp of the D-loop and a 280-bp segment of the cytochrome b), mtDNA RFLP.
Trout population:	Resident population.
Origin of samples:	Greece, France, Albania. Mediterranean Sea Basin, Adriatic Sea Basin, Atlantic Sea Basin.
Status:	Started 1995 and finished 1997.

Publications (brown trout genetics)

Journal papers:

Apostolidis A., Karakousis Y., Triantaphyllidis C. (1996) Genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships among S. trutta L. (brown trout) populations from Greece and other European countries. Heredity, 76, 551-560.

Apostolidis A.P., Karakousis Y., Triantaphyllidis C. (1996) Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among Salmo trutta L. (Greek brown trout) populations as revealed by RFLP analysis of PCR amplified mitochondrial DNA segments. Heredity, 77, 608-618.

Apostolidis A.P., Triantaphyllidis C., Kouvatsi A., Economidis P.S. (1997) Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation and phylogeography among Salmo trutta L. (Greek brown trout) populations. Mol. Ecol., 6, 531-542.

Theses (eg, PhD and MSc theses):

Apostolos P. Apostolidis (1996) Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among Greek brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) populations based on mitochondrial DNA and allozyme variation. PhD thesis.