Sequence variation in the Mc1r gene for a group of polymorphic snakes
Sequence variation in the Mc1r gene for a group of polymorphic snakes
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.gene.2012.10.065
复制
发表时间：
2013-01-25
期刊：
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Chippindale, Paul T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cox, Christian L.;Rabosky, Alison R. Davis;Chippindale, Paul T.
研究表型性状背后的遗传因素可以深入了解选择的动态和适应的分子基础，但这一目标对于没有广泛基因组资源的非模式生物来说可能很困难。然而，对感兴趣性状的候选基因进行测序可以促进自然群体中进化遗传学的研究。我们对黑皮质素-1受体（Mc 1 r）进行了测序，以研究一组具有可变黑带的蛇种（索诺拉属、Chilomeniscus属和Chionactis属）的颜色多态性的遗传基础。mc 1 r是黑色素合成途径中的一个重要基因，与鸟类、哺乳动物和其他有鳞爬行动物中具有重要生态意义的颜色模式变异相关。我们发现，Mc 1 r核苷酸序列是可变的，在我们的焦点索诺拉物种，有固定和杂合核苷酸取代，导致氨基酸的变化和选择分析表明，Mc 1 r序列可能是纯化选择。然而，我们没有检测到任何统计关联的存在或不存在的黑色带。我们的研究结果与其他研究一致，这些研究发现Mc 1 r序列变异没有作用，并强调了比较数据对研究候选基因表型关联的重要性。(C)2012 Elsevier B. V.保留所有权利。
Studying the genetic factors underlying phenotypic traits can provide insight into dynamics of selection and molecular basis of adaptation, but this goal can be difficult for non-model organisms without extensive genomic resources. However, sequencing candidate genes for the trait of interest can facilitate the study of evolutionary genetics in natural populations. We sequenced the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) to study the genetic basis of color polymorphism in a group of snake species with variable black banding, the genera Sonora, Chilomeniscus, and Chionactis. Mc1r is an important gene in the melanin synthesis pathway and is associated with ecologically important variation in color pattern in birds, mammals, and other squamate reptiles. We found that Mc1r nucleotide sequence was variable and that within our focal Sonora species, there are both fixed and heterozygous nucleotide substitutions that result in an amino acid change and selection analyses indicated that Mc1r sequence was likely under purifying selection. However, we did not detect any statistical association with the presence or absence of black bands. Our results agree with other studies that have found no role for sequence variation in Mc1r and highlight the importance of comparative data for studying the phenotypic associations of candidate genes. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.