Additive genetic variation for tolerance to estrogen pollution in natural populations of Alpine whitefish (Coregonussp., Salmonidae)

Genetic estimates of the variability of immune responses are rarely examined in natural populations because of confounding environmental effects. As a result, and because of the difficulty of pinpointing the genetic determinants of immunity, no study has to our knowledge examined the contribution of specific genes to the heritability of an immune response in wild populations. We cross-fostered nestling house sparrows to disrupt the association between genetic and environmental effects and determine the heritability of the response to a classic immunological test, the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced skin swelling. We detected significant heritability estimates of the response to PHA, of body mass and tarsus length when nestlings were 5 and 10 days old. Variation at Mhc genes, however, did not explain a significant portion of the genetic variation of nestling swelling to PHA. Our results suggest that while PHA-induced swelling is influenced by the nest of origin, the importance of additive genetic variation relative to non-additive genetic variation and the genetic factors that influence the former in wild populations still need to be identified for this trait.

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Quantifying multivariate genotype-by-environment interactions, evolutionary potential and its context-dependence in natural populations of the water flea, Daphnia magna

10.1101/2020.12.28.424558 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska S. Brunner ◽

Alan Reynolds ◽

Ian W. Wilson ◽

Stephen Price ◽

Steve Paterson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Daphnia Magna ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Thermal Adaptation ◽

Plastic Response ◽

Evolutionary Potential ◽

Genotype By Environment Interactions ◽

Additive Genetic Variation ◽

Genotype By Environment ◽

Plastic Responses

ABSTRACTGenotype-by-environment interactions (G x E) underpin the evolution of plastic responses in natural populations. Theory assumes that G x E interactions exist but empirical evidence from natural populations is equivocal and difficult to interpret because G x E interactions are normally univariate plastic responses to a single environmental gradient. We compared multivariate plastic responses of 43 Daphnia magna clones from the same population in a factorial experiment that crossed temperature and food environments. Multivariate plastic responses explained more than 30% of the total phenotypic variation in each environment. G x E interactions were detected in most environment combinations irrespective of the methodology used. However, the nature of G x E interactions was context-dependent and led to environment-specific differences in additive genetic variation (G-matrices). Clones that deviated from the population average plastic response were not the same in each environmental context and there was no difference in whether clones varied in the nature (phenotypic integration) or magnitude of their plastic response in different environments. Plastic responses to food were aligned with additive genetic variation (gmax) at both temperatures, whereas plastic responses to temperature were not aligned with additive genetic variation (gmax) in either food environment. These results suggest that fundamental differences may exist in the potential for our population to evolve novel responses to food versus temperature changes, and challenges past interpretations of thermal adaptation based on univariate studies.

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What maintains genetic variation in natural populations? A commentary on ‘The maintenance of genetic variability by mutation in a polygenic character with linked loci’ by Russell Lande

Genetics Research ◽

10.1017/s0016672308009567 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 89 (5-6) ◽

pp. 371-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

PATRICK C. PHILLIPS

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Genetic Variability ◽

Natural Populations

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POPULATION GENETICS OF ALLOZYME VARIATION IN NEUROSPORA INTERMEDIA

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/80.4.785 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 80 (4) ◽

pp. 785-805

Author(s):

P T Spieth

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Vegetative Reproduction ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Allozyme Variation ◽

Regular Feature ◽

Local Populations ◽

Neurospora Intermedia ◽

Pattern Of Variation ◽

High Level

ABSTRACT Electrophoretically detectable variation in the fungus Neurospora intermedia has been surveyed among isolates from natural populations in Malaya, Papua, Australia and Florida. The principal result is a pattern of genetic variation within and between populations that is qualitatively no different than the well documented patterns for Drosophila and humans. In particular, there is a high level of genetic variation, the majority of which occurs at the level of local populations. Evidence is presented which argues that N. intermedia has a population structure analogous to that of an annual vascular plant with a high level of vegetative reproduction. Sexual reproduction appears to be a regular feature in the biology of the species. Substantial heterokaryon function seems unlikely in natural populations of N. intermedia. Theoretical considerations concerning the mechanisms underlying the observed pattern of variation most likely should be consistent with haploid selection theory. The implications of this constraint upon the theory are discussed in detail, leading to the presentation of a model based upon the concept of environmental heterogeneity. The essence of the model, which is equally applicable to haploid and diploid situations, is a shifting distribution of multiple adaptive niches among local populations such that a given population has a small net selective pressure in favor of one allele or another, depending upon its particular distribution of niches. Gene flow among neighboring populations with differing net selective pressures is postulated as the principal factor underlying intrapopulational allozyme variation.

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Female Genotypes Affect Sperm Displacement in Drosophila

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/149.3.1487 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 149 (3) ◽

pp. 1487-1493 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Andrew G Clark ◽

David J Begun

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Isogenic Line ◽

Female Fitness ◽

Sperm Displacement ◽

Extensive Variation ◽

Polymorphic Genes ◽

Displacement Parameter ◽

Competitive Success

Abstract Differential success of sperm is likely to be an important component of fitness. Extensive variation among male genotypes in competitive success of sperm in multiply mated females has been documented for Drosophila melanogaster. However, virtually all previous studies considered the female to be a passive vessel. Nevertheless, under certain conditions female fitness could be determined by her role in mediating use of sperm from multiple males. Here we ask whether females differ among genotypes in their tendency to exhibit last-male precedence. Competition of sperm from two tester male genotypes (bwD and B3-09, a third-chromosome isogenic line from Beltsville, MD) was quantified by doubly mating female lines that had been rendered homozygous for X, second, or third chromosomes isolated from natural populations. The composite sperm displacement parameter, P2′, was highly heterogeneous among lines, whether or not viability effects were compensated, implying the presence of polymorphic genes affecting access of sperm to eggs. Genetic variation of this type is completely neutral in the absence of pleiotropy or interaction between variation in the two sexes.

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Pleiotropy and multilocus polymorphisms.

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/130.1.223 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 130 (1) ◽

pp. 223-227

Author(s):

A Gimelfarb

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Linkage Disequilibrium ◽

Stabilizing Selection ◽

Additive Genetic Variation ◽

Very High

Abstract It is demonstrated that systems of two pleiotropically related characters controlled by additive diallelic loci can maintain under Gaussian stabilizing selection a stable polymorphism in more than two loci. It is also shown that such systems may have multiple stable polymorphic equilibria. Stabilizing selection generates negative linkage disequilibrium, as a result of which the equilibrium phenotypic variances are quite low, even though the level of allelic polymorphisms can be very high. Consequently, large amounts of additive genetic variation can be hidden in populations at equilibrium under stabilizing selection on pleiotropically related characters.

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Genetic variation in natural populations: Morphological traits inDrosophila melanogaster

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences ◽

10.1007/bf01939648 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 34 (7) ◽

pp. 833-834 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dolores Ochando

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Morphological Traits ◽

Natural Populations

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Genetic variation in the dietary sucrose modulation of enzyme activities in Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics Research ◽

10.1017/s0016672300026094 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 307-321 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Billy W. Geer ◽

Cathy C. Laurie-Ahlberg

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Genetic Variation ◽

Enzyme Activities ◽

Glycogen Synthesis ◽

Krebs Cycle ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Substitution Lines ◽

Chromosome Substitution Lines ◽

High Sucrose Diet ◽

Selection Of

SUMMARYGenetic variation in the modulating effect of dietary sucrose was assessed in Drosophila melanogaster by examining 27 chromosome substitution lines coisogenic for the X and second chromosomes and possessing different third isogenic chromosomes derived from natural populations. An increase in the concentration of sucrose from 0·1% to 5% in modified Sang's medium C significantly altered the activities of 11 of 15 enzyme activities in third instar larvae, indicating that dietary sucrose modulates many, but not all, of the enzymes of D. melanogaster. A high sucrose diet promoted high activities of enzymes associated with lipid and glycogen synthesis and low activities of enzymes of the glycolytic and Krebs cycle pathways, reflecting the physiological requirements of the animal. Analyses of variance revealed significant genetic variation in the degrees to which sucrose modulated several enzyme activities. Analysis of correlations revealed some relationships between enzymes in the genetic effects on the modulation process. These observations suggest that adaptive evolutionary change may depend in part on the selection of enzyme activity modifiers that are distributed throughout the genome.

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