A sexual ornament in chickens is affected by pleiotropic alleles at HAO1 and BMP2, selected during domestication.

• Domestication is one of the strongest forms of short-term, directional selection. Although selection is typically only exerted on one or a few target traits, domestication can lead to numerous changes in many seemingly unrelated phenotypes. It is unknown whether such correlated responses are due to pleiotropy or linkage between separate genetic architectures. Using three separate intercrosses between wild and domestic chickens, a locus affecting comb mass (a sexual ornament in the chicken) and several fitness traits (primarily medullary bone allocation and fecundity) was identified. This locus contains two tightly-linked genes, BMP2 and HAO1, which together produce the range of pleiotropic effects seen. This study demonstrates the importance of pleiotropy (or extremely close linkage) in domestication. The nature of this pleiotropy also provides insights into how this sexual ornament could be maintained in wild populations.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Alcohol Oxidoreductases

genetics

Alleles

Animals

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2

genetics

Chickens

genetics

Comb and Wattles

anatomy & histology

growth & development

Crosses

Genetic

Fertility

genetics

Genetic Linkage

Genetic Pleiotropy

Male

Phenotype

Quantitative Trait Loci

Selection

Genetic

GENE-EXPRESSION; COMPLEX TRAITS; DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER; INCIPIENT SPECIATION; RED JUNGLEFOWL; QTL; BONE; GENOMICS; CHARACTER; SPERM

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)