Tuesday, February 21, 2006
[evomech] Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism
Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism
[Jeffery et al., Nature Genetics, Dec '05]
Letter:
The genetic basis of vertebrate morphological evolution has traditionally been very difficult to examine in naturally occurring populations. Here we describe the generation of a genome-wide linkage map to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment. We focused on the trait of albinism and discovered that it is linked to Oca2, a known pigmentation gene, in two cave populations. We found different deletions in Oca2 in each population and, using a cell-based assay, showed that both cause loss of function of the corresponding protein, OCA2. Thus, the two cave populations evolved albinism independently, through similar mutational events.
Full text at:
http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v38/n1/full/ng1700.html
PDF version:
http://www-biology.ucsd.edu/labs/hoekstra/EvoDevo%20pdfs/Tabin2005.pdf
(NB I thought I had already posted this but it didn't show up in a search of the group's archives)
John Latter
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/index.html
technorati tags: vertebrate, morphological, evolution, genetic, trait, analysis, mexican, cave, tetra, cavefish, albinism, convergence, molecular, species, ecological, environment
[Jeffery et al., Nature Genetics, Dec '05]
Letter:
The genetic basis of vertebrate morphological evolution has traditionally been very difficult to examine in naturally occurring populations. Here we describe the generation of a genome-wide linkage map to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment. We focused on the trait of albinism and discovered that it is linked to Oca2, a known pigmentation gene, in two cave populations. We found different deletions in Oca2 in each population and, using a cell-based assay, showed that both cause loss of function of the corresponding protein, OCA2. Thus, the two cave populations evolved albinism independently, through similar mutational events.
Full text at:
http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v38/n1/full/ng1700.html
PDF version:
http://www-biology.ucsd.edu/labs/hoekstra/EvoDevo%20pdfs/Tabin2005.pdf
(NB I thought I had already posted this but it didn't show up in a search of the group's archives)
John Latter
--Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism:
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/index.html
technorati tags: vertebrate, morphological, evolution, genetic, trait, analysis, mexican, cave, tetra, cavefish, albinism, convergence, molecular, species, ecological, environment
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