Open this publication in new window or tab >>Show others...
2012 (English)In: PLOS Genetics, ISSN 1553-7390, Vol. 8, no 8, p. e10002914-Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
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.
National Category
Natural Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-80901 (URN)10.1371/journal.pgen.1002914 (DOI)000308529300066 ()
Note
funding agencies|Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research||Swedish Research Council for Environmental, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning||FORMAS (Swedish Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning)||VR (Swedish Research Council)||
2012-09-032012-09-032023-12-28