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Kess T, Lehnert SJ, Bentzen P, Duffy S, Messmer A, Dempson JB, Newport J, Whidden C, Robertson MJ, Chaput G, Breau C, April J, Gillis C, Kent M, Nugent CM, Bradbury IR. Variable parallelism in the genomic basis of age at maturity across spatial scales in Atlantic Salmon. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11068. [PMID: 38584771 PMCID: PMC10995719 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex traits often exhibit complex underlying genetic architectures resulting from a combination of evolution from standing variation, hard and soft sweeps, and alleles of varying effect size. Increasingly, studies implicate both large-effect loci and polygenic patterns underpinning adaptation, but the extent that common genetic architectures are utilized during repeated adaptation is not well understood. Sea age or age at maturation represents a significant life history trait in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), the genetic basis of which has been studied extensively in European Atlantic populations, with repeated identification of large-effect loci. However, the genetic basis of sea age within North American Atlantic Salmon populations remains unclear, as does the potential for a parallel trans-Atlantic genomic basis to sea age. Here, we used a large single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and low-coverage whole-genome resequencing to explore the genomic basis of sea age variation in North American Atlantic Salmon. We found significant associations at the gene and SNP level with a large-effect locus (vgll3) previously identified in European populations, indicating genetic parallelism, but found that this pattern varied based on both sex and geographic region. We also identified nonrepeated sets of highly predictive loci associated with sea age among populations and sexes within North America, indicating polygenicity and low rates of genomic parallelism. Despite low genome-wide parallelism, we uncovered a set of conserved molecular pathways associated with sea age that were consistently enriched among comparisons, including calcium signaling, MapK signaling, focal adhesion, and phosphatidylinositol signaling. Together, our results indicate parallelism of the molecular basis of sea age in North American Atlantic Salmon across large-effect genes and molecular pathways despite population-specific patterns of polygenicity. These findings reveal roles for both contingency and repeated adaptation at the molecular level in the evolution of life history variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Kess
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Sarah J. Lehnert
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Paul Bentzen
- Department of BiologyDalhousie UniversityHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Steven Duffy
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Amber Messmer
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - J. Brian Dempson
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Jason Newport
- Marine Environmental Research Infrastructure for Data Integration and Application NetworkHalifaxNova ScotiaCanada
| | | | - Martha J. Robertson
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Gerald Chaput
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaGulf Fisheries CentreMonctonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - Cindy Breau
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaGulf Fisheries CentreMonctonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - Julien April
- Ministère des Forêts de la Faune et des ParcsQuebecQuebecCanada
| | - Carole‐Anne Gillis
- Gespe'gewa'gi, Mi'gma'qi, ListugujGespe'gewa'gi Institute of Natural UnderstandingQuebecQuebecCanada
| | - Matthew Kent
- Centre for Integrative GeneticsNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Cameron M. Nugent
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Ian R. Bradbury
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries CentreFisheries and Oceans CanadaSt. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
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2
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Lecomte L, Árnyasi M, Ferchaud A, Kent M, Lien S, Stenløkk K, Sylvestre F, Bernatchez L, Mérot C. Investigating structural variant, indel and single nucleotide polymorphism differentiation between locally adapted Atlantic salmon populations. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13653. [PMID: 38495945 PMCID: PMC10940791 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Genomic structural variants (SVs) are now recognized as an integral component of intraspecific polymorphism and are known to contribute to evolutionary processes in various organisms. However, they are inherently difficult to detect and genotype from readily available short-read sequencing data, and therefore remain poorly documented in wild populations. Salmonid species displaying strong interpopulation variability in both life history traits and habitat characteristics, such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), offer a prime context for studying adaptive polymorphism, but the contribution of SVs to fine-scale local adaptation has yet to be explored. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of SVs, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small indels (<50 bp) segregating in the Romaine and Puyjalon salmon, two putatively locally adapted populations inhabiting neighboring rivers (Québec, Canada) and showing pronounced variation in life history traits, namely growth, fecundity, and age at maturity and smoltification. We first catalogued polymorphism using a hybrid SV characterization approach pairing both short- (16X) and long-read sequencing (20X) for variant discovery with graph-based genotyping of SVs across 60 salmon genomes, along with characterization of SNPs and small indels from short reads. We thus identified 115,907 SVs, 8,777,832 SNPs and 1,089,321 short indels, with SVs covering 4.8 times more base pairs than SNPs. All three variant types revealed a highly congruent population structure and similar patterns of F ST and density variation along the genome. Finally, we performed outlier detection and redundancy analysis (RDA) to identify variants of interest in the putative local adaptation of Romaine and Puyjalon salmon. Genes located near these variants were enriched for biological processes related to nervous system function, suggesting that observed variation in traits such as age at smoltification could arise from differences in neural development. This study therefore demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale SV characterization and highlights its relevance for salmonid population genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie Lecomte
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS)Université LavalQuébecCanada
- Département de BiologieUniversité LavalQuébecCanada
| | - Mariann Árnyasi
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Life Sciences (BIOVIT), Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Anne‐Laure Ferchaud
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS)Université LavalQuébecCanada
- Département de BiologieUniversité LavalQuébecCanada
- Present address:
Parks Canada, Office of the Chief Ecosystem ScientistQuébecQCCanada
| | - Matthew Kent
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Life Sciences (BIOVIT), Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Sigbjørn Lien
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Life Sciences (BIOVIT), Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Kristina Stenløkk
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Life Sciences (BIOVIT), Centre for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE)Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Florent Sylvestre
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS)Université LavalQuébecCanada
- Département de BiologieUniversité LavalQuébecCanada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS)Université LavalQuébecCanada
- Département de BiologieUniversité LavalQuébecCanada
| | - Claire Mérot
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS)Université LavalQuébecCanada
- Département de BiologieUniversité LavalQuébecCanada
- Present address:
UMR 6553 Ecobio, OSUR, CNRSUniversité de RennesRennesFrance
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3
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Besnier F, Skaala Ø, Wennevik V, Ayllon F, Utne KR, Fjeldheim PT, Andersen-Fjeldheim K, Knutar S, Glover KA. Overruled by nature: A plastic response to environmental change disconnects a gene and its trait. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e16933. [PMID: 36942798 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
In Atlantic salmon, age at maturation is a life history trait governed by a sex-specific trade-off between reproductive success and survival. Following environmental changes across large areas of the Northeast Atlantic, many populations currently display smaller size at age and higher age at maturation. However, whether these changes reflect rapid evolution or plasticity is unknown. Approximately 1500 historical and contemporary salmon from the river Etne in Western Norway, genotyped at 50,000 SNPs, revealed three loci associated with age at maturation. These included vgll3 and six6 which collectively explained 36%-50% of the age at maturation variation in the 1983-1984 period. These two loci also displayed sex-specific epistasis, as the effect of six6 was only detected in males bearing two copies of the late maturation allele for vgll3. Strikingly, despite allelic frequencies at vgll3 remaining unchanged, the combined influence of these genes was nearly absent in all samples from 2013 to 2016, and genome-wide heritability strongly declined between the two time-points. The difference in age at maturation between males and females was upheld in the population despite the loss of effect from the candidate loci, which strongly points towards additional causative mechanisms resolving the sexual conflict. Finally, because admixture with farmed escaped salmon was excluded as the origin of the observed disconnection between gene(s) and maturation age, we conclude that the environmental changes observed in the North Atlantic during the past decades have led to bypassing of the influence of vgll3 and six6 on maturation through growth-driven plasticity.
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4
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Gamble MM, Calsbeek RG. A potential role for restricted intertactical heritability in preventing intralocus conflict. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2576-2590. [PMID: 34815740 PMCID: PMC8591329 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Intralocus sexual conflict, which arises when the same trait has different fitness optima in males and females, reduces population growth rates. Recently, evolutionary biologists have recognized that intralocus conflict can occur between morphs or reproductive tactics within a sex and that intralocus tactical conflict might constrain tactical dimorphism and population growth rates just as intralocus sexual conflict constrains sexual dimorphism and population growth rates. However, research has only recently focused on sexual and tactical intralocus conflict simultaneously, and there is no formal theory connecting the two. We present a graphical model of how tactical and sexual conflict over the same trait could constrain both sexual and tactical dimorphisms. We then use Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), an important species currently protected under the Endangered Species Act, to investigate the possibility of simultaneous sexual and tactical conflict. Larger Coho males gain access to females through fighting while smaller males are favored through sneaking tactics, and female reproductive success is positively correlated with length. We tested for antagonistic selection on length at maturity among sexes and tactics and then used parent-offspring regression to calculate sex- and tactic-specific heritabilities to determine whether and where intralocus conflict exists. Selection on length varied in intensity and form among tactics and years. Length was heritable between dams and daughters (h 2 ± 95% CI = 0.361 ± 0.252) and between fighter males and their fighter sons (0.867 ± 0.312), but no other heritabilities differed significantly from zero. The lack of intertactical heritabilities in this system, combined with similar selection on length among tactics, suggests the absence of intralocus conflict between sexes and among tactics, allowing for the evolution of sexual and tactical dimorphisms. Our results suggest that Coho salmon populations are unlikely to be constrained by intralocus conflict or artificial selection on male tactic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madilyn M. Gamble
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems, and SocietyDartmouth CollegeHanoverNHUSA
| | - Ryan G. Calsbeek
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems, and SocietyDartmouth CollegeHanoverNHUSA
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5
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Debes PV, Piavchenko N, Ruokolainen A, Ovaskainen O, Moustakas-Verho JE, Parre N, Aykanat T, Erkinaro J, Primmer CR. Polygenic and major-locus contributions to sexual maturation timing in Atlantic salmon. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4505-4519. [PMID: 34228841 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sexual maturation timing is a life-history trait central to the balance between mortality and reproduction. Maturation may be triggered when an underlying compound trait, called liability, exceeds a threshold. In many different species and especially fishes, this liability is approximated by growth and body condition. However, environmental vs. genetic contributions either directly or via growth and body condition to maturation timing remain unclear. Uncertainty exists also because the maturation process can reverse this causality and itself affect growth and body condition. In addition, disentangling the contributions of polygenic and major loci can be important. In many fishes, males mature before females, enabling the study of associations between male maturation and maturation-unbiased female liability traits. Using 40 Atlantic salmon families, longitudinal common-garden experimentation, and quantitative genetic analyses, we disentangled environmental from polygenic and major locus (vgll3) effects on male maturation, and sex-specific growth and condition. We detected polygenic heritabilities for maturation, growth, and body condition, and vgll3 effects on maturation and body condition but not on growth. Longitudinal patterns for sex-specific phenotypic liability, and for genetic variances and correlations between sexes suggested that early growth and condition indeed positively affected maturation initiation. However, towards spawning time, causality appeared reversed for males whereby maturation affected growth negatively and condition positively via both the environmental and genetic effects. Altogether, the results indicate that growth and condition are useful traits to study liability for maturation initiation, but only until maturation alters their expression, and that vgll3 contributes to maturation initiation via condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V Debes
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nikolai Piavchenko
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Annukka Ruokolainen
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Ovaskainen
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jacqueline E Moustakas-Verho
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Noora Parre
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tutku Aykanat
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences / Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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6
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McKinney GJ, Seeb JE, Pascal CE, Schindler DE, Gilk‐Baumer SE, Seeb LW. Y-chromosome haplotypes are associated with variation in size and age at maturity in male Chinook salmon. Evol Appl 2020; 13:2791-2806. [PMID: 33294023 PMCID: PMC7691470 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in size and age at maturity is an important component of life history that is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. In salmonids, large size confers a direct reproductive advantage through increased fecundity and egg quality in females, while larger males gain a reproductive advantage by monopolizing access to females. In addition, variation in size and age at maturity in males can be associated with different reproductive strategies; younger smaller males may gain reproductive success by sneaking among mating pairs. In both sexes, there is a trade-off between older age and increased reproductive success and increased risk of mortality by delaying reproduction. We identified four Y-chromosome haplogroups that showed regional- and population-specific variation in frequency using RADseq data for 21 populations of Alaska Chinook salmon. We then characterized the range-wide distribution of these haplogroups using GT-seq assays. These haplogroups exhibited associations with size at maturity in multiple populations, suggesting that lack of recombination between X and Y-chromosomes has allowed Y-chromosome haplogroups to capture different alleles that influence size at maturity. Ultimately, conservation of life history diversity in Chinook salmon may require conservation of Y-chromosome haplotype diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James E. Seeb
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Carita E. Pascal
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | | | | | - Lisa W. Seeb
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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7
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Zueva KJ, Lumme J, Veselov AE, Primmer CR, Pritchard VL. Population genomics reveals repeated signals of adaptive divergence in the Atlantic salmon of north‐eastern Europe. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:866-878. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaakko Lumme
- Department of Biology University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | | | - Craig R. Primmer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Victoria L. Pritchard
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Rivers and Lochs Institute Inverness College University of Highlands and Islands Inverness UK
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8
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Ayllon F, Solberg MF, Besnier F, Fjelldal PG, Hansen TJ, Wargelius A, Edvardsen RB, Glover KA. Autosomal sdY Pseudogenes Explain Discordances Between Phenotypic Sex and DNA Marker for Sex Identification in Atlantic Salmon. Front Genet 2020; 11:544207. [PMID: 33173531 PMCID: PMC7591749 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.544207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the key role that sex-determination plays in evolutionary processes, it is still poorly understood in many species. In salmonids, which are among the best studied fishes, the master sex-determining gene sexually dimorphic on the Y-chromosome (sdY) has been identified. However, sdY displays unexplained discordance to the phenotypic sex, with a variable frequency of phenotypic females being reported as genetic males. Multiple sex determining loci in Atlantic salmon have also been reported, possibly as a result of recent transposition events in this species. We hypothesized the existence of an autosomal copy of sdY, causing apparent discordance between phenotypic and genetic sex, that is transmitted in accordance with autosomal inheritance. To test this, we developed a qPCR methodology to detect the total number of sdY copies present in the genome. Based on the observed phenotype/genotype frequencies and linkage analysis among 2,025 offspring from 64 pedigree-controlled families of accurately phenotyped Atlantic salmon, we identified both males and females carrying one or two autosomal copies of sdY in addition to the Y-specific copy present in males. Patterns across families were highly consistent with autosomal inheritance. These autosomal sdY copies appear to have lost the ability to function as a sex determining gene and were only occasionally assigned to the actual sex chromosome in any of the affected families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kevin Alan Glover
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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9
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Bourret V, Albert V, April J, Côté G, Morissette O. Past, present and future contributions of evolutionary biology to wildlife forensics, management and conservation. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1420-1434. [PMID: 32684967 PMCID: PMC7359848 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Successfully implementing fundamental concepts into concrete applications is challenging in any given field. It requires communication, collaboration and shared will between researchers and practitioners. We argue that evolutionary biology, through research work linked to conservation, management and forensics, had a significant impact on wildlife agencies and department practices, where new frameworks and applications have been implemented over the last decades. The Quebec government's Wildlife Department (MFFP: Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs) has been proactive in reducing the “research–implementation” gap, thanks to prolific collaborations with many academic researchers. Among these associations, our department's outstanding partnership with Dr. Louis Bernatchez yielded significant contributions to harvest management, stocking programmes, definition of conservation units, recovery of threatened species, management of invasive species and forensic applications. We discuss key evolutionary biology concepts and resulting concrete examples of their successful implementation that derives directly or indirectly from this successful partnership. While old and new threats to wildlife are bringing new challenges, we expect recent developments in eDNA and genomics to provide innovative solutions as long as the research–implementation bridge remains open.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bourret
- Direction générale de la protection de la faune Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Vicky Albert
- Direction générale de la protection de la faune Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Julien April
- Direction générale de la gestion de la faune et des habitats Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Guillaume Côté
- Direction générale de la gestion de la faune et des habitats Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Olivier Morissette
- Direction générale de la gestion de la faune et des habitats Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
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10
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Sinclair-Waters M, Ødegård J, Korsvoll SA, Moen T, Lien S, Primmer CR, Barson NJ. Beyond large-effect loci: large-scale GWAS reveals a mixed large-effect and polygenic architecture for age at maturity of Atlantic salmon. Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:9. [PMID: 32050893 PMCID: PMC7017552 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-0529-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding genetic architecture is essential for determining how traits will change in response to evolutionary processes such as selection, genetic drift and/or gene flow. In Atlantic salmon, age at maturity is an important life history trait that affects factors such as survival, reproductive success, and growth. Furthermore, age at maturity can seriously impact aquaculture production. Therefore, characterizing the genetic architecture that underlies variation in age at maturity is of key interest. RESULTS Here, we refine our understanding of the genetic architecture for age at maturity of male Atlantic salmon using a genome-wide association study of 11,166 males from a single aquaculture strain, using imputed genotypes at 512,397 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). All individuals were genotyped with a 50K SNP array and imputed to higher density using parents genotyped with a 930K SNP array and pedigree information. We found significant association signals on 28 of 29 chromosomes (P-values: 8.7 × 10-133-9.8 × 10-8), including two very strong signals spanning the six6 and vgll3 gene regions on chromosomes 9 and 25, respectively. Furthermore, we identified 116 independent signals that tagged 120 candidate genes with varying effect sizes. Five of the candidate genes found here were previously associated with age at maturity in other vertebrates, including humans. DISCUSSION These results reveal a mixed architecture of large-effect loci and a polygenic component that consists of multiple smaller-effect loci, suggesting a more complex genetic architecture of Atlantic salmon age at maturity than previously thought. This more complex architecture will have implications for selection on this key trait in aquaculture and for management of wild salmon populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Sinclair-Waters
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jørgen Ødegård
- AquaGen, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | | | - Sigbjørn Lien
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicola J Barson
- Centre for Integrative Genetics, Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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11
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Transcription Profiles of Age-at-Maturity-Associated Genes Suggest Cell Fate Commitment Regulation as a Key Factor in the Atlantic Salmon Maturation Process. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:235-246. [PMID: 31740454 PMCID: PMC6945027 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite recent taxonomic diversification in studies linking genotype with phenotype, follow-up studies aimed at understanding the molecular processes of such genotype-phenotype associations remain rare. The age at which an individual reaches sexual maturity is an important fitness trait in many wild species. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating maturation timing processes remain obscure. A recent genome-wide association study in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) identified large-effect age-at-maturity-associated chromosomal regions including genes vgll3, akap11 and six6, which have roles in adipogenesis, spermatogenesis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, respectively. Here, we determine expression patterns of these genes during salmon development and their potential molecular partners and pathways. Using Nanostring transcription profiling technology, we show development- and tissue-specific mRNA expression patterns for vgll3, akap11 and six6. Correlated expression levels of vgll3 and akap11, which have adjacent chromosomal location, suggests they may have shared regulation. Further, vgll3 correlating with arhgap6 and yap1, and akap11 with lats1 and yap1 suggests that Vgll3 and Akap11 take part in actin cytoskeleton regulation. Tissue-specific expression results indicate that vgll3 and akap11 paralogs have sex-dependent expression patterns in gonads. Moreover, six6 correlating with slc38a6 and rtn1, and Hippo signaling genes suggests that Six6 could have a broader role in the HPG neuroendrocrine and cell fate commitment regulation, respectively. We conclude that Vgll3, Akap11 and Six6 may influence Atlantic salmon maturation timing via affecting adipogenesis and gametogenesis by regulating cell fate commitment and the HPG axis. These results may help to unravel general molecular mechanisms behind maturation.
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12
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Ayllon F, Solberg MF, Glover KA, Mohammadi F, Kjærner-Semb E, Fjelldal PG, Andersson E, Hansen T, Edvardsen RB, Wargelius A. The influence of vgll3 genotypes on sea age at maturity is altered in farmed mowi strain Atlantic salmon. BMC Genet 2019; 20:44. [PMID: 31060499 PMCID: PMC6501413 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-019-0745-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Atlantic salmon in the wild, age at maturity is strongly influenced by the vgll3 locus. Under farming conditions, light, temperature and feeding regimes are known significantly advance or delay age at maturity. However, the potential influence of the vgll3 locus on the maturation of salmon reared under farming conditions has been rarely investigated, especially in females. RESULTS Here, we reared domesticated salmon (mowi strain) with different vgll3 genotypes under standard farming conditions until they matured at either one, two or more than two sea winters. Interestingly, and in contrast to previous findings in the wild, we were not able to identify a link between vgll3 and age at maturity in females when reared under farming conditions. For males however, we found that the probability of delaying maturation from one to two sea winters was significantly lower in fish homozygous for the early allele compared to homozygous fish for the late allele, while the probability for heterozygous fish was intermediate. These data also contrast to previous findings in the wild where the early allele has been reported as dominant. However, we found that the probability of males delaying maturation from two to three sea winters was regulated in the same manner as the wild. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our data suggest that increased growth rates in mowi salmon, caused by high feed intake and artificial light and temperature regimes together with other possible genetic/epigenetic components, may significantly influence the impact that the vgll3 locus has on age at maturity, especially in females. In turn, our results show that the vgll3 locus can only to a large extent be used in selective breeding to control age at maturation in mowi males. In summary, we here show that in contrast to the situation in wild salmon, under farming conditions vgll3 does not seem to influence age at maturity in mowi females whereas in mowi males, maturing as one or two sea winters it alters the early allele effect from dominant to intermediate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Ayllon
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Monica F Solberg
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kevin A Glover
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.,Institute of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Faezeh Mohammadi
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Erik Kjærner-Semb
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Per Gunnar Fjelldal
- Institute of Marine research (IMR), Matre Aquaculture Research Station, 5984, Matredal, Norway
| | - Eva Andersson
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Tom Hansen
- Institute of Marine research (IMR), Matre Aquaculture Research Station, 5984, Matredal, Norway
| | - Rolf B Edvardsen
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anna Wargelius
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway.
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13
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Mohamed AR, Verbyla KL, Al-Mamun HA, McWilliam S, Evans B, King H, Kube P, Kijas JW. Polygenic and sex specific architecture for two maturation traits in farmed Atlantic salmon. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:139. [PMID: 30770720 PMCID: PMC6377724 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5525-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A key developmental transformation in the life of all vertebrates is the transition to sexual maturity, whereby individuals are capable of reproducing for the first time. In the farming of Atlantic salmon, early maturation prior to harvest size has serious negative production impacts. RESULTS We report genome wide association studies (GWAS) using fish measured for sexual maturation in freshwater or the marine environment. Genotypic data from a custom 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was used to identify 13 significantly associated SNP for freshwater maturation with the most strongly associated on chromosomes 10 and 11. A higher number of associations (48) were detected for marine maturation, and the two peak loci were found to be the same for both traits. The number and broad distribution of GWAS hits confirmed a highly polygenetic nature, and GWAS performed separately within males and females revealed sex specific genetic behaviour for loci co-located with positional candidate genes phosphatidylinositol-binding clathrin assembly protein-like (picalm) and membrane-associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain-containing protein 2 (magi2). CONCLUSIONS The results extend earlier work and have implications for future applied breeding strategies to delay maturation in this important aquaculture species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin R Mohamed
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia Brisbane, 4067, Australia.,Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, 13518, Egypt
| | - Klara L Verbyla
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Data 61, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Hawlader A Al-Mamun
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Data 61, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Sean McWilliam
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia Brisbane, 4067, Australia
| | - Bradley Evans
- Tassal Operations Pty Ltd, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Harry King
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food, Hobart, Tasmania, 7004, Australia
| | - Peter Kube
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food, Hobart, Tasmania, 7004, Australia
| | - James W Kijas
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia Brisbane, 4067, Australia.
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14
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Wellband K, Mérot C, Linnansaari T, Elliott JAK, Curry RA, Bernatchez L. Chromosomal fusion and life history-associated genomic variation contribute to within-river local adaptation of Atlantic salmon. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:1439-1459. [PMID: 30506831 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal inversions have been implicated in facilitating adaptation in the face of high levels of gene flow, but whether chromosomal fusions also have similar potential remains poorly understood. Atlantic salmon are usually characterized by population structure at multiple spatial scales; however, this is not the case for tributaries of the Miramichi River in North America. To resolve genetic relationships between populations in this system and the potential for known chromosomal fusions to contribute to adaptation, we genotyped 728 juvenile salmon using a 50 K SNP array. Consistent with previous work, we report extremely weak overall population structuring (Global FST = 0.004) and failed to support hierarchical structure between the river's two main branches. We provide the first genomic characterization of a previously described polymorphic fusion between chromosomes 8 and 29. Fusion genomic characteristics included high LD, reduced heterozygosity in the fused homokaryotes, and strong divergence between the fused and the unfused rearrangement. Population structure based on fusion karyotype was five times stronger than neutral variation (FST = 0.019), and the frequency of the fusion was associated with summer precipitation supporting a hypothesis that this rearrangement may contribute local adaptation despite weak neutral differentiation. Additionally, both outlier variation among populations and a polygenic framework for characterizing adaptive variation in relation to climate identified a 250-Kb region of chromosome 9, including the gene six6 that has previously been linked to age-at-maturity and run-timing for this species. Overall, our results indicate that adaptive processes, independent of major river branching, are more important than neutral processes for structuring these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Wellband
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Claire Mérot
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tommi Linnansaari
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.,Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - J A K Elliott
- Cooke Aquaculture Inc, Oak Bay, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - R Allen Curry
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.,Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Pritchard VL, Mäkinen H, Vähä JP, Erkinaro J, Orell P, Primmer CR. Genomic signatures of fine-scale local selection in Atlantic salmon suggest involvement of sexual maturation, energy homeostasis and immune defence-related genes. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2560-2575. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannu Mäkinen
- Department of Biology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Juha-Pekka Vähä
- Kevo Subarctic Research Institute; University of Turku; Turku Finland
| | | | - Panu Orell
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE); Oulu Finland
| | - Craig R. Primmer
- Department of Biology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Department of Biosciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
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16
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Ikediashi C, Paris JR, King RA, Beaumont WRC, Ibbotson A, Stevens JR. Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the chalk streams of England are genetically unique. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:621-641. [PMID: 29385651 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has identified genetic groups of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar that show association with geological and environmental boundaries. This study focuses on one particular subgroup of the species inhabiting the chalk streams of southern England, U.K. These fish are genetically distinct from other British and European S. salar populations and have previously demonstrated markedly low admixture with populations in neighbouring regions. The genetic population structure of S. salar occupying five chalk streams was explored using 16 microsatellite loci. The analysis provides evidence of the genetic distinctiveness of chalk-stream S. salar in southern England, in comparison with populations from non-chalk regions elsewhere in western Europe. Little genetic differentiation exists between the chalk-stream populations and a pattern of isolation by distance was evident. Furthermore, evidence of temporal stability of S. salar populations across the five chalk streams was found. This work provides new insights into the temporal stability and lack of genetic population sub-structuring within a unique component of the species' range of S. salar.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ikediashi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - J R Paris
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - R A King
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - W R C Beaumont
- Salmon & Trout Research Centre, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), East Stoke, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6BB, U.K
| | - A Ibbotson
- Salmon & Trout Research Centre, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), East Stoke, Wareham, Dorset BH20 6BB, U.K
| | - J R Stevens
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
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17
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Kusche H, Côté G, Hernandez C, Normandeau E, Boivin-Delisle D, Bernatchez L. Characterization of natural variation in North American Atlantic Salmon populations (Salmonidae: Salmo salar) at a locus with a major effect on sea age. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5797-5807. [PMID: 28808549 PMCID: PMC5550958 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Age at maturity is a key life‐history trait of most organisms. In anadromous salmonid fishes such as Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), age at sexual maturity is associated with sea age, the number of years spent at sea before the spawning migration. For the first time, we investigated the presence of two nonsynonymous vgll3 polymorphisms in North American Atlantic Salmon populations that relate to sea age in European salmon and quantified the natural variation at these and two additional candidate SNPs from two other genes. A targeted resequencing assay was developed and 1,505 returning adult individuals of size‐inferred sea age and sex from four populations were genotyped. Across three of four populations sampled in Québec, Canada, the late‐maturing component (MSW) of the population of a given sex exhibited higher proportions of SNP genotypes 54Thrvgll3 and 323Lysvgll3 compared to early‐maturing fish (1SW), for example, 85% versus 53% of females from Trinité River carried 323Lysvgll3 (nMSW = 205 vs. n1SW = 30; p < .001). However, the association between vgll3 polymorphism and sea age was more pronounced in females than in males in the rivers we studied. Logistic regression analysis of vgll3 SNP genotypes revealed increased probabilities of exhibiting higher sea age for 54Thrvgll3 and 323Lysvgll3 genotypes compared to alternative genotypes, depending on population and sex. Moreover, individuals carrying the heterozygous vgll3 SNP genotypes were more likely (>66%) to be female. In summary, two nonsynonymous vgll3 polymorphisms were confirmed in North American populations of Atlantic Salmon and our results suggest that variation at those loci correlates with sea age and sex. Our results also suggest that this correlation varies among populations. Future work would benefit from a more balanced sampling and from adding data on juvenile riverine life stages to contrast our data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Kusche
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada.,Present address: Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology Hamburg Germany
| | - Guillaume Côté
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Cécilia Hernandez
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Eric Normandeau
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Damien Boivin-Delisle
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Département de BiologieInstitut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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