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- Title
Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism.
- Authors
Protas, Meredith E.; Hersey, Candace; Kochanek, Dawn; Yi Zhou; Wilkens, Horst; Jeffery, William R.; Zon, Leonard I.; Borowsky, Richard; Tabin, Clifford J.
- Abstract
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.
- Subjects
AMBLYOPSIDAE; ALBINOS &; albinism; GENOMES; VERTEBRATES; PROTEINS; MICROBIOLOGICAL assay
- Publication
Nature Genetics, 2006, Vol 38, Issue 1, p107
- ISSN
1061-4036
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/ng1700