Molecular heterogeneity in major urinary proteins of Mus musculus subspecies: potential candidates involved in speciation.

ABSTRACT: When hybridisation carries a cost, natural selection is predicted to favour evolution of traits that allow assortative mating (reinforcement). Incipient speciation between the two European house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus domesticus and M.m.musculus, sharing a hybrid zone, provides an opportunity to understand evolution of assortative mating at a molecular level. Mouse urine odours allow subspecific mate discrimination, with assortative preferences evident in the hybrid zone but not in allopatry. Here we assess the potential of MUPs (major urinary proteins) as candidates for signal divergence by comparing MUP expression in urine samples from the Danish hybrid zone border (contact) and from allopatric populations. Mass spectrometric characterisation identified novel MUPs in both subspec

SUBMITTER: Hurst JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5364487 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature