Adaptive differentiation coincides with local bioclimatic conditions along an elevational cline in populations of a lichen-forming fungus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many fungal species occur across a variety of habitats. Particularly lichens, fungi forming symbioses with photosynthetic partners, have evolved remarkable tolerances for environmental extremes. Despite their ecological importance and ubiquity, little is known about the genetic basis of adaption in lichen populations. Here we studied patterns of genome-wide differentiation in the lichen-forming fungus Lasallia pustulata along an altitudinal gradient in the Mediterranean region. We resequenced six populations as pools and identified highly differentiated genomic regions. We then detected gene-environment correlations while controlling for shared population history and pooled sequencing bias, and performed ecophysiological experiments to assess fitness differences of indiv

SUBMITTER: Dal Grande F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5374679 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature