Signatures of natural selection in abiotic stress-responsive genes of Solanum chilense.

ABSTRACT: Environmental conditions are strong selective forces, which may influence adaptation and speciation. The wild tomato species Solanum chilense, native to South America, is exposed to a range of abiotic stress factors. To identify signatures of natural selection and local adaptation, we analysed 16 genes involved in the abiotic stress response and compared the results to a set of reference genes in 23 populations across the entire species range. The abiotic stress-responsive genes are characterized by elevated nonsynonymous nucleotide diversity and divergence. We detected signatures of positive selection in several abiotic stress-responsive genes on both the population and species levels. Local adaptation to abiotic stresses is particularly apparent at the boundary of the species dist

SUBMITTER: Bondel KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5792908 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature