Parallel altitudinal clines reveal trends in adaptive evolution of genome size in Zea mays.

ABSTRACT: While the vast majority of genome size variation in plants is due to differences in repetitive sequence, we know little about how selection acts on repeat content in natural populations. Here we investigate parallel changes in intraspecific genome size and repeat content of domesticated maize (Zea mays) landraces and their wild relative teosinte across altitudinal gradients in Mesoamerica and South America. We combine genotyping, low coverage whole-genome sequence data, and flow cytometry to test for evidence of selection on genome size and individual repeat abundance. We find that population structure alone cannot explain the observed variation, implying that clinal patterns of genome size are maintained by natural selection. Our modeling additionally provides evidence of selection on ind

SUBMITTER: Bilinski P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5944917 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature