Cis-regulatory differences in isoform expression associate with life history strategy variation in Atlantic salmon.

ABSTRACT: A major goal in biology is to understand how evolution shapes variation in individual life histories. Genome-wide association studies have been successful in uncovering genome regions linked with traits underlying life history variation in a range of species. However, lack of functional studies of the discovered genotype-phenotype associations severely restrains our understanding how alternative life history traits evolved and are mediated at the molecular level. Here, we report a cis-regulatory mechanism whereby expression of alternative isoforms of the transcription co-factor vestigial-like 3 (vgll3) associate with variation in a key life history trait, age at maturity, in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Using a common-garden experiment, we first show that vgll3 genotype associates with p

SUBMITTER: Verta JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7549781 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature