Correlations of Genotype with Climate Parameters Suggest Caenorhabditis elegans Niche Adaptations.

摘要: Species inhabit a variety of environmental niches, and the adaptation to particular niche is often controlled by genetic factors, including gene-by-environment interactions. The genes that vary in order regulate ability colonize are difficult identify, especially context complex ecological systems experimentally uncontrolled natural environments. Quantitative approaches provide an opportunity investigate correlations between factors parameters might define niche. Previously, we have shown how collection 208 whole-genome sequenced wild Caenorhabditis elegans can facilitate association mapping approaches. To correlate climate with variation found this strains, used geographic data exhaustively curate daily weather measurements short-term (3 month), middle-term (one year), long-term (three year) durations surrounding date strain isolation. These were as quantitative traits approaches, where identified 11 trait loci (QTL) for three climatic variables: elevation, relative humidity, average temperature. We then narrowed genomic interval interest identify gene candidates variants potentially underlying phenotypic differences. Additionally, performed two-strain competition assays at high low temperatures validate QTL could underlie temperature suggestive evidence supporting hypothesis.