%0 Journal Article %1 e2006genetic %A Protas, Meredith E %A Hersey, Candace %A Kochanek, Dawn %A Zhou, Yi %A Wilkens, Horst %A Jeffery, William R %A Zon, Leonard I %A Borowsky, Richard %A Tabin, Clifford J %D 2006 %J Nat Genet %K Tetra allopatry parallel_adaptation %N 1 %P 107--111 %T Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng1700 %V 38 %X The genetic basis of vertebrate morphological evolution has traditionally been very difficult to examine in naturally occurring populations. Here we describe the generation of a genome-wide linkage map to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment. We focused on the trait of albinism and discovered that it is linked to Oca2, a known pigmentation gene, in two cave populations. We found different deletions in Oca2 in each population and, using a cell-based assay, showed that both cause loss of function of the corresponding protein, OCA2. Thus, the two cave populations evolved albinism independently, through similar mutational events.

@article{e2006genetic, abstract = {The genetic basis of vertebrate morphological evolution has traditionally been very difficult to examine in naturally occurring populations. Here we describe the generation of a genome-wide linkage map to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment. We focused on the trait of albinism and discovered that it is linked to Oca2, a known pigmentation gene, in two cave populations. We found different deletions in Oca2 in each population and, using a cell-based assay, showed that both cause loss of function of the corresponding protein, OCA2. Thus, the two cave populations evolved albinism independently, through similar mutational events. }, added-at = {2009-10-31T00:40:18.000+0100}, author = {Protas, Meredith E and Hersey, Candace and Kochanek, Dawn and Zhou, Yi and Wilkens, Horst and Jeffery, William R and Zon, Leonard I and Borowsky, Richard and Tabin, Clifford J}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2f7d51b55a6af3321298002afccb23d3e/peter.ralph}, description = {Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism - Nature Genetics}, interhash = {c23376638d05734cd0ff69fd6d5f9996}, intrahash = {f7d51b55a6af3321298002afccb23d3e}, issn = {1061-4036}, journal = {Nat Genet}, keywords = {Tetra allopatry parallel_adaptation}, month = {#jan#}, number = 1, pages = {107--111}, timestamp = {2011-04-27T22:03:55.000+0200}, title = {Genetic analysis of cavefish reveals molecular convergence in the evolution of albinism}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng1700}, volume = 38, year = 2006 }