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Review
. 2015 Apr;6(4):445-464.
doi: 10.1111/2041-210X.12324. Epub 2015 Feb 12.

Towards the identification of the loci of adaptive evolution

Carolina Pardo-Diaz  1 , Camilo Salazar  1 , Chris D Jiggins  2
Affiliations
Review

Towards the identification of the loci of adaptive evolution

Carolina Pardo-Diaz et al. Methods Ecol Evol. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

1. Establishing the genetic and molecular basis underlying adaptive traits is one of the major goals of evolutionary geneticists in order to understand the connection between genotype and phenotype and elucidate the mechanisms of evolutionary change. Despite considerable effort to address this question, there remain relatively few systems in which the genes shaping adaptations have been identified. 2. Here, we review the experimental tools that have been applied to document the molecular basis underlying evolution in several natural systems, in order to highlight their benefits, limitations and suitability. In most cases, a combination of DNA, RNA and functional methodologies with field experiments will be needed to uncover the genes and mechanisms shaping adaptation in nature.

Keywords: DNA mapping; QTL; adaptation; candidate genes; expression; functional analysis; resequencing.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Methodological processes useful to identify the loci underlying adaptation. Ideally, phenotype–genotype association studies, followed by the profiling of gene expression, functional tests and selection tests should be combined to identify a gene(s) as involved in shaping an adaptive trait. Evidence at the DNA level was adapted and modified from (Stinchcombe & Hoekstra ; Barrett & Hoekstra 2011). In situ hybridization shows expression of the gene optix in wings of Heliconius melpomene (Photo: Bob Reed) (Reed et al. 2011). Photographs of microarray and RNA-seq by Carolina Pardo-Diaz.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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