Beyond MHC: signals of elevated selection pressure on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) immune-relevant loci

Mol Ecol. 2010 Apr;19(7):1273-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04573.x. Epub 2010 Feb 24.

Abstract

Using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as a model system, we investigated whether 18 microsatellites tightly linked to immune-relevant genes have experienced different selection pressures than 76 loci with no obvious association with immune function. Immune-relevant loci were identified as outliers by two outlier tests significantly more often than nonimmune linked loci (22% vs. 1.6%). In addition, the allele frequencies of immune relevant markers were more often correlated with latitude and temperature. Combined, these results support the hypothesis that immune-relevant loci more frequently exhibit footprints of selection than other loci. They also indicate that the correlation between immune-relevant loci and latitude may be due to temperature-induced differences in pathogen-driven selection or some other environmental factor correlated with latitude.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Environment
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Expressed Sequence Tags
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetics, Population*
  • Genomics
  • Genotype
  • Major Histocompatibility Complex
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Models, Genetic
  • Salmo salar / genetics*
  • Salmo salar / immunology*
  • Selection, Genetic*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA