Search for informative polymorphisms in candidate genes: clock genes and circadian behaviour in blue tits

Steinmeyer, Corinna; Mueller, Jakob C.; Kempenaers, Bart

doi:10.1007/s10709-008-9318-y

Cited by 46 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…We identified one exonic microsatellite in each CLOCK , ADCYAP1 , CREB1 , NPAS2 and SERT gene in blackbirds; the characteristics, primer and PCR details of these microsatellites are described in Steinmeyer et al . () and Mueller et al . ().…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Candidate gene polymorphisms for behavioural adaptations during urbanization in blackbirds

et al. 2013

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Successful urban colonization by formerly rural species represents an ideal situation in which to study adaptation to novel environments. We address this issue using candidate genes for behavioural traits that are expected to play a role in such colonization events. We identified and genotyped 16 polymorphisms in candidate genes for circadian rhythms, harm avoidance and migratory and exploratory behaviour in 12 paired urban and rural populations of the blackbird Turdus merula across the Western Palaearctic. An exonic microsatellite in the SERT gene, a candidate gene for harm avoidance behaviour, exhibited a highly significant association with habitat type in an analysis conducted across all populations. Genetic divergence at this locus was consistent in 10 of the 12 population pairs; this contrasts with previously reported stochastic genetic divergence between these populations at random markers. Our results indicate that behavioural traits related to harm avoidance and associated with the SERT polymorphism experience selection pressures during most blackbird urbanization events. These events thus appear to be influenced by homogeneous adaptive processes in addition to previously reported demographic founder events.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Candidate gene polymorphisms for behavioural adaptations during urbanization in blackbirds

et al. 2013

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“…A candidate gene approach may be a suitable method for identifying such additional loci in the great tit (Fitzpatrick et al. 2005; Steinmeyer et al. 2009), which will be greatly facilitated by the publication of the chicken (ICGSC 2004) and zebra finch genomes (http://www.songbirdgenome.org).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations

et al. 2010

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Polymorphisms in the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) have been related to individual variation in novelty-seeking or exploratory behaviour in a variety of animals, including humans. Recently, the human DRD4 orthologue was sequenced in a wild bird, the great tit (Parus major) and a single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 of this gene (SNP830) was shown to be associated with variation in exploratory behaviour of labraised individuals originating from a single wild population. Here we test the generality of this finding in a large sample of free-living individuals from four European great tit populations, including the originally sampled population. We demonstrate that the association between SNP830 genotype and exploratory behaviour also exists in freeliving birds from the original population. However, in the other three populations we found only limited evidence for an association: in two populations the association appeared absent; while in one there was a nonsignificant tendency. We could not confirm a previously demonstrated interaction with another DRD4 polymorphism, a 15 bp indel in the promoter region (ID15). As yet unknown differences in genetic or environmental background could explain why the same genetic polymorphism (SNP830) has a substantial effect on exploratory behaviour in one population, explaining 4.5–5.8% of the total variance—a large effect for a single gene influencing a complex behavioural trait—but not in three others. The confirmation of an association between SNP830 genotype and personality-related behaviour in a wild bird population warrants further research into potential fitness effects of the polymorphism, while also the population differences in the strength of the association deserve further investigation. Another important future challenge is the identification of additional loci influencing avian personality traits in the wild

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“…Genomic DNA samples were sequenced at the poly‐Q locus of the Clock gene to characterise the allelic variation at the trinucleotide tandem repeat locus, which has been shown to be polymorphic in several bird species (chicken: Larkin et al 1999; barn owl: Fidler and Gwinner 2003; bluethroat: Johnsen et al 2007; blue tit: Johnsen et al 2007, Liedvogel et al 2009, Steinmeyer et al 2009; blackcap: Steinmeyer et al 2009). We characterised the glutamine rich tandem repeat locus of the Clock gene for 225 great tit females with extreme breeding phenotypes by PCR amplification using the primer set previously described for sequencing of the Clock poly‐Q allele in blue tits (Johnsen et al 2007).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We characterised the glutamine rich tandem repeat locus of the Clock gene for 225 great tit females with extreme breeding phenotypes by PCR amplification using the primer set previously described for sequencing of the Clock poly‐Q allele in blue tits (Johnsen et al 2007). This primer set has further been shown to successfully amplify the poly‐Q Clock locus in another songbird species, the blackcap (Steinmeyer et al 2009). PCR protocol and temperature profiles were adapted according to Johnsen et al 2007 in a 10 μl reaction volume.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low variability and absence of phenotypic correlates of Clock gene variation in a great tit Parus major population

Liedvogel¹,

Sheldon²

2010

Journal of Avian Biology

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Studies of a range of taxa, including birds, have revealed latitudinal clines in allele length at the conserved Clock locus, a gene with known influences on behaviour and physiology. Such clines might reflect adaptation to seasonal variation, a suggestion supported by a recent within-population analysis of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, which found associations between Clock genotype and timing of breeding in females. To test the generality of this pattern, we sequenced the polymorphic poly-Q locus of the Clock gene in 521 female great tits Parus major, which were selected based on possession of extreme breeding phenotypes. In total, we identified five alleles with one allele accounting for 96% of allelic diversity in the sample set. Overall variability at the poly-Q locus was very low, and the spatial distribution of Clock alleles across Wytham was highly homogenous. Our data further provide no evidence for a connection between Clock genotype and reproductive timing phenotype in female great tits; further, we found no effect of Clock genotype on reproductive success. Hence, these results are in contrast to the pattern found for the sympatric blue tit population inhabiting the same woodlands, suggesting that phenotypic effects of Clock are not general in passerine birds

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Search for informative polymorphisms in candidate genes: clock genes and circadian behaviour in blue tits

Cited by 46 publications

References 62 publications

Candidate gene polymorphisms for behavioural adaptations during urbanization in blackbirds

Candidate gene polymorphisms for behavioural adaptations during urbanization in blackbirds

Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations

Low variability and absence of phenotypic correlates of Clock gene variation in a great tit Parus major population

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