Genome-wide selection scans integrated with association mapping reveal mechanisms of physiological adaptation across a salinity gradient in killifish
Authors: Brennan Reid S. , Healy Timothy M. , Bryant Heather J. , La Man Van , Schulte Patricia M. , Whitehead Andrew 
Published: January 2018

Adaptive divergence between marine and freshwater environments is important in generating phyletic diversity within fishes, but the genetic basis of adaptation to freshwater habitats remains poorly understood. Available approaches to detect adaptive loci include genome scans for selection, but these can be difficult to interpret because of incomplete knowledge of the connection between genotype and phenotype. In contrast, genome wide association studies (GWAS) are powerful tools for linking genotype to phenotype, but offer limited insight into the evolutionary forces shaping variation. Here, we combine GWAS and selection scans to identify loci important in the adaptation of complex physiological traits to freshwater environments. We focused on freshwater (FW)-native and brackish water (BW)-native populations of the Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) as well as a population that is a natural admixture of these two populations. We measured phenotypes for multiple physiological traits that differ between populations and that may contribute to adaptation across osmotic niches (salinity tolerance, hypoxia tolerance, metabolic rate, and body shape) and used a reduced representation approach for genome-wide genotyping. Our results show patterns of population divergence in physiological capabilities that are consistent with local adaptation. Selection scans between BW-native and FW-native populations identified genomic regions that presumably aect fitness between BW and FW environments, while GWAS revealed loci that contribute to variation for each physiological trait. There was substantial overlap in the genomic regions putatively under selection and loci associated with the measured physiological traits, suggesting that these phenotypes are important for adaptive divergence between BW and FW environments. Our analysis also implicates candidate genes likely involved in physiological capabilities, some of which validate a priori hypotheses. Together, these data provide insight into the mechanisms that enable diversification of fishes across osmotic boundaries.

Author Summary

Identifying the genes that underlie adaptation is important for understanding the evolutionary process, but this is technically challenging. We bring multiple lines of evidence to bear for identifying genes that underlie adaptive divergence. Specifically, we integrate genotype-phenotype association mapping with genome-wide scans for signatures of natural selection to reveal genes that underlie phenotypic variation and that are adaptive in populations of killifish that are diverging between marine and freshwater environments. Because adaptation is likely manifest in multiple physiological traits, we focus on hypoxia tolerance, salinity tolerance, and metabolic rate; traits that are divergent between marine and freshwater populations. We show that each of these phenotypes is evolving by natural selection between environments; genetic variants that contribute to variation in these physiological traits tend to be evolving by natural selection between marine and freshwater populations. Furthermore, one of our top candidate genes provides a mechanistic explanation for previous hypotheses that suggest the adaptive importance of cellular tight junctions. Together, these data demonstrate a powerful approach to identify genes involved in adaptation and help to reveal the mechanisms enabling transitions of fishes across osmotic boundaries.