title: Correlations between fitness and heterozygosity at allozyme and microsatellite loci in the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.
abstract: The relationship between heterozygosity at genetic markers (six allozyme and eight microsatellite loci), and fluctuating asymmetry (FA), length and weight was investigated in two samples of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) with different timings of first active feeding (early (EA) and late (LA) salmon). This trait had previously been related to fitness. EA fish show smaller values of FA, are longer, heavier and are more heterozygous at allozyme loci than are conspecific LA fish. Also within both samples, heterozygosity at allozyme loci was inversely related to FA and was positively related to weight and length. However, no significant differences in microsatellite diversity (heterozygosity and mean d2 measurements) were observed between samples (EA vs LA). Furthermore, no association was observed between the variability at microsatellite loci and FA, weight or length within each sample. These results suggest that allozyme loci, in themselves, influence fitness components, rather than associations arising from associative overdominance.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Funcional, Area de Genética, Universidad de Oviedo, Julián Clavería s/n 33071 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Borrell
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Lizana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006579:Heterozygote; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics*; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes