title: Natural genetic variation in cuticular hydrocarbon expression in male and female Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) act as contact pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster and are an important component of several ecological traits. Segregating genetic variation in the expression of CHCs at the population level in D. melanogaster is likely to be important for mate choice and climatic adaptation; however, this variation has never been characterized. Using a panel of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a natural population, we found significant between-line variation for nearly all CHCs in both sexes. We identified 25 QTL in females and 15 QTL in males that pleiotropically influence CHC expression. There was no evidence of colocalization of QTL for homologous traits across the sexes, indicating that sexual dimorphism and low intersex genetic correlations between homologous CHCs are a consequence of largely independent genetic control. This is consistent with a pattern of divergent sexual and natural selection between the sexes.
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia. brfoley@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Chenoweth
authors.forename: Sergey V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Nuzhdin
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Blows
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008126:Lod Score; D008297:Male; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D006838:Hydrocarbons