title: Natural selection favors a newly derived timeless allele in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Circadian and other natural clock-like endogenous rhythms may have evolved to anticipate regular temporal changes in the environment. We report that a mutation in the circadian clock gene timeless in Drosophila melanogaster has arisen and spread by natural selection relatively recently in Europe. We found that, when introduced into different genetic backgrounds, natural and artificial alleles of the timeless gene affect the incidence of diapause in response to changes in light and temperature. The natural mutant allele alters an important life history trait that may enhance the fly's adaptation to seasonal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tauber
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zordan
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sandrelli
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pegoraro
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osterwalder
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daga
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selmin
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Monger
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benna
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosato
authors.forename: Charalambos P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kyriacou
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005060:Europe; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D017440:Photoperiod; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction; D012621:Seasons; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013696:Temperature; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C096445:tim protein, Drosophila