Natural selection favors a newly derived timeless allele in Drosophila melanogaster.
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.
Tauber
Eran
E
Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
Zordan
Mauro
M
Sandrelli
Federica
F
Pegoraro
Mirko
M
Osterwalder
Nicolò
N
Breda
Carlo
C
Daga
Andrea
A
Selmin
Alessandro
A
Monger
Karen
K
Benna
Clara
C
Rosato
Ezio
E
Kyriacou
Charalambos P
CP
Costa
Rodolfo
R
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
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; C096445:tim protein, Drosophila