title: Genetic basis of male colour dimorphism in a Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish.
abstract: Phenotypic polymorphisms can be applied to study the micro-evolutionary forces that maintain genetic variation and can mediate speciation, but it can be difficult to determine the genetic basis of polymorphisms. Recently, restriction-site-associated DNA (RAD) sequencing has become popular, which can easily produce multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms from whole genomes. Here, we combined RAD sequencing, allele-specific PCR and Sanger sequencing to determine the genetic basis underlying male colour dimorphism of a Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish, Cyprichromis leptosoma. Our analyses using both a cross-family (two parents and 12 F2 males) and 64 wild individuals do not contradict a hypothesis that two alleles of one-locus control male colour dimorphism. Also, the locus may be located on a genome region that experiences reduced levels of recombination. Although more analyses will be needed to conclude these findings, this study is the first to suggest the genetic basis of a colour polymorphism using RAD sequencing.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan. tetsumi@terra.zool.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sota
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
mesh_terms: D000351:Africa, Eastern; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D023681:Cichlids / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D060106:Lakes; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012727:Sex Characteristics