title: Population differentiation and behavioural association of the two 'personality' genes DRD4 and SERT in dunnocks (Prunella modularis).
abstract: Quantifying the variation in behaviour-related genes within and between populations provides insight into how evolutionary processes shape consistent behavioural traits (i.e. personality). Deliberate introductions of non-native species offer opportunities to investigate how such genes differ between native and introduced populations and how polymorphisms in the genes are related to variation in behaviour. Here, we compared the genetic variation of the two 'personality' genes, DRD4 and SERT, between a native (United Kingdom, UK) and an introduced (New Zealand, NZ) population of dunnocks, Prunella modularis. The NZ population showed a significantly lower number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) compared to the UK population. Standardized F'st estimates of the personality genes and neutral microsatellites indicate that selection (anthropogenic and natural) probably occurred during and post the introduction event. Notably, the largest genetic differentiation was found in the intronic regions of the genes. In the NZ population, we also examined the association between polymorphisms in DRD4 and SERT and two highly repeatable behavioural traits: flight-initiation distance and mating status (promiscuous females and cobreeding males). We found 38 significant associations (for different allele effect models) between the two behavioural traits and the studied genes. Further, 22 of the tested associations showed antagonistic allele effects for males and females. Our findings illustrate how introduction events and accompanying ecological changes could influence the genetic diversity of behaviour-related genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holtmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grosser
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.|Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lagisz
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.|Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Trav. 14, n˚ 101 Cid. Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
authors.forename: E S A
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.|Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D005426:Flight, Animal; D006239:Haplotypes; D054643:INDEL Mutation; D058865:Introduced Species; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009520:New Zealand; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000235:genetics*; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4 / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4
keywords: animal personality; boldness; dopamine receptor D4; introduced population; serotonin transporter; sex differences