Conserved islands of divergence associated with adaptive variation in sockeye salmon are maintained by multiple mechanisms.

Local adaptation is facilitated by loci clustered in relatively few regions of the genome, termed genomic islands of divergence. The mechanisms that create and maintain these islands and how they contribute to adaptive divergence is an active research topic. Here, we use sockeye salmon as a model to investigate both the mechanisms responsible for creating islands of divergence and the patterns of differentiation at these islands.

Rapid genetic adaptation to a novel ecosystem despite a large founder event.

Introduced and invasive species make excellent natural experiments for investigating rapid evolution. Here, we describe the effects of genetic drift and rapid genetic adaptation in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) that were accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes via a single introduction event 31 generations ago. Using whole-genome resequencing for 134 fish spanning five sample groups across the native and introduced range, we estimate that the source population's effective population size was 146,886 at the time of introduction, whereas the founding population's effective population size was just 72-a 2040-fold decrease.

The pink salmon genome: Uncovering the genomic consequences of a two-year life cycle.

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) adults are the smallest of the five Pacific salmon native to the western Pacific Ocean. Pink salmon are also the most abundant of these species and account for a large proportion of the commercial value of the salmon fishery worldwide. A two-year life history of pink salmon generates temporally isolated populations that spawn either in even-years or odd-years.

Y-chromosome haplotypes are associated with variation in size and age at maturity in male Chinook salmon.

Variation in size and age at maturity is an important component of life history that is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. In salmonids, large size confers a direct reproductive advantage through increased fecundity and egg quality in females, while larger males gain a reproductive advantage by monopolizing access to females. In addition, variation in size and age at maturity in males can be associated with different reproductive strategies; younger smaller males may gain reproductive success by sneaking among mating pairs.

Network Analysis of Linkage Disequilibrium Reveals Genome Architecture in Chum Salmon.

Many studies exclude loci that exhibit linkage disequilibrium (LD); however, high LD can signal reduced recombination around genomic features such as chromosome inversions or sex-determining regions. Chromosome inversions and sex-determining regions are often involved in adaptation, allowing for the inheritance of co-adapted gene complexes and for the resolution of sexually antagonistic selection through sex-specific partitioning of genetic variants. Genomic features such as these can escape detection when loci with LD are removed; in addition, failing to account for these features can introduce bias to analyses.

Parallel signatures of selection at genomic islands of divergence and the major histocompatibility complex in ecotypes of sockeye salmon across Alaska.

Understanding the genetic mechanisms that facilitate adaptive radiation is an important component of evolutionary biology. Here, we genotyped 82 neutral SNPs, seven SNPs in islands of divergence identified in a previous study (island SNPs), and a region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in 32 populations of sockeye salmon to investigate whether conserved genes and genomic regions are involved in adaptive radiation. Populations representing three ecotypes were sampled from seven drainages with differing habitats and colonization histories spanning a range of 2,000 km.

Retention of a chromosomal inversion from an anadromous ancestor provides the genetic basis for alternative freshwater ecotypes in rainbow trout.

Migratory behaviour patterns in animals are controlled by a complex genetic architecture. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a salmonid fish that spawns in streams but exhibits three primary life history pathways: stream-resident (fluvial), lake-migrant (adfluvial) and ocean-migrant (anadromous). Previous studies examining fluvial and anadromous O.

Transforming ecology and conservation biology through genome editing.

As the conservation challenges increase, new approaches are needed to help combat losses in biodiversity and slow or reverse the decline of threatened species. Genome-editing technology is changing the face of modern biology, facilitating applications that were unimaginable only a decade ago. The technology has the potential to make significant contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation, yet the fear of unintended consequences from designer ecosystems containing engineered organisms has stifled innovation.

"Chromosomes and genes, spawned these fateful scenes": Rapid adaptation in an introduced fish.

Humans by their very nature alter the distribution of species. Be it introduction of exotic species, habitat alterations or construction of barriers, anthropogenic changes provide novel experimental systems for the molecular ecologist to study evolutionary change. These events often provide a contradiction.

Genetic signals of artificial and natural dispersal linked to colonization of South America by non-native Chinook salmon ().

Genetics data have provided unprecedented insights into evolutionary aspects of colonization by non-native populations. Yet, our understanding of how (human-mediated) and dispersal pathways of non-native individuals influence genetic metrics, evolution of genetic structure, and admixture remains elusive. We capitalize on the widespread colonization of Chinook salmon in South America, mediated by both dispersal pathways, to address these issues using data from a panel of polymorphic SNPs.

Hierarchical biogeographical processes largely explain the genomic divergence pattern in a species complex of sea anemones (Metridioidea: Sagartiidae: Anthothoe).

The phylogenetic resolution provided by genome-wide data has demonstrated the usefulness of RAD sequencing to tackle long-standing taxonomic questions. Cnidarians have recently become a model group in this regard, yet species delimitation analyses have been mostly performed in octocorals. In this study, we used RAD sequencing to test the species hypotheses in a wide-spread complex of sea anemones (genus Anthothoe), contrasting this new line of evidence with their current classification.

Resolving allele dosage in duplicated loci using genotyping-by-sequencing data: A path forward for population genetic analysis.

Whole-genome duplications have occurred in the recent ancestors of many plants, fish and amphibians. Signals of these whole-genome duplications still exist in the form of paralogous loci. Recent advances have allowed reliable identification of paralogs in genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data such as that generated from restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RADSeq); however, excluding paralogs from analyses is still routine due to difficulties in genotyping.

Contrasting genetic metrics and patterns among naturalized rainbow trout () in two Patagonian lakes differentially impacted by trout aquaculture.

Different pathways of propagation and dispersal of non-native species into new environments may have contrasting demographic and genetic impacts on established populations. Repeated introductions of rainbow trout () to Chile in South America, initially through stocking and later through aquaculture escapes, provide a unique setting to contrast these two pathways. Using a panel of single nucleotide polymorphisms, we found contrasting genetic metrics and patterns among naturalized trout in Lake Llanquihue, Chile's largest producer of salmonid smolts for nearly 50 years, and Lake Todos Los Santos (TLS), a reference lake where aquaculture has been prohibited by law.

Screening of duplicated loci reveals hidden divergence patterns in a complex salmonid genome.

A whole-genome duplication (WGD) doubles the entire genomic content of a species and is thought to have catalysed adaptive radiation in some polyploid-origin lineages. However, little is known about general consequences of a WGD because gene duplicates (i.e.

RADseq provides unprecedented insights into molecular ecology and evolutionary genetics: comment on Breaking RAD by Lowry et al. (2016).

In their recently corrected manuscript, "Breaking RAD: An evaluation of the utility of restriction site associated DNA sequencing for genome scans of adaptation", Lowry et al. argue that genome scans using RADseq will miss many loci under selection due to a combination of sparse marker density and low levels of linkage disequilibrium in most species. We agree that marker density and levels of LD are important considerations when designing a RADseq study; however, we dispute that RAD-based genome scans are as prone to failure as Lowry et al.

Genomic islands of divergence linked to ecotypic variation in sockeye salmon.

Regions of the genome displaying elevated differentiation (genomic islands of divergence) are thought to play an important role in local adaptation, especially in populations experiencing high gene flow. However, the characteristics of these islands as well as the functional significance of genes located within them remain largely unknown. Here, we used data from thousands of SNPs aligned to a linkage map to investigate genomic islands of divergence in three ecotypes of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) from a single drainage in southwestern Alaska.

Identification and Characterization of Sex-Associated Loci in Sockeye Salmon Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing and Comparison with a Sex-Determining Assay Based on the sdY Gene.

Loci that can be used to screen for sex in salmon can provide important information for study of both wild and cultured populations. Here, we tested for associations between sex and genotypes at thousands of loci available from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) dataset to discover sex-associated loci in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). We discovered 7 sex-associated loci, developed high-throughput assays for 2 loci, and tested the utility of these 2 assays in 8 collections of sockeye salmon sampled throughout North America.

Sorting duplicated loci disentangles complexities of polyploid genomes masked by genotyping by sequencing.

Many plants and animals of polyploid origin are currently enjoying a genomics explosion enabled by modern sequencing and genotyping technologies. However, routine filtering of duplicated loci in most studies using genotyping by sequencing introduces an unacceptable, but often overlooked, bias when detecting selection. Retained duplicates from ancient whole-genome duplications (WGDs) may be found throughout genomes, whereas retained duplicates from recent WGDs are concentrated at distal ends of some chromosome arms.

Identification of Multiple QTL Hotspots in Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing and a Dense Linkage Map.

Understanding the genetic architecture of phenotypic traits can provide important information about the mechanisms and genomic regions involved in local adaptation and speciation. Here, we used genotyping-by-sequencing and a combination of previously published and newly generated data to construct sex-specific linkage maps for sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). We then used the denser female linkage map to conduct quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for 4 phenotypic traits in 3 families.

Recombination patterns reveal information about centromere location on linkage maps.

Linkage mapping is often used to identify genes associated with phenotypic traits and for aiding genome assemblies. Still, many emerging maps do not locate centromeres - an essential component of the genomic landscape. Here, we demonstrate that for genomes with strong chiasma interference, approximate centromere placement is possible by phasing the same data used to generate linkage maps.

Temporal Genetic Variance and Propagule-Driven Genetic Structure Characterize Naturalized Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from a Patagonian Lake Impacted by Trout Farming.

Knowledge about the genetic underpinnings of invasions-a theme addressed by invasion genetics as a discipline-is still scarce amid well documented ecological impacts of non-native species on ecosystems of Patagonia in South America. One of the most invasive species in Patagonia's freshwater systems and elsewhere is rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This species was introduced to Chile during the early twentieth century for stocking and promoting recreational fishing; during the late twentieth century was reintroduced for farming purposes and is now naturalized.

Effects of crossovers between homeologs on inheritance and population genomics in polyploid-derived salmonid fishes.

A whole genome duplication occurred in the ancestor of all salmonid fishes some 50-100 million years ago. Early inheritance studies with allozymes indicated that loci in the salmonid genome are inherited disomically in females. However, some pairs of duplicated loci showed patterns of inheritance in males indicating pairing and recombination between homeologous chromosomes.

Temporally isolated lineages of pink salmon reveal unique signatures of selection on distinct pools of standing genetic variation.

A species' genetic diversity bears the marks of evolutionary processes that have occurred throughout its history. However, robust detection of selection in wild populations is difficult and often impeded by lack of replicate tests. Here, we investigate selection in pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) using genome scans coupled with inference from a haploid-assisted linkage map.