Massive haplotypes underlie ecotypic differentiation in sunflowers
University of British Columbia · University of California, Berkeley · +9 more institutions
Abstract
Species often include multiple ecotypes that are adapted to different environments1. However, it is unclear how ecotypes arise and how their distinctive combinations of adaptive alleles are maintained despite hybridization with non-adapted populations2–4. Here, by resequencing 1,506 wild sunflowers from 3 species (Helianthus annuus, Helianthus petiolaris and Helianthus argophyllus), we identify 37 large (1–100 Mbp in size), non-recombining haplotype blocks that are associated with numerous ecologically relevant traits, as well as soil and climate characteristics. Limited recombination in these haplotype blocks keeps adaptive alleles together, and these regions differentiate sunflower ecotypes. For example,…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 51.98
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 92
Authors
22Topics & keywords
- Ecotype
- Biology
- Haplotype
- Helianthus annuus
- Helianthus
- Allele
- Sunflower
- Locus (genetics)
- Climate action