Genetic basis and expression of ventral colour in polymorphic common lizards

Recknagel, H. , Leitão, H. G. and Elmer, K. R. (2024) Genetic basis and expression of ventral colour in polymorphic common lizards. Molecular Ecology, 33(5), e17278. (doi: 10.1111/mec.17278) (PMID:38268086)

Abstract

Colour is an important visual cue that can correlate with sex, behaviour, life history or ecological strategies, and has evolved divergently and convergently across animal lineages. Its genetic basis in non-model organisms is rarely known, but such information is vital for determining the drivers and mechanisms of colour evolution. Leveraging genetic admixture in a rare contact zone between oviparous and viviparous common lizards (Zootoca vivipara), we show that females (N = 558) of the two otherwise morphologically indistinguishable reproductive modes differ in their ventral colouration (from pale to vibrant yellow) and intensity of melanic patterning. We find no association between female colouration and reproductive investment, and no evidence for selection on colour. Using a combination of genetic mapping and transcriptomic evidence, we identified two candidate genes associated with ventral colour differentiation, DGAT2 and PMEL. These are genes known to be involved in carotenoid metabolism and melanin synthesis respectively. Ventral melanic spots were associated with two genomic regions, including a SNP close to protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) genes. Using genome re-sequencing data, our results show that fixed coding mutations in the candidate genes cannot account for differences in colouration. Taken together, our findings show that the evolution of ventral colouration and its associations across common lizard lineages is variable. A potential genetic mechanism explaining the flexibility of ventral colouration may be that colouration in common lizards, but also across squamates, is predominantly driven by regulatory genetic variation.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Recknagel, Mr Hans and Elmer, Professor Kathryn and Leitao, Mr Henrique
• Authors: Recknagel, H., Leitão, H. G., and Elmer, K. R.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Molecular Ecology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0962-1083
• ISSN (Online): 1365-294X
• Published Online: 24 January 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Molecular Ecology 33(5):e17278
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
172352		From egg-laying to live-bearing: Unravelling the genetics of a major evolutionary transition	Kathryn Elmer	Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)	NE/N003942/1	Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine