Rabbit genome analysis reveals a polygenic basis for phenotypic change during domestication.

Science
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

The genetic changes underlying the initial steps of animal domestication are still poorly understood. We generated a high-quality reference genome for the rabbit and compared it to resequencing data from populations of wild and domestic rabbits. We identified more than 100 selective sweeps specific to domestic rabbits but only a relatively small number of fixed (or nearly fixed) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for derived alleles. SNPs with marked allele frequency differences between wild and domestic rabbits were enriched for conserved noncoding sites. Enrichment analyses suggest that genes affecting brain and neuronal development have often been targeted during domestication. We propose that because of a truly complex genetic background, tame behavior in rabbits and other domestic animals evolved by shifts in allele frequencies at many loci, rather than by critical changes at only a few domestication loci.

Year of Publication
2014
Journal
Science
Volume
345
Issue
6200
Pages
1074-9
Date Published
2014 Aug 29
ISSN
1095-9203
URL
DOI
10.1126/science.1253714
PubMed ID
25170157
Links
Grant list
WT095908 / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom
WT098051 / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom
Intramural NIH HHS / United States
095908 / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom
U54 HG003067 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States