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A key metabolic gene for recurrent freshwater colonization and radiation in fishes
Ist Teil von
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 2019-05, Vol.364 (6443), p.886-889
Ort / Verlag
United States: The American Association for the Advancement of Science
Erscheinungsjahr
2019
Quelle
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Beschreibungen/Notizen
Colonization of new ecological niches has triggered large adaptive radiations. Although some lineages have made use of such opportunities, not all do so. The factors causing this variation among lineages are largely unknown. Here, we show that deficiency in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential ω-3 fatty acid, can constrain freshwater colonization by marine fishes. Our genomic analyses revealed multiple independent duplications of the fatty acid desaturase gene
in stickleback lineages that subsequently colonized and radiated in freshwater habitats, but not in close relatives that failed to colonize. Transgenic manipulation of
in marine stickleback increased their ability to synthesize DHA and survive on DHA-deficient diets. Multiple freshwater ray-finned fishes also show a convergent increase in
copies, indicating its key role in freshwater colonization.