The Effect of Selection on a Long Wavelength-Sensitive (LWS) Opsin Gene of Lake Victoria Cichlid Fishes

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 99; no. 24; pp. 15501 - 15506
• Main Authors: Terai, Vohey, Mayer, Werner E., Klein, Jan, Tichy, Herbert, Okada, Norihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 26.11.2002; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Africa, Eastern; Alleles; Amino Acid Substitution; Amino acids; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Biological Sciences; Cichlidae; Cichlids - classification; Cichlids - genetics; Cichlids - physiology; Endemic species; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Evolutionary genetics; Exons; Fish; Freshwater; Freshwater fishes; Genes; Genetic loci; Genetic Variation; Genetics, Population; Hydrogen Bonding; Lakes; Light; LWS gene; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleotides; Opsins; Pigmentation; Polymorphism, Genetic; Rod Opsins - genetics; Rod Opsins - radiation effects; Selection, Genetic; Species Specificity; Africa, Eastern; Lake Victoria; Africa, Victoria L
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.232561099

In East African Lake Victoria >200 endemic species of haplochromine fishes have been described on the basis of morphological and behavioral differences. Yet molecular analysis has failed to reveal any species-specific differences among these fishes in either mitochondrial or nuclear genes. Although the genes could be shown to vary, the variations represent trans-species polymorphisms not yet assorted along species lines. Nevertheless, fixed genetic differences must exist between the species at loci responsible for the adaptive characters distinguishing the various forms from one another. Here we describe variation and fixation at the long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin locus, which is selection-driven, adaptive, and if not species- then at least population-specific. Because color is one of the characters distinguishing species of haplochromine fishes and color perception plays an important part in food acquisition and mate choice, we suggest that the observed variation and fixation at the LWS opsin locus may have been involved in the process that has led to the spectacular species divergence of haplochromine fishes in Lake Victoria.