Molecular Evolution of Cytochrome b in High- and Low-Altitude Deer Mice (Genus Peromyscus)

Authors

• Eben Gering, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
• J. C. Opazo, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• J. F. Storz, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

ORCID

0000-0002-1270-6727

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Heredity

ISSN

0018-067X

Publication Date

12-24-2008

Keywords

Adaptation, Cytochrome b, Deer mouse, McDonald-Kreitman test, Positive selectoin, Peromyscus

Abstract

Patterns of amino-acid polymorphism in human mitochondrial genes have been interpreted as evidence for divergent selection among populations that inhabit climatically distinct environments. If similar patterns are mirrored in other broadly distributed mammalian species, then adaptive modifications of mitochondrial protein function may be detected in comparisons among locally adapted populations of a single wide-ranging species, or among closely related species that have adapted to different environments. Here, we test for evidence of positive selection on cytochrome b variation within and among species of the ecologically diverse rodent genus Peromyscus. We used likelihood-based comparisons of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates to test for evidence of divergent selection between high- and low-altitude haplogroups of the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus. We also tested for evidence of divergent selection among different species of Peromyscus that inhabit different thermal environments. In contrast to the purported evidence for positive selection on mitochondrial proteins in humans and other nonhuman mammals, results of our tests suggest that the evolution of cytochrome b in Peromyscus is chiefly governed by purifying selection.

DOI

10.1038/hdy.2008.124

Volume

102

Issue

3

First Page

226

Last Page

235

Comments

©2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved

Additional Comments

NSF grant #: DEB-0614342; NIH grant #: R01 HL087216

NSUWorks Citation

Gering, Eben; J. C. Opazo; and J. F. Storz. 2008. "Molecular Evolution of Cytochrome b in High- and Low-Altitude Deer Mice (Genus Peromyscus)." Heredity 102, (3): 226-235. doi:10.1038/hdy.2008.124.