Title

Red fox genome assembly identifies genomic regions associated with tame and aggressive behaviours

Authors

Anna V. Kukekova, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Jennifer L. Johnson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Xueyan Xiang, China National Genebank
Shaohong Feng, China National Genebank
Shiping Liu, China National Genebank
Halie M. Rando, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Anastasiya V. Kharlamova, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Yury Herbeck, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Natalya A. Serdyukova, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the RAS
Zijun Xiong, China National Genebank
Violetta Beklemischeva, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the RAS
Klaus Peter Koepfli, National Zoological Park
Rimma G. Gulevich, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Anastasiya V. Vladimirova, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Jessica P. Hekman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Polina L. Perelman, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the RAS
Aleksander S. Graphodatsky, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the RAS
Stephen J. O’Brien, Saint Petersburg State UniversityFollow
Xu Wang, Cornell University
Andrew G. Clark, Cornell University
Gregory M. Acland, Cornell University
Lyudmila N. Trut, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Guojie Zhang, China National Genebank

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2018

Publication Title

Nature Ecology and Evolution

ISSN

2397334X

Volume

2

Issue/No.

9

First Page

1479

Last Page

1491

Abstract

Strains of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) with markedly different behavioural phenotypes have been developed in the famous long-term selective breeding programme known as the Russian farm-fox experiment. Here we sequenced and assembled the red fox genome and re-sequenced a subset of foxes from the tame, aggressive and conventional farm-bred populations to identify genomic regions associated with the response to selection for behaviour. Analysis of the re-sequenced genomes identified 103 regions with either significantly decreased heterozygosity in one of the three populations or increased divergence between the populations. A strong positional candidate gene for tame behaviour was highlighted: SorCS1, which encodes the main trafficking protein for AMPA glutamate receptors and neurexins and suggests a role for synaptic plasticity in fox domestication. Other regions identified as likely to have been under selection in foxes include genes implicated in human neurological disorders, mouse behaviour and dog domestication. The fox represents a powerful model for the genetic analysis of affiliative and aggressive behaviours that can benefit genetic studies of behaviour in dogs and other mammals, including humans.

NSUWorks Citation

Kukekova, Anna V.; Jennifer L. Johnson; Xueyan Xiang; Shaohong Feng; Shiping Liu; Halie M. Rando; Anastasiya V. Kharlamova; Yury Herbeck; Natalya A. Serdyukova; Zijun Xiong; Violetta Beklemischeva; Klaus Peter Koepfli; Rimma G. Gulevich; Anastasiya V. Vladimirova; Jessica P. Hekman; Polina L. Perelman; Aleksander S. Graphodatsky; Stephen J. O’Brien; Xu Wang; Andrew G. Clark; Gregory M. Acland; Lyudmila N. Trut; and Guojie Zhang. 2018. "Red fox genome assembly identifies genomic regions associated with tame and aggressive behaviours." Nature Ecology and Evolution 2, (9): 1479-1491. doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0611-6.

DOI

10.1038/s41559-018-0611-6