Data from: Genome scanning for detecting adaptive genes along environmental gradients in the Japanese conifer, Cryptomeria japonica

Local adaptation is important in evolutionary processes and speciation. We used multiple tests to identify several candidate genes that may be involved in local adaptation from 1026 loci in 14 natural populations of Cryptomeria japonica, the most economically important forestry tree in Japan. We also studied the relationships between genotypes and environmental variables to obtain information on the selective pressures acting on individual populations. Outlier loci were mapped onto a linkage map, and the positions of loci associated with specific environmental variables are considered. The outlier loci were not randomly distributed on the linkage map; linkage group 11 was identified as a genomic island of divergence. Three loci in this region were also associated with environmental variables such as mean annual temperature, daily maximum temperature, maximum snow depth, and so on. Outlier loci identified with high significance levels will be essential for conservation purposes and for future work on molecular breeding.

局部适应在演化过程与物种形成中具有重要意义。本研究以日本经济价值最高的用材树种柳杉（Cryptomeria japonica）为研究对象，借助多重检验方法，从其14个自然种群的1026个基因座（loci）中筛选出若干可能参与局部适应的候选基因。此外，本研究还分析了基因型与环境变量之间的关联，以解析作用于各自然种群的选择压力（selective pressures）。我们将异常基因座（outlier loci）定位至连锁图谱（linkage map），并考察了与特定环境变量相关的基因座的分布位置。研究结果显示，异常基因座在连锁图谱上并非随机分布：第11连锁群（linkage group）被鉴定为基因组分化岛（genomic island of divergence）。该区域内的3个基因座同时与年均温、日最高温、最大积雪深度等多项环境变量显著相关。经高显著性水平筛选得到的异常基因座，将在物种保护及未来分子育种（molecular breeding）研究中具备重要应用价值。