Selection on VPS13A linked to migration in a songbird

Animal migration demands an interconnected suite of adaptations for individuals to navigate over long distances. This trait complex is crucial for small birds whose migratory behaviors—such as directionality—are more likely innate, rather than being learned as in many longer-lived birds. Identifying causal genes has been a central goal of migration ecology, and this endeavor has been furthered by genome-scale comparisons. However, even the most successful studies of migration genetics have achieved low resolution associations, identifying large chromosomal regions that encompass hundreds of genes, one or more of which might be causal. Here we leverage the genomic similarity among golden-winged (Vermivora chrysoptera) and blue-winged warblers (V. cyanoptera) to identify a single gene—Vacuolar Protein Sorting 13A (VPS13A)—that is associated with distinct differences in migration to Central American (CA) or South American (SA) wintering areas. We find reduced sequence variation in this gen...

动物迁徙需要一套相互协同的适应性特征组合，以支撑个体完成长距离导航。这类性状复合体对于小型鸟类尤为关键，它们的迁徙行为（如方向定位能力）多为先天固有，而非像多数长寿命鸟类那般通过后天学习获得。鉴定迁徙相关的因果基因一直是迁徙生态学的核心研究目标，而全基因组比较分析进一步推动了该领域的研究进程。然而，即便是最具成效的迁徙遗传学研究，也仅能获得低分辨率的基因关联结果：仅能定位到包含数百个基因的大型染色体区域，其中或仅存在一个或数个真正的因果基因。本研究借助金翅莺（Vermivora chrysoptera）与蓝翅莺（V. cyanoptera）的基因组相似性，成功鉴定出单个基因——囊泡蛋白分选13A（Vacuolar Protein Sorting 13A, VPS13A）——其与鸟类迁徙至中美洲（CA）或南美洲（SA）越冬地的显著差异存在关联。我们发现该基因的序列变异程度在……