Selection on; VPS13A; linked to long-distance migratory behavior in a songbird
Journal Article
Overview
abstract
; Animal migration demands an interconnected suite of physiological, behavioral, and neurological adaptations for individuals to successfully navigate and travel over long distances; 1–3; . This trait complex is especially crucial for small songbirds whose migratory behaviors—like directionality and orientation—are innate; 4,5; , rather than being learned as in many large, longer-lived birds. Identifying causal genes involved in these traits has been a central goal of migration ecology, and this endeavor has been furthered by genome-scale comparisons; 6; . However, even the most successful studies of migration genetics have only achieved low resolution associations, identifying large chromosomal regions, across multiple haplotype blocks, that encompass hundreds of putatively causal genes; 7,8; . Here we leverage the extreme genomic similarity among golden-winged (; Vermivora chrysoptera; ) and blue-winged warblers (; Vermivora cyanoptera; ); 9; to identify a single gene—; Vacuolar Protein Sorting 13 Homolog A; (; VPS13A; )—that is associated with distinct differences in migration directionality to Central American (CA) versus South American (SA) wintering areas; 10; . Moreover, we find significantly reduced sequence variation in this gene-region for SA wintering birds, and show this is the result of strong natural selection on this gene. In humans,; VPS13A; codes for chorein, and variants of this gene are associated with the neurodegenerative disorder chorea-acanthocytosis; 11; . This new association provides the strongest gene-level linkage for avian migration directionality, and further interrogation of this gene will allow for a better understanding of its role in neuro-muscular processes across vertebrates.;
