Adaptation of fishes in Lake Biwa, an ancient temperate lake in Japan, and its genetic basis

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26291079
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Katsutoshi 京都大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00324955)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 馬渕 浩司 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 助教 (50401295) ; 小北 智之 福井県立大学, 公私立大学の部局等, 准教授 (60372835)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAKESHIMA Hirohiko 統合地球環境学研究所, 特任助教 (50573086)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 古代湖 / 琵琶湖 / 固有種 / 適応進化 / 遺伝基盤 / 人口統計学 / 分子系統 / 次世代シーケンサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify the origins and genetic basis of the adaptations of endemic species in the unique freshwater fish fauna of Lake Biwa, an ancient temperate lake, morphological comparisons and analyses of mitogenomes, gene expression, and genome-wide polymorphisms were conducted for several species groups. The study used four approaches to deepen our understanding of the adaptive evolution of the endemic fishes. (1) Phenotypes (morphology and gene expression) related to lake adaptation were clarified. (2) Robust phylogenetic relationships and demographic histories were estimated based on genetic variation in mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. (3) Screening for candidate genes for adaptation, the commonalities and diversity among species groups were clarified. (4) Genomic regions associated with adaptation were detected by quantitative trait locus analysis.

Free Research Field

進化生物学