Whole-genome sequencing shows the role of gene regulation in local adaptation to environmental variability

Abstract

Different populations of purple sea urchins have been experiencing different magnitudes of pH variability for millions of years and as a consequence have evolved population-specific phenotypic plasticity. In this study, the whole genome of 140 purple urchins from 7 populations experiencing different pH variabilities was sequenced and set of mutations putatively involved in local adaptation were identified. We found that many of these mutations are located in genes involved in ion transmembrane transport and carbonate dehydratase activity, and enhancer regions and coding regions of transcription factors, supporting the idea that gene regulation is important in adaptation to variable environmental conditions