Maternal and biparental genetic surveys of the Iberian honey bee (Apismelliferaiberiensis) populations have revealed complex and incongruent patterns of variation which have yet to be completely understood. Complex patternsare expected inregions like the Iberian Peninsulabecause (1) itcomprises a diverse range of habitats and climates,(2) it has served as a glacial refugium during the Pleistocene, and (3) it has functioned as a bridge for populations migrating between Africa and Europe. While the demographic history played an important role in shaping the genome of the Iberian honey bee, selection is an evolutionary force that cannot be discarded. In this study we used Illumina technology to
sequence the whole genomes of 87 Iberian honey bees collected across three longitudinal transects in the Iberian Peninsula. The whole-genome dataset was scanned for signatures of selection using two genetic-environment association methods (LFMM and Samβada). A total of 828 SNPs, spanning 308 genes, were detected by both methods. Of the 308 genes,25 have SNPs in non-synonymous
positions which were analyzed for positive selectionusing eight codon-substitution models (four neutral and four under selection) implemented by PAML and Selecton softwares.Of the 25 genes, 13 out show signals of positive selection. Functional annotation indicates that these genes are involved in various biological processes such as sensory perception of smell (2 genes), oxidation-reduction (2
genes), neurogenesis (1 gene) and cellular response to starvation (1 gene). This study represents an important first step into understanding local adaptation of Iberian honey bees.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
