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Related Experiment Video

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

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Published on: February 3, 2023

Selective sweeps in multilocus models of quantitative traits.

Pavlos Pavlidis¹, Dirk Metzler, Wolfgang Stephan

¹Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 82152 Planegg, Germany. pavlidisp@gmail.com

|June 21, 2012

Summary

This study shows that allele fixation during polygenic trait selection is complex. Multilocus genetic architecture can prevent selective sweeps, but fixation remains likely depending on trait genetics.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary genetics
Population genetics
Quantitative genetics

Background:

Understanding allele frequency dynamics is crucial for predicting evolutionary trajectories.
Polygenic traits are influenced by multiple genes, making their selection dynamics complex.
The effect of selection on linked neutral variation is a key area in population genetics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the fixation probability of alleles affecting polygenic traits under selection towards a phenotypic optimum.
To analyze the impact of selected mutations on linked neutral variation.
To explore how the number of loci and genetic architecture influence evolutionary trajectories.

Main Methods:

Analysis of a two-locus, two-allele model.
Extension to diallelic models with up to eight loci.
Examination of allele trajectories, fixation probabilities, and polymorphic equilibria.
Investigation of genealogical summaries and sequence polymorphism.

Main Results:

In two-locus models with the double heterozygote at the optimum, fixation is rare, with polymorphic equilibria being common.
Fixation probability depends on selection intensity and locus distances to the optimum.
Increasing the number of loci decreases fixation probability due to diverse allelic combinations for adaptation.
Genealogy and polymorphism patterns are influenced by the equilibrium frequency of selected mutations.

Conclusions:

Multilocus selection can impede selective sweeps, but this depends heavily on the trait's genetic architecture.
Fixation of selected mutations is probable in many scenarios, contrary to some previous models.
The study highlights the intricate interplay between selection, genetic architecture, and evolutionary outcomes.