Identification of a single genomic region associated with seasonal river return timing in adult Scottish Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) identified using a genome-wide association study.

• Main Authors: Cauwelier, Eef, Gilbey, John, Sampayo, James, Stradmeyer, Lee, Middlemas, Stuart J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing) 2017
• Subjects: Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/87823; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0293

Examination of the genetic basis of the timing of the return migration of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) to freshwater from the sea, a trait of economic and conservation interest, was carried out using a genome-wide association study. Genotype data from 52,731 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers from 73 early and 49 late running two sea-winter salmon from five rivers in eastern Scotland was examined. A single region of the Atlantic salmon chromosome Ssa09 was identified, containing nine SNP markers significantly associated with run timing, a region previously linked to variation in sea age at maturity. Validation of the markers in a group of 233 one and two sea-winter fish, including adults from a novel river, again showed significant associations between the trait and the Ssa09 region, explaining ~24% of the trait variance. The SNP loci identified provide the ability to examine trait variation in populations of Atlantic salmon and so help facilitate conservation management of the differing run timing phenotypes. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author.