Les téosintes Zea mays ssp. parviglumis et ssp. mexicana sont les apparentés sauvages les plus proches du maïs cultivé. Elles occupent au Mexique des niches écologiques distinctes bien délimitées par l’altitude. Zea mays ssp. parviglumis pousse dans des environnements chauds et humides situés à moins de 1800m d’altitude, tandis que Zea mays ssp mexicana pousse dans des environnements plus secs et froids (au-dessus de 1800m). Nous nous sommes intéressés aux bases génétiques de l’adaptation locale des téosintes à l’altitude. Dans ce but, 37 populations ont été échantillonnées le long de deux gradients altitudinaux, utilisés comme réplicats biologiques. Deux populations extrêmes de chaque gradient ainsi que deux populations de moyenne altitude de chaque sous-espèce du gradient 1 ont été séquencées à faible profondeur afin de découvrir des polymorphismes dont les fréquences alléliques sont contrastées entre les extrêmes tout en contrôlant pour la différenciation entre les sous-espèces. A partir de méthodes de détection de la sélection intra- et inter-populationnelle, des locus candidats ont été détectés. Une revue bibliographique a permis d’établir des correspondances entre nos candidats et des régions précédemment décrites pour leurs effets phénotypiques sur des caractères adaptatifs. Nous montrons ainsi un rôle important des interactions sol-plante et de la pilosité des feuilles dans l’adaptation à l’altitude. Pour valider certains de nos candidats, 270 polymorphismes ont été génotypés sur les 37 populations afin de réaliser des études de clines de fréquence. Parallèlement, nous avons mis en œuvre un dispositif de caractérisation phénotypique (2 lieux x 2 années) afin de tester l’association entre ces polymorphismes et 18 caractères mesurés en champ. Nous discutons des apports méthodologiques de notre étude aussi bien du point de vue des technologies haut débit que de la détection de la sélection. Notre dispositif devra être pleinement exploité pour valider nos candidats. Les perspectives incluent la poursuite de l’étude sur d’autres types de polymorphismes ainsi qu’un suivi temporel des populations. / Teosintes Zea mays ssp parviglumis (parviglumis) and Zea mays ssp mexicana (mexicana) are the closest wild relatives of cultivated maize. They occupy distinct ecological niches in Mexico, well separated by altitude. Zea mays ssp. parviglumis encountered below 1800m grows in wet and warm conditions, while mexicana grows in drier and colder climates (above 1800m). In order to investigate the genetic bases of local adaptation to altitude, we sampled 37 populations along two altitudinal gradients. We sequenced the two most extreme populations of each gradient as well as two intermediate populations - one from each subspecies along gradient 1. We searched for polymorphisms with contrasted allele frequencies between the extremes while accounting for subspecies differentiation. Using both inter- and intra- population methods we identified several candidate loci. Based on a literature review, we confronted them with regions previously described as involved in phenotypic variation of adaptive traits. Our results highlight the role of plant-soil interactions and leaves hairiness in the adaptation to altitude. To validate further a subset of 270 polymorphisms chosen among our best candidates, we genotyped them on the 37 populations with the aim of performing clinal analyzes of allele frequencies. In parallel, we undertook phenotypic evaluation trials (2 locations x 2 years) to test the association of these polymorphisms with 18 traits measured in the field. We discuss the methodological contributions of our study both from the standpoint of high throughput technologies and detection of selective footprints. Our setting will be fully exploited to validate our candidates. Perspectives include the discovery and assessment of the contribution of other types of polymorphisms and the temporal follow-up of populations.

<p>Domestication has led to genetic changes that affect quantitative traits in farm animals. Both candidate gene analysis using association tests and genome scans based on linkage analysis have been performed to understand the molecular basis underlying quantitative genetic variation in horses, pigs and chickens. To test a possible association of polymorphisms in the <i>PRKAG3</i> gene, previously found to be associated with excess glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle, with quantitative traits in the horse, the major coding part of the equine <i>PRKAG3</i> sequence was identified. Bioinformatic characterization of the equine <i>PRKAG3</i> gene was conducted. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing a missense mutation (Pro258Leu) was found. Screening this SNP showed that the Leu258 allele was more frequent in breeds with heavy muscularity. To assess previously reported associations between polymorphisms in the <i>MC4R</i> gene and obesity-related traits further, we conducted linkage analysis between the <i>MC4R</i> locus and fatness-related traits using a Wild BoarxLarge White intercross. No significant association between segregation at the <i>MC4R</i> locus and fatness was detected in this pedigree. A genome scan of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has been performed in an intercross between chicken lines divergently selected for growth. Divergent parental lines have been established by selecting for high and low 56-day body weight for over 40 generations. The selection has led to approximately a 9-fold difference in 56-day body weight between lines and resulted in correlated responses for a number of traits including appetite, immune response, body composition and metabolic traits. Phenotypic data on growth and other correlated traits were collected from more than 800 F2 individuals. Genome scans using 145 markers on 26 linkage groups have identified QTLs affecting growth and correlated responses to selection for 56-day body weight. No major QTL explaining a large portion of phenotypic variation in growth was revealed in this study. </p>

Domestication has led to genetic changes that affect quantitative traits in farm animals. Both candidate gene analysis using association tests and genome scans based on linkage analysis have been performed to understand the molecular basis underlying quantitative genetic variation in horses, pigs and chickens. To test a possible association of polymorphisms in the PRKAG3 gene, previously found to be associated with excess glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle, with quantitative traits in the horse, the major coding part of the equine PRKAG3 sequence was identified. Bioinformatic characterization of the equine PRKAG3 gene was conducted. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing a missense mutation (Pro258Leu) was found. Screening this SNP showed that the Leu258 allele was more frequent in breeds with heavy muscularity. To assess previously reported associations between polymorphisms in the MC4R gene and obesity-related traits further, we conducted linkage analysis between the MC4R locus and fatness-related traits using a Wild BoarxLarge White intercross. No significant association between segregation at the MC4R locus and fatness was detected in this pedigree. A genome scan of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has been performed in an intercross between chicken lines divergently selected for growth. Divergent parental lines have been established by selecting for high and low 56-day body weight for over 40 generations. The selection has led to approximately a 9-fold difference in 56-day body weight between lines and resulted in correlated responses for a number of traits including appetite, immune response, body composition and metabolic traits. Phenotypic data on growth and other correlated traits were collected from more than 800 F2 individuals. Genome scans using 145 markers on 26 linkage groups have identified QTLs affecting growth and correlated responses to selection for 56-day body weight. No major QTL explaining a large portion of phenotypic variation in growth was revealed in this study.