GEPHE SUMMARY Print
Gephebase Gene
SPR
Entry Status
Published
GepheID
GP00002119
Main curator
Santos
PHENOTYPIC CHANGE
Trait Category
Trait State in Taxon A
Presence of ventral orange pigmentation
Trait State in Taxon B
Absence of orange: individuals have either yellow or mosaic pigmentation (a mixture of orange and white)
Ancestral State
Unknown
Taxonomic Status
Taxon A
Common Name
Common wall lizard
Synonyms
Lacerrta muralis; Common wall lizard; Mauereidechse; Lacerrta muralis Dumeril & Bibron, 1893; Podarcis muralis (Dumeril & Bibron, 1839)
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... tomi; Sarcopterygii; Dipnotetrapodomorpha; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Sauropsida; Sauria; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Bifurcata; Unidentata; Episquamata; Laterata; Lacertibaenia; Lacertidae; Lacertinae; Podarcis
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon A an Infraspecies?
No
Taxon B
Common Name
Common wall lizard
Synonyms
Lacerrta muralis; Common wall lizard; Mauereidechse; Lacerrta muralis Dumeril & Bibron, 1893; Podarcis muralis (Dumeril & Bibron, 1839)
Rank
species
Lineage
Show more ... tomi; Sarcopterygii; Dipnotetrapodomorpha; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Sauropsida; Sauria; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Bifurcata; Unidentata; Episquamata; Laterata; Lacertibaenia; Lacertidae; Lacertinae; Podarcis
NCBI Taxonomy ID
is Taxon B an Infraspecies?
No
GENOTYPIC CHANGE
Presumptive Null
No
Molecular Type
Aberration Type
Molecular Details of the Mutation
-
Experimental Evidence
Authors
Andrade P; Pinho C; Pérez I de Lanuza G; Afonso S; Brejcha J; Rubin CJ; Wallerman O; Pereira P; et al. ... show more
Abstract
Reptiles use pterin and carotenoid pigments to produce yellow, orange, and red colors. These conspicuous colors serve a diversity of signaling functions, but their molecular basis remains unresolved. Here, we show that the genomes of sympatric color morphs of the European common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which differ in orange and yellow pigmentation and in their ecology and behavior, are virtually undifferentiated. Genetic differences are restricted to two small regulatory regions near genes associated with pterin [sepiapterin reductase (SPR)] and carotenoid [beta-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2)] metabolism, demonstrating that a core gene in the housekeeping pathway of pterin biosynthesis has been coopted for bright coloration in reptiles and indicating that these loci exert pleiotropic effects on other aspects of physiology. Pigmentation differences are explained by extremely divergent alleles, and haplotype analysis revealed abundant transspecific allele sharing with other lacertids exhibiting color polymorphisms. The evolution of these conspicuous color ornaments is the result of ancient genetic variation and cross-species hybridization.

Copyright © 2019 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
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