Genome wide association analyses
GWAS analyses on dispersal phenotype revealed a single genomic region
that has been linked to regulation of diverse biological functions
(Figure 4). The top SNP in this region was SNPa105044 which explained
3.8% of the variance in dispersal probability (Supplementary Table S2).
SNPa105044 is located 16 Kbp downstream from Adenosine Receptor A2a
(ADORA2A) and 22 Kbp upstream from Beta-Ureidopropionase (UPB1) on
chromosome 15 in the house sparrow genome. ADORA2A encodes a member of
the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily that is involved in
increasing intracellular cAMP levels, and is a regulator of functions
including sleep cycles, cardiac rhythm and circulation, immune function,
and pain regulation (NCBI), as well as glycogenesis (González-Benítez,
Guinzberg, Díaz-Cruz, & Pia, 2002). UPB1 encodes a highly conserved
protein that catalyzes a late step in the nucleic acid pyrimidine
degradation leading to biosynthesis of beta-alanine in animals
(Matthews, Liao, Kvalnes-Krick, & Traut, 1992). In humans, UPB1
deficiency is associated with neurological problems (Dobritzsch et al.,
2022; Van Kuilenburg et al., 2004), and beta-alanine supplementation has
been shown to increase performance during intense exercise by
acid-buffering of the blood (Hobson, Saunders, Ball, Harris, & Sale,
2012; Milioni et al., 2019).