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Ninausz N, Fehér P, Csányi E, Heltai M, Szabó L, Barta E, Kemenszky P, Sándor G, Jánoska F, Horváth M, Kusza S, Frank K, Varga L, Stéger V. White and other fur colourations and hybridization in golden jackals (Canis aureus) in the Carpathian basin. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21969. [PMID: 38082037 PMCID: PMC10713657 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49265-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a reoccurring species in the centre of the Carpathian basin, in Hungary. In total, 31 golden jackal tissue samples were collected, from 8 white-coated, 2 black-coated and one mottled animal across Hungary. Sequences and fragment length polymorphisms were studied for white colour (MC1R), and for black coat colouration (CBD103). In each white animal, the most widespread mutation causing white fur colour in dogs in homozygous form was detected. Three animals were found to carry the mutation in heterozygous form. The two black golden jackals were heterozygous for the 3 bp deletion in CBD103 that mutation for black coat colouration in dogs, and one of them also carried the mutation causing white fur. None of the white animals showed signs of hybridization, but both the black and the mottled coloured individuals were found to be hybrids based on genetic testing. Kinship was found three times, twice between white animals, and once between a white animal and an agouti animal carrying the mutation of white coat. Our results confirm the findings that golden jackal-dog hybrids may occur without human intervention, and the detected mutation causing white fur colour in golden jackals could possibly be due to an early hybridization event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nóra Ninausz
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Péter Fehér
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Erika Csányi
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Sopron, Sopron, Hungary
| | - Miklós Heltai
- Department of Wildlife Biology and Management, Institute of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - László Szabó
- Department of Wildlife Biology and Management, Institute of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Endre Barta
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | | | - Gyula Sándor
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Sopron, Sopron, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Jánoska
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Sopron, Sopron, Hungary
| | | | - Szilvia Kusza
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - László Varga
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Viktor Stéger
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary.
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Vendrami DLJ, Gossmann TI, Chakarov N, Paijmans AJ, Eyre-Walker A, Forcada J, Hoffman JI. Signatures of selection on mitonuclear integrated genes uncover hidden mitogenomic variation in fur seals. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6637498. [PMID: 35809042 PMCID: PMC9338431 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear copies of mitochondrial genes (numts) are commonplace in vertebrate genomes and have been characterized in many species. However, relatively little attention has been paid to understanding their evolutionary origins and to disentangling alternative sources of insertions. Numts containing genes with intact mitochondrial reading frames represent good candidates for this purpose. The sequences of the genes they contain can be compared to their mitochondrial homologs to characterize synonymous to non-synonymous substitution rates, which can shed light on the selection pressures these genes have been subjected to. Here, we characterise 25 numts in the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) genome. Among those containing genes with intact mitochondrial reading frames, three carry multiple substitutions in comparison to their mitochondrial homologs. Our analyses reveal that one represents a historic insertion subjected to strong purifying selection since it colonized the Otarioidea in a genomic region enriched in retrotransposons. By contrast, the other two numts appear to be more recent and their large number of substitutions can be attributed to non-canonical insertions, either the integration of heteroplasmic mtDNA or hybridization. Our study sheds new light on the evolutionary history of pinniped numts and uncovers the presence of hidden sources of mitonuclear variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L J Vendrami
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Toni I Gossmann
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Nayden Chakarov
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anneke J Paijmans
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Adam Eyre-Walker
- School of Life Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jaume Forcada
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany.,British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
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Sagar V, Kaelin CB, Natesh M, Reddy PA, Mohapatra RK, Chhattani H, Thatte P, Vaidyanathan S, Biswas S, Bhatt S, Paul S, Jhala YV, Verma MM, Pandav B, Mondol S, Barsh GS, Swain D, Ramakrishnan U. High frequency of an otherwise rare phenotype in a small and isolated tiger population. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2025273118. [PMID: 34518374 PMCID: PMC8488692 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025273118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most endangered species exist today in small populations, many of which are isolated. Evolution in such populations is largely governed by genetic drift. Empirical evidence for drift affecting striking phenotypes based on substantial genetic data are rare. Approximately 37% of tigers (Panthera tigris) in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (in eastern India) are pseudomelanistic, characterized by wide, merged stripes. Camera trap data across the tiger range revealed the presence of pseudomelanistic tigers only in Similipal. We investigated the genetic basis for pseudomelanism and examined the role of drift in driving this phenotype's frequency. Whole-genome data and pedigree-based association analyses from captive tigers revealed that pseudomelanism cosegregates with a conserved and functionally important coding alteration in Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep), a gene responsible for similar traits in other felid species. Noninvasive sampling of tigers revealed a high frequency of the Taqpep p.H454Y mutation in Similipal (12 individuals, allele frequency = 0.58) and absence from all other tiger populations (395 individuals). Population genetic analyses confirmed few (minimal number) tigers in Similipal, and its genetic isolation, with poor geneflow. Pairwise FST (0.33) at the mutation site was high but not an outlier. Similipal tigers had low diversity at 81 single nucleotide polymorphisms (mean heterozygosity = 0.28, SD = 0.27). Simulations were consistent with founding events and drift as possible drivers for the observed stark difference of allele frequency. Our results highlight the role of stochastic processes in the evolution of rare phenotypes. We highlight an unusual evolutionary trajectory in a small and isolated population of an endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Sagar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India;
| | - Christopher B Kaelin
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94309
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806
| | - Meghana Natesh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
- Biology Department, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati 411008, India
| | - P Anuradha Reddy
- Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad 500048, India
| | | | - Himanshu Chhattani
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India
| | - Prachi Thatte
- World Wide Fund for Nature - India, New Delhi 110003 India
| | - Srinivas Vaidyanathan
- Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning, Auroville Post, Tamil Nadu 605101 India
| | | | | | - Shashi Paul
- Odisha Forest Department, Bhubaneswar 751023, India
| | - Yadavendradev V Jhala
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248001, India
- National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India Tiger Cell, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun 248001, India
| | | | | | | | - Gregory S Barsh
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94309
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806
| | - Debabrata Swain
- Former Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi 110003, India
- Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Indian Forest Service, Bhubaneswar 751023, India
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore 560065, India;
- DBT - Wellcome Trust India Alliance, Hyderabad 500034, India
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Tsunoi T, Noju K, Eto T, Suzuki H. A 1-bp deletion in Mc1r in a Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) from Sado Island, Japan gives rise to a yellowish color variant: an insight into mammalian MC1R variants. Genes Genet Syst 2021; 96:89-97. [PMID: 33994400 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.20-00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R) controls production of the pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin. Changes in MC1R lead to variation in coat color in mammals, which can range from entirely black (melanism) to yellowish. In this study, we report a case of a wild-caught Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) from Sado Island, Japan with a yellowish coat color. Upon sequencing the whole coding region of the Mc1r gene (954 bp), we found a 1-bp deletion at site 337 (c.337del), indicative of a frameshift mutation, which was characterized as a severe loss-of-function or null mutation. A spectrophotometer was used to measure coat color, revealing that the rat had a distinctly lighter coat, based on lightness score, than mice with homozygous similar loss-of-function mutations. This implies that loss-of-function mutations can yield different phenotypes in murine rodents. The loss-of-function-mutant rat exhibited a contrasting coat pattern consisting of darker and lighter colors along its dorsal and ventral sides, respectively. Similar patterns have been observed in homozygous MC1R-deficient mutants in other mammals, implying that the countershading pattern can still be expressed despite the absence of MC1R in the melanocyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeru Tsunoi
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
| | - Koki Noju
- Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
| | - Takeshi Eto
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus
| | - Hitoshi Suzuki
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
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Munds RA, Titus CL, Moreira LAA, Eggert LS, Blomquist GE. Examining the molecular basis of coat color in a nocturnal primate family (Lorisidae). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4442-4459. [PMID: 33976821 PMCID: PMC8093732 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms use color for camouflage, sexual signaling, or as a warning sign of danger. Primates are one of the most vibrantly colored Orders of mammals. However, the genetics underlying their coat color are poorly known, limiting our ability to study molecular aspects of its evolution. The role of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) in color evolution has been implicated in studies on rocket pocket mice (Chaetodipus intermediusi), toucans (Ramphastidae), and many domesticated animals. From these studies, we know that changes in MC1R result in a yellow/red or a brown/black morphology. Here, we investigate the evolution of MC1R in Lorisidae, a monophyletic nocturnal primate family, with some genera displaying high contrast variation in color patterns and other genera being monochromatic. Even more unique, the Lorisidae family has the only venomous primate: the slow loris (Nycticebus). Research has suggested that the contrasting coat patterns of slow lorises are aposematic signals for their venom. If so, we predict the MC1R in slow lorises will be under positive selection. In our study, we found that Lorisidae MC1R is under purifying selection (ω = 0.0912). In Lorisidae MC1R, there were a total of 75 variable nucleotides, 18 of which were nonsynonymous. Six of these nonsynonymous substitutions were found on the Perodicticus branch, which our reconstructions found to be the only member of Lorisidae that has predominantly lighter coat color; no substitutions were associated with Nycticebus. Our findings generate new insight into the genetics of pelage color and evolution among a unique group of nocturnal mammals and suggest putative underpinnings of monochromatic color evolution in the Perodicticus lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Munds
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
- Nocturnal Primate Research GroupOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Chelsea L. Titus
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Lais A. A. Moreira
- Department of Anthropology & ArchaeologyUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
| | - Lori S. Eggert
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
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Suzuki H, Kinoshita G, Tsunoi T, Noju K, Araki K. Mouse Hair Significantly Lightened Through Replacement of the Cysteine Residue in the N-Terminal Domain of Mc1r Using the CRISPR/Cas9 System. J Hered 2020; 111:640-645. [PMID: 33252683 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A loss-of-function mutation in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R), which switches off the eumelanin production, causes yellowish coat color variants in mammals. In a wild population of sables (Martes zibellina) in Hokkaido, Japan, the mutation responsible for a bright yellow coat color variant was inferred to be a cysteine replacement at codon 35 of the N-terminal extracellular domain of the Mc1r receptor. In the present study, we validated these findings by applying genome editing on Mc1r in mouse strains C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6N, altering the codon for cysteine (Cys33Phe). The resulting single amino acid substitution (Cys33Phe) and unintentionally generated frameshift mutations yielded a color variant exhibiting substantially brighter body color, indicating that the Cys35 replacement produced sufficient MC1R loss of function to confirm that this mutation is responsible for producing the Hokkaido sable yellow color variant. Notably, the yellowish mutant mouse phenotype exhibited brown coloration in subapical hair on the dorsal side in both the C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6N strains, despite the inability of the latter to produce the agouti signaling protein (Asip). This darker hair and body coloration was not apparent in the Hokkaido sable variant, implying the presence of an additional genetic system shaping yellowish hair variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Suzuki
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Gohta Kinoshita
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeru Tsunoi
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Koki Noju
- Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kimi Araki
- and Division of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Honjo, Kumamoto, Japan
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8
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Anomalous lanugo coat colourations in sub-Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) pups born on Marion Island. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02487-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Hoffman JI, Bauer E, Paijmans AJ, Humble E, Beckmann LM, Kubetschek C, Christaller F, Kröcker N, Fuchs B, Moreras A, Shihlomule YD, Bester MN, Cleary AC, De Bruyn PJN, Forcada J, Goebel ME, Goldsworthy SD, Guinet C, Hoelzel AR, Lydersen C, Kovacs KM, Lowther A. A global cline in a colour polymorphism suggests a limited contribution of gene flow towards the recovery of a heavily exploited marine mammal. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181227. [PMID: 30473858 PMCID: PMC6227926 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating how populations are connected by migration is important for understanding species resilience because gene flow can facilitate recovery from demographic declines. We therefore investigated the extent to which migration may have contributed to the global recovery of the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), a circumpolar distributed marine mammal that was brought to the brink of extinction by the sealing industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is widely believed that animals emigrating from South Georgia, where a relict population escaped sealing, contributed to the re-establishment of formerly occupied breeding colonies across the geographical range of the species. To investigate this, we interrogated a genetic polymorphism (S291F) in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene, which is responsible for a cream-coloured phenotype that is relatively abundant at South Georgia and which appears to have recently spread to localities as far afield as Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean. By sequencing a short region of this gene in 1492 pups from eight breeding colonies, we showed that S291F frequency rapidly declines with increasing geographical distance from South Georgia, consistent with locally restricted gene flow from South Georgia mainly to the South Shetland Islands and Bouvetøya. The S291F allele was not detected farther afield, suggesting that although emigrants from South Georgia may have been locally important, they are unlikely to have played a major role in the recovery of geographically more distant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - E. Bauer
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - A. J. Paijmans
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E. Humble
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - L. M. Beckmann
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - C. Kubetschek
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - F. Christaller
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - N. Kröcker
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - B. Fuchs
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - A. Moreras
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Y. D. Shihlomule
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - M. N. Bester
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - A. C. Cleary
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - P. J. N. De Bruyn
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - J. Forcada
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, UK
| | - M. E. Goebel
- Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - S. D. Goldsworthy
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, 2 Hamra Avenue, West Beach, South Australia 5024, Australia
| | - C. Guinet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), CNRS and Université de La Rochelle - UMR 7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - A. R. Hoelzel
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - C. Lydersen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - K. M. Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - A. Lowther
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
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RAD Sequencing and a Hybrid Antarctic Fur Seal Genome Assembly Reveal Rapidly Decaying Linkage Disequilibrium, Global Population Structure and Evidence for Inbreeding. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2018; 8:2709-2722. [PMID: 29954843 PMCID: PMC6071602 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in high throughput sequencing have transformed the study of wild organisms by facilitating the generation of high quality genome assemblies and dense genetic marker datasets. These resources have the potential to significantly advance our understanding of diverse phenomena at the level of species, populations and individuals, ranging from patterns of synteny through rates of linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay and population structure to individual inbreeding. Consequently, we used PacBio sequencing to refine an existing Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) genome assembly and genotyped 83 individuals from six populations using restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing. The resulting hybrid genome comprised 6,169 scaffolds with an N50 of 6.21 Mb and provided clear evidence for the conservation of large chromosomal segments between the fur seal and dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Focusing on the most extensively sampled population of South Georgia, we found that LD decayed rapidly, reaching the background level by around 400 kb, consistent with other vertebrates but at odds with the notion that fur seals experienced a strong historical bottleneck. We also found evidence for population structuring, with four main Antarctic island groups being resolved. Finally, appreciable variance in individual inbreeding could be detected, reflecting the strong polygyny and site fidelity of the species. Overall, our study contributes important resources for future genomic studies of fur seals and other pinnipeds while also providing a clear example of how high throughput sequencing can generate diverse biological insights at multiple levels of organization.
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Soulsbury CD, Lipponen A, Wood K, Mein CA, Hoffman JI, Lebigre C. Age- and quality-dependent DNA methylation correlate with melanin-based coloration in a wild bird. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6547-6557. [PMID: 30038756 PMCID: PMC6053554 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary sexual trait expression can be influenced by fixed individual factors (such as genetic quality) as well as by dynamic factors (such as age and environmentally induced gene expression) that may be associated with variation in condition or quality. In particular, melanin-based traits are known to relate to condition and there is a well-characterized genetic pathway underpinning their expression. However, the mechanisms linking variable trait expression to genetic quality remain unclear. One plausible mechanism is that genetic quality could influence trait expression via differential methylation and differential gene expression. We therefore conducted a pilot study examining DNA methylation at a candidate gene (agouti-related neuropeptide: AgRP) in the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. We specifically tested whether CpG methylation covaries with age and multilocus heterozygosity (a proxy of genetic quality) and from there whether the expression of a melanin-based ornament (ultraviolet-blue chroma) correlates with DNA methylation. Consistent with expectations, we found clear evidence for age- and heterozygosity-specific patterns of DNA methylation, with two CpG sites showing the greatest DNA methylation in highly heterozygous males at their peak age of reproduction. Furthermore, DNA methylation at three CpG sites was significantly positively correlated with ultraviolet-blue chroma. Ours is the first study to our knowledge to document age- and quality-dependent variation in DNA methylation and to show that dynamic sexual trait expression across the lifespan of an organism is associated with patterns of DNA methylation. Although we cannot demonstrate causality, our work provides empirical support for a mechanism that could potentially link key individual factors to variation in sexual trait expression in a wild vertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anssi Lipponen
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläFinland
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Kristie Wood
- The Genome Centre, Barts and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Charles A. Mein
- The Genome Centre, Barts and The London School of Medicine and DentistryQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal BehaviourUniversity of BielefeldBielefeldGermany
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Krause ET, Krüger O, Hoffman JI. The influence of inherited plumage colour morph on morphometric traits and breeding investment in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188582. [PMID: 29190647 PMCID: PMC5708660 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanin-based plumage polymorphism occurs in many wild bird populations and has been linked to fitness variation in several species. These fitness differences often arise as a consequence of variation in traits such as behaviour, immune responsiveness, body size and reproductive investment. However, few studies have controlled for genetic differences between colour morphs that could potentially generate artefactual associations between plumage colouration and trait variation. Here, we used zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as a model system in order to evaluate whether life-history traits such as adult body condition and reproductive investment could be influenced by plumage morph. To maximise any potential differences, we selected wild-type and white plumage morphs, which differ maximally in their extent of melanisation, while using a controlled three-generation breeding design to homogenise the genetic background. We found that F2 adults with white plumage colouration were on average lighter and had poorer body condition than wild-type F2 birds. However, they appeared to compensate for this by reproducing earlier and producing heavier eggs relative to their own body mass. Our study thus reveals differences in morphological and life history traits that could be relevant to fitness variation, although further studies will be required to evaluate fitness effects under natural conditions as well as to characterise any potential fitness costs of compensatory strategies in white zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Tobias Krause
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Celle, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Joseph I. Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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