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Chen B, Dai W, Li X, Mao T, Liu Y, Pie MR, Yang J, Meegaskumbura M. Wall-following - Phylogenetic context of an enhanced behaviour in stygomorphic Sinocyclocheilus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) cavefishes. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11575. [PMID: 38932953 PMCID: PMC11199845 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
With 75 known species, the freshwater fish genus Sinocyclocheilus is the largest cavefish radiation in the world and shows multiple adaptations for cave-dwelling (stygomorphic adaptations), which include a range of traits such as eye degeneration (normal-eyed, micro-eyed and eyeless), depigmentation of skin, and in some species, the presence of "horns". Their behavioural adaptations to subterranean environments, however, are poorly understood. Wall-following (WF) behaviour, where an organism remains in close contact with the boundary demarcating its habitat when in the dark, is a peculiar behaviour observed in a wide range of animals and is enhanced in cave dwellers. Hence, we hypothesise that wall-following is also present in Sinocyclocheilus, possibly enhanced in eyeless species compared to eye bearing (normal-/micro-eyed species). Using 13 species representative of Sinocyclocheilus radiation and eye morphs, we designed a series of assays, based on pre-existing methods for Astyanax mexicanus behavioural experiments, to examine wall-following behaviour under three conditions. Our results indicate that eyeless species exhibit significantly enhanced intensities of WF compared to normal-eyed species, with micro-eyed forms demonstrating intermediate intensities in the WF distance. Using a mtDNA based dated phylogeny (chronogram with four clades A-D), we traced the degree of WF of these forms to outline common patterns. We show that the intensity of WF behaviour is higher in the subterranean clades compared to clades dominated by normal-eyed free-living species. We also found that eyeless species are highly sensitive to vibrations, whereas normal-eyed species are the least sensitive. Since WF behaviour is presented to some degree in all Sinocyclocheilus species, and given that these fishes evolved in the late Miocene, we identify this behaviour as being ancestral with WF enhancement related to cave occupation. Results from this diversification-scale study of cavefish behaviour suggest that enhanced wall-following behaviour may be a convergent trait across all stygomorphic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Wen‐Zhang Dai
- School of Life Science and Institute of Wetland EcologyNanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xiang‐Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest ResourcesSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Ting‐Ru Mao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
| | - Ye‐Wei Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
| | - Marcio R. Pie
- Biology DepartmentEdge Hill UniversityOrmskirkLancashireUK
| | - Jian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resource Use, Beibu GulfNanning Normal UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of ForestryGuangxi UniversityNanningChina
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2
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Lloyd E, Xia F, Moore K, Zertuche C, Rastogi A, Kozol R, Kenzior O, Warren W, Appelbaum L, Moran RL, Zhao C, Duboue E, Rohner N, Keene AC. Elevated DNA Damage without signs of aging in the short-sleeping Mexican Cavefish. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.18.590174. [PMID: 38659770 PMCID: PMC11042282 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.18.590174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Dysregulation of sleep has widespread health consequences and represents an enormous health burden. Short-sleeping individuals are predisposed to the effects of neurodegeneration, suggesting a critical role for sleep in the maintenance of neuronal health. While the effects of sleep on cellular function are not completely understood, growing evidence has identified an association between sleep loss and DNA damage, raising the possibility that sleep facilitates efficient DNA repair. The Mexican tetra fish, Astyanax mexicanus provides a model to investigate the evolutionary basis for changes in sleep and the consequences of sleep loss. Multiple cave-adapted populations of these fish have evolved to sleep for substantially less time compared to surface populations of the same species without identifiable impacts on healthspan or longevity. To investigate whether the evolved sleep loss is associated with DNA damage and cellular stress, we compared the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and oxidative stress levels between A. mexicanus populations. We measured markers of chronic sleep loss and discovered elevated levels of the DNA damage marker γH2AX in the brain, and increased oxidative stress in the gut of cavefish, consistent with chronic sleep deprivation. Notably, we found that acute UV-induced DNA damage elicited an increase in sleep in surface fish but not in cavefish. On a transcriptional level, only the surface fish activated the photoreactivation repair pathway following UV damage. These findings suggest a reduction of the DDR in cavefish compared to surface fish that coincides with elevated DNA damage in cavefish. To examine DDR pathways at a cellular level, we created an embryonic fibroblast cell line from the two populations of A. mexicanus. We observed that both the DDR and DNA repair were diminished in the cavefish cells, corroborating the in vivo findings and suggesting that the acute response to DNA damage is lost in cavefish. To investigate the long-term impact of these changes, we compared the transcriptome in the brain and gut of aged surface fish and cavefish. Strikingly, many genes that are differentially expressed between young and old surface fish do not transcriptionally vary by age in cavefish. Taken together, these findings suggest that have developed resilience to sleep loss, despite possessing cellular hallmarks of chronic sleep deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Fanning Xia
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Kinsley Moore
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Carolina Zertuche
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Aakriti Rastogi
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Rob Kozol
- Harriet Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458
| | - Olga Kenzior
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Wesley Warren
- Department of Genomics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - Lior Appelbaum
- Faculty of Life Science and the Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Illan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Rachel L Moran
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
| | - Chongbei Zhao
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Erik Duboue
- Harriet Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458
| | - Nicolas Rohner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840
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Jolles JW, Böhm A, Brinker A, Behrmann-Godel J. Unravelling the origins of boldness behaviour: a common garden experiment with cavefish ( Barbatula barbatula). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231517. [PMID: 38204784 PMCID: PMC10776215 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Many animals show an aversion to bright, open spaces, with significant variability seen across species, populations and individuals within populations. Although there is much interest in the underlying causes of this behaviour, few studies have been able to systematically isolate the role of heritable and environmental effects. Here, we addressed this gap using a common garden experiment with cavefish. Specifically, we bred and cross-bred cave loaches (Barbatula barbatula), Europe's only known cavefish, in the laboratory, raised the offspring in complete darkness or normal light conditions, and studied their light avoidance behaviour. Cavefish spent much more time in a light area and ventured further out, while surface fish spent considerable time in risk-assessment behaviour between the light and dark areas. Hybrids behaved most similarly to cavefish. Light treatment and eye quality and lens size only had a modest effect. Our results suggest light avoidance behaviour of cavefish has a heritable basis and is fundamentally linked to increased boldness rather than reduced vision, which is likely adaptive given the complete lack of macropredators in the cave environment. Our study provides novel experimental insights into the behavioural divergence of cavefish and contributes to our broader understanding of the evolution of boldness and behavioural adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolle W. Jolles
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Studies Blanes (CEAB), CSIC, Blanes, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Alexander Böhm
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Brinker
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Jasminca Behrmann-Godel
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Ministry for Nutrition, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg (MLR), Stuttgart, Germany
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Iwashita M, Tran A, Garcia M, Cashon J, Burbano D, Salgado V, Hasegawa M, Balmilero-Unciano R, Politan K, Wong M, Lee RWY, Yoshizawa M. Metabolic shift toward ketosis in asocial cavefish increases social-like affinity. BMC Biol 2023; 21:219. [PMID: 37840141 PMCID: PMC10577988 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01725-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social affinity and collective behavior are nearly ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, but many lineages feature evolutionarily asocial species. These solitary species may have evolved to conserve energy in food-sparse environments. However, the mechanism by which metabolic shifts regulate social affinity is not well investigated. RESULTS In this study, we used the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), which features riverine sighted surface (surface fish) and cave-dwelling populations (cavefish), to address the impact of metabolic shifts on asociality and other cave-associated behaviors in cavefish, including repetitive turning, sleeplessness, swimming longer distances, and enhanced foraging behavior. After 1 month of ketosis-inducing ketogenic diet feeding, asocial cavefish exhibited significantly higher social affinity, whereas social affinity regressed in cavefish fed the standard diet. The ketogenic diet also reduced repetitive turning and swimming in cavefish. No major behavioral shifts were found regarding sleeplessness and foraging behavior, suggesting that other evolved behaviors are not largely regulated by ketosis. We further examined the effects of the ketogenic diet via supplementation with exogenous ketone bodies, revealing that ketone bodies are pivotal molecules positively associated with social affinity. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicated that fish that evolved to be asocial remain capable of exhibiting social affinity under ketosis, possibly linking the seasonal food availability and sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoko Iwashita
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Amity Tran
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Marianne Garcia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Jia Cashon
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Devanne Burbano
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Vanessa Salgado
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Malia Hasegawa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | | | - Kaylah Politan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Miki Wong
- Nā Pu'uwai Native Hawaiian Healthcare System, Kaunakakai, HI, 96748, USA
- Nutrition Services Department, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Honolulu, HI, 96826, USA
| | - Ryan W Y Lee
- Medical Staff Department, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Honolulu, HI, 96826, USA
| | - Masato Yoshizawa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'I at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
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Zhang JH, Long R, Jing YY, Zhang P, Xu Y, Xiong W, Zhu YQ, Luo YP. Loss of behavioral stress response in blind cavefish reduces energy expenditure. Zool Res 2023; 44:678-692. [PMID: 37147886 PMCID: PMC10415775 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The stress response is essential for animal self-defense and survival. However, species may exhibit stress response variation depending on their specific environmental and selection pressures. Blind cavefish dwell in cave environments, which differ markedly in stressors and resource availability compared to surface aquatic environments. However, whether blind cavefish exhibit differences in stress response as an adaptation to their cave environments remains unclear. Here, we investigated differences in stress response in six closely related Triplophysa species, including three blind cavefish (T. longibarbata, T. jiarongensis, and T. rosa) and three normal-sighted river fish (T. nasobarbatula, T. dongsaiensis, and T. bleekeri). Results showed that blind cavefish exhibited a range of distinct behavioral responses compared to sighted river fish, including greater levels of activity, shorter duration of freezing, absence of erratic movements or thrashing behavior, and opposite behavioral trends over time. Furthermore, the cavefish species demonstrated attenuated increases in metabolic rate in response to stressors related to novel environments. Cave-dwelling T. rosa also exhibited lower basal hypothalamic-pituitary-inter-renal (HPI) axis-related gene expression levels and stress hormone concentrations compared to river-dwelling T. bleekeri. These results suggest that blind cavefish may have lost their behavioral stress response, potentially mediated by a reduction in basal activity of the HPI axis, thus enabling the conservation of energy by reducing unnecessary expenditure in energy-limited caves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Rui Long
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yang-Yang Jing
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yan-Qiu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yi-Ping Luo
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China. E-mail:
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6
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Evolution of left-right asymmetry in the sensory system and foraging behavior during adaptation to food-sparse cave environments. BMC Biol 2022; 20:295. [PMID: 36575431 PMCID: PMC9795734 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01501-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Laterality in relation to behavior and sensory systems is found commonly in a variety of animal taxa. Despite the advantages conferred by laterality (e.g., the startle response and complex motor activities), little is known about the evolution of laterality and its plasticity in response to ecological demands. In the present study, a comparative study model, the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), composed of two morphotypes, i.e., riverine surface fish and cave-dwelling cavefish, was used to address the relationship between environment and laterality. RESULTS The use of a machine learning-based fish posture detection system and sensory ablation revealed that the left cranial lateral line significantly supports one type of foraging behavior, i.e., vibration attraction behavior, in one cave population. Additionally, left-right asymmetric approaches toward a vibrating rod became symmetrical after fasting in one cave population but not in the other populations. CONCLUSION Based on these findings, we propose a model explaining how the observed sensory laterality and behavioral shift could help adaptation in terms of the tradeoff in energy gain and loss during foraging according to differences in food availability among caves.
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Chen B, Mao T, Liu Y, Dai W, Li X, Rajput AP, Pie MR, Yang J, Gross JB, Meegaskumbura M. Sensory evolution in a cavefish radiation: patterns of neuromast distribution and associated behaviour in Sinocyclocheilus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221641. [PMID: 36476002 PMCID: PMC9554722 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Sinocyclocheilus, comprising a large radiation of freshwater cavefishes, are well known for their presence of regressive features (e.g. variable eye reduction). Fewer constructive features are known, such as the expansion of the lateral line system (LLS), which is involved in detecting water movements. The precise relationship between LLS expansion and cave adaptation is not well understood. Here, we examine morphology and LLS-mediated behaviour in Sinocyclocheilus species characterized by broad variation in eye size, habitat and geographical distribution. Using live-staining techniques and automated behavioural analyses, we examined 26 Sinocyclocheilus species and quantified neuromast organ number, density and asymmetry within a phylogenetic context. We then examined how these morphological features may relate to wall-following, an established cave-associated behaviour mediated by the lateral line. We show that most species demonstrated laterality (i.e. asymmetry) in neuromast organs on the head, often biased to the right. We also found that wall-following behaviour was distinctive, particularly among eyeless species. Patterns of variation in LLS appear to correlate with the degree of eye loss, as well as geographical distribution. This work reveals that constructive LLS evolution is convergent across distant cavefish taxa and may mediate asymmetric behavioural features that enable survival in stark subterranean microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingru Mao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yewei Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhang Dai
- School of Life Science and Institute of Wetland Ecology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianglin Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Amrapali P. Rajput
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Marcio R. Pie
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QP, UK
| | - Jian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resource Use, Beibu Gulf, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Joshua B. Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45221, USA
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, People's Republic of China
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Oliva C, Hinz NK, Robinson W, Barrett Thompson AM, Booth J, Crisostomo LM, Zanineli S, Tanner M, Lloyd E, O'Gorman M, McDole B, Paz A, Kozol R, Brown EB, Kowalko JE, Fily Y, Duboue ER, Keene AC. Characterizing the genetic basis of trait evolution in the Mexican cavefish. Evol Dev 2022; 24:131-144. [PMID: 35924750 PMCID: PMC9786752 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Evolution in response to a change in ecology often coincides with various morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits. For most organisms little is known about the genetic and functional relationship between evolutionarily derived traits, representing a critical gap in our understanding of adaptation. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, consists of largely independent populations of fish that inhabit at least 30 caves in Northeast Mexico, and a surface fish population, that inhabit the rivers of Mexico and Southern Texas. The recent application of molecular genetic approaches combined with behavioral phenotyping have established A. mexicanus as a model for studying the evolution of complex traits. Cave populations of A. mexicanus are interfertile with surface populations and have evolved numerous traits including eye degeneration, insomnia, albinism, and enhanced mechanosensory function. The interfertility of different populations from the same species provides a unique opportunity to define the genetic relationship between evolved traits and assess the co-evolution of behavioral and morphological traits with one another. To define the relationships between morphological and behavioral traits, we developed a pipeline to test individual fish for multiple traits. This pipeline confirmed differences in locomotor activity, prey capture, and startle reflex between surface and cavefish populations. To measure the relationship between traits, individual F2 hybrid fish were characterized for locomotor behavior, prey-capture behavior, startle reflex, and morphological attributes. Analysis revealed an association between body length and slower escape reflex, suggesting a trade-off between increased size and predator avoidance in cavefish. Overall, there were few associations between individual behavioral traits, or behavioral and morphological traits, suggesting independent genetic changes underlie the evolution of the measured behavioral and morphological traits. Taken together, this approach provides a novel system to identify genetic underpinnings of naturally occurring variation in morphological and behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Oliva
- NIH U‐RISE ProgramFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | | | - Wayne Robinson
- NIH U‐RISE ProgramFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | | | - Julianna Booth
- NIH U‐RISE ProgramFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | | | | | - Maureen Tanner
- NIH U‐RISE ProgramFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Evan Lloyd
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA,Department of BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Morgan O'Gorman
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA,Department of BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
| | - Brittnee McDole
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Alexandra Paz
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Rob Kozol
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Elizabeth B. Brown
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Johanna E. Kowalko
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA,Department of Biological SciencesLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Yaouen Fily
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Erik R. Duboue
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA
| | - Alex C. Keene
- Jupiter Life Science InitiativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityJupiterFloridaUSA,Department of BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUSA
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9
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Lloyd E, McDole B, Privat M, Jaggard JB, Duboué ER, Sumbre G, Keene AC. Blind cavefish retain functional connectivity in the tectum despite loss of retinal input. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3720-3730.e3. [PMID: 35926509 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Sensory systems display remarkable plasticity and are under strong evolutionary selection. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, consists of eyed river-dwelling surface populations and multiple independent cave populations that have converged on eye loss, providing the opportunity to examine the evolution of sensory circuits in response to environmental perturbation. Functional analysis across multiple transgenic populations expressing GCaMP6s showed that functional connectivity of the optic tectum largely did not differ between populations, except for the selective loss of negatively correlated activity within the cavefish tectum, suggesting positively correlated neural activity is resistant to an evolved loss of input from the retina. Furthermore, analysis of surface-cave hybrid fish reveals that changes in the tectum are genetically distinct from those encoding eye loss. Together, these findings uncover the independent evolution of multiple components of the visual system and establish the use of functional imaging in A. mexicanus to study neural circuit evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Lloyd
- Department of Biological Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Harriet Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Brittnee McDole
- Department of Biological Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Martin Privat
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - James B Jaggard
- Department of Biological Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Erik R Duboué
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - German Sumbre
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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10
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Kinematic analysis of social interactions deconstructs the evolved loss of schooling behavior in cavefish. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265894. [PMID: 35385509 PMCID: PMC8985933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish display a remarkable diversity of social behaviors, both within and between species. While social behaviors are likely critical for survival, surprisingly little is known about how they evolve in response to changing environmental pressures. With its highly social surface form and multiple populations of a largely asocial, blind, cave-dwelling form, the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, provides a powerful model to study the evolution of social behavior. Here we use motion tracking and analysis of swimming kinematics to quantify social swimming in four Astyanax mexicanus populations. In the light, surface fish school, maintaining both close proximity and alignment with each other. In the dark, surface fish no longer form coherent schools, however, they still show evidence of an attempt to align and maintain proximity when they find themselves near another fish. In contrast, cavefish from three independently-evolved populations (Pachón, Molino, Tinaja) show little preference for proximity or alignment, instead exhibiting behaviors that suggest active avoidance of each other. Two of the three cave populations we studied also slow down when more fish are present in the tank, a behavior which is not observed in surface fish in light or the dark, suggesting divergent responses to conspecifics. Using data-driven computer simulations, we show that the observed reduction in swimming speed is sufficient to alter the way fish explore their environment: it can increase time spent exploring away from the walls. Thus, the absence of schooling in cavefish is not merely a consequence of their inability to see, but may rather be a genuine behavioral adaptation that impacts the way they explore their environment.
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11
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de Sousa AA, Todorov OS, Proulx MJ. A natural history of vertebrate vision loss: Insight from mammalian vision for human visual function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104550. [PMID: 35074313 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Research on the origin of vision and vision loss in naturally "blind" animal species can reveal the tasks that vision fulfills and the brain's role in visual experience. Models that incorporate evolutionary history, natural variation in visual ability, and experimental manipulations can help disentangle visual ability at a superficial level from behaviors linked to vision but not solely reliant upon it, and could assist the translation of ophthalmological research in animal models to human treatments. To unravel the similarities between blind individuals and blind species, we review concepts of 'blindness' and its behavioral correlates across a range of species. We explore the ancestral emergence of vision in vertebrates, and the loss of vision in blind species with reference to an evolution-based classification scheme. We applied phylogenetic comparative methods to a mammalian tree to explore the evolution of visual acuity using ancestral state estimations. Future research into the natural history of vision loss could help elucidate the function of vision and inspire innovations in how to address vision loss in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A de Sousa
- Centre for Health and Cognition, Bath Spa University, Bath, United Kingdom; UKRI Centre for Accessible, Responsible & Transparent Artificial Intelligence (ART:AI), University of Bath, United Kingdom.
| | - Orlin S Todorov
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael J Proulx
- UKRI Centre for Accessible, Responsible & Transparent Artificial Intelligence (ART:AI), University of Bath, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, REVEAL Research Centre, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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12
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Iwashita M, Yoshizawa M. Social-like responses are inducible in asocial Mexican cavefish despite the exhibition of strong repetitive behavior. eLife 2021; 10:72463. [PMID: 34542411 PMCID: PMC8500712 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is a hallmark of complex animal systems; however, some species appear to have secondarily lost this social ability. In these non-social species, whether social abilities are permanently lost or suppressed is unclear. The blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus is known to be asocial. Here, we reveal that cavefish exhibited social-like interactions in familiar environments but suppressed these interactions in stress-associated unfamiliar environments. Furthermore, the level of suppression in sociality was positively correlated with that of stereotypic repetitive behavior, as seen in mammals. Treatment with a human antipsychotic drug targeting the dopaminergic system induced social-like interactions in cavefish, even in unfamiliar environments, while reducing repetitive behavior. Overall, these results suggest that the antagonistic association between repetitive and social-like behaviors is deeply shared from teleosts through mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoko Iwashita
- School of Life Sciences, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, United States
| | - Masato Yoshizawa
- School of Life Sciences, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, United States
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13
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Evolution in Sinocyclocheilus cavefish is marked by rate shifts, reversals, and origin of novel traits. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:45. [PMID: 33731021 PMCID: PMC7968296 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01776-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Natural model systems are indispensable for exploring adaptations in response to environmental pressures. Sinocyclocheilus of China, the most diverse cavefish clade in the world (75 species), provide unique opportunities to understand recurrent evolution of stereotypic traits (such as eye loss and sensory expansion) in the context of a deep and diverse phylogenetic group. However, they remain poorly understood in terms of their morphological evolution. Therefore, we explore key patterns of morphological evolution, habitat utilization and geographic distribution in these fishes. Results We constructed phylogenies and categorized 49 species based on eye-related condition (Blind, Micro-eyed, and Normal-eyed), habitat types (Troglobitic—cave-restricted; Troglophilic—cave-associated; Surface—outside caves) and existence of horns. Geometric-morphometric analyses show Normal-eyed morphs with fusiform shapes segregating from Blind/Micro-eyed deeper bodied morphs along the first principal-component axis; second axis accounts for shape complexity related to horns. The body shapes showed a significant association with eye-related condition and horn, but not habitat types. Ancestral reconstructions suggest at least three independent origins of Blind morphs, each with different levels of modification in relation to their ancestral Normal-eyed morphs; Sinocyclocheilus are also pre-adapted for cave dwelling. Our geophylogeny shows an east-to-west diversification spanning Pliocene and Pleistocene, with early-diversifying Troglobitic species dominating subterranean habitats of karstic plains whereas predominantly Surface forms inhabit hills to the west. Evolutionary rates analyses suggest that lineages leading to Blind morphs were characterized by significant rate shifts, such as a slowdown in body size evolution and a 5–20 fold increase in rate of eye regression, possibly explained by limited resource availability. Body size and eye size have undergone reversals, but not horns, a trait entailing considerable time to form. Conclusions Sinocyclocheilus occupied cave habitats in response to drying associated with aridification of China during late Miocene and the Pliocene. The prominent cave-adaptations (eye-regression, horn-evolution) occur in clades associated with the extensive subterranean cave system in Guangxi and Guizhou provinces. Integration of morphology, phylogeny, rate analyses, molecular-dating and distribution show not only several remarkable patterns of evolution, but also interesting exceptions to these patterns signifying the diversification of Sinocyclocheilus as an invaluable model system to explore evolutionary novelty. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01776-y.
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Ogawa S, Pfaff DW, Parhar IS. Fish as a model in social neuroscience: conservation and diversity in the social brain network. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:999-1020. [PMID: 33559323 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms for fish social behaviours involve a social brain network (SBN) which is evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. However, considerable diversity is observed in the actual behaviour patterns amongst nearly 30000 fish species. The huge variation found in socio-sexual behaviours and strategies is likely generated by a morphologically and genetically well-conserved small forebrain system. Hence, teleost fish provide a useful model to study the fundamental mechanisms underlying social brain functions. Herein we review the foundations underlying fish social behaviours including sensory, hormonal, molecular and neuroanatomical features. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons clearly play important roles, but the participation of vasotocin and isotocin is also highlighted. Genetic investigations of developing fish brain have revealed the molecular complexity of neural development of the SBN. In addition to straightforward social behaviours such as sex and aggression, new experiments have revealed higher order and unique phenomena such as social eavesdropping and social buffering in fish. Finally, observations interpreted as 'collective cognition' in fish can likely be explained by careful observation of sensory determinants and analyses using the dynamics of quantitative scaling. Understanding of the functions of the SBN in fish provide clues for understanding the origin and evolution of higher social functions in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Donald W Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, U.S.A
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
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15
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Jaggard JB, Lloyd E, Yuiska A, Patch A, Fily Y, Kowalko JE, Appelbaum L, Duboue ER, Keene AC. Cavefish brain atlases reveal functional and anatomical convergence across independently evolved populations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/38/eaba3126. [PMID: 32938683 PMCID: PMC7494351 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental perturbation can drive behavioral evolution and associated changes in brain structure and function. The Mexican fish species, Astyanax mexicanus, includes eyed river-dwelling surface populations and multiple independently evolved populations of blind cavefish. We used whole-brain imaging and neuronal mapping of 684 larval fish to generate neuroanatomical atlases of surface fish and three different cave populations. Analyses of brain region volume and neural circuits associated with cavefish behavior identified evolutionary convergence in hindbrain and hypothalamic expansion, and changes in neurotransmitter systems, including increased numbers of catecholamine and hypocretin/orexin neurons. To define evolutionary changes in brain function, we performed whole-brain activity mapping associated with behavior. Hunting behavior evoked activity in sensory processing centers, while sleep-associated activity differed in the rostral zone of the hypothalamus and tegmentum. These atlases represent a comparative brain-wide study of intraspecies variation in vertebrates and provide a resource for studying the neural basis of behavioral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Jaggard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Evan Lloyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Anders Yuiska
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Adam Patch
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Yaouen Fily
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Johanna E Kowalko
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Lior Appelbaum
- The Faculty of Life Sciences and The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Erik R Duboue
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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16
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Bierbach D, Krause S, Romanczuk P, Lukas J, Arias-Rodriguez L, Krause J. An interaction mechanism for the maintenance of fission-fusion dynamics under different individual densities. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8974. [PMID: 32461823 PMCID: PMC7231501 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals often show high consistency in their social organisation despite facing changing environmental conditions. Especially in shoaling fish, fission-fusion dynamics that describe for which periods individuals are solitary or social have been found to remain unaltered even when density changed. This compensatory ability is assumed to be an adaptation towards constant predation pressure, but the mechanism through which individuals can actively compensate for density changes is yet unknown. The aim of the current study is to identify behavioural patterns that enable this active compensation. We compared the fission-fusion dynamics of two populations of the live-bearing Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) that live in adjacent habitats with very different predator regimes: cave mollies that inhabit a low-predation environment inside a sulfidic cave with a low density of predatory water bugs (Belostoma sp.), and mollies that live directly outside the cave (henceforth called "surface" mollies) in a high-predation environment. We analysed their fission-fusion dynamics under two different fish densities of 12 and 6 fish per 0.36 m2. As expected, surface mollies spent more time being social than cave mollies, and this difference in social time was a result of surface mollies being less likely to discontinue social contact (once they had a social partner) and being more likely to resume social contact (once alone) than cave mollies. Interestingly, surface mollies were also less likely to switch among social partners than cave mollies. A random walk simulation predicted each population to show reduced social encounters in the low density treatment. While cave mollies largely followed this prediction, surface mollies maintained their interaction probabilities even at low density. Surface mollies achieved this by a reduction in the size of a convex polygon formed by the group as density decreased. This may allow them to largely maintain their fission-fusion dynamics while still being able to visit large parts of the available area as a group. A slight reduction (21%) in the area visited at low densities was also observed but insufficient to explain how the fish maintained their fission-fusion dynamics. Finally, we discuss potential movement rules that could account for the reduction of polygon size and test their performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bierbach
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Krause
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lübeck University of Applied Sciences, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Lukas
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Mexico
| | - Jens Krause
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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17
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McGaugh SE, Passow CN, Jaggard JB, Stahl BA, Keene AC. Unique transcriptional signatures of sleep loss across independently evolved cavefish populations. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:497-510. [PMID: 32351033 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animals respond to sleep loss with compensatory rebound sleep, and this is thought to be critical for the maintenance of physiological homeostasis. Sleep duration varies dramatically across animal species, but it is not known whether evolutionary differences in sleep duration are associated with differences in sleep homeostasis. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, has emerged as a powerful model for studying the evolution of sleep. While eyed surface populations of A. mexicanus sleep approximately 8 hr each day, multiple blind cavefish populations have converged on sleep patterns that total as little as 2 hr each day, providing the opportunity to examine whether the evolution of sleep loss is accompanied by changes in sleep homeostasis. Here, we examine the behavioral and molecular response to sleep deprivation across four independent populations of A. mexicanus. Our behavioral analysis indicates that surface fish and all three cavefish populations display robust recovery sleep during the day following nighttime sleep deprivation, suggesting sleep homeostasis remains intact in cavefish. We profiled transcriptome-wide changes associated with sleep deprivation in surface fish and cavefish. While the total number of differentially expressed genes was not greater for the surface population, the surface population exhibited the highest number of uniquely differentially expressed genes than any other population. Strikingly, a majority of the differentially expressed genes are unique to individual cave populations, suggesting unique expression responses are exhibited across independently evolved cavefish populations. Together, these findings suggest sleep homeostasis is intact in cavefish despite a dramatic reduction in overall sleep duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E McGaugh
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Courtney N Passow
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - James Brian Jaggard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Bethany A Stahl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
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18
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Ma L, Ng M, van der Weele CM, Yoshizawa M, Jeffery WR. Dual roles of the retinal pigment epithelium and lens in cavefish eye degeneration. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:438-449. [PMID: 31930686 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Astyanax mexicanus consists of two forms, a sighted surface dwelling form (surface fish) and a blind cave-dwelling form (cavefish). Embryonic eyes are initially formed in cavefish but they are subsequently arrested in growth and degenerate during larval development. Previous lens transplantation studies have shown that the lens plays a central role in cavefish eye loss. However, several lines of evidence suggest that additional factors, such as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which is morphologically altered in cavefish, could also be involved in the eye regression process. To explore the role of the RPE in cavefish eye degeneration, we generated an albino eyed (AE) strain by artificial selection for hybrid individuals with large eyes and a depigmented RPE. The AE strain exhibited an RPE lacking pigment granules and showed reduced expression of the RPE specific enzyme retinol isomerase, allowing eye development to be studied by lens ablation in an RPE background resembling cavefish. We found that lens ablation in the AE strain had stronger negative effects on eye growth than in surface fish, suggesting that an intact RPE is required for normal eye development. We also found that the AE strain develops a cartilaginous sclera lacking boney ossicles, a trait similar to cavefish. Extrapolation of the results to cavefish suggests that the RPE and lens have dual roles in eye degeneration, and that deficiencies in the RPE may be associated with evolutionary changes in scleral ossification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ma
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Mandy Ng
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Masato Yoshizawa
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - William R Jeffery
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
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19
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Ojha A, Watve M. Blind fish: An eye opener. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 2018:186-189. [PMID: 30151194 PMCID: PMC6105095 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoy020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Lay Summary: Different species of vertebrates have conditions similar to human obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Increasing number of studies are now revealing that the causes and interrelationships between these states are substantially different in different species. Comparative physiology may turn out to be an eye opener for evolutionary theories of diabetes. Obesity induced insulin resistance is believed to be central to type 2 diabetes. Recent work on Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, has revealed a hyperglycemic phenotype similar to human type 2 diabetes but here insulin resistance is the cause of obesity rather than an effect. Instead of developing diabetic complications, the hyperglycemic fish lead a healthy and long life. In addition to fish, insulin resistance in hibernating bears, dolphins, horses, bonnet macaques and chimpanzees demonstrate that the relationship between diet, obesity, insulin sensitivity and diabetes is widely different in different species. Evolutionary hypotheses about type 2 diabetes should explain these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Ojha
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, India
| | - Milind Watve
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, India
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20
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Powers AK, Boggs TE, Gross JB. Canal neuromast position prefigures developmental patterning of the suborbital bone series in Astyanax cave- and surface-dwelling fish. Dev Biol 2018; 441:252-261. [PMID: 29630866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Developmental patterning is a complex biological phenomenon, involving integrated cellular and molecular signaling across diverse tissues. In Astyanax cavefish, the lateral line sensory system is dramatically expanded in a region of the cranium marked by significant bone abnormalities. This system provides the opportunity to understand how facial bone patterning can become altered through sensory system changes. Here we investigate a classic postulation that mechanosensory receptor neuromasts seed intramembranous facial bones in aquatic vertebrates. Using an in vivo staining procedure across individual life history, we observed infraorbital canal neuromasts serving as sites of ossification for suborbital bones. The manner in which cavefish departed from the stereotypical and symmetrical canal neuromast patterns of closely-related surface-dwelling fish were associated with specific changes to the suborbital bone complex. For instance, bony fusion, rarely observed in surface fish, was associated with shorter distances between canal neuromasts in cavefish, suggesting that closer canal neuromasts result in bony fusions. Additionally, cavefish lacking the sixth suborbital bone (SO6) uniformly lacked the associated (sixth) canal neuromast. This study suggests that patterning of canal neuromasts may impact spatial position of suborbital bones across development. The absence of an eye and subsequent orbital collapse in cavefish appears to influence positional information normally inherent to the infraorbital canal. These alterations result in coordinated changes to adult neuromast and bone structures. This work highlights complex interactions between visual, sensory and bony tissues during development that explain certain abnormal craniofacial features in cavefish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Tyler E Boggs
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Joshua B Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
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21
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Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD, Watt PJ. Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1992-2005. [PMID: 28334933 PMCID: PMC5437527 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders arise due to an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, including stress. Studies in rodents have shown that mutants for Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), a well-accepted genetic risk factor for mental illness, display abnormal behaviours in response to stress, but the mechanisms through which DISC1 affects stress responses remain poorly understood. Using two lines of zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1, we investigated behaviour and functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, the fish equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we show that the role of DISC1 in stress responses is evolutionarily conserved and that DISC1 is essential for normal functioning of the HPI axis. Adult zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1 show aberrant behavioural responses to stress. Our studies reveal that in the embryo, disc1 is expressed in neural progenitor cells of the hypothalamus, a conserved region of the vertebrate brain that centrally controls responses to environmental stressors. In disc1 mutant embryos, proliferating rx3+ hypothalamic progenitors are not maintained normally and neuronal differentiation is compromised: rx3-derived ff1b+ neurons, implicated in anxiety-related behaviours, and corticotrophin releasing hormone (crh) neurons, key regulators of the stress axis, develop abnormally, and rx3-derived pomc+ neurons are disorganised. Abnormal hypothalamic development is associated with dysfunctional behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses. In contrast to wild type siblings, disc1 mutant larvae show altered crh levels, fail to upregulate cortisol levels when under stress and do not modulate shoal cohesion, indicative of abnormal social behaviour. These data indicate that disc1 is essential for normal development of the hypothalamus and for the correct functioning of the HPA/HPI axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Charlotte Bright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jonathan D Wood
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Penelope J Watt
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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22
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Rønnestad I, Gomes AS, Murashita K, Angotzi R, Jönsson E, Volkoff H. Appetite-Controlling Endocrine Systems in Teleosts. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:73. [PMID: 28458653 PMCID: PMC5394176 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian studies have shaped our understanding of the endocrine control of appetite and body weight in vertebrates and provided the basic vertebrate model that involves central (brain) and peripheral signaling pathways as well as environmental cues. The hypothalamus has a crucial function in the control of food intake, but other parts of the brain are also involved. The description of a range of key neuropeptides and hormones as well as more details of their specific roles in appetite control continues to be in progress. Endocrine signals are based on hormones that can be divided into two groups: those that induce (orexigenic), and those that inhibit (anorexigenic) appetite and food consumption. Peripheral signals originate in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, adipose tissue, and other tissues and reach the hypothalamus through both endocrine and neuroendocrine actions. While many mammalian-like endocrine appetite-controlling networks and mechanisms have been described for some key model teleosts, mainly zebrafish and goldfish, very little knowledge exists on these systems in fishes as a group. Fishes represent over 30,000 species, and there is a large variability in their ecological niches and habitats as well as life history adaptations, transitions between life stages and feeding behaviors. In the context of food intake and appetite control, common adaptations to extended periods of starvation or periods of abundant food availability are of particular interest. This review summarizes the recent findings on endocrine appetite-controlling systems in fish, highlights their impact on growth and survival, and discusses the perspectives in this research field to shed light on the intriguing adaptations that exist in fish and their underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Rønnestad
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ana S. Gomes
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Koji Murashita
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Research Center for Aquaculture Systems, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Tamaki, Mie, Japan
| | - Rita Angotzi
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Jönsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hélène Volkoff
- Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, NL, Canada
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