1
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Tetrault E, Aaronson B, Gilbert MC, Albertson RC. Foraging-induced craniofacial plasticity is associated with an early, robust and dynamic transcriptional response. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240215. [PMID: 38654651 PMCID: PMC11040245 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0215] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a single genotype to vary its phenotype in response to the environment. Plasticity of the skeletal system in response to mechanical input is widely studied, but the timing of its transcriptional regulation is not well understood. Here, we used the cichlid feeding apparatus to examine the transcriptional dynamics of skeletal plasticity over time. Using three closely related species that vary in their ability to remodel bone and a panel of 11 genes, including well-studied skeletal differentiation markers and newly characterized environmentally sensitive genes, we examined plasticity at one, two, four and eight weeks following the onset of alternate foraging challenges. We found that the plastic species exhibited environment-specific bursts in gene expression beginning at one week, followed by a sharp decline in levels, while the species with more limited plasticity exhibited consistently low levels of gene expression. This trend held across nearly all genes, suggesting that it is a hallmark of the larger plasticity regulatory network. We conclude that plasticity of the cichlid feeding apparatus is not the result of slowly accumulating gene expression difference over time, but rather is stimulated by early bursts of environment-specific gene expression followed by a return to homeostatic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Tetrault
- Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Ben Aaronson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Michelle C. Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - R. Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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2
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Narbey R, Mouchel-Vielh E, Gibert JM. The H3K79me3 methyl-transferase Grappa is involved in the establishment and thermal plasticity of abdominal pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster females. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9547. [PMID: 38664546 PMCID: PMC11045721 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60184-6] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Temperature sensitivity of abdominal pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster females allows to investigate the mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity. Thermal plasticity of pigmentation is due to modulation of tan and yellow expression, encoding pigmentation enzymes. Furthermore, modulation of tan expression by temperature is correlated to the variation of the active histone mark H3K4me3 on its promoter. Here, we test the role of the DotCom complex, which methylates H3K79, another active mark, in establishment and plasticity of pigmentation. We show that several components of the DotCom complex are involved in the establishment of abdominal pigmentation. In particular, Grappa, the catalytic unit of this complex, plays opposite roles on pigmentation at distinct developmental stages. Indeed, its down-regulation from larval L2 to L3 stages increases female adult pigmentation, whereas its down-regulation during the second half of the pupal stage decreases adult pigmentation. These opposite effects are correlated to the regulation of distinct pigmentation genes by Grappa: yellow repression for the early role and tan activation for the late one. Lastly, reaction norms measuring pigmentation along temperature in mutants for subunits of the DotCom complex reveal that this complex is not only involved in the establishment of female abdominal pigmentation but also in its plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Narbey
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, UMR 7622, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuèle Mouchel-Vielh
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, UMR 7622, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Michel Gibert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, UMR 7622, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 9 Quai St-Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
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3
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Elkin J, Martin A, Courtier-Orgogozo V, Santos ME. Analysis of the genetic loci of pigment pattern evolution in vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1250-1277. [PMID: 37017088 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate pigmentation patterns are amongst the best characterised model systems for studying the genetic basis of adaptive evolution. The wealth of available data on the genetic basis for pigmentation evolution allows for analysis of trends and quantitative testing of evolutionary hypotheses. We employed Gephebase, a database of genetic variants associated with natural and domesticated trait variation, to examine trends in how cis-regulatory and coding mutations contribute to vertebrate pigmentation phenotypes, as well as factors that favour one mutation type over the other. We found that studies with lower ascertainment bias identified higher proportions of cis-regulatory mutations, and that cis-regulatory mutations were more common amongst animals harbouring a higher number of pigment cell classes. We classified pigmentation traits firstly according to their physiological basis and secondly according to whether they affect colour or pattern, and identified that carotenoid-based pigmentation and variation in pattern boundaries are preferentially associated with cis-regulatory change. We also classified genes according to their developmental, cellular, and molecular functions. We found a greater proportion of cis-regulatory mutations in genes implicated in upstream developmental processes compared to those involved in downstream cellular functions, and that ligands were associated with a higher proportion of cis-regulatory mutations than their respective receptors. Based on these trends, we discuss future directions for research in vertebrate pigmentation evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Elkin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | | | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
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4
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Cutter AD. Speciation and development. Evol Dev 2023; 25:289-327. [PMID: 37545126 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding general principles about the origin of species remains one of the foundational challenges in evolutionary biology. The genomic divergence between groups of individuals can spawn hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility, which presents a tantalizing developmental problem. Divergent developmental programs may yield either conserved or divergent phenotypes relative to ancestral traits, both of which can be responsible for reproductive isolation during the speciation process. The genetic mechanisms of developmental evolution involve cis- and trans-acting gene regulatory change, protein-protein interactions, genetic network structures, dosage, and epigenetic regulation, all of which also have roots in population genetic and molecular evolutionary processes. Toward the goal of demystifying Darwin's "mystery of mysteries," this review integrates microevolutionary concepts of genetic change with principles of organismal development, establishing explicit links between population genetic process and developmental mechanisms in the production of macroevolutionary pattern. This integration aims to establish a more unified view of speciation that binds process and mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Vinton AC, Gascoigne SJL, Sepil I, Salguero-Gómez R. Plasticity's role in adaptive evolution depends on environmental change components. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1067-1078. [PMID: 36153155 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
To forecast extinction risks of natural populations under climate change and direct human impacts, an integrative understanding of both phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution is essential. To date, the evidence for whether, when, and how much plasticity facilitates adaptive responses in changing environments is contradictory. We argue that explicitly considering three key environmental change components - rate of change, variance, and temporal autocorrelation - affords a unifying framework of the impact of plasticity on adaptive evolution. These environmental components each distinctively effect evolutionary and ecological processes underpinning population viability. Using this framework, we develop expectations regarding the interplay between plasticity and adaptive evolution in natural populations. This framework has the potential to improve predictions of population viability in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Vinton
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | | | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Roberto Salguero-Gómez
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4071, QLD, Australia; Evolutionary Demography Laboratory, Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock 18057, Germany
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6
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Tadmor E, Juravel K, Morin S, Santos-Garcia D. Evolved transcriptional responses and their trade-offs after long-term adaptation of Bemisia tabaci to a marginally-suitable host. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6649882. [PMID: 35880721 PMCID: PMC9372648 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although generalist insect herbivores can migrate and rapidly adapt to a broad range of host plants, they can face significant difficulties when accidentally migrating to novel and marginally-suitable hosts. What happens, both in performance and gene expression regulation, if these marginally-suitable hosts must be used for multiple generations before migration to a suitable host can take place, largely remains unknown. In this study, we established multigenerational colonies of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a generalist phloem-feeding species, adapted to a marginally-suitable host (habanero pepper) or an optimal host (cotton). We used reciprocal host tests to estimate the differences in performance of the populations on both hosts under optimal (30 oC) and mild-stressful (24 oC) temperature conditions, and documented the associated transcriptomic changes. The habanero pepper-adapted population greatly improved its performance on habanero pepper but did not reach its performance level on cotton, the original host. It also showed reduced performance on cotton, relative to the non-adapted population, and an antagonistic effect of the lower-temperature stressor. The transcriptomic data revealed that most of the expression changes, associated with long-term adaptation to habanero pepper, can be categorized as "evolved" with no initial plastic response. Three molecular functions dominated: enhanced formation of cuticle structural constituents, enhanced activity of oxidation-reduction processes involved in neutralization of phytotoxins and reduced production of proteins from the cathepsin B family. Taken together, these findings indicate that generalist insects can adapt to novel host plants by modifying the expression of a relatively small set of specific molecular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Tadmor
- Department of Entomology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ksenia Juravel
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agricultural, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Diego Santos-Garcia
- Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology University Lyon 1 - UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne, France
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7
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Zoh MG, Tutagata J, Fodjo BK, Mouhamadou CS, Sadia CG, McBeath J, Schmitt F, Horstmann S, David JP, Reynaud S. Exposure of Anopheles gambiae larvae to a sub-lethal dose of an agrochemical mixture induces tolerance to adulticides used in vector control management. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 248:106181. [PMID: 35504174 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The heavy use of pesticides in agricultural areas often leads to the contamination of nearby mosquito larvae breeding sites. Exposure to complex mixtures of agrochemicals can affect the insecticide sensitivity of mosquito larvae. Our study objective was to determine whether agrochemical residues in Anopheline larval breeding sites can affect the tolerance of adults to commonly used adulticides. We focussed on Fludora® Fusion, a vector control insecticide formulation combining two insecticides (deltamethrin and clothianidin) with different modes of action. An. gambiae larvae were exposed to a sub-lethal dose of a mixture of agrochemical pesticides used in a highly active agricultural area on the Ivory Coast. Comparative bioassays with Fludora Fusion mixture and its two insecticide components (deltamethrin and clothianidin) were carried out between adult mosquitoes exposed or not to the agrochemicals at the larval stage. A transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing was then performed on larvae and adults to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic changes observed. Bioassays revealed a significantly increased tolerance of adult females to clothianidin (2.5-fold) and Fludora Fusion mixture (2.2-fold) following larval exposure to agrochemicals. Significantly increased tolerance to deltamethrin was not observed suggesting that insecticide exposure affects the adult efficacy of the Fludora Fusion mixture mainly through mechanisms acting on clothianidin. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the potential of agrochemicals to induce various resistance mechanisms including cuticle proteins, detoxification action and altered insecticide sequestration. These results suggest that although the Fludora Fusion mixture is effective for adult vector control, its efficacy may be locally affected by the ecological context. The present study also suggests that, although the complex interactions between the use of agrochemicals and vector control insecticides are difficult to decipher in the field, they still must be considered in the context of insecticide resistance management programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Gonse Zoh
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Jordan Tutagata
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Behi K Fodjo
- Centre Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique en Côte d'Ivoire, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jean-Philippe David
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Stéphane Reynaud
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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8
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Levis NA, Ragsdale EJ. Linking Molecular Mechanisms and Evolutionary Consequences of Resource Polyphenism. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:805061. [PMID: 35210995 PMCID: PMC8861301 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.805061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resource polyphenism-the occurrence of environmentally induced, discrete, and intraspecific morphs showing differential niche use-is taxonomically widespread and fundamental to the evolution of ecological function where it has arisen. Despite longstanding appreciation for the ecological and evolutionary significance of resource polyphenism, only recently have its proximate mechanisms begun to be uncovered. Polyphenism switches, especially those influencing and influenced by trophic interactions, offer a route to integrating proximate and ultimate causation in studies of plasticity, and its potential influence on evolution more generally. Here, we use the major events in generalized polyphenic development as a scaffold for linking the molecular mechanisms of polyphenic switching with potential evolutionary outcomes of polyphenism and for discussing challenges and opportunities at each step in this process. Not only does the study of resource polyphenism uncover interesting details of discrete plasticity, it also illuminates and informs general principles at the intersection of development, ecology, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Levis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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9
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Daane JM, William Detrich H. Adaptations and Diversity of Antarctic Fishes: A Genomic Perspective. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2021; 10:39-62. [PMID: 34748709 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-081221-064325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Antarctic notothenioid fishes are the classic example of vertebrate adaptive radiation in a marine environment. Notothenioids diversified from a single common ancestor ∼25 Mya to more than 140 species today, and they represent ∼90% of fish biomass on the continental shelf of Antarctica. As they diversified in the cold Southern Ocean, notothenioids evolved numerous traits, including osteopenia, anemia, cardiomegaly, dyslipidemia, and aglomerular kidneys, that are beneficial or tolerated in their environment but are pathological in humans. Thus, notothenioids are models for understanding adaptive radiations, physiological and biochemical adaptations to extreme environments, and genetic mechanisms of human disease. Since 2014, 16 notothenioid genomes have been published, which enable a first-pass holistic analysis of the notothenioid radiation and the genetic underpinnings of novel notothenioid traits. Here, we review the notothenioid radiation from a genomic perspective and integrate our insights with recent observations from other fish radiations. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Daane
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA
| | - H William Detrich
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Peluffo AE, Hamdani M, Vargas‐Valderrama A, David JR, Mallard F, Graner F, Courtier‐Orgogozo V. A morphological trait involved in reproductive isolation between Drosophila sister species is sensitive to temperature. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7492-7506. [PMID: 34188829 PMCID: PMC8216934 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Male genitalia are usually extremely divergent between closely related species, but relatively constant within one species. Here we examine the effect of temperature on the shape of the ventral branches, a male genital structure involved in reproductive isolation, in the sister species Drosophila santomea and Drosophila yakuba. We designed a semi-automatic measurement machine learning pipeline that can reliably identify curvatures and landmarks based on manually digitized contours of the ventral branches. With this method, we observed that temperature does not affect ventral branches in D. yakuba but that in D. santomea ventral branches tend to morph into a D. yakuba-like shape at lower temperature. We found that male genitalia structures involved in reproductive isolation can be relatively variable within one species and can resemble the shape of closely related species' genitalia through plasticity to temperature. Our results suggest that reproductive isolation mechanisms can be dependent on the environmental context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jean R. David
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB)CNRSMNHNSorbonne UniversitéEPHEParisFrance
- Laboratoire Evolution, Génomes, Comportement, Biodiversité (EGCE)CNRSIRDUniv. Paris‐sudUniversité Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - François Mallard
- Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale SupérieureCNRS UMR 8197PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - François Graner
- Matière et Systèmes ComplexesCNRS UMR 7057Univ. de ParisParisFrance
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11
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Gilbert MC, Tetrault E, Packard M, Navon D, Albertson RC. Ciliary Rootlet Coiled-Coil 2 (crocc2) Is Associated with Evolutionary Divergence and Plasticity of Cichlid Jaw Shape. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3078-3092. [PMID: 33720362 PMCID: PMC8321518 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes exhibit rapid, extensive, and replicative adaptive radiation in feeding morphology. Plasticity of the cichlid jaw has also been well documented, and this combination of iterative evolution and developmental plasticity has led to the proposition that the cichlid feeding apparatus represents a morphological "flexible stem." Under this scenario, the fixation of environmentally sensitive genetic variation drives evolutionary divergence along a phenotypic axis established by the initial plastic response. Thus, if plasticity is predictable then so too should be the evolutionary response. We set out to explore these ideas at the molecular level by identifying genes that underlie both the evolution and plasticity of the cichlid jaw. As a first step, we fine-mapped an environment-specific quantitative trait loci for lower jaw shape in cichlids, and identified a nonsynonymous mutation in the ciliary rootlet coiled-coil 2 (crocc2), which encodes a major structural component of the primary cilium. Given that primary cilia play key roles in skeletal mechanosensing, we reasoned that this gene may confer its effects by regulating the sensitivity of bone to respond to mechanical input. Using both cichlids and zebrafish, we confirmed this prediction through a series of experiments targeting multiple levels of biological organization. Taken together, our results implicate crocc2 as a novel mediator of bone formation, plasticity, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Gilbert
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Emily Tetrault
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Mary Packard
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Dina Navon
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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12
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Bi X, Wang K, Yang L, Pan H, Jiang H, Wei Q, Fang M, Yu H, Zhu C, Cai Y, He Y, Gan X, Zeng H, Yu D, Zhu Y, Jiang H, Qiu Q, Yang H, Zhang YE, Wang W, Zhu M, He S, Zhang G. Tracing the genetic footprints of vertebrate landing in non-teleost ray-finned fishes. Cell 2021; 184:1377-1391.e14. [PMID: 33545088 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Rich fossil evidence suggests that many traits and functions related to terrestrial evolution were present long before the ancestor of lobe- and ray-finned fishes. Here, we present genome sequences of the bichir, paddlefish, bowfin, and alligator gar, covering all major early divergent lineages of ray-finned fishes. Our analyses show that these species exhibit many mosaic genomic features of lobe- and ray-finned fishes. In particular, many regulatory elements for limb development are present in these fishes, supporting the hypothesis that the relevant ancestral regulation networks emerged before the origin of tetrapods. Transcriptome analyses confirm the homology between the lung and swim bladder and reveal the presence of functional lung-related genes in early ray-finned fishes. Furthermore, we functionally validate the essential role of a jawed vertebrate highly conserved element for cardiovascular development. Our results imply the ancestors of jawed vertebrates already had the potential gene networks for cardio-respiratory systems supporting air breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xupeng Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Kun Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Liandong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | | | - Haifeng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Qiwei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Hao Yu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Chenglong Zhu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Yiran Cai
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Yuming He
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Xiaoni Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Honghui Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Daqi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Youan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiang Qiu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Academician Workstation of BGI Synthetic Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yong E Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution and State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 650223, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
| | - Min Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Shunping He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 650223, China; Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China.
| | - Guojie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming 650223, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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13
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Navon D, Hatini P, Zogbaum L, Albertson RC. The genetic basis of coordinated plasticity across functional units in a Lake Malawi cichlid mapping population. Evolution 2021; 75:672-687. [PMID: 33438760 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive radiations are often stereotypical, as populations repeatedly specialize along conserved environmental axes. Phenotypic plasticity may be similarly stereotypical, as individuals respond to environmental cues. These parallel patterns of variation, which are often consistent across traits, have led researchers to propose that plasticity can facilitate predictable patterns of evolution along environmental gradients. This "flexible stem" model of evolution raises questions about the genetic nature of plasticity, including how complex is the genetic basis for plasticity? Is plasticity across traits mediated by many distinct loci, or few "global" regulators? To address these questions, we reared a hybrid cichlid mapping population on alternate diet regimes mimicking an important environmental axis. We show that plasticity across an array of ecologically relevant traits is generally morphologically integrated, such that traits respond in a coordinated manner, especially those with overlapping function. Our genetic data are more ambiguous. While our mapping experiment provides little evidence for global genetic regulators of plasticity, these data do contain a genetic signal for the integration of plasticity across traits. Overall, our data suggest a compromise between genetic modularity, whereby plasticity may evolve independently across traits, and low level but widespread genetic integration, establishing the potential for plasticity to experience coordinated evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Navon
- Graduate Program in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003.,Rutgers University Human Genetics Institute, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854
| | - Paul Hatini
- Department of Biology, Morrill Science Center, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
| | - Lily Zogbaum
- Biology Department, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 19081
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Graduate Program in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003.,Department of Biology, Morrill Science Center, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003
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14
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Komoroske LM, Jeffries KM, Whitehead A, Roach JL, Britton M, Connon RE, Verhille C, Brander SM, Fangue NA. Transcriptional flexibility during thermal challenge corresponds with expanded thermal tolerance in an invasive compared to native fish. Evol Appl 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eva.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Komoroske
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Ken M. Jeffries
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB Canada
| | - Andrew Whitehead
- Department of Environmental Toxicology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Jennifer L. Roach
- Department of Environmental Toxicology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Monica Britton
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Genome Center University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | - Richard E. Connon
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
| | | | - Susanne M. Brander
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Nann A. Fangue
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA USA
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15
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van der Burg KRL, Lewis JJ, Brack BJ, Fandino RA, Mazo-Vargas A, Reed RD. Genomic architecture of a genetically assimilated seasonal color pattern. Science 2020; 370:721-725. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz3017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - James J. Lewis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin J. Brack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Richard A. Fandino
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Anyi Mazo-Vargas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Robert D. Reed
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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16
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Billard B, Gimond C, Braendle C. [Genetics and evolution of developmental plasticity in the nematode C. elegans: Environmental induction of the dauer stage]. Biol Aujourdhui 2020; 214:45-53. [PMID: 32773029 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2020006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive developmental plasticity is a common phenomenon across diverse organisms and allows a single genotype to express multiple phenotypes in response to environmental signals. Developmental plasticity is thus thought to reflect a key adaptation to cope with heterogenous habitats. Adaptive plasticity often relies on highly regulated processes in which organisms sense environmental cues predictive of unfavourable environments. The integration of such cues may involve sophisticated neuro-endocrine signaling pathways to generate subtle or complete developmental shifts. A striking example of adaptive plasticity is found in the nematode C. elegans, which can undergo two different developmental trajectories depending on the environment. In favourable conditions, C. elegans develops through reproductive growth to become an adult in three days at 20 °C. In contrast, in unfavourable conditions (high population density, food scarcity, elevated temperature) larvae can adopt an alternative developmental stage, called dauer. dauer larvae are highly stress-resistant and exhibit specific anatomical, metabolic and behavioural features that allow them to survive and disperse. In C. elegans, the sensation of environmental cues is mediated by amphid ciliated sensory neurons by means of G-coupled protein receptors. In favourable environments, the perception of pro-reproductive cues, such as food and the absence of pro-dauer cues, upregulates insulin and TGF-β signaling in the nervous system. In unfavourable conditions, pro-dauer cues lead to the downregulation of insulin and TGF-β signaling. In favourable conditions, TGF-β and insulin act in parallel to promote synthesis of dafachronic acid (DA) in steroidogenic tissues. Synthetized DA binds to the DAF-12 nuclear receptor throughout the whole body. DA-bound DAF-12 positively regulates genes of reproductive development in all C. elegans tissues. In poor conditions, the inhibition of insulin and TGF-β signaling prevents DA synthesis, thus the unliganded DAF-12 and co-repressor DIN-1 repress genes of reproductive development and promote dauer formation. Wild C. elegans have often been isolated as dauer larvae suggesting that dauer formation is very common in nature. Natural populations of C. elegans have colonized a great variety of habitats across the planet, which may differ substantially in environmental conditions. Consistent with divergent adaptation to distinct ecological niches, wild isolates of C. elegans and other nematode species isolated from different locations show extensive variation in dauer induction. Quantitative genetic and population-genomic approaches have identified many quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with differences in dauer induction as well as a few underlying causative molecular variants. In this review, we summarize how C. elegans dauer formation is genetically regulated and how this trait evolves- both within and between species.
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17
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Hedgehog signaling is necessary and sufficient to mediate craniofacial plasticity in teleosts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:19321-19327. [PMID: 32719137 PMCID: PMC7431006 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921856117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity has emerged as an important concept in evolutionary biology. It is thought to contribute to an organism’s ability to adapt to environmental change within a single generation, which may facilitate survival and increase fitness. Furthermore, plasticity has the potential to bias the direction and/or speed of evolution by changing patterns of phenotypic variation and exposing new genetic variation to selection (i.e., flexible stem evolution). Our understanding of this important phenomenon is incomplete owing to limited knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of reaction norm evolution. Using the teleost feeding apparatus as a model, we explore this open question and show that the Hh signaling pathway underlies the ability of this structure to respond plastically to alternate feeding regimes. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes under different environmental conditions, is critical for the origins and maintenance of biodiversity; however, the genetic mechanisms underlying plasticity as well as how variation in those mechanisms can drive evolutionary change remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the cichlid feeding apparatus, an icon of both prodigious evolutionary divergence and adaptive phenotypic plasticity. We first provide a tissue-level mechanism for plasticity in craniofacial shape by measuring rates of bone deposition within functionally salient elements of the feeding apparatus in fishes forced to employ alternate foraging modes. We show that levels and patterns of phenotypic plasticity are distinct among closely related cichlid species, underscoring the evolutionary potential of this trait. Next, we demonstrate that hedgehog (Hh) signaling, which has been implicated in the evolutionary divergence of cichlid feeding architecture, is associated with environmentally induced rates of bone deposition. Finally, to demonstrate that Hh levels are the cause of the plastic response and not simply the consequence of producing more bone, we use transgenic zebrafish in which Hh levels could be experimentally manipulated under different foraging conditions. Notably, we find that the ability to modulate bone deposition rates in different environments is dampened when Hh levels are reduced, whereas the sensitivity of bone deposition to different mechanical demands increases with elevated Hh levels. These data advance a mechanistic understanding of phenotypic plasticity in the teleost feeding apparatus and in doing so contribute key insights into the origins of adaptive morphological radiations.
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18
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Sommer RJ. Phenotypic Plasticity: From Theory and Genetics to Current and Future Challenges. Genetics 2020; 215:1-13. [PMID: 32371438 PMCID: PMC7198268 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is defined as the property of organisms to produce distinct phenotypes in response to environmental variation. While for more than a century, biologists have proposed this organismal feature to play an important role in evolution and the origin of novelty, the idea has remained contentious. Plasticity is found in all domains of life, but only recently has there been an increase in empirical studies. This contribution is intended as a fresh view and will discuss current and future challenges of plasticity research, and the need to identify associated molecular mechanisms. After a brief summary of conceptual, theoretical, and historical aspects, some of which were responsible for confusion and contention, I will formulate three major research directions and predictions for the role of plasticity as a facilitator of novelty. These predictions result in a four-step model that, when properly filled with molecular mechanisms, will reveal plasticity as a major factor of evolution. Such mechanistic insight must be complemented with comparative investigations to show that plasticity has indeed created novelty and innovation. Together, such studies will help develop a true developmental evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf J Sommer
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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19
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Jackson ISC. Developmental bias in the fossil record. Evol Dev 2019; 22:88-102. [PMID: 31475437 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The role of developmental bias and plasticity in evolution is a central research interest in evolutionary biology. Studies of these concepts and related processes are usually conducted on extant systems and have seen limited investigation in the fossil record. Here, I identify plasticity-led evolution (PLE) as a form of developmental bias accessible through scrutiny of paleontological material. I summarize the process of PLE and describe it in terms of the environmentally mediated accumulation and release of cryptic genetic variation. Given this structure, I then predict its manifestation in the fossil record, discuss its similarity to quantum evolution and punctuated equilibrium, and argue that these describe macroevolutionary patterns concordant with PLE. Finally, I suggest methods and directions towards providing evidence of PLE in the fossil record and conclude that such endeavors are likely to be highly rewarding.
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20
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Lafuente E, Beldade P. Genomics of Developmental Plasticity in Animals. Front Genet 2019; 10:720. [PMID: 31481970 PMCID: PMC6709652 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental plasticity refers to the property by which the same genotype produces distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions under which development takes place. By allowing organisms to produce phenotypes adjusted to the conditions that adults will experience, developmental plasticity can provide the means to cope with environmental heterogeneity. Developmental plasticity can be adaptive and its evolution can be shaped by natural selection. It has also been suggested that developmental plasticity can facilitate adaptation and promote diversification. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the evolution of plasticity and on the impact of plasticity on adaptive evolution, and we identify recent advances and important open questions about the genomics of developmental plasticity in animals. We give special attention to studies using transcriptomics to identify genes whose expression changes across developmental environments and studies using genetic mapping to identify loci that contribute to variation in plasticity and can fuel its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrícia Beldade
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- CNRS-UMR5174, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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21
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Duclos KK, Hendrikse JL, Jamniczky HA. Investigating the evolution and development of biological complexity under the framework of epigenetics. Evol Dev 2019; 21:247-264. [PMID: 31268245 PMCID: PMC6852014 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Biological complexity is a key component of evolvability, yet its study has been hampered by a focus on evolutionary trends of complexification and inconsistent definitions. Here, we demonstrate the utility of bringing complexity into the framework of epigenetics to better investigate its utility as a concept in evolutionary biology. We first analyze the existing metrics of complexity and explore the link between complexity and adaptation. Although recently developed metrics allow for a unified framework, they omit developmental mechanisms. We argue that a better approach to the empirical study of complexity and its evolution includes developmental mechanisms. We then consider epigenetic mechanisms and their role in shaping developmental and evolutionary trajectories, as well as the development and organization of complexity. We argue that epigenetics itself could have emerged from complexity because of a need to self‐regulate. Finally, we explore hybridization complexes and hybrid organisms as potential models for studying the association between epigenetics and complexity. Our goal is not to explain trends in biological complexity but to help develop and elucidate novel questions in the investigation of biological complexity and its evolution. This manuscript argues that biological complexity is better understood under the framework of epigenetics and that the epigenetic interactions emerge from the self‐regulation of complex systems. Hybrids are offered as models to study these properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Duclos
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jesse L Hendrikse
- Department of Community Health Sciences, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Heather A Jamniczky
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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22
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Sieriebriennikov B, Sommer RJ. Developmental Plasticity and Robustness of a Nematode Mouth-Form Polyphenism. Front Genet 2018; 9:382. [PMID: 30254664 PMCID: PMC6141628 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, case studies in plants and animals provided increasing insight into the molecular mechanisms of developmental plasticity. When complemented with evolutionary and ecological analyses, these studies suggest that plasticity represents a mechanism facilitating adaptive change, increasing diversity and fostering the evolution of novelty. Here, we summarize genetic, molecular and evolutionary studies on developmental plasticity of feeding structures in nematodes, focusing on the model organism Pristionchus pacificus and its relatives. Like its famous cousin Caenorhabditis elegans, P. pacificus reproduces as a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite and can be cultured in the laboratory on E. coli indefinitely with a four-day generation time. However, in contrast to C. elegans, Pristionchus worms show more complex feeding structures in adaptation to their life history. Pristionchus nematodes live in the soil and are reliably found in association with scarab beetles, but only reproduce after the insects’ death. Insect carcasses usually exist only for a short time period and their turnover is partially unpredictable. Strikingly, Pristionchus worms can have two alternative mouth-forms; animals are either stenostomatous (St) with a single tooth resulting in strict bacterial feeding, or alternatively, they are eurystomatous (Eu) with two teeth allowing facultative predation. Laboratory-based studies revealed a regulatory network that controls the irreversible decision of individual worms to adopt the St or Eu form. These studies revealed that a developmental switch controls the mouth-form decision, confirming long-standing theory about the role of switch genes in developmental plasticity. Here, we describe the current understanding of P. pacificus mouth-form regulation. In contrast to plasticity, robustness describes the property of organisms to produce unchanged phenotypes despite environmental perturbations. While largely opposite in principle, the relationship between developmental plasticity and robustness has only rarely been tested in particular study systems. Based on a study of the Hsp90 chaperones in nematodes, we suggest that robustness and plasticity are indeed complementary concepts. Genetic switch networks regulating plasticity require robustness to produce reproducible responses to the multitude of environmental inputs and the phenotypic output requires robustness because the range of possible phenotypic outcomes is constrained. Thus, plasticity and robustness are actually not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Sieriebriennikov
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department of Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralf J Sommer
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department of Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Tübingen, Germany
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23
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De Castro S, Peronnet F, Gilles JF, Mouchel-Vielh E, Gibert JM. bric à brac (bab), a central player in the gene regulatory network that mediates thermal plasticity of pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007573. [PMID: 30067846 PMCID: PMC6089454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila body pigmentation has emerged as a major Evo-Devo model. Using two Drosophila melanogaster lines, Dark and Pale, selected from a natural population, we analyse here the interaction between genetic variation and environmental factors to produce this complex trait. Indeed, pigmentation varies with genotype in natural populations and is sensitive to temperature during development. We demonstrate that the bric à brac (bab) genes, that are differentially expressed between the two lines and whose expression levels vary with temperature, participate in the pigmentation difference between the Dark and Pale lines. The two lines differ in a bab regulatory sequence, the dimorphic element (called here bDE). Both bDE alleles are temperature-sensitive, but the activity of the bDE allele from the Dark line is lower than that of the bDE allele from the Pale line. Our results suggest that this difference could partly be due to differential regulation by AbdB. bab has been previously reported to be a repressor of abdominal pigmentation. We show here that one of its targets in this process is the pigmentation gene tan (t), regulated via the tan abdominal enhancer (t_MSE). Furthermore, t expression is strongly modulated by temperature in the two lines. Thus, temperature sensitivity of t expression is at least partly a consequence of bab thermal transcriptional plasticity. We therefore propose that a gene regulatory network integrating both genetic variation and temperature sensitivity modulates female abdominal pigmentation. Interestingly, both bDE and t_MSE were previously shown to have been recurrently involved in abdominal pigmentation evolution in drosophilids. We propose that the environmental sensitivity of these enhancers has turned them into evolutionary hotspots. Complex traits such as size or disease susceptibility are typically modulated by both genetic variation and environmental conditions. Model organisms such as fruit flies (Drosophila) are particularly appropriate to analyse the interactions between genetic variation and environmental factors during the development of complex phenotypes. Natural populations carry high genetic variation and can be grown in controlled conditions in the laboratory. Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster female abdominal pigmentation, which is both genetically variable and modulated by the environment (temperature) to dissect this kind of interaction. We show that the pigmentation difference between two inbred fly lines is caused by genetic variation in an enhancer of the bab locus, which encodes two transcription factors controlling abdominal pigmentation. Indeed, this enhancer drives differential expression between the two lines. Interestingly, this enhancer is sensitive to temperature in both lines. We show that the effect of bab on pigmentation is mediated by the pigmentation gene tan (t) that is repressed by bab. Thus, the previously reported temperature-sensitive expression of t is a direct consequence of bab transcriptional plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra De Castro
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement -Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (LBD-IBPS), Team “Epigenetic control of developmental homeostasis and plasticity”, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Peronnet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement -Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (LBD-IBPS), Team “Epigenetic control of developmental homeostasis and plasticity”, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Gilles
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Core facility, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Paris, France
| | - Emmanuèle Mouchel-Vielh
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement -Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (LBD-IBPS), Team “Epigenetic control of developmental homeostasis and plasticity”, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (EM-V); (J-MG)
| | - Jean-Michel Gibert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement -Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (LBD-IBPS), Team “Epigenetic control of developmental homeostasis and plasticity”, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (EM-V); (J-MG)
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24
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Levis NA, Pfennig DW. Phenotypic plasticity, canalization, and the origins of novelty: Evidence and mechanisms from amphibians. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 88:80-90. [PMID: 29408711 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of biologists have begun asking whether environmentally induced phenotypic change--'phenotypic plasticity'--precedes and facilitates the origin and canalization of novel, complex phenotypes. However, such 'plasticity-first evolution' (PFE) remains controversial. Here, we summarize the PFE hypothesis and describe how it can be evaluated in natural systems. We then review the evidence for PFE from amphibians (a group in which phenotypic plasticity is especially widespread) and describe how phenotypic plasticity might have facilitated macroevolutionary change. Finally, we discuss what is known about the proximate mechanisms of PFE in amphibians. We close with suggestions for future research. As we describe, amphibians offer some of the best support for plasticity's role in the origin of evolutionary novelties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Levis
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, CB#3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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25
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Nokelainen O, van Bergen E, Ripley BS, Brakefield PM. Adaptation of a tropical butterfly to a temperate climate. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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26
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Behavior, brain, and morphology in a complex insect society: trait integration and social evolution in the exceptionally polymorphic ant Pheidole rhea. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2396-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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