1
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Spurgin LG, Bosse M, Adriaensen F, Albayrak T, Barboutis C, Belda E, Bushuev A, Cecere JG, Charmantier A, Cichon M, Dingemanse NJ, Doligez B, Eeva T, Erikstad KE, Fedorov V, Griggio M, Heylen D, Hille S, Hinde CA, Ivankina E, Kempenaers B, Kerimov A, Krist M, Kvist L, Laine VN, Mänd R, Matthysen E, Nager R, Nikolov BP, Norte AC, Orell M, Ouyang J, Petrova-Dinkova G, Richner H, Rubolini D, Slagsvold T, Tilgar V, Török J, Tschirren B, Vágási CI, Yuta T, Groenen MAM, Visser ME, van Oers K, Sheldon BC, Slate J. The great tit HapMap project: A continental-scale analysis of genomic variation in a songbird. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13969. [PMID: 38747336 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13969] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
A major aim of evolutionary biology is to understand why patterns of genomic diversity vary within taxa and space. Large-scale genomic studies of widespread species are useful for studying how environment and demography shape patterns of genomic divergence. Here, we describe one of the most geographically comprehensive surveys of genomic variation in a wild vertebrate to date; the great tit (Parus major) HapMap project. We screened ca 500,000 SNP markers across 647 individuals from 29 populations, spanning ~30 degrees of latitude and 40 degrees of longitude - almost the entire geographical range of the European subspecies. Genome-wide variation was consistent with a recent colonisation across Europe from a South-East European refugium, with bottlenecks and reduced genetic diversity in island populations. Differentiation across the genome was highly heterogeneous, with clear 'islands of differentiation', even among populations with very low levels of genome-wide differentiation. Low local recombination rates were a strong predictor of high local genomic differentiation (FST), especially in island and peripheral mainland populations, suggesting that the interplay between genetic drift and recombination causes highly heterogeneous differentiation landscapes. We also detected genomic outlier regions that were confined to one or more peripheral great tit populations, probably as a result of recent directional selection at the species' range edges. Haplotype-based measures of selection were related to recombination rate, albeit less strongly, and highlighted population-specific sweeps that likely resulted from positive selection. Our study highlights how comprehensive screens of genomic variation in wild organisms can provide unique insights into spatio-temporal evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mirte Bosse
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Ecological Science, Animal Ecology Group, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Adriaensen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tamer Albayrak
- Department of Biology, Science and art Faculty, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Istiklal Yerleskesi, Burdur, Turkey
- Biology Education, Buca Faculty of Education, Mathematics and Science Education, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey
| | | | - Eduardo Belda
- Institut d'Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres, Campus de Gandia, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Andrey Bushuev
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | | | - Mariusz Cichon
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, LMU München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Blandine Doligez
- UMR CNRS 5558-LBBE, Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Villeurbanne, France
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kjell Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM-High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Matteo Griggio
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Dieter Heylen
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Sabine Hille
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Camilla A Hinde
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Elena Ivankina
- Faculty of Biology, Zvenigorod Biological Station, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Ornithology, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Anvar Kerimov
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Milos Krist
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Laura Kvist
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raivo Mänd
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ruedi Nager
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Boris P Nikolov
- Bulgarian Ornithological Centre, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ana Claudia Norte
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Markku Orell
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Gergana Petrova-Dinkova
- Bulgarian Ornithological Centre, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Heinz Richner
- Evolutionary Ecology Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Tore Slagsvold
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vallo Tilgar
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Csongor I Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Teru Yuta
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Abiko, Japan
| | - Martien A M Groenen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jon Slate
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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2
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Boman J, Qvarnström A, Mugal CF. Regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in two songbird species and their naturally occurring F 1 hybrids. BMC Biol 2024; 22:124. [PMID: 38807214 PMCID: PMC11134931 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01920-2] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regulation of transcription by DNA methylation in 5'-CpG-3' context is a widespread mechanism allowing differential expression of genetically identical cells to persist throughout development. Consequently, differences in DNA methylation can reinforce variation in gene expression among cells, tissues, populations, and species. Despite a surge in studies on DNA methylation, we know little about the importance of DNA methylation in population differentiation and speciation. Here we investigate the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in five tissues of two Ficedula flycatcher species and their naturally occurring F1 hybrids. RESULTS We show that the density of CpG in the promoters of genes determines the strength of the association between DNA methylation and gene expression. The impact of DNA methylation on gene expression varies among tissues with the brain showing unique patterns. Differentially expressed genes between parental species are predicted by genetic and methylation differentiation in CpG-rich promoters. However, both these factors fail to predict hybrid misexpression suggesting that promoter mismethylation is not a main determinant of hybrid misexpression in Ficedula flycatchers. Using allele-specific methylation estimates in hybrids, we also determine the genome-wide contribution of cis- and trans effects in DNA methylation differentiation. These distinct mechanisms are roughly balanced in all tissues except the brain, where trans differences predominate. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides insight on the regulatory and evolutionary impact of DNA methylation in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Boman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden
| | - Carina F Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics (IEG), Division of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden.
- CNRS, Laboratory of Biometry and Evolutionary Biology (LBBE), UMR 5558, University of Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.
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3
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Sepers B, Verhoeven KJF, van Oers K. Early developmental carry-over effects on exploratory behaviour and DNA methylation in wild great tits ( Parus major). Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13664. [PMID: 38487391 PMCID: PMC10937296 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13664] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse, postnatal conditions experienced during development are known to induce lingering effects on morphology, behaviour, reproduction and survival. Despite the importance of early developmental stress for shaping the adult phenotype, it is largely unknown which molecular mechanisms allow for the induction and maintenance of such phenotypic effects once the early environmental conditions are released. Here we aimed to investigate whether lasting early developmental phenotypic changes are associated with post-developmental DNA methylation changes. We used a cross-foster and brood size experiment in great tit (Parus major) nestlings, which induced post-fledging effects on biometric measures and exploratory behaviour, a validated personality trait. We investigated whether these post-fledging effects are associated with DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA. Individuals raised in enlarged broods caught up on their developmental delay after reaching independence and became more explorative as days since fledging passed, while the exploratory scores of individuals that were raised in reduced broods remained stable. Although we previously found that brood enlargement hardly affected the pre-fledging methylation levels, we found 420 CpG sites that were differentially methylated between fledged individuals that were raised in small versus large sized broods. A considerable number of the affected CpG sites were located in or near genes involved in metabolism, growth, behaviour and cognition. Since the biological functions of these genes line up with the observed post-fledging phenotypic effects of brood size, our results suggest that DNA methylation provides organisms the opportunity to modulate their condition once the environmental conditions allow it. In conclusion, this study shows that nutritional stress imposed by enlarged brood size during early development associates with variation in DNA methylation later in life. We propose that treatment-associated DNA methylation differences may arise in relation to pre- or post-fledging phenotypic changes, rather than that they are directly induced by the environment during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology GroupWageningen University & Research (WUR)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology GroupWageningen University & Research (WUR)WageningenThe Netherlands
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4
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Höglund A, Henriksen R, Churcher AM, Guerrero-Bosagna CM, Martinez-Barrio A, Johnsson M, Jensen P, Wright D. The regulation of methylation on the Z chromosome and the identification of multiple novel Male Hyper-Methylated regions in the chicken. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1010719. [PMID: 38457441 PMCID: PMC10954189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a key regulator of eukaryote genomes, and is of particular relevance in the regulation of gene expression on the sex chromosomes, with a key role in dosage compensation in mammalian XY systems. In the case of birds, dosage compensation is largely absent, with it being restricted to two small Male Hyper-Methylated (MHM) regions on the Z chromosome. To investigate how variation in DNA methylation is regulated on the Z chromosome we utilised a wild x domestic advanced intercross in the chicken, with both hypothalamic methylomes and transcriptomes assayed in 124 individuals. The relatively large numbers of individuals allowed us to identify additional genomic MHM regions on the Z chromosome that were significantly differentially methylated between the sexes. These regions appear to down-regulate local gene expression in males, but not remove it entirely (unlike the lncRNAs identified in the initial MHM regions). These MHM regions were further tested and the most balanced genes appear to show decreased expression in males, whilst methylation appeared to be far more correlated with gene expression in the less balanced, as compared to the most balanced genes. In addition, quantitative trait loci (QTL) that regulate variation in methylation on the Z chromosome, and those loci that regulate methylation on the autosomes that derive from the Z chromosome were mapped. Trans-effect hotspots were also identified that were based on the autosomes but affected the Z, and also one that was based on the Z chromosome but that affected both autosomal and sex chromosome DNA methylation regulation. We show that both cis and trans loci that originate from the Z chromosome never exhibit an interaction with sex, whereas trans loci originating from the autosomes but affecting the Z chromosome always display such an interaction. Our results highlight how additional MHM regions are actually present on the Z chromosome, and they appear to have smaller-scale effects on gene expression in males. Quantitative variation in methylation is also regulated both from the autosomes to the Z chromosome, and from the Z chromosome to the autosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Höglund
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rie Henriksen
- AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Carlos M. Guerrero-Bosagna
- Physiology and Environmental Toxicology Program, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Martin Johnsson
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Jensen
- AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Dominic Wright
- AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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5
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Mirchandani CD, Shultz AJ, Thomas GWC, Smith SJ, Baylis M, Arnold B, Corbett-Detig R, Enbody E, Sackton TB. A Fast, Reproducible, High-throughput Variant Calling Workflow for Population Genomics. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad270. [PMID: 38069903 PMCID: PMC10764099 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad270] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing availability of genomic resequencing data sets and high-quality reference genomes across the tree of life present exciting opportunities for comparative population genomic studies. However, substantial challenges prevent the simple reuse of data across different studies and species, arising from variability in variant calling pipelines, data quality, and the need for computationally intensive reanalysis. Here, we present snpArcher, a flexible and highly efficient workflow designed for the analysis of genomic resequencing data in nonmodel organisms. snpArcher provides a standardized variant calling pipeline and includes modules for variant quality control, data visualization, variant filtering, and other downstream analyses. Implemented in Snakemake, snpArcher is user-friendly, reproducible, and designed to be compatible with high-performance computing clusters and cloud environments. To demonstrate the flexibility of this pipeline, we applied snpArcher to 26 public resequencing data sets from nonmammalian vertebrates. These variant data sets are hosted publicly to enable future comparative population genomic analyses. With its extensibility and the availability of public data sets, snpArcher will contribute to a broader understanding of genetic variation across species by facilitating the rapid use and reuse of large genomic data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cade D Mirchandani
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Allison J Shultz
- Ornithology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | | | - Sara J Smith
- Informatics Group, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB T3E 6K6, Canada
| | - Mara Baylis
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Brian Arnold
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Russ Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Erik Enbody
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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6
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Prentice PM, Thornton A, Kolm N, Wilson AJ. Genetic and context-specific effects on individual inhibitory control performance in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1796-1810. [PMID: 37916730 PMCID: PMC10947024 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14241] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Among-individual variation in cognitive traits, widely assumed to have evolved under adaptive processes, is increasingly being demonstrated across animal taxa. As variation among individuals is required for natural selection, characterizing individual differences and their heritability is important to understand how cognitive traits evolve. Here, we use a quantitative genetic study of wild-type guppies repeatedly exposed to a 'detour task' to test for genetic variance in the cognitive trait of inhibitory control. We also test for genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE) by testing related fish under alternative experimental treatments (transparent vs. semi-transparent barrier in the detour-task). We find among-individual variation in detour task performance, consistent with differences in inhibitory control. However, analysis of GxE reveals that heritable factors only contribute to performance variation in one treatment. This suggests that the adaptive evolutionary potential of inhibitory control (and/or other latent variables contributing to task performance) may be highly sensitive to environmental conditions. The presence of GxE also implies that the plastic response of detour task performance to treatment environment is genetically variable. Our results are consistent with a scenario where variation in individual inhibitory control stems from complex interactions between heritable and plastic components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela M. Prentice
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
- SRUC, Easter Bush, Roslin Institute BuildingMidlothianUK
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and ConservationUniversity of ExeterPenrynUK
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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7
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Casagrande S, Loveland JL, Oefele M, Boner W, Lupi S, Stier A, Hau M. Dietary nucleotides can prevent glucocorticoid-induced telomere attrition in a fast-growing wild vertebrate. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5429-5447. [PMID: 37658759 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17114] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are chromosome protectors that shorten during eukaryotic cell replication and in stressful conditions. Developing individuals are susceptible to telomere erosion when their growth is fast and resources are limited. This is critical because the rate of telomere attrition in early life is linked to health and life span of adults. The metabolic telomere attrition hypothesis (MeTA) suggests that telomere dynamics can respond to biochemical signals conveying information about the organism's energetic state. Among these signals are glucocorticoids, hormones that promote catabolic processes, potentially impairing costly telomere maintenance, and nucleotides, which activate anabolic pathways through the cellular enzyme target of rapamycin (TOR), thus preventing telomere attrition. During the energetically demanding growth phase, the regulation of telomeres in response to two contrasting signals - one promoting telomere maintenance and the other attrition - provides an ideal experimental setting to test the MeTA. We studied nestlings of a rapidly developing free-living passerine, the great tit (Parus major), that either received glucocorticoids (Cort-chicks), nucleotides (Nuc-chicks) or a combination of both (NucCort-chicks), comparing these with controls (Cnt-chicks). As expected, Cort-chicks showed telomere attrition, while NucCort- and Nuc-chicks did not. NucCort-chicks was the only group showing increased expression of a proxy for TOR activation (the gene TELO2), of mitochondrial enzymes linked to ATP production (cytochrome oxidase and ATP-synthase) and a higher efficiency in aerobically producing ATP. NucCort-chicks had also a higher expression of telomere maintenance genes (shelterin protein TERF2 and telomerase TERT) and of enzymatic antioxidant genes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). The findings show that nucleotide availability is crucial for preventing telomere erosion during fast growth in stressful environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Jasmine L Loveland
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlene Oefele
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sara Lupi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antoine Stier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR7178, Strasbourg, France
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany
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8
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Laine VN, Sepers B, Lindner M, Gawehns F, Ruuskanen S, van Oers K. An ecologist's guide for studying DNA methylation variation in wild vertebrates. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:1488-1508. [PMID: 35466564 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The field of molecular biology is advancing fast with new powerful technologies, sequencing methods and analysis software being developed constantly. Commonly used tools originally developed for research on humans and model species are now regularly used in ecological and evolutionary research. There is also a growing interest in the causes and consequences of epigenetic variation in natural populations. Studying ecological epigenetics is currently challenging, especially for vertebrate systems, because of the required technical expertise, complications with analyses and interpretation, and limitations in acquiring sufficiently high sample sizes. Importantly, neglecting the limitations of the experimental setup, technology and analyses may affect the reliability and reproducibility, and the extent to which unbiased conclusions can be drawn from these studies. Here, we provide a practical guide for researchers aiming to study DNA methylation variation in wild vertebrates. We review the technical aspects of epigenetic research, concentrating on DNA methylation using bisulfite sequencing, discuss the limitations and possible pitfalls, and how to overcome them through rigid and reproducible data analysis. This review provides a solid foundation for the proper design of epigenetic studies, a clear roadmap on the best practices for correct data analysis and a realistic view on the limitations for studying ecological epigenetics in vertebrates. This review will help researchers studying the ecological and evolutionary implications of epigenetic variation in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika N Laine
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melanie Lindner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Chronobiology Unit, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur Gawehns
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Hukkanen M, Hsu B, Cossin‐Sevrin N, Crombecque M, Delaunay A, Hollmen L, Kaukonen R, Konki M, Lund R, Marciau C, Stier A, Ruuskanen S. From maternal glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones to epigenetic regulation of offspring gene expression: An experimental study in a wild bird species. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1753-1769. [PMID: 38020869 PMCID: PMC10660793 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13598] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Offspring phenotype at birth is determined by its genotype and the prenatal environment including exposure to maternal hormones. Variation in both maternal glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones can affect offspring phenotype, but the underlying molecular mechanisms, especially those contributing to long-lasting effects, remain unclear. Epigenetic changes (such as DNA methylation) have been postulated as mediators of long-lasting effects of early-life environment. In this study, we determined the effects of elevated prenatal glucocorticoid and thyroid hormones on handling stress response (breath rate) as well as DNA methylation and gene expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and thyroid hormone receptor (THR) in great tits (Parus major). Eggs were injected before incubation onset with corticosterone (the main avian glucocorticoid) and/or thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) to simulate variation in maternal hormone deposition. Breath rate during handling and gene expression of GR and THR were evaluated 14 days after hatching. Methylation status of GR and THR genes was analyzed from the longitudinal blood cells sampled 7 and 14 days after hatching, as well as the following autumn. Elevated prenatal corticosterone level significantly increased the breath rate during handling, indicating an enhanced metabolic stress response. Prenatal corticosterone manipulation had CpG-site-specific effects on DNA methylation at the GR putative promoter region, while it did not significantly affect GR gene expression. GR expression was negatively associated with earlier hatching date and chick size. THR methylation or expression did not exhibit any significant relationship with the hormonal treatments or the examined covariates, suggesting that TH signaling may be more robust due to its crucial role in development. This study provides some support to the hypothesis suggesting that maternal corticosterone may influence offspring metabolic stress response via epigenetic alterations, yet their possible adaptive role in optimizing offspring phenotype to the prevailing conditions, context-dependency, and the underlying molecular interplay needs further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Hukkanen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FinlandUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Bin‐Yan Hsu
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | | | | | - Axelle Delaunay
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM)Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHEMontpellierFrance
| | - Lotta Hollmen
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riina Kaukonen
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Mikko Konki
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
- Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riikka Lund
- Turku Bioscience CentreUniversity of Turku and Åbo Akademi UniversityTurkuFinland
| | - Coline Marciau
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Antoine Stier
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178University of Strasbourg, CNRSStrasbourgFrance
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of Biological and Environmental ScienceUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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10
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Siller Wilks SJ, Westneat DF, Heidinger BJ, Solomon J, Rubenstein DR. Epigenetic modification of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during development in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 341:114336. [PMID: 37328040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation are important mechanisms for mediating developmental plasticity, where ontogenetic processes and their phenotypic outcomes are shaped by early environments. In particular, changes in DNA methylation of genes within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can impact offspring growth and development. This relationship has been well documented in mammals but is less understood in other taxa. Here, we use target-enriched enzymatic methyl sequencing (TEEM-seq) to assess how DNA methylation in a suite of 25 genes changes over development, how these modifications relate to the early environment, and how they predict differential growth trajectories in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We found that DNA methylation changes dynamically over the postnatal developmental period: genes with initially low DNA methylation tended to decline in methylation over development, whereas genes with initially high DNA methylation tended to increase in methylation. However, sex-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were maintained across the developmental period. We also found significant differences in post-hatching DNA methylation in relation to hatch date, with higher levels of DNA methylation in nestlings hatched earlier in the season. Although these differences were largely absent by the end of development, a number of DMRs in HPA-related genes (CRH, MC2R, NR3C1, NR3C2, POMC)-and to a lesser degree HPG-related genes (GNRHR2)-predicted nestling growth trajectories over development. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms by which the early environment shapes DNA methylation in the HPA axis, and how these changes subsequently influence growth and potentially mediate developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie J Siller Wilks
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Britt J Heidinger
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Joseph Solomon
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Huang M, Liu Y, Lu X. Genomic Basis of Adaptive Divergence in Leg Length between Ground- and Tree-Dwelling Species within a Bird Family. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad166. [PMID: 37708414 PMCID: PMC10516731 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad166] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hind limbs of tetrapods vary greatly in length and the variability can be associated with locomotor adaptation. Although the phenotypic evolution has been well documented, the underlying genetic basis remains poorly understood. We address this issue by integrating comparative genomics and functional prediction with a study system consisting of ground-dwelling, long-legged and tree-dwelling, short-legged species within the avian family Paridae. Genome-wide divergence and phenotypic correlation analyses jointly identified five highly divergent genomic regions that are significantly related with the difference in leg length between these two groups. Gene annotation for these regions detected three genes involved in skeletal development, that is, PTPA, BRINP1, and MIGA2, with the first one being under the strongest selection. Furthermore, four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding region of PTPA can well distinguish the two groups with distinct leg length. Among the four SNPs, one is non-synonymous mutation, and according to the prediction for protein structure and function, it can affect the 3D structure of the encoded protein by altering the corresponding amino acid's position. The alleles of PTPA were found in all sequenced species of the orders Palaeognathae and Psittaciformes, which typically take a ground locomotion style. A whole-genome scanning across bird species uncovered that the four SNPs are more likely to be present in resident passerines with increased leg length/wing length ratios (a proxy of leg-dependent locomotion efficiency). Our findings provide insight into the molecular evolution of locomotion performance based on leg morphology in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Huang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanrui Liu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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12
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Catalán A, Merondun J, Knief U, Wolf JBW. Chromatin accessibility, not 5mC methylation covaries with partial dosage compensation in crows. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010901. [PMID: 37747941 PMCID: PMC10575545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of genetic sex determination is often accompanied by degradation of the sex-limited chromosome. Male heterogametic systems have evolved convergent, epigenetic mechanisms restoring the resulting imbalance in gene dosage between diploid autosomes (AA) and the hemizygous sex chromosome (X). Female heterogametic systems (AAf Zf, AAm ZZm) tend to only show partial dosage compensation (0.5 < Zf:AAf < 1) and dosage balance (0.5
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catalán
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Justin Merondun
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ulrich Knief
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jochen B. W. Wolf
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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13
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Sepers B, Mateman AC, Gawehns F, Verhoeven KJF, van Oers K. Developmental stress does not induce genome-wide DNA methylation changes in wild great tit (Parus major) nestlings. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37154074 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The environment experienced during early life is a crucial factor in the life of many organisms. This early life environment has been shown to have profound effects on morphology, physiology and fitness. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects are largely unknown, even though they are essential for our understanding of the processes that induce phenotypic variation in natural populations. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that has been suggested to explain such environmentally induced phenotypic changes early in life. To investigate whether DNA methylation changes are associated with experimentally induced early developmental effects, we cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood sizes in a natural study population. We assessed experimental brood size effects on pre-fledging biometry and behaviour. We linked this to genome-wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using 122 individuals and an improved epiGBS2 laboratory protocol. Brood enlargement caused developmental stress and negatively affected nestling condition, predominantly during the second half of the breeding season, when conditions are harsher. Brood enlargement, however, affected nestling DNA methylation in only one CpG site and only if the hatch date was taken into account. In conclusion, this study shows that nutritional stress in enlarged broods does not associate with direct effects on genome-wide DNA methylation. Future studies should assess whether genome-wide DNA methylation variation may arise later in life as a consequence of phenotypic changes during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Christa Mateman
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur Gawehns
- Bioinformatics Unit, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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14
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von Holdt BM, Kartzinel RY, van Oers K, Verhoeven KJF, Ouyang JQ. Changes in the rearing environment cause reorganization of molecular networks associated with DNA methylation. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:648-664. [PMID: 36567635 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13878] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Disentangling the interaction between the genetic basis and environmental context underlying phenotypic variation is critical for understanding organismal evolution. Environmental change, such as increased rates of urbanization, can induce shifts in phenotypic plasticity with some individuals adapting to city life while others are displaced. A key trait that can facilitate adaptation is the degree at which animals respond to stressors. This stress response, which includes elevation of baseline circulating concentrations of glucocorticoids, has a heritable component and exhibits intra- and inter-individual variation. However, the mechanisms behind this variability and whether they might be responsible for adaptation to different environments are not known. Variation in DNA methylation can be a potential mechanism that mediates environmental effects on the stress response, as early-life stressors increase glucocorticoid concentrations and change adult phenotype. We used an inter- and intra-environmental cross-foster experiment to analyse the contribution of DNA methylation to early-life phenotypic variation. We found that at hatching, urban house wren (Troglodytes aedon) offspring had higher methylation frequencies compared with their rural counterparts. We also observed age-related patterns in offspring methylation, indicating the developmental effects of the rearing environment on methylation. At fledgling, differential methylation analyses showed that cellular respiration genes were differentially methylated in broods of different origins and behavioural and metabolism genes were differentially methylated in broods of different rearing environments. Lastly, hyper-methylation of a single gene (CNTNAP2) is associated with decreased glucocorticoid levels and the rearing environment. These differential methylation patterns linked to a specific physiological phenotype suggest that DNA methylation may be a mechanism by which individuals adjust to novel environments during their lifespan. Characterizing genetic and environmental influences on methylation is critical for understanding the role of epigenetic mechanisms in evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M von Holdt
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Rebecca Y Kartzinel
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
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15
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Klughammer J, Romanovskaia D, Nemc A, Posautz A, Seid CA, Schuster LC, Keinath MC, Lugo Ramos JS, Kosack L, Evankow A, Printz D, Kirchberger S, Ergüner B, Datlinger P, Fortelny N, Schmidl C, Farlik M, Skjærven K, Bergthaler A, Liedvogel M, Thaller D, Burger PA, Hermann M, Distel M, Distel DL, Kübber-Heiss A, Bock C. Comparative analysis of genome-scale, base-resolution DNA methylation profiles across 580 animal species. Nat Commun 2023; 14:232. [PMID: 36646694 PMCID: PMC9842680 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34828-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylation of cytosines is a prototypic epigenetic modification of the DNA. It has been implicated in various regulatory mechanisms across the animal kingdom and particularly in vertebrates. We mapped DNA methylation in 580 animal species (535 vertebrates, 45 invertebrates), resulting in 2443 genome-scale DNA methylation profiles of multiple organs. Bioinformatic analysis of this large dataset quantified the association of DNA methylation with the underlying genomic DNA sequence throughout vertebrate evolution. We observed a broadly conserved link with two major transitions-once in the first vertebrates and again with the emergence of reptiles. Cross-species comparisons focusing on individual organs supported a deeply conserved association of DNA methylation with tissue type, and cross-mapping analysis of DNA methylation at gene promoters revealed evolutionary changes for orthologous genes. In summary, this study establishes a large resource of vertebrate and invertebrate DNA methylomes, it showcases the power of reference-free epigenome analysis in species for which no reference genomes are available, and it contributes an epigenetic perspective to the study of vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Klughammer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria. .,Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Daria Romanovskaia
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amelie Nemc
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annika Posautz
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Charlotte A Seid
- Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, USA
| | - Linda C Schuster
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Juan Sebastian Lugo Ramos
- Max Planck Research Group Behavioral Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Lindsay Kosack
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ann Evankow
- Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, USA
| | - Dieter Printz
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Kirchberger
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bekir Ergüner
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Datlinger
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Fortelny
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Schmidl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Farlik
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Medical University of Vienna, Center for Pathophysiology Infectiology and Immunology, Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Max Planck Research Group Behavioral Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Denise Thaller
- Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pamela A Burger
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcela Hermann
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Distel
- Children's Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel L Distel
- Ocean Genome Legacy Center, Northeastern University Marine Science Center, Nahant, USA
| | - Anna Kübber-Heiss
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria. .,Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, Vienna, Austria.
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16
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Lundregan SL, Mäkinen H, Buer A, Holand H, Jensen H, Husby A. Infection by a helminth parasite is associated with changes in
DNA
methylation in the house sparrow. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9539. [PMCID: PMC9702581 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Lundregan
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Hannu Mäkinen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Amberly Buer
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Håkon Holand
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Arild Husby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
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17
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Chen Y, Jiang Z, Fan P, Ericson PGP, Song G, Luo X, Lei F, Qu Y. The combination of genomic offset and niche modelling provides insights into climate change-driven vulnerability. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4821. [PMID: 35974023 PMCID: PMC9381542 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32546-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming is increasingly exacerbating biodiversity loss. Populations locally adapted to spatially heterogeneous environments may respond differentially to climate change, but this intraspecific variation has only recently been considered when modelling vulnerability under climate change. Here, we incorporate intraspecific variation in genomic offset and ecological niche modelling to estimate climate change-driven vulnerability in two bird species in the Sino-Himalayan Mountains. We found that the cold-tolerant populations show higher genomic offset but risk less challenge for niche suitability decline under future climate than the warm-tolerant populations. Based on a genome-niche index estimated by combining genomic offset and niche suitability change, we identified the populations with the least genome-niche interruption as potential donors for evolutionary rescue, i.e., the populations tolerant to climate change. We evaluated potential rescue routes via a landscape genetic analysis. Overall, we demonstrate that the integration of genomic offset, niche suitability modelling, and landscape connectivity can improve climate change-driven vulnerability assessments and facilitate effective conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Fan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Per G P Ericson
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gang Song
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Luo
- Faculty of Biodiversity and Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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18
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Integrated Analyses of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression of Rainbow Trout Muscle under Variable Ploidy and Muscle Atrophy Conditions. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071151. [PMID: 35885934 PMCID: PMC9319582 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071151] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, is an important cool, freshwater aquaculture species used as a model for biological research. However, its genome reference has not been annotated for epigenetic markers affecting various biological processes, including muscle growth/atrophy. Increased energetic demands during gonadogenesis/reproduction provoke muscle atrophy in rainbow trout. We described DNA methylation and its associated gene expression in atrophying muscle by comparing gravid, diploid females to sterile, triploid females. Methyl Mini-seq and RNA-Seq were simultaneously used to characterize genome-wide DNA methylation and its association with gene expression in rainbow trout muscle. Genome-wide enrichment in the number of CpGs, accompanied by depleted methylation levels, was noticed around the gene transcription start site (TSS). Hypermethylation of CpG sites within ±1 kb on both sides of TSS (promoter and gene body) was weakly/moderately associated with reduced gene expression. Conversely, hypermethylation of the CpG sites in downstream regions of the gene body +2 to +10 kb was weakly associated with increased gene expression. Unlike mammalian genomes, rainbow trout gene promotors are poor in CpG islands, at <1% compared to 60%. No signs of genome-wide, differentially methylated (DM) CpGs were observed due to the polyploidy effect; only 1206 CpGs (0.03%) were differentially methylated, and these were primarily associated with muscle atrophy. Twenty-eight genes exhibited differential gene expression consistent with methylation levels of 31 DM CpGs. These 31 DM CpGs represent potential epigenetic markers of muscle atrophy in rainbow trout. The DM CpG-harboring genes are involved in apoptosis, epigenetic regulation, autophagy, collagen metabolism, cell membrane functions, and Homeobox proteins. Our study also identified genes explaining higher water content and modulated glycolysis previously shown as characteristic biochemical signs of rainbow trout muscle atrophy associated with sexual maturation. This study characterized DNA methylation in the rainbow trout genome and its correlation with gene expression. This work also identified novel epigenetic markers associated with muscle atrophy in fish/lower vertebrates.
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19
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Lamka GF, Harder AM, Sundaram M, Schwartz TS, Christie MR, DeWoody JA, Willoughby JR. Epigenetics in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.871791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic variation is often characterized by modifications to DNA that do not alter the underlying nucleotide sequence, but can influence behavior, morphology, and physiological phenotypes by affecting gene expression and protein synthesis. In this review, we consider how the emerging field of ecological epigenetics (eco-epi) aims to use epigenetic variation to explain ecologically relevant phenotypic variation and predict evolutionary trajectories that are important in conservation. Here, we focus on how epigenetic data have contributed to our understanding of wild populations, including plants, animals, and fungi. First, we identified published eco-epi literature and found that there was limited taxonomic and ecosystem coverage and that, by necessity of available technology, these studies have most often focused on the summarized epigenome rather than locus- or nucleotide-level epigenome characteristics. We also found that while many studies focused on adaptation and heritability of the epigenome, the field has thematically expanded into topics such as disease ecology and epigenome-based ageing of individuals. In the second part of our synthesis, we discuss key insights that have emerged from the epigenetic field broadly and use these to preview the path toward integration of epigenetics into ecology. Specifically, we suggest moving focus to nucleotide-level differences in the epigenome rather than whole-epigenome data and that we incorporate several facets of epigenome characterization (e.g., methylation, chromatin structure). Finally, we also suggest that incorporation of behavior and stress data will be critical to the process of fully integrating eco-epi data into ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology.
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20
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Sympatric speciation of the spiny mouse from Evolution Canyon in Israel substantiated genomically and methylomically. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121822119. [PMID: 35320043 PMCID: PMC9060526 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121822119] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceWhether sympatric speciation (SS) is rare or common is still debated. Two populations of the spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus, from Evolution Canyon I (EC I) in Israel have been depicted earlier as speciating sympatrically by molecular markers and transcriptome. Here, we investigated SS both genomically and methylomically, demonstrating that the opposite populations of spiny mice are sister taxa and split from the common ancestor around 20,000 years ago without an allopatric history. Mate choice, olfactory receptors, and speciation genes contributed to prezygotic/postzygotic reproductive isolation. The two populations showed different methylation patterns, facilitating adaptation to their local environment. They cope with abiotic and biotic stresses, due to high solar interslope radiation differences. We conclude that our new genomic and methylomic data substantiated SS.
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21
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Riyahi S, Carrillo-Ortiz JG, Uribe F, Calafell F, Senar JC. Risk-taking coping style correlates with SERT SNP290 polymorphisms in free-living great tits. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274842. [PMID: 35332918 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243342] [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: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The coping style of an individual in relation to potentially dangerous situations has been suggested to be inherited in a polygenic fashion, being SERT one of the candidate genes. In this paper, we assessed in free-living great tits Parus major the association between SNP290 in the SERT promoter and three standard fear-related behaviors, namely the response of the birds to a black and white flag fixed to the top of the nest-box, distress calling rate of the birds in the hand once captured and the hissing call of incubating females when approached by a predator. We found a strong association between SNP290 polymorphism and the three risk-taking behaviors, with birds with genotype CT entering faster to the nest box with the flag and displaying more distress calls and less hissing calls. CT birds could therefore be described as more proactive than CC individuals. These results also suggest that hissing behavior should be regarded as a fear-induced shy behavior, and confirm that SERT has an important function in relation to risk aversion behaviors and coping style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepand Riyahi
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - José G Carrillo-Ortiz
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Uribe
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Calafell
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Senar
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Psseig Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Gawehns F, Postuma M, Van Antro M, Nunn A, Sepers B, Fatma S, van Gurp TP, Wagemaker NCAM, Mateman AC, Milanovic-Ivanovic S, Grosse I, van Oers K, Vergeer P, Verhoeven KJF. epiGBS2: Improvements and evaluation of highly multiplexed, epiGBS-based reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2087-2104. [PMID: 35178872 PMCID: PMC9311447 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13597] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Several reduced‐representation bisulfite sequencing methods have been developed in recent years to determine cytosine methylation de novo in nonmodel species. Here, we present epiGBS2, a laboratory protocol based on epiGBS with a revised and user‐friendly bioinformatics pipeline for a wide range of species with or without a reference genome. epiGBS2 is cost‐ and time‐efficient and the computational workflow is designed in a user‐friendly and reproducible manner. The library protocol allows a flexible choice of restriction enzymes and a double digest. The bioinformatics pipeline was integrated in the snakemake workflow management system, which makes the pipeline easy to execute and modular, and parameter settings for important computational steps flexible. We implemented bismark for alignment and methylation analysis and we preprocessed alignment files by double masking to enable single nucleotide polymorphism calling with freebayes (epifreebayes). The performance of several critical steps in epiGBS2 was evaluated against baseline data sets from Arabidopsis thaliana and great tit (Parus major), which confirmed its overall good performance. We provide a detailed description of the laboratory protocol and an extensive manual of the bioinformatics pipeline, which is publicly accessible on github (https://github.com/nioo‐knaw/epiGBS2) and zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4764652).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur Gawehns
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Bioinformatics Unit, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Postuma
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Morgane Van Antro
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Adam Nunn
- ecSeq Bioinformatics GmbH, Leipzig, Germany.,Universität Leipzig, Institut für Informatik, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Animal Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Samar Fatma
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Computer Science, Halle, Germany
| | - Thomas P van Gurp
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - A Christa Mateman
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Animal Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Slavica Milanovic-Ivanovic
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivo Grosse
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Computer Science, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kees van Oers
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Animal Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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23
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Recurrent chromosome reshuffling and the evolution of neo-sex chromosomes in parrots. Nat Commun 2022; 13:944. [PMID: 35177601 PMCID: PMC8854603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The karyotype of most birds has remained considerably stable during more than 100 million years’ evolution, except for some groups, such as parrots. The evolutionary processes and underlying genetic mechanism of chromosomal rearrangements in parrots, however, are poorly understood. Here, using chromosome-level assemblies of four parrot genomes, we uncover frequent chromosome fusions and fissions, with most of them occurring independently among lineages. The increased activities of chromosomal rearrangements in parrots are likely associated with parrot-specific loss of two genes, ALC1 and PARP3, that have known functions in the repair of double-strand breaks and maintenance of genome stability. We further find that the fusion of the ZW sex chromosomes and chromosome 11 has created a pair of neo-sex chromosomes in the ancestor of parrots, and the chromosome 25 has been further added to the sex chromosomes in monk parakeet. Together, the combination of our genomic and cytogenetic analyses characterizes the complex evolutionary history of chromosomal rearrangements and sex chromosomes in parrots. Parrots have undergone substantial karyotype evolution compared to most other birds. Here, Huang et al. analyze chromosome-level genome assemblies for four parrot species and elucidate the complex evolutionary history of parrot chromosomes.
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24
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Anderson SJ, Côté SD, Richard JH, Shafer ABA. Genomic architecture of phenotypic extremes in a wild cervid. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:126. [PMID: 35151275 PMCID: PMC8841092 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08333-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the genes underlying fitness-related traits such as body size and male ornamentation can provide tools for conservation and management and are often subject to various selective pressures. Here we performed high-depth whole genome re-sequencing of pools of individuals representing the phenotypic extremes for antler and body size in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Samples were selected from a tissue repository containing phenotypic data for 4,466 male white-tailed deer from Anticosti Island, Quebec, with four pools representing the extreme phenotypes for antler and body size after controlling for age. Our results revealed a largely homogenous population but detected highly divergent windows between pools for both traits, with the mean allele frequency difference of 14% for and 13% for antler and body SNPs in outlier windows, respectively. Genes in outlier antler windows were enriched for pathways associated with cell death and protein metabolism and some of the most differentiated windows included genes associated with oncogenic pathways and reproduction, processes consistent with antler evolution and growth. Genes associated with body size were more nuanced, suggestive of a highly complex trait. Overall, this study revealed the complex genomic make-up of both antler morphology and body size in free-ranging white-tailed deer and identified target loci for additional analyses.
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25
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Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs are increasingly targeted in studies of natural populations. Here, I review some of the insights gained from this research, examine some of the methods currently in use and discuss some of the challenges that researchers working on natural populations are likely to face when probing epigenetic mechanisms. While studies supporting the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in generating phenotypic variation in natural populations are amassing, many of these studies are currently correlative in nature. Thus, while empirical data point to widespread contributions of epigenetic mechanisms in generating phenotypic variation, there are still concerns as to whether epigenetic variation is instead ultimately controlled by genetic variation. Disentangling these two sources of variation will be a key to resolving the debate about the importance of epigenetic mechanisms, and studies on natural populations that partition the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors to phenotypic variation can play an important role in this debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arild Husby
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University for Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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26
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Dominoni DM, de Jong M, van Oers K, O'Shaughnessy P, Blackburn GJ, Atema E, Mateman AC, D'Amelio PB, Trost L, Bellingham M, Clark J, Visser ME, Helm B. Integrated molecular and behavioural data reveal deep circadian disruption in response to artificial light at night in male Great tits (Parus major). Sci Rep 2022; 12:1553. [PMID: 35091579 PMCID: PMC8799718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally increasing levels of artificial light at night (ALAN) are associated with shifting rhythms of behaviour in many wild species. However, it is unclear whether changes in behavioural timing are paralleled by consistent shifts in the molecular clock and its associated physiological pathways. Inconsistent shifts between behavioural and molecular rhythms, and between different tissues and physiological systems, disrupt the circadian system, which coordinates all major body functions. We therefore compared behavioural, transcriptional and metabolomic responses of captive great tits (Parus major) to three ALAN intensities or to dark nights, recording activity and sampling brain, liver, spleen and blood at mid-day and midnight. ALAN advanced wake-up time, and this shift was paralleled by advanced expression of the clock gene BMAL1 in all tissues, suggesting close links between behaviour and clock gene expression across tissues. However, further analysis of gene expression and metabolites revealed that clock shifts were inconsistent across physiological systems. Untargeted metabolomic profiling showed that only 9.7% of the 755 analysed metabolites followed the behavioural shift. This high level of desynchronization indicates that ALAN disrupted the circadian system on a deep, easily overlooked level. Thus, circadian disruption could be a key mediator of health impacts of ALAN on wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide M Dominoni
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. .,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Maaike de Jong
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter O'Shaughnessy
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Gavin J Blackburn
- Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Els Atema
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Christa Mateman
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pietro B D'Amelio
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Centre d'Ecologie Functionnelle et Evolutive, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul-Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Lisa Trost
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Michelle Bellingham
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jessica Clark
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.,Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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27
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Mueller JC, Botero-Delgadillo E, Espíndola-Hernández P, Gilsenan C, Ewels P, Gruselius J, Kempenaers B. Local selection signals in the genome of Blue tits emphasize regulatory and neuronal evolution. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1504-1514. [PMID: 34995389 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the genomic landscape of adaptation is central to the understanding of microevolution in wild populations. Genomic targets of selection and the underlying genomic mechanisms of adaptation can be elucidated by genome-wide scans for past selective sweeps or by scans for direct fitness associations. We sequenced and assembled 150 haplotypes of 75 Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) of a single central-European population by a linked-read technology. We used these genome data in combination with coalescent simulations (1) to estimate an historical effective population size of ~250,000, which recently declined to ~10,000, and (2) to identify genome-wide distributed selective sweeps of beneficial variants most likely originating from standing genetic variation (soft sweeps). The genes linked to these soft sweeps, but also the ones linked to hard sweeps based on new beneficial mutants, showed a significant enrichment for functions associated with gene expression and transcription regulation. This emphasizes the importance of regulatory evolution in the population's adaptive history. Soft sweeps were further enriched for genes related to axon and synapse development, indicating the significance of neuronal connectivity changes in the brain potentially linked to behavioural adaptations. A previous scan of heterozygosity-fitness correlations revealed a consistent negative effect on arrival date at the breeding site for a single microsatellite in the MDGA2 gene. Here, we used the haplotype structure around this microsatellite to explain the effect as a local and direct outbreeding effect of a gene involved in synapse development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob C Mueller
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Esteban Botero-Delgadillo
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Pamela Espíndola-Hernández
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Carol Gilsenan
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Phil Ewels
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joel Gruselius
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,current address: Vanadis Diagnostics, PerkinElmer, Sollentuna, Sweden
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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28
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Caizergues AE, Le Luyer J, Grégoire A, Szulkin M, Senar J, Charmantier A, Perrier C. Epigenetics and the city: Non-parallel DNA methylation modifications across pairs of urban-forest Great tit populations. Evol Appl 2022; 15:149-165. [PMID: 35126653 PMCID: PMC8792475 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in rapid adaptation to novel environments and determining their predictability are central questions in evolutionary biology and pressing issues due to rapid global changes. Complementary to genetic responses to selection, faster epigenetic variations such as modifications of DNA methylation may play a substantial role in rapid adaptation. In the context of rampant urbanization, joint examinations of genomic and epigenomic mechanisms are still lacking. Here, we investigated genomic (SNP) and epigenomic (CpG methylation) responses to urban life in a passerine bird, the Great tit (Parus major). To test whether urban evolution is predictable (i.e. parallel) or involves mostly nonparallel molecular processes among cities, we analysed both SNP and CpG methylation variations across three distinct pairs of city and forest Great tit populations in Europe. Our analyses reveal a polygenic response to urban life, with both many genes putatively under weak divergent selection and multiple differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between forest and city great tits. DMRs mainly overlapped transcription start sites and promotor regions, suggesting their importance in modulating gene expression. Both genomic and epigenomic outliers were found in genomic regions enriched for genes with biological functions related to the nervous system, immunity, or behavioural, hormonal and stress responses. Interestingly, comparisons across the three pairs of city-forest populations suggested little parallelism in both genetic and epigenetic responses. Our results confirm, at both the genetic and epigenetic levels, hypotheses of polygenic and largely nonparallel mechanisms of rapid adaptation in novel environments such as urbanized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeremy Le Luyer
- Ifremer, IRD, Institut Louis‐MalardéUniv Polynésie Française, EIOTaravaoFrench Polynesia
| | | | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New TechnologiesUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | | | | | - Charles Perrier
- CBGP, INRAe, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgroUniv. MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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29
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Cheng Y, Miller MJ, Zhang D, Xiong Y, Hao Y, Jia C, Cai T, Li SH, Johansson US, Liu Y, Chang Y, Song G, Qu Y, Lei F. Parallel genomic responses to historical climate change and high elevation in East Asian songbirds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023918118. [PMID: 34873033 PMCID: PMC8685689 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023918118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Parallel evolution can be expected among closely related taxa exposed to similar selective pressures. However, parallelism is typically stronger at the phenotypic level, while genetic solutions to achieve these phenotypic similarities may differ. For polygenic traits, the availability of standing genetic variation (i.e., heterozygosity) may influence such genetic nonparallelism. Here, we examine the extent to which high-elevation adaptation is parallel-and whether the level of parallelism is affected by heterozygosity-by analyzing genomes of 19 Paridae species distributed across East Asia with a dramatic east-west elevation gradient. We find that western highlands endemic parids have consistently lower levels of heterozygosity-likely the result of late-Pleistocene demographic contraction-than do parids found exclusively in eastern lowlands, which remained unglaciated during the late Pleistocene. Three widespread species (east to west) have high levels of heterozygosity similar to that observed in eastern species, although their western populations are less variable than eastern ones. Comparing genomic responses to extreme environments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we find that the most differentiated genomic regions between each high-elevation taxon and its low-elevation relative are significantly enriched for genes potentially related to the oxygen transport cascade and/or thermogenesis. Despite no parallelism at particular genes, high similarity in gene function is found among comparisons. Furthermore, parallelism is not higher in more heterozygous widespread parids than in highland endemics. Thus, in East Asian parids, parallel functional response to extreme elevation appears to rely on different genes, with differences in heterozygosity having no effect on the degree of genetic parallelism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Matthew J Miller
- Reneco International Wildlife Consultants, LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- University of Alaska Museum, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK
| | - Dezhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan Hao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenxi Jia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tianlong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shou-Hsien Li
- Department of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan, China
| | - Ulf S Johansson
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology/School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yongbin Chang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gang Song
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, 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, Kunming, 650201, China
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30
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Sigeman H, Strandh M, Proux-Wéra E, Kutschera VE, Ponnikas S, Zhang H, Lundberg M, Soler L, Bunikis I, Tarka M, Hasselquist D, Nystedt B, Westerdahl H, Hansson B. Avian Neo-Sex Chromosomes Reveal Dynamics of Recombination Suppression and W Degeneration. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5275-5291. [PMID: 34542640 PMCID: PMC8662655 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
How the avian sex chromosomes first evolved from autosomes remains elusive as 100 million years (My) of divergence and degeneration obscure their evolutionary history. The Sylvioidea group of songbirds is interesting for understanding avian sex chromosome evolution because a chromosome fusion event ∼24 Ma formed "neo-sex chromosomes" consisting of an added (new) and an ancestral (old) part. Here, we report the complete female genome (ZW) of one Sylvioidea species, the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Our long-read assembly shows that the added region has been translocated to both Z and W, and whereas the added-Z has retained its gene order the added-W part has been heavily rearranged. Phylogenetic analyses show that recombination between the homologous added-Z and -W regions continued after the fusion event, and that recombination suppression across this region took several million years to be completed. Moreover, recombination suppression was initiated across multiple positions over the added-Z, which is not consistent with a simple linear progression starting from the fusion point. As expected following recombination suppression, the added-W show signs of degeneration including repeat accumulation and gene loss. Finally, we present evidence for nonrandom maintenance of slowly evolving and dosage-sensitive genes on both ancestral- and added-W, a process causing correlated evolution among orthologous genes across broad taxonomic groups, regardless of sex linkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Sigeman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Strandh
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Estelle Proux-Wéra
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Verena E Kutschera
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Suvi Ponnikas
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lucile Soler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala Genome Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maja Tarka
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Björn Nystedt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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31
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Galbraith JD, Kortschak RD, Suh A, Adelson DL. Genome Stability Is in the Eye of the Beholder: CR1 Retrotransposon Activity Varies Significantly across Avian Diversity. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6433158. [PMID: 34894225 PMCID: PMC8665684 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the sequencing of the zebra finch genome it has become clear that avian genomes, while largely stable in terms of chromosome number and gene synteny, are more dynamic at an intrachromosomal level. A multitude of intrachromosomal rearrangements and significant variation in transposable element (TE) content have been noted across the avian tree. TEs are a source of genome plasticity, because their high similarity enables chromosomal rearrangements through nonallelic homologous recombination, and they have potential for exaptation as regulatory and coding sequences. Previous studies have investigated the activity of the dominant TE in birds, chicken repeat 1 (CR1) retrotransposons, either focusing on their expansion within single orders, or comparing passerines with nonpasserines. Here, we comprehensively investigate and compare the activity of CR1 expansion across orders of birds, finding levels of CR1 activity vary significantly both between and within orders. We describe high levels of TE expansion in genera which have speciated in the last 10 Myr including kiwis, geese, and Amazon parrots; low levels of TE expansion in songbirds across their diversification, and near inactivity of TEs in the cassowary and emu for millions of years. CR1s have remained active over long periods of time across most orders of neognaths, with activity at any one time dominated by one or two families of CR1s. Our findings of higher TE activity in species-rich clades and dominant families of TEs within lineages mirror past findings in mammals and indicate that genome evolution in amniotes relies on universal TE-driven processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Galbraith
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - David L Adelson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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32
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Ghimire P, Dahal N, Karna AK, Karki S, Lamichhaney S. Exploring potentialities of avian genomic research in Nepalese Himalayas. AVIAN RESEARCH 2021; 12:57. [PMID: 34745641 PMCID: PMC8556808 DOI: 10.1186/s40657-021-00290-5] [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: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Nepal, a small landlocked country in South Asia, holds about 800 km of Himalayan Mountain range including the Earth's highest mountain. Within such a mountain range in the north and plain lowlands in the south, Nepal provides a habitat for about 9% of global avian fauna. However, this diversity is underrated because of the lack of enough studies, especially using molecular tools to quantify and understand the distribution patterns of diversity. In this study, we reviewed the studies in the last two decades (2000‒2019) that used molecular methods to study the biodiversity in Nepal to examine the ongoing research trend and focus. Although Nepalese Himalaya has many opportunities for cutting-edge molecular research, our results indicated that the rate of genetic/genomic studies is much slower compared to the regional trends. We found that genetic research in Nepal heavily relies on resources from international institutes and that too is mostly limited to research on species monitoring, distribution, and taxonomic validations. Local infrastructures to carry out cutting-edge genomic research in Nepal are still in their infancy and there is a strong need for support from national/international scientists, universities, and governmental agencies to expand such genomic infrastructures in Nepal. We particularly highlight avian fauna as a potential future study system in this region that can be an excellent resource to explore key biological questions such as understanding eco-physiology and molecular basis of organismal persistence to changing environment, evolutionary processes underlying divergence and speciation, or mechanisms of endemism and restrictive distribution of species. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40657-021-00290-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Ghimire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH USA
| | - Nishma Dahal
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, HP India
| | - Ajit K. Karna
- Center for Health and Disease Studies-Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Surendra Karki
- Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Food & Agricultural Organization of the UN, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sangeet Lamichhaney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH USA
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33
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Sætre CLC, Eroukhmanoff F, Rönkä K, Kluen E, Thorogood R, Torrance J, Tracey A, Chow W, Pelan S, Howe K, Jakobsen KS, Tørresen OK. A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6367782. [PMID: 34499122 PMCID: PMC8459166 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) is a long-distance migrant passerine with a wide distribution across Eurasia. This species has fascinated researchers for decades, especially its role as host of a brood parasite, and its capacity for rapid phenotypic change in the face of climate change. Currently, it is expanding its range northwards in Europe, and is altering its migratory behavior in certain areas. Thus, there is great potential to discover signs of recent evolution and its impact on the genomic composition of the reed warbler. Here, we present a high-quality reference genome for the reed warbler, based on PacBio, 10×, and Hi-C sequencing. The genome has an assembly size of 1,075,083,815 bp with a scaffold N50 of 74,438,198 bp and a contig N50 of 12,742,779 bp. BUSCO analysis using aves_odb10 as a model showed that 95.7% of BUSCO genes were complete. We found unequivocal evidence of two separate macrochromosomal fusions in the reed warbler genome, in addition to the previously identified fusion between chromosome Z and a part of chromosome 4A in the Sylvioidea superfamily. We annotated 14,645 protein-coding genes, and a BUSCO analysis of the protein sequences indicated 97.5% completeness. This reference genome will serve as an important resource, and will provide new insights into the genomic effects of evolutionary drivers such as coevolution, range expansion, and adaptations to climate change, as well as chromosomal rearrangements in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katja Rönkä
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Edward Kluen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - James Torrance
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Tracey
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - William Chow
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Pelan
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kerstin Howe
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kjetill S Jakobsen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole K Tørresen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Norway
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34
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Culina A, Adriaensen F, Bailey LD, Burgess MD, Charmantier A, Cole EF, Eeva T, Matthysen E, Nater CR, Sheldon BC, Sæther B, Vriend SJG, Zajkova Z, Adamík P, Aplin LM, Angulo E, Artemyev A, Barba E, Barišić S, Belda E, Bilgin CC, Bleu J, Both C, Bouwhuis S, Branston CJ, Broggi J, Burke T, Bushuev A, Camacho C, Campobello D, Canal D, Cantarero A, Caro SP, Cauchoix M, Chaine A, Cichoń M, Ćiković D, Cusimano CA, Deimel C, Dhondt AA, Dingemanse NJ, Doligez B, Dominoni DM, Doutrelant C, Drobniak SM, Dubiec A, Eens M, Einar Erikstad K, Espín S, Farine DR, Figuerola J, Kavak Gülbeyaz P, Grégoire A, Hartley IR, Hau M, Hegyi G, Hille S, Hinde CA, Holtmann B, Ilyina T, Isaksson C, Iserbyt A, Ivankina E, Kania W, Kempenaers B, Kerimov A, Komdeur J, Korsten P, Král M, Krist M, Lambrechts M, Lara CE, Leivits A, Liker A, Lodjak J, Mägi M, Mainwaring MC, Mänd R, Massa B, Massemin S, Martínez‐Padilla J, Mazgajski TD, Mennerat A, Moreno J, Mouchet A, Nakagawa S, Nilsson J, Nilsson JF, Cláudia Norte A, van Oers K, Orell M, Potti J, Quinn JL, Réale D, Kristin Reiertsen T, Rosivall B, Russell AF, Rytkönen S, Sánchez‐Virosta P, Santos ESA, Schroeder J, Senar JC, Seress G, Slagsvold T, Szulkin M, Teplitsky C, Tilgar V, Tolstoguzov A, Török J, Valcu M, Vatka E, Verhulst S, Watson H, Yuta T, Zamora‐Marín JM, Visser ME. Connecting the data landscape of long-term ecological studies: The SPI-Birds data hub. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2147-2160. [PMID: 33205462 PMCID: PMC8518542 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The integration and synthesis of the data in different areas of science is drastically slowed and hindered by a lack of standards and networking programmes. Long-term studies of individually marked animals are not an exception. These studies are especially important as instrumental for understanding evolutionary and ecological processes in the wild. Furthermore, their number and global distribution provides a unique opportunity to assess the generality of patterns and to address broad-scale global issues (e.g. climate change). To solve data integration issues and enable a new scale of ecological and evolutionary research based on long-term studies of birds, we have created the SPI-Birds Network and Database (www.spibirds.org)-a large-scale initiative that connects data from, and researchers working on, studies of wild populations of individually recognizable (usually ringed) birds. Within year and a half since the establishment, SPI-Birds has recruited over 120 members, and currently hosts data on almost 1.5 million individual birds collected in 80 populations over 2,000 cumulative years, and counting. SPI-Birds acts as a data hub and a catalogue of studied populations. It prevents data loss, secures easy data finding, use and integration and thus facilitates collaboration and synthesis. We provide community-derived data and meta-data standards and improve data integrity guided by the principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR), and aligned with the existing metadata languages (e.g. ecological meta-data language). The encouraging community involvement stems from SPI-Bird's decentralized approach: research groups retain full control over data use and their way of data management, while SPI-Birds creates tailored pipelines to convert each unique data format into a standard format. We outline the lessons learned, so that other communities (e.g. those working on other taxa) can adapt our successful model. Creating community-specific hubs (such as ours, COMADRE for animal demography, etc.) will aid much-needed large-scale ecological data integration.
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35
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Lindner M, Gawehns F, Te Molder S, Visser ME, van Oers K, Laine VN. Performance of methods to detect genetic variants from bisulphite sequencing data in a non-model species. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:834-846. [PMID: 34435438 PMCID: PMC9290141 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The profiling of epigenetic marks like DNA methylation has become a central aspect of studies in evolution and ecology. Bisulphite sequencing is commonly used for assessing genome‐wide DNA methylation at single nucleotide resolution but these data can also provide information on genetic variants like single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, bisulphite conversion causes unmethylated cytosines to appear as thymines, complicating the alignment and subsequent SNP calling. Several tools have been developed to overcome this challenge, but there is no independent evaluation of such tools for non‐model species, which often lack genomic references. Here, we used whole‐genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) data from four female great tits (Parus major) to evaluate the performance of seven tools for SNP calling from bisulphite sequencing data. We used SNPs from whole‐genome resequencing data of the same samples as baseline SNPs to assess common performance metrics like sensitivity, precision, and the number of true positive, false positive, and false negative SNPs for the full range of variant and genotype quality values. We found clear differences between the tools in either optimizing precision (bis‐snp), sensitivity (biscuit), or a compromise between both (all other tools). Overall, the choice of SNP caller strongly depends on which performance parameter should be maximized and whether ascertainment bias should be minimized to optimize downstream analysis, highlighting the need for studies that assess such differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Lindner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur Gawehns
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Te Molder
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Chronobiology Unit, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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36
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Zhang D, Rheindt FE, She H, Cheng Y, Song G, Jia C, Qu Y, Alström P, Lei F. Most Genomic Loci Misrepresent the Phylogeny of an Avian Radiation Because of Ancient Gene Flow. Syst Biol 2021; 70:961-975. [PMID: 33787929 PMCID: PMC8357342 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic trees based on genome-wide sequence data may not always represent the true evolutionary history for a variety of reasons. One process that can lead to incorrect reconstruction of species phylogenies is gene flow, especially if interspecific gene flow has affected large parts of the genome. We investigated phylogenetic relationships within a clade comprising eight species of passerine birds (Phylloscopidae, Phylloscopus, leaf warblers) using one de novo genome assembly and 78 resequenced genomes. On the basis of hypothesis-exclusion trials based on D-statistics, phylogenetic network analysis, and demographic inference analysis, we identified ancient gene flow affecting large parts of the genome between one species and the ancestral lineage of a sister species pair. This ancient gene flow consistently caused erroneous reconstruction of the phylogeny when using large amounts of genome-wide sequence data. In contrast, the true relationships were captured when smaller parts of the genome were analyzed, showing that the "winner-takes-all democratic majority tree" is not necessarily the true species tree. Under this condition, smaller amounts of data may sometimes avoid the effects of gene flow due to stochastic sampling, as hidden reticulation histories are more likely to emerge from the use of larger data sets, especially whole-genome data sets. In addition, we also found that genomic regions affected by ancient gene flow generally exhibited higher genomic differentiation but a lower recombination rate and nucleotide diversity. Our study highlights the importance of considering reticulation in phylogenetic reconstructions in the genomic era.[Bifurcation; introgression; recombination; reticulation; Phylloscopus.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Frank E Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Huishang She
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Yalin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Gang Song
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenxi Jia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanhua Qu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Per Alström
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
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37
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Manthey JD, Klicka J, Spellman GM. The Genomic Signature of Allopatric Speciation in a Songbird Is Shaped by Genome Architecture (Aves: Certhia americana). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab120. [PMID: 34042960 PMCID: PMC8364988 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomic signature of speciation with gene flow is often attributed to the strength of divergent selection and recombination rate in regions harboring targets for selection. In contrast, allopatric speciation provides a different geographic context and evolutionary scenario, whereby introgression is limited by isolation rather than selection against gene flow. Lacking shared divergent selection or selection against hybridization, we would predict the genomic signature of allopatric speciation would largely be shaped by genomic architecture-the nonrandom distribution of functional elements and chromosomal characteristics-through its role in affecting the processes of selection and drift. Here, we built and annotated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for a songbird (Passeriformes: Certhia americana). We show that the genomic signature of allopatric speciation between its two primary lineages is largely shaped by genomic architecture. Regionally, gene density and recombination rate variation explain a large proportion of variance in genomic diversity, differentiation, and divergence. We identified a heterogeneous landscape of selection and neutrality, with a large portion of the genome under the effects of indirect selection. We found higher proportions of small chromosomes under the effects of indirect selection, likely because they have relatively higher gene density. At the chromosome scale, differential genomic architecture of macro- and microchromosomes shapes the genomic signatures of speciation: chromosome size has: 1) a positive relationship with genetic differentiation, genetic divergence, rate of lineage sorting in the contact zone, and proportion neutral evolution and 2) a negative relationship with genetic diversity and recombination rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Manthey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - John Klicka
- Burke Museum of Natural History, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Garth M Spellman
- Department of Zoology, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado, USA
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38
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Heckwolf MJ, Meyer BS. The time is ripe for functional genomics: Can epigenetic changes mediate reproductive timing? Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3641-3644. [PMID: 34228848 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Populations are under strong selection to match reproductive timing with favourable environmental conditions. This becomes particularly important and challenging with increasing interannual environmental variability. Adjusting reproductive timing requires the ability to sense and interpret relevant environmental cues, while responding flexibly to their interannual variation. For instance, in seasonal species, reproductive timing is often dependent on photoperiod and temperature. Although many genes influencing the timing of reproduction have been identified, far less attention has been paid to the gene-regulatory cascades orchestrating these complex gene-environment interactions. In a From the Cover article in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Lindner, Laine, et al. (2021) addressed this knowledge gap by investigating the role of DNA methylation in mediating reproductive timing in the seasonally breeding great tit (Parus major). Using a clever blood sampling design, they investigated genome-wide DNA methylation changes following individual female birds across multiple reproductive stages. This approach revealed 10 candidate genes with a strong correlation between promoter methylation and reproductive status. Some of these genes are known to be involved in reproductive timing (e.g., MYLK-like or NR5A1), yet for others this function was previously unknown (Figure 1). Interestingly, NR5A1 is a key transcription factor, which may affect other genes that are part of the same regulatory network. The findings of Lindner, Laine, et al. (2021) provide a strong case for studying DNA methylation to uncover how gene-environment interactions influence important life-history traits, such as reproductive timing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Britta S Meyer
- Max Planck Research Group Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
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39
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Laine VN, Verschuuren M, van Oers K, Espín S, Sánchez-Virosta P, Eeva T, Ruuskanen S. Does Arsenic Contamination Affect DNA Methylation Patterns in a Wild Bird Population? An Experimental Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:8947-8954. [PMID: 34110128 DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.08.415745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Pollutants, such as toxic metals, negatively influence organismal health and performance, even leading to population collapses. Studies in model organisms have shown that epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, can be modulated by various environmental factors, including pollutants, influencing gene expression, and various organismal traits. Yet experimental data on the effects of pollution on DNA methylation from wild animal populations are largely lacking. We here experimentally investigated for the first time the effects of early-life exposure to environmentally relevant levels of a key pollutant, arsenic (As), on genome-wide DNA methylation in a wild bird population. We experimentally exposed nestlings of great tits (Parus major) to arsenic during their postnatal developmental period (3 to 14 days post-hatching) and compared their erythrocyte DNA methylation levels to those of respective controls. In contrast to predictions, we found no overall hypomethylation in the arsenic group. We found evidence for loci to be differentially methylated between the treatment groups, but for five CpG sites only. Three of the sites were located in gene bodies of zinc finger and BTB domain containing 47 (ZBTB47), HIVEP zinc finger 3 (HIVEP3), and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1). Further studies are needed to evaluate whether epigenetic dysregulation is a commonly observed phenomenon in polluted populations and what are the consequences for organism functioning and for population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Verschuuren
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Espín
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Socio-Sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia 30003, Spain
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Pablo Sánchez-Virosta
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Socio-Sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia 30003, Spain
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
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40
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Laine V, Verschuuren M, van Oers K, Espín S, Sánchez-Virosta P, Eeva T, Ruuskanen S. Does Arsenic Contamination Affect DNA Methylation Patterns in a Wild Bird Population? An Experimental Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:8947-8954. [PMID: 34110128 PMCID: PMC8277128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Pollutants, such as toxic metals, negatively influence organismal health and performance, even leading to population collapses. Studies in model organisms have shown that epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, can be modulated by various environmental factors, including pollutants, influencing gene expression, and various organismal traits. Yet experimental data on the effects of pollution on DNA methylation from wild animal populations are largely lacking. We here experimentally investigated for the first time the effects of early-life exposure to environmentally relevant levels of a key pollutant, arsenic (As), on genome-wide DNA methylation in a wild bird population. We experimentally exposed nestlings of great tits (Parus major) to arsenic during their postnatal developmental period (3 to 14 days post-hatching) and compared their erythrocyte DNA methylation levels to those of respective controls. In contrast to predictions, we found no overall hypomethylation in the arsenic group. We found evidence for loci to be differentially methylated between the treatment groups, but for five CpG sites only. Three of the sites were located in gene bodies of zinc finger and BTB domain containing 47 (ZBTB47), HIVEP zinc finger 3 (HIVEP3), and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1). Further studies are needed to evaluate whether epigenetic dysregulation is a commonly observed phenomenon in polluted populations and what are the consequences for organism functioning and for population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika
N. Laine
- Department
of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute
of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Verschuuren
- Department
of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute
of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department
of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute
of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Espín
- Area
of Toxicology, Department of Socio-Sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia 30003, Spain
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Pablo Sánchez-Virosta
- Area
of Toxicology, Department of Socio-Sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia 30003, Spain
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department
of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20500, Finland
- Department
of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
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41
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Salmón P, Jacobs A, Ahrén D, Biard C, Dingemanse NJ, Dominoni DM, Helm B, Lundberg M, Senar JC, Sprau P, Visser ME, Isaksson C. Continent-wide genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanisation in a songbird across Europe. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2983. [PMID: 34016968 PMCID: PMC8137928 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanisation is increasing worldwide, and there is now ample evidence of phenotypic changes in wild organisms in response to this novel environment. Yet, the genetic changes and genomic architecture underlying these adaptations are poorly understood. Here, we genotype 192 great tits (Parus major) from nine European cities, each paired with an adjacent rural site, to address this major knowledge gap in our understanding of wildlife urban adaptation. We find that a combination of polygenic allele frequency shifts and recurrent selective sweeps are associated with the adaptation of great tits to urban environments. While haplotypes under selection are rarely shared across urban populations, selective sweeps occur within the same genes, mostly linked to neural function and development. Collectively, we show that urban adaptation in a widespread songbird occurs through unique and shared selective sweeps in a core-set of behaviour-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden ,grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Arne Jacobs
- grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dag Ahrén
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Clotilde Biard
- grid.462350.6Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris, iEES Paris, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDepartment of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Davide M. Dominoni
- grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Barbara Helm
- grid.8756.c0000 0001 2193 314XInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK ,grid.4830.f0000 0004 0407 1981Present Address: GELIFES - Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Max Lundberg
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Juan Carlos Senar
- grid.507605.10000 0001 1958 5537Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp Sprau
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDepartment of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel E. Visser
- grid.418375.c0000 0001 1013 0288Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Caroline Isaksson
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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42
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Martini D, Dussex N, Robertson BC, Gemmell NJ, Knapp M. Evolution of the "world's only alpine parrot": Genomic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, behaviour and ecology? Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6370-6386. [PMID: 33973288 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming, in particular in island environments, where opportunities for species to disperse are limited, may become a serious threat to cold adapted alpine species. In order to understand how alpine species may respond to a warming world, we need to understand the drivers that have shaped their habitat specialisation and the evolutionary adaptations that allow them to utilize alpine habitats. The endemic, endangered New Zealand kea (Nestor notabilis) is considered the only alpine parrot in the world. As a species commonly found in the alpine zone it may be highly susceptible to climate warming. But is it a true alpine specialist? Is its evolution driven by adaptation to the alpine zone, or is the kea an open habitat generalist that simply uses the alpine zone to, for example, avoid lower lying anthropogenic landscapes? We use whole genome data of the kea and its close, forest adapted sister species, the kākā (Nestor meridionalis) to reconstruct the evolutionary history of both species and identify the functional genomic differences that underlie their habitat specialisations. Our analyses do not identify major functional genomic differences between kea and kākā in pathways associated with high-altitude. Rather, we found evidence that selective pressures on adaptations commonly found in alpine species are present in both Nestor species, suggesting that selection for alpine adaptations has not driven their divergence. Strongly divergent demographic responses to past climate warming between the species nevertheless highlight potential future threats to kea survival in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Martini
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Dussex
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael Knapp
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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43
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Antonson ND, Rivera M, Abolins-Abols M, Kleindorfer S, Liu WC, Hauber ME. Early acoustic experience alters genome-wide methylation in the auditory forebrain of songbird embryos. Neurosci Lett 2021; 755:135917. [PMID: 33901611 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Early exposure to salient cues can critically shape the development of social behaviors. For example, both oscine birds and humans can hear and learn to recognize familiar sounds in ovo and in utero and recognize them following hatching and birth, respectively. Here we demonstrate that different chronic acoustic playbacks alter genome-wide methylation of the auditory forebrain in late-stage zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) embryos. Within the same subjects, immediate early gene activation in response to acute con- or heterospecific song exposure is negatively correlated with methylation extent in response to repeated daily prior exposure to the same type of stimuli. Specifically, we report less relative global methylation following playbacks of conspecific songs and more methylation following playbacks of distantly-related heterospecific songs. These findings offer a neuroepigenomic mechanism for the ontogenetic impacts of early acoustic experiences in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- N D Antonson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA
| | - M Rivera
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - M Abolins-Abols
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - S Kleindorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 5042, Australia; Core facility for Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 4645, Austria
| | - W-C Liu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, 13346, USA
| | - M E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA.
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44
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Bentz AB, Niederhuth CE, Carruth LL, Navara KJ. Prenatal testosterone triggers long-term behavioral changes in male zebra finches: unravelling the neurogenomic mechanisms. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:158. [PMID: 33676394 PMCID: PMC7937265 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07466-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal hormones, like testosterone, can strongly influence developing offspring, even generating long-term organizational effects on adult behavior; yet, the mechanisms facilitating these effects are still unclear. Here, we experimentally elevated prenatal testosterone in the eggs of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and measured male aggression in adulthood along with patterns of neural gene expression (RNA-seq) and DNA methylation (MethylC-Seq) in two socially relevant brain regions (hypothalamus and nucleus taenia of the amygdala). We used enrichment analyses and protein-protein interaction networks to find candidate processes and hub genes potentially affected by the treatment. We additionally identified differentially expressed genes that contained differentially methylated regions. RESULTS We found that males from testosterone-injected eggs displayed more aggressive behaviors compared to males from control eggs. Hundreds of genes were differentially expressed, particularly in the hypothalamus, including potential aggression-related hub genes (e.g., brain derived neurotrophic factor). There were also enriched processes with well-established links to aggressive phenotypes (e.g., somatostatin and glutamate signaling). Furthermore, several highly connected genes identified in protein-protein interaction networks also showed differential methylation, including adenylate cyclase 2 and proprotein convertase 2. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight genes and processes that may play an important role in mediating the effects of prenatal testosterone on long-term phenotypic outcomes, thereby providing insights into the molecular mechanisms that facilitate hormone-mediated maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
- Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Chad E Niederhuth
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Laura L Carruth
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Kristen J Navara
- Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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45
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Sepers B, Erven JAM, Gawehns F, Laine VN, van Oers K. Epigenetics and Early Life Stress: Experimental Brood Size Affects DNA Methylation in Great Tits (Parus major). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.609061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Early developmental conditions are known to have life-long effects on an individual’s behavior, physiology and fitness. In altricial birds, a majority of these conditions, such as the number of siblings and the amount of food provisioned, are controlled by the parents. This opens up the potential for parents to adjust the behavior and physiology of their offspring according to local post-natal circumstances. However, the mechanisms underlying such intergenerational regulation remain largely unknown. A mechanism often proposed to possibly explain how parental effects mediate consistent phenotypic change is DNA methylation. To investigate whether early life effects on offspring phenotypes are mediated by DNA methylation, we cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood size in a natural study population. We assessed genome-wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS). By comparing DNA methylation levels between biological siblings raised in enlarged and reduced broods and between biological siblings of control broods, we assessed which CpG sites were differentially methylated due to brood size. We found 32 differentially methylated sites (DMS) between siblings from enlarged and reduced broods, a larger number than in the comparison between siblings from control broods. A considerable number of these DMS were located in or near genes involved in development, growth, metabolism, behavior and cognition. Since the biological functions of these genes line up with previously found effects of brood size and food availability, it is likely that the nestlings in the enlarged broods suffered from nutritional stress. We therefore conclude that early life stress might directly affect epigenetic regulation of genes related to early life conditions. Future studies should link such experimentally induced DNA methylation changes to expression of phenotypic traits and assess whether these effects affect parental fitness to determine if such changes are also adaptive.
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46
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Effects of maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen and altered post-hatching rearing conditions on avian offspring behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The early-life environment plays a crucial role in shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioural traits, with potential long-term consequences for fitness. Indeed, a set of factors experienced by offspring during prenatal and early post-natal development has been recognised to affect behavioural trait expression in later life. Several studies have shown that in birds, nutritional and social rearing conditions and maternal and/or neonatal immunisations may profoundly determine the development and establishment of behaviour in offspring. To our knowledge, no research has examined whether and how the interaction between immune-mediated maternal effects and post-hatching rearing conditions affects offspring behaviour. Here, we studied the effects of maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen and altered brood size on docility, breathing rate, and aggression in the offspring of great tit, Parus major. We used a 2 × 2 design to investigate the interactive effects of maternal immunisation and brood size manipulation on offspring behavioural development. We found no such interactive effect on offspring behaviour, although we observed it regarding to offspring body mass and tarsus length. Maternal immunisation itself did not affect offspring behaviour. However, we demonstrated that the offspring breathing rate and level of aggression were affected by brood size manipulation. Both breathing rate and aggression in offspring reared in enlarged broods were lower than those in offspring reared in non-manipulated broods. Our study did not confirm earlier reports that immune-mediated maternal effects modulate offspring behavioural development, but we showed that brood size during rearing might indeed be a factor that affects offspring behaviour.
Significance statement
The early environment experienced by offspring constitutes a significant source of developmental plasticity, which may profoundly affect the establishment of their behavioural traits. Food availability, social conditions, and maternal or offspring infection are crucial factors shaping various behavioural traits in birds. However, there remains a lack of studies emphasising the potential interactive effects of early-life conditions on behavioural trait development in natural bird populations. Here, to our knowledge for the first time, we experimentally examined how maternal immunisation and altered post-hatching rearing conditions interact to determine the behaviour of fledged offspring. We found that maternal treatment and brood size manipulation interactively affected offspring body mass and tarsus length, but this interaction had no effect on offspring behaviour. Our findings suggest that different mechanisms may underlie the development of morphological and behavioural traits.
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47
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The emergence of the brain non-CpG methylation system in vertebrates. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:369-378. [PMID: 33462491 PMCID: PMC7116863 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01371-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian brains feature exceptionally high levels of non-CpG DNA methylation alongside the canonical form of CpG methylation. Non-CpG methylation plays a critical regulatory role in cognitive function, which is mediated by the binding of MeCP2, the transcriptional regulator that when mutated causes Rett syndrome. However, it is unclear whether the non-CpG neural methylation system is restricted to mammalian species with complex cognitive abilities or has deeper evolutionary origins. To test this, we investigated brain DNA methylation across 12 distantly related animal lineages, revealing that non-CpG methylation is restricted to vertebrates. We discovered that in vertebrates, non-CpG methylation is enriched within a highly conserved set of developmental genes transcriptionally repressed in adult brains, indicating that it demarcates a deeply conserved regulatory program. We also found that the writer of non-CpG methylation, DNMT3A, and the reader, MeCP2, originated at the onset of vertebrates as a result of the ancestral vertebrate whole-genome duplication. Together, we demonstrate how this novel layer of epigenetic information assembled at the root of vertebrates and gained new regulatory roles independent of the ancestral form of the canonical CpG methylation. This suggests that the emergence of non-CpG methylation may have fostered the evolution of sophisticated cognitive abilities found in the vertebrate lineage.
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48
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Hayes K, Barton HJ, Zeng K. A Study of Faster-Z Evolution in the Great Tit (Parus major). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:210-222. [PMID: 32119100 PMCID: PMC7144363 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa044] [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] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes contribute substantially to key evolutionary processes such as speciation and adaptation. Several theories suggest that evolution could occur more rapidly on sex chromosomes, but currently our understanding of whether and how this occurs is limited. Here, we present an analysis of the great tit (Parus major) genome, aiming to detect signals of faster-Z evolution. We find mixed evidence of faster divergence on the Z chromosome than autosomes, with significantly higher divergence being found in ancestral repeats, but not at 4- or 0-fold degenerate sites. Interestingly, some 4-fold sites appear to be selectively constrained, which may mislead analyses that use these sites as the neutral reference (e.g., dN/dS). Consistent with other studies in birds, the mutation rate is significantly higher in males than females, and the long-term Z-to-autosome effective population size ratio is only 0.5, significantly lower than the expected value of 0.75. These are indicative of male-driven evolution and high variance in male reproductive success, respectively. We find no evidence for an increased efficacy of positive selection on the Z chromosome. In contrast, the Z chromosome in great tits appears to be affected by increased genetic drift, which has led to detectable signals of weakened intensity of purifying selection. These results provide further evidence that the Z chromosome often has a low effective population size, and that this has important consequences for its evolution. They also highlight the importance of considering multiple factors that can affect the rate of evolution and effective population sizes of sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Hayes
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Henry J Barton
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai Zeng
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
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49
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Lindner M, Laine VN, Verhagen I, Viitaniemi HM, Visser ME, van Oers K, Husby A. Rapid changes in DNA methylation associated with the initiation of reproduction in a small songbird. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3645-3659. [PMID: 33453134 PMCID: PMC8359384 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Species with a circannual life cycle need to match the timing of their life history events to the environment to maximize fitness. However, our understanding of how circannual traits such as timing of reproduction are regulated on a molecular level remains limited. Recent studies have implicated that epigenetic mechanisms can be an important part in the processes that regulate circannual traits. Here, we explore the role of DNA methylation in mediating reproductive timing in a seasonally breeding bird species, the great tit (Parus major), using genome‐wide DNA methylation data from individual females that were blood sampled repeatedly throughout the breeding season. We demonstrate rapid and directional changes in DNA methylation within the promoter region of several genes, including a key transcription factor (NR5A1) known from earlier studies to be involved in the initiation of timing of reproduction. Interestingly, the observed changes in DNA methylation at NR5A1 identified here are in line with earlier gene expression studies of reproduction in chicken, indicating that the observed shifts in DNA methylation at this gene can have a regulatory role. Our findings provide an important step towards elucidating the genomic mechanism that mediates seasonal timing of a key life history traits and provide support for the idea that epigenetic mechanisms may play an important role in circannual traits. see also the Perspective by Melanie J. Heckwolf and Britta S. Meyer
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Lindner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Chronobiology Unit, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irene Verhagen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi M Viitaniemi
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (OEB), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Chronobiology Unit, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arild Husby
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (OEB), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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50
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Sun D, Layman TS, Jeong H, Chatterjee P, Grogan K, Merritt JR, Maney DL, Yi SV. Genome-wide variation in DNA methylation linked to developmental stage and chromosomal suppression of recombination in white-throated sparrows. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3453-3467. [PMID: 33421223 PMCID: PMC8359194 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Much of our knowledge on regulatory impacts of DNA methylation has come from laboratory‐bred model organisms, which may not exhibit the full extent of variation found in wild populations. Here, we investigated naturally‐occurring variation in DNA methylation in a wild avian species, the white‐throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). This species offers exceptional opportunities for studying the link between genetic differentiation and phenotypic traits because of a nonrecombining chromosome pair linked to both plumage and behavioural phenotypes. Using novel single‐nucleotide resolution methylation maps and gene expression data, we show that DNA methylation and the expression of DNA methyltransferases are significantly higher in adults than in nestlings. Genes for which DNA methylation varied between nestlings and adults were implicated in development and cell differentiation and were located throughout the genome. In contrast, differential methylation between plumage morphs was concentrated in the nonrecombining chromosome pair. Interestingly, a large number of CpGs on the nonrecombining chromosome, localized to transposable elements, have undergone dramatic loss of DNA methylation since the split of the ZAL2 and ZAL2m chromosomes. Changes in methylation predicted changes in gene expression for both chromosomes. In summary, we demonstrate changes in genome‐wide DNA methylation that are associated with development and with specific functional categories of genes in white‐throated sparrows. Moreover, we observe substantial DNA methylation reprogramming associated with the suppression of recombination, with implications for genome integrity and gene expression divergence. These results offer an unprecedented view of ongoing epigenetic reprogramming in a wild population. see also the Perspective by Jordan A. Anderson and Jenny Tung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, USA
| | - Thomas S Layman
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hyeonsoo Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Paramita Chatterjee
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kathleen Grogan
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Donna L Maney
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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