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Leon-Apodaca AV, Kumar M, del Castillo A, Conroy GC, Lamont RW, Ogbourne S, Cairns KM, Borburgh L, Behrendorff L, Subramanian S, Szpiech ZA. Genomic Consequences of Isolation and Inbreeding in an Island Dingo Population. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae130. [PMID: 38913571 PMCID: PMC11221432 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae130] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Dingoes come from an ancient canid lineage that originated in East Asia around 8,000 to 11,000 years BP. As Australia's largest terrestrial predator, dingoes play an important ecological role. A small, protected population exists on a world heritage listed offshore island, K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Concern regarding the persistence of dingoes on K'gari has risen due to their low genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding levels. However, whole-genome sequence data is lacking from this population. Here, we include five new whole-genome sequences of K'gari dingoes. We analyze a total of 18 whole-genome sequences of dingoes sampled from mainland Australia and K'gari to assess the genomic consequences of their demographic histories. Long (>1 Mb) runs of homozygosity (ROHs)-indicators of inbreeding-are elevated in all sampled dingoes. However, K'gari dingoes showed significantly higher levels of very long ROH (>5 Mb), providing genomic evidence for small population size, isolation, inbreeding, and a strong founder effect. Our results suggest that, despite current levels of inbreeding, the K'gari population is purging strongly deleterious mutations, which, in the absence of further reductions in population size, may facilitate the persistence of small populations despite low genetic diversity and isolation. However, there may be little to no purging of mildly deleterious alleles, which may have important long-term consequences, and should be considered by conservation and management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Leon-Apodaca
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Manoharan Kumar
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 1 Moreton Parade, Petrie, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andres del Castillo
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Gabriel C Conroy
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert W Lamont
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Steven Ogbourne
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kylie M Cairns
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Liz Borburgh
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Linda Behrendorff
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment & Science, K’gari, Australia
| | - Sankar Subramanian
- School of Science, Technology & Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 1 Moreton Parade, Petrie, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zachary A Szpiech
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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2
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Wang X, Reid K, Chen Y, Dudgeon D, Merilä J. Ecological genetics of isolated loach populations indicate compromised adaptive potential. Heredity (Edinb) 2024:10.1038/s41437-024-00695-0. [PMID: 38961235 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00695-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Many endangered species live in fragmented and isolated populations with low genetic variability, signs of inbreeding, and small effective population sizes - all features elevating their extinction risk. The flat-headed loach (Oreonectes platycephalus), a small noemacheilid fish, is widely across southern China, but only in the headwaters of hillstreams; as a result, they are spatially isolated from conspecific populations. We surveyed single nucleotide polymorphisms in 16 Hong Kong populations of O. platycephalus to determine whether loach populations from different streams were genetically isolated from each other, showed low levels of genetic diversity, signs of inbreeding, and had small contemporary effective population sizes. Estimates of average observed heterozygosity (HO = 0.0473), average weighted nucleotide diversity (πw = 0.0546) and contemporary effective population sizes (Ne = 10.2 ~ 129.8) were very low, and several populations showed clear signs of inbreeding as judged from relatedness estimates. The degree of genetic differentiation among populations was very high (average FST = 0.668), even over short geographic distances (<1.5 km), with clear patterns of isolation by distance. These results suggest that Hong Kong populations of O. platycephalus have experienced strong genetic drift and loss of genetic variability because sea-level rise after the last glaciation reduced connectedness among paleodrainages, isolating populations in headwaters. All this, together with the fact that the levels of genetic diversity and contemporary effective population sizes within O. platycephalus populations are lower than most other freshwater fishes, suggests that they face high local extinction risk and have limited capacity for future adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Kerry Reid
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Dudgeon
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Juha Merilä
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Programme, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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3
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Yang J, Wang DF, Huang JH, Zhu QH, Luo LY, Lu R, Xie XL, Salehian-Dehkordi H, Esmailizadeh A, Liu GE, Li MH. Structural variant landscapes reveal convergent signatures of evolution in sheep and goats. Genome Biol 2024; 25:148. [PMID: 38845023 PMCID: PMC11155191 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03288-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sheep and goats have undergone domestication and improvement to produce similar phenotypes, which have been greatly impacted by structural variants (SVs). Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of Asiatic mouflon, and implement a comprehensive analysis of SVs in 897 genomes of worldwide wild and domestic populations of sheep and goats to reveal genetic signatures underlying convergent evolution. RESULTS We characterize the SV landscapes in terms of genetic diversity, chromosomal distribution and their links with genes, QTLs and transposable elements, and examine their impacts on regulatory elements. We identify several novel SVs and annotate corresponding genes (e.g., BMPR1B, BMPR2, RALYL, COL21A1, and LRP1B) associated with important production traits such as fertility, meat and milk production, and wool/hair fineness. We detect signatures of selection involving the parallel evolution of orthologous SV-associated genes during domestication, local environmental adaptation, and improvement. In particular, we find that fecundity traits experienced convergent selection targeting the gene BMPR1B, with the DEL00067921 deletion explaining ~10.4% of the phenotypic variation observed in goats. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide new insights into the convergent evolution of SVs and serve as a rich resource for the future improvement of sheep, goats, and related livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Dong-Feng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jia-Hui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qiang-Hui Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ling-Yun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ran Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xing-Long Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hosein Salehian-Dehkordi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ali Esmailizadeh
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, 76169-133, Iran
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Meng-Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Steux C, Szpiech ZA. The Maintenance of Deleterious Variation in Wild Chinese Rhesus Macaques. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae115. [PMID: 38795368 PMCID: PMC11157460 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae115] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how deleterious variation is shaped and maintained in natural populations is important in conservation and evolutionary biology, as decreased fitness caused by these deleterious mutations can potentially lead to an increase in extinction risk. It is known that demographic processes can influence these patterns. For example, population bottlenecks and inbreeding increase the probability of inheriting identical-by-descent haplotypes from a recent common ancestor, creating long tracts of homozygous genotypes called runs of homozygosity (ROH), which have been associated with an accumulation of mildly deleterious homozygotes. Counterintuitively, positive selection can also maintain deleterious variants in a population through genetic hitchhiking. Here, we analyze the whole genomes of 79 wild Chinese rhesus macaques across five subspecies and characterize patterns of deleterious variation with respect to ROH and signals of recent positive selection. We show that the fraction of homozygotes occurring in long ROH is significantly higher for deleterious homozygotes than tolerated ones, whereas this trend is not observed for short and medium ROH. This confirms that inbreeding, by generating these long tracts of homozygosity, is the main driver of the high burden of homozygous deleterious alleles in wild macaque populations. Furthermore, we show evidence that homozygous LOF variants are being purged. Next, we identify seven deleterious variants at high frequency in regions putatively under selection near genes involved with olfaction and other processes. Our results shed light on how evolutionary processes can shape the distribution of deleterious variation in wild nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Steux
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l’Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3—Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Zachary A Szpiech
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
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5
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Xu H, Zuo Y, Gao S, Liu Y, Liu T, He S, Wang M, Hu L, Li C, Yu Y. Circulating Tumor Cell Phenotype Detection and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Tracking Based on Dual Biomarker Co-Recognition in an Integrated PDMS Chip. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310360. [PMID: 38698606 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are widely considered as a reliable and promising class of markers in the field of liquid biopsy. As CTCs undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), phenotype detection of heterogeneous CTCs based on EMT markers is of great significance. In this report, an integrated analytical strategy that can simultaneously capture and differentially detect epithelial- and mesenchymal-expressed CTCs in bloods of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLS) patients is proposed. First, a commercial biomimetic polycarbonate (PCTE) microfiltration membrane is employed as the capture interface for heterogenous CTCs. Meanwhile, differential detection of the captured CTCs is realized by preparing two distinct CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with red and green emissions, attached with EpCAM and Vimentin aptamers, respectively. For combined analysis, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip with simple structure is designed, which integrates the membrane capture and QDs-based phenotype detection of CTCs. This chip not only implements the analysis of the number of CTCs down to 2 cells mL-1, but enables EMT process tracking according to the specific signals of the two QDs. Finally, this method is successfully applied to inspect the correlations of numbers or proportions of heterogenous CTCs in 94 NSCLS patients with disease stage and whether there is distant metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yingchun Zuo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yuping Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Shiyu He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Mengjiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Lili Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Chenglin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yanyan Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, China
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6
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Wooldridge B, Orland C, Enbody E, Escalona M, Mirchandani C, Corbett-Detig R, Kapp JD, Fletcher N, Cox-Ammann K, Raimondi P, Shapiro B. Limited genomic signatures of population collapse in the critically endangered black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii). Mol Ecol 2024:e17362. [PMID: 38682494 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17362] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The black abalone, Haliotis cracherodii, is a large, long-lived marine mollusc that inhabits rocky intertidal habitats along the coast of California and Mexico. In 1985, populations were impacted by a bacterial disease known as withering syndrome (WS) that wiped out >90% of individuals, leading to the closure of all U.S. black abalone fisheries since 1993. Current conservation strategies include restoring diminished populations by translocating healthy individuals. However, population collapse on this scale may have dramatically lowered genetic diversity and strengthened geographic differentiation, making translocation-based recovery contentious. Additionally, the current prevalence of WS remains unknown. To address these uncertainties, we sequenced and analysed the genomes of 133 black abalone individuals from across their present range. We observed no spatial genetic structure among black abalone, with the exception of a single chromosomal inversion that increases in frequency with latitude. Outside the inversion, genetic differentiation between sites is minimal and does not scale with either geographic distance or environmental dissimilarity. Genetic diversity appears uniformly high across the range. Demographic inference does indicate a severe population bottleneck beginning just 15 generations in the past, but this decline is short lived, with present-day size far exceeding the pre-bottleneck status quo. Finally, we find the bacterial agent of WS is equally present across the sampled range, but only in 10% of individuals. The lack of population genetic structure, uniform diversity and prevalence of WS bacteria indicates that translocation could be a valid and low-risk means of population restoration for black abalone species' recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brock Wooldridge
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Chloé Orland
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Erik Enbody
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Cade Mirchandani
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Russell Corbett-Detig
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Joshua D Kapp
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Nathaniel Fletcher
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Karah Cox-Ammann
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Peter Raimondi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
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7
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Steux C, Szpiech ZA. The Maintenance of Deleterious Variation in Wild Chinese Rhesus Macaques. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.04.560901. [PMID: 38712222 PMCID: PMC11071285 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.04.560901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how deleterious variation is shaped and maintained in natural populations is important in conservation and evolutionary biology, as decreased fitness caused by these deleterious mutations can potentially lead to an increase in extinction risk. It is known that demographic processes can influence these patterns. For example, population bottlenecks and inbreeding increase the probability of inheriting identical-by-descent haplotypes from a recent common ancestor, creating long tracts of homozygous genotypes called runs of homozygosity (ROH), which have been associated with an accumulation of mildly deleterious homozygotes. Counter intuitively, positive selection can also maintain deleterious variants in a population through genetic hitchhiking. Here we analyze the whole genomes of 79 wild Chinese rhesus macaques across five subspecies and characterize patterns of deleterious variation with respect to ROH and signals of recent positive selection. We show that the fraction of homozygotes occurring in long ROH is significantly higher for deleterious homozygotes than tolerated ones, whereas this trend is not observed for short and medium ROH. This confirms that inbreeding, by generating these long tracts of homozygosity, is the main driver of the high burden of homozygous deleterious alleles in wild macaque populations. Furthermore, we show evidence that homozygous LOF variants are being purged. Next, we identify 7 deleterious variants at high frequency in regions putatively under selection near genes involved with olfaction and other processes. Our results shed light on how evolutionary processes can shape the distribution of deleterious variation in wild non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Steux
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, USA
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
- Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Université Paris, Paris, France
| | - Zachary A Szpiech
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, USA
- Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA
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8
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Falik O, Hoffmann I, Novoplansky A. A novel type of neighbour perception elicits reproductive plasticity in an annual plant with a mixed mating system. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:415-420. [PMID: 38315483 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Plants display various forms of phenotypic plasticity in anticipation of changing conditions, many of which are influenced by information obtained from neighbouring plants. Here, we tested the hypothesis that cleistogamic Lamium amplexicaule plants can adaptively modify production of chasmogamous (CH) and cleistogamous (CL) flowers based on the perception of conspecific neighbours. The production and proportion of CH and CL flowers was examined in individual L. amplexicaule grown at varying densities or treated with root leachates from plants grown at different densities. When growing at high density or treated with root leachates from high-density pots, L. amplexicaule increased production of more expensive, potentially outcrossing CH flowers. In contrast, single plants or plants treated with root leachates from empty pots or single-source plants predominantly developed cheaper, self-pollinated CL flowers. The results demonstrate a novel root-based neighbour-perception modality that enables plants to adaptively adjust production of CH and CL flowers in response to the presence of potential reproductive partners. Further research is needed to explore the broader ecological implications of this novel interplant cueing on reproductive bet-hedging and plasticity in natural settings, as well as to identify the involved cues and their mode of operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Falik
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
- Achva Academic College, Arugot, Israel
| | - I Hoffmann
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
| | - A Novoplansky
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, Israel
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9
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Wilder AP, Steiner CC, Hendricks S, Haller BC, Kim C, Korody ML, Ryder OA. Genetic load and viability of a future restored northern white rhino population. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13683. [PMID: 38617823 PMCID: PMC11009427 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13683] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
As biodiversity loss outpaces recovery, conservationists are increasingly turning to novel tools for preventing extinction, including cloning and in vitro gametogenesis of biobanked cells. However, restoration of populations can be hindered by low genetic diversity and deleterious genetic load. The persistence of the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) now depends on the cryopreserved cells of 12 individuals. These banked genomes have higher genetic diversity than southern white rhinos (C. s. simum), a sister subspecies that successfully recovered from a severe bottleneck, but the potential impact of genetic load is unknown. We estimated how demographic history has shaped genome-wide genetic load in nine northern and 13 southern white rhinos. The bottleneck left southern white rhinos with more fixed and homozygous deleterious alleles and longer runs of homozygosity, whereas northern white rhinos retained more deleterious alleles masked in heterozygosity. To gauge the impact of genetic load on the fitness of a northern white rhino population restored from biobanked cells, we simulated recovery using fitness of southern white rhinos as a benchmark for a viable population. Unlike traditional restoration, cell-derived founders can be reintroduced in subsequent generations to boost lost genetic diversity and relieve inbreeding. In simulations with repeated reintroduction of founders into a restored population, the fitness cost of genetic load remained lower than that borne by southern white rhinos. Without reintroductions, rapid growth of the restored population (>20-30% per generation) would be needed to maintain comparable fitness. Our results suggest that inbreeding depression from genetic load is not necessarily a barrier to recovery of the northern white rhino and demonstrate how restoration from biobanked cells relieves some constraints of conventional restoration from a limited founder pool. Established conservation methods that protect healthy populations will remain paramount, but emerging technologies hold promise to bolster these tools to combat the extinction crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryn P. Wilder
- Conservation GeneticsSan Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceEscondidoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cynthia C. Steiner
- Conservation GeneticsSan Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceEscondidoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sarah Hendricks
- Conservation GeneticsSan Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceEscondidoCaliforniaUSA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIdahoUSA
| | | | - Chang Kim
- University of CaliforniaSanta Cruz Genomics InstituteSanta CruzCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Neurological SurgeryUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Marisa L. Korody
- Conservation GeneticsSan Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceEscondidoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Oliver A. Ryder
- Conservation GeneticsSan Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceEscondidoCaliforniaUSA
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10
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Stoffel MA, Johnston SE, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM. Purifying and balancing selection on embryonic semi-lethal haplotypes in a wild mammal. Evol Lett 2024; 8:222-230. [PMID: 38525027 PMCID: PMC10959477 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad053] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryonic lethal mutations are arguably the earliest and most severe manifestation of inbreeding depression, but their impact on wild populations is not well understood. Here, we combined genomic, fitness, and life-history data from 5,925 wild Soay sheep sampled over nearly three decades to explore the impact of embryonic lethal mutations and their evolutionary dynamics. We searched for haplotypes that in their homozygous state are unusually rare in the offspring of known carrier parents and found three putatively semi-lethal haplotypes with 27%-46% fewer homozygous offspring than expected. Two of these haplotypes are decreasing in frequency, and gene-dropping simulations through the pedigree suggest that this is partially due to purifying selection. In contrast, the frequency of the third semi-lethal haplotype remains relatively stable over time. We show that the haplotype could be maintained by balancing selection because it is also associated with increased postnatal survival and body weight and because its cumulative frequency change is lower than in most drift-only simulations. Our study highlights embryonic mutations as a largely neglected contributor to inbreeding depression and provides a rare example of how harmful genetic variation can be maintained through balancing selection in a wild mammal population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Stoffel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susan E Johnston
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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11
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Taylor RS, Manseau M, Keobouasone S, Liu P, Mastromonaco G, Solmundson K, Kelly A, Larter NC, Gamberg M, Schwantje H, Thacker C, Polfus J, Andrew L, Hervieux D, Simmons D, Wilson PJ. High genetic load without purging in caribou, a diverse species at risk. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1234-1246.e7. [PMID: 38417444 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.002] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
High intra-specific genetic diversity is associated with adaptive potential, which is key for resilience to global change. However, high variation may also support deleterious alleles through genetic load, thereby increasing the risk of inbreeding depression if population sizes decrease. Purging of deleterious variation has been demonstrated in some threatened species. However, less is known about the costs of declines and inbreeding in species with large population sizes and high genetic diversity even though this encompasses many species globally that are expected to undergo population declines. Caribou is a species of ecological and cultural significance in North America with a wide distribution supporting extensive phenotypic variation but with some populations undergoing significant declines resulting in their at-risk status in Canada. We assessed intra-specific genetic variation, adaptive divergence, inbreeding, and genetic load across populations with different demographic histories using an annotated chromosome-scale reference genome and 66 whole-genome sequences. We found high genetic diversity and nine phylogenomic lineages across the continent with adaptive diversification of genes, but also high genetic load among lineages. We found highly divergent levels of inbreeding across individuals, including the loss of alleles by drift but not increased purging in inbred individuals, which had more homozygous deleterious alleles. We also found comparable frequencies of homozygous deleterious alleles between lineages regardless of nucleotide diversity. Thus, further inbreeding may need to be mitigated through conservation efforts. Our results highlight the "double-edged sword" of genetic diversity that may be representative of other species atrisk affected by anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Taylor
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Micheline Manseau
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Sonesinh Keobouasone
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Peng Liu
- Landscape Science and Technology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Kirsten Solmundson
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Allicia Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, PO Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Larter
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, PO Box 900, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0, Canada
| | - Mary Gamberg
- Gamberg Consulting, Jarvis Street, Whitehorse, YK Y1A 2J2, Canada
| | - Helen Schwantje
- British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada
| | - Caeley Thacker
- British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9, Canada
| | - Jean Polfus
- Canadian Wildlife Service - Pacific Region, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1238 Discovery Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9, Canada
| | - Leon Andrew
- Ɂehdzo Got'ı̨nę Gots'ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), P.O. Box 134, Tulít'a, NT X0E 0K0, Canada
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Alberta Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta, 10320-99 Street, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6J4, Canada
| | - Deborah Simmons
- Ɂehdzo Got'ı̨nę Gots'ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board), P.O. Box 134, Tulít'a, NT X0E 0K0, Canada
| | - Paul J Wilson
- Biology Department, Trent University, East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8, Canada
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12
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Leon-Apodaca AV, Kumar M, Del Castillo A, Conroy GC, Lamont RW, Ogbourne S, Cairns KM, Borburgh L, Behrendorff L, Subramanian S, Szpiech ZA. Genomic consequences of isolation and inbreeding in an island dingo population. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.15.557950. [PMID: 37745583 PMCID: PMC10516007 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.15.557950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Dingoes come from an ancient canid lineage that originated in East Asia around 8000-11,000 years BP. As Australia's largest terrestrial predator, dingoes play an important ecological role. A small, protected population exists on a world heritage listed offshore island, K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Concern regarding the persistence of dingoes on K'gari has risen due to their low genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding levels. However, whole-genome sequencing data is lacking from this population. Here, we include five new whole-genome sequences of K'gari dingoes. We analyze a total of 18 whole genome sequences of dingoes sampled from mainland Australia and K'gari to assess the genomic consequences of their demographic histories. Long (>1 Mb) runs of homozygosity (ROH) - indicators of inbreeding - are elevated in all sampled dingoes. However, K'gari dingoes showed significantly higher levels of very long ROH (>5 Mb), providing genomic evidence for small population size, isolation, inbreeding, and a strong founder effect. Our results suggest that, despite current levels of inbreeding, the K'gari population is purging strongly deleterious mutations, which, in the absence of further reductions in population size, may facilitate the persistence of small populations despite low genetic diversity and isolation. However, there may be little to no purging of mildly deleterious alleles, which may have important long-term consequences, and should be considered by conservation and management programs. SIGNIFICANCE A long-standing question in conservation genetics is whether long-term isolation and elevated levels of inbreeding always leads to inevitable population extinction. Here we conduct the first-ever whole-genome analysis of a population of dingoes living in long-term isolation on an island off the coast of Australia (K'gari). We show that these animals are beset by very low genetic diversity, likely the result of extensive inbreeding, and an elevated number of deleterious homozygotes. However, our results suggest that these dingoes are likely purging highly deleterious alleles, which may have allowed them to persist long term despite their extremely small population (<200 individuals).
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13
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Kellner FL, Le Moullec M, Ellegaard MR, Rosvold J, Peeters B, Burnett HA, Pedersen ÅØ, Brealey JC, Dussex N, Bieker VC, Hansen BB, Martin MD. A palaeogenomic investigation of overharvest implications in an endemic wild reindeer subspecies. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17274. [PMID: 38279681 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17274] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Overharvest can severely reduce the abundance and distribution of a species and thereby impact its genetic diversity and threaten its future viability. Overharvest remains an ongoing issue for Arctic mammals, which due to climate change now also confront one of the fastest changing environments on Earth. The high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), endemic to Svalbard, experienced a harvest-induced demographic bottleneck that occurred during the 17-20th centuries. Here, we investigate changes in genetic diversity, population structure, and gene-specific differentiation during and after this overharvesting event. Using whole-genome shotgun sequencing, we generated the first ancient and historical nuclear (n = 11) and mitochondrial (n = 18) genomes from Svalbard reindeer (up to 4000 BP) and integrated these data with a large collection of modern genome sequences (n = 90) to infer temporal changes. We show that hunting resulted in major genetic changes and restructuring in reindeer populations. Near-extirpation followed by pronounced genetic drift has altered the allele frequencies of important genes contributing to diverse biological functions. Median heterozygosity was reduced by 26%, while the mitochondrial genetic diversity was reduced only to a limited extent, likely due to already low pre-harvest diversity and a complex post-harvest recolonization process. Such genomic erosion and genetic isolation of populations due to past anthropogenic disturbance will likely play a major role in metapopulation dynamics (i.e., extirpation, recolonization) under further climate change. Our results from a high-arctic case study therefore emphasize the need to understand the long-term interplay of past, current, and future stressors in wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian L Kellner
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Mammals and Birds, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR), Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Martin R Ellegaard
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Department of Terrestrial Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hamish A Burnett
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Jaelle C Brealey
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nicolas Dussex
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vanessa C Bieker
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Brage B Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Michael D Martin
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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14
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Kessler C, Shafer ABA. Genomic Analyses Capture the Human-Induced Demographic Collapse and Recovery in a Wide-Ranging Cervid. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae038. [PMID: 38378172 PMCID: PMC10917209 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae038] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The glacial cycles of the Quaternary heavily impacted species through successions of population contractions and expansions. Similarly, populations have been intensely shaped by human pressures such as unregulated hunting and land use changes. White-tailed and mule deer survived in different refugia through the Last Glacial Maximum, and their populations were severely reduced after the European colonization. Here, we analyzed 73 resequenced deer genomes from across their North American range to understand the consequences of climatic and anthropogenic pressures on deer demographic and adaptive history. We found strong signals of climate-induced vicariance and demographic decline; notably, multiple sequentially Markovian coalescent recovers a severe decline in mainland white-tailed deer effective population size (Ne) at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. We found robust evidence for colonial overharvest in the form of a recent and dramatic drop in Ne in all analyzed populations. Historical census size and restocking data show a clear parallel to historical Ne estimates, and temporal Ne/Nc ratio shows patterns of conservation concern for mule deer. Signatures of selection highlight genes related to temperature, including a cold receptor previously highlighted in woolly mammoth. We also detected immune genes that we surmise reflect the changing land use patterns in North America. Our study provides a detailed picture of anthropogenic and climatic-induced decline in deer diversity and clues to understanding the conservation concerns of mule deer and the successful demographic recovery of white-tailed deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Kessler
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Wooldridge B, Orland C, Enbody E, Escalona M, Mirchandani C, Corbett-Detig R, Kapp JD, Fletcher N, Ammann K, Raimondi P, Shapiro B. Limited genomic signatures of population collapse in the critically endangered black abalone ( Haliotis cracherodii). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.26.577275. [PMID: 38352393 PMCID: PMC10862700 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.26.577275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The black abalone, Haliotis cracherodii, is a large, long-lived marine mollusc that inhabits rocky intertidal habitats along the coast of California and Mexico. In 1985, populations were impacted by a bacterial disease known as withering syndrome (WS) that wiped out >90% of individuals, leading to the species' designation as critically endangered. Current conservation strategies include restoring diminished populations by translocating healthy individuals. However, population collapse on this scale may have dramatically lowered genetic diversity and strengthened geographic differentiation, making translocation-based recovery contentious. Additionally, the current prevalence of WS is unknown. To address these uncertainties, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 133 black abalone individuals from across their present range. We observed no spatial genetic structure among black abalone, with the exception of a single chromosomal inversion that increases in frequency with latitude. Genetic divergence between sites is minimal, and does not scale with either geographic distance or environmental dissimilarity. Genetic diversity appears uniformly high across the range. Despite this, however, demographic inference confirms a severe population bottleneck beginning around the time of WS onset, highlighting the temporal offset that may occur between a population collapse and its potential impact on genetic diversity. Finally, we find the bacterial agent of WS is equally present across the sampled range, but only in 10% of individuals. The lack of genetic structure, uniform diversity, and prevalence of WS bacteria indicates that translocation could be a valid and low-risk means of population restoration for black abalone species' recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brock Wooldridge
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Chloé Orland
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, 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
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Cade Mirchandani
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Russell 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
| | - Joshua D Kapp
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Nathaniel Fletcher
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Karah Ammann
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Peter Raimondi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064 USA
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16
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Vera-Escalona I, Brante A. A simulation study evaluating how population survival and genetic diversity in a newly established population can be affected by propagule size, extinction rates, and initial heterozygosity. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16628. [PMID: 38239294 PMCID: PMC10795529 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction and establishment of invasive species in regions outside their native range, is one of the major threats for the conservation of ecosystems, affecting native organisms and the habitat where they live in, causing substantial biological and monetary losses worldwide. Due to the impact of invasive species, it is important to understand what makes some species more invasive than others. Here, by simulating populations using a forward-in-time approach combining ecological and single polymorphic nucleotides (SNPs) we evaluated the relation between propagule size (number of individuals = 2, 10, 100, and 1,000), extinction rate (with values 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20%), and initial heterozygosity (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) on the population survival and maintenance of the heterozygosity of a simulated invasive crab species over 30 generations assuming a single introduction. Our results revealed that simulated invasive populations with initial propagule sizes of 2-1,000 individuals experiencing a high extinction rate (10-20% per generation) were able to maintain over 50% of their initial heterozygosity during the first generations and that under scenarios with lower extinction rates invasive populations with initial propagule sizes of 10-1,000 individuals can survive up to 30 generations and maintain 60-100% of their initial heterozygosity. Our results can help other researchers better understand, how species with small propagule sizes and low heterozygosities can become successful invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Vera-Escalona
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, BioBío, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ambientes Sustentables (CIBAS), Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, BioBío, Chile
| | - Antonio Brante
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, BioBío, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ambientes Sustentables (CIBAS), Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, BioBío, Chile
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17
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Tsunenari K, Ito T, Yokota M, Shibabayashi M, Endo C, Chung KF, Suyama Y, Matsuo A, Abe A, Naiki A, Setoguchi H, Makino T, Isagi Y. Double migration of the endangered Tricyrtis formosana (Liliaceae) in Japan. Sci Rep 2024; 14:957. [PMID: 38200076 PMCID: PMC10781951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Ryukyu Islands of Japan are a biodiversity hotspot due to geographical and historical factors. Tricyrtis formosana is a perennial herbaceous plant that commonly found in Taiwan. But only a few populations have been identified in a limited habitat on Iriomote Island, while populations of unknown origin occur near human settlements in an area on the main island of Okinawa. To better understand these populations of the phylogenetic uniqueness and intrinsic vulnerability, we conducted comparative analyses including (1) phylogeny and population structure with MIG-seq data, (2) photosynthesis-related traits of plants grown under common conditions and (3) transcriptome analysis to detect deleterious variations. Results revealed that T. formosana was split into two clades by the congeners and that Iriomote and Okinawa populations independently derived from ancestral Taiwanese populations in each clade. Photosynthetic efficiency was lowest in the Iriomote population, followed by Okinawa and Taiwan. Transcriptome analysis showed that the Iriomote population accumulated more deleterious variations, suggesting intrinsic vulnerability. These results indicate that each T. formosana population in Japan is phylogenetically unique and has been independently dispersed from Taiwan, and that the Iriomote population presents a high conservation difficulty with a unique photosynthesis-related characteristic and a larger amount of deleterious variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Tsunenari
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
- Japan Broadcasting Cooporation, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Takuro Ito
- The Center for Academic Resources and Archives, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | | - Chiharu Endo
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kuo-Fang Chung
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ayumi Matsuo
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Abe
- Okinawa Churashima Foundation Research Institute, Botanical Laboratory, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Akiyo Naiki
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Taketomi, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Setoguchi
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Makino
- Graduate School of Life Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuji Isagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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18
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Feng Y, Comes HP, Chen J, Zhu S, Lu R, Zhang X, Li P, Qiu J, Olsen KM, Qiu Y. Genome sequences and population genomics provide insights into the demographic history, inbreeding, and mutation load of two 'living fossil' tree species of Dipteronia. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:177-192. [PMID: 37797086 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
'Living fossils', that is, ancient lineages of low taxonomic diversity, represent an exceptional evolutionary heritage, yet we know little about how demographic history and deleterious mutation load have affected their long-term survival and extinction risk. We performed whole-genome sequencing and population genomic analyses on Dipteronia sinensis and D. dyeriana, two East Asian Tertiary relict trees. We found large-scale genome reorganizations and identified species-specific genes under positive selection that are likely involved in adaptation. Our demographic analyses suggest that the wider-ranged D. sinensis repeatedly recovered from population bottlenecks over late Tertiary/Quaternary periods of adverse climate conditions, while the population size of the narrow-ranged D. dyeriana steadily decreased since the late Miocene, especially after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We conclude that the efficient purging of deleterious mutations in D. sinensis facilitated its survival and repeated demographic recovery. By contrast, in D. dyeriana, increased genetic drift and reduced selection efficacy, due to recent severe population bottlenecks and a likely preponderance of vegetative propagation, resulted in fixation of strongly deleterious mutations, reduced fitness, and continuous population decline, with likely detrimental consequences for the species' future viability and adaptive potential. Overall, our findings highlight the significant impact of demographic history on levels of accumulation and purging of putatively deleterious mutations that likely determine the long-term survival and extinction risk of Tertiary relict trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Feng
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Hans Peter Comes
- Department of Environment & Biodiversity, Salzburg University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jun Chen
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shanshan Zhu
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Ruisen Lu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Pan Li
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Qiu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Kenneth M Olsen
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, 63130, USA
| | - Yingxiong Qiu
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
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19
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Böhne A, Oğuzhan Z, Chrysostomakis I, Vitt S, Meuthen D, Martin S, Kukowka S, Thünken T. Evidence for selfing in a vertebrate from whole-genome sequencing. Genome Res 2023; 33:2133-2142. [PMID: 38190641 PMCID: PMC10760518 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277368.122] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
A growing number of recent genomic studies report asexual parthenogenetic reproduction in a wide range of taxa, including vertebrate species from the reptile, bird, and fish lineages. Yet, self-fertilization (selfing) has been recorded only in a single vertebrate, the mangrove killifish Kryptolebias marmoratus In cichlid fishes, sex determination is notably diverse and can be influenced by the environment, and sequential hermaphroditism has been reported for some species. Here, we present evidence for a case of facultative selfing in the cichlid fish Benitochromis nigrodorsalis, which is otherwise known as biparentally reproducing ovophilic mouthbrooder from Western Africa. Our laboratory observations revealed that a wild-caught individual produced repeatedly viable offspring in absence of a mating partner. By analyzing genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we compare that individual and two of its offspring to shed light on its reproductive mode. First, our results confirm uniparental reproduction. Second, overall heterozygosity is reduced in the offspring compared with outbred individuals. Retained maternal heterozygosity in the offspring is ∼51%, which is close to the theoretically expected value of a heterozygosity reduction of 50% by selfing. Heterozygosity patterns along individual chromosomes do not point to alternative parthenogenetic reproductive mechanisms like automixis by terminal or central fusion. Facultative selfing may represent an adaptive strategy ensuring reproduction when mating partners are absent and, hence, contribute to the cichlids' enormous evolutionary success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Böhne
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Zeynep Oğuzhan
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ioannis Chrysostomakis
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Vitt
- Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology (BIOB), Department of Animal Biodiversity, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Denis Meuthen
- Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology (BIOB), Department of Animal Biodiversity, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sebastian Martin
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sandra Kukowka
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Thünken
- Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology (BIOB), Department of Animal Biodiversity, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
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20
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Stricker AM, Hutson MS, Page-McCaw A. Piezo initiates transient production of collagen IV to repair damaged basement membranes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573147. [PMID: 38187749 PMCID: PMC10769369 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Basement membranes are sheets of extracellular matrix separating tissue layers and providing mechanical support. Their mechanical properties are determined largely by their most abundant protein, Collagen IV (Col4). Although basement membranes are repaired after damage, little is known about how. To wit, since basement membrane is extracellular it is unknown how damage is detected, and since Col4 is long-lived it is unknown how it is regulated to avoid fibrosis. Using the basement membrane of the adult Drosophila midgut as a model, we show that repair is distinct from maintenance. In healthy conditions, midgut Col4 originates from the fat body, but after damage, a subpopulation of enteroblasts we term "matrix menders" transiently express Col4, and Col4 from these cells is required for repair. Activation of the mechanosensitive channel Piezo is required for matrix menders to upregulate Col4, and the signal to initiate repair is a reduction in basement membrane stiffness. Our data suggests that mechanical sensitivity may be a general property of Col4-producing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrie M. Stricker
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Matrix Biology, Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - M. Shane Hutson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Andrea Page-McCaw
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Matrix Biology, Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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21
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Kyriazis CC, Robinson JA, Lohmueller KE. Using Computational Simulations to Model Deleterious Variation and Genetic Load in Natural Populations. Am Nat 2023; 202:737-752. [PMID: 38033186 PMCID: PMC10897732 DOI: 10.1086/726736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractDeleterious genetic variation is abundant in wild populations, and understanding the ecological and conservation implications of such variation is an area of active research. Genomic methods are increasingly used to quantify the impacts of deleterious variation in natural populations; however, these approaches remain limited by an inability to accurately predict the selective and dominance effects of mutations. Computational simulations of deleterious variation offer a complementary tool that can help overcome these limitations, although such approaches have yet to be widely employed. In this perspective article, we aim to encourage ecological and conservation genomics researchers to adopt greater use of computational simulations to aid in deepening our understanding of deleterious variation in natural populations. We first provide an overview of the components of a simulation of deleterious variation, describing the key parameters involved in such models. Next, we discuss several approaches for validating simulation models. Finally, we compare and validate several recently proposed deleterious mutation models, demonstrating that models based on estimates of selection parameters from experimental systems are biased toward highly deleterious mutations. We describe a new model that is supported by multiple orthogonal lines of evidence and provide example scripts for implementing this model (https://github.com/ckyriazis/simulations_review).
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22
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Femerling G, van Oosterhout C, Feng S, Bristol RM, Zhang G, Groombridge J, P Gilbert MT, Morales HE. Genetic Load and Adaptive Potential of a Recovered Avian Species that Narrowly Avoided Extinction. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad256. [PMID: 37995319 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
High genetic diversity is a good predictor of long-term population viability, yet some species persevere despite having low genetic diversity. Here we study the genomic erosion of the Seychelles paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone corvina), a species that narrowly avoided extinction after having declined to 28 individuals in the 1960s. The species recovered unassisted to over 250 individuals in the 1990s and was downlisted from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List in 2020. By comparing historical, prebottleneck (130+ years old) and modern genomes, we uncovered a 10-fold loss of genetic diversity. Highly deleterious mutations were partly purged during the bottleneck, but mildly deleterious mutations accumulated. The genome shows signs of historical inbreeding during the bottleneck in the 1960s, but low levels of recent inbreeding after demographic recovery. Computer simulations suggest that the species long-term small Ne reduced the masked genetic load and made the species more resilient to inbreeding and extinction. However, the reduction in genetic diversity due to the chronically small Ne and the severe bottleneck is likely to have reduced the species adaptive potential to face environmental change, which together with a higher load, compromises its long-term population viability. Thus, small ancestral Ne offers short-term bottleneck resilience but hampers long-term adaptability to environmental shifts. In light of rapid global rates of population decline, our work shows that species can continue to suffer the effect of their decline even after recovery, highlighting the importance of considering genomic erosion and computer modeling in conservation assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgette Femerling
- Section for Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Shaohong Feng
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, China
| | - Rachel M Bristol
- Mahe, Seychelles
- Division of Human and Social Sciences, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, China
| | - Jim Groombridge
- Division of Human and Social Sciences, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Section for Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- University Museum, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hernán E Morales
- Section for Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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23
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Minow MAA, Marand AP, Schmitz RJ. Leveraging Single-Cell Populations to Uncover the Genetic Basis of Complex Traits. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:297-319. [PMID: 37562412 PMCID: PMC10775913 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-022123-110824] [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] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The ease and throughput of single-cell genomics have steadily improved, and its current trajectory suggests that surveying single-cell populations will become routine. We discuss the merger of quantitative genetics with single-cell genomics and emphasize how this synergizes with advantages intrinsic to plants. Single-cell population genomics provides increased detection resolution when mapping variants that control molecular traits, including gene expression or chromatin accessibility. Additionally, single-cell population genomics reveals the cell types in which variants act and, when combined with organism-level phenotype measurements, unveils which cellular contexts impact higher-order traits. Emerging technologies, notably multiomics, can facilitate the measurement of both genetic changes and genomic traits in single cells, enabling single-cell genetic experiments. The implementation of single-cell genetics will advance the investigation of the genetic architecture of complex molecular traits and provide new experimental paradigms to study eukaryotic genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A A Minow
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA;
| | | | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA;
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24
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James J, Kastally C, Budde KB, González-Martínez SC, Milesi P, Pyhäjärvi T, Lascoux M. Between but Not Within-Species Variation in the Distribution of Fitness Effects. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad228. [PMID: 37832225 PMCID: PMC10630145 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad228] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
New mutations provide the raw material for evolution and adaptation. The distribution of fitness effects (DFE) describes the spectrum of effects of new mutations that can occur along a genome, and is, therefore, of vital interest in evolutionary biology. Recent work has uncovered striking similarities in the DFE between closely related species, prompting us to ask whether there is variation in the DFE among populations of the same species, or among species with different degrees of divergence, that is whether there is variation in the DFE at different levels of evolution. Using exome capture data from six tree species sampled across Europe we characterized the DFE for multiple species, and for each species, multiple populations, and investigated the factors potentially influencing the DFE, such as demography, population divergence, and genetic background. We find statistical support for the presence of variation in the DFE at the species level, even among relatively closely related species. However, we find very little difference at the population level, suggesting that differences in the DFE are primarily driven by deep features of species biology, and those evolutionarily recent events, such as demographic changes and local adaptation, have little impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer James
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium of Advanced Study, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chedly Kastally
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katharina B Budde
- Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Center of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Santiago C González-Martínez
- National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), University of Bordeaux, BIOGECO, Cestas, France
| | - Pascal Milesi
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tanja Pyhäjärvi
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Lascoux
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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25
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Mathur S, Mason AJ, Bradburd GS, Gibbs HL. Functional genomic diversity is correlated with neutral genomic diversity in populations of an endangered rattlesnake. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2303043120. [PMID: 37844221 PMCID: PMC10614936 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303043120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that genetic erosion in small, isolated populations of endangered species can be assessed using estimates of neutral genetic variation, yet this widely used approach has recently been questioned in the genomics era. Here, we leverage a chromosome-level genome assembly of an endangered rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) combined with whole genome resequencing data (N = 110 individuals) to evaluate the relationship between levels of genome-wide neutral and functional diversity over historical and future timescales. As predicted, we found positive correlations between genome-wide estimates of neutral genetic diversity (π) and inferred levels of adaptive variation and an estimate of inbreeding mutation load, and a negative relationship between neutral diversity and an estimate of drift mutation load. However, these correlations were half as strong for projected future levels of neutral diversity based on contemporary effective population sizes. Broadly, our results confirm that estimates of neutral genetic diversity provide an accurate measure of genetic erosion in populations of a threatened vertebrate. They also provide nuance to the neutral-functional diversity controversy by suggesting that while these correlations exist, anthropogenetic impacts may have weakened these associations in the recent past and into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarth Mathur
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH48824
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Andrew J. Mason
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH48824
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Gideon S. Bradburd
- Evolution and Behavior Program, Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - H. Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH48824
- Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
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26
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Wang D, Salehian-Dehkordi H, Suo L, Lv F. Impacts of Population Size and Domestication Process on Genetic Diversity and Genetic Load in Genus Ovis. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1977. [PMID: 37895326 PMCID: PMC10606048 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101977] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In theoretical biology, a prevailing hypothesis posits a profound interconnection between effective population size (Ne), genetic diversity, inbreeding, and genetic load. The domestication and improvement processes are believed to be pivotal in diminishing genetic diversity while elevating levels of inbreeding and increasing genetic load. In this study, we performed a whole genome analysis to quantity genetic diversity, inbreeding, and genetic load across seven wild Ovis species and five domesticated sheep breeds. Our research demonstrates that the genetic load and diversity of species in the genus Ovis have no discernible impact on recent Ne, and three species within the subgenus Pachyceros tend to carry a higher genetic load and lower genetic diversity patterns. The results coincide with these species' dramatic decline in population sizes within the subgenus Pachyceros ~80-250 thousand years ago. European mouflon presented with the lowest Ne, lower genetic diversity, and higher individual inbreeding coefficient but a lower genetic load (missense and LoF). This suggests that the small Ne of European mouflon could reduce harmful mutations compared to other species within the genus Ovis. We showed lower genetic diversity in domesticated sheep than in Asiatic mouflon, but counterintuitive patterns of genetic load, i.e., lower weak genetic load (missense mutation) and no significant difference in strong genetic load (LoF mutation) between domestic sheep and Asiatic mouflon. These findings reveal that the "cost of domestication" during domestication and improvement processes reduced genetic diversity and purified weak genetic load more efficiently than wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfeng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China;
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | | | - Langda Suo
- Institute of Animal Science, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850009, China;
| | - Fenghua Lv
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
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27
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Dussex N, Tørresen OK, van der Valk T, Le Moullec M, Veiberg V, Tooming-Klunderud A, Skage M, Garmann-Aarhus B, Wood J, Rasmussen JA, Pedersen ÅØ, Martin SL, Røed KH, Jakobsen KS, Dalén L, Hansen BB, Martin MD. Adaptation to the High-Arctic island environment despite long-term reduced genetic variation in Svalbard reindeer. iScience 2023; 26:107811. [PMID: 37744038 PMCID: PMC10514459 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Typically much smaller in number than their mainland counterparts, island populations are ideal systems to investigate genetic threats to small populations. The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is an endemic subspecies that colonized the Svalbard archipelago ca. 6,000-8,000 years ago and now shows numerous physiological and morphological adaptations to its arctic habitat. Here, we report a de-novo chromosome-level assembly for Svalbard reindeer and analyze 133 reindeer genomes spanning Svalbard and most of the species' Holarctic range, to examine the genomic consequences of long-term isolation and small population size in this insular subspecies. Empirical data, demographic reconstructions, and forward simulations show that long-term isolation and high inbreeding levels may have facilitated the reduction of highly deleterious-and to a lesser extent, moderately deleterious-variation. Our study indicates that long-term reduced genetic diversity did not preclude local adaptation to the High Arctic, suggesting that even severely bottlenecked populations can retain evolutionary potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dussex
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole K. Tørresen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Tom van der Valk
- Centre for PalaeoGenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO 7034 Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ave Tooming-Klunderud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Skage
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Benedicte Garmann-Aarhus
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, NO 0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jonathan Wood
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA Cambridge, UK
| | - Jacob A. Rasmussen
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim, Norway
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Sarah L.F. Martin
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Knut H. Røed
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Kjetill S. Jakobsen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for PalaeoGenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO 7034 Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Michael D. Martin
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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28
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Dussex N, Kurland S, Olsen RA, Spong G, Ericsson G, Ekblom R, Ryman N, Dalén L, Laikre L. Range-wide and temporal genomic analyses reveal the consequences of near-extinction in Swedish moose. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1035. [PMID: 37848497 PMCID: PMC10582009 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05385-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ungulate species have experienced severe declines over the past centuries through overharvesting and habitat loss. Even if many game species have recovered thanks to strict hunting regulation, the genome-wide impacts of overharvesting are still unclear. Here, we examine the temporal and geographical differences in genome-wide diversity in moose (Alces alces) over its whole range in Sweden by sequencing 87 modern and historical genomes. We found limited impact of the 1900s near-extinction event but local variation in inbreeding and load in modern populations, as well as suggestion of a risk of future reduction in genetic diversity and gene flow. Furthermore, we found candidate genes for local adaptation, and rapid temporal allele frequency shifts involving coding genes since the 1980s, possibly due to selective harvesting. Our results highlight that genomic changes potentially impacting fitness can occur over short time scales and underline the need to track both deleterious and selectively advantageous genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dussex
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University Museum, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.
| | - Sara Kurland
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Remi-André Olsen
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-171 21, Solna, Sweden
| | - Göran Spong
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Ekblom
- Wildlife Analysis Unit, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, SE-106 48, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nils Ryman
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Laikre
- Department of Zoology, Division of Population Genetics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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29
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Dussex N, Morales HE, Grossen C, Dalén L, van Oosterhout C. Purging and accumulation of genetic load in conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:961-969. [PMID: 37344276 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Our ability to assess the threat posed by the genetic load to small and declining populations has been greatly improved by advances in genome sequencing and computational approaches. Yet, considerable confusion remains around the definitions of the genetic load and its dynamics, and how they impact individual fitness and population viability. We illustrate how both selective purging and drift affect the distribution of deleterious mutations during population size decline and recovery. We show how this impacts the composition of the genetic load, and how this affects the extinction risk and recovery potential of populations. We propose a framework to examine load dynamics and advocate for the introduction of load estimates in the management of endangered populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dussex
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Erling Skakkes Gate 47A, 7012 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Hernán E Morales
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christine Grossen
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cock van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ Norwich, UK
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30
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Nigenda-Morales SF, Lin M, Nuñez-Valencia PG, Kyriazis CC, Beichman AC, Robinson JA, Ragsdale AP, Urbán R J, Archer FI, Viloria-Gómora L, Pérez-Álvarez MJ, Poulin E, Lohmueller KE, Moreno-Estrada A, Wayne RK. The genomic footprint of whaling and isolation in fin whale populations. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5465. [PMID: 37699896 PMCID: PMC10497599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40052-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Twentieth century industrial whaling pushed several species to the brink of extinction, with fin whales being the most impacted. However, a small, resident population in the Gulf of California was not targeted by whaling. Here, we analyzed 50 whole-genomes from the Eastern North Pacific (ENP) and Gulf of California (GOC) fin whale populations to investigate their demographic history and the genomic effects of natural and human-induced bottlenecks. We show that the two populations diverged ~16,000 years ago, after which the ENP population expanded and then suffered a 99% reduction in effective size during the whaling period. In contrast, the GOC population remained small and isolated, receiving less than one migrant per generation. However, this low level of migration has been crucial for maintaining its viability. Our study exposes the severity of whaling, emphasizes the importance of migration, and demonstrates the use of genome-based analyses and simulations to inform conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio F Nigenda-Morales
- Advanced Genomics Unit, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (Langebio), Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, Mexico.
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, 92096, USA.
| | - Meixi Lin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Paulina G Nuñez-Valencia
- Advanced Genomics Unit, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (Langebio), Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, Mexico
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Christopher C Kyriazis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Annabel C Beichman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Robinson
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Aaron P Ragsdale
- Advanced Genomics Unit, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (Langebio), Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, Mexico
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jorge Urbán R
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Frederick I Archer
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lorena Viloria-Gómora
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - María José Pérez-Álvarez
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Elie Poulin
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Andrés Moreno-Estrada
- Advanced Genomics Unit, National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (Langebio), Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav), Irapuato, Guanajuato, 36824, Mexico.
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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31
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Burnett HA, Bieker VC, Le Moullec M, Peeters B, Rosvold J, Pedersen ÅØ, Dalén L, Loe LE, Jensen H, Hansen BB, Martin MD. Contrasting genomic consequences of anthropogenic reintroduction and natural recolonization in high-arctic wild reindeer. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1531-1548. [PMID: 37752961 PMCID: PMC10519417 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic reintroduction can supplement natural recolonization in reestablishing a species' distribution and abundance. However, both reintroductions and recolonizations can give rise to founder effects that reduce genetic diversity and increase inbreeding, potentially causing the accumulation of genetic load and reduced fitness. Most current populations of the endemic high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) originate from recent reintroductions or recolonizations following regional extirpations due to past overharvesting. We investigated and compared the genomic consequences of these two paths to reestablishment using whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 100 Svalbard reindeer across their range. We found little admixture between reintroduced and natural populations. Two reintroduced populations, each founded by 12 individuals around four decades (i.e. 8 reindeer generations) ago, formed two distinct genetic clusters. Compared to the source population, these populations showed only small decreases in genome-wide heterozygosity and increases in inbreeding and lengths of runs of homozygosity. In contrast, the two naturally recolonized populations without admixture possessed much lower heterozygosity, higher inbreeding and longer runs of homozygosity, possibly caused by serial population founder effects and/or fewer or more genetically related founders than in the reintroduction events. Naturally recolonized populations can thus be more vulnerable to the accumulation of genetic load than reintroduced populations. This suggests that in some organisms even small-scale reintroduction programs based on genetically diverse source populations can be more effective than natural recolonization in establishing genetically diverse populations. These findings warrant particular attention in the conservation and management of populations and species threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamish A. Burnett
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vanessa C. Bieker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Department of Terrestrial BiodiversityNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Love Dalén
- Centre for PalaeogeneticsStockholmSweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesAasNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Michael D. Martin
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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32
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Rougemont Q, Leroy T, Rondeau EB, Koop B, Bernatchez L. Allele surfing causes maladaptation in a Pacific salmon of conservation concern. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010918. [PMID: 37683018 PMCID: PMC10545117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010918] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
How various factors, including demography, recombination or genome duplication, may impact the efficacy of natural selection and the burden of deleterious mutations, is a central question in evolutionary biology and genetics. In this study, we show that key evolutionary processes, including variations in i) effective population size (Ne) ii) recombination rates and iii) chromosome inheritance, have influenced the genetic load and efficacy of selection in Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), a widely distributed salmonid species on the west coast of North America. Using whole genome resequencing data from 14 populations at different migratory distances from their southern glacial refugium, we found evidence supporting gene surfing, wherein reduced Ne at the postglacial recolonization front, leads to a decrease in the efficacy of selection and a surf of deleterious alleles in the northernmost populations. Furthermore, our results indicate that recombination rates play a prime role in shaping the load along the genome. Additionally, we identified variation in polyploidy as a contributing factor to within-genome variation of the load. Overall, our results align remarkably well with expectations under the nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution. We discuss the fundamental and applied implications of these findings for evolutionary and conservation genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Rougemont
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Thibault Leroy
- GenPhySE, INRAE, INP, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, Auzeville- Tolosane, France
| | - Eric B. Rondeau
- Department of Fisheries and Ocean, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, Canada
| | - Ben Koop
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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33
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Crossman CA, Fontaine MC, Frasier TR. A comparison of genomic diversity and demographic history of the North Atlantic and Southwest Atlantic southern right whales. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37577945 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17099] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Right whales (genus Eubalaena) were among the first, and most extensively pursued, targets of commercial whaling. However, understanding the impacts of this persecution requires knowledge of the demographic histories of these species prior to exploitation. We used deep whole genome sequencing (~40×) of 12 North Atlantic (E. glacialis) and 10 Southwest Atlantic southern (E. australis) right whales to quantify contemporary levels of genetic diversity and infer their demographic histories over time. Using coalescent- and identity-by-descent-based modelling to estimate ancestral effective population sizes from genomic data, we demonstrate that North Atlantic right whales have lived with smaller effective population sizes (Ne ) than southern right whales in the Southwest Atlantic since their divergence and describe the decline in both populations around the time of whaling. North Atlantic right whales exhibit reduced genetic diversity and longer runs of homozygosity leading to higher inbreeding coefficients compared to the sampled population of southern right whales. This study represents the first comprehensive assessment of genome-wide diversity of right whales in the western Atlantic and underscores the benefits of high coverage, genome-wide datasets to help resolve long-standing questions about how historical changes in effective population size over different time scales shape contemporary diversity estimates. This knowledge is crucial to improve our understanding of the right whales' history and inform our approaches to address contemporary conservation issues. Understanding and quantifying the cumulative impact of long-term small Ne , low levels of diversity and recent inbreeding on North Atlantic right whale recovery will be important next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla A Crossman
- Biology Department, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier, CNRS 5290, IRD 224), Montpellier, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy R Frasier
- Biology Department, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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34
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Jabin G, Joshi BD, Wang MS, Mukherjee T, Dolker S, Wang S, Chandra K, Chinnadurai V, Sharma LK, Thakur M. Mid-Pleistocene Transitions Forced Himalayan ibex to Evolve Independently after Split into an Allopatric Refugium. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1097. [PMID: 37626983 PMCID: PMC10451794 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Pleistocene glaciations had profound impact on the spatial distribution and genetic makeup of species in temperate ecosystems. While the glacial period trapped several species into glacial refugia and caused abrupt decline in large populations, the interglacial period facilitated population growth and range expansion leading to allopatric speciation. Here, we analyzed 40 genomes of four species of ibex and found that Himalayan ibex in the Pamir Mountains evolved independently after splitting from its main range about 0.1 mya following the Pleistocene species pump concept. Demographic trajectories showed Himalayan ibex experienced two historic bottlenecks, one each c. 0.8-0.5 mya and c. 50-30 kya, with an intermediate large population expansion c. 0.2-0.16 mya coinciding with Mid-Pleistocene Transitions. We substantiate with multi-dimensional evidence that Himalayan ibex is an evolutionary distinct phylogenetic species of Siberian ibex which need to be prioritized as Capra himalayensis for taxonomic revision and conservation planning at a regional and global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gul Jabin
- Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata 700053, India
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India
| | | | - Ming-Shan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | | | - Stanzin Dolker
- Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata 700053, India
- Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India
| | - Sheng Wang
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, China
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35
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Sun S, Wang B, Li C, Xu G, Yang J, Hufford MB, Ross-Ibarra J, Wang H, Wang L. Unraveling Prevalence and Effects of Deleterious Mutations in Maize Elite Lines across Decades of Modern Breeding. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad170. [PMID: 37494285 PMCID: PMC10414807 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad170] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Future breeding is likely to involve the detection and removal of deleterious alleles, which are mutations that negatively affect crop fitness. However, little is known about the prevalence of such mutations and their effects on phenotypic traits in the context of modern crop breeding. To address this, we examined the number and frequency of deleterious mutations in 350 elite maize inbred lines developed over the past few decades in China and the United States. Our findings reveal an accumulation of weakly deleterious mutations and a decrease in strongly deleterious mutations, indicating the dominant effects of genetic drift and purifying selection for the two types of mutations, respectively. We also discovered that slightly deleterious mutations, when at lower frequencies, were more likely to be heterozygous in the developed hybrids. This is consistent with complementation as a potential explanation for heterosis. Subsequently, we found that deleterious mutations accounted for more of the variation in phenotypic traits than nondeleterious mutations with matched minor allele frequencies, especially for traits related to leaf angle and flowering time. Moreover, we detected fewer deleterious mutations in the promoter and gene body regions of differentially expressed genes across breeding eras than in nondifferentially expressed genes. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence and impact of deleterious mutations in modern maize breeding and establish a useful baseline for future maize improvement efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Sun
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Baobao Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Changyu Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gen Xu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Jinliang Yang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Matthew B Hufford
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Haiyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Foshan, China
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36
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Olazcuaga L, Lincke B, DeLacey S, Durkee LF, Melbourne BA, Hufbauer RA. Population demographic history and evolutionary rescue: Influence of a bottleneck event. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1483-1495. [PMID: 37622091 PMCID: PMC10445088 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13581] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid environmental change presents a significant challenge to the persistence of natural populations. Rapid adaptation that increases population growth, enabling populations that declined following severe environmental change to grow and avoid extinction, is called evolutionary rescue. Numerous studies have shown that evolutionary rescue can indeed prevent extinction. Here, we extend those results by considering the demographic history of populations. To evaluate how demographic history influences evolutionary rescue, we created 80 populations of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, with three classes of demographic history: diverse populations that did not experience a bottleneck, and populations that experienced either an intermediate or a strong bottleneck. We subjected these populations to a new and challenging environment for six discrete generations and tracked extinction and population size. Populations that did not experience a bottleneck in their demographic history avoided extinction entirely, while more than 20% of populations that experienced an intermediate or strong bottleneck went extinct. Similarly, among the extant populations at the end of the experiment, adaptation increased the growth rate in the novel environment the most for populations that had not experienced a bottleneck in their history. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of considering the demographic history of populations to make useful and effective conservation decisions and management strategies for populations experiencing environmental change that pushes them toward extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Olazcuaga
- Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Beatrice Lincke
- Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Sarah DeLacey
- Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Lily F. Durkee
- Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Brett A. Melbourne
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | - Ruth A. Hufbauer
- Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
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37
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Wang X, Peischl S, Heckel G. Demographic history and genomic consequences of 10,000 generations of isolation in a wild mammal. Curr Biol 2023; 33:2051-2062.e4. [PMID: 37178689 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.042] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Increased human activities caused the isolation of populations in many species-often associated with genetic depletion and negative fitness effects. The effects of isolation are predicted by theory, but long-term data from natural populations are scarce. We show, with full genome sequences, that common voles (Microtus arvalis) in the Orkney archipelago have remained genetically isolated from conspecifics in continental Europe since their introduction by humans over 5,000 years ago. Modern Orkney vole populations are genetically highly differentiated from continental conspecifics as a result of genetic drift processes. Colonization likely started on the biggest Orkney island and vole populations on smaller islands were gradually split off, without signs of secondary admixture. Despite having large modern population sizes, Orkney voles are genetically depauperate and successive introductions to smaller islands resulted in further reduction of genetic diversity. We detected high levels of fixation of predicted deleterious variation compared with continental populations, particularly on smaller islands, yet the fitness effects realized in nature are unknown. Simulations showed that predominantly mildly deleterious mutations were fixed in populations, while highly deleterious mutations were purged early in the history of the Orkney population. Relaxation of selection overall due to benign environmental conditions on the islands and the effects of soft selection may have contributed to the repeated, successful establishment of Orkney voles despite potential fitness loss. Furthermore, the specific life history of these small mammals, resulting in relatively large population sizes, has probably been important for their long-term persistence in full isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Peischl
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Amphipôle, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Amphipôle, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Wilder AP, Supple MA, Subramanian A, Mudide A, Swofford R, Serres-Armero A, Steiner C, Koepfli KP, Genereux DP, Karlsson EK, Lindblad-Toh K, Marques-Bonet T, Munoz Fuentes V, Foley K, Meyer WK, Ryder OA, Shapiro B, Andrews G, Armstrong JC, Bianchi M, Birren BW, Bredemeyer KR, Breit AM, Christmas MJ, Clawson H, Damas J, Di Palma F, Diekhans M, Dong MX, Eizirik E, Fan K, Fanter C, Foley NM, Forsberg-Nilsson K, Garcia CJ, Gatesy J, Gazal S, Genereux DP, Goodman L, Grimshaw J, Halsey MK, Harris AJ, Hickey G, Hiller M, Hindle AG, Hubley RM, Hughes GM, Johnson J, Juan D, Kaplow IM, Karlsson EK, Keough KC, Kirilenko B, Koepfli KP, Korstian JM, Kowalczyk A, Kozyrev SV, Lawler AJ, Lawless C, Lehmann T, Levesque DL, Lewin HA, Li X, Lind A, Lindblad-Toh K, Mackay-Smith A, Marinescu VD, Marques-Bonet T, Mason VC, Meadows JRS, Meyer WK, Moore JE, Moreira LR, Moreno-Santillan DD, Morrill KM, Muntané G, Murphy WJ, Navarro A, Nweeia M, Ortmann S, Osmanski A, Paten B, Paulat NS, Pfenning AR, Phan BN, Pollard KS, Pratt HE, Ray DA, Reilly SK, Rosen JR, Ruf I, Ryan L, Ryder OA, Sabeti PC, Schäffer DE, Serres A, Shapiro B, Smit AFA, Springer M, Srinivasan C, Steiner C, Storer JM, Sullivan KAM, Sullivan PF, Sundström E, Supple MA, Swofford R, Talbot JE, Teeling E, Turner-Maier J, Valenzuela A, Wagner F, Wallerman O, Wang C, Wang J, Weng Z, Wilder AP, Wirthlin ME, Xue JR, Zhang X. The contribution of historical processes to contemporary extinction risk in placental mammals. Science 2023; 380:eabn5856. [PMID: 37104572 PMCID: PMC10184782 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn5856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Species persistence can be influenced by the amount, type, and distribution of diversity across the genome, suggesting a potential relationship between historical demography and resilience. In this study, we surveyed genetic variation across single genomes of 240 mammals that compose the Zoonomia alignment to evaluate how historical effective population size (Ne) affects heterozygosity and deleterious genetic load and how these factors may contribute to extinction risk. We find that species with smaller historical Ne carry a proportionally larger burden of deleterious alleles owing to long-term accumulation and fixation of genetic load and have a higher risk of extinction. This suggests that historical demography can inform contemporary resilience. Models that included genomic data were predictive of species' conservation status, suggesting that, in the absence of adequate census or ecological data, genomic information may provide an initial risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryn P Wilder
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Megan A Supple
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | | | | | - Ross Swofford
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Aitor Serres-Armero
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Cynthia Steiner
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 30008, USA
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia
| | | | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 32, Sweden
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Violeta Munoz Fuentes
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Kathleen Foley
- College of Law, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Wynn K Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Oliver A Ryder
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
- Department of Evolution, Behavior and Ecology, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92039, USA
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Wang C, Wu DD, Yuan YH, Yao MC, Han JL, Wu YJ, Shan F, Li WP, Zhai JQ, Huang M, Peng SM, Cai QH, Yu JY, Liu QX, Liu ZY, Li LX, Teng MS, Huang W, Zhou JY, Zhang C, Chen W, Tu XL. Population genomic analysis provides evidence of the past success and future potential of South China tiger captive conservation. BMC Biol 2023; 21:64. [PMID: 37069598 PMCID: PMC10111772 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01552-y] [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: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among six extant tiger subspecies, the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) once was widely distributed but is now the rarest one and extinct in the wild. All living South China tigers are descendants of only two male and four female wild-caught tigers and they survive solely in zoos after 60 years of effective conservation efforts. Inbreeding depression and hybridization with other tiger subspecies were believed to have occurred within the small, captive South China tiger population. It is therefore urgently needed to examine the genomic landscape of existing genetic variation among the South China tigers. RESULTS In this study, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome using long-read sequences and re-sequenced 29 high-depth genomes of the South China tigers. By combining and comparing our data with the other 40 genomes of six tiger subspecies, we identified two significantly differentiated genomic lineages among the South China tigers, which harbored some rare genetic variants introgressed from other tiger subspecies and thus maintained a moderate genetic diversity. We noticed that the South China tiger had higher FROH values for longer runs of homozygosity (ROH > 1 Mb), an indication of recent inbreeding/founder events. We also observed that the South China tiger had the least frequent homozygous genotypes of both high- and moderate-impact deleterious mutations, and lower mutation loads than both Amur and Sumatran tigers. Altogether, our analyses indicated an effective genetic purging of deleterious mutations in homozygous states from the South China tiger, following its population contraction with a controlled increase in inbreeding based on its pedigree records. CONCLUSIONS The identification of two unique founder/genomic lineages coupled with active genetic purging of deleterious mutations in homozygous states and the genomic resources generated in our study pave the way for a genomics-informed conservation, following the real-time monitoring and rational exchange of reproductive South China tigers among zoos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | | | - Meng-Cheng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Jian-Lin Han
- CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - Ya-Jiang Wu
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Fen Shan
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Wan-Ping Li
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Jun-Qiong Zhai
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Mian Huang
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Shi-Ming Peng
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | - Qin-Hui Cai
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China
| | | | | | | | - Lin-Xiang Li
- Suzhou Shangfangshan Forest Zoo, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | | | - Wei Huang
- Nanchang Zoo, Nanchang, 330025, China
| | - Jun-Ying Zhou
- Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Wu Chen
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou, 510070, China.
| | - Xiao-Long Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China.
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China.
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40
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Ramasamy U, Elizur A, Subramanian S. Deleterious mutation load in the admixed mice population. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1084502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Deleterious mutation loads are known to correlate negatively with effective population size (Ne). Due to this reason, previous studies observed a higher proportion of harmful mutations in small populations than that in large populations. However, the mutational load in an admixed population that derived from introgression between individuals from two populations with vastly different Ne is not known. We investigated this using the whole genome data from two subspecies of the mouse (Mus musculus castaneus and Mus musculus musculus) with significantly different Ne. We used the ratio of diversities at nonsynonymous and synonymous sites (dN/dS) to measure the harmful mutation load. Our results showed that this ratio observed for the admixed population was intermediate between those of the parental populations. The dN/dS ratio of the hybrid population was significantly higher than that of M. m. castaneus but lower than that of M. m. musculus. Our analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the proportion of M. m. musculus ancestry in admixed individuals and their dN/dS ratio. This suggests that the admixed individuals with high proportions of M. m. musculus ancestry have large dN/dS ratios. We also used the proportion of deleterious nonsynonymous SNVs as a proxy for deleterious mutation load, which also produced similar results. The observed results were in concordance with those expected by theory. We also show a shift in the distribution of fitness effects of nonsynonymous SNVs in the admixed genomes compared to the parental populations. These findings suggest that the deleterious mutation load of the admixed population is determined by the proportion of the ancestries of the subspecies. Therefore, it is important to consider the status and the level of genetic admixture of the populations whilst estimating the mutation loads.
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Theissinger K, Fernandes C, Formenti G, Bista I, Berg PR, Bleidorn C, Bombarely A, Crottini A, Gallo GR, Godoy JA, Jentoft S, Malukiewicz J, Mouton A, Oomen RA, Paez S, Palsbøll PJ, Pampoulie C, Ruiz-López MJ, Secomandi S, Svardal H, Theofanopoulou C, de Vries J, Waldvogel AM, Zhang G, Jarvis ED, Bálint M, Ciofi C, Waterhouse RM, Mazzoni CJ, Höglund J. How genomics can help biodiversity conservation. Trends Genet 2023:S0168-9525(23)00020-3. [PMID: 36801111 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species. We review case studies to illustrate how reference genomes can facilitate biodiversity research and conservation across the tree of life. We conclude that the time is ripe to view reference genomes as fundamental resources and to integrate their use as a best practice in conservation genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Theissinger
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Giulio Formenti
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Iliana Bista
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333, CR, Leiden, The Netherlands; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Paul R Berg
- NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien, 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25j, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- University of Göttingen, Department of Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Untere Karspüle, 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 7, 4485-661, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guido R Gallo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - José A Godoy
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevillle, Spain
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Joanna Malukiewicz
- Primate Genetics Laborator, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alice Mouton
- InBios - Conservation Genetics Lab, University of Liege, Chemin de la Vallée 4, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Rebekah A Oomen
- Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25j, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sadye Paez
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Per J Palsbøll
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands; Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Christophe Pampoulie
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubúðir, 5,220, Hanafjörður, Iceland
| | - María J Ruiz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevillle, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | | | - Hannes Svardal
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Constantina Theofanopoulou
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA; Hunter College, City University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan de Vries
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ann-Marie Waldvogel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, D-50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miklós Bálint
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- University of Florence, Department of Biology, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, (FI) 50019, Italy
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Camila J Mazzoni
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany; Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Koenigin-Luise-Str 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75246, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Robinson J, Kyriazis CC, Yuan SC, Lohmueller KE. Deleterious Variation in Natural Populations and Implications for Conservation Genetics. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2023; 11:93-114. [PMID: 36332644 PMCID: PMC9933137 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-080522-093311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Deleterious mutations decrease reproductive fitness and are ubiquitous in genomes. Given that many organisms face ongoing threats of extinction, there is interest in elucidating the impact of deleterious variation on extinction risk and optimizing management strategies accounting for such mutations. Quantifying deleterious variation and understanding the effects of population history on deleterious variation are complex endeavors because we do not know the strength of selection acting on each mutation. Further, the effect of demographic history on deleterious mutations depends on the strength of selection against the mutation and the degree of dominance. Here we clarify how deleterious variation can be quantified and studied in natural populations. We then discuss how different demographic factors, such as small population size, nonequilibrium population size changes, inbreeding, and gene flow, affect deleterious variation. Lastly, we provide guidance on studying deleterious variation in nonmodel populations of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Robinson
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA;
| | - Christopher C Kyriazis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , ,
| | - Stella C Yuan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , ,
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , , .,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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43
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Kyriazis CC, Beichman AC, Brzeski KE, Hoy SR, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA, Vucetich LM, Lohmueller KE, Wayne RK. Genomic Underpinnings of Population Persistence in Isle Royale Moose. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:7024794. [PMID: 36729989 PMCID: PMC9927576 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad021] [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] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Island ecosystems provide natural laboratories to assess the impacts of isolation on population persistence. However, most studies of persistence have focused on a single species, without comparisons to other organisms they interact with in the ecosystem. The case study of moose and gray wolves on Isle Royale allows for a direct contrast of genetic variation in isolated populations that have experienced dramatically differing population trajectories over the past decade. Whereas the Isle Royale wolf population recently declined nearly to extinction due to severe inbreeding depression, the moose population has thrived and continues to persist, despite having low genetic diversity and being isolated for ∼120 years. Here, we examine the patterns of genomic variation underlying the continued persistence of the Isle Royale moose population. We document high levels of inbreeding in the population, roughly as high as the wolf population at the time of its decline. However, inbreeding in the moose population manifests in the form of intermediate-length runs of homozygosity suggestive of historical inbreeding and purging, contrasting with the long runs of homozygosity observed in the smaller wolf population. Using simulations, we confirm that substantial purging has likely occurred in the moose population. However, we also document notable increases in genetic load, which could eventually threaten population viability over the long term. Overall, our results demonstrate a complex relationship between inbreeding, genetic diversity, and population viability that highlights the use of genomic datasets and computational simulation tools for understanding the factors enabling persistence in isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristin E Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
| | - Sarah R Hoy
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
| | - Rolf O Peterson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
| | - John A Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
| | - Leah M Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI
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44
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Gajdárová B, Belotti E, Bufka L, Volfová J, Wölfl S, Mináriková T, Hollerbach L, Duľa M, Kleven O, Kutal M, Nowak C, Ozoliņš J, Tám B, Bryja J, Koubek P, Krojerová-Prokešová J. Long-term genetic monitoring of a reintroduced Eurasian lynx population does not indicate an ongoing loss of genetic diversity. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
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45
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Conservation genomics of an endangered arboreal mammal following the 2019-2020 Australian megafire. Sci Rep 2023; 13:480. [PMID: 36627361 PMCID: PMC9831986 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The impacts of a changing climate threaten species, populations and ecosystems. Despite these significant and large-scale impacts on threatened species, many remain understudied and have little to no genetic information available. The greater glider, Petauroides volans, is an endangered species highly sensitive to the predicted changes in temperature under a changing climate and was recently severely impacted by a megafire natural disaster (85% estimated population loss). Baseline genetic data is essential for conservation management and for detecting detrimental changes in fire-effected populations. We collected genetic samples within 2 years post the 2019-2020 catastrophic Australian bushfires to examine adaptive potential, baseline genetic diversity and population structure, across their southern range in the state of New South Wales. Population genomic analyses were conducted using 8493 genome-wide SNPs for 86 greater glider individuals across 14 geographic locations. Substantial genetic structure was detected across locations, with low genetic diversity and effective population sizes observed in isolated areas. Additionally, we found signals of putative adaptation in response to temperature in greater gliders using a genotype-environment association analysis. These findings have important implications for the management of greater glider populations by identifying at-risk populations and identifying adaptive potential. We demonstrate the importance of baseline genetic information for endangered species as a practical approach to conservation. This is particularly important given the threat that changes in temperatures and megafire events, as predicted under a changing climate, poses for this species.
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46
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Moreira LR, Klicka J, Smith BT. Demography and linked selection interact to shape the genomic landscape of codistributed woodpeckers during the Ice Age. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1739-1759. [PMID: 36617622 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The influence of genetic drift on population dynamics during Pleistocene glacial cycles is well understood, but the role of selection in shaping patterns of genomic variation during these events is less explored. We resequenced whole genomes to investigate how demography and natural selection interact to generate the genomic landscapes of Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, species codistributed in previously glaciated North America. First, we explored the spatial and temporal patterns of genomic diversity produced by neutral evolution. Next, we tested (i) whether levels of nucleotide diversity along the genome are correlated with intrinsic genomic properties, such as recombination rate and gene density, and (ii) whether different demographic trajectories impacted the efficacy of selection. Our results revealed cycles of bottleneck and expansion, and genetic structure associated with glacial refugia. Nucleotide diversity varied widely along the genome, but this variation was highly correlated between the species, suggesting the presence of conserved genomic features. In both taxa, nucleotide diversity was positively correlated with recombination rate and negatively correlated with gene density, suggesting that linked selection played a role in reducing diversity. Despite strong fluctuations in effective population size, the maintenance of relatively large populations during glaciations may have facilitated selection. Under these conditions, we found evidence that the individual demographic trajectory of populations modulated linked selection, with purifying selection being more efficient in removing deleterious alleles in large populations. These results highlight that while genome-wide variation reflects the expected signature of demographic change during climatic perturbations, the interaction of multiple processes produces a predictable and highly heterogeneous genomic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas R Moreira
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA.,Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John Klicka
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brian Tilston Smith
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA
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47
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Beichman AC, Kalhori P, Kyriazis CC, DeVries AA, Nigenda-Morales S, Heckel G, Schramm Y, Moreno-Estrada A, Kennett DJ, Hylkema M, Bodkin J, Koepfli KP, Lohmueller KE, Wayne RK. Genomic analyses reveal range-wide devastation of sea otter populations. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:281-298. [PMID: 34967471 PMCID: PMC9875727 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The genetic consequences of species-wide declines are rarely quantified because the timing and extent of the decline varies across the species' range. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a unique model in this regard. Their dramatic decline from thousands to fewer than 100 individuals per population occurred range-wide and nearly simultaneously due to the 18th-19th century fur trade. Consequently, each sea otter population represents an independent natural experiment of recovery after extreme population decline. We designed sequence capture probes for 50 Mb of sea otter exonic and neutral genomic regions. We sequenced 107 sea otters from five populations that span the species range to high coverage (18-76×) and three historical Californian samples from ~1500 and ~200 years ago to low coverage (1.5-3.5×). We observe distinct population structure and find that sea otters in California are the last survivors of a divergent lineage isolated for thousands of years and therefore warrant special conservation concern. We detect signals of extreme population decline in every surviving sea otter population and use this demographic history to design forward-in-time simulations of coding sequence. Our simulations indicate that this decline could lower the fitness of recovering populations for generations. However, the simulations also demonstrate how historically low effective population sizes prior to the fur trade may have mitigated the effects of population decline on genetic health. Our comprehensive approach shows how demographic inference from genomic data, coupled with simulations, allows assessment of extinction risk and different models of recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel C. Beichman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pooneh Kalhori
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Christopher C. Kyriazis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Amber A. DeVries
- Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Sergio Nigenda-Morales
- National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Unit of Advanced Genomics (LANGEBIO), CINVESTAV, Irapuato, Guanajuato 36824, Mexico
| | - Gisela Heckel
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education), Ensenada, Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Yolanda Schramm
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (Autonomous University of Baja California), Ensenada, Baja California 22860, Mexico
| | - Andrés Moreno-Estrada
- National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity, Unit of Advanced Genomics (LANGEBIO), CINVESTAV, Irapuato, Guanajuato 36824, Mexico
| | - Douglas J. Kennett
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Mark Hylkema
- Cultural Resources Program Manager and Tribal Liaison/Archaeologist, Santa Cruz District, California State Parks, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - James Bodkin
- Retired, Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, Anchorage Alaska, 99503, USA
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C., 20008, USA
- ITMO University, Computer Technologies Laboratory, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia
| | - Kirk E. Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Robert K. Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Mooney JA, Marsden CD, Yohannes A, Wayne RK, Lohmueller KE. Long-term Small Population Size, Deleterious Variation, and Altitude Adaptation in the Ethiopian Wolf, a Severely Endangered Canid. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6966048. [PMID: 36585842 PMCID: PMC9847632 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac277] [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] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethiopian wolves, a canid species endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, have been steadily declining in numbers for decades. Currently, out of 35 extant species, it is now one of the world's most endangered canids. Most conservation efforts have focused on preventing disease, monitoring movements and behavior, and assessing the geographic ranges of sub-populations. Here, we add an essential layer by determining the Ethiopian wolf's demographic and evolutionary history using high-coverage (∼40×) whole-genome sequencing from 10 Ethiopian wolves from the Bale Mountains. We observe exceptionally low diversity and enrichment of weakly deleterious variants in the Ethiopian wolves in comparison with two North American gray wolf populations and four dog breeds. These patterns are consequences of long-term small population size, rather than recent inbreeding. We infer the demographic history of the Ethiopian wolf and find it to be concordant with historic records and previous genetic analyses, suggesting Ethiopian wolves experienced a series of both ancient and recent bottlenecks, resulting in a census population size of fewer than 500 individuals and an estimated effective population size of approximately 100 individuals. Additionally, long-term small population size may have limited the accumulation of strongly deleterious recessive mutations. Finally, as the Ethiopian wolves have inhabited high-altitude areas for thousands of years, we searched for evidence of high-altitude adaptation, finding evidence of positive selection at a transcription factor in a hypoxia-response pathway [CREB-binding protein (CREBBP)]. Our findings are pertinent to continuing conservation efforts and understanding how demography influences the persistence of deleterious variation in small populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clare D Marsden
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Abigail Yohannes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Li C, Wu Y, Chen B, Cai Y, Guo J, Leonard AS, Kalds P, Zhou S, Zhang J, Zhou P, Gan S, Jia T, Pu T, Suo L, Li Y, Zhang K, Li L, Purevdorj M, Wang X, Li M, Wang Y, Liu Y, Huang S, Sonstegard T, Wang MS, Kemp S, Pausch H, Chen Y, Han JL, Jiang Y, Wang X. Markhor-derived Introgression of a Genomic Region Encompassing PAPSS2 Confers High-altitude Adaptability in Tibetan Goats. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6830663. [PMID: 36382357 PMCID: PMC9728798 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac253] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genetic mechanism of how animals adapt to extreme conditions is fundamental to determine the relationship between molecular evolution and changing environments. Goat is one of the first domesticated species and has evolved rapidly to adapt to diverse environments, including harsh high-altitude conditions with low temperature and poor oxygen supply but strong ultraviolet radiation. Here, we analyzed 331 genomes of domestic goats and wild caprid species living at varying altitudes (high > 3000 m above sea level and low < 1200 m), along with a reference-guided chromosome-scale assembly (contig-N50: 90.4 Mb) of a female Tibetan goat genome based on PacBio HiFi long reads, to dissect the genetic determinants underlying their adaptation to harsh conditions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Population genomic analyses combined with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) revealed a genomic region harboring the 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 2 (PAPSS2) gene showing strong association with high-altitude adaptability (PGWAS = 3.62 × 10-25) in Tibetan goats. Transcriptomic data from 13 tissues revealed that PAPSS2 was implicated in hypoxia-related pathways in Tibetan goats. We further verified potential functional role of PAPSS2 in response to hypoxia in PAPSS2-deficient cells. Introgression analyses suggested that the PAPSS2 haplotype conferring the high-altitude adaptability in Tibetan goats originated from a recent hybridization between goats and a wild caprid species, the markhor (Capra falconeri). In conclusion, our results uncover a hitherto unknown contribution of PAPSS2 to high-altitude adaptability in Tibetan goats on QTP, following interspecific introgression and natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter Kalds
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Shiwei Zhou
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China,College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jingchen Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China,State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Breeding, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Shangqu Gan
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China,State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Breeding, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Ting Jia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Tianchun Pu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technologies, Beijing Zoo, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Langda Suo
- Institute of Animal Science, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850009, China
| | - Yan Li
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Lan Li
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Myagmarsuren Purevdorj
- Lab of Animal Genetics and Animal Reproductive Technology, Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Xihong Wang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ming Li
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yu Wang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yao Liu
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Shuhong Huang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | | | - Ming-Shan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 94720
| | - Stephen Kemp
- Livestock Genetics Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 30709-00100, Kenya
| | - Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yulin Chen
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | | | - Yu Jiang
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ;
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50
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von Seth J, van der Valk T, Lord E, Sigeman H, Olsen RA, Knapp M, Kardailsky O, Robertson F, Hale M, Houston D, Kennedy E, Dalén L, Norén K, Massaro M, Robertson BC, Dussex N. Genomic trajectories of a near-extinction event in the Chatham Island black robin. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:747. [DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08963-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Understanding the micro-evolutionary response of populations to demographic declines is a major goal in evolutionary and conservation biology. In small populations, genetic drift can lead to an accumulation of deleterious mutations, which will increase the risk of extinction. However, demographic recovery can still occur after extreme declines, suggesting that natural selection may purge deleterious mutations, even in extremely small populations. The Chatham Island black robin (Petroica traversi) is arguably the most inbred bird species in the world. It avoided imminent extinction in the early 1980s and after a remarkable recovery from a single pair, a second population was established and the two extant populations have evolved in complete isolation since then. Here, we analysed 52 modern and historical genomes to examine the genomic consequences of this extreme bottleneck and the subsequent translocation.
Results
We found evidence for two-fold decline in heterozygosity and three- to four-fold increase in inbreeding in modern genomes. Moreover, there was partial support for temporal reduction in total load for detrimental variation. In contrast, compared to historical genomes, modern genomes showed a significantly higher realised load, reflecting the temporal increase in inbreeding. Furthermore, the translocation induced only small changes in the frequency of deleterious alleles, with the majority of detrimental variation being shared between the two populations.
Conclusion
Our results highlight the dynamics of mutational load in a species that recovered from the brink of extinction, and show rather limited temporal changes in mutational load. We hypothesise that ancestral purging may have been facilitated by population fragmentation and isolation on several islands for thousands of generations and may have already reduced much of the highly deleterious load well before human arrival and introduction of pests to the archipelago. The majority of fixed deleterious variation was shared between the modern populations, but translocation of individuals with low mutational load could possibly mitigate further fixation of high-frequency deleterious variation.
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