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Luo M, Hu J. Alternative splicing in parallel evolution and the evolutionary potential in sticklebacks. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 39056271 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14157] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Repeatability of adaptation to similar environments provides opportunity to evaluate the predictability of natural selection. While many studies have investigated gene expression differences between populations adapted to contrasting environments, the role of post-transcriptional processes such as alternative splicing has rarely been evaluated in the context of parallel adaptation. To address the aforementioned knowledge gap, we reanalysed transcriptomic data from three pairs of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) ecotypes adapted to marine or freshwater environment. First, we identified genes with repeated expression or splicing divergence across ecotype pairs, and compared the genetic architecture and biological processes between parallelly expressed and parallelly spliced loci. Second, we analysed the extent to which parallel adaptation was reflected at gene expression and alternative splicing levels. Finally, we tested how the two axes of transcriptional variation differed in their potential for evolutionary change. Although both repeated differential splicing and differential expression across ecotype pairs showed tendency for parallel divergence, the degree of parallelism was lower for splicing than expression. Furthermore, parallel divergences in splicing and expression were likely to be associated with distinct cis-regulatory genetic variants and functionally unique set of genes. Finally, we found that parallelly spliced genes showed higher nucleotide diversity than parallelly expressed genes, indicating splicing is less susceptible to genetic variation erosion during parallel adaptation. Our results provide novel insight into the role of splicing in parallel adaptation, and underscore the contribution of splicing to the evolutionary potential of wild populations under environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Luo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juntao Hu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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2
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Lai C, Scarpetta SG. The skull of the Turks and Caicos rock iguana, Cyclura carinata (Squamata: Iguanidae). PeerJ 2024; 12:e17595. [PMID: 39026542 PMCID: PMC11257063 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17595] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
We provide a detailed and first description of the skull, hyoid apparatus, and trachea of the Turks and Caicos rock iguana, Cyclura carinata (Squamata: Iguanidae). Cyclura is a radiation of iguanas restricted to islands of the Caribbean Sea. Species of Cyclura have high rates of endemism, and all species are severely threatened with extinction. Our anatomical description of this threatened iguana is based on high-resolution computed tomography scans of one adult, one putative adult or near adult, and one juvenile specimen, and includes three-dimensional segmented renderings and visualizations. We discuss some observations of intraspecific and ontogenetic variation, and provide a brief comparison with specimens of another species of Cyclura and published descriptions of other iguanas. Our study provides a cranial osteological framework for Cyclura and augments the body of knowledge on iguana anatomy generally. Finally, we posit that our description and future studies may facilitate identification of fossil Cyclura, which could help understand the paleobiogeography of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Lai
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Califiornia, United States of America
| | - Simon G. Scarpetta
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Califiornia, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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3
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Savage AM, Willmott MJ, Moreno‐García P, Jagiello Z, Li D, Malesis A, Miles LS, Román‐Palacios C, Salazar‐Valenzuela D, Verrelli BC, Winchell KM, Alberti M, Bonilla‐Bedoya S, Carlen E, Falvey C, Johnson L, Martin E, Kuzyo H, Marzluff J, Munshi‐South J, Phifer‐Rixey M, Stadnicki I, Szulkin M, Zhou Y, Gotanda KM. Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11633. [PMID: 38919647 PMCID: PMC11197044 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11633] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields and countries is challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods and best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, and career backgrounds would make research focused on urban evolutionary ecology more inclusive. Here, we describe a freely available online research hub for toolkits that facilitate global research in urban evolutionary ecology. We provide rationales and descriptions of toolkits for: (1) decolonizing urban evolutionary ecology; (2) identifying and fostering international collaborative partnerships; (3) common methods and freely-available datasets for trait mapping across cities; (4) common methods and freely-available datasets for cross-city evolutionary ecology experiments; and (5) best practices and freely available resources for public outreach and communication of research findings in urban evolutionary ecology. We outline how the toolkits can be accessed, archived, and modified over time in order to sustain long-term global research that will advance our understanding of urban evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Savage
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers University – CamdenCamdenNew JerseyUSA
| | - Meredith J. Willmott
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers University – CamdenCamdenNew JerseyUSA
| | - Pablo Moreno‐García
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Computation & TechnologyLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Zuzanna Jagiello
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research CentreUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Daijiang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Computation & TechnologyLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLouisianaUSA
| | - Anna Malesis
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Lindsay S. Miles
- Virginia Polytechnic and State UniversityEntomology DepartmentBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | | | - David Salazar‐Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático & Facultad de Ciencias de Medio AmbienteUniversidad IndoaméricaQuitoEcuador
| | - Brian C. Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data ScienceVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Elizabeth Carlen
- Department of BiologyWashington University of St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Cleo Falvey
- Department of Biology & Center for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers University – CamdenCamdenNew JerseyUSA
| | - Lauren Johnson
- Department of BiologyWashington University of St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Ella Martin
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Hanna Kuzyo
- Frankfurt Zoological SocietyFrankfurtGermany
| | - John Marzluff
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Jason Munshi‐South
- Louis Calder Center & Department of Biological SciencesFordham UniversityArmonkNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Ignacy Stadnicki
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research CentreUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research CentreUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Yuyu Zhou
- Department of Geological and Atmospheric SciencesIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Kiyoko M. Gotanda
- Department of Biological SciencesBrock UniversitySt. CatharinesOntarioCanada
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4
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Miles LS, Waterman H, Ayoub NA, Garb JE, Haney RA, Rosenberg MS, Krabbenhoft TJ, Verrelli BC. Insight into the adaptive role of arachnid genome-wide duplication through chromosome-level genome assembly of the Western black widow spider. J Hered 2024; 115:241-252. [PMID: 38567866 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esae018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Although spiders are one of the most diverse groups of arthropods, the genetic architecture of their evolutionary adaptations is largely unknown. Specifically, ancient genome-wide duplication occurring during arachnid evolution ~450 mya resulted in a vast assembly of gene families, yet the extent to which selection has shaped this variation is understudied. To aid in comparative genome sequence analyses, we provide a chromosome-level genome of the Western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus)-a focus due to its silk properties, venom applications, and as a model for urban adaptation. We used long-read and Hi-C sequencing data, combined with transcriptomes, to assemble 14 chromosomes in a 1.46 Gb genome, with 38,393 genes annotated, and a BUSCO score of 95.3%. Our analyses identified high repetitive gene content and heterozygosity, consistent with other spider genomes, which has led to challenges in genome characterization. Our comparative evolutionary analyses of eight genomes available for species within the Araneoidea group (orb weavers and their descendants) identified 1,827 single-copy orthologs. Of these, 155 exhibit significant positive selection primarily associated with developmental genes, and with traits linked to sensory perception. These results support the hypothesis that several traits unique to spiders emerged from the adaptive evolution of ohnologs-or retained ancestrally duplicated genes-from ancient genome-wide duplication. These comparative spider genome analyses can serve as a model to understand how positive selection continually shapes ancestral duplications in generating novel traits today within and between diverse taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Miles
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Hannah Waterman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Research and Education in Energy, Environment, and Water Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Nadia A Ayoub
- Department of Biology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, United States
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
| | - Robert A Haney
- Department of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, United States
| | - Michael S Rosenberg
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Trevor J Krabbenhoft
- Department of Biological Sciences and Research and Education in Energy, Environment, and Water Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Brian C Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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Ferrer P, Upadhyay S, Cai JJ, Clement TM. Novel Nuclear Roles for Testis-Specific ACTL7A and ACTL7B Supported by In Vivo Characterizations and AI Facilitated In Silico Mechanistic Modeling with Implications for Epigenetic Regulation in Spermiogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.29.582797. [PMID: 38464253 PMCID: PMC10925299 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.29.582797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
A mechanistic role for nuclear function of testis-specific actin related proteins (ARPs) is proposed here through contributions of ARP subunit swapping in canonical chromatin regulatory complexes. This is significant to our understanding of both mechanisms controlling regulation of spermiogenesis, and the expanding functional roles of the ARPs in cell biology. Among these roles, actins and ARPs are pivotal not only in cytoskeletal regulation, but also in intranuclear chromatin organization, influencing gene regulation and nucleosome remodeling. This study focuses on two testis-specific ARPs, ACTL7A and ACTL7B, exploring their intranuclear activities and broader implications utilizing combined in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. ACTL7A and ACTL7B, previously associated with structural roles, are hypothesized here to serve in chromatin regulation during germline development. This study confirms the intranuclear presence of ACTL7B in spermatocytes and round spermatids, revealing a potential role in intranuclear processes, and identifies a putative nuclear localization sequence conserved across mammalian ACTL7B, indicating a potentially unique mode of nuclear transport which differs from conventional actin. Ablation of ACTL7B leads to varied transcriptional changes reported here. Additionally, in the absence of ACTL7A or ACTL7B there is a loss of intranuclear localization of HDAC1 and HDAC3, which are known regulators of epigenetic associated acetylation changes that in turn regulate gene expression. Thus, these HDACs are implicated as contributors to the aberrant gene expression observed in the KO mouse testis transcriptomic analysis. Furthermore, this study employed and confirmed the accuracy of in silico models to predict ARP interactions with Helicase-SANT-associated (HSA) domains, uncovering putative roles for testis-specific ARPs in nucleosome remodeling complexes. In these models, ACTL7A and ACTL7B were found capable of binding to INO80 and SWI/SNF nucleosome remodeler family members in a manner akin to nuclear actin and ACTL6A. These models thus implicate germline-specific ARP subunit swapping within chromatin regulatory complexes as a potential regulatory mechanism for chromatin and associated molecular machinery adaptations in nuclear reorganizations required during spermiogenesis. These results hold implications for male fertility and epigenetic programing in the male-germline that warrant significant future investigation. In summary, this study reveals that ACTL7A and ACTL7B play intranuclear gene regulation roles in male gametogenesis, adding to the multifaceted roles identified also spanning structural, acrosomal, and flagellar stability. ACTL7A and ACTL7B unique nuclear transport, impact on HDAC nuclear associations, impact on transcriptional processes, and proposed mechanism for involvement in nucleosome remodeling complexes supported by AI facilitated in silico modeling contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the indispensable functions of ARPs broadly in cell biology, and specifically in male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Ferrer
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Srijana Upadhyay
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - James J Cai
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Tracy M Clement
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
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Howe NS, Hale MC, Waters CD, Schaal SM, Shedd KR, Larson WA. Genomic evidence for domestication selection in three hatchery populations of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13656. [PMID: 38357359 PMCID: PMC10866082 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13656] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Fish hatcheries are widely used to enhance fisheries and supplement declining wild populations. However, substantial evidence suggests that hatchery fish are subject to differential selection pressures compared to their wild counterparts. Domestication selection, or adaptation to the hatchery environment, poses a risk to wild populations if traits specific to success in the hatchery environment have a genetic component and there is subsequent introgression between hatchery and wild fish. Few studies have investigated domestication selection in hatcheries on a genomic level, and even fewer have done so in parallel across multiple hatchery-wild population pairs. In this study, we used low-coverage whole-genome sequencing to investigate signals of domestication selection in three separate hatchery populations of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, after approximately seven generations of divergence from their corresponding wild progenitor populations. We sequenced 192 individuals from populations across Southeast Alaska and estimated genotype likelihoods at over six million loci. We discovered a total of 14 outlier peaks displaying high genetic differentiation (F ST) between hatchery-wild pairs, although no peaks were shared across the three comparisons. Peaks were small (53 kb on average) and often displayed elevated absolute genetic divergence (D xy) and linkage disequilibrium, suggesting some level of domestication selection has occurred. Our study provides evidence that domestication selection can lead to genetic differences between hatchery and wild populations in only a few generations. Additionally, our data suggest that population-specific adaptation to hatchery environments likely occurs through different genetic pathways, even for populations with similar standing genetic variation. These results highlight the need to collect paired genotype-phenotype data to understand how domestication may be affecting fitness and to identify potential management practices that may mitigate genetic risks despite multiple pathways of domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha S. Howe
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Matthew C. Hale
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Charles D. Waters
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceAlaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay LaboratoriesJuneauAlaskaUSA
| | - Sara M. Schaal
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceAlaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay LaboratoriesJuneauAlaskaUSA
| | - Kyle R. Shedd
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial FisheriesGene Conservation LaboratoryAnchorageAlaskaUSA
| | - Wesley A. Larson
- National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceAlaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay LaboratoriesJuneauAlaskaUSA
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Sherpa S, Paris JR, Silva‐Rocha I, Di Canio V, Carretero MA, Ficetola GF, Salvi D. Genetic depletion does not prevent rapid evolution in island-introduced lizards. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10721. [PMID: 38034325 PMCID: PMC10682264 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10721] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental introductions of species have provided some of the most tractable examples of rapid phenotypic changes, which may reflect plasticity, the impact of stochastic processes, or the action of natural selection. Yet to date, very few studies have investigated the neutral and potentially adaptive genetic impacts of experimental introductions. We dissect the role of these processes in shaping the population differentiation of wall lizards in three Croatian islands (Sušac, Pod Kopište, and Pod Mrčaru), including the islet of Pod Mrčaru, where experimentally introduced lizards underwent rapid (~30 generations) phenotypic changes associated with a shift from an insectivorous to a plant-based diet. Using a genomic approach (~82,000 ddRAD loci), we confirmed a founder effect during introduction and very low neutral genetic differentiation between the introduced population and its source. However, genetic depletion did not prevent rapid population growth, as the introduced lizards exhibited population genetic signals of expansion and are known to have reached a high density. Our genome-scan analysis identified just a handful of loci showing large allelic shifts between ecologically divergent populations. This low overall signal of selection suggests that the extreme phenotypic differences observed among populations are determined by a small number of large-effect loci and/or that phenotypic plasticity plays a major role in phenotypic changes. Nonetheless, functional annotation of the outlier loci revealed some candidate genes relevant to diet-induced adaptation, in agreement with the hypothesis of directional selection. Our study provides important insights on the evolutionary potential of bottlenecked populations in response to new selective pressures on short ecological timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Sherpa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanoItaly
| | - Josephine R. Paris
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'AmbienteUniversità degli Studi dell'AquilaL'Aquila‐CoppitoItaly
| | - Iolanda Silva‐Rocha
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIOVairãoPortugal
| | - Viola Di Canio
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanoItaly
| | - Miguel Angel Carretero
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIOVairãoPortugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | | | - Daniele Salvi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'AmbienteUniversità degli Studi dell'AquilaL'Aquila‐CoppitoItaly
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Babik W, Dudek K, Marszałek M, Palomar G, Antunes B, Sniegula S. The genomic response to urbanization in the damselfly Ischnura elegans. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1805-1818. [PMID: 38029064 PMCID: PMC10681423 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13603] [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: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex and rapid environmental changes brought about by urbanization pose significant challenges to organisms. The multifaceted effects of urbanization often make it difficult to define and pinpoint the very nature of adaptive urban phenotypes. In such situations, scanning genomes for regions differentiated between urban and non-urban populations may be an attractive approach. Here, we investigated the genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanization in the damselfly Ischnura elegans sampled from 31 rural and urban localities in three geographic regions: southern and northern Poland, and southern Sweden. Genome-wide variation was assessed using more than 370,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped by ddRADseq. Associations between SNPs and the level of urbanization were tested using two genetic environment association methods: Latent Factors Mixed Models and BayPass. While we found numerous candidate SNPs and a highly significant overlap between candidates identified by the two methods within the geographic regions, there was a distinctive lack of repeatability between the geographic regions both at the level of individual SNPs and of genomic regions. However, we found "synapse organization" at the top of the functional categories enriched among the genes located in the proximity of the candidate urbanization SNPs. Interestingly, the overall significance of "synapse organization" was built up by the accretion of different genes associated with candidate SNPs in different geographic regions. This finding is consistent with the highly polygenic nature of adaptation, where the response may be achieved through a subtle adjustment of allele frequencies in different genes that contribute to adaptive phenotypes. Taken together, our results point to a polygenic adaptive response in the nervous system, specifically implicating genes involved in synapse organization, which mirrors the findings from several genomic and behavioral studies of adaptation to urbanization in other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Babik
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - K. Dudek
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - M. Marszałek
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - G. Palomar
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological SciencesComplutense University of MadridMadridSpain
| | - B. Antunes
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - S. Sniegula
- Department of Ecosystem Conservation, Institute of Nature ConservationPolish Academy of SciencesKrakówPoland
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9
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Brown RP, Sun H, Jin Y, Meloro C. Habitat-associated Genomic Variation in a Wall Lizard from an Oceanic Island. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad193. [PMID: 37862140 PMCID: PMC10637050 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The lizard Teira dugesii exhibits morphological divergence between beach and inland habitats in the face of gene flow, within the volcanic island of Madeira, Portugal. Here, we analyzed genomic data obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing, which provided 16,378 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 94 individuals sampled from 15 sites across Madeira. Ancient within-island divergence in allopatry appears to have mediated divergence in similar species within other Atlantic islands, but this hypothesis was not supported for T. dugesii. Across all samples, a total of 168 SNPs were classified as statistical outliers using pcadapt and OutFLANK. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that 17 of these outliers were associated with beach/inland habitats. The SNPs were located within 16 sequence tags and 15 of these were homologous with sequences in a 31 Mb region on chromosome 3 of a reference wall lizard genome (the remaining tag could not be associated with any chromosome). We further investigated outliers through contingency analyses of allele frequencies at each of four pairs of adjacent beach-inland sites. The majority of the outliers detected by the RDA were confirmed at two pairs of these matched sites. These analyses also suggested some parallel divergence at different localities. Six other outliers were associated with site elevation, four of which were located on chromosome 5 of the reference genome. Our study lends support to a previous hypothesis that divergent selection between gray shingle beaches and inland regions overcomes gene flow and leads to the observed morphological divergence between populations in these adjacent habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Brown
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Sun
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yuanting Jin
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Carlo Meloro
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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10
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Luo Y, Wei QM, Newman C, Huang XQ, Luo XY, Zhou ZM. Variation in Pheidole nodus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) functional morphology across urban parks. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15679. [PMID: 37483976 PMCID: PMC10361077 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15679] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Habitat fragmentation and consequent population isolation in urban areas can impose significant selection pressures on individuals and species confined to urban islands, such as parks. Despite many comparative studies on the diversity and structure of ant community living in urban areas, studies on ants' responses to these highly variable ecosystems are often based on assemblage composition and interspecific mean trait values, which ignore the potential for high intraspecific functional trait variation among individuals. Methods Here, we examined differences in functional traits among populations of the generalist ant Pheidole nodus fragmented between urban parks. We used pitfall trapping, which is more random and objective than sampling colonies directly, despite a trade-off against sample size. We then tested whether trait-filtering could explain phenotypic differences among urban park ant populations, and whether ant populations in different parks exhibited different phenotypic optima, leading to positional shifts in anatomical morphospace through the regional ant meta-population. Results Intraspecific morphological differentiation was evident across this urban region. Populations had different convex hull volumes, positioned differently over the morphospace. Conclusions Fragmentation and habitat degradation reduced phenotypic diversity and, ultimately, changed the morphological optima of populations in this urban landscape. Considering ants' broad taxonomic and functional diversity and their important role in ecosystems, further work over a variety of ant taxa is necessary to ascertain those varied morphological response pathways operating in response to population segregation in urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Luo
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Qing-Ming Wei
- Nanchong Vocational and Technical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xiang-Qin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Xin-Yu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Zhao-Min Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Biodiversity Conservation (Sichuan Province), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
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11
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Pigot AL. Biodiversity: What makes a city bird? Curr Biol 2023; 33:R369-R371. [PMID: 37160097 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity varies greatly across species. A new study shows how the intrinsic species properties underlying urban tolerance vary globally according to environmental context. This has important implications for conserving biodiversity in a rapidly urbanising world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex L Pigot
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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12
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Winchell KM, Losos JB, Verrelli BC. Urban evolutionary ecology brings exaptation back into focus. Trends Ecol Evol 2023:S0169-5347(23)00060-5. [PMID: 37024381 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of pre-existing phenotypic variation to evolution in novel environments has long been appreciated. Nevertheless, evolutionary ecologists have struggled with communicating these aspects of the adaptive process. In 1982, Gould and Vrba proposed terminology to distinguish character states shaped via natural selection for the roles they currently serve ('adaptations') from those shaped under preceding selective regimes ('exaptations'), with the intention of replacing the inaccurate 'preadaptation'. Forty years later, we revisit Gould and Vrba's ideas which, while often controversial, continue to be widely debated and highly cited. We use the recent emergence of urban evolutionary ecology as a timely opportunity to reintroduce the ideas of Gould and Vrba as an integrated framework to understand contemporary evolution in novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Winchell
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Brian C Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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13
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Genome-wide parallelism underlies contemporary adaptation in urban lizards. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216789120. [PMID: 36634133 PMCID: PMC9934206 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216789120] [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: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization drastically transforms landscapes, resulting in fragmentation, degradation, and the loss of local biodiversity. Yet, urban environments also offer opportunities to observe rapid evolutionary change in wild populations that survive and even thrive in these novel habitats. In many ways, cities represent replicated "natural experiments" in which geographically separated populations adaptively respond to similar selection pressures over rapid evolutionary timescales. Little is known, however, about the genetic basis of adaptive phenotypic differentiation in urban populations nor the extent to which phenotypic parallelism is reflected at the genomic level with signatures of parallel selection. Here, we analyzed the genomic underpinnings of parallel urban-associated phenotypic change in Anolis cristatellus, a small-bodied neotropical lizard found abundantly in both urbanized and forested environments. We show that phenotypic parallelism in response to parallel urban environmental change is underlain by genomic parallelism and identify candidate loci across the Anolis genome associated with this adaptive morphological divergence. Our findings point to polygenic selection on standing genetic variation as a key process to effectuate rapid morphological adaptation. Identified candidate loci represent several functions associated with skeletomuscular development, morphology, and human disease. Taken together, these results shed light on the genomic basis of complex morphological adaptations, provide insight into the role of contingency and determinism in adaptation to novel environments, and underscore the value of urban environments to address fundamental evolutionary questions.
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