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Wang K, Wang J, Liang B, Chang J, Zhu Y, Chen J, Agnarsson I, Li D, Peng Y, Liu J. Eyeless cave-dwelling Leptonetela spiders still rely on light. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj0348. [PMID: 38117895 PMCID: PMC10732526 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Subterranean animals living in perpetual darkness may maintain photoresponse. However, the evolutionary processes behind the conflict between eye loss and maintenance of the photoresponse remain largely unknown. We used Leptonetela spiders to investigate the driving forces behind the maintenance of the photoresponse in cave-dwelling spiders. Our behavioral experiments showed that all eyeless/reduced-eyed cave-dwelling species retained photophobic response and that they had substantially decreased survival at cave entrances due to weak drought resistance. The transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that nearly all phototransduction pathway genes were present and that all tested phototransduction pathway genes were subjected to strong functional constraints in cave-dwelling species. Our results suggest that cave-dwelling eyeless spiders still use light and that light detection likely plays a role in avoiding the cave entrance habitat. This study confirms that some eyeless subterranean animals have retained their photosensitivity due to natural selection and provides a case of mismatch between phenotype and genotype or physiological function in a long-term evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Jinhui Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Bing Liang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Jian Chang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Yang Zhu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Jian Chen
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Ingi Agnarsson
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Daiqin Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Yu Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Jie Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering of China, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regional Development and Environmental Response, Faculty of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
- School of Nuclear Technology and Chemistry and Biology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei 437100, China
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Berisha H, Horváth G, Fišer Ž, Balázs G, Fišer C, Herczeg G. Sex-dependent increase of movement activity in the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus following adaptation to a predator-free cave habitat. Curr Zool 2023; 69:418-425. [PMID: 37614916 PMCID: PMC10443615 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations experiencing negligible predation pressure are expected to evolve higher behavioral activity. However, when sexes have different expected benefits from high activity, the adaptive shift is expected to be sex-specific. Here, we compared movement activity of one cave (lack of predation) and three adjacent surface (high and diverse predation) populations of Asellus aquaticus, a freshwater isopod known for its independent colonization of several caves across Europe. We predicted 1) higher activity in cave than in surface populations, with 2) the difference being more pronounced in males as they are known for active mate searching behavior, while females are not. Activity was assessed both in the presence and absence of light. Our results supported both predictions: movement activity was higher in the cave than in the surface populations, particularly in males. Relaxed predation pressure in the cave-adapted population is most likely the main selective factor behind increased behavioral activity, but we also showed that the extent of increase is sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajriz Berisha
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Biological Institute, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
| | - Gergely Horváth
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Biological Institute, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
- ELKH-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
| | - Žiga Fišer
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gergely Balázs
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Biological Institute, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
- ELKH-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
| | - Cene Fišer
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Biological Institute, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
- ELKH-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, Hungary H-1117
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