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Twomey E, Melo-Sampaio P, Schulte LM, Bossuyt F, Brown JL, Castroviejo-Fisher S. Multiple Routes to Color Convergence in a Radiation of Neotropical Poison Frogs. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1247-1261. [PMID: 37561391 PMCID: PMC10924724 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad051] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution is defined as the independent evolution of similar phenotypes in different lineages. Its existence underscores the importance of external selection pressures in evolutionary history, revealing how functionally similar adaptations can evolve in response to persistent ecological challenges through a diversity of evolutionary routes. However, many examples of convergence, particularly among closely related species, involve parallel changes in the same genes or developmental pathways, raising the possibility that homology at deeper mechanistic levels is an important facilitator of phenotypic convergence. Using the genus Ranitomeya, a young, color-diverse radiation of Neotropical poison frogs, we set out to 1) provide a phylogenetic framework for this group, 2) leverage this framework to determine if color phenotypes are convergent, and 3) to characterize the underlying coloration mechanisms to test whether color convergence occurred through the same or different physical mechanisms. We generated a phylogeny for Ranitomeya using ultraconserved elements and investigated the physical mechanisms underlying bright coloration, focusing on skin pigments. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we identified several instances of color convergence, involving several gains and losses of carotenoid and pterin pigments. We also found a compelling example of nonparallel convergence, where, in one lineage, red coloration evolved through the red pterin pigment drosopterin, and in another lineage through red ketocarotenoids. Additionally, in another lineage, "reddish" coloration evolved predominantly through structural color mechanisms. Our study demonstrates that, even within a radiation of closely related species, convergent evolution can occur through both parallel and nonparallel mechanisms, challenging the assumption that similar phenotypes among close relatives evolve through the same mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Paulo Melo-Sampaio
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, R. Gen. Herculano Gomes 41, Rio de Janeiro 20941-360, Brazil
| | - Lisa M Schulte
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Franky Bossuyt
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Jason L Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
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2
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Hill GE, Weaver RJ, Powers MJ. Carotenoid ornaments and the spandrels of physiology: a critique of theory to explain condition dependency. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2320-2332. [PMID: 37563787 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13008] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Even as numerous studies have documented that the red and yellow coloration resulting from the deposition of carotenoids serves as an honest signal of condition, the evolution of condition dependency is contentious. The resource trade-off hypothesis proposes that condition-dependent honest signalling relies on a trade-off of resources between ornamental display and body maintenance. By this model, condition dependency can evolve through selection for a re-allocation of resources to promote ornament expression. By contrast, the index hypothesis proposes that selection focuses mate choice on carotenoid coloration that is inherently condition dependent because production of such coloration is inexorably tied to vital cellular processes. These hypotheses for the origins of condition dependency make strongly contrasting and testable predictions about ornamental traits. To assess these two models, we review the mechanisms of production of carotenoids, patterns of condition dependency involving different classes of carotenoids, and patterns of behavioural responses to carotenoid coloration. We review evidence that traits can be condition dependent without the influence of sexual selection and that novel traits can show condition-dependent expression as soon as they appear in a population, without the possibility of sexual selection. We conclude by highlighting new opportunities for studying condition-dependent signalling made possible by genetic manipulation and expression of ornamental traits in synthetic biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, 120 W. Samford Avenue, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborne Drive, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Integrative Biology, 4575 SW Research Way, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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3
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Nishida Y, Berg PC, Shakersain B, Hecht K, Takikawa A, Tao R, Kakuta Y, Uragami C, Hashimoto H, Misawa N, Maoka T. Astaxanthin: Past, Present, and Future. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:514. [PMID: 37888449 PMCID: PMC10608541 DOI: 10.3390/md21100514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Astaxanthin (AX), a lipid-soluble pigment belonging to the xanthophyll carotenoids family, has recently garnered significant attention due to its unique physical properties, biochemical attributes, and physiological effects. Originally recognized primarily for its role in imparting the characteristic red-pink color to various organisms, AX is currently experiencing a surge in interest and research. The growing body of literature in this field predominantly focuses on AXs distinctive bioactivities and properties. However, the potential of algae-derived AX as a solution to various global environmental and societal challenges that threaten life on our planet has not received extensive attention. Furthermore, the historical context and the role of AX in nature, as well as its significance in diverse cultures and traditional health practices, have not been comprehensively explored in previous works. This review article embarks on a comprehensive journey through the history leading up to the present, offering insights into the discovery of AX, its chemical and physical attributes, distribution in organisms, and biosynthesis. Additionally, it delves into the intricate realm of health benefits, biofunctional characteristics, and the current market status of AX. By encompassing these multifaceted aspects, this review aims to provide readers with a more profound understanding and a robust foundation for future scientific endeavors directed at addressing societal needs for sustainable nutritional and medicinal solutions. An updated summary of AXs health benefits, its present market status, and potential future applications are also included for a well-rounded perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Nishida
- Fuji Chemical Industries, Co., Ltd., 55 Yokohoonji, Kamiich-machi, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama 930-0405, Japan
| | | | - Behnaz Shakersain
- AstaReal AB, Signum, Forumvägen 14, Level 16, 131 53 Nacka, Sweden; (P.C.B.); (B.S.)
| | - Karen Hecht
- AstaReal, Inc., 3 Terri Lane, Unit 12, Burlington, NJ 08016, USA;
| | - Akiko Takikawa
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Ruohan Tao
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Yumeka Kakuta
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Chiasa Uragami
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Hideki Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Norihiko Misawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi 921-8836, Japan;
| | - Takashi Maoka
- Research Institute for Production Development, 15 Shimogamo-morimoto-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0805, Japan
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4
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Zhang J, Tian C, Zhu K, Liu Y, Zhao C, Jiang M, Zhu C, Li G. Effects of Natural and Synthetic Astaxanthin on Growth, Body Color, and Transcriptome and Metabolome Profiles in the Leopard Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071252. [PMID: 37048508 PMCID: PMC10093260 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural and synthetic astaxanthin can promote pigmentation in fish. In this study, the effects of dietary astaxanthin on growth and pigmentation were evaluated in leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus). Fish were assigned to three groups: 0% astaxanthin (C), 0.02% natural astaxanthin (HP), and 0.02% synthetic astaxanthin (AS). Brightness (L*) was not influenced by astaxanthin. However, redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) were significantly higher for fish fed astaxanthin-containing diets than fish fed control diets and were significantly higher in the HP group than in the AS group. In a transcriptome analysis, 466, 33, and 32 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between C and HP, C and AS, and AS and HP, including various pigmentation-related genes. DEGs were enriched for carotenoid deposition and other pathways related to skin color. A metabolome analysis revealed 377, 249, and 179 differential metabolites (DMs) between C and HP, C and AS, and AS and HP, respectively. In conclusion, natural astaxanthin has a better coloration effect on P. leopardus, which is more suitable as a red colorant in aquaculture. These results improve our understanding of the effects of natural and synthetic astaxanthin on red color formation in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Zhang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Changxu Tian
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Kecheng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Can Zhao
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Mouyan Jiang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Chunhua Zhu
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Guangli Li
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Mariculture Organism Breeding, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524088, China
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Bandara S, von Lintig J. Aster la vista: Unraveling the biochemical basis of carotenoid homeostasis in the human retina. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200133. [PMID: 36127289 PMCID: PMC10044510 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200133] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids play pivotal roles in vision as light filters and precursor of chromophore. Many vertebrates also display the colorful pigments as ornaments in bare skin parts and feathers. Proteins involved in the transport and metabolism of these lipids have been identified including class B scavenger receptors and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. Recent research implicates members of the Aster protein family, also known as GRAM domain-containing (GRAMD), in carotenoid metabolism. These multi-domain proteins facilitate the intracellular movement of carotenoids from their site of cellular uptake by scavenger receptors to the site of their metabolic processing by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. We provide a model how the coordinated interplay of these proteins and their differential expression establishes carotenoid distribution patterns and function in tissues, with particular emphasis on the human retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Johannes von Lintig
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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6
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Alonso-Alvarez C, Andrade P, Cantarero A, Morales J, Carneiro M. Relocation to avoid costs: A hypothesis on red carotenoid-based signals based on recent CYP2J19 gene expression data. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200037. [PMID: 36209392 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200037] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In many vertebrates, the enzymatic oxidation of dietary yellow carotenoids generates red keto-carotenoids giving color to ornaments. The oxidase CYP2J19 is here a key effector. Its purported intracellular location suggests a shared biochemical pathway between trait expression and cell functioning. This might guarantee the reliability of red colorations as individual quality signals independent of production costs. We hypothesize that the ornament type (feathers vs. bare parts) and production costs (probably CYP2J19 activity compromising vital functions) could have promoted tissue-specific gene relocation. We review current avian tissue-specific CYP2J19 expression data. Among the ten red-billed species showing CYP2J19 bill expression, only one showed strong hepatic expression. Moreover, a phylogenetically-controlled analysis of 25 red-colored species shows that those producing red bare parts are less likely to have strong hepatic CYP2J19 expression than species with only red plumages. Thus, both production costs and shared pathways might have contributed to the evolution of red signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Cantarero
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
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7
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Campagna L, Toews DP. The genomics of adaptation in birds. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1173-R1186. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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8
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 35937912 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ht76hdrjg] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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9
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 35937912 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6114863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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10
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220434. [PMID: 35937912 PMCID: PMC9346373 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R. Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X. Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I. Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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11
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Powers MJ, Baty JA, Dinga AM, Mao JH, Hill GE. Chemical manipulation of mitochondrial function affects metabolism of red carotenoids in a marine copepod (Tigriopus californicus). J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275691. [PMID: 35695335 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The shared-pathway hypothesis offers a cellular explanation for the connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and individual quality. Under this hypothesis, ketocarotenoid metabolism shares cellular pathways with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation such that red carotenoid-based coloration is inextricably linked mitochondrial function. To test this hypothesis, we exposed Tigriopus californicus copepods to a mitochondrially targeted protonophore, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), to induce proton leak in the inner mitochondrial membranes. We then measured whole-animal metabolic rate and ketocarotenoid accumulation. As observed in prior studies of vertebrates, we observed that DNP treatment of copepods significantly increased respiration and that DNP-treated copepods accumulated more ketocarotenoid than control animals. Moreover, we observed a relationship between ketocarotenoid concentration and metabolic rate, and this association was strongest in DNP-treated copepods. These data support the hypothesis that ketocarotenoid and mitochondrial metabolism are biochemically intertwined. Moreover, these results corroborate observations in vertebrates, perhaps suggesting a fundamental connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and mitochondrial function that should be explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - James A Baty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Alexis M Dinga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - James H Mao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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12
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Huo SM, Zhang YY, Song ZR, Xiong XH, Hong XY. The potential pigmentation-related genes in spider mites revealed by comparative transcriptomes of the red form of Tetranychus urticae. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 30:580-593. [PMID: 34309936 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Colouration in spider mites is due to the presence of carotenoids with diverse colours, including yellows, oranges and reds. Tetranychus urticae has two main colour forms, red and green. Although a ketolase has been implicated in determining the colour, the underlying genetic basis of body colour divergence between the two forms has remained unclear. Based on a combination of comparative transcriptomes and RNA interference, we found that a gene encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme of the CYP4 clan (CYP389B1) had remarkably high expression in adult females of the red T. urticae, as well as in hybrids obtained by crossing the red and green forms. Down-regulation of this gene by RNA interference resulted in decreased accumulation of red pigment. Up-regulation of the expressions of a scavenger receptor gene (SCARB1) and a mitochondrial glycine transporter (SLC25A38) also strongly contributed to red colour development in adult females. Suppressing the mRNA levels of these genes also resulted in reduced accumulation of red pigment in the three other spider mites with red body colour. Our results provide evidence that the body colour divergence between the two forms is caused by different expressions of pigmentation-related genes, and point to a possible role of a novel cytochrome P450 gene (CYP389B1) in regulating red-orange body colour. These findings expand the number of candidate cytochrome P450 genes involved in endogenous pigmentation and will help to understand their roles in determining colour patterns in mites and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- S-M Huo
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Y-Y Zhang
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Z-R Song
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - X-H Xiong
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - X-Y Hong
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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13
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Davis SN, Clarke JA. Estimating the distribution of carotenoid coloration in skin and integumentary structures of birds and extinct dinosaurs. Evolution 2021; 76:42-57. [PMID: 34719783 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are pigments responsible for most bright yellow, red, and orange hues in birds. Their distribution has been investigated in avian plumage, but the evolution of their expression in skin and other integumentary structures has not been approached in detail. Here, we investigate the expression of carotenoid-consistent coloration across tissue types in all extant, nonpasserine species (n = 4022) and archelosaur outgroups in a phylogenetic framework. We collect dietary data for a subset of birds and investigate how dietary carotenoid intake may relate to carotenoid expression in various tissues. We find that carotenoid-consistent expression in skin or nonplumage keratin has a 50% probability of being present in the most recent common ancestor of Archosauria. Skin expression has a similar probability at the base of the avian crown clade, but plumage expression is unambiguously absent in that ancestor and shows hundreds of independent gains within nonpasserine neognaths, consistent with previous studies. Although our data do not support a strict sequence of tissue expression in nonpasserine birds, we find support that expression of carotenoid-consistent color in nonplumage integument structures might evolve in a correlated manner and feathers are rarely the only region of expression. Taxa with diets high in carotenoid content also show expression in more body regions and tissue types. Our results may inform targeted assays for carotenoids in tissues other than feathers, and expectations of these pigments in nonavian dinosaurs. In extinct groups, bare-skin regions and the rhamphotheca, especially in species with diets rich in plants, may express these pigments, which are not expected in feathers or feather homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Davis
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Julia A Clarke
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
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14
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Huang D, Lewis VM, Foster TN, Toomey MB, Corbo JC, Parichy DM. Development and genetics of red coloration in the zebrafish relative Danio albolineatus. eLife 2021; 10:70253. [PMID: 34435950 PMCID: PMC8416024 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal pigment patterns play important roles in behavior and, in many species, red coloration serves as an honest signal of individual quality in mate choice. Among Danio fishes, some species develop erythrophores, pigment cells that contain red ketocarotenoids, whereas other species, like zebrafish (D. rerio) only have yellow xanthophores. Here, we use pearl danio (D. albolineatus) to assess the developmental origin of erythrophores and their mechanisms of differentiation. We show that erythrophores in the fin of D. albolineatus share a common progenitor with xanthophores and maintain plasticity in cell fate even after differentiation. We further identify the predominant ketocarotenoids that confer red coloration to erythrophores and use reverse genetics to pinpoint genes required for the differentiation and maintenance of these cells. Our analyses are a first step toward defining the mechanisms underlying the development of erythrophore-mediated red coloration in Danio and reveal striking parallels with the mechanism of red coloration in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delai Huang
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
| | - Victor M Lewis
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
| | - Tarah N Foster
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, United States
| | - Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, United States.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - David M Parichy
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States.,Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
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15
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Stuart-Fox D, Rankin KJ, Lutz A, Elliott A, Hugall AF, McLean CA, Medina I. Environmental gradients predict the ratio of environmentally acquired carotenoids to self-synthesised pteridine pigments. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2207-2218. [PMID: 34350679 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are important pigments producing integument colouration; however, their dietary availability may be limited in some environments. Many species produce yellow to red hues using a combination of carotenoids and self-synthesised pteridine pigments. A compelling hypothesis is that pteridines replace carotenoids in environments where carotenoid availability is limited. To test this hypothesis, we quantified concentrations of five carotenoid and six pteridine pigments in multiple skin colours and individuals from 27 species of agamid lizards. We show that environmental gradients predict the ratio of carotenoids to pteridines; carotenoid concentrations are lower and pteridine concentrations higher in arid environments with low vegetation productivity. Both carotenoid and pteridine pigments were present in all species, but only pteridine concentrations explained colour variation among species and there were no correlations between carotenoid and pteridine pigments with a similar hue. These results suggest that in arid environments, where carotenoids are likely limited, species may compensate by synthesising more pteridines but do not necessarily replace carotenoids with pteridines of similar hue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katrina J Rankin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Adrian Lutz
- Metabolomics Australia, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Adam Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Andrew F Hugall
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Claire A McLean
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
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16
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Andrade P, Carneiro M. Pterin-based pigmentation in animals. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210221. [PMID: 34403644 PMCID: PMC8370806 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pterins are one of the major sources of bright coloration in animals. They are produced endogenously, participate in vital physiological processes and serve a variety of signalling functions. Despite their ubiquity in nature, pterin-based pigmentation has received little attention when compared to other major pigment classes. Here, we summarize major aspects relating to pterin pigmentation in animals, from its long history of research to recent genomic studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying its evolution. We argue that pterins have intermediate characteristics (endogenously produced, typically bright) between two well-studied pigment types, melanins (endogenously produced, typically cryptic) and carotenoids (dietary uptake, typically bright), providing unique opportunities to address general questions about the biology of coloration, from the mechanisms that determine how different types of pigmentation evolve to discussions on honest signalling hypotheses. Crucial gaps persist in our knowledge on the molecular basis underlying the production and deposition of pterins. We thus highlight the need for functional studies on systems amenable for laboratory manipulation, but also on systems that exhibit natural variation in pterin pigmentation. The wealth of potential model species, coupled with recent technological and analytical advances, make this a promising time to advance research on pterin-based pigmentation in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
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17
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de Mello PLH, Hime PM, Glor RE. Transcriptomic Analysis of Skin Color in Anole Lizards. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab110. [PMID: 33988681 PMCID: PMC8290120 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Color and color pattern are critical for animal camouflage, reproduction, and defense. Few studies, however, have attempted to identify candidate genes for color and color pattern in squamate reptiles, a colorful group with over 10,000 species. We used comparative transcriptomic analyses between white, orange, and yellow skin in a color-polymorphic species of anole lizard to 1) identify candidate color and color-pattern genes in squamates and 2) assess if squamates share an underlying genetic basis for color and color pattern variation with other vertebrates. Squamates have three types of chromatophores that determine color pattern: guanine-filled iridophores, carotenoid- or pteridine-filled xanthophores/erythrophores, and melanin-filled melanophores. We identified 13 best candidate squamate color and color-pattern genes shared with other vertebrates: six genes linked to pigment synthesis pathways, and seven genes linked to chromatophore development and maintenance. In comparisons of expression profiles between pigment-rich and white skin, pigment-rich skin upregulated the pteridine pathway as well as xanthophore/erythrophore development and maintenance genes; in comparisons between orange and yellow skin, orange skin upregulated the pteridine and carotenoid pathways as well as melanophore maintenance genes. Our results corroborate the predictions that squamates can produce similar colors using distinct color-reflecting molecules, and that both color and color-pattern genes are likely conserved across vertebrates. Furthermore, this study provides a concise list of candidate genes for future functional verification, representing a first step in determining the genetic basis of color and color pattern in anoles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Longo Hollanda de Mello
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Paul M Hime
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Richard E Glor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
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18
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Toomey MB, Ronald KL. Avian color expression and perception: is there a carotenoid link? J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269205. [PMID: 34142139 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids color many of the red, orange and yellow ornaments of birds and also shape avian vision. The carotenoid-pigmented oil droplets in cone photoreceptors filter incoming light and are predicted to aid in color discrimination. Carotenoid use in both avian coloration and color vision raises an intriguing question: is the evolution of visual signals and signal perception linked through these pigments? Here, we explore the genetic, physiological and functional connections between these traits. Carotenoid color and droplet pigmentation share common mechanisms of metabolic conversion and are both affected by diet and immune system challenges. Yet, the time scale and magnitude of these effects differ greatly between plumage and the visual system. Recent observations suggest a link between retinal carotenoid levels and color discrimination performance, but the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. Therefore, we performed a modeling exercise to ask whether and how changes in droplet carotenoid content could alter the perception of carotenoid-based plumage. This exercise revealed that changing oil droplet carotenoid concentration does not substantially affect the discrimination of carotenoid-based colors, but might change how reliably a receiver can predict the carotenoid content of an ornament. These findings suggest that, if present, a carotenoid link between signal and perception is subtle. Deconstructing this relationship will require a deeper understanding of avian visual perception and the mechanisms of color production. We highlight several areas where we see opportunities to gain new insights, including comparative genomic studies of shared mechanisms of carotenoid processing and alternative approaches to investigating color vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, 800 S Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - Kelly L Ronald
- Department of Biology, Hope College, 35 East 12th Street, Holland, MI 49422, USA
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19
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Powers MJ, Hill GE. A review and assessment of the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis for the maintenance of signal honesty in red ketocarotenoid-based coloration. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1811-1826. [PMID: 33940618 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, scientists have noted connections between individual condition and carotenoid-based coloration in terrestrial and aquatic animals. Organisms that produce more vibrant carotenoid-based coloration tend to have better physiological performance and behavioral displays compared to less colorful members of the same species. Traditional explanations for this association between ornamental coloration and performance invoked the need for color displays to be costly, but evidence for such hypothesized costs is equivocal. An alternative explanation for the condition-dependence of carotenoid-based coloration, the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis, was developed in response. This hypothesis proposes that red ketocarotenoid-based coloration is tied to core cellular processes involving a shared pathway with mitochondrial energy metabolism, making the concentration of carotenoids an index of mitochondrial function. Since the presentation of this hypothesis, empirical tests of the mechanisms proposed therein have been conducted in many species. In this manuscript, we review the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis and the growing number of studies that have investigated a connection between carotenoid-based coloration and mitochondrial function. We also discuss future strategies for assessing the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis to more effectively disentangle evidence that may simultaneously support evidence of carotenoid-resource tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
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20
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Ahi EP, Lecaudey LA, Ziegelbecker A, Steiner O, Goessler W, Sefc KM. Expression levels of the tetratricopeptide repeat protein gene ttc39b covary with carotenoid-based skin colour in cichlid fish. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200629. [PMID: 33236977 PMCID: PMC7728679 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid pigments play a major role in animal body colouration, generating strong interest in the genes involved in the metabolic processes that lead from their dietary uptake to their storage in the integument. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to test for differentially expressed genes in a taxonomically replicated design using three pairs of related cichlid fish taxa from the genera Tropheus and Aulonocara. Within each pair, taxa differed in terms of red and yellow body colouration, and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of skin extracts revealed different carotenoid profiles and concentrations across the studied taxa. Five genes were differentially expressed in all three yellow–red skin contrasts (dhrsx, nlrc3, tcaf2, urah and ttc39b), but only the tetratricopeptide repeat protein-coding gene ttc39b, whose gene product is linked to mammalian lipid metabolism, was consistently expressed more highly in the red skin samples. The RNA-Seq results were confirmed by quantitative PCR. We propose ttc39b as a compelling candidate gene for variation in animal carotenoid colouration. Since differential expression of ttc39b was correlated with the presence/absence of yellow carotenoids in a previous study, we suggest that ttc39b is more likely associated with the concentration of total carotenoids than with the metabolic formation of red carotenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria.,Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-75 236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laurène A Lecaudey
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria.,Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Oliver Steiner
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Goessler
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria
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21
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Cantarero A, Andrade P, Carneiro M, Moreno-Borrallo A, Alonso-Alvarez C. Testing the carotenoid-based sexual signalling mechanism by altering CYP2J19 gene expression and colour in a bird species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201067. [PMID: 33171089 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ornaments can evolve to reveal individual quality when their production/maintenance costs make them reliable as 'signals' or if their expression level is intrinsically linked to condition by some unfalsifiable mechanism (indices). The latter has been mostly associated with traits constrained by body size. In red ketocarotenoid-based colorations, that link could, instead, be established with cell respiration at the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). The production mechanism could be independent of resource (yellow carotenoids) availability, thus discarding costs linked to allocation trade-offs. A gene coding for a ketolase enzyme (CYP2J19) responsible for converting dietary yellow carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids has recently been described. We treated male zebra finches with an antioxidant designed to penetrate the IMM (mitoTEMPO) and a thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) with known hypermetabolic effects. Among hormone controls, MitoTEMPO downregulated CYP2J19 in the bill (a red ketocarotenoid-based ornament), supporting the mitochondrial involvement in ketolase function. Both treatments interacted when increasing hormone dosage, indicating that mitochondria and thyroid metabolisms could simultaneously regulate coloration. Moreover, CYP2J19 expression was positively correlated to redness but also to yellow carotenoid levels in the blood. However, treatment effects were not annulated when controlling for blood carotenoid variability, which suggests that costs linked to resource availability could be minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland.,Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Adrián Moreno-Borrallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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22
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Kirschel ANG, Nwankwo EC, Pierce DK, Lukhele SM, Moysi M, Ogolowa BO, Hayes SC, Monadjem A, Brelsford A. CYP2J19 mediates carotenoid colour introgression across a natural avian hybrid zone. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4970-4984. [PMID: 33058329 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It has long been of interest to identify the phenotypic traits that mediate reproductive isolation between related species, and more recently, the genes that underpin them. Much work has focused on identifying genes associated with animal colour, with the candidate gene CYP2J19 identified in laboratory studies as the ketolase converting yellow dietary carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids in birds with red pigments. However, evidence that CYP2J19 explains variation between red and yellow feather coloration in wild populations of birds is lacking. Hybrid zones provide the opportunity to identify genes associated with specific traits. Here we investigate genomic regions associated with colour in red-fronted and yellow-fronted tinkerbirds across a hybrid zone in southern Africa. We sampled 85 individuals, measuring spectral reflectance of forecrown feathers and scoring colours from photographs, while testing for carotenoid presence with Raman spectroscopy. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify associations with carotenoid-based coloration, using double-digest RAD sequencing aligned to a short-read whole genome of a Pogoniulus tinkerbird. Admixture mapping using 104,933 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified a region of chromosome 8 that includes CYP2J19 as the only locus with more than two SNPs significantly associated with both crown hue and crown score, while Raman spectra provided evidence of ketocarotenoids in red feathers. Asymmetric backcrossing in the hybrid zone suggests that yellow-fronted females mate more often with red-fronted males than vice versa. Female red-fronted tinkerbirds mating assortatively with red-crowned males is consistent with the hypothesis that converted carotenoids are an honest signal of quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel C Nwankwo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Daniel K Pierce
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sifiso M Lukhele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Michaella Moysi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Bridget O Ogolowa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Sophia C Hayes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini.,Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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23
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Riddle MR, Aspiras A, Damen F, Hutchinson JN, Chinnapen D, Tabin J, Tabin CJ. Genetic architecture underlying changes in carotenoid accumulation during the evolution of the blind Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2020; 334:405-422. [PMID: 32488995 PMCID: PMC7708440 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are lipid-soluble yellow to orange pigments produced by plants, bacteria, and fungi. They are consumed by animals and metabolized to produce molecules essential for gene regulation, vision, and pigmentation. Cave animals represent an interesting opportunity to understand how carotenoid utilization evolves. Caves are devoid of light, eliminating primary production of energy through photosynthesis and, therefore, limiting carotenoid availability. Moreover, the selective pressures that favor carotenoid-based traits, like pigmentation and vision, are relaxed. Astyanax mexicanus is a species of fish with multiple river-adapted (surface) and cave-adapted populations (i.e., Tinaja, Pachón, Molino). Cavefish exhibit regressive features, such as loss of eyes and melanin pigment, and constructive traits, like increased sensory neuromasts and starvation resistance. Here, we show that, unlike surface fish, Tinaja and Pachón cavefish accumulate carotenoids in the visceral adipose tissue. Carotenoid accumulation is not observed in Molino cavefish, indicating that it is not an obligatory consequence of eye loss. We used quantitative trait loci mapping and RNA sequencing to investigate genetic changes associated with carotenoid accumulation. Our findings suggest that multiple stages of carotenoid processing may be altered in cavefish, including absorption and transport of lipids, cleavage of carotenoids into unpigmented molecules, and differential development of intestinal cell types involved in carotenoid assimilation. Our study establishes A. mexicanus as a model to study the genetic basis of natural variation in carotenoid accumulation and how it impacts physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misty R. Riddle
- Genetics Department, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ariel Aspiras
- Genetics Department, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Current affiliation: Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Fleur Damen
- Genetics Department, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - John N. Hutchinson
- Department of Biostatistics, The Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Daniel Chinnapen
- Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Julius Tabin
- Genetics Department, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Clifford J. Tabin
- Genetics Department, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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24
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Sin SYW, Lu L, Edwards SV. De Novo Assembly of the Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) Genome Reveals Candidate Regulatory Regions for Sexually Dichromatic Red Plumage Coloration. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:3541-3548. [PMID: 32792344 PMCID: PMC7534441 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are common, mid-sized passerines widely distributed in North America. As an iconic species with strong sexual dichromatism, it has been the focus of extensive ecological and evolutionary research, yet genomic studies investigating the evolution of genotype-phenotype association of plumage coloration and dichromatism are lacking. Here we present a new, highly-contiguous assembly for C. cardinalis We generated a 1.1 Gb assembly comprised of 4,762 scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 3.6 Mb, a contig N50 of 114.4 kb and a longest scaffold of 19.7 Mb. We identified 93.5% complete and single-copy orthologs from an Aves dataset using BUSCO, demonstrating high completeness of the genome assembly. We annotated the genomic region comprising the CYP2J19 gene, which plays a pivotal role in the red coloration in birds. Comparative analyses demonstrated non-exonic regions unique to the CYP2J19 gene in passerines and a long insertion upstream of the gene in C. cardinalis Transcription factor binding motifs discovered in the unique insertion region in C. cardinalis suggest potential androgen-regulated mechanisms underlying sexual dichromatism. Pairwise Sequential Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) analysis of the genome reveals fluctuations in historic effective population size between 100,000-250,000 in the last 2 millions years, with declines concordant with the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch and Last Glacial Period. This draft genome of C. cardinalis provides an important resource for future studies of ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics in cardinals and other birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Yung Wa Sin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Lily Lu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
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25
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Khalil S, Welklin JF, McGraw KJ, Boersma J, Schwabl H, Webster MS, Karubian J. Testosterone regulates CYP2J19-linked carotenoid signal expression in male red-backed fairywrens ( Malurus melanocephalus). Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201687. [PMID: 32933448 PMCID: PMC7542802 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid pigments produce most red, orange and yellow colours in vertebrates. This coloration can serve as an honest signal of quality that mediates social and mating interactions, but our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that control carotenoid signal production, including how different physiological pathways interact to shape and maintain these signals, remains incomplete. We investigated the role of testosterone in mediating gene expression associated with a red plumage sexual signal in red-backed fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus). In this species, males within a single population can flexibly produce either red/black nuptial plumage or female-like brown plumage. Combining correlational analyses with a field-based testosterone implant experiment and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we show that testosterone mediates expression of carotenoid-based plumage in part by regulating expression of CYP2J19, a ketolase gene associated with ketocarotenoid metabolism and pigmentation in birds. This is, to our knowledge, the first time that hormonal regulation of a specific genetic locus has been linked to carotenoid production in a natural context, revealing how endocrine mechanisms produce sexual signals that shape reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Khalil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Joseph F. Welklin
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jordan Boersma
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Hubert Schwabl
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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26
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Twomey E, Johnson JD, Castroviejo-Fisher S, Van Bocxlaer I. A ketocarotenoid-based colour polymorphism in the Sira poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis indicates novel gene interactions underlying aposematic signal variation. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2004-2015. [PMID: 32402099 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of red ketocarotenoids is an important component of coloration in many organisms, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In some organisms, ketocarotenoids are sequestered from the diet and can accumulate when enzymes responsible for carotenoid breakdown are disrupted. In other organisms, ketocarotenoids are formed endogenously from dietary precursors via oxidation reactions carried out by carotenoid ketolase enzymes. Here, we study the genetic basis of carotenoid coloration in an amphibian. We demonstrate that a red/yellow polymorphism in the dendrobatid poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis is due to the presence/absence of ketocarotenoids. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing of skins and livers, we found that a transcript encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP3A80) is expressed 3.4-fold higher in livers of red frogs versus yellow. As CYP3A enzymes are known carotenoid ketolases in other organisms, our results point to CYP3A80 as a strong candidate for a carotenoid ketolase in amphibians. Furthermore, in red frogs, the transcript encoding the carotenoid cleavage enzyme BCO2 is expressed at a low level or as a splice variant lacking key catalytic amino acids. This suggests that BCO2 function may be disrupted in red frogs, providing a mechanism whereby the accumulation of ketocarotenoids and their dietary precursors may be enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Santiago Castroviejo-Fisher
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ines Van Bocxlaer
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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27
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Rodríguez A, Mundy NI, Ibáñez R, Pröhl H. Being red, blue and green: the genetic basis of coloration differences in the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio). BMC Genomics 2020; 21:301. [PMID: 32293261 PMCID: PMC7158012 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6719-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal coloration is usually an adaptive attribute, under strong local selection pressures and often diversified among species or populations. The strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) shows an impressive array of color morphs across its distribution in Central America. Here we quantify gene expression and genetic variation to identify candidate genes involved in generating divergence in coloration between populations of red, green and blue O. pumilio from the Bocas del Toro archipelago in Panama. RESULTS We generated a high quality non-redundant reference transcriptome by mapping the products of genome-guided and de novo transcriptome assemblies onto a re-scaffolded draft genome of O. pumilio. We then measured gene expression in individuals of the three color phenotypes and identified color-associated candidate genes by comparing differential expression results against a list of a priori gene sets for five different functional categories of coloration - pteridine synthesis, carotenoid synthesis, melanin synthesis, iridophore pathways (structural coloration), and chromatophore development. We found 68 candidate coloration loci with significant expression differences among the color phenotypes. Notable upregulated examples include pteridine synthesis genes spr, xdh and pts (in red and green frogs); carotenoid metabolism genes bco2 (in blue frogs), scarb1 (in red frogs), and guanine metabolism gene psat1 (in blue frogs). We detected significantly higher expression of the pteridine synthesis gene set in red and green frogs versus blue frogs. In addition to gene expression differences, we identified 370 outlier SNPs on 162 annotated genes showing signatures of diversifying selection, including eight pigmentation-associated genes. CONCLUSIONS Gene expression in the skin of the three populations of frogs with differing coloration is highly divergent. The strong signal of differential expression in pteridine genes is consistent with a major role of these genes in generating the coloration differences among the three morphs. However, the finding of differentially expressed genes across pathways and functional categories suggests that multiple mechanisms are responsible for the coloration differences, likely involving both pigmentary and structural coloration. In addition to regulatory differences, we found potential evidence of differential selection acting at the protein sequence level in several color-associated loci, which could contribute to the color polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Rodríguez
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicholas I. Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ England
| | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal, 0843-03092 Panamá, República de Panamá
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Apartado, 0816-02852 Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
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28
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Ahi EP, Lecaudey LA, Ziegelbecker A, Steiner O, Glabonjat R, Goessler W, Hois V, Wagner C, Lass A, Sefc KM. Comparative transcriptomics reveals candidate carotenoid color genes in an East African cichlid fish. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:54. [PMID: 31948394 PMCID: PMC6966818 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6473-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carotenoids contribute significantly to animal body coloration, including the spectacular color pattern diversity among fishes. Fish, as other animals, derive carotenoids from their diet. Following uptake, transport and metabolic conversion, carotenoids allocated to body coloration are deposited in the chromatophore cells of the integument. The genes involved in these processes are largely unknown. Using RNA-Sequencing, we tested for differential gene expression between carotenoid-colored and white skin regions of a cichlid fish, Tropheus duboisi "Maswa", to identify genes associated with carotenoid-based integumentary coloration. To control for positional gene expression differences that were independent of the presence/absence of carotenoid coloration, we conducted the same analyses in a closely related population, in which both body regions are white. RESULTS A larger number of genes (n = 50) showed higher expression in the yellow compared to the white skin tissue than vice versa (n = 9). Of particular interest was the elevated expression level of bco2a in the white skin samples, as the enzyme encoded by this gene catalyzes the cleavage of carotenoids into colorless derivatives. The set of genes with higher expression levels in the yellow region included genes involved in xanthophore formation (e.g., pax7 and sox10), intracellular pigment mobilization (e.g., tubb, vim, kif5b), as well as uptake (e.g., scarb1) and storage (e.g., plin6) of carotenoids, and metabolic conversion of lipids and retinoids (e.g., dgat2, pnpla2, akr1b1, dhrs). Triglyceride concentrations were similar in the yellow and white skin regions. Extracts of integumentary carotenoids contained zeaxanthin, lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin as well as unidentified carotenoid structures. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a role of carotenoid cleavage by Bco2 in fish integumentary coloration, analogous to previous findings in birds. The elevated expression of genes in carotenoid-rich skin regions with functions in retinol and lipid metabolism supports hypotheses concerning analogies and shared mechanisms between these metabolic pathways. Overlaps in the sets of differentially expressed genes (including dgat2, bscl2, faxdc2 and retsatl) between the present study and previous, comparable studies in other fish species provide useful hints to potential carotenoid color candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Comparative Physiology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-75 236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laurène A. Lecaudey
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Angelika Ziegelbecker
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Oliver Steiner
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Ronald Glabonjat
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Goessler
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 1, A-8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Victoria Hois
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 31/II, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Carina Wagner
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 31/II, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Achim Lass
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 31/II, 8010, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010, Graz, Austria
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29
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Hill GE, Hood WR, Ge Z, Grinter R, Greening C, Johnson JD, Park NR, Taylor HA, Andreasen VA, Powers MJ, Justyn NM, Parry HA, Kavazis AN, Zhang Y. Plumage redness signals mitochondrial function in the house finch. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191354. [PMID: 31551059 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid coloration is widely recognized as a signal of individual condition in various animals, but despite decades of study, the mechanisms that link carotenoid coloration to condition remain unresolved. Most birds with red feathers convert yellow dietary carotenoids to red carotenoids in an oxidation process requiring the gene encoding the putative cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2J19. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the process of carotenoid oxidation and feather pigmentation is functionally linked to mitochondrial performance. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed high levels of red ketolated carotenoids associated with the hepatic mitochondria of moulting wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and upon fractionation, we found the highest concentration of ketolated carotenoids in the inner mitochondrial membrane. We further found that the redness of growing feathers was positively related to the performance of liver mitochondria. Structural modelling of CYP2J19 supports a direct role of this protein in carotenoid ketolation that may be functionally linked to cellular respiration. These observations suggest that feather coloration serves as a signal of core functionality through inexorable links to cellular respiration in the mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Ge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rhys Grinter
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Noel R Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Halie A Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Nicholas M Justyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,School of Health Studies, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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30
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McLean CA, Lutz A, Rankin KJ, Elliott A, Moussalli A, Stuart-Fox D. Red carotenoids and associated gene expression explain colour variation in frillneck lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191172. [PMID: 31311479 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary ecology is that red-orange ornamental colours reliably signal individual quality owing to limited dietary availability of carotenoids and metabolic costs associated with their production, such as the bioconversion of dietary yellow carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids. However, in ectothermic vertebrates, these colours can also be produced by self-synthesized pteridine pigments. As a consequence, the relative ratio of pigment types and their biochemical and genetic basis have implications for the costs and information content of colour signals; yet they remain poorly known in most taxonomic groups. We tested whether red- and yellow-frilled populations of the frillneck lizard, Chlamydosaurus kingii, differ in the ratio of different biochemical classes of carotenoid and pteridine pigments, and examined associated differences in gene expression. We found that, unlike other squamate reptiles, red hues derive from a higher proportion of ketocarotenoids relative to both dietary yellow carotenoids and to pteridines. Whereas red frill skin showed higher expression of several genes associated with carotenoid metabolism, yellow frill skin showed higher expression of genes associated with steroid hormones. Based on the different mechanisms underlying red and yellow signals, we hypothesize that frill colour conveys different information in the two populations. More generally, the data expand our knowledge of the genetic and biochemical basis of colour signals in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A McLean
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Adrian Lutz
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Metabolomics Australia, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Katrina J Rankin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Adam Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Adnan Moussalli
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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31
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Wybouw N, Kurlovs AH, Greenhalgh R, Bryon A, Kosterlitz O, Manabe Y, Osakabe M, Vontas J, Clark RM, Van Leeuwen T. Convergent evolution of cytochrome P450s underlies independent origins of keto-carotenoid pigmentation in animals. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191039. [PMID: 31311468 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Keto-carotenoids contribute to many important traits in animals, including vision and coloration. In a great number of animal species, keto-carotenoids are endogenously produced from carotenoids by carotenoid ketolases. Despite the ubiquity and functional importance of keto-carotenoids in animals, the underlying genetic architectures of their production have remained enigmatic. The body and eye colorations of spider mites (Arthropoda: Chelicerata) are determined by β-carotene and keto-carotenoid derivatives. Here, we focus on a carotenoid pigment mutant of the spider mite Tetranychus kanzawai that, as shown by chromatography, lost the ability to produce keto-carotenoids. We employed bulked segregant analysis and linked the causal locus to a single narrow genomic interval. The causal mutation was fine-mapped to a minimal candidate region that held only one complete gene, the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP384A1, of the CYP3 clan. Using a number of genomic approaches, we revealed that an inactivating deletion in the fourth exon of CYP384A1 caused the aberrant pigmentation. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CYP384A1 is orthologous across mite species of the ancient Trombidiformes order where carotenoids typify eye and body coloration, suggesting a deeply conserved function of CYP384A1 as a carotenoid ketolase. Previously, CYP2J19, a cytochrome P450 of the CYP2 clan, has been identified as a carotenoid ketolase in birds and turtles. Our study shows that selection for endogenous production of keto-carotenoids led to convergent evolution, whereby cytochrome P450s were independently co-opted in vertebrate and invertebrate animal lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Wybouw
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andre H Kurlovs
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert Greenhalgh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Astrid Bryon
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivia Kosterlitz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Yuki Manabe
- Laboratory of Technology of Marine Bioproducts, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masahiro Osakabe
- Laboratory of Ecological Information, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 73100 Heraklion, Greece.,Department of Crop Science, Pesticide Science Lab, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
| | - Richard M Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,Center for Cell and Genome Science, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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32
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Brejcha J, Bataller JV, Bosáková Z, Geryk J, Havlíková M, Kleisner K, Maršík P, Font E. Body coloration and mechanisms of colour production in Archelosauria: the case of deirocheline turtles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190319. [PMID: 31417734 PMCID: PMC6689573 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Animal body coloration is a complex trait resulting from the interplay of multiple mechanisms. While many studies address the functions of animal coloration, the mechanisms of colour production still remain unknown in most taxa. Here we compare reflectance spectra, cellular, ultra- and nano-structure of colour-producing elements, and pigment types in two freshwater turtles with contrasting courtship behaviour, Trachemys scripta and Pseudemys concinna. The two species differ in the distribution of pigment cell-types and in pigment diversity. We found xanthophores, melanocytes, abundant iridophores and dermal collagen fibres in stripes of both species. The yellow chin and forelimb stripes of both P. concinna and T. scripta contain xanthophores and iridophores, but the post-orbital regions of the two species differ in cell-type distribution. The yellow post-orbital region of P. concinna contains both xanthophores and iridophores, while T. scripta has only xanthophores in the yellow-red postorbital/zygomatic regions. Moreover, in both species, the xanthophores colouring the yellow-red skin contain carotenoids, pterins and riboflavin, but T. scripta has a higher diversity of pigments than P. concinna. Trachemys s. elegans is sexually dichromatic. Differences in the distribution of pigment cell types across body regions in the two species may be related to visual signalling but do not match predictions based on courtship position. Our results demonstrate that archelosaurs share some colour production mechanisms with amphibians and lepidosaurs (i.e. vertical layering/stacking of different pigment cell types and interplay of carotenoids and pterins), but also employ novel mechanisms (i.e. nano-organization of dermal collagen) shared with mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindřich Brejcha
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2, 128 00, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, National Museum, Václavské nám. 68, Prague 1, 110 00, Czech Republic
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, Prague 8, 18223, Czech Republic
| | - José Vicente Bataller
- Centro de Conservación de Especies Dulceacuícolas de la Comunidad Valenciana. VAERSA-Generalitat Valenciana, El Palmar, València, 46012, Spain
| | - Zuzana Bosáková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, Prague 2, 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Geryk
- Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, V Úvalu 84, 150 06 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Havlíková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, Prague 2, 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2, 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Maršík
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | - Enrique Font
- Ethology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/ Catedrátic José Beltrán Martinez 2, Paterna, València, 46980, Spain
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33
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Alonso-Alvarez C, García-de Blas E, Mateo R. Dietary canthaxanthin reduces xanthophyll uptake and red coloration in adult red-legged partridges. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.185074. [PMID: 30224370 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.185074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids give color to conspicuous animal signals that are often the product of sexual selection. Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in carotenoid-based signaling is critical to understanding how these traits evolve. However, these mechanisms remain only partially understood. Carotenoids are usually viewed as scarce dietary antioxidants whose allocation to ornaments may trade off against health. This trade-off would ensure its reliability as a signal of individual quality. In the case of red (keto)carotenoids, the literature suggests that some species may show constraints in their uptake. Canthaxanthin is one of the most common ketocarotenoids in red ornaments of animals. It is often commercially used as a dietary supplement to obtain redder birds (e.g. poultry). We increased the dietary canthaxanthin levels in captive red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). This species shows red non-feathered parts mostly pigmented by another common ketocarotenoid: astaxanthin. We studied the impact on the uptake of carotenoids and vitamins and, finally, on coloration. We also tested the potential protective effect of canthaxanthin when exposing birds to a free radical generator (diquat). Canthaxanthin did not apparently protect birds from oxidative stress, but interfered with the absorption of yellow carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin). Zeaxanthin is a precursor of astaxanthin in enzymatic pathways, and their levels in tissues and eggs were lower in canthaxanthin-supplied birds. This led to lower astaxanthin levels in ornaments and paler coloration. As far as we know, this is the first report of a carotenoid supplementation decreasing animal coloration. The results have implications for understanding carotenoid-based signaling evolution, but also for improving husbandry/experimental procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther García-de Blas
- Wildlife Toxicology Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC, UCLM, CSIC), Ronda de Toledo sn, 13007 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Wildlife Toxicology Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC, UCLM, CSIC), Ronda de Toledo sn, 13007 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Hsiung BK, Justyn NM, Blackledge TA, Shawkey MD. Spiders have rich pigmentary and structural colour palettes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 220:1975-1983. [PMID: 28566355 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.156083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the mechanisms of colour production in organisms is important for understanding how selection acts upon a variety of behaviours. Spiders provide many spectacular examples of colours used in courtship, predation, defence and thermoregulation, but are thought to lack many types of pigments common in other animals. Ommochromes, bilins and eumelanin have been identified in spiders, but not carotenoids or melanosomes. Here, we combined optical microscopy, refractive index matching, confocal Raman microspectroscopy and electron microscopy to investigate the basis of several types of colourful patches in spiders. We obtained four major results. First, we show that spiders use carotenoids to produce yellow, suggesting that such colours may be used for condition-dependent courtship signalling. Second, we established the Raman signature spectrum for ommochromes, facilitating the identification of ommochromes in a variety of organisms in the future. Third, we describe a potential new pigmentary-structural colour interaction that is unusual because of the use of long wavelength structural colour in combination with a slightly shorter wavelength pigment in the production of red. Finally, we present the first evidence for the presence of melanosomes in arthropods, using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, overturning the assumption that melanosomes are a synapomorphy of vertebrates. Our research shows that spiders have a much richer colour production palette than previously thought, and this has implications for colour diversification and function in spiders and other arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bor-Kai Hsiung
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA .,Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Nicholas M Justyn
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Todd A Blackledge
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA.,Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Department of Biology, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA.,Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3908, USA.,Biology Department, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures group, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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Lind O, Henze MJ, Kelber A, Osorio D. Coevolution of coloration and colour vision? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0338. [PMID: 28533455 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary relationship between signals and animal senses has broad significance, with potential consequences for speciation, and for the efficacy and honesty of biological communication. Here we outline current understanding of the diversity of colour vision in two contrasting groups: the phylogenetically conservative birds, and the more variable butterflies. Evidence for coevolution of colour signals and vision exists in both groups, but is limited to observations of phenotypic differences between visual systems, which might be correlated with coloration. Here, to illustrate how one might interpret the evolutionary significance of such differences, we used colour vision modelling based on an avian eye to evaluate the effects of variation in three key characters: photoreceptor spectral sensitivity, oil droplet pigmentation and the proportions of different photoreceptor types. The models predict that physiologically realistic changes in any one character will have little effect, but complementary shifts in all three can substantially affect discriminability of three types of natural spectra. These observations about the adaptive landscape of colour vision may help to explain the general conservatism of photoreceptor spectral sensitivities in birds. This approach can be extended to other types of eye and spectra to inform future work on coevolution of coloration and colour vision.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olle Lind
- Department of Philosophy, Cognitive Science, Helgonavägen 3, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Miriam J Henze
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Osorio
- School of Life Sciences, John Maynard Smith Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9QG, UK
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Twyman H, Andersson S, Mundy NI. Evolution of CYP2J19, a gene involved in colour vision and red coloration in birds: positive selection in the face of conservation and pleiotropy. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:22. [PMID: 29439676 PMCID: PMC5812113 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1136-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exaggerated signals, such as brilliant colours, are usually assumed to evolve through antagonistic coevolution between senders and receivers, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are rarely known. Here we explore a recently identified "redness gene", CYP2J19, that is highly interesting in this context since it encodes a carotenoid-modifying enzyme (a C4 ketolase involved in both colour signalling and colour discrimination in the red (long wavelength) spectral region.) RESULTS: A single full-length CYP2J19 was retrieved from 43 species out of 70 avian genomes examined, representing all major avian clades. In addition, CYP2J19 sequences from 13 species of weaverbirds (Ploceidae), seven of which have red C4-ketocarotenoid coloration were analysed. Despite the conserved retinal function and pleiotropy of CYP2J19, analyses indicate that the gene has been positively selected throughout the radiation of birds, including sites within functional domains described in related CYP (cytochrome P450) loci. Analyses of eight further CYP loci across 25 species show that positive selection is common in this gene family in birds. There was no evidence for a change in selection pressure on CYP2J19 following co-option for red coloration in the weaverbirds. CONCLUSIONS The results presented here are consistent with an ancestral conserved function of CYP2J19 in the pigmentation of red retinal oil droplets used for colour vision, and its subsequent co-option for red integumentary coloration. The cause of positive selection on CYP2J19 is unclear, but may be partly related to compensatory mutations related to selection at the adjacent gene CYP2J40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlu Twyman
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I. Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
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Twyman H, Prager M, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Expression of a carotenoid-modifying gene and evolution of red coloration in weaverbirds (Ploceidae). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:449-458. [PMID: 29230900 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Red carotenoid colours in birds are widely assumed to be sexually selected quality indicators, but this rests on a very incomplete understanding of genetic mechanisms and honesty-mediating costs. Recent progress was made by the implication of the gene CYP2J19 as an avian carotenoid ketolase, catalysing the synthesis of red C4-ketocarotenoids from yellow dietary precursors, and potentially a major mechanism behind red coloration in birds. Here, we investigate the role of CYP2J19 in the spectacular colour diversification of African weaverbirds (Ploceidae), represented by five genera and 16 species: eight red, seven yellow and one without carotenoid coloration. All species had a single copy of CYP2J19, unlike the duplication found in the zebra finch, with high expression in the retina, confirming its function in colouring red oil droplets. Expression was weak or undetected in skin and follicles of pigment-depositing feather buds, as well as in beaks and tarsi, including those of the red-billed quelea. In contrast, the hepatic (liver) expression of CYP2J19 was consistently higher (>14-fold) in seven species with C4-ketocarotenoid coloration than in species without (including one red species), an association strongly supported by a phylogenetic comparative analysis. The results suggest a critical role of the candidate ketolase, CYP2J19, in the evolution of red C4-ketocarotenoid colour variation in ploceids. As ancestral state reconstruction suggests that ketocarotenoid coloration has evolved twice in this group (once in Euplectes and once in the Quelea/Foudia clade), we argue that while CYP2J19 has retained its ancestral role in the retina, it has likely been co-opted for red coloration independently in the two lineages, via increased hepatic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanlu Twyman
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | | | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
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Independent pseudogenization of CYP2J19 in penguins, owls and kiwis implicates gene in red carotenoid synthesis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 118:47-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Toomey MB, Corbo JC. Evolution, Development and Function of Vertebrate Cone Oil Droplets. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:97. [PMID: 29276475 PMCID: PMC5727011 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To distinguish colors, the nervous system must compare the activity of distinct subtypes of photoreceptors that are maximally sensitive to different portions of the light spectrum. In vertebrates, a variety of adaptations have arisen to refine the spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors and improve color vision. In this review article, we focus on one such adaptation, the oil droplet, a unique optical organelle found within the inner segment of cone photoreceptors of a diverse array of vertebrate species, from fish to mammals. These droplets, which consist of neutral lipids and carotenoid pigments, are interposed in the path of light through the photoreceptor and modify the intensity and spectrum of light reaching the photosensitive outer segment. In the course of evolution, the optical function of oil droplets has been fine-tuned through changes in carotenoid content. Species active in dim light reduce or eliminate carotenoids to enhance sensitivity, whereas species active in bright light precisely modulate carotenoid double bond conjugation and concentration among cone subtypes to optimize color discrimination and color constancy. Cone oil droplets have sparked the curiosity of vision scientists for more than a century. Accordingly, we begin by briefly reviewing the history of research on oil droplets. We then discuss what is known about the developmental origins of oil droplets. Next, we describe recent advances in understanding the function of oil droplets based on biochemical and optical analyses. Finally, we survey the occurrence and properties of oil droplets across the diversity of vertebrate species and discuss what these patterns indicate about the evolutionary history and function of this intriguing organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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40
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Hanna ZR, Henderson JB, Wall JD, Emerling CA, Fuchs J, Runckel C, Mindell DP, Bowie RCK, DeRisi JL, Dumbacher JP. Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) Genome: Divergence with the Barred Owl (Strix varia) and Characterization of Light-Associated Genes. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:2522-2545. [PMID: 28992302 PMCID: PMC5629816 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here the assembly of a northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) genome. We generated Illumina paired-end sequence data at 90× coverage using nine libraries with insert lengths ranging from ∼250 to 9,600 nt and read lengths from 100 to 375 nt. The genome assembly is comprised of 8,108 scaffolds totaling 1.26 × 109 nt in length with an N50 length of 3.98 × 106 nt. We calculated the genome-wide fixation index (FST) of S. o. caurina with the closely related barred owl (Strix varia) as 0.819. We examined 19 genes that encode proteins with light-dependent functions in our genome assembly as well as in that of the barn owl (Tyto alba). We present genomic evidence for loss of three of these in S. o. caurina and four in T. alba. We suggest that most light-associated gene functions have been maintained in owls and their loss has not proceeded to the same extent as in other dim-light-adapted vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R. Hanna
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James B. Henderson
- Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Wall
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Christopher A. Emerling
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jérôme Fuchs
- Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- UMR 7205 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Charles Runckel
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Runckel & Associates, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - David P. Mindell
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Rauri C. K. Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Joseph L. DeRisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John P. Dumbacher
- Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
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Ibáñez A, Martín J, Marzal A, Bertolero A. The effect of growth rate and ageing on colour variation of European pond turtles. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:49. [PMID: 28540596 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1469-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many chelonians have colourful dots, patches and stripes throughout their body that are made up, at least in part, of carotenoids. Therefore, turtles are very suitable models to study the evolution and functionality of carotenoid-based colouration. Recent studies suggested a close link between colouration and immune system in these taxa. However, more research is needed to understand the role of these colourful stripes and patches in turtle visual signalling. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between growth rate and colouration in European pond turtles. In particular, we wanted to answer the question of whether there is a trade-off between growth and colour expression. We also aimed to explore the effect of body size and age on colour variation. Turtles from a reintroduction-breeding program were recaptured, weighed and measured over an 8-year period to estimate their growth rates and age. We also measured with a spectrometer the reflectance of colour patches in two different body parts: shell and forelimb. We found that turtles with a faster growth rate had brighter limb stripes independently of their age. On the other hand, shell colouration was related to body size with larger turtles having brighter shell stripes and higher values of carotenoid chroma. Our results suggest that fast-growers may afford to express intense colourful limb stripes likely due to their higher intake of carotenoids that would modulate both growth and colour expression. However, shell colouration was related to body size probably due to ontogenetic differences in the diet, as juveniles are strictly carnivorous while adults are omnivorous. Alternatively, shell colouration might be involved in crypsis as the shell is visually exposed to predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Ibáñez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain. .,Division of Evolutionary Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Extremadura, 06071, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Albert Bertolero
- Associació Ornitològica Picampall de les Terres de l'Ebre, C/ La Galera 53, 43870, Amposta, Spain
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Nelson DR. Cytochrome P450 diversity in the tree of life. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1866:141-154. [PMID: 28502748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Sequencing in all areas of the tree of life has produced >300,000 cytochrome P450 (CYP) sequences that have been mined and collected. Nomenclature has been assigned to >41,000 CYP sequences and the majority of the remainder has been sorted by BLAST searches into clans, families and subfamilies in preparation for naming. The P450 sequence space is being systematically explored and filled in. Well-studied groups like vertebrates are covered in greater depth while new insights are being added into uncharted territories like horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), tardigrades (Hypsibius dujardini), velvet worm (Euperipatoides_rowelli), and basal land plants like hornworts, liverworts and mosses. CYPs from the fungi, one of the most diverse groups, are being explored and organized as nearly 800 fungal species are now sequenced. The CYP clan structure in fungi is emerging with 805 CYP families sorting into 32 CYP clans. >3000 bacterial sequences are named, mostly from terrestrial or freshwater sources. Of 18,379 bacterial sequences downloaded from the CYPED database, all are >43% identical to named CYPs. Therefore, they fit in the 602 named P450 prokaryotic families. Diversity in this group is becoming saturated, however 25% of 3305 seawater bacterial P450s did not match known P450 families, indicating marine bacterial CYPs are not as well sampled as land/freshwater based bacterial CYPs. Future sequencing plans of the Genome 10K project, i5k and GIGA (Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance) are expected to produce more than one million cytochrome P450 sequences by 2020. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Nelson
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, 858 Madison Ave. Suite G01, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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The Evolution and Genetics of Carotenoid Processing in Animals. Trends Genet 2017; 33:171-182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Abstract
In many birds, bright red plumage in males helps to attract females, a classic example of sexual selection. Studies in zebra finches and canaries have now identified the gene responsible for red coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Barsh
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA.
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