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Blumstein DM, MacManes MD. Impacts of dietary fat on multi tissue gene expression in the desert-adapted cactus mouse. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592397. [PMID: 38746252 PMCID: PMC11092757 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between dietary fat and physiological responses is crucial in species adapted to arid environments where water scarcity is common. In this study, we present a comprehensive exploration of gene expression across five tissues (kidney, liver, lung, gastrointestinal tract, and hypothalamus) and 19 phenotypic measurements, investigating the effects of dietary fat in the desert-adapted cactus mouse ( Peromyscus eremicus ). We show impacts on immune function, circadian gene regulation, and mitochondrial function for mice fed a lower-fat diet compared to mice fed a higher-fat diet. In arid environments with severe water scarcity, even subtle changes in organismal health and water balance can affect physical performance, potentially impacting survival and reproductive success. The study sheds light on the complex interplay between diet, physiological processes, and environmental adaptation, providing valuable insights into the multifaceted impacts of dietary choices on organismal well-being and adaptation strategies in arid habitats.
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Upadhyay M, Pogorevc N, Medugorac I. scalepopgen: Bioinformatic Workflow Resources Implemented in Nextflow for Comprehensive Population Genomic Analyses. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae057. [PMID: 38507648 PMCID: PMC10994858 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae057] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Population genomic analyses such as inference of population structure and identifying signatures of selection usually involve the application of a plethora of tools. The installation of tools and their dependencies, data transformation, or series of data preprocessing in a particular order sometimes makes the analyses challenging. While the usage of container-based technologies has significantly resolved the problems associated with the installation of tools and their dependencies, population genomic analyses requiring multistep pipelines or complex data transformation can greatly be facilitated by the application of workflow management systems such as Nextflow and Snakemake. Here, we present scalepopgen, a collection of fully automated workflows that can carry out widely used population genomic analyses on the biallelic single nucleotide polymorphism data stored in either variant calling format files or the plink-generated binary files. scalepopgen is developed in Nextflow and can be run locally or on high-performance computing systems using either Conda, Singularity, or Docker. The automated workflow includes procedures such as (i) filtering of individuals and genotypes; (ii) principal component analysis, admixture with identifying optimal K-values; (iii) running TreeMix analysis with or without bootstrapping and migration edges, followed by identification of an optimal number of migration edges; (iv) implementing single-population and pair-wise population comparison-based procedures to identify genomic signatures of selection. The pipeline uses various open-source tools; additionally, several Python and R scripts are also provided to collect and visualize the results. The tool is freely available at https://github.com/Popgen48/scalepopgen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulik Upadhyay
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Neža Pogorevc
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Ivica Medugorac
- Population Genomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Martinsried 82152, Germany
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3
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Blumstein DM, MacManes MD. When the tap runs dry: The multi-tissue gene expression and physiological responses of water deprived Peromyscus eremicus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576658. [PMID: 38328088 PMCID: PMC10849551 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The harsh and dry conditions of desert environments have resulted in genomic adaptations, allowing for desert organisms to withstand prolonged drought, extreme temperatures, and limited food resources. Here, we present a comprehensive exploration of gene expression across five tissues (kidney, liver, lung, gastrointestinal tract, and hypothalamus) and 19 phenotypic measurements to explore the whole-organism physiological and genomic response to water deprivation in the desert-adapted cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus). The findings encompass the identification of differentially expressed genes and correlative analysis between phenotypes and gene expression patterns across multiple tissues. Specifically, we found robust activation of the vasopressin renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) pathways, whose primary function is to manage water and solute balance. Animals reduce food intake during water deprivation, and upregulation of PCK1 highlights the adaptive response to reduced oral intake via its actions aimed at maintained serum glucose levels. Even with such responses to maintain water balance, hemoconcentration still occurred, prompting a protective downregulation of genes responsible for the production of clotting factors while simultaneously enhancing angiogenesis which is thought to maintains tissue perfusion. In this study, we elucidate the complex mechanisms involved in water balance in the desert-adapted cactus mouse, P. eremicus. By prioritizing a comprehensive analysis of whole-organism physiology and multi-tissue gene expression in a simulated desert environment, we describe the complex and successful response of regulatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Blumstein
- University of New Hampshire, Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, Durham, NH 03824
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- University of New Hampshire, Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, Durham, NH 03824
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4
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Blumstein DM, MacManes MD. When the tap runs dry: the physiological effects of acute experimental dehydration in Peromyscus eremicus. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246386. [PMID: 37921453 PMCID: PMC10714145 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Desert organisms have evolved physiological, biochemical and genomic mechanisms to survive the extreme aridity of desert environments. Studying desert-adapted species provides a unique opportunity to investigate the survival strategies employed by organisms in some of the harshest habitats on Earth. Two of the primary challenges faced in desert environments are maintaining water balance and thermoregulation. We collected data in a simulated desert environment and a captive colony of cactus mice (Peromyscus eremicus) and used lab-based experiments with real time physiological measurements; energy expenditure, water loss rate and respiratory exchange rate, to characterize the response to water deprivation. Mice without access to water had significantly lower energy expenditures and in turn, reduced water loss compared to mice with access to water after the first 24 h of the experiment. Additionally, we observed significant mass loss that is probably due to dehydration-associated anorexia a response to limit fluid loss by reducing waste and the solute load as well as allowing water reabsorption from the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Finally, we observed body temperature correlated with sex, with males without access to water maintaining body temperature when compared with hydrated males, whereas body temperature decreased for females without access to water, suggesting daily metabolic depression in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M. Blumstein
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Matthew D. MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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5
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Marková S, Lanier HC, Escalante MA, da Cruz MOR, Horníková M, Konczal M, Weider LJ, Searle JB, Kotlík P. Local adaptation and future climate vulnerability in a wild rodent. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7840. [PMID: 38030627 PMCID: PMC10686993 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43383-z] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As climate change continues, species pushed outside their physiological tolerance limits must adapt or face extinction. When change is rapid, adaptation will largely harness ancestral variation, making the availability and characteristics of that variation of critical importance. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing and genetic-environment association analyses to identify adaptive variation and its significance in the context of future climates in a small Palearctic mammal, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). We found that peripheral populations of bank vole in Britain are already at the extreme bounds of potential genetic adaptation and may require an influx of adaptive variation in order to respond. Analyses of adaptive loci suggest regional differences in climate variables select for variants that influence patterns of population adaptive resilience, including genes associated with antioxidant defense, and support a pattern of thermal/hypoxic cross-adaptation. Our findings indicate that understanding potential shifts in genomic composition in response to climate change may be key to predicting species' fate under future climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Marková
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Hayley C Lanier
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave, Norman, OK, 73072, USA
| | - Marco A Escalante
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Marcos O R da Cruz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
- Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave, Norman, OK, 73072, USA
| | - Michaela Horníková
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21, Liběchov, Czech Republic
| | - Mateusz Konczal
- Faculty of Biology, Evolutionary Biology Group, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Lawrence J Weider
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Jeremy B Searle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Petr Kotlík
- Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, 277 21, Liběchov, Czech Republic.
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6
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Gillard BT, Amor N, Iraizoz FA, Pauža AG, Campbell C, Greenwood MP, Alagaili AN, Murphy D. Mobilisation of jerboa kidney gene networks during dehydration and opportunistic rehydration. iScience 2023; 26:107574. [PMID: 37664605 PMCID: PMC10470305 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107574] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Desert animals have evolved systems that enable them to thrive under dry conditions. Focusing on the kidney, we have investigated the transcriptomic adaptations that enable a desert rodent, the Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus), to withstand water deprivation and opportunistic rehydration. Analysis of the whole kidney transcriptome showed many differentially expressed genes in the Jerboa kidney, 6.4% of genes following dehydration and an even greater number (36.2%) following rehydration compared to control. Genes correlated with the rehydration condition included many ribosomal protein coding genes suggesting a concerted effort to accelerate protein synthesis when water is made available. We identify an increase in TGF-beta signaling antagonists in dehydration (e.g., GREM2). We also describe expression of multiple aquaporin and solute carrier transporters mapped to specific nephron segments. The desert adapted renal transcriptome presented here is a valuable resource to expand our understanding of osmoregulation beyond that derived from model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Gillard
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Nabil Amor
- LR18ES05, Laboratory of Biodiversity, Parasitology and Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems, Department of Biology - Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia
| | - Fernando Alvira Iraizoz
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Audrys G. Pauža
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Colin Campbell
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, Ada Lovelace Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Michael P. Greenwood
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | | | - David Murphy
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
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7
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Blumstein DM, MacManes MD. When the tap runs dry: The physiological effects of acute experimental dehydration in Peromyscus eremicus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.03.547568. [PMID: 37461486 PMCID: PMC10349944 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.03.547568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Desert organisms have evolved physiological, biochemical, and genomic mechanisms to survive the extreme aridity of desert environments. Studying desert-adapted species provides a unique opportunity to investigate the survival strategies employed by organisms in some of the harshest habitats on Earth. Two of the primary challenges faced in desert environments are maintaining water balance and thermoregulation. We collected data in a simulated desert environment and a captive colony of cactus mice (Peromyscus eremicus) and used lab-based experiments with real time physiological measurements to characterize the response to water-deprivation. Mice without access to water had significantly lower energy expenditures and in turn, reduced water loss compared to mice with access to water after the first 24 hours of the experiment. Additionally, we observed significant weight loss likely related to dehydration-associated anorexia a response to limit fluid loss by reducing waste and the solute load as well as allowing water reabsorption from the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Finally, we observed body temperature correlated with sex, with males without access to water maintaining body temperature when compared to hydrated males while body temperature decreased for females without access to water compared to hydrated, suggesting daily torpor in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Blumstein
- University of New Hampshire, Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, Durham, NH 03824
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- University of New Hampshire, Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, Durham, NH 03824
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Zhang Z, Xia T, Zhou S, Yang X, Lyu T, Wang L, Fang J, Wang Q, Dou H, Zhang H. High-Quality Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Corsac Fox ( Vulpes corsac) Reveals Adaptation to Semiarid and Harsh Environments. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119599. [PMID: 37298549 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The Corsac fox (Vulpes corsac) is a species of fox distributed in the arid prairie regions of Central and Northern Asia, with distinct adaptations to dry environments. Here, we applied Oxford-Nanopore sequencing and a chromosome structure capture technique to assemble the first Corsac fox genome, which was then assembled into chromosome fragments. The genome assembly has a total length of 2.2 Gb with a contig N50 of 41.62 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 132.2 Mb over 18 pseudo-chromosomal scaffolds. The genome contained approximately 32.67% of repeat sequences. A total of 20,511 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 88.9% were functionally annotated. Phylogenetic analyses indicated a close relation to the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) with an estimated divergence time of ~3.7 million years ago (MYA). We performed separate enrichment analyses of species-unique genes, the expanded and contracted gene families, and positively selected genes. The results suggest an enrichment of pathways related to protein synthesis and response and an evolutionary mechanism by which cells respond to protein denaturation in response to heat stress. The enrichment of pathways related to lipid and glucose metabolism, potentially preventing stress from dehydration, and positive selection of genes related to vision, as well as stress responses in harsh environments, may reveal adaptive evolutionary mechanisms in the Corsac fox under harsh drought conditions. Additional detection of positive selection for genes associated with gustatory receptors may reveal a unique desert diet strategy for the species. This high-quality genome provides a valuable resource for studying mammalian drought adaptation and evolution in the genus Vulpes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zhang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Tian Xia
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Shengyang Zhou
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Xiufeng Yang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Tianshu Lyu
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Lidong Wang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Jiaohui Fang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Hulunbuir Academy of Inland Lakes in Northern Cold & Arid Areas, Hulunbuir 021000, China
| | - Huashan Dou
- Hulunbuir Academy of Inland Lakes in Northern Cold & Arid Areas, Hulunbuir 021000, China
| | - Honghai Zhang
- School of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
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Cheng J, Peng X, Li H, Feijó A, Xia L, Shenbrot GI, Ge D, Wen Z, Wang D, Yang Q. Similar adaptative mechanism but divergent demographic history of four sympatric desert rodents in Eurasian inland. Commun Biol 2023; 6:33. [PMID: 36635382 PMCID: PMC9837166 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04415-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypes associated with metabolism and water retention are thought to be key to the adaptation of desert species. However, knowledge on the genetic changes and selective regimes on the similar and divergent ways to desert adaptation in sympatric and phylogenetically close desert organisms remains limited. Here, we generate a chromosome level genome assembly for Northern three-toed jerboa (Dipus sagitta) and three other high-quality genome assemblies for Siberian jerboa (Orientallactaga sibirica), Midday jird (Meriones meridianus), and Desert hamster (Phodopus roborovskii). Genomic analyses unveil that desert adaptation of the four species mainly result from similar metabolic pathways, such as arachidonic acid metabolism, thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, insulin related pathway, DNA repair and protein synthesis and degradation. However, the specific evolved genes in the same adaptative molecular pathway often differ in the four species. We also reveal similar niche selection but different demographic histories and sensitivity to climate changes, which may be related to the diversified genomic adaptative features. In addition, our study suggests that nocturnal rodents have evolved some specific adaptative mechanism to desert environments compared to large desert animals. Our genomic resources will provide an important foundation for further research on desert genetic adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jilong Cheng
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Xingwen Peng
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Hong Li
- grid.410753.4Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Anderson Feijó
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Lin Xia
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Georgy I. Shenbrot
- grid.7489.20000 0004 1937 0511Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Negev, 84990 Israel
| | - Deyan Ge
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Zhixin Wen
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Dehua Wang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Lab of Integrated management for Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Qisen Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
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Bittner NKJ, Mack KL, Nachman MW. Shared Patterns of Gene Expression and Protein Evolution Associated with Adaptation to Desert Environments in Rodents. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6765154. [PMID: 36268582 PMCID: PMC9648513 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Desert specialization has arisen multiple times across rodents and is often associated with a suite of convergent phenotypes, including modification of the kidneys to mitigate water loss. However, the extent to which phenotypic convergence in desert rodents is mirrored at the molecular level is unknown. Here, we sequenced kidney mRNA and assembled transcriptomes for three pairs of rodent species to search for shared differences in gene expression and amino acid sequence associated with adaptation to deserts. We conducted phylogenetically independent comparisons between a desert specialist and a non-desert relative in three families representing ∼70 million years of evolution. Overall, patterns of gene expression faithfully recapitulated the phylogeny of these six taxa providing a strong evolutionary signal in levels of mRNA abundance. We also found that 8.6% of all genes showed shared patterns of expression divergence between desert and non-desert taxa, much of which likely reflects convergent evolution, and representing more than expected by chance under a model of independent gene evolution. In addition to these shared changes, we observed many species-pair-specific changes in gene expression indicating that instances of adaptation to deserts include a combination of unique and shared changes. Patterns of protein evolution revealed a small number of genes showing evidence of positive selection, the majority of which did not show shared changes in gene expression. Overall, our results suggest that convergent changes in gene regulation play an important role in the complex trait of desert adaptation in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noëlle K J Bittner
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Katya L Mack
- Present address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, CA 94305
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11
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Feng L, Dong T, Jiang P, Yang Z, Dong A, Xie SQ, Griffin CH, Wu R. An eco-evo-devo genetic network model of stress response. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac135. [PMID: 36061617 PMCID: PMC9433980 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The capacity of plants to resist abiotic stresses is of great importance to agricultural, ecological and environmental sustainability, but little is known about its genetic underpinnings. Existing genetic tools can identify individual genetic variants mediating biochemical, physiological, and cellular defenses, but fail to chart an overall genetic atlas behind stress resistance. We view stress response as an eco-evo-devo process by which plants adaptively respond to stress through complex interactions of developmental canalization, phenotypic plasticity, and phenotypic integration. As such, we define and quantify stress response as the developmental change of adaptive traits from stress-free to stress-exposed environments. We integrate composite functional mapping and evolutionary game theory to reconstruct omnigenic, information-flow interaction networks for stress response. Using desert-adapted Euphrates poplar as an example, we infer salt resistance-related genome-wide interactome networks and trace the roadmap of how each SNP acts and interacts with any other possible SNPs to mediate salt resistance. We characterize the previously unknown regulatory mechanisms driving trait variation; i.e. the significance of a SNP may be due to the promotion of positive regulators, whereas the insignificance of a SNP may result from the inhibition of negative regulators. The regulator-regulatee interactions detected are not only experimentally validated by two complementary experiments, but also biologically interpreted by their encoded protein-protein interactions. Our eco-evo-devo model of genetic interactome networks provides an approach to interrogate the genetic architecture of stress response and informs precise gene editing for improving plants' capacity to live in stress environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhenyu Yang
- Center for Computational Biology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ang Dong
- Center for Computational Biology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shang-Qian Xie
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Trees and Ornamental Plants, College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Christopher H Griffin
- Applied Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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12
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Schou MF, Engelbrecht A, Brand Z, Svensson EI, Cloete S, Cornwallis CK. Evolutionary trade-offs between heat and cold tolerance limit responses to fluctuating climates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn9580. [PMID: 35622916 PMCID: PMC9140960 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn9580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary potential of species to cope with short-term temperature fluctuations during reproduction is critical to predicting responses to future climate change. Despite this, vertebrate research has focused on reproduction under high or low temperatures in relatively stable temperate climates. Here, we characterize the genetic basis of reproductive thermal tolerance to temperature fluctuations in the ostrich, which lives in variable environments in tropical and subtropical Africa. Both heat and cold tolerance were under selection and heritable, indicating the potential for evolutionary responses to mean temperature change. However, we found evidence for a negative, genetic correlation between heat and cold tolerance that should limit the potential for adaptation to fluctuating temperatures. Genetic constraints between heat and cold tolerance appear a crucial, yet underappreciated, factor influencing responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads F. Schou
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anel Engelbrecht
- Directorate Animal Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, South Africa
| | - Zanell Brand
- Directorate Animal Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, South Africa
| | | | - Schalk Cloete
- Directorate Animal Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg, South Africa
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
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Yuan Z, Wu Q, Xu L, Druzhinina IS, Stukenbrock EH, Nieuwenhuis BPS, Zhong Z, Liu ZJ, Wang X, Cai F, Kubicek CP, Shan X, Wang J, Shi G, Peng L, Martin FM. Genomic landscape of a relict fir-associated fungus reveals rapid convergent adaptation towards endophytism. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1294-1305. [PMID: 34916613 PMCID: PMC9038928 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01176-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Comparative and pan-genomic analyses of the endophytic fungus Pezicula neosporulosa (Helotiales, Ascomycota) from needles of the relict fir, Abies beshanzuensis, showed expansions of carbohydrate metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes characteristic for unrelated plant-beneficial helotialean, such as dark septate endophytes and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. The current species within the relatively young Pliocene genus Pezicula are predominantly saprotrophic, while P. neosporulosa lacks such features. To understand the genomic background of this putatively convergent evolution, we performed population analyses of 77 P. neosporulosa isolates. This revealed a mosaic structure of a dozen non-recombining and highly genetically polymorphic subpopulations with a unique mating system structure. We found that one idiomorph of a probably duplicated mat1-2 gene was found in putatively heterothallic isolates, while the other co-occurred with mat1-1 locus suggesting homothallic reproduction for these strains. Moreover, 24 and 81 genes implicated in plant cell-wall degradation and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, respectively, showed signatures of the balancing selection. These findings highlight the evolutionary pattern of the two gene families for allowing the fungus a rapid adaptation towards endophytism and facilitating diverse symbiotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091, Beijing, China. .,Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400, China.
| | - Qi Wu
- grid.458488.d0000 0004 0627 1442State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Liangxiong Xu
- grid.411411.00000 0004 0644 5457School of Life Sciences, Huizhou University, Huizhou, 516007 China
| | - Irina S. Druzhinina
- grid.27871.3b0000 0000 9750 7019Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China ,grid.5329.d0000 0001 2348 4034Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, Vienna, A1060 Austria
| | - Eva H. Stukenbrock
- grid.9764.c0000 0001 2153 9986Botanical Institute, Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany ,grid.419520.b0000 0001 2222 4708Environmental Genomics Research Group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Bart P. S. Nieuwenhuis
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDivision of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Zhenhui Zhong
- grid.256111.00000 0004 1760 2876State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Zhong-Jian Liu
- grid.256111.00000 0004 1760 2876Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002 China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Feng Cai
- grid.27871.3b0000 0000 9750 7019Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Fungal Genomics Laboratory (FungiG), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Christian P. Kubicek
- grid.5329.d0000 0001 2348 4034Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering (ICEBE), TU Wien, Vienna, A1060 Austria
| | - Xiaoliang Shan
- grid.216566.00000 0001 2104 9346State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China ,grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Jieyu Wang
- grid.458495.10000 0001 1014 7864Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
| | - Guohui Shi
- grid.458488.d0000 0004 0627 1442State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Long Peng
- grid.216566.00000 0001 2104 9346State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, China ,grid.509676.bResearch Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, 311400 China
| | - Francis M. Martin
- grid.29172.3f0000 0001 2194 6418Université de Lorraine, INRAe, UMR 1136 Interactions Arbres/Microorganismes, INRAe-Grand Est-Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
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14
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Tigano A, Khan R, Omer AD, Weisz D, Dudchenko O, Multani AS, Pathak S, Behringer RR, Aiden EL, Fisher H, MacManes MD. Chromosome size affects sequence divergence between species through the interplay of recombination and selection. Evolution 2022; 76:782-798. [PMID: 35271737 PMCID: PMC9314927 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The structure of the genome shapes the distribution of genetic diversity and sequence divergence. To investigate how the relationship between chromosome size and recombination rate affects sequence divergence between species, we combined empirical analyses and evolutionary simulations. We estimated pairwise sequence divergence among 15 species from three different mammalian clades-Peromyscus rodents, Mus mice, and great apes-from chromosome-level genome assemblies. We found a strong significant negative correlation between chromosome size and sequence divergence in all species comparisons within the Peromyscus and great apes clades but not the Mus clade, suggesting that the dramatic chromosomal rearrangements among Mus species may have masked the ancestral genomic landscape of divergence in many comparisons. Our evolutionary simulations showed that the main factor determining differences in divergence among chromosomes of different sizes is the interplay of recombination rate and selection, with greater variation in larger populations than in smaller ones. In ancestral populations, shorter chromosomes harbor greater nucleotide diversity. As ancestral populations diverge, diversity present at the onset of the split contributes to greater sequence divergence in shorter chromosomes among daughter species. The combination of empirical data and evolutionary simulations revealed that chromosomal rearrangements, demography, and divergence times may also affect the relationship between chromosome size and divergence, thus deepening our understanding of the role of genome structure in the evolution of species divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tigano
- Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences DepartmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNH03824USA,Hubbard Center for Genome StudiesUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNH03824USA,Current address: Department of BiologyUniversity of British Columbia – Okanagan CampusKelownaBCV1 V 1V7Canada
| | - Ruqayya Khan
- The Center for Genome ArchitectureDepartment of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Arina D. Omer
- The Center for Genome ArchitectureDepartment of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
| | - David Weisz
- The Center for Genome ArchitectureDepartment of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- The Center for Genome ArchitectureDepartment of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA,Department of Computer ScienceDepartment of Computational and Applied MathematicsRice UniversityHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Asha S. Multani
- Department of GeneticsM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterUniversity of TexasHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Sen Pathak
- Department of GeneticsM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterUniversity of TexasHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Richard R. Behringer
- Department of GeneticsM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterUniversity of TexasHoustonTX77030USA
| | - Erez L. Aiden
- The Center for Genome ArchitectureDepartment of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTX77030USA,Department of Computer ScienceDepartment of Computational and Applied MathematicsRice UniversityHoustonTX77030USA,Center for Theoretical and Biological PhysicsRice UniversityHoustonTX77030USA,Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical StudiesShanghaiTech UniversityShanghai201210China,School of Agriculture and EnvironmentUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWA6009Australia
| | - Heidi Fisher
- Department of BiologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMD20742USA
| | - Matthew D. MacManes
- Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences DepartmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNH03824USA,Hubbard Center for Genome StudiesUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNH03824USA
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15
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Derežanin L, Blažytė A, Dobrynin P, Duchêne DA, Grau JH, Jeon S, Kliver S, Koepfli KP, Meneghini D, Preick M, Tomarovsky A, Totikov A, Fickel J, Förster DW. Multiple types of genomic variation contribute to adaptive traits in the mustelid subfamily Guloninae. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2898-2919. [PMID: 35334142 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Species of the mustelid subfamily Guloninae inhabit diverse habitats on multiple continents, and occupy a variety of ecological niches. They differ in feeding ecologies, reproductive strategies and morphological adaptations. To identify candidate loci associated with adaptations to their respective environments, we generated a de novo assembly of the tayra (Eira barbara), the earliest diverging species in the subfamily, and compared this with the genomes available for the wolverine (Gulo gulo) and the sable (Martes zibellina). Our comparative genomic analyses included searching for signs of positive selection, examining changes in gene family sizes, as well as searching for species-specific structural variants (SVs). Among candidate loci associated with phenotypic traits, we observed many related to diet, body condition and reproduction. For example, for the tayra, which has an atypical gulonine reproductive strategy of aseasonal breeding, we observe species-specific changes in many pregnancy-related genes. For the wolverine, a circumpolar hypercarnivore that must cope with seasonal food scarcity, we observed many changes in genes associated with diet and body condition. All types of genomic variation examined (single nucleotide polymorphisms, gene family expansions, structural variants) contributed substantially to the identification of candidate loci. This strongly argues for consideration of variation other than single nucleotide polymorphisms in comparative genomics studies aiming to identify loci of adaptive significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Derežanin
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW, Alfred Kowalke Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Asta Blažytė
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Pavel Dobrynin
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 49 Kronverkskiy Pr, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - David A Duchêne
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - José Horacio Grau
- amedes Genetics, amedes Medizinische Dienstleistungen GmbH, Jägerstr. 61, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sungwon Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.,Clinomics Inc, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Sergei Kliver
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS, 8/2 Acad. Lavrentiev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 49 Kronverkskiy Pr, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Dorina Meneghini
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW, Alfred Kowalke Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michaela Preick
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, OT, Germany
| | - Andrey Tomarovsky
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 49 Kronverkskiy Pr, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS, 8/2 Acad. Lavrentiev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogova str, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Azamat Totikov
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, 49 Kronverkskiy Pr, 197101, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS, 8/2 Acad. Lavrentiev Ave, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, 1 Pirogova str, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW, Alfred Kowalke Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, OT, Germany
| | - Daniel W Förster
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW, Alfred Kowalke Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Myakushko S. Shrinkage of body size in rodents as a strategy of populations under anthropogenic conditions (results of 50 years of study of rodent populations). THERIOLOGIA UKRAINICA 2021. [DOI: 10.15407/tu2214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on results of 50 years of continuous observations of populations of the pine vole (Microtus subterraneus de Selys-Longchamps, 1836) and yellow-necked wood mouse (Sylvaemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834), the phenomenon of reducing body size of individuals was revealed, particularly a significant reduction in body dimensions and body mass. The research was conducted at the Kaniv Nature Reserve covering various stages of the local ecosystem's existence under anthropogenic impact. Four cycles of density dynamics of two populations are chosen for comparison of their characteristics. The first three cycles correspond to qualitatively different periods in the existence of the protected ecosystem and populations of the studied species, whereas the last cycle reflects the current situation. It has been established that the tendency to decrease body dimensions is also characteristic for other rodent species, its manifestations are observed for 35 years, and the scale gradually increases. By fatness indexes, individuals of the pine vole on average lose 23.3% and yellow-necked wood mice lose 16.7% of the former values. It was shown that the level of reduce in exterior parameters is always greater in females than in males, and in the group of breeding adults it can reach 32%. It has been found that the phenomenon also applies to juveniles, whose fatness decreases by an average of 21%. The phenomenon occurs against the background of violations of various aspects of population dynamics, which allows it to be associated with anthropogenic changes in the environment. It is suggested that shrinking can be realized by various mechanisms. First, as a result of mortality, the largest individuals and reproductive females with their greatest energy needs fall out of the population, and, second, the growth and weight gain of young animals is slower. As a result, the decrease in external parameters of individuals reduces their specific energy needs and allows them to better survive under adverse conditions. From these points of view, reducing body dimensions can be considered as a specific population strategy to maintain ecological balance.
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17
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Colella JP, Blumstein DM, MacManes MD. Disentangling environmental drivers of circadian metabolism in desert-adapted mice. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb242529. [PMID: 34495305 PMCID: PMC8502254 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Metabolism is a complex phenotype shaped by natural environmental rhythms, as well as behavioral, morphological and physiological adaptations. Metabolism has been historically studied under constant environmental conditions, but new methods of continuous metabolic phenotyping now offer a window into organismal responses to dynamic environments, and enable identification of abiotic controls and the timing of physiological responses relative to environmental change. We used indirect calorimetry to characterize metabolic phenotypes of the desert-adapted cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus) in response to variable environmental conditions that mimic their native environment versus those recorded under constant warm and constant cool conditions, with a constant photoperiod and full access to resources. We found significant sexual dimorphism, with males being more prone to dehydration than females. Under circadian environmental variation, most metabolic shifts occurred prior to physical environmental change and the timing was disrupted under both constant treatments. The ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed (the respiratory quotient) reached greater than 1.0 only during the light phase under diurnally variable conditions, a pattern that strongly suggests that lipogenesis contributes to the production of energy and endogenous water. Our results are consistent with historical descriptions of circadian torpor in this species (torpid by day, active by night), but reject the hypothesis that torpor is initiated by food restriction or negative water balance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew D. MacManes
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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18
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Lichilín N, El Taher A, Böhne A. Sex-biased gene expression and recent sex chromosome turnover. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200107. [PMID: 34304591 PMCID: PMC8310714 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cichlids are well known for their propensity to radiate generating arrays of morphologically and ecologically diverse species in short evolutionary time. Following this rapid evolutionary pace, cichlids show high rates of sex chromosome turnover. We here studied the evolution of sex-biased gene (SBG) expression in 14 recently diverged taxa of the Lake Tanganyika Tropheini cichlids, which show different XY sex chromosomes. Across species, sex chromosome sequence divergence predates divergence in expression between the sexes. Only one sex chromosome, the oldest, showed signs of demasculinization in gene expression and potentially contribution to the resolution of sexual conflict. SBGs in general showed high rates of turnovers and evolved mostly under drift. Sexual selection did not shape the rapid evolutionary changes of SBGs. Male-biased genes evolved faster than female-biased genes, which seem to be under more phylogenetic constraint. We found a relationship between the degree of sex bias and sequence evolution driven by sequence differences among the sexes. Consistent with other species, strong sex bias towards sex-limited expression contributes to resolving sexual conflict in cichlids. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Lichilín
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Athimed El Taher
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Astrid Böhne
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany
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19
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Jiao H, Wang Q, Wang BJ, Li K, Lövy M, Nevo E, Li Q, Su W, Jiang P, Zhao H. Local adaptation of bitter taste and ecological speciation in a wild mammal. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:4562-4572. [PMID: 34240186 PMCID: PMC8476172 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory systems are attractive evolutionary models to address how organisms adapt to local environments that can cause ecological speciation. However, tests of these evolutionary models have focused on visual, auditory, and olfactory senses. Here, we show local adaptation of bitter taste receptor genes in two neighboring populations of a wild mammal—the blind mole rat Spalax galili—that show ecological speciation in divergent soil environments. We found that basalt-type bitter receptors showed higher response intensity and sensitivity compared with chalk-type ones using both genetic and cell-based functional analyses. Such functional changes could help animals adapted to basalt soil select plants with less bitterness from diverse local foods, whereas a weaker reception to bitter taste may allow consumption of a greater range of plants for animals inhabiting chalk soil with a scarcity of food supply. Our study shows divergent selection on food resources through local adaptation of bitter receptors, and suggests that taste plays an important yet underappreciated role in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengwu Jiao
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bing-Jun Wang
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kexin Li
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.,State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystem, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Matěj Lövy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Eviatar Nevo
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Qiyang Li
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Wenchuan Su
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peihua Jiang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Huabin Zhao
- Department of Ecology, Tibetan Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Wuhan University-Tibet University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.,Research Center for Ecology, College of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China
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20
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Alvira-Iraizoz F, Gillard BT, Lin P, Paterson A, Pauža AG, Ali MA, Alabsi AH, Burger PA, Hamadi N, Adem A, Murphy D, Greenwood MP. Multiomic analysis of the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) kidney reveals a role for cholesterol in water conservation. Commun Biol 2021; 4:779. [PMID: 34163009 PMCID: PMC8222267 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02327-3] [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] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) is the most important livestock animal in arid and semi-arid regions and provides basic necessities to millions of people. In the current context of climate change, there is renewed interest in the mechanisms that enable camelids to survive in arid conditions. Recent investigations described genomic signatures revealing evolutionary adaptations to desert environments. We now present a comprehensive catalogue of the transcriptomes and proteomes of the dromedary kidney and describe how gene expression is modulated as a consequence of chronic dehydration and acute rehydration. Our analyses suggested an enrichment of the cholesterol biosynthetic process and an overrepresentation of categories related to ion transport. Thus, we further validated differentially expressed genes with known roles in water conservation which are affected by changes in cholesterol levels. Our datasets suggest that suppression of cholesterol biosynthesis may facilitate water retention in the kidney by indirectly facilitating the AQP2-mediated water reabsorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Alvira-Iraizoz
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Benjamin T Gillard
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Panjiao Lin
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alex Paterson
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Audrys G Pauža
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Mahmoud A Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, AL Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar H Alabsi
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pamela A Burger
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Naserddine Hamadi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdu Adem
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, AL Ain, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - David Murphy
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael P Greenwood
- Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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21
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Tigano A, Jacobs A, Wilder AP, Nand A, Zhan Y, Dekker J, Therkildsen NO. Chromosome-Level Assembly of the Atlantic Silverside Genome Reveals Extreme Levels of Sequence Diversity and Structural Genetic Variation. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab098. [PMID: 33964136 PMCID: PMC8214408 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The levels and distribution of standing genetic variation in a genome can provide a wealth of insights about the adaptive potential, demographic history, and genome structure of a population or species. As structural variants are increasingly associated with traits important for adaptation and speciation, investigating both sequence and structural variation is essential for wholly tapping this potential. Using a combination of shotgun sequencing, 10x Genomics linked reads and proximity-ligation data (Chicago and Hi-C), we produced and annotated a chromosome-level genome assembly for the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia)-an established ecological model for studying the phenotypic effects of natural and artificial selection-and examined patterns of genomic variation across two individuals sampled from different populations with divergent local adaptations. Levels of diversity varied substantially across each chromosome, consistently being highly elevated near the ends (presumably near telomeric regions) and dipping to near zero around putative centromeres. Overall, our estimate of the genome-wide average heterozygosity in the Atlantic silverside is among the highest reported for a fish, or any vertebrate (1.32-1.76% depending on inference method and sample). Furthermore, we also found extreme levels of structural variation, affecting ∼23% of the total genome sequence, including multiple large inversions (> 1 Mb and up to 12.6 Mb) associated with previously identified haploblocks showing strong differentiation between locally adapted populations. These extreme levels of standing genetic variation are likely associated with large effective population sizes and may help explain the remarkable adaptive divergence among populations of the Atlantic silverside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tigano
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Arne Jacobs
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Aryn P Wilder
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California, USA
| | - Ankita Nand
- Program in Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ye Zhan
- Program in Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Job Dekker
- Program in Systems Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
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22
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Bittner NKJ, Mack KL, Nachman MW. Gene expression plasticity and desert adaptation in house mice. Evolution 2021; 75:1477-1491. [PMID: 33458812 PMCID: PMC8218737 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how organisms adapt to new environments is a key problem in evolution, yet it remains unclear whether phenotypic plasticity generally facilitates or hinders this process. Here we studied evolved and plastic responses to water-stress in lab-born descendants of wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) collected from desert and non-desert environments and measured gene expression and organismal phenotypes under control and water-stressed conditions. After many generations in the lab, desert mice consumed significantly less water than mice from other localities, indicating that this difference has a genetic basis. Under water-stress, desert mice maintained more weight than non-desert mice, and exhibited differences in blood chemistry related to osmoregulatory function. Gene expression in the kidney revealed evolved differences between mice from different environments as well as plastic responses between hydrated and dehydrated mice. Desert mice showed reduced expression plasticity under water-stress compared to non-desert mice. Importantly, non-desert mice under water-stress generally showed shifts toward desert-like expression, consistent with adaptive plasticity. Finally, we identify several co-expression modules linked to phenotypes of interest. These findings provide evidence for local adaptation after a recent invasion and suggest that adaptive plasticity may have facilitated colonization of the desert environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noëlle K J Bittner
- Deparment of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720
| | - Katya L Mack
- Deparment of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305
| | - Michael W Nachman
- Deparment of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720
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23
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Araya-Donoso R, San Juan E, Tamburrino Í, Lamborot M, Veloso C, Véliz D. Integrating genetics, physiology and morphology to study desert adaptation in a lizard species. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:1148-1162. [PMID: 34048024 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Integration of multiple approaches is key to understand the evolutionary processes of local adaptation and speciation. Reptiles have successfully colonized desert environments, that is, extreme and arid conditions that constitute a strong selective pressure on organisms. Here, we studied genomic, physiological and morphological variations of the lizard Liolaemus fuscus to detect adaptations to the Atacama Desert. By comparing populations of L. fuscus inhabiting the Atacama Desert with populations from the Mediterranean forests from central Chile, we aimed at characterizing features related to desert adaptation. We combined ddRAD sequencing with physiological (evaporative water loss, metabolic rate and selected temperature) and morphological (linear and geometric morphometrics) measurements. We integrated the genomic and phenotypic data using redundancy analyses. Results showed strong genetic divergence, along with a high number of fixed loci between desert and forest populations. Analyses detected 110 fixed and 30 outlier loci located within genes, from which 43 were in coding regions, and 12 presented non-synonymous mutations. The candidate genes were associated with cellular membrane and development. Desert lizards presented lower evaporative water loss than those from the forest. Morphological data showed that desert lizards had smaller body size, different allometry, larger eyeballs and more dorsoventrally compressed heads. Our results suggest incipient speciation between desert and forest populations. The adaptive signal must be cautiously interpreted since genetic drift could also contribute to the divergence pattern. Nonetheless, we propose water and resource availability, and changes in habitat structure, as the most relevant challenges for desert reptiles. This study provides insights of the mechanisms that allow speciation as well as desert adaptation in reptiles at multiple levels, and highlights the benefit of integrating independent evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Araya-Donoso
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Núcleo Milenio de Ecología y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceánicas (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Esteban San Juan
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ítalo Tamburrino
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Madeleine Lamborot
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio Veloso
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Véliz
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Núcleo Milenio de Ecología y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceánicas (ESMOI), Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
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24
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Colella JP, Tigano A, Dudchenko O, Omer AD, Khan R, Bochkov ID, Aiden EL, MacManes MD. Limited Evidence for Parallel Evolution Among Desert-Adapted Peromyscus Deer Mice. J Hered 2021; 112:286-302. [PMID: 33686424 PMCID: PMC8141686 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Warming climate and increasing desertification urge the identification of genes involved in heat and dehydration tolerance to better inform and target biodiversity conservation efforts. Comparisons among extant desert-adapted species can highlight parallel or convergent patterns of genome evolution through the identification of shared signatures of selection. We generate a chromosome-level genome assembly for the canyon mouse (Peromyscus crinitus) and test for a signature of parallel evolution by comparing signatures of selective sweeps across population-level genomic resequencing data from another congeneric desert specialist (Peromyscus eremicus) and a widely distributed habitat generalist (Peromyscus maniculatus), that may be locally adapted to arid conditions. We identify few shared candidate loci involved in desert adaptation and do not find support for a shared pattern of parallel evolution. Instead, we hypothesize divergent molecular mechanisms of desert adaptation among deer mice, potentially tied to species-specific historical demography, which may limit or enhance adaptation. We identify a number of candidate loci experiencing selective sweeps in the P. crinitus genome that are implicated in osmoregulation (Trypsin, Prostasin) and metabolic tuning (Kallikrein, eIF2-alpha kinase GCN2, APPL1/2), which may be important for accommodating hot and dry environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn P Colella
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.,Hubbard Genome Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.,Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - Anna Tigano
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.,Hubbard Genome Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Center for Theoretical and Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX.,Department of Computer Science, Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University, Houston, TX
| | - Arina D Omer
- Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Ruqayya Khan
- Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Department of Computer Science, Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University, Houston, TX
| | - Ivan D Bochkov
- Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Department of Computer Science, Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University, Houston, TX
| | - Erez L Aiden
- Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Center for Theoretical and Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX.,Department of Computer Science, Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University, Houston, TX.,Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.,School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.,Hubbard Genome Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
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25
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Roycroft E, Achmadi A, Callahan CM, Esselstyn JA, Good JM, Moussalli A, Rowe KC. Molecular Evolution of Ecological Specialisation: Genomic Insights from the Diversification of Murine Rodents. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6275684. [PMID: 33988699 PMCID: PMC8258016 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive radiations are characterized by the diversification and ecological differentiation of species, and replicated cases of this process provide natural experiments for understanding the repeatability and pace of molecular evolution. During adaptive radiation, genes related to ecological specialization may be subject to recurrent positive directional selection. However, it is not clear to what extent patterns of lineage-specific ecological specialization (including phenotypic convergence) are correlated with shared signatures of molecular evolution. To test this, we sequenced whole exomes from a phylogenetically dispersed sample of 38 murine rodent species, a group characterized by multiple, nested adaptive radiations comprising extensive ecological and phenotypic diversity. We found that genes associated with immunity, reproduction, diet, digestion, and taste have been subject to pervasive positive selection during the diversification of murine rodents. We also found a significant correlation between genome-wide positive selection and dietary specialization, with a higher proportion of positively selected codon sites in derived dietary forms (i.e., carnivores and herbivores) than in ancestral forms (i.e., omnivores). Despite striking convergent evolution of skull morphology and dentition in two distantly related worm-eating specialists, we did not detect more genes with shared signatures of positive or relaxed selection than in a nonconvergent species comparison. Although a small number of the genes we detected can be incidentally linked to craniofacial morphology or diet, protein-coding regions are unlikely to be the primary genetic basis of this complex convergent phenotype. Our results suggest a link between positive selection and derived ecological phenotypes, and highlight specific genes and general functional categories that may have played an integral role in the extensive and rapid diversification of murine rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Roycroft
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Anang Achmadi
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Cibinong, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
| | - Colin M Callahan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Jacob A Esselstyn
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA.,Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Adnan Moussalli
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kevin C Rowe
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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26
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Rocha JL, Godinho R, Brito JC, Nielsen R. Life in Deserts: The Genetic Basis of Mammalian Desert Adaptation. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:637-650. [PMID: 33863602 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Deserts are among the harshest environments on Earth. The multiple ages of different deserts and their global distribution provide a unique opportunity to study repeated adaptation at different timescales. Here, we summarize recent genomic research on the genetic mechanisms underlying desert adaptations in mammals. Several studies on different desert mammals show large overlap in functional classes of genes and pathways, consistent with the complexity and variety of phenotypes associated with desert adaptation to water and food scarcity and extreme temperatures. However, studies of desert adaptation are also challenged by a lack of accurate genotype-phenotype-environment maps. We encourage development of systems that facilitate functional analyses, but also acknowledge the need for more studies on a wider variety of desert mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana L Rocha
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Raquel Godinho
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 534, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - José C Brito
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Statistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94820, USA; Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-1165 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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27
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Compromised Function of the Pancreatic Transcription Factor PDX1 in a Lineage of Desert Rodents. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09544-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGerbils are a subfamily of rodents living in arid regions of Asia and Africa. Recent studies have shown that several gerbil species have unusual amino acid changes in the PDX1 protein, a homeodomain transcription factor essential for pancreatic development and β-cell function. These changes were linked to strong GC-bias in the genome that may be caused by GC-biased gene conversion, and it has been hypothesized that this caused accumulation of deleterious changes. Here we use two approaches to examine if the unusual changes are adaptive or deleterious. First, we compare PDX1 protein sequences between 38 rodents to test for association with habitat. We show the PDX1 homeodomain is almost totally conserved in rodents, apart from gerbils, regardless of habitat. Second, we use ectopic gene overexpression and gene editing in cell culture to compare functional properties of PDX1 proteins. We show that the divergent gerbil PDX1 protein inefficiently binds an insulin gene promoter and ineffectively regulates insulin expression in response to high glucose in rat cells. The protein has, however, retained the ability to regulate some other β-cell genes. We suggest that during the evolution of gerbils, the selection-blind process of biased gene conversion pushed fixation of mutations adversely affecting function of a normally conserved homeodomain protein. We argue these changes were not entirely adaptive and may be associated with metabolic disorders in gerbil species on high carbohydrate diets. This unusual pattern of molecular evolution could have had a constraining effect on habitat and diet choice in the gerbil lineage.
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28
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Guevara EE, Webster TH, Lawler RR, Bradley BJ, Greene LK, Ranaivonasy J, Ratsirarson J, Harris RA, Liu Y, Murali S, Raveendran M, Hughes DST, Muzny DM, Yoder AD, Worley KC, Rogers J. Comparative genomic analysis of sifakas ( Propithecus) reveals selection for folivory and high heterozygosity despite endangered status. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/17/eabd2274. [PMID: 33893095 PMCID: PMC8064638 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd2274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Sifakas (genus Propithecus) are critically endangered, large-bodied diurnal lemurs that eat leaf-based diets and show corresponding anatomical and microbial adaptations to folivory. We report on the genome assembly of Coquerel's sifaka (P. coquereli) and the resequenced genomes of Verreaux's (P. verreauxi), the golden-crowned (P. tattersalli), and the diademed (P. diadema) sifakas. We find high heterozygosity in all sifakas compared with other primates and endangered mammals. Demographic reconstructions nevertheless suggest declines in effective population size beginning before human arrival on Madagascar. Comparative genomic analyses indicate pervasive accelerated evolution in the ancestral sifaka lineage affecting genes in several complementary pathways relevant to folivory, including nutrient absorption and xenobiotic and fatty acid metabolism. Sifakas show convergent evolution at the level of the pathway, gene family, gene, and amino acid substitution with other folivores. Although sifakas have relatively generalized diets, the physiological challenges of habitual folivory likely led to strong selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine E Guevara
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Timothy H Webster
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Richard R Lawler
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Brenda J Bradley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Lydia K Greene
- Duke Lemur Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0338, USA
| | - Jeannin Ranaivonasy
- Département Agroécologie, Biodiversité et Changement Climatique, ESSA, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Joelisoa Ratsirarson
- Département Agroécologie, Biodiversité et Changement Climatique, ESSA, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - R Alan Harris
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yue Liu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shwetha Murali
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Muthuswamy Raveendran
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Donna M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anne D Yoder
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0338, USA
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, USA
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29
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Colella JP, Tigano A, MacManes MD. A linked-read approach to museomics: Higher quality de novo genome assemblies from degraded tissues. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 20:856-870. [PMID: 32153100 PMCID: PMC7496956 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing technologies are a proposed solution for accessing the molecular data in historical specimens. However, degraded DNA combined with the computational demands of short-read assemblies has posed significant laboratory and bioinformatics challenges for de novo genome assembly. Linked-read or "synthetic long-read" sequencing technologies, such as 10× Genomics, may provide a cost-effective alternative solution to assemble higher quality de novo genomes from degraded tissue samples. Here, we compare assembly quality (e.g., genome contiguity and completeness, presence of orthogroups) between four new deer mouse (Peromyscus spp.) genomes assembled using linked-read technology and four published genomes assembled from a single shotgun library. At a similar price-point, these approaches produce vastly different assemblies, with linked-read assemblies having overall higher contiguity and completeness, measured by larger N50 values and greater number of genes assembled, respectively. As a proof-of-concept, we used annotated genes from the four Peromyscus linked-read assemblies and eight additional rodent taxa to generate a phylogeny, which reconstructed the expected relationships among species with 100% support. Although not without caveats, our results suggest that linked-read sequencing approaches are a viable option to build de novo genomes from degraded tissues, which may prove particularly valuable for taxa that are extinct, rare or difficult to collect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn P Colella
- Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Anna Tigano
- Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences Department, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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30
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Mérot C, Oomen RA, Tigano A, Wellenreuther M. A Roadmap for Understanding the Evolutionary Significance of Structural Genomic Variation. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:561-572. [PMID: 32521241 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Structural genomic variants (SVs) are ubiquitous and play a major role in adaptation and speciation. Yet, comparative and population genomics have focused predominantly on gene duplications and large-effect inversions. The lack of a common framework for studying all SVs is hampering progress towards a more systematic assessment of their evolutionary significance. Here we (i) review how different types of SVs affect ecological and evolutionary processes; (ii) suggest unifying definitions and recommendations for future studies; and (iii) provide a roadmap for the integration of SVs in ecoevolutionary studies. In doing so, we lay the foundation for population genomics, theoretical, and experimental approaches to understand how the full spectrum of SVs impacts ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Mérot
- Université Laval, Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine, G1V 0A6, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Rebekah A Oomen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Universitetsveien 25, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway.
| | - Anna Tigano
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA; Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Nelson, New Zealand.
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31
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Tigano A, Colella JP, MacManes MD. Comparative and population genomics approaches reveal the basis of adaptation to deserts in a small rodent. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1300-1314. [PMID: 32130752 PMCID: PMC7204510 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Organisms that live in deserts offer the opportunity to investigate how species adapt to environmental conditions that are lethal to most plants and animals. In the hot deserts of North America, high temperatures and lack of water are conspicuous challenges for organisms living there. The cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus) displays several adaptations to these conditions, including low metabolic rate, heat tolerance, and the ability to maintain homeostasis under extreme dehydration. To investigate the genomic basis of desert adaptation in cactus mice, we built a chromosome‐level genome assembly and resequenced 26 additional cactus mouse genomes from two locations in southern California (USA). Using these data, we integrated comparative, population, and functional genomic approaches. We identified 16 gene families exhibiting significant contractions or expansions in the cactus mouse compared to 17 other Myodontine rodent genomes, and found 232 sites across the genome associated with selective sweeps. Functional annotations of candidate gene families and selective sweeps revealed a pervasive signature of selection at genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of proteins, consistent with the evolution of cellular mechanisms to cope with protein denaturation caused by thermal and hyperosmotic stress. Other strong candidate genes included receptors for bitter taste, suggesting a dietary shift towards chemically defended desert plants and insects, and a growth factor involved in lipid metabolism, potentially involved in prevention of dehydration. Understanding how species adapted to deserts will provide an important foundation for predicting future evolutionary responses to increasing temperatures, droughts and desertification in the cactus mouse and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tigano
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Jocelyn P Colella
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.,Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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