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Brown FD, Ishengoma E, Mayer G, Pabón-Mora N, Santos ME, Sears KE, de Sena Oliveira I. Uncovering developmental diversity in the field. Development 2024; 151:dev203084. [PMID: 39158021 DOI: 10.1242/dev.203084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Many developmental biologists seldom leave the lab for research, relying instead on establishing colonies of traditional and emerging model systems. However, to fully understand the mechanisms and principles of development and evolution, including the role of ecology and the environment, it is important to study a diverse range of organisms in context. In this Perspective, we hear from five research teams from around the world about the importance and challenges of going into the field to study their organisms of interest. We also invite you to share your own fieldwork stories on the Node.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico D Brown
- Departamento de Zoologia - Instituto Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil
- Prometeo-Senescyt Program, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090902, Ecuador
- Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMar), Universidade de São Paulo, 11612-109, São Sebastião, Brazil
| | - Edson Ishengoma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Georg Mayer
- Department of Zoology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Natalia Pabón-Mora
- Universidad de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Grupo Evo-Devo en Plantas, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095, USA
| | - Ivo de Sena Oliveira
- Department of Zoology, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
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2
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Bucklow CV, Genner MJ, Turner GF, Maclaine J, Benson R, Verd B. A whole-body micro-CT scan library that captures the skeletal diversity of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Sci Data 2024; 11:984. [PMID: 39256465 PMCID: PMC11387623 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Here we describe a dataset of freely available, readily processed, whole-body μCT-scans of 56 species (116 specimens) of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes that captures a considerable majority of the morphological variation present in this remarkable adaptive radiation. We contextualise the scanned specimens within a discussion of their respective ecomorphological groupings and suggest possible macroevolutionary studies that could be conducted with these data. In addition, we describe a methodology to efficiently μCT-scan (on average) 23 specimens per hour, limiting scanning time and alleviating the financial cost whilst maintaining high resolution. We demonstrate the utility of this method by reconstructing 3D models of multiple bones from multiple specimens within the dataset. We hope this dataset will enable further morphological study of this fascinating system and permit wider-scale comparisons with other cichlid adaptive radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum V Bucklow
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, OX1 3SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- University of Oxford, Department of Earth Sciences, OX1 3AN, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J Genner
- University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - George F Turner
- Bangor University, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor, LL57 2UR, United Kingdom
| | | | - Roger Benson
- University of Oxford, Department of Earth Sciences, OX1 3AN, Oxford, United Kingdom.
- American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Berta Verd
- University of Oxford, Department of Biology, OX1 3SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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3
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Catalán A, Gygax D, Rodríguez-Montes L, Hinzke T, Hoff KJ, Duchen P. Two novel genomes of fireflies with different degrees of sexual dimorphism reveal insights into sex-biased gene expression and dosage compensation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:906. [PMID: 39068254 PMCID: PMC11283472 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism arises because of divergent fitness optima between the sexes. Phenotypic divergence between sexes can range from mild to extreme. Fireflies, bioluminescent beetles, present various degrees of sexual dimorphism, with species showing very mild sexual dimorphism to species presenting female-specific neoteny, posing a unique framework to investigate the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits across species. In this work, we present novel assembled genomes of two firefly species, Lamprohiza splendidula and Luciola italica, species with different degrees of sexual dimorphism. We uncover high synteny conservation of the X-chromosome across ~ 180 Mya and find full X-chromosome dosage compensation in our two fireflies, hinting at common mechanism upregulating the single male X-chromosome. Different degrees of sex-biased expressed genes were found across two body parts showing different proportions of expression conservation between species. Interestingly, we do not find X-chromosome enrichment of sex-biased genes, but retrieve autosomal enrichment of sex-biased genes. We further uncover higher nucleotide diversity in the intronic regions of sex-biased genes, hinting at a maintenance of heterozygosity through sexual selection. We identify different levels of sex-biased gene expression divergence including a set of genes showing conserved sex-biased gene expression between species. Divergent and conserved sex-biased genes are good candidates to test their role in the maintenance of sexually dimorphic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catalán
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Großhaderner Straße 2, Planegg-Martinsried, Bavaria, 82152, Germany.
| | - Daniel Gygax
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Großhaderner Straße 2, Planegg-Martinsried, Bavaria, 82152, Germany
- Helmholtz Center Munich, Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, Munich, Oberschleißheim, 85764, Germany
| | - Leticia Rodríguez-Montes
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tjorven Hinzke
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Pathogen Evolution, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Katharina J Hoff
- University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Pablo Duchen
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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Brandon AA, Michael C, Carmona Baez A, Moore EC, Ciccotto PJ, Roberts NB, Roberts RB, Powder KE. Distinct genetic origins of eumelanin levels and barring patterns in cichlid fishes. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306614. [PMID: 38976656 PMCID: PMC11230561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pigment patterns are incredibly diverse across vertebrates and are shaped by multiple selective pressures from predator avoidance to mate choice. A common pattern across fishes, but for which we know little about the underlying mechanisms, is repeated melanic vertical bars. To understand the genetic factors that modify the level or pattern of vertical barring, we generated a genetic cross of 322 F2 hybrids between two cichlid species with distinct barring patterns, Aulonocara koningsi and Metriaclima mbenjii. We identify 48 significant quantitative trait loci that underlie a series of seven phenotypes related to the relative pigmentation intensity, and four traits related to patterning of the vertical bars. We find that genomic regions that generate variation in the level of eumelanin produced are largely independent of those that control the spacing of vertical bars. Candidate genes within these intervals include novel genes and those newly-associated with vertical bars, which could affect melanophore survival, fate decisions, pigment biosynthesis, and pigment distribution. Together, this work provides insights into the regulation of pigment diversity, with direct implications for an animal's fitness and the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Allyson Brandon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Cassia Michael
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Aldo Carmona Baez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Emily C. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Patrick J. Ciccotto
- Department of Biology, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Natalie B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Reade B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kara E. Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
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Tang S, Janpoom S, Prasertlux S, Rongmung P, Ittarat W, Ratdee O, Khamnamtong B, Klinbunga S. Identification of pigmentation genes in skin, muscle and tail of a Thai-flag variety of Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 50:101243. [PMID: 38749208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
Pigmentation genes expressed in skin, body muscle and tail of Thai-flag compared with Blue, White and Red varieties of Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens were identified. In total, 22,919 new unigenes were found. Pearson correlation and PCA analysis revealed that expression profiles of genes in muscle, skin and tail across solid color variety were similar. In contrast, those in skin and red tail part of Thai-flag were closely related but they showed different expression profiles with the white tail part. Moreover, 21,347-64,965 SNPs were identified in exonic regions of identified genes. In total, 28,899 genes were differentially expressed between paired comparisons of libraries where 13,907 genes (48.12 %) were upregulated and 14,992 genes (51.88 %) were downregulated. DEGs between paired libraries were 106-5775 genes relative to the compared libraries (56-2982 and 50-2782 for upregulated and downregulated DEGs). Interestingly, 432 pigmentation genes of B. splendens were found. Of these, 297 DEGs showed differential expression between varieties. Many DEGs in melanogenesis (Bsmcr1r, Bsmcr5r, and Bsslc2a15b), tyrosine metabolism (Bstyr, Bstyrp1b and Bsdct), stripe repressor (BsAsip1 and BsAsip2b), pteridine (Bsgch2) and carotenoid (BsBco2) biosynthesis were downregulated in the Thai-flag compared with solid color varieties. Expression of Bsbco1l, Bsfrem2b, Bskcnj13, Bszic2a and Bspah in skin, muscle and tail of Thai-flag, Blue, Red and White varieties was analyzed by qRT-PCR and revealed differential expression between fish varieties and showed anatomical tissue-preferred expression patterns in the same fish variety. The information could be applied to assist genetic-based development of new B. splendens varieties in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sureerat Tang
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirithorn Janpoom
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirikan Prasertlux
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Puttawan Rongmung
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Wanwipa Ittarat
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Onchuda Ratdee
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Bavornlak Khamnamtong
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirawut Klinbunga
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
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Clark B, Hickey A, Marconi A, Fischer B, Elkin J, Mateus R, Santos ME. Developmental plasticity and variability in the formation of egg-spots, a pigmentation ornament in the cichlid Astatotilapia calliptera. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12475. [PMID: 38555511 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12475] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Vertebrate pigmentation patterns are highly diverse, yet we have a limited understanding of how evolutionary changes to genetic, cellular, and developmental mechanisms generate variation. To address this, we examine the formation of a sexually-selected male ornament exhibiting inter- and intraspecific variation, the egg-spot pattern, consisting of circular yellow-orange markings on the male anal fins of haplochromine cichlid fishes. We focus on Astatotilapia calliptera, the ancestor-type species of the Malawi cichlid adaptive radiation of over 850 species. We identify a key role for iridophores in initializing egg-spot aggregations composed of iridophore-xanthophore associations. Despite adult sexual dimorphism, aggregations initially form in both males and females, with development only diverging between the sexes at later stages. Unexpectedly, we found that the timing of egg-spot initialization is plastic. The earlier individuals are socially isolated, the earlier the aggregations form, with iridophores being the cell type that responds to changes to the social environment. Furthermore, we observe apparent competitive interactions between adjacent egg-spot aggregations, which strongly suggests that egg-spot patterning results mostly from cell-autonomous cellular interactions. Together, these results demonstrate that A. calliptera egg-spot development is an exciting model for investigating pigment pattern formation at the cellular level in a system with developmental plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and intraspecific variation. As A. calliptera represents the ancestral bauplan for egg-spots, these findings provide a baseline for informed comparisons across the incredibly diverse Malawi cichlid radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Clark
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Aaron Hickey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Bettina Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joel Elkin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rita Mateus
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Jan K, Ahmed I, Dar NA, Farah MA, Khan FR, Shah BA. Towards a comprehensive understanding of the muscle proteome in Schizothorax labiatus: Insights from seasonal variations, metabolic responses, and reproductive signatures in the River Jhelum. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170840. [PMID: 38340828 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Proteomics is a very advanced technique used for defining correlations, compositions and activities of hundreds of proteins from organisms as well as effectively used in identifying particular proteins with varying peptide lengths and amino acid counts. In the present study, an endeavour has been put forth to create muscle proteome expression of snow trout, Schizothorax labiatus. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) using label free quantification (LFQ) technique has extensively been carried out to explore changes in protein metabolism and its composition to discriminate across species, clarify functions and pinpoint protein biomarkers from organisms. In LFQ technique, the abundances of proteins are determined based on the signal intensities of their corresponding peptides in mass spectrometry. The main benefit of using this method is that it doesn't require pre-labelling proteins with isotopic tags, which streamlines the experimental procedure and gets rid of any bias that might have been caused by the labelling process. LFQ techniques frequently offer a wider dynamic range, making it possible to detect and quantify proteins over a broad range of abundances obtained from the complex biological materials including fish muscle. The results of proteomic analysis could provide an insight in understanding about how various proteins are expressed in response to environmental challenges. For proteomic study, two different weight groups of S. labiatus were taken from River Jhelum based on biological, physiological and logistical factors. These groups corresponded to different life stages, such as younger size and adults/brooders in order to capture potential variations in the muscle proteome related to growth and development. The proteomic analysis of S. labiatus depicted that an overall of 220 proteins in male and 228 in female fish of group 1 were noted. However, when male and female S. labiatus were examined based on spectral count and peptide abundance using ProteinLynx Global Software, a total of 10 downregulated and 32 upregulated proteins were found. In group 2 of S. labiatus, a total of 249 proteins in male and 301 in female fish were documented. When the two genders of S. labiatus were likened to one another by LFQ technique, a total of 41 downregulated and 06 upregulated proteins were identified. The variability in the protein numbers between two fish weight groups reflected biological differences, influenced by factors such as age, developmental stages, physiological condition and reproductive activities. During the study, it was observed that S. labiatus exhibited downregulated levels of proteins that were involved in feeding and growth. The contributing factors to this manifestation could be explained by lower feeding and metabolic activity of fish and decreased food availability during winter in River Jhelum. Contrarily, the fish immune response proteins were found to be significantly over-expressed in S. labiatus, indicating that the environment was more likely to undergo increased microbial infection, pollution load and anthropogenic activities. In addition, it was also discovered that there was an upregulated expression of the reproductive proteins in S. labiatus, which could be linked to the fish's pre-spawning time as the fish used in this study was collected in the winter season which is the pre-spawning period of the fish. Therefore, the present study would be useful in obtaining new insights regarding the molecular makeup of species, methods of adaptation and reactions to environmental stresses. This information contributes to our understanding of basic science and may have applications in environmental monitoring, conservation and preservation of fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kousar Jan
- Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, India
| | - Imtiaz Ahmed
- Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, India.
| | - Nazir Ahmad Dar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, India
| | - Mohammad Abul Farah
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatin Raza Khan
- Departmentof Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Basit Amin Shah
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, India
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8
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Recknagel H, Leitão HG, Elmer KR. Genetic basis and expression of ventral colour in polymorphic common lizards. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17278. [PMID: 38268086 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17278] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Colour is an important visual cue that can correlate with sex, behaviour, life history or ecological strategies, and has evolved divergently and convergently across animal lineages. Its genetic basis in non-model organisms is rarely known, but such information is vital for determining the drivers and mechanisms of colour evolution. Leveraging genetic admixture in a rare contact zone between oviparous and viviparous common lizards (Zootoca vivipara), we show that females (N = 558) of the two otherwise morphologically indistinguishable reproductive modes differ in their ventral colouration (from pale to vibrant yellow) and intensity of melanic patterning. We find no association between female colouration and reproductive investment, and no evidence for selection on colour. Using a combination of genetic mapping and transcriptomic evidence, we identified two candidate genes associated with ventral colour differentiation, DGAT2 and PMEL. These are genes known to be involved in carotenoid metabolism and melanin synthesis respectively. Ventral melanic spots were associated with two genomic regions, including a SNP close to protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) genes. Using genome re-sequencing data, our results show that fixed coding mutations in the candidate genes cannot account for differences in colouration. Taken together, our findings show that the evolution of ventral colouration and its associations across common lizard lineages is variable. A potential genetic mechanism explaining the flexibility of ventral colouration may be that colouration in common lizards, but also across squamates, is predominantly driven by regulatory genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Recknagel
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Henrique G Leitão
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kathryn R Elmer
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Weller HI, Hiller AE, Lord NP, Van Belleghem SM. recolorize: An R package for flexible colour segmentation of biological images. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14378. [PMID: 38361466 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Colour pattern variation provides biological information in fields ranging from disease ecology to speciation dynamics. Comparing colour pattern geometries across images requires colour segmentation, where pixels in an image are assigned to one of a set of colour classes shared by all images. Manual methods for colour segmentation are slow and subjective, while automated methods can struggle with high technical variation in aggregate image sets. We present recolorize, an R package toolbox for human-subjective colour segmentation with functions for batch-processing low-variation image sets and additional tools for handling images from diverse (high-variation) sources. The package also includes export options for a variety of formats and colour analysis packages. This paper illustrates recolorize for three example datasets, including high variation, batch processing and combining with reflectance spectra, and demonstrates the downstream use of methods that rely on this output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah I Weller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna E Hiller
- Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Nathan P Lord
- Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
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10
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Twomey E, Melo-Sampaio P, Schulte LM, Bossuyt F, Brown JL, Castroviejo-Fisher S. Multiple Routes to Color Convergence in a Radiation of Neotropical Poison Frogs. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1247-1261. [PMID: 37561391 PMCID: PMC10924724 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution is defined as the independent evolution of similar phenotypes in different lineages. Its existence underscores the importance of external selection pressures in evolutionary history, revealing how functionally similar adaptations can evolve in response to persistent ecological challenges through a diversity of evolutionary routes. However, many examples of convergence, particularly among closely related species, involve parallel changes in the same genes or developmental pathways, raising the possibility that homology at deeper mechanistic levels is an important facilitator of phenotypic convergence. Using the genus Ranitomeya, a young, color-diverse radiation of Neotropical poison frogs, we set out to 1) provide a phylogenetic framework for this group, 2) leverage this framework to determine if color phenotypes are convergent, and 3) to characterize the underlying coloration mechanisms to test whether color convergence occurred through the same or different physical mechanisms. We generated a phylogeny for Ranitomeya using ultraconserved elements and investigated the physical mechanisms underlying bright coloration, focusing on skin pigments. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we identified several instances of color convergence, involving several gains and losses of carotenoid and pterin pigments. We also found a compelling example of nonparallel convergence, where, in one lineage, red coloration evolved through the red pterin pigment drosopterin, and in another lineage through red ketocarotenoids. Additionally, in another lineage, "reddish" coloration evolved predominantly through structural color mechanisms. Our study demonstrates that, even within a radiation of closely related species, convergent evolution can occur through both parallel and nonparallel mechanisms, challenging the assumption that similar phenotypes among close relatives evolve through the same mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Paulo Melo-Sampaio
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, R. Gen. Herculano Gomes 41, Rio de Janeiro 20941-360, Brazil
| | - Lisa M Schulte
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Franky Bossuyt
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Jason L Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
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11
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Abstract
Vertebrates exhibit a wide range of color patterns, which play critical roles in mediating intra- and interspecific communication. Because of their diversity and visual accessibility, color patterns offer a unique and fascinating window into the processes underlying biological organization. In this review, we focus on describing many of the general principles governing the formation and evolution of color patterns in different vertebrate groups. We characterize the types of patterns, review the molecular and developmental mechanisms by which they originate, and discuss their role in constraining or facilitating evolutionary change. Lastly, we outline outstanding questions in the field and discuss different approaches that can be used to address them. Overall, we provide a unifying conceptual framework among vertebrate systems that may guide research into naturally evolved mechanisms underlying color pattern formation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo Mallarino
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA;
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12
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Robinson CD, Hale MD, Wittman TN, Cox CL, John-Alder HB, Cox RM. Species differences in hormonally mediated gene expression underlie the evolutionary loss of sexually dimorphic coloration in Sceloporus lizards. J Hered 2023; 114:637-653. [PMID: 37498153 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic sexual dimorphism often involves the hormonal regulation of sex-biased expression for underlying genes. However, it is generally unknown whether the evolution of hormonally mediated sexual dimorphism occurs through upstream changes in tissue sensitivity to hormone signals, downstream changes in responsiveness of target genes, or both. Here, we use comparative transcriptomics to explore these possibilities in 2 species of Sceloporus lizards exhibiting different patterns of sexual dichromatism. Sexually dimorphic S. undulatus develops blue and black ventral coloration in response to testosterone, while sexually monomorphic S. virgatus does not, despite exhibiting similar sex differences in circulating testosterone levels. We administered testosterone implants to juveniles of each species and used RNAseq to quantify gene expression in ventral skin. Transcriptome-wide responses to testosterone were stronger in S. undulatus than in S. virgatus, suggesting species differences in tissue sensitivity to this hormone signal. Species differences in the expression of genes for androgen metabolism and sex hormone-binding globulin were consistent with this idea, but expression of the androgen receptor gene was higher in S. virgatus, complicating this interpretation. Downstream of androgen signaling, we found clear species differences in hormonal responsiveness of genes related to melanin synthesis, which were upregulated by testosterone in S. undulatus, but not in S. virgatus. Collectively, our results indicate that hormonal regulation of melanin synthesis pathways contributes to the development of sexual dimorphism in S. undulatus, and that changes in the hormonal responsiveness of these genes in S. virgatus contribute to the evolutionary loss of ventral coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew D Hale
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tyler N Wittman
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Christian L Cox
- Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Henry B John-Alder
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Robert M Cox
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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13
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Clark B, Kuwalekar M, Fischer B, Woltering J, Biran J, Juntti S, Kratochwil CF, Santos ME, Almeida MV. Genome editing in East African cichlids and tilapias: state-of-the-art and future directions. Open Biol 2023; 13:230257. [PMID: 38018094 PMCID: PMC10685126 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
African cichlid fishes of the Cichlidae family are a group of teleosts important for aquaculture and research. A thriving research community is particularly interested in the cichlid radiations of the East African Great Lakes. One key goal is to pinpoint genetic variation underlying phenotypic diversification, but the lack of genetic tools has precluded thorough dissection of the genetic basis of relevant traits in cichlids. Genome editing technologies are well established in teleost models like zebrafish and medaka. However, this is not the case for emerging model organisms, such as East African cichlids, where these technologies remain inaccessible to most laboratories, due in part to limited exchange of knowledge and expertise. The Cichlid Science 2022 meeting (Cambridge, UK) hosted for the first time a Genome Editing Workshop, where the community discussed recent advances in genome editing, with an emphasis on CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. Based on the workshop findings and discussions, in this review we define the state-of-the-art of cichlid genome editing, share resources and protocols, and propose new possible avenues to further expand the cichlid genome editing toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Clark
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Muktai Kuwalekar
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
| | - Bettina Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joost Woltering
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg 78457, Germany
| | - Jakob Biran
- Department of Poultry and Aquaculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion, Israel
| | - Scott Juntti
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
| | | | - Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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14
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Brien MN, Orteu A, Yen EC, Galarza JA, Kirvesoja J, Pakkanen H, Wakamatsu K, Jiggins CD, Mappes J. Colour polymorphism associated with a gene duplication in male wood tiger moths. eLife 2023; 12:e80116. [PMID: 37902626 PMCID: PMC10635649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour is often used as an aposematic warning signal, with predator learning expected to lead to a single colour pattern within a population. However, there are many puzzling cases where aposematic signals are also polymorphic. The wood tiger moth, Arctia plantaginis, displays bright hindwing colours associated with unpalatability, and males have discrete colour morphs which vary in frequency between localities. In Finland, both white and yellow morphs can be found, and these colour morphs also differ in behavioural and life-history traits. Here, we show that male colour is linked to an extra copy of a yellow family gene that is only present in the white morphs. This white-specific duplication, which we name valkea, is highly upregulated during wing development. CRISPR targeting valkea resulted in editing of both valkea and its paralog, yellow-e, and led to the production of yellow wings. We also characterise the pigments responsible for yellow, white, and black colouration, showing that yellow is partly produced by pheomelanins, while black is dopamine-derived eumelanin. Our results add to a growing number of studies on the genetic architecture of complex and seemingly paradoxical polymorphisms, and the role of gene duplications and structural variation in adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie N Brien
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Anna Orteu
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Eugenie C Yen
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Juan A Galarza
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Jimi Kirvesoja
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Hannu Pakkanen
- Department of Chemistry, University of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | | | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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15
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Cerca J. Understanding natural selection and similarity: Convergent, parallel and repeated evolution. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5451-5462. [PMID: 37724599 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Parallel and convergent evolution offer some of the most compelling evidence for the significance of natural selection in evolution, as the emergence of similar adaptive solutions is unlikely to occur by random chance alone. However, these terms are often employed inconsistently, leading to misinterpretation and confusion, and recently proposed definitions have unintentionally diminished the emphasis on the evolution of similar adaptive solutions. Here, I examine various conceptual frameworks and definitions related to parallel and convergent evolution and propose a consolidated framework that enhances our comprehension of these evolutionary patterns. The primary aim of this framework is to harmonize the concepts of parallel and convergent evolution together with natural selection and the idea of similarity. Both concepts involve the evolution of similar adaptive solutions as a result of environmental challenges. The distinction lies in ancestral phenotypes. Parallel evolution takes place when the ancestral phenotypes (before selection) of the lineages are similar. Convergent evolution happens when the lineages have distinct ancestral phenotypes (before selection). Because an ancestral-based distinction will inevitably lead to cases where uncertainty in the distinction may arise, the framework includes a general term, repeated evolution, which can be used as a term applying to the evolution of similar phenotypes and genotypes as well as similar responses to environmental pressures. Based on the argument that genetic similarity may frequently arise without selection, the framework posits that the similarity of genetic sequences is not of great interest unless linked to the actions of natural selection or to the origins (mutation, standing genetic variation, gene flow) and locations of the similar sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Cerca
- CEES - Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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16
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Nakamura H, Aibara M, Nikaido M. Ancient standing genetic variation facilitated the adaptive radiation of Lake Victoria cichlids. Genes Genet Syst 2023; 98:93-99. [PMID: 37495512 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.23-00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes are textbook examples of explosive speciation and adaptive radiation, providing a great opportunity to understand how the genomic substrate yields extraordinary species diversity. Recently, we performed comparative genomic analyses of three Lake Victoria cichlids to reveal the genomic substrates underlying their rapid speciation and adaptation. We found that long divergent haplotypes derived from large-scale standing genetic variation, which originated before the adaptive radiation of Lake Victoria cichlids, may have contributed to their rapid diversification. In addition, the present study on genomic data from other East African cichlids suggested the reuse of alleles that may have originated in the ancestral lineages of Lake Tanganyika cichlids during cichlid evolution. Therefore, our results highlight that the primary factor that could drive repeated adaptive radiation across East African cichlids was allelic reuse from standing genetic variation to adapt to their own specific environment. In this report, we summarize the main results and discuss the evolutionary mechanisms of cichlids, based on our latest findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Nakamura
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
| | - Mitsuto Aibara
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Masato Nikaido
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
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17
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Podobnik M, Singh AP, Fu Z, Dooley CM, Frohnhöfer HG, Firlej M, Stednitz SJ, Elhabashy H, Weyand S, Weir JR, Lu J, Nüsslein-Volhard C, Irion U. kcnj13 regulates pigment cell shapes in zebrafish and has diverged by cis-regulatory evolution between Danio species. Development 2023; 150:dev201627. [PMID: 37530080 PMCID: PMC10482006 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201627] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Teleost fish of the genus Danio are excellent models to study the genetic and cellular bases of pigment pattern variation in vertebrates. The two sister species Danio rerio and Danio aesculapii show divergent patterns of horizontal stripes and vertical bars that are partly caused by the divergence of the potassium channel gene kcnj13. Here, we show that kcnj13 is required only in melanophores for interactions with xanthophores and iridophores, which cause location-specific pigment cell shapes and thereby influence colour pattern and contrast in D. rerio. Cis-regulatory rather than protein coding changes underlie kcnj13 divergence between the two Danio species. Our results suggest that homotypic and heterotypic interactions between the pigment cells and their shapes diverged between species by quantitative changes in kcnj13 expression during pigment pattern diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Podobnik
- Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ajeet P. Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zhenqiang Fu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Christopher M. Dooley
- Department of Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | - Magdalena Firlej
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah J. Stednitz
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hadeer Elhabashy
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simone Weyand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - John R. Weir
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jianguo Lu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | | | - Uwe Irion
- Max Planck Institute for Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Brandon AA, Almeida D, Powder KE. Neural crest cells as a source of microevolutionary variation. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 145:42-51. [PMID: 35718684 PMCID: PMC10482117 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrates have some of the most complex and diverse features in animals, from varied craniofacial morphologies to colorful pigmentation patterns and elaborate social behaviors. All of these traits have their developmental origins in a multipotent embryonic lineage of neural crest cells. This "fourth germ layer" is a vertebrate innovation and the source of a wide range of adult cell types. While others have discussed the role of neural crest cells in human disease and animal domestication, less is known about their role in contributing to adaptive changes in wild populations. Here, we review how variation in the development of neural crest cells and their derivatives generates considerable phenotypic diversity in nature. We focus on the broad span of traits under natural and sexual selection whose variation may originate in the neural crest, with emphasis on behavioral factors such as intraspecies communication that are often overlooked. In all, we encourage the integration of evolutionary ecology with developmental biology and molecular genetics to gain a more complete understanding of the role of this single cell type in trait covariation, evolutionary trajectories, and vertebrate diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Allyson Brandon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Daniela Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Kara E Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
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19
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Elkin J, Martin A, Courtier-Orgogozo V, Santos ME. Analysis of the genetic loci of pigment pattern evolution in vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1250-1277. [PMID: 37017088 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate pigmentation patterns are amongst the best characterised model systems for studying the genetic basis of adaptive evolution. The wealth of available data on the genetic basis for pigmentation evolution allows for analysis of trends and quantitative testing of evolutionary hypotheses. We employed Gephebase, a database of genetic variants associated with natural and domesticated trait variation, to examine trends in how cis-regulatory and coding mutations contribute to vertebrate pigmentation phenotypes, as well as factors that favour one mutation type over the other. We found that studies with lower ascertainment bias identified higher proportions of cis-regulatory mutations, and that cis-regulatory mutations were more common amongst animals harbouring a higher number of pigment cell classes. We classified pigmentation traits firstly according to their physiological basis and secondly according to whether they affect colour or pattern, and identified that carotenoid-based pigmentation and variation in pattern boundaries are preferentially associated with cis-regulatory change. We also classified genes according to their developmental, cellular, and molecular functions. We found a greater proportion of cis-regulatory mutations in genes implicated in upstream developmental processes compared to those involved in downstream cellular functions, and that ligands were associated with a higher proportion of cis-regulatory mutations than their respective receptors. Based on these trends, we discuss future directions for research in vertebrate pigmentation evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Elkin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Arnaud Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St. NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | | | - M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
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20
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Brandon AA, Michael C, Carmona Baez A, Moore EC, Ciccotto PJ, Roberts NB, Roberts RB, Powder KE. Distinct genetic origins of eumelanin intensity and barring patterns in cichlid fishes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.02.547430. [PMID: 37461734 PMCID: PMC10349982 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547430] [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: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Pigment patterns are incredibly diverse across vertebrates and are shaped by multiple selective pressures from predator avoidance to mate choice. A common pattern across fishes, but for which we know little about the underlying mechanisms, is repeated melanic vertical bars. In order to understand genetic factors that modify the level or pattern of vertical barring, we generated a genetic cross of 322 F2 hybrids between two cichlid species with distinct barring patterns, Aulonocara koningsi and Metriaclima mbenjii. We identify 48 significant quantitative trait loci that underlie a series of seven phenotypes related to the relative pigmentation intensity, and four traits related to patterning of the vertical bars. We find that genomic regions that generate variation in the level of eumelanin produced are largely independent of those that control the spacing of vertical bars. Candidate genes within these intervals include novel genes and those newly-associated with vertical bars, which could affect melanophore survival, fate decisions, pigment biosynthesis, and pigment distribution. Together, this work provides insights into the regulation of pigment diversity, with direct implications for an animal's fitness and the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Allyson Brandon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Cassia Michael
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Aldo Carmona Baez
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Emily C. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | | | - Natalie B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Reade B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kara E. Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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21
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Van Belleghem SM, Ruggieri AA, Concha C, Livraghi L, Hebberecht L, Rivera ES, Ogilvie JG, Hanly JJ, Warren IA, Planas S, Ortiz-Ruiz Y, Reed R, Lewis JJ, Jiggins CD, Counterman BA, McMillan WO, Papa R. High level of novelty under the hood of convergent evolution. Science 2023; 379:1043-1049. [PMID: 36893249 PMCID: PMC11000492 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the extent to which species use homologous regulatory architectures to achieve phenotypic convergence. By characterizing chromatin accessibility and gene expression in developing wing tissues, we compared the regulatory architecture of convergence between a pair of mimetic butterfly species. Although a handful of color pattern genes are known to be involved in their convergence, our data suggest that different mutational paths underlie the integration of these genes into wing pattern development. This is supported by a large fraction of accessible chromatin being exclusive to each species, including the de novo lineage-specific evolution of a modular optix enhancer. These findings may be explained by a high level of developmental drift and evolutionary contingency that occurs during the independent evolution of mimicry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Van Belleghem
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Biology Department, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Angelo A. Ruggieri
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
| | - Carolina Concha
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Luca Livraghi
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Laura Hebberecht
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- School of Biological Sciences, Bristol University, Bristol, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edgardo Santiago Rivera
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biomaterials, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - James G. Ogilvie
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Joseph J. Hanly
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ian A. Warren
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Silvia Planas
- Molecular Sciences and Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Yadira Ortiz-Ruiz
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Molecular Sciences and Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Robert Reed
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - James J. Lewis
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - W. Owen McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Riccardo Papa
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
- Molecular Sciences and Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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22
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Ng TT, Lau CC, Tan MP, Wong LL, Sung YY, Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad T, Van de Peer Y, LiYing S, Danish-Daniel M. Cutaneous transcriptomic profiling and candidate pigment genes in the wild discus ( Symphysodon spp.). NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2023.2180763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tsyh Ng
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
- Aquacity Tropical Fish Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Cher Chien Lau
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Min Pau Tan
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Li Lian Wong
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | - Yeong Yik Sung
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
| | | | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, and Centre for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sui LiYing
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Muhd Danish-Daniel
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia
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23
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Nacif CL, Kratochwil CF, Kautt AF, Nater A, Machado-Schiaffino G, Meyer A, Henning F. Molecular parallelism in the evolution of a master sex-determining role for the anti-Mullerian hormone receptor 2 gene (amhr2) in Midas cichlids. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1398-1410. [PMID: 35403749 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of sex chromosomes and their differentiation from autosomes is a major event during genome evolution that happened many times in several lineages. The repeated evolution and lability of sex-determination mechanisms in fishes makes this a well-suited system to test for general patterns in evolution. According to current theory, differentiation is triggered by the suppression of recombination following the evolution of a new master sex-determining gene. However, the molecular mechanisms that establish recombination suppression are known from few examples, owing to the intrinsic difficulties of assembling sex-determining regions (SDRs). The development of forward-genetics and long-read sequencing have generated a wealth of data questioning central aspects of the current theory. Here, we demonstrate that sex in Midas cichlids is determined by an XY system, and identify and assemble the SDR by combining forward-genetics, long-read sequencing and optical mapping. We show how long-reads aid in the detection of artefacts in genotype-phenotype mapping that arise from incomplete genome assemblies. The male-specific region is restricted to a 100-kb segment on chromosome 4 that harbours transposable elements and a Y-specific duplicate of the anti-Mullerian receptor 2 gene, which has evolved master sex-determining functions repeatedly. Our data suggest that amhr2Y originated by an interchromosomal translocation from chromosome 20 to 4 pre-dating the split of Midas and Flier cichlids. In the latter, it is pseudogenized and translocated to another chromosome. Duplication of anti-Mullerian genes is a common route to establishing new sex determiners, highlighting the role of molecular parallelism in the evolution of sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila L Nacif
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Andreas F Kautt
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Alexander Nater
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Frederico Henning
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Marconi A, Yang CZ, McKay S, Santos ME. Morphological and temporal variation in early embryogenesis contributes to species divergence in Malawi cichlid fishes. Evol Dev 2023; 25:170-193. [PMID: 36748313 PMCID: PMC10909517 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The cichlid fishes comprise the largest extant vertebrate family and are the quintessential example of rapid "explosive" adaptive radiations and phenotypic diversification. Despite low genetic divergence, East African cichlids harbor a spectacular intra- and interspecific morphological diversity, including the hyper-variable, neural crest (NC)-derived traits such as coloration and craniofacial skeleton. Although the genetic and developmental basis of these phenotypes has been investigated, understanding of when, and specifically how early, in ontogeny species-specific differences emerge, remains limited. Since adult traits often originate during embryonic development, the processes of embryogenesis could serve as a potential source of species-specific variation. Consequently, we designed a staging system by which we compare the features of embryogenesis between three Malawi cichlid species-Astatotilapia calliptera, Tropheops sp. 'mauve' and Rhamphochromis sp. "chilingali"-representing a wide spectrum of variation in pigmentation and craniofacial morphologies. Our results showed fundamental differences in multiple aspects of embryogenesis that could underlie interspecific divergence in adult adaptive traits. First, we identified variation in the somite number and signatures of temporal variation, or heterochrony, in the rates of somite formation. The heterochrony was also evident within and between species throughout ontogeny, up to the juvenile stages. Finally, the identified interspecific differences in the development of pigmentation and craniofacial cartilages, present at the earliest stages of their overt formation, provide compelling evidence that the species-specific trajectories begin divergence during early embryogenesis, potentially during somitogenesis and NC development. Altogether, our results expand our understanding of fundamental cichlid biology and provide new insights into the developmental origins of vertebrate morphological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samuel McKay
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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25
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Santos ME, Lopes JF, Kratochwil CF. East African cichlid fishes. EvoDevo 2023; 14:1. [PMID: 36604760 PMCID: PMC9814215 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-022-00205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes are a very diverse and species-rich family of teleost fishes that inhabit lakes and rivers of India, Africa, and South and Central America. Research has largely focused on East African cichlids of the Rift Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria that constitute the biodiversity hotspots of cichlid fishes. Here, we give an overview of the study system, research questions, and methodologies. Research on cichlid fishes spans many disciplines including ecology, evolution, physiology, genetics, development, and behavioral biology. In this review, we focus on a range of organismal traits, including coloration phenotypes, trophic adaptations, appendages like fins and scales, sensory systems, sex, brains, and behaviors. Moreover, we discuss studies on cichlid phylogenies, plasticity, and general evolutionary patterns, ranging from convergence to speciation rates and the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying these processes. From a methodological viewpoint, the last decade has brought great advances in cichlid fish research, particularly through the advent of affordable deep sequencing and advances in genetic manipulations. The ability to integrate across traits and research disciplines, ranging from developmental biology to ecology and evolution, makes cichlid fishes a fascinating research system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Emília Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - João F Lopes
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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26
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Liyandja TLD, Armbruster JW, Poopola MO, Stiassny MLJ. Evolutionary convergence in body shape obscures taxonomic diversity in species of the African Labeo forskalii group: Case study of L. parvus Boulenger 1902 and L. ogunensis Boulenger 1910. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:898-913. [PMID: 35763261 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Labeo is the third most diverse genus of African cyprinids and is widely distributed across the continent. Labeo parvus, a small species originally described from the Congo basin, has been considered the only species of the L. forskalii group distributed across five African ichthyofaunal provinces (Nilo-Sudan, Congo, Cuanza, and Upper and Lower Guinea). However, morphological similarity between L. parvus and numerous congeners remains a central cause of taxonomic confusion within the genus. Here we employed a phylogenetic comparative approach to assess phenotypic convergence among species of the L. forskalii group, investigate the taxonomic status of L. parvus sensu lato (sl) in west Africa, and reevaluate the composition and distribution of L. parvus sensu stricto (ss). Our phylogenetic analysis provides no support for a sister relationship between L. parvus ss and any of the west African Labeo parvus-like species. Geometric morphometric and molecular phylogenetic data indicate that L. parvus ss is a Congo basin endemic, and seemingly ecologically equivalent species found in west Africa are L. ogunensis, L. obscurus and other undescribed or previously synonymized species. We discuss our findings in terms of convergent evolution using phylomorphospace and tests for phylogenetic signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobit L D Liyandja
- Richard Gilder Graduate School at American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Melanie L J Stiassny
- Richard Gilder Graduate School at American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
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27
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Tang S, Janpoom S, Prasertlux S, Rongmung P, Ratdee O, Zhang W, Khamnamtong B, Klinbunga S. Transcriptome comparison for identification of pigmentation-related genes in different color varieties of Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2022; 43:101014. [PMID: 35868113 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.101014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptome comparison was performed to identify genes expressed in skin, muscle and tails of mono-color (Red, Blue, Black, White and Yellow), bi-color (Cambodian) and multi-color (Marble) varieties of Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens. In total, 163,140 unigenes covering 26.348 Gb were found. Of these, 93,899 (57.55 %) unigenes significantly matched at least one database. In total, 5039 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found where 2415 genes (47.93 %) showed higher expression and 2624 genes (52.07 %) showed lower expression for all pairwise comparisons. DEGs between paired color varieties were 133-443. Of these, 38-220 genes were more highly expressed while 37-280 genes were more lowly expressed relative to the compared varieties. A total of 897 sequences (148 genes) significantly matched pigmentation-related genes of Danio rerio (E-value < 1e-06). Of these, 19 DEGs were identified. Examples are tyrosinase-related protein 1a (BsTyrp1a), epidermal growth factor receptor (BsEgfr) and neurofibronin 1a (BsNf1a). Moreover, 711,123 SNPs were identified and 1365 of these were located in pigmentation-related genes. Interestingly, an A > C474 SNP in the gene BsTrpm7 and an indel (position 3571) in the BsItgb1a gene were found only in Cambodian. A C > T2520 SNP in BsFzd4 and 10 of 11 SNPs in BsTyrp1a were found only in Black. Different expression levels (P < 0.05) were found for tyrosinase (BsTyr), BsTyrp1a, BsNf1a and BsEgf1 among skin, body muscle and tails of the same variety and among the same tissues of different varieties (Red, Green, Blue, Black, Cambodian and Multi-colors, N = 5 each).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sureerat Tang
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirithorn Janpoom
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirikan Prasertlux
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Puttawan Rongmung
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Ornchuda Ratdee
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Wanchang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Bavornlak Khamnamtong
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sirawut Klinbunga
- Aquatic Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
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28
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Wang S, Teng D, Li X, Yang P, Da W, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Liu G, Zhang X, Wan W, Dong Z, Wang D, Huang S, Jiang Z, Wang Q, Lohman DJ, Wu Y, Zhang L, Jia F, Westerman E, Zhang L, Wang W, Zhang W. The evolution and diversification of oakleaf butterflies. Cell 2022; 185:3138-3152.e20. [PMID: 35926506 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Oakleaf butterflies in the genus Kallima have a polymorphic wing phenotype, enabling these insects to masquerade as dead leaves. This iconic example of protective resemblance provides an interesting evolutionary paradigm that can be employed to study biodiversity. We integrated multi-omic data analyses and functional validation to infer the evolutionary history of Kallima species and investigate the genetic basis of their variable leaf wing patterns. We find that Kallima butterflies diversified in the eastern Himalayas and dispersed to East and Southeast Asia. Moreover, we find that leaf wing polymorphism is controlled by the wing patterning gene cortex, which has been maintained in Kallima by long-term balancing selection. Our results provide macroevolutionary and microevolutionary insights into a model species originating from a mountain ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Dequn Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xueyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Peiwen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wa Da
- Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology, Lhasa, Tibet 850001, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yubo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guichun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | | | - Wenting Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Zhiwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Donghui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; National Teaching Center for Experimental Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhisheng Jiang
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Qingyi Wang
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - David J Lohman
- Biology Department, City College of New York, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Ph.D. Program in Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Yongjie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Fenghai Jia
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Erica Westerman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Institute for Tibetan Plateau Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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29
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Kratochwil CF, Liang Y, Gerwin J, Franchini P, Meyer A. Comparative ontogenetic and transcriptomic analyses shed light on color pattern divergence in cichlid fishes. Evol Dev 2022; 24:158-170. [PMID: 35971657 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Stripe patterns are a striking example for a repeatedly evolved color pattern. In the African adaptive radiations of cichlid fishes, stripes evolved several times independently. Previously, it has been suggested that regulatory evolution of a single gene, agouti-related-peptide 2 (agrp2), explains the evolutionary lability of this trait. Here, using a comparative transcriptomic approach, we performed comparisons between (adult) striped and nonstriped cichlid fishes of representatives of Lake Victoria and the two major clades of Lake Malawi (mbuna and non-mbuna lineage). We identify agrp2 to be differentially expressed across all pairwise comparisons, reaffirming its association with stripe pattern divergence. We therefore also provide evidence that agrp2 is associated with the loss of the nonstereotypic oblique stripe of Mylochromis mola. Complementary ontogenetic data give insights into the development of stripe patterns as well as vertical bar patterns that both develop postembryonically. Lastly, using the Lake Victoria species pair Haplochromis sauvagei and Pundamilia nyererei, we investigated the differences between melanic and non-melanic regions to identify additional genes that contribute to the formation of stripes. Expression differences-that most importantly also do not include agrp2-are surprisingly small. This suggests, at least in this species pair, that the stripe phenotype might be caused by a combination of more subtle transcriptomic differences or cellular changes without transcriptional correlates. In summary, our comprehensive analysis highlights the ontogenetic and adult transcriptomic differences between cichlids with different color patterns and serves as a basis for further investigation of the mechanistic underpinnings of their diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudius F Kratochwil
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Yipeng Liang
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jan Gerwin
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Paolo Franchini
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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30
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Abstract
The rediscovery of Mendel’s work showing that the heredity of phenotypes is controlled by discrete genes was followed by the reconciliation of Mendelian genetics with evolution by natural selection in the middle of the last century with the Modern Synthesis. In the past two decades, dramatic advances in genomic methods have facilitated the identification of the loci, genes, and even individual mutations that underlie phenotypic variants that are the putative targets of natural selection. Moreover, these methods have also changed how we can study adaptation by flipping the problem around, allowing us to first examine what loci show evidence of having been under selection, and then connecting these genetic variants to phenotypic variation. As a result, we now have an expanding list of actual genetic changes that underlie potentially adaptive phenotypic variation. Here, we synthesize how considering the effects of these adaptive loci in the context of cellular environments, genomes, organisms, and populations has provided new insights to the genetic architecture of adaptation.
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Ansai S, Kitano J. Speciation and adaptation research meets genome editing. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200516. [PMID: 35634923 PMCID: PMC9149800 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genetic basis of reproductive isolation and adaptive traits in natural populations is one of the fundamental goals in evolutionary biology. Genome editing technologies based on CRISPR-Cas systems and site-specific recombinases have enabled us to modify a targeted genomic region as desired and thus to conduct functional analyses of target loci, genes and mutations even in non-conventional model organisms. Here, we review the technical properties of genome editing techniques by classifying them into the following applications: targeted gene knock-out for investigating causative gene functions, targeted gene knock-in of marker genes for visualizing expression patterns and protein functions, precise gene replacement for identifying causative alleles and mutations, and targeted chromosomal rearrangement for investigating the functional roles of chromosomal structural variations. We describe examples of their application to demonstrate functional analysis of naturally occurring genetic variations and discuss how these technologies can be applied to speciation and adaptation research. This article is part of the theme issue 'Genetic basis of adaptation and speciation: from loci to causative mutations'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ansai
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Jun Kitano
- Ecological Genetics Laboratory, Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
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32
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An enhancer of Agouti contributes to parallel evolution of cryptically colored beach mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202862119. [PMID: 35776547 PMCID: PMC9271204 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202862119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the genetic basis of repeatedly evolved traits provides a way to reconstruct their evolutionary history and ultimately investigate the predictability of evolution. Here, we focus on the oldfield mouse (Peromyscus polionotus), which occurs in the southeastern United States, where it exhibits considerable color variation. Dorsal coats range from dark brown in mainland mice to near white in mice inhabiting sandy beaches; this light pelage has evolved independently on Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts as camouflage from predators. To facilitate genomic analyses, we first generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. Next, in a uniquely variable mainland population (Peromyscus polionotus albifrons), we scored 23 pigment traits and performed targeted resequencing in 168 mice. We find that pigment variation is strongly associated with an ∼2-kb region ∼5 kb upstream of the Agouti signaling protein coding region. Using a reporter-gene assay, we demonstrate that this regulatory region contains an enhancer that drives expression in the dermis of mouse embryos during the establishment of pigment prepatterns. Moreover, extended tracts of homozygosity in this Agouti region indicate that the light allele experienced recent and strong positive selection. Notably, this same light allele appears fixed in both Gulf and Atlantic coast beach mice, despite these populations being separated by >1,000 km. Together, our results suggest that this identified Agouti enhancer allele has been maintained in mainland populations as standing genetic variation and from there, has spread to and been selected in two independent beach mouse lineages, thereby facilitating their rapid and parallel evolution.
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33
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Mehta TK, Penso-Dolfin L, Nash W, Roy S, Di-Palma F, Haerty W. Evolution of miRNA-Binding Sites and Regulatory Networks in Cichlids. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac146. [PMID: 35748824 PMCID: PMC9260339 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of regulatory regions and gene regulatory network (GRN) rewiring is a key driver of cichlid phenotypic diversity. However, the contribution of miRNA-binding site turnover has yet to be linked to GRN evolution across cichlids. Here, we extend our previous studies by analyzing the selective constraints driving evolution of miRNA and transcription factor (TF)-binding sites of target genes, to infer instances of cichlid GRN rewiring associated with regulatory binding site turnover. Comparative analyses identified increased species-specific networks that are functionally associated to traits of cichlid phenotypic diversity. The evolutionary rewiring is associated with differential models of miRNA- and TF-binding site turnover, driven by a high proportion of fast-evolving polymorphic sites in adaptive trait genes compared with subsets of random genes. Positive selection acting upon discrete mutations in these regulatory regions is likely to be an important mechanism in rewiring GRNs in rapidly radiating cichlids. Regulatory variants of functionally associated miRNA- and TF-binding sites of visual opsin genes differentially segregate according to phylogeny and ecology of Lake Malawi species, identifying both rewired, for example, clade-specific and conserved network motifs of adaptive trait associated GRNs. Our approach revealed several novel candidate regulators, regulatory regions, and three-node motifs across cichlid genomes with previously reported associations to known adaptive evolutionary traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarang K Mehta
- Regulatory and Systems Genomics, Earlham Institute (EI), Norwich, UK
| | - Luca Penso-Dolfin
- Bioinformatics Department, Silence Therapeutics GmbH, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Germany
| | - Will Nash
- Regulatory and Systems Genomics, Earlham Institute (EI), Norwich, UK
| | - Sushmita Roy
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, UW Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Roy Lab, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Computer Sciences, UW Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Federica Di-Palma
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Research and Innovation, Genome British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Wilfried Haerty
- Regulatory and Systems Genomics, Earlham Institute (EI), Norwich, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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34
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Marques DA, Jones FC, Di Palma F, Kingsley DM, Reimchen TE. Genomic changes underlying repeated niche shifts in an adaptive radiation. Evolution 2022; 76:1301-1319. [PMID: 35398888 PMCID: PMC9320971 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In adaptive radiations, single lineages rapidly diversify by adapting to many new niches. Little is known yet about the genomic mechanisms involved, that is, the source of genetic variation or genomic architecture facilitating or constraining adaptive radiation. Here, we investigate genomic changes associated with repeated invasion of many different freshwater niches by threespine stickleback in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, Canada, by resequencing single genomes from one marine and 28 freshwater populations. We find 89 likely targets of parallel selection in the genome that are enriched for old standing genetic variation. In contrast to theoretical expectations, their genomic architecture is highly dispersed with little clustering. Candidate genes and genotype-environment correlations match the three major environmental axes predation regime, light environment, and ecosystem size. In a niche space with these three dimensions, we find that the more divergent a new niche from the ancestral marine habitat, the more loci show signatures of parallel selection. Our findings suggest that the genomic architecture of parallel adaptation in adaptive radiation depends on the steepness of ecological gradients and the dimensionality of the niche space.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Marques
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCV8W 3N5Canada
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernCH‐3012Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and BiogeochemistrySwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Eawag ‐ Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyKastanienbaumCH‐6047Switzerland
- Natural History Museum BaselBaselCH‐4051Switzerland
| | - Felicity C. Jones
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA
- Department of Developmental BiologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck SocietyTübingen72076Germany
| | - Federica Di Palma
- Earlham InstituteNorwichNR4 7UZUnited Kingdom
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichNR4 7TJUnited Kingdom
| | - David M. Kingsley
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA
- Department of Developmental BiologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia94305USA
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Naragon TH, Wagner JM, Parker J. Parallel evolutionary paths of rove beetle myrmecophiles: replaying a deep-time tape of life. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 51:100903. [PMID: 35301166 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rise of ants over the past ~100 million years reshaped the biosphere, presenting ecological challenges for many organisms, but also opportunities. No insect group has been so adept at exploiting niches inside ant colonies as the rove beetles (Staphylinidae) - a global clade of>64,000 predominantly free-living predators from which numerous socially parasitic 'myrmecophile' lineages have emerged. Myrmecophilous staphylinids are specialized for colony life through changes in behavior, chemistry, anatomy, and life history that are often strikingly convergent, and hence potentially adaptive for this symbiotic way of life. Here, we examine how the interplay between ecological pressures and molecular, cellular, and neurobiological mechanisms shape the evolutionary trajectories of symbiotic lineages in this ancient, convergent system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H Naragon
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Julian M Wagner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Parker
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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Masonick P, Meyer A, Hulsey CD. Phylogenomic analyses show repeated evolution of hypertrophied lips among Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6568296. [PMID: 35417557 PMCID: PMC9017819 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cichlid fishes have repeatedly evolved an astounding diversity of trophic morphologies. For example, hypertrophied lips have evolved multiple times in both African and Neotropical cichlids and could have even evolved convergently within single species assemblages such as African Lake Malawi cichlids. However, the extremely high diversification rate in Lake Malawi cichlids and extensive potential for hybridization has cast doubt on whether even genome-level phylogenetic reconstructions could delineate if these types of adaptations have evolved once or multiple times. To examine the evolution of this iconic trait using protein-coding and noncoding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we analyzed the genomes of 86 Lake Malawi cichlid species, including 33 de novo resequenced genomes. Surprisingly, genome-wide protein-coding SNPs exhibited enough phylogenetic informativeness to reconstruct interspecific and intraspecific relationships of hypertrophied lip cichlids, although noncoding SNPs provided better support. However, thinning of noncoding SNPs indicated most discrepancies come from the relatively smaller number of protein-coding sites and not from fundamental differences in their phylogenetic informativeness. Both coding and noncoding reconstructions showed that several “sand-dwelling” hypertrophied lip species, sampled intraspecifically, form a clade interspersed with a few other nonhypertrophied lip lineages. We also recovered Abactochromis labrosus within the rock-dwelling “mbuna” lineage, starkly contrasting with the affinities of other hypertrophied lip taxa found in the largely sand-dwelling “nonmbuna” component of this radiation. Comparative analyses coupled with tests for introgression indicate there is no widespread introgression between the hypertrophied lip lineages and taken together suggest this trophic phenotype has likely evolved at least twice independently within-lake Malawi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Masonick
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - C Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.,Current Address: School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Wang C, Xu J, Kocher TD, Li M, Wang D. CRISPR knockouts of pmela and pmelb engineered a golden tilapia by regulating relative pigment cell abundance. J Hered 2022; 113:398-413. [PMID: 35385582 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Premelanosome protein (pmel) is a key gene for melanogenesis. Mutations in this gene are responsible for white plumage in chicken, but its role in pigmentation of fish remains to be demonstrated. In this study we found that most fishes have two pmel genes arising from the teleost-specific whole genome duplication. Both pmela and pmelb were expressed at high levels in the eyes and skin of Nile tilapia. We mutated both genes in tilapia using CRISPR/Cas9. Homozygous mutation of pmela resulted in yellowish body color with weak vertical bars and a hypo-pigmented retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) due to significantly reduced number and size of melanophores. In contrast, we observed an increased number and size of xanthophores in mutants compared to wild-type fish. Homozygous mutation of pmelb resulted in a similar, but milder phenotype than pmela-/- mutants. Double mutation of pmela and pmelb resulted in loss of additional melanophores compared to the pmela-/- mutants, and also an increase in the number and size of xanthophores, producing a golden body color. The RPE pigmentation of pmela-/-;pmelb-/- was similar to pmela-/- mutants, with much less pigmentation than pmelb-/- mutants and wild-type fish. Taken together, our results indicate that, while both pmel genes are important for the formation of body color in tilapia, pmela plays a more important role than pmelb. To our knowledge, this is the first report on mutation of pmelb or both pmela;pmelb in fish. Studies on these mutants suggest new strategies for breeding golden tilapia, and also provide a new model for studies of pmel function in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas D Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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38
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Clark B, Elkin J, Marconi A, Turner GF, Smith AM, Joyce D, Miska EA, Juntti SA, Santos ME. Oca2 targeting using CRISPR/Cas9 in the Malawi cichlid Astatotilapia calliptera. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220077. [PMID: 35601449 PMCID: PMC9019512 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Identifying genetic loci underlying trait variation provides insights into the mechanisms of diversification, but demonstrating causality and characterizing the role of genetic loci requires testing candidate gene function, often in non-model species. Here we establish CRISPR/Cas9 editing in Astatotilapia calliptera, a generalist cichlid of the remarkably diverse Lake Malawi radiation. By targeting the gene oca2 required for melanin synthesis in other vertebrate species, we show efficient editing and germline transmission. Gene edits include indels in the coding region, probably a result of non-homologous end joining, and a large deletion in the 3' untranslated region due to homology-directed repair. We find that oca2 knock-out A. calliptera lack melanin, which may be useful for developmental imaging in embryos and studying colour pattern formation in adults. As A. calliptera resembles the presumed generalist ancestor of the Lake Malawi cichlids radiation, establishing genome editing in this species will facilitate investigating speciation, adaptation and trait diversification in this textbook radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Clark
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Joel Elkin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | - George F. Turner
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2TH, UK
| | - Alan M. Smith
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, UK
| | - Domino Joyce
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, UK
| | - Eric A. Miska
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, UK
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
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Urban S, Gerwin J, Hulsey CD, Meyer A, Kratochwil CF. The repeated evolution of stripe patterns is correlated with body morphology in the adaptive radiations of East African cichlid fishes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8568. [PMID: 35154652 PMCID: PMC8820146 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Color patterns are often linked to the behavioral and morphological characteristics of an animal, contributing to the effectiveness of such patterns as antipredatory strategies. Species-rich adaptive radiations, such as the freshwater fish family Cichlidae, provide an exciting opportunity to study trait correlations at a macroevolutionary scale. Cichlids are also well known for their diversity and repeated evolution of color patterns and body morphology. To study the evolutionary dynamics between color patterns and body morphology, we used an extensive dataset of 461 species. A phylogenetic supertree of these species shows that stripe patterns evolved ~70 times independently and were lost again ~30 times. Moreover, stripe patterns show strong signs of correlated evolution with body elongation, suggesting that the stripes' effectiveness as antipredatory strategy might differ depending on the body shape. Using pedigree-based analyses, we show that stripes and body elongation segregate independently, indicating that the two traits are not genetically linked. Their correlation in nature is therefore likely maintained by correlational selection. Lastly, by performing a mate preference assay using a striped CRISPR-Cas9 mutant of a nonstriped species, we show that females do not differentiate between striped CRISPR mutant males and nonstriped wild-type males, suggesting that these patterns might be less important for species recognition and mate choice. In summary, our study suggests that the massive rates of repeated evolution of stripe patterns are shaped by correlational selection with body elongation, but not by sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Urban
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Jan Gerwin
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - C. Darrin Hulsey
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
School of Biology and Environmental ScienceUniversity College DublinBelfieldIreland
| | - Axel Meyer
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFEUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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40
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Kratochwil CF, Kautt AF, Nater A, Härer A, Liang Y, Henning F, Meyer A. An intronic transposon insertion associates with a trans-species color polymorphism in Midas cichlid fishes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:296. [PMID: 35027541 PMCID: PMC8758764 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms have fascinated biologists for a long time, but their genetic underpinnings often remain elusive. Here, we aim to uncover the genetic basis of the gold/dark polymorphism that is eponymous of Midas cichlid fish (Amphilophus spp.) adaptive radiations in Nicaraguan crater lakes. While most Midas cichlids are of the melanic "dark morph", about 10% of individuals lose their melanic pigmentation during their ontogeny and transition into a conspicuous "gold morph". Using a new haplotype-resolved long-read assembly we discover an 8.2 kb, transposon-derived inverted repeat in an intron of an undescribed gene, which we term goldentouch in reference to the Greek myth of King Midas. The gene goldentouch is differentially expressed between morphs, presumably due to structural implications of inverted repeats in both DNA and/or RNA (cruciform and hairpin formation). The near-perfect association of the insertion with the phenotype across independent populations suggests that it likely underlies this trans-specific, stable polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudius F Kratochwil
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Andreas F Kautt
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Alexander Nater
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andreas Härer
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior & Evolution, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yipeng Liang
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Frederico Henning
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Axel Meyer
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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41
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Estalles C, Turbek SP, José Rodríguez-Cajarville M, Silveira LF, Wakamatsu K, Ito S, Lovette IJ, Tubaro PL, Lijtmaer DA, Campagna L. Concerted variation in melanogenesis genes underlies emergent patterning of plumage in capuchino seedeaters. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212277. [PMID: 35016545 PMCID: PMC8753160 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2277] [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] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Coloration traits are central to animal communication; they often govern mate choice, promote reproductive isolation and catalyse speciation. Specific genetic changes can cause variation in coloration, yet far less is known about how overall coloration patterns-which involve combinations of multiple colour patches across the body-can arise and are genomically controlled. We performed genome-wide association analyses to link genomic changes to variation in melanin (eumelanin and pheomelanin) concentration in feathers from different body parts in the capuchino seedeaters, an avian radiation with diverse colour patterns despite remarkably low genetic differentiation across species. Cross-species colour variation in each plumage patch is associated with unique combinations of variants at a few genomic regions, which include mostly non-coding (presumably regulatory) areas close to known pigmentation genes. Genotype-phenotype associations can vary depending on patch colour and are stronger for eumelanin pigmentation, suggesting eumelanin production is tightly regulated. Although some genes are involved in colour variation in multiple patches, in some cases, the SNPs associated with colour changes in different patches segregate spatially. These results suggest that coloration patterning in capuchinos is generated by the modular combination of variants that regulate multiple melanogenesis genes, a mechanism that may have promoted this rapid radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Estalles
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (MACN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sheela P. Turbek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Luís Fábio Silveira
- Seção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 42.494, CEP 04218-970 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Irby J. Lovette
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Pablo L. Tubaro
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (MACN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío A. Lijtmaer
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ (MACN-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leonardo Campagna
- Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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42
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Abstract
Whole genome sequences are beginning to revolutionize our understanding of phylogenetic relationships. Yet, even whole genome sequences can fail to resolve the evolutionary history of the most rapidly radiating lineages, where incomplete lineage sorting, standing genetic variation, introgression, and other factors obscure the phylogenetic history of the group. To overcome such challenges, one emerging strategy is to integrate results across different methods. Most such approaches have been implemented on reduced representation genomic data sets, but whole genomes should provide the maximum possible evidence approach. Here, we test the ability of single nucleotide polymorphisms extracted from whole genome resequencing data, implemented in an integrative genomic approach, to resolve key nodes in the phylogeny of the mbuna, rock-dwelling cichlid fishes of Lake Malaŵi, which epitomize the phylogenetic intractability that often accompanies explosive lineage diversification. This monophyletic radiation has diversified at an unparalleled rate into several hundred species in less than 2 million years. Using an array of phylogenomic methods, we consistently recovered four major clades of mbuna, but a large basal polytomy among them. Although introgression between clades apparently contributed to the challenge of phylogenetic reconstruction, reduction of the data set to nonintrogressed sites still did not help to resolve the basal polytomy. On the other hand, relationships among six congeneric species pairs were resolved without ambiguity, even in one case where existing data led us to predict that resolution would be difficult. We conclude that the bursts of diversification at the earliest stages of the mbuna radiation may be phylogenetically unresolvable, but other regions of the tree are phylogenetically clearly supported. Integration of multiple phylogenomic approaches will continue to increase confidence in relationships inferred from these and other whole-genome data sets. [Incomplete lineage sorting; introgression; linkage disequilibrium; multispecies coalescence; rapid radiation; soft polytomy.]
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43
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Kondo S, Watanabe M, Miyazawa S. Studies of Turing pattern formation in zebrafish skin. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2021; 379:20200274. [PMID: 34743596 PMCID: PMC8580470 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Skin patterns are the first example of the existence of Turing patterns in living organisms. Extensive research on zebrafish, a model organism with stripes on its skin, has revealed the principles of pattern formation at the molecular and cellular levels. Surprisingly, although the networks of cell-cell interactions have been observed to satisfy the 'short-range activation and long-range inhibition' prerequisites for Turing pattern formation, numerous individual reactions were not envisioned based on the classical reaction-diffusion model. For example, in real skin, it is not an alteration in concentrations of chemicals, but autonomous migration and proliferation of pigment cells that establish patterns, and cell-cell interactions are mediated via direct contact through cell protrusions. Therefore, the classical reaction-diffusion mechanism cannot be used as it is for modelling skin pattern formation. Various studies are underway to adapt mathematical models to the experimental findings on research into skin patterns, and the purpose of this review is to organize and present them. These novel theoretical methods could be applied to autonomous pattern formation phenomena other than skin patterns. This article is part of the theme issue 'Recent progress and open frontiers in Turing's theory of morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeru Kondo
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Seita Miyazawa
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Rometsch SJ, Torres‐Dowdall J, Machado‐Schiaffino G, Karagic N, Meyer A. Dual function and associated costs of a highly exaggerated trait in a cichlid fish. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17496-17508. [PMID: 34938524 PMCID: PMC8668731 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggerated secondary sexual characteristics are apparently costly and seem to defy natural selection. This conundrum promoted the theory of sexual selection. Accordingly, exaggerated secondary sexual characteristics might be ornaments on which female choice is based and/or armaments used during male-male competition. Males of many cichlid fish species, including the adaptive radiation of Nicaraguan Midas cichlids, develop a highly exaggerated nuchal hump, which is thought to be a sexually selected trait. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of behavioral assays in F2 hybrids obtained from crossing a species with a relatively small hump and one with an exaggerated hump. Mate-choice experiments showed a clear female preference for males with large humps. In an open-choice experiment with limited territories, couples including large humped males were more successful in acquiring these territories. Therefore, nuchal humps appear to serve dual functions as an ornament for attracting mates and as an armament for direct contest with rivals. Although being beneficial in terms of sexual selection, this trait also imposes fitness costs on males possessing disproportionally large nuchal humps since they exhibit decreased endurance and increased energetic costs when swimming. We conclude that these costs illustrate trade-offs associated with large hump size between sexual and natural selection, which causes the latter to limit further exaggeration of this spectacular male trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina J. Rometsch
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Julián Torres‐Dowdall
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Gonzalo Machado‐Schiaffino
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Present address:
Department of Functional BiologyUniversity of OviedoOviedoSpain
| | - Nidal Karagic
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Chair in Zoology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
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45
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SLC24A5 plays fundamental roles in regulating melanophore development in Cyprinidae fish. REPRODUCTION AND BREEDING 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbre.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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46
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Abstract
Evolutionary novelty is difficult to define. It typically involves shifts in organismal or biochemical phenotypes that can be seen as qualitative as well as quantitative changes. In laboratory-based experimental evolution of novel phenotypes and the human domestication of crops, the majority of the mutations that lead to adaptation are loss-of-function mutations that impair or eliminate the function of genes rather than gain-of-function mutations that increase or qualitatively alter the function of proteins. Here, I speculate that easier access to loss-of-function mutations has led them to play a major role in the adaptive radiations that occur when populations have access to many unoccupied ecological niches. I discuss five possible objections to this claim: that genes can only survive if they confer benefits to the organisms that bear them, antagonistic pleiotropy, the importance of pre-existing genetic variation in populations, the danger that adaptation by breaking genes will, over long times, cause organisms to run out of genes, and the recessive nature of most loss-of-function mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Murray
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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47
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Lu J, Fang W, Huang J, Li S. The application of genome editing technology in fish. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:326-346. [PMID: 37073287 PMCID: PMC10077250 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-021-00091-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The advent and development of genome editing technology has opened up the possibility of directly targeting and modifying genomic sequences in the field of life sciences with rapid developments occurring in the last decade. As a powerful tool to decipher genome data at the molecular biology level, genome editing technology has made important contributions to elucidating many biological problems. Currently, the three most widely used genome editing technologies include: zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALEN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Researchers are still striving to create simpler, more efficient, and accurate techniques, such as engineered base editors and new CRISPR/Cas systems, to improve editing efficiency and reduce off-target rate, as well as a near-PAMless SpCas9 variants to expand the scope of genome editing. As one of the important animal protein sources, fish has significant economic value in aquaculture. In addition, fish is indispensable for research as it serves as the evolutionary link between invertebrates and higher vertebrates. Consequently, genome editing technologies were applied extensively in various fish species for basic functional studies as well as applied research in aquaculture. In this review, we focus on the application of genome editing technologies in fish species detailing growth, gender, and pigmentation traits. In addition, we have focused on the construction of a zebrafish (Danio rerio) disease model and high-throughput screening of functional genes. Finally, we provide some of the future perspectives of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Lu
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519080 China
| | - Wenyu Fang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 China
| | - Junrou Huang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 China
| | - Shizhu Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082 China
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48
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Gerwin J, Urban S, Meyer A, Kratochwil CF. Of bars and stripes: A Malawi cichlid hybrid cross provides insights into genetic modularity and evolution of modifier loci underlying colour pattern diversification. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4789-4803. [PMID: 34322938 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the origins of phenotypic diversity among closely related species remains an important largely unsolved question in evolutionary biology. With over 800 species, Lake Malawi haplochromine cichlid fishes are a prominent example of extremely fast evolution of diversity including variation in colouration. Previously, a single major effect gene, agrp2 (asip2b), has been linked to evolutionary losses and gains of horizontal stripe patterns in cichlids, but it remains unknown what causes more fine-scale variation in the number and continuity of the stripes. Also, the genetic basis of the most common colour pattern in African cichlids, vertical bars, and potential interactions between the two colour patterns remain unknown. Based on a hybrid cross of the horizontally striped Lake Malawi cichlid Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos and the vertically barred species Chindongo demasoni we investigated the genetic basis of both colour patterns. The distribution of phenotypes in the F2 generation of the cross indicates that horizontal stripes and vertical bars are independently inherited patterns that are caused by two sets of genetic modules. While horizontal stripes are largely controlled by few major effect loci, vertical bars are a highly polygenic trait. Horizontal stripes show substantial variation in the F2 generation that, interestingly, resemble naturally occurring phenotypes found in other Lake Malawi cichlid species. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of this cross reveals known (agrp2) and unknown loci underlying horizontal stripe patterns. These findings provide novel insights into the incremental fine-tuning of an adaptive trait that diversified through the evolution of additional modifier loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Gerwin
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sabine Urban
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Claudius F Kratochwil
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, Helsinki, Finland
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Manipulation of the Tyrosinase gene permits improved CRISPR/Cas editing and neural imaging in cichlid fish. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15138. [PMID: 34302019 PMCID: PMC8302579 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94577-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct tests of gene function have historically been performed in a limited number of model organisms. The CRISPR/Cas system is species-agnostic, offering the ability to manipulate genes in a range of models, enabling insights into evolution, development, and physiology. Astatotilapia burtoni, a cichlid fish from the rivers and shoreline around Lake Tanganyika, has been extensively studied in the laboratory to understand evolution and the neural control of behavior. Here we develop protocols for the creation of CRISPR-edited cichlids and create a broadly useful mutant line. By manipulating the Tyrosinase gene, which is necessary for eumelanin pigment production, we describe a fast and reliable approach to quantify and optimize gene editing efficiency. Tyrosinase mutants also remove a major obstruction to imaging, enabling visualization of subdermal structures and fluorophores in situ. These protocols will facilitate broad application of CRISPR/Cas9 to studies of cichlids as well as other non-traditional model aquatic species.
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50
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Yong L, Croft DP, Troscianko J, Ramnarine IW, Wilson AJ. Sensory-based quantification of male colour patterns in Trinidadian guppies reveals no support for parallel phenotypic evolution in multivariate trait space. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1337-1357. [PMID: 34170592 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Parallel evolution, in which independent populations evolve along similar phenotypic trajectories, offers insights into the repeatability of adaptive evolution. Here, we revisit a classic example of parallelism, that of repeated evolution of brighter males in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). In guppies, colonisation of low predation habitats is associated with emergence of 'more colourful' phenotypes since predator-induced viability selection for crypsis weakens while sexual selection by female preference for conspicuousness remains strong. Our study differs from previous investigations in three respects. First, we adopted a multivariate phenotyping approach to characterise parallelism in multitrait space. Second, we used ecologically-relevant colour traits defined by the visual systems of the two selective agents (i.e., guppy, predatory cichlid). Third, we estimated population genetic structure to test for adaptive (parallel) evolution against a model of neutral phenotypic divergence. We find strong phenotypic differentiation that is inconsistent with a neutral model but very limited support for the predicted pattern of greater conspicuousness at low predation. Effects of predation regime on each trait were in the expected direction, but weak, largely nonsignificant, and explained little among-population variation. In multitrait space, phenotypic trajectories of lineages colonising low from high predation regimes were not parallel. Our results are consistent with reduced predation risk facilitating adaptive differentiation, potentially by female choice, but suggest that this proceeds in independent directions of multitrait space across lineages. Pool-sequencing data also revealed SNPs showing greater differentiation than expected under neutrality, among which some are found in genes contributing to colour pattern variation, presenting opportunities for future genetic study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lengxob Yong
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Darren P Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Jolyon Troscianko
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Indar W Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of The West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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