Signatures of natural selection between life cycle stages separated by metamorphosis in European eel

Genome-wide methylation in the panmictic European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

The role of methylation in adaptive, developmental and speciation processes has attracted considerable interest, but interpretation of results is complicated by diffuse boundaries between genetic and non-genetic variation. We studied whole genome genetic and methylation variation in the European eel, distributed from subarctic to subtropical environments, but with panmixia precluding genetically based local adaptation beyond single-generation responses. Overall methylation was 70.9%, with hypomethylation predominantly found in promoters and first exons. Redundancy analyses involving juvenile glass eels showed 0.06% and 0.03% of the variance at SNPs to be explained by localities and environmental variables, respectively, with GO terms of genes associated with outliers primarily involving neural system functioning. For CpGs 2.98% and 1.36% of variance was explained by localities and environmental variables. Differentially methylated regions particularly included genes involved in developmental processes, with hox clusters featuring prominently. Life stage (adult versus glass eels) was the most important source of inter-individual variation in methylation, likely reflecting both ageing and developmental processes. Demethylation of transposable elements relative to pure European eel was observed in European X American eel hybrids, possibly representing postzygotic barriers in this system characterized by prolonged speciation and ongoing gene flow. Whereas the genetic data are consistent with a role of single-generation selective responses, the methylation results underpin the importance of epigenetics in the life cycle of eels and suggests interactions between local environments, development and phenotypic variation mediated by methylation variation. Eels are remarkable by having retained eight hox clusters, and the results suggest important roles of methylation at hox genes for adaptive processes.

Comparative genomics and signatures of selection in North Atlantic eels

Comparative genomic approaches can identify putative private and shared signatures of selection. We performed a comparative genomic study of North Atlantic eels, European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) and American eel (A. rostrata). The two sister species are nearly undistinguishable at the phenotypic level and despite a wide non-overlapping continental distribution, they spawn in partial sympatry in the Sargasso Sea. Taking advantage of the newly assembled and annotated genome, we used genome wide RAD sequencing data of 359 individuals retrieved from Sequence Nucleotide Archive and state-of-the-art statistic tests to identify putative genomic signatures of selection in North Atlantic eels. First, using the F_ST and XP-EHH methods, we detected apparent islands of divergence on a total of 7 chromosomes, particularly on chromosomes 6 and 10. Gene ontology analyses suggested candidate genes mainly related to energy production, development and regulation, which could reflect strong selection on traits related to eel migration and larval duration time. Gene effect prediction using SNPeff showed a high number of SNPs in noncoding regions, pointing to a possible regulatory role. Second, using the iHS method we detected shared regions under selection on a total of 11 chromosomes. Several hypotheses might account for the detection of shared islands of selection in North Atlantic eels, including parallel evolution due to adaptation to similar environments and introgression. Future comparative genomic studies will be needed to further clarify the causes and consequences of introgression, including the directionality of these introgression events.

Genetic and phenotypic variation exhibit both predictable and stochastic patterns across an intertidal fish metapopulation

Interactions among selection, gene flow, and drift affect the trajectory of adaptive evolution. In natural populations, the direction and magnitude of these processes can be variable across different spatial, temporal, or ontogenetic scales. Consequently, variability in evolutionary processes affects the predictability or stochasticity of microevolutionary outcomes. We studied an intertidal fish, Bathygobius cocosensis (Bleeker, 1854), to understand how space, time, and life stage structure genetic and phenotypic variation in a species with potentially extensive dispersal and a complex life cycle (larval dispersal preceding benthic recruitment). We sampled juvenile and adult life stages, at three sites, over three years. Genome-wide SNPs uncovered a pattern of chaotic genetic patchiness, that is, weak-but-significant patchy spatial genetic structure that was variable through time and between life stages. Outlier locus analyses suggested that targets of spatially divergent selection were mostly temporally variable, though a significant number of spatial outlier loci were shared between life stages. Head shape, a putatively ecologically responsive (adaptive) phenotype in B. cocosensis also exhibited high temporal variability within sites. However, consistent spatial relationships between sites indicated that environmental similarities among sites may generate predictable phenotype distributions across space. Our study highlights the complex microevolutionary dynamics of marine systems, where consideration of multiple ecological dimensions can reveal both predictable and stochastic patterns in the distributions of genetic and phenotypic variation. Such considerations probably apply to species that possess short, complex life cycles, have large dispersal potential and fecundities, and that inhabit heterogeneous environments.

Comparing the Performance of Microsatellites and RADseq in Population Genetic Studies: Analysis of Data for Pike (Esox lucius) and a Synthesis of Previous Studies

Population genetic studies reveal biodiversity patterns and inform about drivers of evolutionary differentiation and adaptation, including gene flow, drift and selection. This can advance our understanding and aid decision making regarding management and conservation efforts. Microsatellites have long been used in population genetic studies. Thanks to the development of newer techniques, sequencing approaches such as restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) are on their way to replace microsatellites for some applications. However, the performance of these two marker types in population genetics have rarely been systematically compared. We utilized three neutrally and adaptively differentiated populations of anadromous pike (Esox lucius) to assess the relative performance of microsatellites and RADseq with respect to resolution and conclusiveness of estimates of population differentiation and genetic structure. To this end, the same set of individuals (N = 64) were genotyped with both RADseq and microsatellite markers. To assess effects of sample size, the same subset of 10 randomly chosen individuals from each population (N = 30 in total) were also genotyped with both methods. Comparisons of estimated genetic diversity and structure showed that both markers were able to uncover genetic structuring. The full RADseq dataset provided the clearest detection of the finer scaled genetic structuring, and the other three datasets (full and subset microsatellite, and subset RADseq) provided comparable results. A search for outlier loci performed on the full SNP dataset pointed to signs of selection potentially associated with salinity and temperature, exemplifying the utility of RADseq to inform about the importance of different environmental factors. To evaluate whether performance differences between the markers are general or context specific, the results of previous studies that have investigated population structure using both marker types were synthesized. The synthesis revealed that RADseq performed as well as, or better than microsatellites in detecting genetic structuring in the included studies. The differences in the ability to detect population structure, both in the present and the previous studies, are likely explained by the higher number of loci typically utilized in RADseq compared to microsatellite analysis, as increasing the number of markers will (regardless of the marker type) increase power and allow for clearer detection and higher resolution of genetic structure.

Life history stage explains behavior in a social network before and during the early breeding season in a cooperatively breeding bird

In species with stage-structured populations selection pressures may vary between different life history stages and result in stage-specific behaviors. We use life history stage to explain variation in the pre and early breeding season social behavior of a cooperatively breeding bird, the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) using social network analysis. Life history stage explains much of the variation we observed in social network position. These differences are consistent with nearly 50 years of natural history observations and generally conform to a priori predictions about how individuals in different stages should behave to maximize their individual fitness. Where the results from the social network analysis differ from the a priori predictions suggest that social interactions between members of different groups are more important for breeders than previously thought. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for life history stage in studies of individual social behavior.

RAD genotyping reveals fine-scale population structure and provides evidence for adaptive divergence in a commercially important fish from the northwestern Pacific Ocean

Exploring factors shaping genetic structure of marine fish is challenging due to fewer barriers to gene flow in the ocean. However, genome-wide sequence data can greatly enhance our ability to delineate previously unidentified population structure as well as potential adaptive divergence. The small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) is a commercially important fish species with high gene flow and its overwintering populations experience heterogeneous environment, suggesting possible population differentiation and adaptive divergence. To delineate patterns of population structure as well as test for signatures of local adaptation, a total of 68,666 quality filtered SNP markers were identified for 80 individuals from four overwintering populations by using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). Significant genetic differentiation among overwintering populations from the Central Yellow Sea, the South Yellow Sea and the North East China Sea were detected (Pair-wise F_ST: 0.00036–0.00390), which were consistent with population division of overwintering groups inferred from traditional ecological approaches. In addition, a total of 126 unique SNPs were detected to be significantly associated with environmental parameters (temperature, salinity and turbidity). These candidate SNPs were involved in multiple pathways such as energy metabolism and phagocytosis, suggesting they may play key roles in growth and innate immunity. Our results suggested the existence of hitherto unrecognized cryptic population structure and local adaptation in this high gene flow marine fish and thus gain new insights into the design of management strategies.

RAD-Seq Reveals Patterns of Additive Polygenic Variation Caused by Spatially-Varying Selection in the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

The American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) has an exceptional life cycle characterized by panmictic reproduction at the species scale, random dispersal, and selection in a highly heterogeneous habitat extending from subtropical to subarctic latitudes. The genetic consequences of spatially-varying selection in this species have been investigated for decades, revealing subtle clines in allele frequency at a few loci that contrast with complete panmixia on the vast majority of the genome. Because reproduction homogenizes allele frequencies every generation, sampling size, and genomic coverage are critical to reach sufficient power to detect selected loci in this context. Here, we used a total of 710 individuals from 12 sites and 12,098 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms to re-evaluate the extent to which local selection affects the spatial distribution of genetic diversity in this species. We used environmental association methods to identify markers under spatially-varying selection, which indicated that selection affects ∼1.5% of the genome. We then evaluated the extent to which candidate markers collectively vary with environmental factors using additive polygenic scores. We found significant correlations between polygenic scores and latitude, longitude and temperature which are consistent with polygenic selection acting against maladapted genotypes in different habitats occupied by eels throughout their range of distribution. Gene functions associated with outlier markers were significantly enriched for the insulin signaling pathway, indicating that the trade-offs inherent to occupying such a large distribution range involve the regulation of metabolism. Overall, this study highlights the potential of the additive polygenic scores approach in detecting selective effects in a complex environment.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of 84 Japanese Eels Reveals Evidence against Panmixia and Support for Sympatric Speciation

The Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), European eel (Anguilla anguilla), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata) are migratory, catadromous, temperate zone fish sharing several common life cycle features. The population genetics of panmixia in these eel species has already been investigated. Our extensive population genetics analysis was based on 1400 Gb of whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 84 eels. It demonstrated that a Japanese eel group from the Kuma River differed from other populations of the same species. Even after removing the potential adapted/selected single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, and with very small differences (fixation index [Fst] = 0.01), we obtained results consistently indicating that panmixia does not occur in Japanese eels. The life cycle of the Japanese eel is well-established and the Kuma River is in the center of its habitat. Nevertheless, simple reproductive isolation is not the probable cause of non-panmixia in this species. We propose that the combination of spawning area subdivision, philopatry, and habitat preference/avoidance accounts for the non-panmixia in the Japanese eel population. We named this hypothesis the “reproductive isolation like subset mapping” (RISM) model. This finding may be indicative of the initial stages of sympatric speciation in these eels.

Differential gene expression in narrow- and broad-headed European glass eels (Anguilla anguilla) points to a transcriptomic link of head shape dimorphism with growth rate and chemotaxis

One of the major challenges in evolutionary biology is to understand the mechanisms underlying morphological dimorphism and plasticity, including the genomic basis of traits and links to ecology. At the yellow eel stage of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), two morphotypes are found: broad- and narrow-heads. This dimorphism has been linked to dietary differences, with broad-heads feeding on harder, larger prey than narrow-heads. However, recent research showed that both morphotypes could be distinguished at the glass eel stage, the nonfeeding predecessor of the yellow eel stage, implying that nondietary factors play a role in the development of this head shape dimorphism. Here, we used transcriptome profiling (RNAseq) to identify differentially expressed genes between broad- and narrow-headed glass eels. We found 260 significantly differentially expressed genes between the morphotypes, of which most were related to defence and immune responses. Interestingly, two genes involved in growth (soma and igf2) were significantly upregulated in narrow-heads, while nine genes involved in chemotaxis showed significant differential expression. Thus, we found support for the observation that head shape is associated with somatic growth, with fast-growing eels developing a narrower head. Additionally, observations in the wild have shown that slow-growers prefer freshwater, while fast-growers prefer brackish water. The differential expression of genes involved in chemotaxis seems to indicate that glass eel growth rate and habitat choice are linked. We hypothesize that two levels of segregation could take place in the European eel: first according to habitat choice and second according to feeding preference.

On the maintenance of genetic variation and adaptation to environmental change: considerations from population genomics in fishes

The first goal of this paper was to overview modern approaches to local adaptation, with a focus on the use of population genomics data to detect signals of natural selection in fishes. Several mechanisms are discussed that may enhance the maintenance of genetic variation and evolutionary potential, which have been overlooked and should be considered in future theoretical development and predictive models: the prevalence of soft sweeps, polygenic basis of adaptation, balancing selection and transient polymorphisms, parallel evolution, as well as epigenetic variation. Research on fish population genomics has provided ample evidence for local adaptation at the genome level. Pervasive adaptive evolution, however, seems to almost never involve the fixation of beneficial alleles. Instead, adaptation apparently proceeds most commonly by soft sweeps entailing shifts in frequencies of alleles being shared between differentially adapted populations. One obvious factor contributing to the maintenance of standing genetic variation in the face of selective pressures is that adaptive phenotypic traits are most often highly polygenic, and consequently the response to selection should derive mostly from allelic co-variances among causative loci rather than pronounced allele frequency changes. Balancing selection in its various forms may also play an important role in maintaining adaptive genetic variation and the evolutionary potential of species to cope with environmental change. A large body of literature on fishes also shows that repeated evolution of adaptive phenotypes is a ubiquitous evolutionary phenomenon that seems to occur most often via different genetic solutions, further adding to the potential options of species to cope with a changing environment. Moreover, a paradox is emerging from recent fish studies whereby populations of highly reduced effective population sizes and impoverished genetic diversity can apparently retain their adaptive potential in some circumstances. Although more empirical support is needed, several recent studies suggest that epigenetic variation could account for this apparent paradox. Therefore, epigenetic variation should be fully integrated with considerations pertaining to role of soft sweeps, polygenic and balancing selection, as well as repeated adaptation involving different genetic basis towards improving models predicting the evolutionary potential of species to cope with a changing world.

Draft genome of the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)

Freshwater eels (Anguilla sp.) have large economic, cultural, ecological and aesthetic importance worldwide, but they suffered more than 90% decline in global stocks over the past few decades. Proper genetic resources, such as sequenced, assembled and annotated genomes, are essential to help plan sustainable recoveries by identifying physiological, biochemical and genetic mechanisms that caused the declines or that may lead to recoveries. Here, we present the first sequenced genome of the American eel. This genome contained 305 043 contigs (N50 = 7397) and 79 209 scaffolds (N50 = 86 641) for a total size of 1.41 Gb, which is in the middle of the range of previous estimations for this species. In addition, protein-coding regions, including introns and flanking regions, are very well represented in the genome, as 95.2% of the 458 core eukaryotic genes and 98.8% of the 248 ultra-conserved subset were represented in the assembly and a total of 26 564 genes were annotated for future functional genomics studies. We performed a candidate gene analysis to compare three genes among all three freshwater eel species and, congruent with the phylogenetic relationships, Japanese eel (A. japanica) exhibited the most divergence. Overall, the sequenced genome presented in this study is a crucial addition to the presently available genetic tools to help guide future conservation efforts of freshwater eels.