1
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Corbett JJ, Trussell GC. Local and regional geographic variation in inducible defenses. Ecology 2024; 105:e4207. [PMID: 37948134 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive predators can cause substantial evolutionary change in native prey populations. Although invasions by predators typically occur over large scales, their distributions are usually characterized by substantial spatiotemporal heterogeneity that can lead to patchiness in the response of native prey species. Our ability to understand how local variation shapes patterns of inducible defense expression has thus far been limited by insufficient replication of populations within regions. Here, we examined local and regional variation in the inducible defenses of 12 native marine snail (Littorina obtusata) populations within two geographic regions in the Gulf of Maine that are characterized by vastly different contact histories with the invasive predatory green crab (Carcinus maenas). When exposed in the field to waterborne risk cues from the green crab for 90 days, snails expressed plastic increases in shell thickness that reduced their vulnerability to this shell-crushing predator. Despite significant differences in contact history with this invasive predator, snail populations from both regions produced similar levels of shell thickness and shell thickness plasticity in response to risk cues. Such phenotypic similarity emerged even though there were substantial geographic differences in the shell thickness of juvenile snails at the beginning of the experiment, and we suggest that it may reflect the effects of warming ocean temperatures and countergradient variation. Consistent with plasticity theory, a trend in our results suggests that southern snail populations, which have a longer contact history with the green crab, paid less in the form of reduced tissue mass for thicker shells than northern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Corbett
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences and Coastal Sustainability Institute, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Geoffrey C Trussell
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences and Coastal Sustainability Institute, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, USA
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2
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Nagano M, Yoshida T. Size‐selective predation accounts for intra‐ and inter‐specific variation of inducible morphological defense of
Daphnia. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Nagano
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo 3‐8‐1 Komaba Meguro Tokyo153‐8902Japan
| | - Takehito Yoshida
- Department of General Systems Studies University of Tokyo 3‐8‐1 Komaba Meguro Tokyo153‐8902Japan
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature 457‐4 Motoyama, Kamigamo Kita‐ku Kyoto603‐8047Japan
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3
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Hettyey A, Üveges B, Móricz ÁM, Drahos L, Capon RJ, Van Buskirk J, Tóth Z, Bókony V. Predator-induced changes in the chemical defence of a vertebrate. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1925-1935. [PMID: 31408536 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
1. Inducible defences are ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, but little is known about facultative changes in chemical defences in response to predators, especially so in vertebrates. 2. We tested for predator-induced changes in toxin production of larval common toads (Bufo bufo), which are known to synthesize bufadienolide compounds. 3. The experiment included larvae originating from three permanent and three temporary ponds reared in the presence or absence of chemical cues of three predators: dragonfly larvae, newts or fish. 4. Tadpoles raised with chemical cues of predation risk produced higher numbers of bufadienolide compounds and larger total bufadienolide quantities than predator-naive conspecifics. Further, the increase in intensity of chemical defence was greatest in response to fish, weakest to newts and intermediate to dragonfly larvae. Tadpoles originating from temporary and permanent ponds did not differ in their baseline toxin content or in the magnitude of their induced chemical responses. 5. These results provide the first compelling evidence for predator-induced changes in chemical defence of a vertebrate that may have evolved to enhance survival under predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Hettyey
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bálint Üveges
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes M Móricz
- Department of Pathophysiology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Drahos
- MS Proteomics Research Group, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Robert J Capon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Josh Van Buskirk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zoltán Tóth
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Zoology, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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4
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King GE, Howeth JG. Propagule pressure and native community connectivity interact to influence invasion success in metacommunities. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle E. King
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alabama, 1106 Bevill Building, Box 870344 Tuscaloosa AL 35487 USA
| | - Jennifer G. Howeth
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Alabama, 1106 Bevill Building, Box 870344 Tuscaloosa AL 35487 USA
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Tams V, Lüneburg J, Seddar L, Detampel JP, Cordellier M. Intraspecific phenotypic variation in life history traits of Daphnia galeata populations in response to fish kairomones. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5746. [PMID: 30356988 PMCID: PMC6195795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to produce different phenotypes depending on the environment. It has an influence on the adaptive potential to environmental change and the capability to adapt locally. Adaptation to environmental change happens at the population level, thereby contributing to genotypic and phenotypic variation within a species. Predation is an important ecological factor structuring communities and maintaining species diversity. Prey developed different strategies to reduce their vulnerability to predators by changing their behaviour, their morphology or their life history. Predator-induced life history responses in Daphnia have been investigated for decades, but intra-and inter-population variability was rarely addressed explicitly. We addressed this issue by conducting a common garden experiment with 24 clonal lines of European Daphnia galeata originating from four populations, each represented by six clonal lines. We recorded life history traits in the absence and presence of fish kairomones. Additionally, we looked at the shape of experimental individuals by conducting a geometric morphometric analysis, thus assessing predator-induced morphometric changes. Our data revealed high intraspecific phenotypic variation within and between four D. galeata populations, the potential to locally adapt to a vertebrate predator regime as well as an effect of the fish kairomones on morphology of D. galeata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Tams
- Institut für Zoologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Laura Seddar
- Institut für Zoologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Johansson F, Halvarsson P, Mikolajewski DJ, Höglund J. Phylogeography and larval spine length of the dragonfly Leucorhinia dubia in Europe. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184596. [PMID: 28902918 PMCID: PMC5597221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Presence or absence of predators selects for different kind of morphologies. Hence, we expect variation in traits that protect against predators to vary over geographical areas where predators vary in past and present abundance. Abdominal larval spines in dragonfly larvae provide protection against fish predators. We studied geographical variation in larval spine length of the dragonfly Leucorrhinia dubia across Western Europe using a phylogenetic approach. Larvae were raised in a common garden laboratory experiment in the absence of fish predators. Results show that larvae from northern Europe (Sweden and Finland) had significantly longer larval spines compared to larvae from western and central Europe. A phylogeny based on SNP data suggests that short larval spines is the ancestral stage in the localities sampled in this study, and that long spines have evolved in the Fenno-Scandian clade. The role of predators in shaping the morphological differences among the sampled localities is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Johansson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter Halvarsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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7
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An amphibian chemical defense phenotype is inducible across life history stages. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8185. [PMID: 28811506 PMCID: PMC5558003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08154-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Inducible phenotypic responses to environmental variation are ubiquitous across the tree of life, but it remains an open question whether amphibian chemical defense phenotypes are inducible. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a key chemical defense trait in North American and Eurasian newts (Salamandridae). We tested if TTX can be induced by exposing populations of adult and larval California newts (Taricha torosa) to sustained stressful conditions while longitudinally quantifying TTX concentrations. Adult newts rapidly increased chemical defenses in response to simulated predator attacks and consistently maintained elevated TTX concentrations relative to wild, non-captive individuals. We also found that laboratory-reared larvae maintained chemical defenses nearly three-fold greater than those of siblings reared in streams. Collectively, our results indicate that amphibian chemical defenses are not fixed. Instead, toxins are maintained at a baseline concentration that can quickly be increased in response to perceived risk with substantial increases to toxicity. Therefore, it is crucial that inducible variation be accounted for when considering ecological dynamics of chemically defended animals and coevolutionary predator-prey and mimic-model relationships.
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Suzuki K, Yamauchi Y, Yoshida T. Interplay between microbial trait dynamics and population dynamics revealed by the combination of laboratory experiment and computational approaches. J Theor Biol 2017; 419:201-210. [PMID: 28212786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Filament formation is a common bacterial defense mechanism and possibly has a broad impact on microbial community dynamics. In order to examine the impact of filament formation on population dynamics, we developed an experimental system with a filamentous bacterium Flectobacillus sp. MWH38 and a ciliate predator Tetrahymena pyriformis. In this system, the effective defense of Flectobacillus resulted in the extinction of Tetrahymena by allowing almost no population growth. The result of a kairomone experiment suggested the existence of chemical signals for filament formation. To examine the mechanism further, we developed a quantitative mechanistic model and optimized the model for the experimental result using the simulated annealing method. We also performed a global parameter sensitivity analysis using an approximated Bayesian computation based on the sequential Monte Carlo method to reveal parameters to which the model behavior is sensitive to. Our model reproduced the population dynamics, as well as the cell size dynamics of Flectobacillus. The model behavior is sensitive to the nutrient uptake of Flectobacillus and the propensity of filament formation. It robustly predicts the extinction of Tetrahymena at the condition used in the experiment and predicts the transition from equilibrium to population cycle at higher nutrient conditions. Contrary to the previous study that disproved the presence of chemical signals for filament formation, our result suggested the importance of chemical signals at low predator density, suggesting the variety in bacterial resistance mechanisms that act at different stages of predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Suzuki
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Yuji Yamauchi
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takehito Yoshida
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Okuku EO, Tole M, Kiteresi LI, Bouillon S. The response of phytoplankton and zooplankton to river damming in three cascading reservoirs of the Tana River, Kenya. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/lre.12127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ochieng Okuku
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Division of Soil and Water Management Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute Mkomani English Point Mombasa Kenya
| | - Mwakio Tole
- Department of Environmental Sciences School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Pwani University Kilifi Kenya
| | | | - Steven Bouillon
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Division of Soil and Water Management Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Leuven Belgium
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10
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Mori T, Yanagisawa Y, Kitani Y, Sugiyama M, Kishida O, Nishimura K. Gene expression profiles in Rana pirica tadpoles following exposure to a predation threat. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:258. [PMID: 25886855 PMCID: PMC4403775 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1389-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rana pirica tadpoles show morphological changes in response to a predation threat: larvae of the dragonfly Aeshna nigroflava induce heightened tail depth, whereas larval salamander Hynobius retardatus induce a bulgy morphology with heightened tail depth. Although both predators induce similar tail morphologies, it is possible that there are functional differences between these tail morphs. Results Here, we performed a discriminant microarray analysis using Xenopus laevis genome arrays to compare tail tissues of control and predator-exposed tadpoles. We identified 9 genes showing large-scale changes in their expression profile: ELAV-like1, methyltransferase like 7A, dolichyl-phosphate mannosyltransferase, laminin subunit beta-1, gremlin 1, BCL6 corepressor-like 1, and three genes of unknown identity. A further 80 genes showed greater than 5 fold differences in expression after exposure to dragonfly larvae and 81 genes showed altered expression after exposure to larval salamanders. Predation-threat responsive genes were identified by selecting genes that reverted to control levels of expression following removal of the predator. Thirteen genes were induced specifically by dragonfly larvae, nine others were salamander-specific, and sixteen were induced by both. Functional analyses indicated that some of the genes induced by dragonfly larvae caused an increase in laminins necessary for cell adhesion in the extracellular matrix. The higher expression of gremlin 1 and HIF1a genes after exposure to dragonfly larvae indicated an in vivo hypoxic reaction, while down-regulation of syndecan-2 may indicate impairment of angiogenesis. Exposure to larval salamanders caused down-regulation of XCIRP-1, which is known to inhibit expression of adhesion molecules; the tadpoles showed reduced expression of cα(E)-catenin, small muscle protein, dystrophin, and myosin light chain genes. Conclusion The connective tissue of tadpoles exposed to larval salamanders may be looser. The differences in gene expression profiles induced by the two predators suggest that there are functional differences between the altered tail tissues of the two groups of tadpoles. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1389-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Mori
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Yukio Yanagisawa
- Department of Liberal Art, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Yoichiro Kitani
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Manabu Sugiyama
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Osamu Kishida
- Teshio Experimental Forest, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Horonobe, Hokkaido, 098-2943, Japan.
| | - Kinya Nishimura
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan.
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11
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Chu ND, Miller LP, Kaluziak ST, Trussell GC, Vollmer SV. Thermal stress and predation risk trigger distinct transcriptomic responses in the intertidal snail Nucella lapillus. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:6104-13. [PMID: 25377436 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Thermal stress and predation risk have profound effects on rocky shore organisms, triggering changes in their feeding behaviour, morphology and metabolism. Studies of thermal stress have shown that underpinning such changes in several intertidal species are specific shifts in gene and protein expression (e.g. upregulation of heat-shock proteins). But relatively few studies have examined genetic responses to predation risk. Here, we use next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to examine the transcriptomic (mRNA) response of the snail Nucella lapillus to thermal stress and predation risk. We found that like other intertidal species, N. lapillus displays a pronounced genetic response to thermal stress by upregulating many heat-shock proteins and other molecular chaperones. In contrast, the presence of a crab predator (Carcinus maenas) triggered few significant changes in gene expression in our experiment, and this response showed no significant overlap with the snail's response to thermal stress. These different gene expression profiles suggest that thermal stress and predation risk could pose distinct and potentially additive challenges for N. lapillus and that genetic responses to biotic stresses such as predation risk might be more complex and less uniform across species than genetic responses to abiotic stresses such as thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel D Chu
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, 01908, USA
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12
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Soldiers with large weapons in predator-abundant midsummer: phenotypic plasticity in a eusocial aphid. Evol Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-012-9628-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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13
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Välimäki K, Herczeg G, Merilä J. Morphological anti-predator defences in the nine-spined stickleback: constitutive, induced or both? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01989.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaisa Välimäki
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit; University Helsinki; PO Box 65; FI-00014; Helsinki; Finland
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit; University Helsinki; PO Box 65; FI-00014; Helsinki; Finland
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit; University Helsinki; PO Box 65; FI-00014; Helsinki; Finland
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14
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Garcia TS, Thurman LL, Rowe JC, Selego SM. Antipredator Behavior of American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) in a Novel Environment. Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02074.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany S. Garcia
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; Corvallis; OR; USA
| | - Lindsey L. Thurman
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; Corvallis; OR; USA
| | - Jennifer C. Rowe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; Corvallis; OR; USA
| | - Stephen M. Selego
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Oregon State University; Corvallis; OR; USA
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15
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Greater costs of inducible behavioural defences at cooler temperatures in larvae of the mosquito, Aedes notoscriptus. Evol Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-012-9576-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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16
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Levri EP, Dubensky AN, Mears AS, Opiela CA. Interpopulation variation in predator avoidance behavior of a freshwater snail to the same predator. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The New Zealand mud snail ( Potamopyrgus antipodarum (J.E. Grey, 1843)) responds to the presence of predatory fish by moving to a safer environment. These experiments attempted to determine if predator detection by the snail results in specific responses to light and (or) gravity by the snail and if snails respond more or less to fish from their native lake compared with fish from a foreign lake. Snails and fish (Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall, 1975) were collected from lakes Alexandrina and Peorua from the South Island of New Zealand. Snails were placed in behavioral chambers and tested for their responses to the direction of light, vertical orientation with respect to gravity, and rate of movement in light and dark conditions. Snails from each lake were exposed to one of three treatments: plain water, water from fish from Lake Alexandrina, and water from fish from Lake Peorua. Results showed no effect of direction of light on behavior. Snails from Lake Alexandrina were not found to alter their up or down movements in response to the detection of fish. However, snails from Lake Peorua moved down more in response to fish from their own lake than fish from Lake Alexandrina or no fish. Both snail populations increase their speed in the light more when detecting Alexandrina fish compared with Peorua fish and no fish. Both snail populations show some evidence of enhanced response to local predator populations. Interestingly, different behavioral mechanisms appear to be responsible for the avoidance behaviors in each population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward P. Levri
- Department of Biology, Penn State – Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA 16601, USA
| | - Andrea N. Dubensky
- Department of Biology, Penn State – Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA 16601, USA
| | - Ashley S. Mears
- Department of Biology, Penn State – Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA 16601, USA
| | - Carol A. Opiela
- Department of Biology, Penn State – Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, PA 16601, USA
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17
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18
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Välimäki K, Herczeg G. Ontogenetic and evolutionary effects of predation and competition on nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) body size. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:859-67. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01971.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Mori T, Kitani Y, Ogihara J, Sugiyama M, Yamamoto G, Kishida O, Nishimura K. Histological and MS spectrometric analyses of the modified tissue of bulgy form tadpoles induced by salamander predation. Biol Open 2012; 1:308-17. [PMID: 23213421 PMCID: PMC3509453 DOI: 10.1242/bio2012604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid induction of a defensive morphology by a prey species in face of a predation risk is an intriguing in ecological context; however, the physiological mechanisms that underlie this phenotypic plasticity remain uncertain. Here we investigated the phenotypic changes shown by Rana pirica tadpoles in response to a predation threat by larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus. One such response is the bulgy morph phenotype, a relatively rapid swelling in size by the tadpoles that begins within 4 days and reaches a maximum at 8 to 10 days. We found that although the total volume of bodily fluid increased significantly (P<0.01) in bulgy morph tadpoles, osmotic pressure was maintained at the same level as control tadpoles by a significant increase (P<0.01) in Na and Cl ion concentrations. In our previous report, we identified a novel frog gene named pirica that affects the waterproofing of the skin membrane in tadpoles. Our results support the hypothesis that predator-induced expression of pirica on the skin membrane causes retention of absorbed water. Midline sections of bulgy morph tadpoles showed the presence of swollen connective tissue beneath the skin that was sparsely composed of cells containing hyaluronic acid. Mass spectrographic (LC-MS/MS) analysis identified histone H3 and 14-3-3 zeta as the most abundant constituents in the liquid aspirated from the connective tissue of bulgy tadpoles. Immunohistochemistry using antibodies against these proteins showed the presence of non-chromatin associated histone H3 in the swollen connective tissue. Histones and 14-3-3 proteins are also involved in antimicrobial activity and secretion of antibacterial proteins, respectively. Bulgy tadpoles have a larger surface area than controls, and their skin often has bite wounds inflicted by the larval salamanders. Thus, formation of the bulgy morph may also require and be supported by activation of innate immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Mori
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences , Kameino 1866, Fujisawa 252-0880 , Japan
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20
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Chaves-Campos J, Johnson SG, Hulsey CD. Spatial geographic mosaic in an aquatic predator-prey network. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22472. [PMID: 21799865 PMCID: PMC3140530 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 06/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographic mosaic theory of coevolution predicts 1) spatial variation in predatory structures as well as prey defensive traits, and 2) trait matching in some areas and trait mismatching in others mediated by gene flow. We examined gene flow and documented spatial variation in crushing resistance in the freshwater snails Mexipyrgus churinceanus, Mexithauma quadripaludium, Nymphophilus minckleyi, and its relationship to the relative frequency of the crushing morphotype in the trophically polymorphic fish Herichthys minckleyi. Crushing resistance and the frequency of the crushing morphotype did show spatial variation among 11 naturally replicated communities in the Cuatro Ciénegas valley in Mexico where these species are all endemic. The variation in crushing resistance among populations was not explained by geographic proximity or by genetic similarity in any species. We detected clear phylogeographic patterns and limited gene flow for the snails but not for the fish. Gene flow among snail populations in Cuatro Ciénegas could explain the mosaic of local divergence in shell strength and be preventing the fixation of the crushing morphotype in Herichthys minckleyi. Finally, consistent with trait matching across the mosaic, the frequency of the fish morphotype was negatively correlated with shell crushing resistance likely reflecting the relative disadvantage of the crushing morphotype in communities where the snails exhibit relatively high crushing resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johel Chaves-Campos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Steven G. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - C. Darrin Hulsey
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Long JD, Mitchell JL, Sotka EE. Local consumers induce resistance differentially between Spartina populations in the field. Ecology 2011; 92:180-8. [PMID: 21560688 DOI: 10.1890/10-0179.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in the strength of inducible plant defenses plays a central role in the interactions between plants and herbivores. Studies of this variation are typically conducted in the greenhouse or laboratory rather than the field. We simultaneously manipulated densities of local consumers in the field within Maine and South Carolina populations of the smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora. South Carolina, but not Maine, plants induced resistance when grazed by local consumers. South Carolina populations of Littoraria snails and planthoppers colonized control more than previously grazed South Carolina plants, and Littoraria snails consumed more control than previously grazed plants. The inducible feeding deterrents in South Carolina plants appear to be water soluble, but not phenolic based. In contrast, grazed and control plants from Maine populations did not differ in attractiveness or palatability to Maine consumers. Thus, inducible plant responses by South Carolina plants had a strong effect on the South Carolina consumer community, but no analogous effect occurred in Maine. Field experiments are a powerful approach to detecting the strength of inducible plant resistance and its impacts on local consumers, which in this case were shown to vary with location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D Long
- Biology Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182, USA.
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22
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Mougi A, Kishida O, Iwasa Y. Coevolution of phenotypic plasticity in predator and prey: why are inducible offenses rarer than inducible defenses? Evolution 2010; 65:1079-87. [PMID: 21062279 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01187.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Inducible defenses of prey and inducible offenses of predators are drastic phenotypic changes activated by the interaction between a prey and predator. Inducible defenses occur in many taxa and occur more frequently than inducible offenses. Recent empirical studies have reported reciprocal phenotypic changes in both predator and prey. Here, we model the coevolution of inducible plasticity in both prey and predator, and examine how the evolutionary dynamics of inducible plasticity affect the population dynamics of a predator-prey system. Under a broad range of parameter values, the proportion of predators with an offensive phenotype is smaller than the proportion of prey with a defensive phenotype, and the offense level is relatively lower than the defense level at evolutionary end points. Our model also predicts that inducible plasticity evolves in both species when predation success depends sensitively on the difference in the inducible trait value between the two species. Reciprocal phenotypic plasticity may be widespread in nature but may have been overlooked by field studies because offensive phenotypes are rare and inconspicuous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Department of Biology, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
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Smith GR, Boyd A, Dayer CB, Ogle ME, Terlecky AJ, Dibble CJ. Effects of Sibship and the Presence of Multiple Predators on the Behavior of Green Frog (Rana clamitans) Tadpoles. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01728.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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24
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Evolutionary ecology of inducible morphological plasticity in predator–prey interaction: toward the practical links with population ecology. POPUL ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-009-0182-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Kishida O, Trussell GC, Nishimura K, Ohgushi T. Inducible defenses in prey intensify predator cannibalism. Ecology 2009; 90:3150-8. [DOI: 10.1890/08-2158.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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26
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Mougi A, Kishida O. Reciprocal phenotypic plasticity can lead to stable predator-prey interaction. J Anim Ecol 2009; 78:1172-81. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01600.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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27
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Identification of a novel uromodulin-like gene related to predator-induced bulgy morph in anuran tadpoles by functional microarray analysis. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5936. [PMID: 19529781 PMCID: PMC2694273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2008] [Accepted: 05/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tadpoles of the anuran species Rana pirica can undergo predator-specific morphological responses. Exposure to a predation threat by larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus results in formation of a bulgy body (bulgy morph) with a higher tail. The tadpoles revert to a normal phenotype upon removal of the larval salamander threat. Although predator-induced phenotypic plasticity is of major interest to evolutionary ecologists, the molecular and physiological mechanisms that control this response have yet to be elucidated. In a previous study, we identified various genes that are expressed in the skin of the bulgy morph. However, it proved difficult to determine which of these were key genes in the control of gene expression associated with the bulgy phenotype. Here, we show that a novel gene plays an important role in the phenotypic plasticity producing the bulgy morph. A functional microarray analysis using facial tissue samples of control and bulgy morph tadpoles identified candidate functional genes for predator-specific morphological responses. A larger functional microarray was prepared than in the previous study and used to analyze mRNAs extracted from facial and brain tissues of tadpoles from induction-reversion experiments. We found that a novel uromodulin-like gene, which we name here pirica, was up-regulated and that keratin genes were down-regulated as the period of exposure to larval salamanders increased. Pirica consists of a 1296 bp open reading frame, which is putatively translated into a protein of 432 amino acids. The protein contains a zona pellucida domain similar to that of proteins that function to control water permeability. We found that the gene was expressed in the superficial epidermis of the tadpole skin.
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Hoso M, Hori M. Divergent shell shape as an antipredator adaptation in tropical land snails. Am Nat 2008; 172:726-32. [PMID: 18834301 DOI: 10.1086/591681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Although many land snails exhibit amazingly divergent shell shapes in the tropics, the functions of these remain obscure. Here we show that a modified aperture shape acts as an impediment specifically to predation by a snail-eating snake. Pareas iwasakii (Colubridae: Pareatinae) uses a unique method to feed on land snails: the snake extracts the soft body from the shell through the aperture by alternately retracting its mandibles. The snail Satsuma caliginosa (Camaenidae: Camaeninae) has apertural variation in regard to the presence of snail-eating snakes. Our experiments demonstrated that the distorted aperture mechanically impeded predation by this gape-limited predator, interrupting the mandibular movements. In contrast, congeneric snails with round apertures did not escape predation by snakes. The paleobiogeography of the focal area indicates that the subspecies Satsuma caliginosa picta, which does not have apertural modification, was derived from a defensive ancestor after the extinction of snail-eating snakes. Our study suggests a possibility that snail-eating snakes are responsible for divergent shell shapes in a variety of tropical land snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Hoso
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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CRISPO E. Modifying effects of phenotypic plasticity on interactions among natural selection, adaptation and gene flow. J Evol Biol 2008; 21:1460-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01592.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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