1
|
Louder MIM, Justen H, Kimmitt AA, Lawley KS, Turner LM, Dickman JD, Delmore KE. Gene regulation and speciation in a migratory divide between songbirds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:98. [PMID: 38167733 PMCID: PMC10761872 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44352-2] [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: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral variation abounds in nature. This variation is important for adaptation and speciation, but its molecular basis remains elusive. Here, we use a hybrid zone between two subspecies of songbirds that differ in migration - an ecologically important and taxonomically widespread behavior---to gain insight into this topic. We measure gene expression in five brain regions. Differential expression between migratory states was dominated by circadian genes in all brain regions. The remaining patterns were largely brain-region specific. For example, expression differences between the subspecies that interact with migratory state likely help maintain reproductive isolation in this system and were documented in only three brain regions. Contrary to existing work on regulatory mechanisms underlying species-specific traits, two lines of evidence suggest that trans- (vs. cis) regulatory changes underlie these patterns - no evidence for allele-specific expression in hybrids and minimal associations between genomic differentiation and expression differences. Additional work with hybrids shows expression levels were often distinct (transgressive) from parental forms. Behavioral contrasts and functional enrichment analyses allowed us to connect these patterns to mitonuclear incompatibilities and compensatory responses to stress that could exacerbate selection on hybrids and contribute to speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Justen
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Koedi S Lawley
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leslie M Turner
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - J David Dickman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kira E Delmore
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cavedon M, vonHoldt B, Hebblewhite M, Hegel T, Heppenheimer E, Hervieux D, Mariani S, Schwantje H, Steenweg R, Theoret J, Watters M, Musiani M. Genomic legacy of migration in endangered caribou. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1009974. [PMID: 35143486 PMCID: PMC8830729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wide-ranging animals, including migratory species, are significantly threatened by the effects of habitat fragmentation and habitat loss. In the case of terrestrial mammals, this results in nearly a quarter of species being at risk of extinction. Caribou are one such example of a wide-ranging, migratory, terrestrial, and endangered mammal. In populations of caribou, the proportion of individuals considered as "migrants" can vary dramatically. There is therefore a possibility that, under the condition that migratory behavior is genetically determined, those individuals or populations that are migratory will be further impacted by humans, and this impact could result in the permanent loss of the migratory trait in some populations. However, genetic determination of migration has not previously been studied in an endangered terrestrial mammal. We examined migratory behavior of 139 GPS-collared endangered caribou in western North America and carried out genomic scans for the same individuals. Here we determine a genetic subdivision of caribou into a Northern and a Southern genetic cluster. We also detect >50 SNPs associated with migratory behavior, which are in genes with hypothesized roles in determining migration in other organisms. Furthermore, we determine that propensity to migrate depends upon the proportion of ancestry in individual caribou, and thus on the evolutionary history of its migratory and sedentary subspecies. If, as we report, migratory behavior is influenced by genes, caribou could be further impacted by the loss of the migratory trait in some isolated populations already at low numbers. Our results indicating an ancestral genetic component also suggest that the migratory trait and their associated genetic mutations could not be easily re-established when lost in a population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cavedon
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Troy Hegel
- Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Heppenheimer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dave Hervieux
- Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stefano Mariani
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Schwantje
- Wildlife and Habitat Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robin Steenweg
- Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica Theoret
- Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan Watters
- Land and Resource Specialist, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marco Musiani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Veterinary Medicine (Joint Appointment), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding the genetic architecture of complex trait adaptation in natural populations requires the continued development of tractable models that explicitly confront organismal and environmental complexity. A decade of high-throughput sequencing-based investigations into the genomic basis of migration points to an integrative framework that incorporates quantitative genetics, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, and epigenetics to explain migration evolution. In this perspective, I argue that the transcontinental migration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) can serve as a compelling system to study the mechanism of evolutionary lability of a complex trait. Monarchs show significant phenotypic and genotypic diversity across their global range, with phenotypic switching that allows for explicit study of evolutionary lability. A developmental approach for elucidating how migratory traits are generated and functionally integrated will be important for understanding the evolution of monarch migration traits. I propose a plasticity threshold model to describe migration lability, and I describe novel functional techniques that will help resolve open questions and model assumptions. I conclude by considering the relationships between adaptive genetic architecture, anthropogenic climate change, and conservation management practice and the timeliness of the monarch migration model to illuminate these connections given the rapid decline of the North American migration.
Collapse
|
4
|
Merlin C, Iiams SE, Lugena AB. Monarch Butterfly Migration Moving into the Genetic Era. Trends Genet 2020; 36:689-701. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
5
|
Delmore K, Illera JC, Pérez-Tris J, Segelbacher G, Lugo Ramos JS, Durieux G, Ishigohoka J, Liedvogel M. The evolutionary history and genomics of European blackcap migration. eLife 2020; 9:e54462. [PMID: 32312383 PMCID: PMC7173969 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal migration is a taxonomically widespread behaviour that integrates across many traits. The European blackcap exhibits enormous variation in migration and is renowned for research on its evolution and genetic basis. We assembled a reference genome for blackcaps and obtained whole genome resequencing data from individuals across its breeding range. Analyses of population structure and demography suggested divergence began ~30,000 ya, with evidence for one admixture event between migrant and resident continent birds ~5000 ya. The propensity to migrate, orientation and distance of migration all map to a small number of genomic regions that do not overlap with results from other species, suggesting that there are multiple ways to generate variation in migration. Strongly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were located in regulatory regions of candidate genes that may serve as major regulators of the migratory syndrome. Evidence for selection on shared variation was documented, providing a mechanism by which rapid changes may evolve.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kira Delmore
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | - Juan Carlos Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo UniversityMieresSpain
| | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of MadridMadridSpain
| | | | - Juan S Lugo Ramos
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | - Gillian Durieux
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | - Jun Ishigohoka
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Snell KRS, Jensen RBE, Ortvad TE, Willemoes M, Thorup K. Multiple fragmented habitat-patch use in an urban breeding passerine, the Short-toed Treecreeper. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227731. [PMID: 31935239 PMCID: PMC6959574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual responses of wild birds to fragmented habitat have rarely been studied, despite large-scale habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss resulting from widespread urbanisation. We investigated the spatial ecology of the Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla, a tiny, resident, woodland passerine that has recently colonised city parks at the northern extent of its range. High resolution spatiotemporal movements of this obligate tree-living species were determined using radio telemetry within the urbanized matrix of city parks in Copenhagen, Denmark. We identified regular edge crossing behaviour, novel in woodland birds. While low numbers of individuals precluded a comprehensive characterisation of home range for this population, we were able to describe a consistent behaviour which has consequences for our understanding of animal movement in urban ecosystems. We report that treecreepers move freely, and apparently do so regularly, between isolated habitat patches. This behaviour is a possible driver of the range expansion in this species and may contribute to rapid dispersal capabilities in certain avian species, including Short-toed Treecreepers, into northern Europe. Alternatively, these behaviours might be common and/or provide an adaptive advantage for birds utilising matrix habitats, for example within urban ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. S. Snell
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Rie B. E. Jensen
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Troels E. Ortvad
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Every fall, millions of North American monarch butterflies undergo a stunning long-distance migration to reach their overwintering grounds in Mexico. Migration allows the butterflies to escape freezing temperatures and dying host plants, and reduces infections with a virulent parasite. We discuss the multigenerational migration journey and its evolutionary history, and highlight the navigational mechanisms of migratory monarchs. Monarchs use a bidirectional time-compensated sun compass for orientation, which is based on a time-compensating circadian clock that resides in the antennae, and which has a distinctive molecular mechanism. Migrants can also use a light-dependent inclination magnetic compass for orientation under overcast conditions. Additional environmental features, e.g., atmospheric conditions, geologic barriers, and social interactions, likely augment navigation. The publication of the monarch genome and the development of gene-editing strategies have enabled the dissection of the genetic and neurobiological basis of the migration. The monarch butterfly has emerged as an excellent system to study the ecological, neural, and genetic basis of long-distance animal migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Reppert
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gazda MA, Andrade P, Afonso S, Dilyte J, Archer JP, Lopes RJ, Faria R, Carneiro M. Signatures of Selection on Standing Genetic Variation Underlie Athletic and Navigational Performance in Racing Pigeons. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1176-1189. [PMID: 29547891 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Racing pigeons have been selectively bred to find their way home quickly over what are often extremely long distances. This breed is of substantial commercial value and is also an excellent avian model to gain empirical insights into the evolution of traits associated with flying performance and spatial orientation. Here, we investigate the molecular basis of the superior athletic and navigational capabilities of racing pigeons using whole-genome and RNA sequencing data. We inferred multiple signatures of positive selection distributed across the genome of racing pigeons. The strongest signature overlapped the CASK gene, a gene implicated in the formation of neuromuscular junctions. However, no diagnostic alleles were found between racing pigeons and other breeds, and only a small proportion of highly differentiated variants were exclusively detected in racing pigeons. We can thus conclude that very few individual genetic changes, if any, are either strictly necessary or sufficient for superior athletics and navigation. Gene expression analysis between racing and nonracing breeds revealed modest differences in muscle (213) and brain (29). These transcripts, however, showed only slightly elevated levels of genetic differentiation between the two groups, suggesting that most differential expression is not causative but likely a consequence of alterations in regulatory networks. Our results show that the unique suite of traits that enable fast flight, long endurance, and accurate navigation in racing pigeons, do not result from few loci acting as master switches but likely from a polygenic architecture that leveraged standing genetic variation available at the onset of the breed formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata A Gazda
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jolita Dilyte
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - John P Archer
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J Lopes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Rui Faria
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Merlin C, Liedvogel M. The genetics and epigenetics of animal migration and orientation: birds, butterflies and beyond. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/Suppl_1/jeb191890. [PMID: 30728238 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.191890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Migration is a complex behavioural adaptation for survival that has evolved across the animal kingdom from invertebrates to mammals. In some taxa, closely related migratory species, or even populations of the same species, exhibit different migratory phenotypes, including timing and orientation of migration. In these species, a significant proportion of the phenotypic variance in migratory traits is genetic. In others, the migratory phenotype and direction is triggered by seasonal changes in the environment, suggesting an epigenetic control of their migration. The genes and epigenetic changes underpinning migratory behaviour remain largely unknown. The revolution in (epi)genomics and functional genomic tools holds great promise to rapidly move the field of migration genetics forward. Here, we review our current understanding of the genetic and epigenetic architecture of migratory traits, focusing on two emerging models: the European blackcap and the North American monarch butterfly. We also outline a vision of how technical advances and integrative approaches could be employed to identify and functionally validate candidate genes and cis-regulatory elements on these and other migratory species across both small and broad phylogenetic scales to significantly advance the field of genetics of animal migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Merlin
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clock Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Research Group (MPRG) Behavioural Genomics, 24306 Plön, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Uy JAC, Irwin DE, Webster MS. Behavioral Isolation and Incipient Speciation in Birds. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110617-062646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral changes, such as those involved in mating, foraging, and migration, can generate reproductive barriers between populations. Birds, in particular, are known for their great diversity in these behaviors, and so behavioral isolation is often proposed to be the major driver of speciation. Here, we review empirical evidence to evaluate the importance of behavioral isolation in the early stages of avian speciation. Experimentally measured mating preferences indicate that changes in mating behavior can result in premating barriers, with their strength depending on the extent of divergence in mating signals. Differences in migratory and foraging behavior also can play important roles in generating reproductive barriers in the early stages of speciation. However, because premating behavioral isolation is imperfect, extrinsic postzygotic barriers, in the form of selection against hybrids having intermediate phenotypes, also play an important role in avian diversification, especially in completing the speciation process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Albert C. Uy
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA
| | - Darren E. Irwin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Turbek SP, Scordato ES, Safran RJ. The Role of Seasonal Migration in Population Divergence and Reproductive Isolation. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:164-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
12
|
Lugo Ramos JS, Delmore KE, Liedvogel M. Candidate genes for migration do not distinguish migratory and non-migratory birds. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:383-397. [PMID: 28585043 PMCID: PMC5522501 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1184-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Migratory traits in birds have been shown to have a strong heritable component and several candidate genes have been suggested to control these migratory traits. To investigate if the genetic makeup of one or a set of these candidate genes can be used to identify a general pattern between migratory and non-migratory birds, we extracted genomic sequence data for 25 hypothesised candidate genes for migration from 70 available genomes across all orders of Aves and characterised sequence divergence between migratory and non-migratory phenotypes. When examining each gene separately across all species, we did not identify any genetic variants in candidate genes that distinguished migrants from non-migrants; any resulting pattern was driven by the phylogenetic signal. This was true for each gene analysed independently, but also for concatenated sequence alignments of all candidate genes combined. We also attempted to distinguish between migrant and non-migrants using structural features at four candidate genes that have previously been reported to show associated with migratory behaviour but did not pick up a signal for migratory phenotype here either. Finally, a screen for dN/dS ratio across all focal candidate genes to probe for putative features of selection did not uncover a pattern, though this might not be expected given the broad phylogenetic scale used here. Our study demonstrates the potential of public genomic data to test for general patterns of migratory gene candidates in a cross-species comparative context, and raise questions on the applicability of candidate gene approaches in a macro-evolutionary context to understand the genetic architecture of migratory behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan S Lugo Ramos
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, AG Behavioural Genomics, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306, Plön, Germany
| | - Kira E Delmore
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, AG Behavioural Genomics, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306, Plön, Germany
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, AG Behavioural Genomics, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306, Plön, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|