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Selleghin-Veiga G, Magpali L, Picorelli A, Silva FA, Ramos E, Nery MF. Breathing Air and Living Underwater: Molecular Evolution of Genes Related to Antioxidant Response in Cetaceans and Pinnipeds. J Mol Evol 2024:10.1007/s00239-024-10170-3. [PMID: 38735005 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10170-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cetaceans and pinnipeds are lineages of mammals that have independently returned to the aquatic environment, acquiring varying degrees of dependence on it while sharing adaptations for underwater living. Here, we focused on one critical adaptation from both groups, their ability to withstand the ischemia and reperfusion experienced during apnea diving, which can lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent oxidative damage. Previous studies have shown that cetaceans and pinnipeds possess efficient antioxidant enzymes that protect against ROS. In this study, we investigated the molecular evolution of key antioxidant enzyme genes (CAT, GPX3, GSR, PRDX1, PRDX3, and SOD1) and the ROS-producing gene XDH, in cetaceans and pinnipeds lineages. We used the ratio of non-synonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitutions as a measure to identify signatures of adaptive molecular evolution in these genes within and between the two lineages. Additionally, we performed protein modeling and variant impact analyzes to assess the functional consequences of observed mutations. Our findings revealed distinct selective regimes between aquatic and terrestrial mammals in five of the examined genes, including divergences within cetacean and pinniped lineages, between ancestral and recent lineages and between crowns groups. We identified specific sites under positive selection unique to Cetacea and Pinnipedia, with one site showing evidence of convergent evolution in species known for their long and deep-diving capacities. Notably, many sites under adaptive selection exhibited radical changes in amino acid properties, with some being damaging mutations in human variations, but with no apparent detrimental impacts on aquatic mammals. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the adaptive changes that have occurred in the antioxidant systems of aquatic mammals throughout their evolutionary history. We observed both distinctive features within each group of Cetacea and Pinnipedia and instances of convergence. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of the antioxidant system in response to challenges of the aquatic environment and provide a foundation for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Selleghin-Veiga
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
| | - Letícia Magpali
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Agnello Picorelli
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Felipe A Silva
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Elisa Ramos
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
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Ramos E, Selleghin-Veiga G, Magpali L, Daros B, Silva F, Picorelli A, Freitas L, Nery MF. Molecular Footprints on Osmoregulation-Related Genes Associated with Freshwater Colonization by Cetaceans and Sirenians. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:865-881. [PMID: 38010516 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10141-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The genetic basis underlying adaptive physiological mechanisms has been extensively explored in mammals after colonizing the seas. However, independent lineages of aquatic mammals exhibit complex patterns of secondary colonization in freshwater environments. This change in habitat represents new osmotic challenges, and additional changes in key systems, such as the osmoregulatory system, are expected. Here, we studied the selective regime on coding and regulatory regions of 20 genes related to the osmoregulation system in strict aquatic mammals from independent evolutionary lineages, cetaceans, and sirenians, with representatives in marine and freshwater aquatic environments. We identified positive selection signals in genes encoding the protein vasopressin (AVP) in mammalian lineages with secondary colonization in the fluvial environment and in aquaporins for lineages inhabiting the marine and fluvial environments. A greater number of sites with positive selection signals were found for the dolphin species compared to the Amazonian manatee. Only the AQP5 and AVP genes showed selection signals in more than one independent lineage of these mammals. Furthermore, the vasopressin gene tree indicates greater similarity in river dolphin sequences despite the independence of their lineages based on the species tree. Patterns of distribution and enrichment of Transcription Factors in the promoter regions of target genes were analyzed and appear to be phylogenetically conserved among sister species. We found accelerated evolution signs in genes ACE, AQP1, AQP5, AQP7, AVP, NPP4, and NPR1 for the fluvial mammals. Together, these results allow a greater understanding of the molecular bases of the evolution of genes responsible for osmotic control in aquatic mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ramos
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Selleghin-Veiga
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Letícia Magpali
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Daros
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Felipe Silva
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Agnello Picorelli
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Lucas Freitas
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva., Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP, 13083970, Brazil.
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Silva FA, Picorelli ACR, Veiga GS, Nery MF. Patterns of enrichment and acceleration in evolutionary rates of promoters suggest a role of regulatory regions in cetacean gigantism. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:62. [PMID: 37872505 PMCID: PMC10594719 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02171-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) are a lineage of aquatic mammals from which some species became giants. Only recently, gigantism has been investigated from the molecular point of view. Studies focused mainly on coding regions, and no data on the influence of regulatory regions on gigantism in this group was available. Accordingly, we investigated the molecular evolution of non-coding regulatory regions of genes already described in the literature for association with size in mammals, focusing mainly on the promoter regions. For this, we used Ciiider and phyloP tools. Ciiider identifies significantly enriched transcription factor binding sites, and phyloP estimates the molecular evolution rate of the promoter. RESULTS We found evidence of enrichment of transcription binding factors related to large body size, with distinct patterns between giant and non-giant cetaceans in the IGFBP7 and NCAPG promoters, in which repressive agents are present in small cetaceans and those that stimulate transcription, in giant cetaceans. In addition, we found evidence of acceleration in the IGF2, IGFBP2, IGFBP7, and ZFAT promoters. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that regulatory regions may also influence cetaceans' body size, providing candidate genes for future research to understand the molecular basis of the largest living animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A Silva
- Dept of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, 13083-862, SP, Brazil
| | - Agnello C R Picorelli
- Dept of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, 13083-862, SP, Brazil
| | - Giovanna S Veiga
- Dept of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, 13083-862, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Dept of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, 255, Campinas, 13083-862, SP, Brazil.
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Silva FA, Souza ÉMS, Ramos E, Freitas L, Nery MF. The molecular evolution of genes previously associated with large sizes reveals possible pathways to cetacean gigantism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:67. [PMID: 36658131 PMCID: PMC9852289 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24529-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans are a group of aquatic mammals with the largest body sizes among living animals, including giant representatives such as blue and fin whales. To understand the genetic bases of gigantism in cetaceans, we performed molecular evolutionary analyses on five genes (GHSR, IGF2, IGFBP2, IGFBP7, and EGF) from the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis, and four genes (ZFAT, EGF, LCORL, and PLAG1) previously described as related to the size of species evolutionarily close to cetaceans, such as pigs, cows, and sheep. Our dataset comprised 19 species of cetaceans, seven of which are classified as giants because they exceed 10 m in length. Our results revealed signs of positive selection in genes from the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis and also in those related to body increase in cetacean-related species. In addition, pseudogenization of the EGF gene was detected in the lineage of toothless cetaceans, Mysticeti. Our results suggest the action of positive selection on gigantism in genes that act both in body augmentation and in mitigating its consequences, such as cancer suppression when involved in processes such as division, migration, and cell development control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe André Silva
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Érica M. S. Souza
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Elisa Ramos
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Lucas Freitas
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Mariana F. Nery
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, 255, Monteiro Lobato, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP 13083-862 Brazil
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Freitas L, Nery MF. Positive selection in multiple salivary gland proteins of Anophelinae reveals potential targets for vector control. Infect Genet Evol 2022; 100:105271. [PMID: 35339698 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anopheles is a genus belonging to the Culicidae family, which has great medical importance due to its role as a vector of Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria. Great focus has been given to the salivary gland proteins (SGPs) group from Anopheles' functional genomics. This class of proteins is essential to blood-feeding behavior as they have attributes such as vasodilators and anti-clotting properties. Recently, a comprehensive review on Anopheles SGPs was performed; however, the authors did not deeply explore the adaptive molecular evolution of these genes. In this context, this work aimed to perform a more detailed analysis of the adaptive molecular evolution of SGPs in Anopheles, carrying out positive selection and gene family evolution analysis on 824 SGPs. Our results show that most SGPs have positively selected codon sites that can be used as targets in developing new strategies for vector control and that younger SGPs evolve at a faster rate than older SGPs. Notably, we could not find any evidence of an accelerated shift in SGPs' rates of gene gain and loss compared with other proteins, as suggested in previous works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Freitas
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Nery MF, Rennó M, Picorelli A, Ramos E. A phylogenetic review of cancer resistance highlights evolutionary solutions to Peto’s Paradox. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 45:e20220133. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The blood-feeding behavior evolved multiple times in Insecta lineages and it represents an excellent opportunity to study patterns of convergent molecular evolution regarding this habit. In insects the expansion of some gene families is linked with blood-feeding behavior, but a wide study comparing the evolution of these gene families among different lineages is still missing. Here we gathered genomic data from six independently-evolved hematophagous lineages, aiming to identify convergent expansions and/or contractions of gene families in hematophagous lineages of insects. RESULTS We found four rapidly evolving gene families shared by at least two hematophagous independently-evolved lineages, including a heat-shock and a chemosensory protein. On the expression of these four rapidly evolving gene families we found more genes expressed in mated individuals compared with virgin individuals in rapidly-expanded families and more genes expressed in non-blood-feeding individuals compared with blood-feeding individuals in rapidly-contracted families. CONCLUSION Our results reveal a new set of candidate genes to be explored in further analysis to help the development of new strategies to deal with blood-feeding vectors and also presents a new perspective to study the evolution of hematophagy identifying convergent molecular patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Freitas
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rua Bertrand Russell, S/N, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Laboratório de Genômica Evolutiva, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rua Bertrand Russell, S/N, Cidade Universitária, IB, Bloco H, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Arroyo JI, Nery MF. Gene fusion of heterophyletic gamma-globin genes in platyrrhine primates. J Genet 2018; 97:1473-1478. [PMID: 30555097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We performed phylogenetic analyses of HBG genes to assess its origin and interspecific variation among primates. Our analyses showed variation in HBG genes copy number ranging from one to three, some of them pseudogenes. For platyrrhines HBG genes, phylogenetic reconstructions of flanking regions recovered orthologous clades with distinct topologies for 5' and 3' flanking regions. The 5' region originated in the common ancestor of platyrrhines but the 3' region had an anthropoid origin. We hypothesize that the platyrrhine HBG genes of 5' and 3' heterophyletic origins arose from subsequent fusions of the (earlier) platyrrhine 5' portion and the (later) anthropoid 3' portion.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Ignacio Arroyo
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile.
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Torres-Florez JP, Johnson WE, Nery MF, Eizirik E, Oliveira-Miranda MA, Galetti PM. The coming of age of conservation genetics in Latin America: what has been achieved and what needs to be done. CONSERV GENET 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-017-1006-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Singarete ME, Grizante MB, Milograna SR, Nery MF, Kin K, Wagner GP, Kohlsdorf T. Molecular evolution of HoxA13 and the multiple origins of limbless morphologies in amphibians and reptiles. Genet Mol Biol 2015; 38:255-62. [PMID: 26500429 PMCID: PMC4612600 DOI: 10.1590/s1415-475738320150039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental processes and their results, morphological characters, are inherited through transmission of genes regulating development. While there is ample evidence that cis-regulatory elements tend to be modular, with sequence segments dedicated to different roles, the situation for proteins is less clear, being particularly complex for transcription factors with multiple functions. Some motifs mediating protein-protein interactions may be exclusive to particular developmental roles, but it is also possible that motifs are mostly shared among different processes. Here we focus on HoxA13, a protein essential for limb development. We asked whether the HoxA13 amino acid sequence evolved similarly in three limbless clades: Gymnophiona, Amphisbaenia and Serpentes. We explored variation in ω (dN/dS) using a maximum-likelihood framework and HoxA13sequences from 47 species. Comparisons of evolutionary models provided low ω global values and no evidence that HoxA13 experienced relaxed selection in limbless clades. Branch-site models failed to detect evidence for positive selection acting on any site along branches of Amphisbaena and Gymnophiona, while three sites were identified in Serpentes. Examination of alignments did not reveal consistent sequence differences between limbed and limbless species. We conclude that HoxA13 has no modules exclusive to limb development, which may be explained by its involvement in multiple developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Singarete
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana B Grizante
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. ; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Sarah R Milograna
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana F Nery
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. ; Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Koryu Kin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. ; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. ; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Hair represents an evolutionary innovation that appeared early on mammalian evolutionary history, and presumably contributed significantly to the rapid radiation of the group. An interesting event in hair evolution has been its secondary loss in some mammalian groups, such as cetaceans, whose hairless phenotype appears to be an adaptive response to better meet the environmental conditions. To determine whether different repertoire of keratin genes among mammals can potentially explain the phenotypic hair features of different lineages, we characterized the type I and II clusters of alpha keratins from eight mammalian species, including the hairless dolphin and minke whale representing the order Cetacea. RESULTS We combined the available genomic information with phylogenetic analysis to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary patterns of keratin gene clusters. We found that both type I and II gene clusters are fairly conserved among the terrestrial mammals included in this study, with lineage specific gene duplication and gene loss. Nevertheless, there is also evidence for an increased rate of pseudogenization in the cetacean lineage when compared to their terrestrial relatives, especially among the hair type keratins. CONCLUSIONS Here we present a comprehensive characterization of alpha-keratin genes among mammals and elucidate the mechanisms involved in the evolution of this gene family. We identified lineage-specific gene duplications and gene loss among the Laurasiatherian and Euarchontoglires species included in the study. Interestingly, cetaceans present an increased loss of hair-type keratin genes when compared to other terrestrial mammals. As suggested by the 'less-is-more' hypothesis, we do not rule out the possibility that the gene loss of hair-type keratin genes in these species might be associated to the hairless phenotype and could have been adaptive in response to new selective pressures imposed by the colonization of a new habitat. Our study provides support for the idea that pseudogenes are not simply 'genomic fossils' but instead have adaptive roles during the evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana F Nery
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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Nery MF, Arroyo JI, Opazo JC. Genomic organization and differential signature of positive selection in the alpha and beta globin gene clusters in two cetacean species. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 5:2359-67. [PMID: 24259315 PMCID: PMC3879965 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The hemoglobin of jawed vertebrates is a heterotetramer protein that contains two α- and two β-chains, which are encoded by members of α- and β-globin gene families. Given the hemoglobin role in mediating an adaptive response to chronic hypoxia, it is likely that this molecule may have experienced a selective pressure during the evolution of cetaceans, which have to deal with hypoxia tolerance during prolonged diving. This selective pressure could have generated a complex history of gene turnover in these clusters and/or changes in protein structure themselves. Accordingly, we aimed to characterize the genomic organization of α- and β-globin gene clusters in two cetacean species and to detect a possible role of positive selection on them using a phylogenetic framework. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogeny reconstructions revealed that both cetacean species had retained a similar complement of putatively functional genes. For the α-globin gene cluster, the killer whale presents a complement of genes composed of HBZ, HBK, and two functional copies of HBA and HBQ genes, whereas the dolphin possesses HBZ, HBK, HBA and HBQ genes, and one HBA pseudogene. For the β-globin gene cluster, both species retained a complement of four genes, two early expressed genes—HBE and HBH—and two adult expressed genes—HBD and HBB. Our natural selection analysis detected two positively selected sites in the HBB gene (56 and 62) and four in HBA (15, 21, 49, 120). Interestingly, only the genes that are expressed during the adulthood showed the signature of positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana F Nery
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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Nery MF, Arroyo JI, Opazo JC. Accelerated Evolutionary Rate of the Myoglobin Gene in Long-Diving Whales. J Mol Evol 2013; 76:380-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-013-9572-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Abstract
Cetaceans are unique in being the only mammals completely adapted to an aquatic environment. This adaptation has required complex changes and sometimes a complete restructuring of physiology, behavior and morphology. Identifying genes that have been subjected to selection pressure during cetacean evolution would greatly enhance our knowledge of the ways in which genetic variation in this mammalian order has been shaped by natural selection. Here, we performed a genome-wide scan for positive selection in the dolphin lineage. We employed models of codon substitution that account for variation of selective pressure over branches on the tree and across sites in a sequence. We analyzed 7,859 nuclear-coding ortholog genes and using a series of likelihood ratio tests (LRTs), we identified 376 genes (4.8%) with molecular signatures of positive selection in the dolphin lineage. We used the cow as the sister group and compared estimates of selection in the cetacean genome to this using the same methods. This allowed us to define which genes have been exclusively under positive selection in the dolphin lineage. The enrichment analysis found that the identified positively selected genes are significantly over-represented for three exclusive functional categories only in the dolphin lineage: segment specification, mesoderm development and system development. Of particular interest for cetacean adaptation to an aquatic life are the following GeneOntology targets under positive selection: genes related to kidney, heart, lung, eye, ear and nervous system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana F. Nery
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias mención Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Dimar J. González
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Juan C. Opazo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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15
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Abstract
Subsequent to the two rounds of whole-genome duplication that occurred in the common
ancestor of vertebrates, a third genome duplication occurred in the stem lineage of
teleost fishes. This teleost-specific genome duplication (TGD) is thought to have provided
genetic raw materials for the physiological, morphological, and behavioral diversification
of this highly speciose group. The extreme physiological versatility of teleost fish is
manifest in their diversity of blood–gas transport traits, which reflects the myriad
solutions that have evolved to maintain tissue O2 delivery in the face of
changing metabolic demands and environmental O2 availability during different
ontogenetic stages. During the course of development, regulatory changes in
blood–O2 transport are mediated by the expression of multiple,
functionally distinct hemoglobin (Hb) isoforms that meet the particular
O2-transport challenges encountered by the developing embryo or fetus (in
viviparous or oviparous species) and in free-swimming larvae and adults. The main
objective of the present study was to assess the relative contributions of whole-genome
duplication, large-scale segmental duplication, and small-scale gene duplication in
producing the extraordinary functional diversity of teleost Hbs. To accomplish this, we
integrated phylogenetic reconstructions with analyses of conserved synteny to characterize
the genomic organization and evolutionary history of the globin gene clusters of teleosts.
These results were then integrated with available experimental data on functional
properties and developmental patterns of stage-specific gene expression. Our results
indicate that multiple α- and β-globin genes
were present in the common ancestor of gars (order Lepisoteiformes) and teleosts. The
comparative genomic analysis revealed that teleosts possess a dual set of TGD-derived
globin gene clusters, each of which has undergone lineage-specific changes in gene content
via repeated duplication and deletion events. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed that
paralogous genes convergently evolved similar functional properties in different teleost
lineages. Consistent with other recent studies of globin gene family evolution in
vertebrates, our results revealed evidence for repeated evolutionary transitions in the
developmental regulation of Hb synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Opazo
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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16
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Tardin RHO, Especie MA, Nery MF, D'Azeredo FT, Simão SM. Coordinated feeding tactics of the Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae), in Ilha Grande Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Zoologia (Curitiba, Impr ) 2011. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-46702011000300002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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17
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Abstract
Estuarine dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénéden, 1864), were identified in Sepetiba Bay (22º35'S, 44º03'W), state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between February 1994 and July 2006 using the photo-identification method. A total of 72 surveys resulted in the identification and cataloguing of 217 individual dolphins. Seventy-nine (36%) were resighted at least once during the study period. The average interval between resightings was 40,6 ± 31,1 months. Large numbers of mother-and-calf pairs were recorded during the 12 years and new individuals were frequently encountered in the photographic records. These results suggest that part of the dolphin population is more consistently found in Sepetiba Bay, probably for feeding and reproduction, while other individuals use the Bay only sporadically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana F. Nery
- Universidad Austral de Chile, Chile; Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
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