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Chen P, Zhong Z, Jin WX, Sun J, Sun SC. Chromosome-scale assembly of Artemia tibetiana genome, first aquatic invertebrate genome from Tibet Plateau. Sci Data 2025; 12:777. [PMID: 40355476 PMCID: PMC12069563 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-025-05136-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2025] [Accepted: 05/01/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025] Open
Abstract
Genomic-level studies on the adaptive evolution of animals in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been rapidly increasing. However, most studies are concentrated on vertebrates, and there are few reports on invertebrates. Here, we report the chromosome-level genome assembly for the brine shrimp Artemia tibetiana from Kyêbxang Co, a high-altitude (4620 m above sea level) salt lake on the plateau, based on the combination of Illumina, Nanopore long-reads and Hi-C sequencing data. The assembled genome is 1.69 Gb, and 94.83% of the assembled sequences are anchored to 21 pseudo-chromosomes. Approximately 75% of the genome was identified as repetitive sequences, which is higher than most crustaceans documented so far. A total of 17,988 protein-coding genes were identified, among them 14,388 were functionally annotated. This genomic resource provides the foundation for whole-genome level investigation on the genetic adaptation of Artemia to the harsh conditions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Chen
- Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Zhaoyan Zhong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Wei-Xin Jin
- Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Jin Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China.
| | - Shi-Chun Sun
- Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266000, China.
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2
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Chang L, Zhu W, Chen Q, Zhao C, Sui L, Shen C, Zhang Q, Wang B, Jiang J. Adaptive Divergence and Functional Convergence: The Evolution of Pulmonary Gene Expression in Amphibians of the Qingzang Plateau. Mol Ecol 2025; 34:e17663. [PMID: 39895507 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17663] [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: 10/08/2024] [Revised: 01/02/2025] [Accepted: 01/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
The Qingzang Plateau, with its harsh environmental conditions-low oxygen, high ultraviolet radiation and significant temperature fluctuations-demands specialised adaptations for survival. While genetic adaptations have been extensively studied, gene expression's role in amphibian adaptation to high elevations remains understudied. This study analysed pulmonary gene expression in 119 amphibians across the plateau to explore how genetic and environmental factors shape expression evolution. Transcriptomic analyses revealed significant interspecies variation, driven by environmental factors like temperature, oxygen levels, UVB radiation and precipitation. Principal Component and Mantel analyses found no significant correlation between gene expression divergence and genetic distance. Instead, species-specific traits and environmental pressures were pivotal in shaping expression patterns. PERMANOVA analysis showed environmental factors had varying impacts on species. For instance, Bufo gargarizans exhibited a strong gene expression response to multiple environmental factors, while Scutiger boulengeri was less influenced, reflecting diverse adaptive strategies. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted convergence in key biological processes, such as energy metabolism, apoptosis and autophagy, despite species-specific gene expression differences. These processes are critical for surviving the plateau's extremes. The findings suggest that gene expression evolution in amphibians on the Qingzang Plateau is shaped by both genetic diversity and environmental pressures. Although gene expression profiles vary, they converge on essential functions, offering insights into adaptation mechanisms in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Chang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiheng Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Chunlin Zhao
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering (School of Agriculture), Panzhihua University, Panzhihua, China
| | - Lulu Sui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Qunde Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Bin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Zhang SS, Tang ZJ, Chen K, Ma XJ, Zhou SD, He XJ, Xie DF. Investigating the Variation in Leaf Traits Within the Allium prattii C.H. Wright Population and Its Environmental Adaptations. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2025; 14:541. [PMID: 40006800 PMCID: PMC11859293 DOI: 10.3390/plants14040541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2024] [Revised: 01/25/2025] [Accepted: 02/08/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
Morphological and micro-morphological traits of characteristics serve as the cornerstone for species identification and taxonomy, and they also ensure the adaptive responses of species to specific environmental conditions. Allium prattii C.H. Wright is mainly distributed in the mountains of southwestern China (MSC) and adjacent regions, and exhibits pronounced variations in leaf morphology and micro-morphology across different growth environments, making it an ideal taxa to study species adaptation to diverse conditions. In this study, we conducted extensive field surveys, sample collections, and morphological experiments, amassing data on leaf morphological and micro-morphological traits from 45 populations of A. prattii. Specifically, we explored the differences in leaf morphology among populations and the patterns of geographical distribution. Consequently, we examined the correlation between seven climatic factors, longitude, latitude, and leaf morphological traits, and simulated the changes in the A. prattii distribution area during different historical periods. Our results indicate that all populations of A. prattii can be categorized into four distinct lineages, characterized by significant leaf morphological divergence and distinct geographical distribution patterns. Populations located in the Hengduan Mountains and neighboring regions demonstrated elevated coefficients of variation (CV) in leaf morphology. The correlation analysis between morphological traits and climatic factors highlighted substantial links between the density of stomata on the upper epidermis and environmental variables, as well as significant correlations between leaf length/width and geographical distribution (latitude and longitude). Simulations of the distribution area revealed that the distribution ranges of A. prattii underwent a significant fluctuation from the Last Interglacial Period (LIG) to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Mid-Holocene (MH), and the current period, accompanied by expansion of its potential distribution area in the future. These results underscore that the leaf morphology of A. prattii has significantly varied in response to climatic environmental factors across different regions, with a decrease in leaf width and an increase in stomatal density on the upper epidermis. The heterogeneous environment of the southwestern mountain region, characterized by variations in altitude, temperature, and precipitation, is the primary driver of morphological variation and geographical distribution patterns in A. prattii leaves. Our findings hold substantial scientific significance, shedding light on the evolutionary adaptation of species in the MSC and adjacent areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai-Shuai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zi-Jun Tang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Song-Dong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xing-Jin He
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Deng-Feng Xie
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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4
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Serén N, Pinho C, Megía-Palma R, Aguilar P, Žagar A, Andrade P, Carretero MA. Selection on the vascular-remodeling BMPER gene is associated with altitudinal adaptation in an insular lizard. Evol Lett 2025; 9:41-50. [PMID: 39906579 PMCID: PMC11790214 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrae047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2025] Open
Abstract
High altitude imposes several extreme constraints on life, such as low oxygen pressure and high levels of ultraviolet radiation, which require specialized adaptations. Many studies have focused on how endothermic vertebrates respond to these challenging environments, but there is still uncertainty on how ectotherms adapt to these conditions. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing of low-altitude (100-600 m) and high-altitude (3,550 m) populations of the wide-ranging Tenerife lizard Gallotia galloti to uncover signatures of selection for altitudinal adaptation. The studied populations show reduced differentiation, sharing similar patterns of genetic variation. Selective sweep mapping suggests that signatures of adaptation to high altitude are not widespread across the genome, clustering in a relatively small number of genomic regions. One of these regions contains BMPER, a gene involved with vascular remodeling, and that has been associated with hypoxia-induced angiogenic response. By genotyping samples across 2 altitudinal transects, we show that allele frequency changes at this locus are not gradual, but rather show a well-defined shift above ca. 1,900 m. Transcript and protein structure analyses on this gene suggest that putative selection likely acts on noncoding variation. These results underline how low oxygen pressure generates the most consistent selective constraint in high-altitude environments, to which vertebrates with vastly contrasting physiological profiles need to adapt in the context of ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Serén
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Pinho
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Prem Aguilar
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anamarija Žagar
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Miguel A Carretero
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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5
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Zuo B, Chen R, Tang X, Shao Y, Liu X, Nneji LM, Sun Y. Genomic Insights Into Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Conservatism and Innovation in Frogs. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 39663509 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2024] [Revised: 10/12/2024] [Accepted: 11/11/2024] [Indexed: 12/13/2024]
Abstract
Examining closely related species evolving in similar environments offers valuable insights into the mechanisms driving phylogenetic conservatism and evolutionary lability. This can elucidate the intricate relationship between inheritance and environmental factors. Nonetheless, the precise genomic dynamics and molecular underpinnings of this process remain enigmatic. This study explores the evolutionary conservatism and adaptation exhibited by two closely related high-altitude frog species: Nanorana parkeri and N. pleskei. We assembled a high-quality genome for Tibetan N. pleskei and compared it to the genomes of N. parkeri and their lowland relatives. Our findings reveal that these two Tibetan frog species diverged approximately 16.6 million years ago, pointing to a possible ancestral colonization of high-elevation habitats. Following this colonization, significant adaptive evolution occurred in both coding and non-coding regions of the ancestral lineage. This evolution led to notable phenotypic alterations, as evidenced by the reduced body size. Also, due to purifying selection, most ancestral adaptive features persisted in descendant species, indicating a strong element of evolutionary conservatism. However, descendant species evolved novel adaptations to exacerbated environmental challenges in the Tibet Plateau, mainly related to hypoxia response. Furthermore, our analysis underscores the critical role of regulatory variations in descendant adaptive evolution. Notably, hub genes in networks, such as EGLN3, accumulated more variations in regulatory regions as they were transmitted from ancestors to descendants. In sum, our study sheds light on the profound and lasting impact of genetic heritage on species' adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zuo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Rongmei Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lotanna M Nneji
- Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yanbo Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Ecosecurity of Southwest China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, China
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6
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Perry C, Sarraude T, Billet M, Minot E, Gangloff EJ, Aubret F. Sex-dependent shifts in body size and condition along replicated elevational gradients in a montane colonising ectotherm, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Oecologia 2024; 206:335-346. [PMID: 39523232 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05634-8] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2024] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
In ectothermic animals, elevational gradients, such as mountainous environments, are often associated with shifts in body size, although patterns differ across taxa and contexts. Mountain landscapes are characterised by relatively rapid shifts in biotic and abiotic conditions along an elevational gradient, commonly referred to as elevational zonation. Such zonation can reduce the geographic scale at which organisms experience the effects of climate change. The upslope range shifts will expose organisms at the colonization front to sub-optimal conditions. We can expect these challenging conditions to influence many life-history traits including growth rates and reproductive output. We tested the hypothesis that body size varies across elevational gradients in a contemporary montane colonizer, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Further, we assessed active body temperatures and available environmental temperatures in an attempt to discern a potential abiotic factor that might drive such a pattern. We quantified body size in lizards along four replicate transects ranging from 400 to 2400 m above sea level in the Pyrenees. Male body size decreased with increasing elevation. While female body size was invariant, females at higher elevation exhibited lower body condition. These results suggest that the effects of abiotic limitations or selective pressures experienced at the high-elevation colonisation front are sex-specific. Furthermore, lizards from both sexes were able to maintain similar field active body temperatures across elevation, despite reduced ambient temperature. If available temperatures limit activity periods or necessitate higher thermoregulatory investment, as suggested by our results, then further warming may benefit lizards and favour further upslope migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constant Perry
- Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UAR 2029, Moulis, France.
- ED SEVAB - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, 31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - Tom Sarraude
- Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UAR 2029, Moulis, France
| | - Manon Billet
- Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UAR 2029, Moulis, France
| | - Elsa Minot
- Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UAR 2029, Moulis, France
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Fabien Aubret
- Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS, UAR 2029, Moulis, France
- School of Agricultural, Environmental & Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Birpai Country, 7 Major Innes Road, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444, Australia
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7
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Kosch TA, Torres-Sánchez M, Liedtke HC, Summers K, Yun MH, Crawford AJ, Maddock ST, Ahammed MS, Araújo VLN, Bertola LV, Bucciarelli GM, Carné A, Carneiro CM, Chan KO, Chen Y, Crottini A, da Silva JM, Denton RD, Dittrich C, Espregueira Themudo G, Farquharson KA, Forsdick NJ, Gilbert E, Che J, Katzenback BA, Kotharambath R, Levis NA, Márquez R, Mazepa G, Mulder KP, Müller H, O'Connell MJ, Orozco-terWengel P, Palomar G, Petzold A, Pfennig DW, Pfennig KS, Reichert MS, Robert J, Scherz MD, Siu-Ting K, Snead AA, Stöck M, Stuckert AMM, Stynoski JL, Tarvin RD, Wollenberg Valero KC. The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:1025. [PMID: 39487448 PMCID: PMC11529218 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10899-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 10/14/2024] [Indexed: 11/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Amphibians represent a diverse group of tetrapods, marked by deep divergence times between their three systematic orders and families. Studying amphibian biology through the genomics lens increases our understanding of the features of this animal class and that of other terrestrial vertebrates. The need for amphibian genomic resources is more urgent than ever due to the increasing threats to this group. Amphibians are one of the most imperiled taxonomic groups, with approximately 41% of species threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, changes in land use patterns, disease, climate change, and their synergistic effects. Amphibian genomic resources have provided a better understanding of ontogenetic diversity, tissue regeneration, diverse life history and reproductive modes, anti-predator strategies, and resilience and adaptive responses. They also serve as essential models for studying broad genomic traits, such as evolutionary genome expansions and contractions, as they exhibit the widest range of genome sizes among all animal taxa and possess multiple mechanisms of genetic sex determination. Despite these features, genome sequencing of amphibians has significantly lagged behind that of other vertebrates, primarily due to the challenges of assembling their large, repeat-rich genomes and the relative lack of societal support. The emergence of long-read sequencing technologies, combined with advanced molecular and computational techniques that improve scaffolding and reduce computational workloads, is now making it possible to address some of these challenges. To promote and accelerate the production and use of amphibian genomics research through international coordination and collaboration, we launched the Amphibian Genomics Consortium (AGC, https://mvs.unimelb.edu.au/amphibian-genomics-consortium ) in early 2023. This burgeoning community already has more than 282 members from 41 countries. The AGC aims to leverage the diverse capabilities of its members to advance genomic resources for amphibians and bridge the implementation gap between biologists, bioinformaticians, and conservation practitioners. Here we evaluate the state of the field of amphibian genomics, highlight previous studies, present challenges to overcome, and call on the research and conservation communities to unite as part of the AGC to enable amphibian genomics research to "leap" to the next level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A Kosch
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC, Australia.
| | - María Torres-Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Kyle Summers
- Biology Department, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA
| | - Maximina H Yun
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew J Crawford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
- Historia Natural C.J. Marinkelle, Universidad de los Andes, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Simon T Maddock
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Anse Royale, Seychelles
| | | | - Victor L N Araújo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Lorenzo V Bertola
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Gary M Bucciarelli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Albert Carné
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Céline M Carneiro
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kin O Chan
- University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Angelica Crottini
- Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos, CIBIOInBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade Do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, I-50019, Italy
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jessica M da Silva
- Evolutionary Genomics and Wildlife Management, Foundational Biodiversity Science, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Newlands, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa
- Centre for Evolutionary Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
| | - Robert D Denton
- Department of Biology, Marian University, Indianapolis, IN, 46222, USA
| | - Carolin Dittrich
- Rojas Lab, Department of Life Science, Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gonçalo Espregueira Themudo
- CIIMAR Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões Matosinhos, Avenida General Norton de Matos, Matosinhos, S/N, Portugal
| | - Katherine A Farquharson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Edward Gilbert
- School of Natural Sciences, The University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
- Energy and Environment Institute, The University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Jing Che
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw 05282, Myanmar
| | | | - Ramachandran Kotharambath
- Herpetology Lab, Dept. of Zoology, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India
| | - Nicholas A Levis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Roberto Márquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Glib Mazepa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Biophore, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, , Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden
| | - Kevin P Mulder
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Health Ghent, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Müller
- Central Natural Science Collections, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), 06108, Germany
| | - Mary J O'Connell
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Gemma Palomar
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Alice Petzold
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht Str.24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Karin S Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Mark D Scherz
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Karen Siu-Ting
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
- Instituto Peruano de Herpetología, Ca. Augusto Salazar Bondy 136, Surco, Lima, Peru
- Herpetology Lab, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Anthony A Snead
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam M M Stuckert
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | | | - Rebecca D Tarvin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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Kosch TA, Torres-Sánchez M, Liedtke HC, Summers K, Yun MH, Crawford AJ, Maddock ST, Ahammed MS, Araújo VLN, Bertola LV, Bucciarelli GM, Carné A, Carneiro CM, Chan KO, Chen Y, Crottini A, da Silva JM, Denton RD, Dittrich C, Themudo GE, Farquharson KA, Forsdick NJ, Gilbert E, Che J, Katzenback BA, Kotharambath R, Levis NA, Márquez R, Mazepa G, Mulder KP, Müller H, O’Connell MJ, Orozco-terWengel P, Palomar G, Petzold A, Pfennig DW, Pfennig KS, Reichert MS, Robert J, Scherz MD, Siu-Ting K, Snead AA, Stöck M, Stuckert AMM, Stynoski JL, Tarvin RD, Wollenberg Valero KC, The Amphibian Genomics Consortium (AGC). The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.601086. [PMID: 39005434 PMCID: PMC11244923 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.601086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Amphibians represent a diverse group of tetrapods, marked by deep divergence times between their three systematic orders and families. Studying amphibian biology through the genomics lens increases our understanding of the features of this animal class and that of other terrestrial vertebrates. The need for amphibian genomic resources is more urgent than ever due to the increasing threats to this group. Amphibians are one of the most imperiled taxonomic groups, with approximately 41% of species threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, changes in land use patterns, disease, climate change, and their synergistic effects. Amphibian genomic resources have provided a better understanding of ontogenetic diversity, tissue regeneration, diverse life history and reproductive modes, antipredator strategies, and resilience and adaptive responses. They also serve as essential models for studying broad genomic traits, such as evolutionary genome expansions and contractions, as they exhibit the widest range of genome sizes among all animal taxa and possess multiple mechanisms of genetic sex determination. Despite these features, genome sequencing of amphibians has significantly lagged behind that of other vertebrates, primarily due to the challenges of assembling their large, repeat-rich genomes and the relative lack of societal support. The emergence of long-read sequencing technologies, combined with advanced molecular and computational techniques that improve scaffolding and reduce computational workloads, is now making it possible to address some of these challenges. To promote and accelerate the production and use of amphibian genomics research through international coordination and collaboration, we launched the Amphibian Genomics Consortium (AGC, https://mvs.unimelb.edu.au/amphibian-genomics-consortium) in early 2023. This burgeoning community already has more than 282 members from 41 countries. The AGC aims to leverage the diverse capabilities of its members to advance genomic resources for amphibians and bridge the implementation gap between biologists, bioinformaticians, and conservation practitioners. Here we evaluate the state of the field of amphibian genomics, highlight previous studies, present challenges to overcome, and call on the research and conservation communities to unite as part of the AGC to enable amphibian genomics research to "leap" to the next level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A. Kosch
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - María Torres-Sánchez
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Kyle Summers
- Biology Department, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA 27858
| | - Maximina H. Yun
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrew J. Crawford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia
- Museo de Historia Natural C.J. Marinkelle, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia
| | - Simon T. Maddock
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Island Biodiversity and Conservation Centre, University of Seychelles, Anse Royale Seychelles
| | | | - Victor L. N. Araújo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia
| | - Lorenzo V. Bertola
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Gary M. Bucciarelli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Albert Carné
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Céline M. Carneiro
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kin O. Chan
- University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- Biology Department, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169– 007 Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Jessica M. da Silva
- Evolutionary Genomics and Wildlife Management, Foundatonal Biodiversity Science, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Newlands 7735, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Evolutionary Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Robert D. Denton
- Department of Biology, Marian University, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA
| | - Carolin Dittrich
- Rojas Lab, Konrad-Lorenz-Institute of Ethology, Department of Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gonçalo Espregueira Themudo
- CIIMAR Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Katherine A. Farquharson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Edward Gilbert
- School of Natural Sciences, The University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
- Energy and Environment Institute, The University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - Jing Che
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw 05282, Myanmar
| | | | - Ramachandran Kotharambath
- Herpetology Lab, Dept. of Zoology, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India
| | - Nicholas A. Levis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Roberto Márquez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Glib Mazepa
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kevin P. Mulder
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Hendrik Müller
- Central Natural Science Collections, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Mary J. O’Connell
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Pablo Orozco-terWengel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, CF10 3AX Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Alice Petzold
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht Str.24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - David W. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karin S. Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael S. Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK, USA
| | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Mark D. Scherz
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Karen Siu-Ting
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Instituto Peruano de Herpetología, Ca. Augusto Salazar Bondy 136, Surco, Lima, Peru
- Herpetology Lab, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, D-12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adam M. M. Stuckert
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA
| | | | - Rebecca D. Tarvin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Gao J, Wei Z, Jin Y. The impact of elevation and prediction of climate change on an ultra high-elevation ectotherm. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70186. [PMID: 39224164 PMCID: PMC11366495 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change may affect the survival and reproduction of ectotherms. The toad-headed lizard Phrynocephalus theobaldi, which holds the distinction of occupying the highest elevation among all reptile species on Earth, with an elevational range from 3600 to 5000 m, represents an ideal model for studying the adaptations to climatic changes across elevational gradients. Here, we used mechanistic and hybrid species distribution models (HSDM) together with characteristic measurements of thermal biology (CTmax, CTmin, and Tsel) to simulate and compare the distribution and activity periods of the lizard across elevations in response to climate change. NicheMapR simulations using only climate factors predicted that all populations will be negatively impacted by climate change (+3°C) by suffering a reduced distribution. However, the impact was clearly reduced in simulations that accounted for thermal physiological traits. Longer activity periods were predicted for all populations during climate change. The suitable distribution is predicted to change slightly, with an increase anticipated for both high and low elevation populations. However, the forecast indicates a more pronounced increase in suitable habitats for populations at higher elevations (>4200 m) compared to those at lower elevations (<4200 m). This study underscores the key influence of climate change on population establishment and stresses the importance of physiological traits in distribution simulation for future studies to understand the potential constraints in animal adaptation to extreme high environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gao
- College of Life Sciences China Jiliang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Zian Wei
- College of Life Sciences China Jiliang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Yuanting Jin
- College of Life Sciences China Jiliang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
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Zhang XZ, Ma XD, Wang WT, Peng F, Hou YM, Shen YX, Sun YQ, Chen JF, Yin YJ, Zeng YY, Yu Y, Zhou P, Zhang FH, He YF, Shen YF. Comparative skin histological and transcriptomic analysis of Rana kukunoris with two different skin colors. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 50:101217. [PMID: 38412702 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
This study compares the skin structures of Rana kukunoris with two different skin colors living in the same area of Haibei in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The skin thickness of the khaki R. kukunoris was significantly greater than that of the brown R. kukunoris (P < 0.01), and significantly more mucous and granular glands were present on the dorsal skin of the khaki frog (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the melanocytes on the dorsal skin of the brown frog were significantly larger than those on the khaki one (P < 0.05). Morphological changes in the expansion and aggregation of melanocytes seemed to deepen the skin color of R. kukunoris. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing identified tyrosine metabolism, melanogenesis, and riboflavin metabolism as the main pathways involved in melanin formation and metabolism in brown R. kukunoris. TYR, MC1R was upregulated as the skin color of R. kukunoris was deepened and contributed to melanin production and metabolism. In contrast, the khaki frog had significantly more upregulated genes and metabolic pathways related to autoimmunity. The khaki frog appeared to defend against ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced damage by secreting mucus and small molecular peptides, whereas the brown frog protected itself by distributing a large amount of melanin. Hence, the different skin colors of R. kukunoris might represent different adaptation strategies for survival in the intense UV radiation environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Ze Zhang
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810001, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Tibetan Plateau of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China.
| | - Xiao-Dong Ma
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Tibetan Plateau of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Wan-Ting Wang
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Fei Peng
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Ye-Mao Hou
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yue-Xia Shen
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yu-Qi Sun
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Jin-Fang Chen
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yi-Jin Yin
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yu-Ye Zeng
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yi Yu
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810001, China
| | - Fu-Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Tibetan Plateau of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; College of Pharmaceutical, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China
| | - Yan-Feng He
- Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Tibetan Plateau of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; College of Pharmaceutical, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China.
| | - Ying-Fang Shen
- College of Ecological Environment and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Tibetan Plateau of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining 810007, China.
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11
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Liu D, Chen D, Xiao J, Wang W, Zhang LJ, Peng H, Han C, Yao H. High-altitude-induced alterations in intestinal microbiota. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1369627. [PMID: 38784803 PMCID: PMC11111974 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1369627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In high-altitude environments characterized by low pressure and oxygen levels, the intestinal microbiota undergoes significant alterations. Whether individuals are subjected to prolonged exposure or acute altitude changes, these conditions lead to shifts in both the diversity and abundance of intestinal microbiota and changes in their composition. While these alterations represent adaptations to high-altitude conditions, they may also pose health risks through certain mechanisms. Changes in the intestinal microbiota induced by high altitudes can compromise the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier, resulting in gastrointestinal dysfunction and an increased susceptibility to acute mountain sickness (AMS). Moreover, alterations in the intestinal microbiota have been implicated in the induction or exacerbation of chronic heart failure. Targeted modulation of the intestinal microbiota holds promise in mitigating high-altitude-related cardiac damage. Dietary interventions, such as adopting a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber, low-protein, and low-fat diet, can help regulate the effects of intestinal microbiota and their metabolic byproducts on intestinal health. Additionally, supplementation with probiotics, either through dietary sources or medications, offers a means of modulating the composition of the intestinal microbiota. These interventions may offer beneficial effects in preventing and alleviating AMS following acute exposure to high altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dan Chen
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Center, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Li-Juan Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chuan Han
- Department of Endocrinology, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Yao
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Center, General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Western Theater, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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12
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Ludington AJ, Hammond JM, Breen J, Deveson IW, Sanders KL. New chromosome-scale genomes provide insights into marine adaptations of sea snakes (Hydrophis: Elapidae). BMC Biol 2023; 21:284. [PMID: 38066641 PMCID: PMC10709897 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01772-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sea snakes underwent a complete transition from land to sea within the last ~ 15 million years, yet they remain a conspicuous gap in molecular studies of marine adaptation in vertebrates. RESULTS Here, we generate four new annotated sea snake genomes, three of these at chromosome-scale (Hydrophis major, H. ornatus and H. curtus), and perform detailed comparative genomic analyses of sea snakes and their closest terrestrial relatives. Phylogenomic analyses highlight the possibility of near-simultaneous speciation at the root of Hydrophis, and synteny maps show intra-chromosomal variations that will be important targets for future adaptation and speciation genomic studies of this system. We then used a strict screen for positive selection in sea snakes (against a background of seven terrestrial snake genomes) to identify genes over-represented in hypoxia adaptation, sensory perception, immune response and morphological development. CONCLUSIONS We provide the best reference genomes currently available for the prolific and medically important elapid snake radiation. Our analyses highlight the phylogenetic complexity and conserved genome structure within Hydrophis. Positively selected marine-associated genes provide promising candidates for future, functional studies linking genetic signatures to the marine phenotypes of sea snakes and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J Ludington
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
| | - Jillian M Hammond
- Genomics and Inherited Disease Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Population Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | - James Breen
- Indigenous Genomics, Telethon Kids Institute, Adelaide, Australia
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, College of Health & Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ira W Deveson
- Genomics and Inherited Disease Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Population Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kate L Sanders
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
- The South Australian Museum, Adelaide, Australia.
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Wang Z, Liu Y, Wang H, Roy A, Liu H, Han F, Zhang X, Lu Q. Genome and transcriptome of Ips nitidus provide insights into high-altitude hypoxia adaptation and symbiosis. iScience 2023; 26:107793. [PMID: 37731610 PMCID: PMC10507238 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ips nitidus is a well-known conifer pest that has contributed significantly to spruce forest disturbance in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and seriously threatens the ecological balance of these areas. We report a chromosome-level genome of I. nitidus determined by PacBio and Hi-C technology. Phylogenetic inference showed that it diverged from the common ancestor of I. typographus ∼2.27 mya. Gene family expansion in I. nitidus was characterized by DNA damage repair and energy metabolism, which may facilitate adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Interestingly, differential gene expression analysis revealed upregulated genes associated with high-altitude hypoxia adaptation and downregulated genes associated with detoxification after feeding and tunneling in fungal symbiont Ophiostoma bicolor-colonized substrates. Our findings provide evidence of the potential adaptability of I. nitidus to conifer host, high-altitude hypoxia and insight into how fungal symbiont assist in this process. This study enhances our understanding of insect adaptation, symbiosis, and pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
- Shandong Research Center for Forestry Harmful Biological Control Engineering and Technology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Ya Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Huimin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Amit Roy
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, EXTEMIT-K and EVA.4.0 Unit, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, Prague 6, 165 00 Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Huixiang Liu
- Shandong Research Center for Forestry Harmful Biological Control Engineering and Technology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | | | - Xingyao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Quan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
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14
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Palacios C, Wang P, Wang N, Brown MA, Capatosto L, Du J, Jiang J, Zhang Q, Dahal N, Lamichhaney S. Genomic Variation, Population History, and Long-Term Genetic Adaptation to High Altitudes in Tibetan Partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae). Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad214. [PMID: 37768198 PMCID: PMC10583571 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Species residing across elevational gradients display adaptations in response to environmental changes such as oxygen availability, ultraviolet radiation, and temperature. Here, we study genomic variation, gene expression, and long-term adaptation in Tibetan Partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae) populations residing across the elevational gradient of the Tibetan Plateau. We generated a high-quality draft genome and used it to carry out downstream population genomic and transcriptomic analysis. The P. hodgsoniae populations residing across various elevations were genetically distinct, and their phylogenetic clustering was consistent with their geographic distribution. We identified possible evidence of gene flow between populations residing in <3,000 and >4,200 m elevation that is consistent with known habitat expansion of high-altitude populations of P. hodgsoniae to a lower elevation. We identified a 60 kb haplotype encompassing the Estrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1) gene, showing strong genetic divergence between populations of P. hodgsoniae. We identified six single nucleotide polymorphisms within the ESR1 gene fixed for derived alleles in high-altitude populations that are strongly conserved across vertebrates. We also compared blood transcriptome profiles and identified differentially expressed genes (such as GAPDH, LDHA, and ALDOC) that correlated with differences in altitude among populations of P. hodgsoniae. These candidate genes from population genomics and transcriptomics analysis were enriched for neutrophil degranulation and glycolysis pathways, which are known to respond to hypoxia and hence may contribute to long-term adaptation to high altitudes in P. hodgsoniae. Our results highlight Tibetan Partridges as a useful model to study molecular mechanisms underlying long-term adaptation to high altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Palacios
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Nan Wang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Megan A Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Lukas Capatosto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Juan Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
| | - Jiahu Jiang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Qingze Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Nishma Dahal
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, HP 176061, India
| | - Sangeet Lamichhaney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
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15
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Liu X, Liu W, Lenstra JA, Zheng Z, Wu X, Yang J, Li B, Yang Y, Qiu Q, Liu H, Li K, Liang C, Guo X, Ma X, Abbott RJ, Kang M, Yan P, Liu J. Evolutionary origin of genomic structural variations in domestic yaks. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5617. [PMID: 37726270 PMCID: PMC10509194 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41220-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Yak has been subject to natural selection, human domestication and interspecific introgression during its evolution. However, genetic variants favored by each of these processes have not been distinguished previously. We constructed a graph-genome for 47 genomes of 7 cross-fertile bovine species. This allowed detection of 57,432 high-resolution structural variants (SVs) within and across the species, which were genotyped in 386 individuals. We distinguished the evolutionary origins of diverse SVs in domestic yaks by phylogenetic analyses. We further identified 334 genes overlapping with SVs in domestic yaks that bore potential signals of selection from wild yaks, plus an additional 686 genes introgressed from cattle. Nearly 90% of the domestic yaks were introgressed by cattle. Introgression of an SV spanning the KIT gene triggered the breeding of white domestic yaks. We validated a significant association of the selected stratified SVs with gene expression, which contributes to phenotypic variations. Our results highlight that SVs of different origins contribute to the phenotypic diversity of domestic yaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, 810016, China
| | - Wenyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Johannes A Lenstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3508 TD, The Netherlands
| | - Zeyu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Bowen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yongzhi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qiang Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hongyu Liu
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Kexin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chunnian Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Xian Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Xiaoming Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Richard J Abbott
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, UK
| | - Minghui Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Ping Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China.
| | - Jianquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, 810016, China.
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16
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Peng C, Wu DD, Ren JL, Peng ZL, Ma Z, Wu W, Lv Y, Wang Z, Deng C, Jiang K, Parkinson CL, Qi Y, Zhang ZY, Li JT. Large-scale snake genome analyses provide insights into vertebrate development. Cell 2023; 186:2959-2976.e22. [PMID: 37339633 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Snakes are a remarkable squamate lineage with unique morphological adaptations, especially those related to the evolution of vertebrate skeletons, organs, and sensory systems. To clarify the genetic underpinnings of snake phenotypes, we assembled and analyzed 14 de novo genomes from 12 snake families. We also investigated the genetic basis of the morphological characteristics of snakes using functional experiments. We identified genes, regulatory elements, and structural variations that have potentially contributed to the evolution of limb loss, an elongated body plan, asymmetrical lungs, sensory systems, and digestive adaptations in snakes. We identified some of the genes and regulatory elements that might have shaped the evolution of vision, the skeletal system and diet in blind snakes, and thermoreception in infrared-sensitive snakes. Our study provides insights into the evolution and development of snakes and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjun Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Jin-Long Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China
| | - Zhong-Liang Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhifei Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yunyun Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; College of Life Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, Sichuan 641100, China
| | - Zeng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cao Deng
- Departments of Bioinformatics, DNA Stories Bioinformatics Center, Chengdu 610000, China
| | - Ke Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China
| | | | - Yin Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China
| | - Zhi-Yi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China
| | - Jia-Tang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610040, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw 05282, Myanmar.
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17
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Liu TS, Zhu XY, He D, You MS, You SJ. Oxygen stress on age-stage, two-sex life tables and transcriptomic response of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:527-537. [PMID: 36928981 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the genetic basis of local adaption is one of the important tasks in evolutionary biology. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has the highest biodiversity for an extreme environment worldwide, and provides an ideal natural laboratory to study adaptive evolution. The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, is one of the most devastating pests of the global Brassica industry. A highly heterozygous genome of this pest has facilitated its adaptation to a variety of complex environments, and so provides an ideal model to study fast adaptation. We conducted a pilot study combining RNA-seq with an age-stage, two-sex life table to study the effects of oxygen deprivation on DBM. The developmental periods of all instars were significantly shorter in the hypoxic environment. We compared the transcriptomes of DBM from Fuzhou, Fujian (low-altitude) and Lhasa, Tibet (high-altitude) under hypoxia treatment in a hypoxic chamber. Some DEGs are enriched in pathways associated with DNA replication, such as DNA repair, nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, mismatch repair and homologous recombination. The pathways with significant changes were associated with metabolism process and cell development. Thus, we assumed that insects could adapt to different environments by regulating their metabolism. Our findings indicated that although adaptive mechanisms to hypoxia in different DBM strains could be similar, DBM individuals from Tibet had superior tolerance to hypoxia compared with those of Fuzhou. Local adaptation of the Tibetan colony was assumed to be responsible for this difference. Our research suggests novel mechanisms of insect responses to hypoxia stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Sheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Institution of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Yu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
| | - Di He
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
| | - Min-Sheng You
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Jun You
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, P.R. China
- BGI-Sanya, Sanya 572025, P.R. China
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18
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Ratnarathorn N, Nadolski B, Sumontha M, Hauser S, Suntrarachun S, Khunsap S, Laoungbua P, Radcliffe CA, Vasaruchapong T, Tawan T, Chanhome L. An expanded description, natural history, and genetic variation of the recently described cobra species Naja fuxi Shi et al., 2022. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/vz.73.e89339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The morphological variation, extended distribution, and sequence divergence of a recently described of cobra Naja fuxiShi et al., 2022 captured from mountainous areas in Thailand are evaluated by using molecular and morphological analyses. We investigated the genetic variation and affinities of 72 specimens in the genus Naja by using mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and control region) and the nuclear DNA gene, C-mos. Morphological examination was conducted for 33 cobra specimens obtained from the northern, western, and north-eastern regions, and data on their natural history were gathered during field surveys. A high degree of genetic differentiation was shown to exist between the cobras collected from lowlands and those from mountainous areas. N. fuxi occurs in uplands bordering Thailand’s Central Basin, whereas the similar looking N. kaouthia Lesson, 1831 is more or less restricted to the lowlands. All phylogenetic and network analyses supported a distinct clade of N. fuxi from north, west, and, north-east regions. In addition, N. fuxi seems to exhibit a split between the north-eastern population and those from the north and west. The range of N. fuxi probably extends far into the mountainous areas of the neighbouring countries Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Morphologically, N. fuxi in Thailand can be distinguished from all other cobra species in the adjacent Oriental Region. The speciation of cobras in Thailand likely reflects key events in the region’s geographical, climate and environmental history.
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19
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Zhang X, Kuang T, Dong W, Qian Z, Zhang H, Landis JB, Feng T, Li L, Sun Y, Huang J, Deng T, Wang H, Sun H. Genomic convergence underlying high-altitude adaptation in alpine plants. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36960823 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary convergence is one of the most striking examples of adaptation driven by natural selection. However, genomic evidence for convergent adaptation to extreme environments remains scarce. Here, we assembled reference genomes of two alpine plants, Saussurea obvallata (Asteraceae) and Rheum alexandrae (Polygonaceae), with 37,938 and 61,463 annotated protein-coding genes. By integrating an additional five alpine genomes, we elucidated genomic convergence underlying high-altitude adaptation in alpine plants. Our results detected convergent contractions of disease-resistance genes in alpine genomes, which might be an energy-saving strategy for surviving in hostile environments with only a few pathogens present. We identified signatures of positive selection on a set of genes involved in reproduction and respiration (e.g., MMD1, NBS1, and HPR), and revealed signatures of molecular convergence on genes involved in self-incompatibility, cell wall modification, DNA repair and stress resistance, which may underlie adaptation to extreme cold, high ultraviolet radiation and hypoxia environments. Incorporating transcriptomic data, we further demonstrated that genes associated with cuticular wax and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways exhibit higher expression levels in leafy bracts, shedding light on the genetic mechanisms of the adaptive "greenhouse" morphology. Our integrative data provide novel insights into convergent evolution at a high-taxonomic level, aiding in a deep understanding of genetic adaptation to complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Tianhui Kuang
- Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity of Central Asia, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Wenlin Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhihao Qian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huajie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jacob B Landis
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
- BTI Computational Biology Center, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Tao Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanxia Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jinling Huang
- Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity of Central Asia, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, 27858, USA
| | - Tao Deng
- Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity of Central Asia, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Hengchang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for Biodiversity of Central Asia, Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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20
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Yan C, Song MH, Jiang D, Ren JL, Lv Y, Chang J, Huang S, Zaher H, Li JT. Genomic evidence reveals intraspecific divergence of the hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi), an endangered reptile endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1335-1350. [PMID: 36073004 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how and why species evolve requires knowledge on intraspecific divergence. In this study, we examined intraspecific divergence in the endangered hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi), an endemic species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Whole-genome resequencing of 58 sampled individuals from 15 populations was performed to identify the drivers of intraspecific divergence and explore the potential roles of genes under selection. Our analyses resolved three groups, with major intergroup admixture occurring in regions of group contact. Divergence probably occurred during the Pleistocene as a result of glacial climatic oscillations, Yadong-Gulu rift, and geothermal fields differentiation, while complex gene flow between group pairs reflected a unique intraspecific divergence pattern on the QTP. Intergroup fixed loci involved selected genes functionally related to divergence and local adaptation, especially adaptation to hot spring microenvironments in different geothermal fields. Analysis of structural variants, genetic diversity, inbreeding, and genetic load indicated that the hot-spring snake population has declined to a low level with decreased diversity, which is important for the conservation management of this endangered species. Our study demonstrated that the integration of demographic history, gene flow, genomic divergence genes, and other information is necessary to distinguish the evolutionary processes involved in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochao Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng-Huan Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dechun Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin-Long Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunyun Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Song Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jia-Tang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Tibet Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu, China
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21
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Li W, Du J, Yang L, Liang Q, Yang M, Zhou X, Du W. Chromosome-level genome assembly and population genomics of Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) provide insights into high-altitude adaptation in lizards. BMC Biol 2023; 21:40. [PMID: 36803146 PMCID: PMC9942394 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01535-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the extreme environmental adaptation of organisms is a hot topic in evolutionary biology, genetic adaptation to high-altitude environment remains poorly characterized in ectothermic animals. Squamates are among the most diverse terrestrial vertebrates, with tremendous ecological plasticity and karyotype diversity, and are a unique model system to investigate the genetic footprints of adaptation. RESULTS We report the first chromosome-level assembly of the Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) and our comparative genomics analyses found that multiple chromosome fissions/fusions events are unique to lizards. We further sequenced the genomes of 61 Mongolian racerunner individuals that were collected from altitudes ranging from ~ 80 to ~ 2600 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.). Population genomic analyses revealed many novel genomic regions under strong selective sweeps in populations endemic to high altitudes. Genes embedded in those genomic regions are mainly associated with energy metabolism and DNA damage repair pathways. Moreover, we identified and validated two substitutions of PHF14 that may enhance the lizards' tolerance to hypoxia at high altitudes. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals the molecular mechanism of high-altitude adaptation in ectothermic animal using lizard as a research subject and provides a high-quality lizard genomic resource for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academic of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academic of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingyun Yang
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Qiqi Liang
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Mengyuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academic of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Weiguo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
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22
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Enlarged fins of Tibetan catfish provide new evidence of adaptation to high plateau. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-022-2253-7. [PMID: 36802318 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2253-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau significantly altered the geomorphology and climate of the Euroasia by creating large mountains and rivers. Fishes are more likely to be affected relative to other organisms, as they are largely restricted to river systems. Faced with the rapidly flowing water in the Tibetan Plateau, a group of catfish has evolved greatly enlarged pectoral fins with more numbers of fin-rays to form an adhesive apparatus. However, the genetic basis of these adaptations in Tibetan catfishes remains elusive. In this study, we performed comparative genomic analyses based on the chromosome-level genome of Glyptosternum maculatum in family Sisoridae and detected some proteins with conspicuously high evolutionary rates in particular in genes involved in skeleton development, energy metabolism, and hypoxia response. We found that the hoxd12a gene evolved faster and a loss-of-function assay of hoxd12a supports a potential role for this gene in shaping the enlarged fins of these Tibetan catfishes. Other genes with amino acid replacements and signatures of positive selection included proteins involved in low temperature (TRMU) and hypoxia (VHL) responses. Functional assays reveal that the G. maculatumTRMU allele generates more mitochondrial ATP than the ancestral allele found in low-altitude fishes. Functional assays of VHL alleles suggest that the G. maculatum allele has lower transactivation activity than the low-altitude forms. These findings provide a window into the genomic underpinnings of physiological adaptations that permit G. maculatum to survive in the harsh environment of the Tibetan Himalayas that mirror those that are convergently found in other vertebrates such as humans.
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Chen W, Chen H, Liao J, Tang M, Qin H, Zhao Z, Liu X, Wu Y, Jiang L, Zhang L, Fang B, Feng X, Zhang B, Reid K, Merilä J. Chromosome-level genome assembly of a high-altitude-adapted frog (Rana kukunoris) from the Tibetan plateau provides insight into amphibian genome evolution and adaptation. Front Zool 2023; 20:1. [PMID: 36604706 PMCID: PMC9817415 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high-altitude-adapted frog Rana kukunoris, occurring on the Tibetan plateau, is an excellent model to study life history evolution and adaptation to harsh high-altitude environments. However, genomic resources for this species are still underdeveloped constraining attempts to investigate the underpinnings of adaptation. RESULTS The R. kukunoris genome was assembled to a size of 4.83 Gb and the contig N50 was 1.80 Mb. The 6555 contigs were clustered and ordered into 12 pseudo-chromosomes covering ~ 93.07% of the assembled genome. In total, 32,304 genes were functionally annotated. Synteny analysis between the genomes of R. kukunoris and a low latitude species Rana temporaria showed a high degree of chromosome level synteny with one fusion event between chr11 and chr13 forming pseudo-chromosome 11 in R. kukunoris. Characterization of features of the R. kukunoris genome identified that 61.5% consisted of transposable elements and expansions of gene families related to cell nucleus structure and taste sense were identified. Ninety-five single-copy orthologous genes were identified as being under positive selection and had functions associated with the positive regulation of proteins in the catabolic process and negative regulation of developmental growth. These gene family expansions and positively selected genes indicate regions for further interrogation to understand adaptation to high altitude. CONCLUSIONS Here, we reported a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of a high-altitude amphibian species using a combination of Illumina, PacBio and Hi-C sequencing technologies. This genome assembly provides a valuable resource for subsequent research on R. kukunoris genomics and amphibian genome evolution in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China.
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China.
| | - Hongzhou Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Jiahong Liao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China
| | - Min Tang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China
| | - Haifen Qin
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhenkun Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xueyan Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Yanfang Wu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Lichun Jiang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
| | - Bohao Fang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xueyun Feng
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Baowei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Kerry Reid
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Lyu T, Zhou S, Fang J, Wang L, Shi L, Dong Y, Zhang H. Convergent Genomic Signatures of High-Altitude Adaptation among Six Independently Evolved Mammals. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243572. [PMID: 36552492 PMCID: PMC9774524 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The species living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau provide an excellent model system for studying the relationship between molecular convergent evolution and adaptation. Distant species experiencing the same selection pressure (i.e., hypoxia, low temperature and strong ultraviolet radiation) are likely to evolve similar genetic adaptations independently. Here, we performed comparative genomics studies on six independently evolved high-altitude species. The results also showed that the convergent evolution of the six species was mainly reflected at the level of rapidly evolving genes, and the functions of these rapidly evolving genes were mainly related to hypoxia response and DNA damage repair. In addition, we found that high-altitude species had more gene family changes than their low-altitude relatives, except for the order Lagomorpha. The results also show that the convergence of the gene family contraction of high-altitude species is much greater than that of expansion, revealing a possible pattern of species in adapting to high-altitude. Furthermore, we detected a positive selection signature in four genes related to hypoxia response and ultraviolet radiation damage in these six species (FYCO1, ERBIN, SCAMP1 and CXCL10). Our study reveals that hypoxia response might play an important role in the adaptation of independently evolved species to a high-altitude environment, providing a basic perspective for further exploring the high-altitude adaptation mechanism of different related species in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianshu Lyu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150000, China
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Shengyang Zhou
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Jiaohui Fang
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Lidong Wang
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Lupeng Shi
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Yuehuan Dong
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Honghai Zhang
- College of Life Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
- Correspondence:
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Du X, Hu Y, Huang G, Wei F. The metabolic adaptation in wild vertebrates via omics approaches. LIFE METABOLISM 2022; 1:234-241. [PMID: 39872075 PMCID: PMC11749369 DOI: 10.1093/lifemeta/loac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2025]
Abstract
Metabolism is the basis for sustaining life and essential to the adaptive evolution of organisms. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, genetic mechanisms of adaptive evolution, including metabolic adaptation, have been extensively resolved by omics approaches, but a deep understanding of genetic and epigenetic metabolic adaptation is still lacking. Exploring metabolic adaptations from genetic and epigenetic perspectives in wild vertebrates is vital to understanding species evolution, especially for the early stages of adaptative evolution. Herein, we summarize the advances in our understanding of metabolic adaptations via omics approaches in wild vertebrates based on three types of cases: extreme environment, periodically changing environment, and changes of species characteristics. We conclude that the understanding of the formation of metabolic adaptations at the genetic level alone can well identify the adaptive genetic variation that has developed during evolution, but cannot resolve the potential impact of metabolic adaptations on the adaptative evolution in the future. Thus, it seems imperative to include epigenomics and metabolomics in the study of adaptation, and that in the future genomic and epigenetic data should be integrated to understand the formation of metabolic adaptation of wild vertebrate organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yisi Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Guangdong 511458, China
| | - Guangping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, Guangdong 511458, China
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Fu TT, Sun YB, Gao W, Long CB, Yang CH, Yang XW, Zhang Y, Lan XQ, Huang S, Jin JQ, Murphy RW, Zhang Y, Lai R, Hillis DM, Zhang YP, Che J. The highest-elevation frog provides insights into mechanisms and evolution of defenses against high UV radiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2212406119. [PMID: 36346846 PMCID: PMC9674958 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212406119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Defense against ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is essential for survival, especially in high-elevation species. Although some specific genes involved in UV response have been reported, the full view of UV defense mechanisms remains largely unexplored. Herein, we used integrated approaches to analyze UV responses in the highest-elevation frog, Nanorana parkeri. We show less damage and more efficient antioxidant activity in skin of this frog than those of its lower-elevation relatives after UV exposure. We also reveal genes related to UV defense and a corresponding temporal expression pattern in N. parkeri. Genomic and metabolomic analysis along with large-scale transcriptomic profiling revealed a time-dependent coordinated defense mechanism in N. parkeri. We also identified several microRNAs that play important regulatory roles, especially in decreasing the expression levels of cell cycle genes. Moreover, multiple defense genes (i.e., TYR for melanogenesis) exhibit positive selection with function-enhancing substitutions. Thus, both expression shifts and gene mutations contribute to UV adaptation in N. parkeri. Our work demonstrates a genetic framework for evolution of UV defense in a natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, U.S.A.
| | - Yan-Bo Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Wei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Cheng-Bo Long
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Chun-Hua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| | - Xin-Wang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| | - Xin-Qiang Lan
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Song Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Jie-Qiong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Robert W. Murphy
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada
| | - Yun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Ren Lai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - David M. Hillis
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, U.S.A.
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource and Evolution & Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Security of Gaoligong Mountain, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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Genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic analysis of a medicinal snake, Bungarus multicinctus, to provides insights into the origin of Elapidae neurotoxins. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 13:2234-2249. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Lyu T, Yang X, Zhao C, Wang L, Zhou S, Shi L, Dong Y, Dou H, Zhang H. Comparative transcriptomics of high-altitude Vulpes and their low-altitude relatives. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.999411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The harsh environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) imposes strong selective stresses (e.g., hypoxia, high UV-radiation, and extreme temperature) to the native species, which have driven striking phenotypic and genetic adaptations. Although the mechanisms of high-altitude adaptation have been explored for many plateau species, how the phylogenetic background contributes to genetic adaption to high-altitude of Vulpes is largely unknown. In this study, we sequenced transcriptomic data across multiple tissues of two high-altitude Vulpes (Vulpes vulpes montana and Vulpes ferrilata) and their low-altitude relatives (Vulpes corsac and Vulpes lagopus) to search the genetic and gene expression changes caused by high-altitude environment. The results indicated that the positive selection genes (PSGs) identified by both high-altitude Vulpes are related to angiogenesis, suggesting that angiogenesis may be the result of convergent evolution of Vulpes in the face of hypoxic selection pressure. In addition, more PSGs were detected in V. ferrilata than in V. v. montana, which may be related to the longer adaptation time of V. ferrilata to plateau environment and thus more genetic changes. Besides, more PSGs associated with high-altitude adaptation were identified in V. ferrilata compared with V. v. montana, indicating that the longer the adaptation time to the high-altitude environment, the more genetic alterations of the species. Furthermore, the result of expression profiles revealed a tissue-specific pattern between Vulpes. We also observed that differential expressed genes in the high-altitude group exhibited species-specific expression patterns, revealed a convergent expression pattern of Vulpes in high-altitude environment. In general, our research provides a valuable transcriptomic resource for further studies, and expands our understanding of high-altitude adaptation within a phylogenetic context.
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Wang L, Zhou S, Lyu T, Shi L, Dong Y, He S, Zhang H. Comparative Genome Analysis Reveals the Genomic Basis of Semi-Aquatic Adaptation in American Mink (Neovison vison). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182385. [PMID: 36139245 PMCID: PMC9494948 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In nature, every animal lives in its suitable environment to support life and reproduction. Due to survival pressure, the ancient ancestors of land animals changed from living in water to living on land through a long time of evolution. But as more and more animals live on land, the pressure to survive increases, and some animals continue to evolve and re-enter the water. Species evolved from water to land, fins became limbs, and re-entering organisms evolved webbing, all in an effort to better adapt to their environment. The American mink’s life is extremely dependent on the water environment, but its external changes are less pronounced than those of other water-dependent animals. Since the limited external changes are not sufficient to indicate that the American mink is a semi-aquatic mammal, we can explore the evidence of aquatic adaptation at the molecular level. Through comparative genomic analysis, we obtained that American mink has certain adaptive evolution to aquatic environment in olfactory, coagulation, immunity and other aspects. The results of this study have important reference significance for exploring biological evolution and species conservation. Abstract Although the American mink is extremely dependent on water and has evolved a range of aquatic characteristics, its structural adaptation to water is still less obvious than that of other typical semi-aquatic mammals, such as otters. Therefore, many scholars consider it not to be a semi-aquatic mammal. In order to make the point that minks are semi-aquatic mammals more convincing, we provide evidence at the micro (genome)-level. In particular, we used the genomes of the American mink and 13 mammalian species to reconstruct their evolutionary history, identified genes that affect aquatic adaptation, and examined the evolution of aquatic adaptation. By analyzing unique gene families, the expansion and contraction of gene families, and positive selection genes, we found that the American mink genome has evolved specifically for aquatic adaptation. In particular, we found that the main adaptive characteristics of the American mink include the external structural characteristics of bone and hair development, as well as the internal physiological characteristics of immunity, olfaction, coagulation, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism. We also observed that the genomic characteristics of the American mink are similar to those of other aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals. This not only provides solid genomic evidence for the idea that minks are semi-aquatic mammals, but also leads to a clearer understanding of semi-aquatic species. At the same time, this study also provides a reference for the protection and utilization of the American mink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Shengyang Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Tianshu Lyu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Lupeng Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Yuehuan Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Shangbin He
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Honghai Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
- Correspondence:
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Sjodin BMF, Russello MA. Comparative genomics reveals putative evidence for high-elevation adaptation in the American pika ( Ochotona princeps). G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6695220. [PMID: 36087005 PMCID: PMC9635661 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
High-elevation environments have lower atmospheric oxygen content, reduced temperatures, and higher levels of UV radiation than found at lower elevations. As such, species living at high elevations must overcome these challenges to survive, grow, and reproduce. American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are alpine lagomorphs that are habitat specialists typically found at elevations >2,000 m. Previous research has shown putative evidence for high-elevation adaptation; however, investigations to date have been limited to a fraction of the genome. Here, we took a comparative genomics approach to identify putative regions under selection using a chromosomal reference genome assembly for the American pika relative to 8 other mammalian species targeted based on phylogenetic relatedness and (dis)similarity in ecology. We first identified orthologous gene groups across species and then extracted groups containing only American pika genes as well as unclustered pika genes to inform functional enrichment analyses; among these, we found 141 enriched terms with many related to hypoxia, metabolism, mitochondrial function/development, and DNA repair. We identified 15 significantly expanded gene families within the American pika across all orthologous gene groups that displayed functionally enriched terms associated with hypoxia adaptation. We further detected 196 positively selected genes, 41 of which have been associated with putative adaptation to hypoxia, cold tolerance, and response to UV following a literature review. In particular, OXNAD1, NRDC, and those genes critical in DNA repair represent important targets for future research to examine their functional implications in the American pika, especially as they may relate to adaptation to rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryson M F Sjodin
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus , Kelowna, V1V 1V7 BC, Canada
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus , Kelowna, V1V 1V7 BC, Canada
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Yan C, Zhang ZY, Lv Y, Wang Z, Jiang K, Li JT. Genome of Laudakia sacra Provides New Insights into High-Altitude Adaptation of Ectotherms. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710081. [PMID: 36077479 PMCID: PMC9456099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Anan’s rock agama (Laudakia sacra) is a lizard species endemic to the harsh high-altitude environment of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, a region characterized by low oxygen tension and high ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying highland adaptation of ectotherms, we assembled a 1.80-Gb L. sacra genome, which contained 284 contigs with an N50 of 20.19 Mb and a BUSCO score of 93.54%. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that mutations in certain genes, including HIF1A, TIE2, and NFAT family members and genes in the respiratory chain, may be common adaptations to hypoxia among high-altitude animals. Compared with lowland reptiles, MLIP showed a convergent mutation in L. sacra and the Tibetan hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi), which may affect their hypoxia adaptation. In L. sacra, several genes related to cardiovascular remodeling, erythropoiesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and DNA repair may also be tailored for adaptation to UV radiation and hypoxia. Of note, ERCC6 and MSH2, two genes associated with adaptation to UV radiation in T. baileyi, exhibited L. sacra-specific mutations that may affect peptide function. Thus, this study provides new insights into the potential mechanisms underpinning high-altitude adaptation in ectotherms and reveals certain genetic generalities for animals’ survival on the plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochao Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhi-Yi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Y.Z.); (J.-T.L.)
| | - Yunyun Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- College of Life Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100, China
| | - Zeng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Ke Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jia-Tang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- Mangkang Biodiversity and Ecological Station, Tibet Ecological Safety Monitor Network, Changdu 854500, China
- Correspondence: (Z.-Y.Z.); (J.-T.L.)
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Chen Y, Tan S, Fu J. Modified Metabolism and Response to UV Radiation: Gene Expression Variations Along an Elevational Gradient in the Asiatic Toad (Bufo gargarizans). J Mol Evol 2022; 90:389-399. [PMID: 36029325 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-022-10070-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
High-elevation adaptation provides an excellent system for examining adaptive evolution, and adaptive variations may manifest at gene expression or any other phenotypic levels. We examined gene expression profiles of Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans) along an elevational gradient from both wild and common-garden acclimated populations. Asiatic toads originated from high altitudes have distinctive gene expression patterns. We identified 18 fixed differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which are different in both wild and acclimated samples, and 1217 plastic DEGs, which are different among wild samples. The expression levels of most genes were linearly correlated with altitude gradient and down-regulated in high-altitude populations. Expression variations of several genes associated with metabolic process are fixed, and we also identified a co-expression module that is significantly different between acclimated populations and has functions related to DNA repair. The differential expression of the vast majority genes, however, are due to phenotypic plasticity, revealing the highly plastic nature of gene expression variations. Expression modification of some specific genes related to metabolism and response to UV radiation play crucial role in adaptation to high altitude for Asiatic toads. Common-garden experiments are essential for evaluating adaptive evolution of natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.
- The University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China.
| | - Song Tan
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- The University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jinzhong Fu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Yu JJ, Non AL, Heinrich EC, Gu W, Alcock J, Moya EA, Lawrence ES, Tift MS, O'Brien KA, Storz JF, Signore AV, Khudyakov JI, Milsom WK, Wilson SM, Beall CM, Villafuerte FC, Stobdan T, Julian CG, Moore LG, Fuster MM, Stokes JA, Milner R, West JB, Zhang J, Shyy JY, Childebayeva A, Vázquez-Medina JP, Pham LV, Mesarwi OA, Hall JE, Cheviron ZA, Sieker J, Blood AB, Yuan JX, Scott GR, Rana BK, Ponganis PJ, Malhotra A, Powell FL, Simonson TS. Time Domains of Hypoxia Responses and -Omics Insights. Front Physiol 2022; 13:885295. [PMID: 36035495 PMCID: PMC9400701 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.885295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to respond rapidly to changes in oxygen tension is critical for many forms of life. Challenges to oxygen homeostasis, specifically in the contexts of evolutionary biology and biomedicine, provide important insights into mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation and tolerance. Here we synthesize findings across varying time domains of hypoxia in terms of oxygen delivery, ranging from early animal to modern human evolution and examine the potential impacts of environmental and clinical challenges through emerging multi-omics approaches. We discuss how diverse animal species have adapted to hypoxic environments, how humans vary in their responses to hypoxia (i.e., in the context of high-altitude exposure, cardiopulmonary disease, and sleep apnea), and how findings from each of these fields inform the other and lead to promising new directions in basic and clinical hypoxia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Yu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amy L. Non
- Department of Anthropology, Division of Social Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Erica C. Heinrich
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Wanjun Gu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Joe Alcock
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, MX, United States
| | - Esteban A. Moya
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Elijah S. Lawrence
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Katie A. O'Brien
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, ENG, United Kingdom
| | - Jay F. Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Anthony V. Signore
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Jane I. Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | | | - Sean M. Wilson
- Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Colleen G. Julian
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Lorna G. Moore
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mark M. Fuster
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Stokes
- Department of Kinesiology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, United States
| | - Richard Milner
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John B. West
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John Y. Shyy
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ainash Childebayeva
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - José Pablo Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Letters and Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Luu V. Pham
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Omar A. Mesarwi
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - James E. Hall
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Zachary A. Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Jeremy Sieker
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arlin B. Blood
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jason X. Yuan
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Graham R. Scott
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Brinda K. Rana
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Ponganis
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Frank L. Powell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tatum S. Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Yan C, Wu W, Dong W, Zhu B, Chang J, Lv Y, Yang S, Li JT. Temperature acclimation in hot-spring snakes and the convergence of cold response. Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100295. [PMID: 36032194 PMCID: PMC9405097 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals have evolved sophisticated temperature-sensing systems and mechanisms to detect and respond to ambient temperature changes. As a relict species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi) survived the dramatic changes in climate that occurred during plateau uplift and ice ages, providing an excellent opportunity to explore the evolution of temperature sensation in ectotherms. Based on distributional information and behavioral experiments, we found that T. baileyi prefer hot-spring habitats and respond more quickly to warmth than other two snakes, suggesting that T. baileyi may evolve an efficient thermal-sensing system. Using high-quality chromosome-level assembly and comparative genomic analysis, we identified cold acclimation genes experiencing convergent acceleration in high-altitude lineages. We also discovered significant evolutionary changes in thermosensation- and thermoregulation-related genes, including the transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Among these genes, TRPA1 exhibited three species-specific amino acid replacements, which differed from those found in infrared imaging snakes, implying different temperature-sensing molecular strategies. Based on laser-heating experiments, the T. baileyi-specific mutations in TRPA1 resulted in an increase in heat-induced opening probability and thermal sensitivity of the ion channels under the same degree of temperature stimulation, which may help the organism respond to temperature changes more quickly. These results provide insight into the genetic mechanisms underpinning the evolution of temperature-sensing strategies in ectotherms as well as genetic evidence of temperature acclimation in this group. Hot-spring snakes prefer hot-spring habitats on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Genetic variation in the snakes contribute to the temperature acclimation Unique mutations in TRPA1 increase thermal sensitivity of the ion channel Different temperature-sensing strategies existed across snakes
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Chen B, Li D, Ran B, Zhang P, Wang T. Key miRNAs and Genes in the High-Altitude Adaptation of Tibetan Chickens. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:911685. [PMID: 35909692 PMCID: PMC9330022 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.911685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tibetan chickens living at high altitudes show specific physiological adaptations to the extreme environmental conditions. However, the regulated base of how chickens adapt to high-altitude habitats remains largely unknown. In this study, we sequenced 96 transcriptomes (including 48 miRNA and 48 mRNA transcriptomes of heart, liver, lung, and brain) and resequenced 12 whole genomes of Tibetan chickens and Peng'xian yellow chickens. We found that several miRNAs show the locally optimal plastic changes that occurred in miRNAs of chickens, such as miR-10c-5p, miR-144-3p, miR-3536, and miR-499-5p. These miRNAs could have effects on early adaption to the high-altitude environment of chickens. In addition, the genes under selection between Tibetan chickens and Peng'xian yellow chickens were mainly related to oxygen transport and oxidative stress. The I-kappa B kinase/NF-kappa B signaling pathway is widely found for high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan chickens. The candidate differentially expressed miRNAs and selected genes identified in this study may be useful in current breeding efforts to develop improved breeds for the highlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binlong Chen
- College of Animal Science, Xichang University, Xichang, China
| | - Diyan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Diyan Li
| | - Bo Ran
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pu Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
- Tao Wang
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Cao K, Peng Z, Zhao X, Li Y, Liu K, Arus P, Fang W, Chen C, Wang X, Wu J, Fei Z, Wang L. Chromosome-level genome assemblies of four wild peach species provide insights into genome evolution and genetic basis of stress resistance. BMC Biol 2022; 20:139. [PMID: 35698132 PMCID: PMC9195245 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01342-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Peach (Prunus persica) is an economically important stone fruit crop in Rosaceae and widely cultivated in temperate and subtropical regions, emerging as an excellent material to study the interaction between plant and environment. During its genus, there are four wild species of peach, all living in harsh environments. For example, one of the wild species, P. mira, originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and exhibits strong cold/ultraviolet ray environmental adaptations. Although remarkable progresses in the gene discovery of fruit quality-related traits in peach using previous assembled genome were obtained, genomic basis of the response of these wild species to different geographical environments remains unclear. Results To uncover key genes regulating adaptability in different species and analyze the role of genetic variations in resistance formation, we performed de novo genome assembling of four wild relatives of peach (P. persica), P. mira, P. davidiana, P. kansuensis, and P. ferganensis and resequenced 175 peach varieties. The phylogenetic tree showed that the divergence time of P. mira and other wild relatives of peach was 11.5 million years ago, which was consistent with the drastic crustal movement of QTP. Abundant genetic variations were identified in four wild species when compared to P. persica, and the results showed that plant-pathogen interaction pathways were enriched in genes containing small insertions and deletions and copy number variations in all four wild relatives of peach. Then, the data were used to identify new genes and variations regulating resistance. For example, presence/absence variations which result from a hybridization event that occurred between P. mira and P. dulcis enhanced the resistance of their putative hybrid, P. davidiana. Using bulked segregant analysis, we located the nematode resistance locus of P. kansuensis in chromosome 2. Within the mapping region, a deletion in the promoter of one NBS-LRR gene was found to involve the resistance by regulating gene expression. Furthermore, combined with RNA-seq and selective sweeps analysis, we proposed that a deletion in the promoter of one CBF gene was essential for high-altitude adaptation of P. mira through increasing its resistance to low temperature. Conclusions In general, the reference genomes assembled in the study facilitate our understanding of resistance mechanism of perennial fruit crops, and provide valuable resources for future breeding and improvement. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01342-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Cao
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhen Peng
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Zhao
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuozhan Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Pere Arus
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Agrigenòmica, CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB - Edifici CRAG, Cerdanyola del Vallès (Bellaterra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Weichao Fang
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Changwen Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinwei Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinlong Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangjun Fei
- Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Lirong Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Fruit Tree Breeding Technology), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China. .,National Horticulture Germplasm Resources Center, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, People's Republic of China.
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Cai C, Yang Y, Ga Q, Xu G, Ge R, Tang F. Comparative genomic analysis of high-altitude adaptation for Mongolia Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff, and Canis Lupus. Genomics 2022; 114:110359. [PMID: 35364265 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Tibetan Mastiff has adapted to the extreme environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of its high-altitude-adaptation and origin remains elusive. Here, we generated the draft genomes of Mongolia Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff, and Canis Lupus. The phylogenetic tree uncovered that Tibetan Mastiff and Mongolia Mastiff were derived from Canis Lupus species. The comparative genomic analyses identified that the expansion of gene families related to DNA repair and damage response, and contraction related to ATPase activity revealed the genetic adaptations of Tibetan Mastiff and Canis Lupus to high altitude. In addition, the Tibetan Mastiff and Canis Lupus had signals of positive selection for genes involved in fatty-acid α/β- oxidation for highland adaptation. Notably, the positively selected TERT of Tibetan Mastiff should be an adaptive trait for correcting DNA damage. These findings suggested that the Tibetan Mastiff and Canis Lupus evolves basic strategies for adaptation to high altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Cai
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China
| | - Yingzhong Yang
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China
| | - Qin Ga
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China
| | - Guocai Xu
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China
| | - Rili Ge
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China.
| | - Feng Tang
- Research Center for High Altitude Medicine, School of Medical, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR China; Key Laboratory of Application and Foundation for High Altitude Medicine Research in Qinghai Province, Xining 810016, PR China.
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Rao WQ, Kalogeropoulos K, Allentoft ME, Gopalakrishnan S, Zhao WN, Workman CT, Knudsen C, Jiménez-Mena B, Seneci L, Mousavi-Derazmahalleh M, Jenkins TP, Rivera-de-Torre E, Liu SQ, Laustsen AH. The rise of genomics in snake venom research: recent advances and future perspectives. Gigascience 2022; 11:giac024. [PMID: 35365832 PMCID: PMC8975721 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms represent a danger to human health, but also a gold mine of bioactive proteins that can be harnessed for drug discovery purposes. The evolution of snakes and their venom has been studied for decades, particularly via traditional morphological and basic genetic methods alongside venom proteomics. However, while the field of genomics has matured rapidly over the past 2 decades, owing to the development of next-generation sequencing technologies, snake genomics remains in its infancy. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the art in snake genomics and discuss its potential implications for studying venom evolution and toxinology. On the basis of current knowledge, gene duplication and positive selection are key mechanisms in the neofunctionalization of snake venom proteins. This makes snake venoms important evolutionary drivers that explain the remarkable venom diversification and adaptive variation observed in these reptiles. Gene duplication and neofunctionalization have also generated a large number of repeat sequences in snake genomes that pose a significant challenge to DNA sequencing, resulting in the need for substantial computational resources and longer sequencing read length for high-quality genome assembly. Fortunately, owing to constantly improving sequencing technologies and computational tools, we are now able to explore the molecular mechanisms of snake venom evolution in unprecedented detail. Such novel insights have the potential to affect the design and development of antivenoms and possibly other drugs, as well as provide new fundamental knowledge on snake biology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-qiao Rao
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Mass Spectrometry, Beijing Genomics Institute-Research, 518083, Shenzhen, China
| | - Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, 6102, Bentley Perth, Australia
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shyam Gopalakrishnan
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wei-ning Zhao
- Department of Mass Spectrometry, Beijing Genomics Institute-Research, 518083, Shenzhen, China
| | - Christopher T Workman
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Cecilie Knudsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Belén Jiménez-Mena
- DTU Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Lorenzo Seneci
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mahsa Mousavi-Derazmahalleh
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, 6102, Bentley Perth, Australia
| | - Timothy P Jenkins
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Si-qi Liu
- Department of Mass Spectrometry, Beijing Genomics Institute-Research, 518083, Shenzhen, China
| | - Andreas H Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Qi Y, Zhang T, Wu Y, Yao Z, Qiu X, Pu P, Tang X, Fu J, Yang W. A Multilevel Assessment of Plasticity in Response to High-Altitude Environment for Agama Lizards. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.845072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Upslope range shifting has been documented in diverse species in response to global warming. Plasticity, which refers to the ability of organisms to alter their phenotypes in changing environments, is crucial for the survival of those that newly migrated to a high-altitude environment. The scope and mechanisms of plasticity across biological levels, however, have rarely been examined. We used two agama lizards (genus Phrynocephalus) as model systems and a transplant experiment to comprehensively assess their plasticity on multiple organization levels. Two low-altitude (934 m) agama species, Phrynocephalus axillaris (oviparous) and P. forsythii (viviparous), were transplanted to a high-altitude site (3,400 m). After acclimation for 6 weeks in seminatural enclosures, plasticity was measured from bite force, tail display behavior, gene expression, and metabolome. Both lizards were capable of acclimating to the high-altitude environment without sacrificing their performance in bite force, but they also showed high plasticity in tail display behavior by either decreasing the intensity of a specific display component (P. forsythii) or by the trade-off between display components (P. axillaris). Genes and metabolites associated with lipids, especially fatty acid metabolism, exhibited significant differentiation in expression, compared to individuals from their native habitats. Improved fatty acid storage and metabolism appeared to be a common response among animals at high altitudes. Despite distinct reproductive modes that may differ in response to physiological pressure, the two lizards demonstrated high concordance in plasticity when they faced a novel environment at high altitudes. Taken together, lizards likely acclimate to high-altitude environments by reducing behavioral activity and increasing energy efficiency after range shifting. Our results provide new insights into our understanding of phenotypic plasticity and its importance in today’s changing climate.
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Xu L, Cao M, Wang Q, Xu J, Liu C, Ullah N, Li J, Hou Z, Liang Z, Zhou W, Liu A. Insights into the plateau adaptation of Salvia castanea by comparative genomic and WGCNA analyses. J Adv Res 2022; 42:221-235. [PMID: 36089521 PMCID: PMC9788944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Salvia castanea, a wild plant species is adapted to extreme Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP) environments. It is also used for medicinal purposes due to high ingredient of tanshinone IIA (T-IIA). Despite its importance to Chinese medicinal industry, the mechanisms associated with secondary metabolites accumulation (i.e. T-IIA and rosmarinic acid (RA)) in this species have not been characterized. Also, the role of special underground tissues in QTP adaptation of S. castanea is still unknown. OBJECTIVES We explored the phenomenon of periderm-like structure in underground stem center of S. castanea with an aim to unravel the molecular evolutionary mechanisms of QTP adaptation in this species. METHODS Morphologic observation and full-length transcriptome of S. castanea plants were conducted. Comparative genomic analyses of S. castanea with other 14 representative species were used to reveal its phylogenetic position and molecular evolutionary mechanisms. RNA-seq and WGCNA analyses were applied to understand the mechanisms of high accumulations of T-IIA and RA in S. castanea tissues. RESULTS Based on anatomical observations, we proposed a "trunk-branches" developmental model to explain periderm-like structure in the center of underground stem of S. castanea. Our study suggested that S. castanea branched off from cultivated Danshen around 16 million years ago. During the evolutionary process, significantly expanded orthologous gene groups, 24 species-specific and 64 positively selected genes contributed to morphogenesis and QTP adaptation in S. castanea. RNA-seq and WGCNA analyses unraveled underlying mechanisms of high accumulations of T-IIA and RA in S. castanea and identified NAC29 and TGA22 as key transcription factors. CONCLUSION We proposed a "trunk-branches" developmental model for the underground stem in S. castanea. Adaptations to extreme QTP environment in S. castanea are associated with accumulations of high secondary metabolites in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Mengting Cao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Qichao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jiahao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Chenglin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Department of Breast Surgery, Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Najeeb Ullah
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Centre for Plant Science, the University of Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia,Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Juanjuan Li
- Institute of Crop Science, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Spectroscopy Sensing, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhuoni Hou
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zongsuo Liang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China,Corresponding authors.
| | - Weijun Zhou
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China,Corresponding authors.
| | - Ake Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China,Corresponding authors.
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Zhu H, Zhong L, Li J, Wang S, Qu J. Differential Expression of Metabolism-Related Genes in Plateau Pika ( Ochotona curzoniae) at Different Altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Genet 2022; 12:784811. [PMID: 35126457 PMCID: PMC8811202 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.784811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
According to life history theory, animals living in extreme environments have evolved specific behavioral and physiological strategies for survival. However, the genetic mechanisms underpinning these strategies are unclear. As the highest geographical unit on Earth, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by an extreme environment and climate. During long-term evolutionary processes, animals that inhabit the plateau have evolved specialized morphological and physiological traits. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), one of the native small mammals that evolved on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has adapted well to this cold and hypoxic environment. To explore the genetic mechanisms underlying the physiological adaptations of plateau pika to extremely cold ambient temperatures, we measured the differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and metabolism-related gene expression in individuals inhabiting three distinct altitudes (i.e., 3,321, 3,663, and 4,194 m). Results showed that the body mass and RMR of plateau pika at high- and medium-altitudes were significantly higher than those at the low-altitude. The expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (pgc-1α), and the PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) in white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissues of plateau pika from high- and medium-altitudes were significantly higher than in pika from the low-altitude region. The enhanced expression levels of pgc-1α and pparα genes in the WAT of pika at high-altitude showed that WAT underwent "browning" and increased thermogenic properties. An increase in the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in the BAT of pika at high altitude indicated that BAT increased their thermogenic properties. The gene expression levels of pparα and pgc-1α in skeletal muscles were significantly higher in high-altitude pika. Simultaneously, the expression of the sarcolipin (SLN) gene in skeletal muscles significantly increased in high-altitude pika. Our results suggest that plateau pika adapted to an extremely cold environment via browning WAT, thereby activating BAT and enhancing SLN expression to increase non-shivering thermogenesis. This study demonstrates that plateau pika can increase thermogenic gene expression and energy metabolism to adapt to the extreme environments on the plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Suqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
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42
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Galván I, Schwartz TS, Garland T. Evolutionary physiology at 30+: Has the promise been fulfilled?: Advances in Evolutionary Physiology: Advances in Evolutionary Physiology. Bioessays 2021; 44:e2100167. [PMID: 34802161 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Three decades ago, interactions between evolutionary biology and physiology gave rise to evolutionary physiology. This caused comparative physiologists to improve their research methods by incorporating evolutionary thinking. Simultaneously, evolutionary biologists began focusing more on physiological mechanisms that may help to explain constraints on and trade-offs during microevolutionary processes, as well as macroevolutionary patterns in physiological diversity. Here we argue that evolutionary physiology has yet to reach its full potential, and propose new avenues that may lead to unexpected advances. Viewing physiological adaptations in wild animals as potential solutions to human diseases offers enormous possibilities for biomedicine. New evidence of epigenetic modifications as mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity that regulate physiological traits may also arise in coming years, which may also represent an overlooked enhancer of adaptation via natural selection to explain physiological evolution. Synergistic interactions at these intersections and other areas will lead to a novel understanding of organismal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Galván
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tonia S Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
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43
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Sjodin BMF, Galbreath KE, Lanier HC, Russello MA. Chromosome-Level Reference Genome Assembly for the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). J Hered 2021; 112:549-557. [PMID: 34036348 PMCID: PMC8558581 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is an alpine lagomorph found throughout western North America. Primarily inhabiting talus slopes at higher elevations (>2000 m), American pikas are well adapted to cold, montane environments. Warming climates on both historical and contemporary scales have contributed to population declines in American pikas, positioning them as a focal mammalian species for investigating the ecological effects of climate change. To support and expand ongoing research efforts, here, we present a highly contiguous and annotated reference genome assembly for the American pika (OchPri4.0). This assembly was produced using Dovetail de novo proximity ligation methods and annotated through the NCBI Eukaryotic Genome Annotation pipeline. The resulting assembly was chromosome- scale, with a total length of 2.23 Gb across 9350 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 of 75.8 Mb. The vast majority (>97%) of the total assembly length was found within 36 large scaffolds; 33 of these scaffolds correlated to whole autosomes, while the X chromosome was covered by 3 large scaffolds. Additionally, we identified 17 enriched gene ontology terms among American pika-specific genes putatively related to adaptation to high-elevation environments. This high-quality genome assembly will serve as a springboard for exploring the evolutionary underpinnings of behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic diversification in pikas as well as broader-scale eco-evolutionary questions pertaining to cold-adapted species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryson M F Sjodin
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Kurt E Galbreath
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Hayley C Lanier
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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44
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Gan W, Zhao C, Liu X, Bian C, Shi Q, You X, Song W. Whole-Genome Sequencing and Genome-Wide Studies of Spiny Head Croaker ( Collichthys lucidus) Reveals Potential Insights for Well-Developed Otoliths in the Family Sciaenidae. Front Genet 2021; 12:730255. [PMID: 34659355 PMCID: PMC8515026 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.730255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spiny head croaker (Collichthys lucidus), belonging to the family Sciaenidae, is a small economic fish with a main distribution in the coastal waters of Northwestern Pacific. Here, we constructed a nonredundant chromosome-level genome assembly of spiny head croaker and also made genome-wide investigations on genome evolution and gene families related to otolith development. A primary genome assembly of 811.23 Mb, with a contig N50 of 74.92 kb, was generated by a combination of 49.12-Gb Illumina clean reads and 35.24 Gb of PacBio long reads. Contigs of this draft assembly were further anchored into chromosomes by integration with additional 185.33-Gb Hi-C data, resulting in a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of 817.24 Mb, with an improved scaffold N50 of 26.58 Mb. Based on our phylogenetic analysis, we observed that C. lucidus is much closer to Larimichthys crocea than Miichthys miiuy. We also predicted that many gene families were significantly expanded (p-value <0.05) in spiny head croaker; among them, some are associated with "calcium signaling pathway" and potential "inner ear functions." In addition, we identified some otolith-related genes (such as otol1a that encodes Otolin-1a) with critical deletions or mutations, suggesting possible molecular mechanisms for well-developed otoliths in the family Sciaenidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Gan
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenxi Zhao
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinran Liu
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chao Bian
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiong Shi
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinxin You
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Song
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, China.,BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, BGI Marine, BGI, Shenzhen, China
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45
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Chen Y, Hou G, Jing M, Teng H, Liu Q, Yang X, Wang Y, Qu J, Shi C, Lu L, Zhang J, Zhang Y. Genomic analysis unveils mechanisms of northward invasion and signatures of plateau adaptation in the Asian house rat. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6596-6610. [PMID: 34564921 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Asian house rat (AHR), Rattus tanezumi, has recently invaded the northern half of China. The AHR is a highly adaptive rat species that has also successfully conquered the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and replaced the brown rat (BR), R. norvegicus, at the edge of the QTP. Here, we assembled a draft genome of the AHR and explored the mechanisms of its northward invasion and the genetic basis underlying plateau adaptation in this species. Population genomic analyses revealed that the northwardly invasive AHRs consisted of two independent and genetically distinct populations which might result from multiple independent primary invasion events. One invasive population exhibited reduced genetic diversity and distinct population structure compared with its source population, while the other displayed preserved genetic polymorphisms and little genetic differentiation from its source population. Genes involved in G-protein coupled receptors and carbohydrate metabolism may contribute to the local adaptation of northern AHRs. In particular, RTN4 was identified as a key gene for AHRs in the QTP that favours adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Coincidently, the physiological performance and transcriptome profiles of hypoxia-exposed rats both showed better hypoxia adaptation in AHRs than in BRs that failed to colonize the heart of the QTP, which may have facilitated the replacement of the BR population by the invading AHRs at the edge of the QTP. This study provides profound insights into the multiple origins of the northwardly invasive AHR and the great tolerance to hypoxia in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guanmei Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meidong Jing
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Huajing Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Quansheng Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingen Yang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Dongting Lake Station for Wetland Ecosystem Research, Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai, China
| | - Chengmin Shi
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Liang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaohua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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46
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De novo Assembly, Annotation, and Analysis of Transcriptome Data of the Ladakh Ground Skink Provide Genetic Information on High-Altitude Adaptation. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091423. [PMID: 34573405 PMCID: PMC8466045 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Himalayan Arc is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. Among its numerous cryptic and undiscovered organisms, this composite high-mountain ecosystem harbors many taxa with adaptations to life in high elevations. However, evolutionary patterns and genomic features have been relatively rarely studied in Himalayan vertebrates. Here, we provide the first well-annotated transcriptome of a Greater Himalayan reptile species, the Ladakh Ground skink Asymblepharus ladacensis (Squamata: Scincidae). Based on tissues from the brain, an embryonic disc, and pooled organ material, using pair-end Illumina NextSeq 500 RNAseq, we assembled ~77,000 transcripts, which were annotated using seven functional databases. We tested ~1600 genes, known to be under positive selection in anurans and reptiles adapted to high elevations, and potentially detected positive selection for 114 of these genes in Asymblepharus. Even though the strength of these results is limited due to the single-animal approach, our transcriptome resource may be valuable data for further studies on squamate reptile evolution in the Himalayas as a hotspot of biodiversity.
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47
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Yang L, Wang Y, Sun N, Chen J, He S. Genomic and functional evidence reveals convergent evolution in fishes on the Tibetan Plateau. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5752-5764. [PMID: 34516715 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
High-altitude environments are strong drivers of adaptive evolution in endemic organisms. However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms of convergent adaptation among different lineages, especially in fishes. There are three independent fish groups on the Tibetan Plateau: Tibetan Loaches, Schizothoracine fishes and Glyptosternoid fishes; all are well adapted to the harsh environmental conditions. They represent an excellent example of convergent evolution but with an unclear genetic basis. We used comparative genomic analyses between Tibetan fishes and fishes from low altitudes and detected genomic signatures of convergent evolution in fishes on the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan fishes exhibited genome-wide accelerated evolution in comparison with a control set of fishes from low altitudes. A total of 368 positively selected genes were identified in Tibetan fishes, which were enriched in functional categories related to energy metabolism and hypoxia response. Widespread parallel amino acid substitutions were detected among the Tibetan fishes and a subset of these substitutions occurred in positively selected genes associated with high-altitude adaptation. Functional assays suggested that von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor genes from Tibetan fishes enhance hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activity convergently under hypoxia compared to low-altitude fishes. The results provide genomic and functional evidence supporting convergent genetic mechanisms for high-altitude adaptation in fishes on the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liandong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Engineering Research Center for Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Hanjiang River Basin, College of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China.,Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Engineering Research Center for Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Hanjiang River Basin, College of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ning Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shunping He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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48
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Yohe LR, Fabbri M, Hanson M, Bhullar BAS. Olfactory receptor gene evolution is unusually rapid across Tetrapoda and outpaces chemosensory phenotypic change. Curr Zool 2021; 66:505-514. [PMID: 34484311 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemosensation is the most ubiquitous sense in animals, enacted by the products of complex gene families that detect environmental chemical cues and larger-scale sensory structures that process these cues. While there is a general conception that olfactory receptor (OR) genes evolve rapidly, the universality of this phenomenon across vertebrates, and its magnitude, are unclear. The supposed correlation between molecular rates of chemosensory evolution and phenotypic diversity of chemosensory systems is largely untested. We combine comparative genomics and sensory morphology to test whether OR genes and olfactory phenotypic traits evolve at faster rates than other genes or traits. Using published genomes, we identified ORs in 21 tetrapods, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals and compared their rates of evolution to those of orthologous non-OR protein-coding genes. We found that, for all clades investigated, most OR genes evolve nearly an order of magnitude faster than other protein-coding genes, with many OR genes showing signatures of diversifying selection across nearly all taxa in this study. This rapid rate of evolution suggests that chemoreceptor genes are in "evolutionary overdrive," perhaps evolving in response to the ever-changing chemical space of the environment. To obtain complementary morphological data, we stained whole fixed specimens with iodine, µCT-scanned the specimens, and digitally segmented chemosensory and nonchemosensory brain regions. We then estimated phenotypic variation within traits and among tetrapods. While we found considerable variation in chemosensory structures, they were no more diverse than nonchemosensory regions. We suggest chemoreceptor genes evolve quickly in reflection of an ever-changing chemical space, whereas chemosensory phenotypes and processing regions are more conserved because they use a standardized or constrained architecture to receive and process a range of chemical cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Earth & Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Matteo Fabbri
- Department of Earth & Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Michael Hanson
- Department of Earth & Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Bhart-Anjan S Bhullar
- Department of Earth & Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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Liu K, Yang J, Yuan H. Recent progress in research on the gut microbiota and highland adaptation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1514-1530. [PMID: 34473899 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities that inhabit the host's intestine influence many aspects of the host's health and bear the adaptive potential to alterations in harsh environments and diets. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau represents one of the harshest environments in the world. Preliminary progress has been made in identifying the communities of gut microbes in Indigenous Tibetans and non-human animals. However, due to the complexity of microbial communities, the effects of gut microbes on the host's health and high-plateau adaptation remain unexplained. Herein, we review the latest progress in identifying factors affecting the gut microbiota of native Tibetans and non-human animals and highlight the complex interactions between the gut microbiota, health and highland adaptation, which provides a basis for exploring the correlations between the gut microbiota and clinical indexes in native highland residents and travellers, as well as developing microbiota-based strategies to mitigate health risks for tourists and treatments for mountain sickness during high-altitude travel in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinshui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongli Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Lu J, Pan C, Fan W, Liu W, Zhao H, Li D, Wang S, Hu L, He B, Qian K, Qin R, Ruan J, Lin Q, Lü S, Cui P. A Chromosome-level Assembly of A Wild Castor Genome Provides New Insights into the Adaptive Evolution in A Tropical Desert. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2021; 20:42-59. [PMID: 34339842 PMCID: PMC9510866 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Wild castor grows in the high-altitude tropical desert of the African Plateau, a region known for high ultraviolet radiation, strong light, and extremely dry condition. To investigate the potential genetic basis of adaptation to both highland and tropical deserts, we generated a chromosome-level genome sequence assembly of the wild castor accession WT05, with a genome size of 316 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 31.93 Mb, and a contig N50 of 8.96 Mb, respectively. Compared with cultivated castor and other Euphorbiaceae species, the wild castor exhibits positive selection and gene family expansion for genes involved in DNA repair, photosynthesis, and abiotic stress responses. Genetic variations associated with positive selection were identified in several key genes, such as LIG1, DDB2, and RECG1, involved in nucleotide excision repair. Moreover, a study of genomic diversity among wild and cultivated accessions revealed genomic regions containing selection signatures associated with the adaptation to extreme environments. The identification of the genes and alleles with selection signatures provides insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the adaptation of wild castor to the high-altitude tropical desert and would facilitate direct improvement of modern castor varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cheng Pan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wei Fan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Wanfei Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Huayan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 434200, China
| | - Donghai Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Lianlian Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bing He
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Kun Qian
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Rui Qin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Jue Ruan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Qiang Lin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China.
| | - Shiyou Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 434200, China.
| | - Peng Cui
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China.
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