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Shafir A, Halabi K, Baumer E, Mayrose I. ChromEvol v.3: modeling rate heterogeneity in chromosome number evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2025; 245:1787-1800. [PMID: 39676573 DOI: 10.1111/nph.20339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 11/22/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024]
Abstract
Changes in chromosome numbers are a prominent driver of plant evolution, impacting ecological diversification, stress tolerance, and phenotypes. ChromEvol is a widely used software tool for deciphering patterns of chromosome-number change along a phylogeny of interest. It evaluates the fit of alternative models to the data, estimates transition rates of different types of events, and infers the expected number of events along each branch of the phylogeny. We introduce ChromEvol v.3, featuring multiple novel methodological advancements that capture variation in the transition rates along a phylogeny. This version better allows researchers to identify how dysploidy and polyploidy rates change based on the number of chromosomes in the genome, with respect to a discrete trait, or at certain subclades of the phylogeny. We demonstrate the applicability of the new models on the Solanaceae phylogeny. Our analyses identify four chromosome-number transition regimes that characterize distinct Solanaceae clades and demonstrate an association between self-compatibility and altered dynamics of chromosome-number evolution. ChromEvol v.3, available at https://github.com/anatshafir1/chromevol, offers researchers a more flexible, comprehensive, and accurate tool to investigate the evolution of chromosome numbers and the various processes affecting it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Shafir
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Keren Halabi
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ella Baumer
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Itay Mayrose
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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2
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Fu CN, Wicke S, Zhu AD, Li DZ, Gao LM. Distinctive plastome evolution in carnivorous angiosperms. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:660. [PMID: 38124058 PMCID: PMC10731798 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04682-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Independent origins of carnivory in multiple angiosperm families are fabulous examples of convergent evolution using a diverse array of life forms and habitats. Previous studies have indicated that carnivorous plants have distinct evolutionary trajectories of plastid genome (plastome) compared to their non-carnivorous relatives, yet the extent and general characteristics remain elusive. RESULTS We compared plastomes from 9 out of 13 carnivorous families and their non-carnivorous relatives to assess carnivory-associated evolutionary patterns. We identified inversions in all sampled Droseraceae species and four species of Utricularia, Pinguicula, Darlingtonia and Triphyophyllum. A few carnivores showed distinct shifts in inverted repeat boundaries and the overall repeat contents. Many ndh genes, along with some other genes, were independently lost in several carnivorous lineages. We detected significant substitution rate variations in most sampled carnivorous lineages. A significant overall substitution rate acceleration characterizes the two largest carnivorous lineages of Droseraceae and Lentibulariaceae. We also observe moderate substitution rates acceleration in many genes of Cephalotus follicularis, Roridula gorgonias, and Drosophyllum lusitanicum. However, only a few genes exhibit significant relaxed selection. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the carnivory of plants have different effects on plastome evolution across carnivorous lineages. The complex mechanism under carnivorous habitats may have resulted in distinctive plastome evolution with conserved plastome in the Brocchinia hechtioides to strongly reconfigured plastomes structures in Droseraceae. Organic carbon obtained from prey and the efficiency of utilizing prey-derived nutrients might constitute possible explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Nan Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, 674100, Yunnan, China
| | - Susann Wicke
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Späth-Arboretum of the Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - An-Dan Zhu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Lian-Ming Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, 674100, Yunnan, China.
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3
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Yan H, Hu Z, Thomas GWC, Edwards SV, Sackton TB, Liu JS. PhyloAcc-GT: A Bayesian Method for Inferring Patterns of Substitution Rate Shifts on Targeted Lineages Accounting for Gene Tree Discordance. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad195. [PMID: 37665177 PMCID: PMC10540510 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
An important goal of evolutionary genomics is to identify genomic regions whose substitution rates differ among lineages. For example, genomic regions experiencing accelerated molecular evolution in some lineages may provide insight into links between genotype and phenotype. Several comparative genomics methods have been developed to identify genomic accelerations between species, including a Bayesian method called PhyloAcc, which models shifts in substitution rate in multiple target lineages on a phylogeny. However, few methods consider the possibility of discordance between the trees of individual loci and the species tree due to incomplete lineage sorting, which might cause false positives. Here, we present PhyloAcc-GT, which extends PhyloAcc by modeling gene tree heterogeneity. Given a species tree, we adopt the multispecies coalescent model as the prior distribution of gene trees, use Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for inference, and design novel MCMC moves to sample gene trees efficiently. Through extensive simulations, we show that PhyloAcc-GT outperforms PhyloAcc and other methods in identifying target lineage-specific accelerations and detecting complex patterns of rate shifts, and is robust to specification of population size parameters. PhyloAcc-GT is usually more conservative than PhyloAcc in calling convergent rate shifts because it identifies more accelerations on ancestral than on terminal branches. We apply PhyloAcc-GT to two examples of convergent evolution: flightlessness in ratites and marine mammal adaptations, and show that PhyloAcc-GT is a robust tool to identify shifts in substitution rate associated with specific target lineages while accounting for incomplete lineage sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yan
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhirui Hu
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jun S Liu
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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4
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Pereira AG, Kohlsdorf T. Repeated evolution of similar phenotypes: Integrating comparative methods with developmental pathways. Genet Mol Biol 2023; 46:e20220384. [PMID: 37486083 PMCID: PMC10364090 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated phenotypes, often referred to as 'homoplasies' in cladistic analyses, may evolve through changes in developmental processes. Genetic bases of recurrent evolution gained attention and have been studied in the past years using approaches that combine modern analytical phylogenetic tools with the stunning assemblage of new information on developmental mechanisms. In this review, we evaluated the topic under an integrated perspective, revisiting the classical definitions of convergence and parallelism and detailing comparative methods used to evaluate evolution of repeated phenotypes, which include phylogenetic inference, estimates of evolutionary rates and reconstruction of ancestral states. We provide examples to illustrate how a given methodological approach can be used to identify evolutionary patterns and evaluate developmental mechanisms associated with the intermittent expression of a given trait along the phylogeny. Finally, we address why repeated trait loss challenges strict definitions of convergence and parallelism, discussing how changes in developmental pathways might explain the high frequency of repeated trait loss in specific lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anieli Guirro Pereira
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Departamento de Biologia, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Departamento de Biologia, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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5
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Pereira AG, Grizante MB, Kohlsdorf T. What snakes and caecilians have in common? Molecular interaction units and the independent origins of similar morphotypes in Tetrapoda. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220841. [PMID: 35975445 PMCID: PMC9382212 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0841] [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: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental pathways encompass transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements that interact as transcription factor-regulatory element (TF-RE) units. Independent origins of similar phenotypes likely involve changes in different parts of these units, a hypothesis promisingly tested addressing the evolution of the rib-associated lumbar (RAL) morphotype that characterizes emblematic animals such as snakes and elephants. Previous investigation in these lineages identified a polymorphism in the Homology region 1 [H1] enhancer of the Myogenic factor-5 [Myf5], which interacts with HOX10 proteins to modulate rib development. Here we address the evolution of TF-RE units focusing on independent origins of RAL morphotypes. We compiled an extensive database for H1-Myf5 and HOX10 sequences with two goals: (i) evaluate if the enhancer polymorphism is present in amphibians exhibiting the RAL morphotype and (ii) test a hypothesis of enhanced evolutionary flexibility mediated by TF-RE units, according to which independent origins of the RAL morphotype might involve changes in either component of the interaction unit. We identified the H1-Myf5 polymorphism in lineages that diverged around 340 Ma, including Lissamphibia. Independent origins of the RAL morphotype in Tetrapoda involved sequence variation in either component of the TF-RE unit, confirming that different changes may similarly affect the phenotypic outcome of a given developmental pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anieli G. Pereira
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana B. Grizante
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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de Oliveira Martins L, Bloomfield S, Stoakes E, Grant AJ, Page AJ, Mather AE. Tatajuba: exploring the distribution of homopolymer tracts. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac003. [PMID: 35118377 PMCID: PMC8808543 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Length variation of homopolymeric tracts, which induces phase variation, is known to regulate gene expression leading to phenotypic variation in a wide range of bacterial species. There is no specialized bioinformatics software which can, at scale, exhaustively explore and describe these features from sequencing data. Identifying these is non-trivial as sequencing and bioinformatics methods are prone to introducing artefacts when presented with homopolymeric tracts due to the decreased base diversity. We present tatajuba, which can automatically identify potential homopolymeric tracts and help predict their putative phenotypic impact, allowing for rapid investigation. We use it to detect all tracts in two separate datasets, one of Campylobacter jejuni and one of three Bordetella species, and to highlight those tracts that are polymorphic across samples. With this we confirm homopolymer tract variation with phenotypic impact found in previous studies and additionally find many more with potential variability. The software is written in C and is available under the open source licence GNU GPLv3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Bloomfield
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Emily Stoakes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Andrew J Grant
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Andrew J Page
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Alison E Mather
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
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7
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Jones CT, Youssef N, Susko E, Bielawski JP. A Phenotype-Genotype Codon Model for Detecting Adaptive Evolution. Syst Biol 2021; 69:722-738. [PMID: 31730199 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A central objective in biology is to link adaptive evolution in a gene to structural and/or functional phenotypic novelties. Yet most analytic methods make inferences mainly from either phenotypic data or genetic data alone. A small number of models have been developed to infer correlations between the rate of molecular evolution and changes in a discrete or continuous life history trait. But such correlations are not necessarily evidence of adaptation. Here, we present a novel approach called the phenotype-genotype branch-site model (PG-BSM) designed to detect evidence of adaptive codon evolution associated with discrete-state phenotype evolution. An episode of adaptation is inferred under standard codon substitution models when there is evidence of positive selection in the form of an elevation in the nonsynonymous-to-synonymous rate ratio $\omega$ to a value $\omega > 1$. As it is becoming increasingly clear that $\omega > 1$ can occur without adaptation, the PG-BSM was formulated to infer an instance of adaptive evolution without appealing to evidence of positive selection. The null model makes use of a covarion-like component to account for general heterotachy (i.e., random changes in the evolutionary rate at a site over time). The alternative model employs samples of the phenotypic evolutionary history to test for phenomenological patterns of heterotachy consistent with specific mechanisms of molecular adaptation. These include 1) a persistent increase/decrease in $\omega$ at a site following a change in phenotype (the pattern) consistent with an increase/decrease in the functional importance of the site (the mechanism); and 2) a transient increase in $\omega$ at a site along a branch over which the phenotype changed (the pattern) consistent with a change in the site's optimal amino acid (the mechanism). Rejection of the null is followed by post hoc analyses to identify sites with strongest evidence for adaptation in association with changes in the phenotype as well as the most likely evolutionary history of the phenotype. Simulation studies based on a novel method for generating mechanistically realistic signatures of molecular adaptation show that the PG-BSM has good statistical properties. Analyses of real alignments show that site patterns identified post hoc are consistent with the specific mechanisms of adaptation included in the alternate model. Further simulation studies show that the covarion-like component of the PG-BSM plays a crucial role in mitigating recently discovered statistical pathologies associated with confounding by accounting for heterotachy-by-any-cause. [Adaptive evolution; branch-site model; confounding; mutation-selection; phenotype-genotype.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Jones
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Noor Youssef
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Edward Susko
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Joseph P Bielawski
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, 1233 LeMarchant Street, B3H 4R2, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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8
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May MR, Moore BR. A Bayesian Approach for Inferring the Impact of a Discrete Character on Rates of Continuous-Character Evolution in the Presence of Background-Rate Variation. Syst Biol 2020; 69:530-544. [PMID: 31665487 PMCID: PMC7608729 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how and why rates of character evolution vary across the Tree of Life is central to many evolutionary questions; for example, does the trophic apparatus (a set of continuous characters) evolve at a higher rate in fish lineages that dwell in reef versus nonreef habitats (a discrete character)? Existing approaches for inferring the relationship between a discrete character and rates of continuous-character evolution rely on comparing a null model (in which rates of continuous-character evolution are constant across lineages) to an alternative model (in which rates of continuous-character evolution depend on the state of the discrete character under consideration). However, these approaches are susceptible to a "straw-man" effect: the influence of the discrete character is inflated because the null model is extremely unrealistic. Here, we describe MuSSCRat, a Bayesian approach for inferring the impact of a discrete trait on rates of continuous-character evolution in the presence of alternative sources of rate variation ("background-rate variation"). We demonstrate by simulation that our method is able to reliably infer the degree of state-dependent rate variation, and show that ignoring background-rate variation leads to biased inferences regarding the degree of state-dependent rate variation in grunts (the fish group Haemulidae). [Bayesian phylogenetic comparative methods; continuous-character evolution; data augmentation; discrete-character evolution.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R May
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Storer Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brian R Moore
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Storer Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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9
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Halabi K, Karin EL, Guéguen L, Mayrose I. A Codon Model for Associating Phenotypic Traits with Altered Selective Patterns of Sequence Evolution. Syst Biol 2020; 70:608-622. [PMID: 33252676 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting the signature of selection in coding sequences and associating it with shifts in phenotypic states can unveil genes underlying complex traits. Of the various signatures of selection exhibited at the molecular level, changes in the pattern of selection at protein-coding genes have been of main interest. To this end, phylogenetic branch-site codon models are routinely applied to detect changes in selective patterns along specific branches of the phylogeny. Many of these methods rely on a prespecified partition of the phylogeny to branch categories, thus treating the course of trait evolution as fully resolved and assuming that phenotypic transitions have occurred only at speciation events. Here, we present TraitRELAX, a new phylogenetic model that alleviates these strong assumptions by explicitly accounting for the uncertainty in the evolution of both trait and coding sequences. This joint statistical framework enables the detection of changes in selection intensity upon repeated trait transitions. We evaluated the performance of TraitRELAX using simulations and then applied it to two case studies. Using TraitRELAX, we found an intensification of selection in the primate SEMG2 gene in polygynandrous species compared to species of other mating forms, as well as changes in the intensity of purifying selection operating on sixteen bacterial genes upon transitioning from a free-living to an endosymbiotic lifestyle.[Evolutionary selection; intensification; $\gamma $-proteobacteria; genotype-phenotype; relaxation; SEMG2.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Halabi
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Eli Levy Karin
- Quantitative and Computational Biology, Max-Planck institute for biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Laurent Guéguen
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.,Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Thunbergsvägen 2 752 38 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Itay Mayrose
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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10
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Mayrose I, Lysak MA. The Evolution of Chromosome Numbers: Mechanistic Models and Experimental Approaches. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 13:5923296. [PMID: 33566095 PMCID: PMC7875004 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome numbers have been widely used to describe the most fundamental genomic attribute of an organism or a lineage. Although providing strong phylogenetic signal, chromosome numbers vary remarkably among eukaryotes at all levels of taxonomic resolution. Changes in chromosome numbers regularly serve as indication of major genomic events, most notably polyploidy and dysploidy. Here, we review recent advancements in our ability to make inferences regarding historical events that led to alterations in the number of chromosomes of a lineage. We first describe the mechanistic processes underlying changes in chromosome numbers, focusing on structural chromosomal rearrangements. Then, we focus on experimental procedures, encompassing comparative cytogenomics and genomics approaches, and on computational methodologies that are based on explicit models of chromosome-number evolution. Together, these tools offer valuable predictions regarding historical events that have changed chromosome numbers and genome structures, as well as their phylogenetic and temporal placements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itay Mayrose
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Martin A Lysak
- CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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11
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The plastid NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-like complex: structure, function and evolutionary dynamics. Biochem J 2020; 476:2743-2756. [PMID: 31654059 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The thylakoid NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex is a large protein complex that reduces plastoquinone and pumps protons into the lumen generating protonmotive force. In plants, the complex consists of both nuclear and chloroplast-encoded subunits. Despite its perceived importance for stress tolerance and ATP generation, chloroplast-encoded NDH subunits have been lost numerous times during evolution in species occupying seemingly unrelated environmental niches. We have generated a phylogenetic tree that reveals independent losses in multiple phylogenetic lineages, and we use this tree as a reference to discuss possible evolutionary contexts that may have relaxed selective pressure for retention of ndh genes. While we are still yet unable to pinpoint a singular specific lifestyle that negates the need for NDH, we are able to rule out several long-standing explanations. In light of this, we discuss the biochemical changes that would be required for the chloroplast to dispense with NDH functionality with regards to known and proposed NDH-related reactions.
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12
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Guindon S. Rates and Rocks: Strengths and Weaknesses of Molecular Dating Methods. Front Genet 2020; 11:526. [PMID: 32536940 PMCID: PMC7267027 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
I present here an in-depth, although non-exhaustive, review of two topics in molecular dating. Clock models, which describe the evolution of the rate of evolution, are considered first. Some of the shortcomings of popular approaches-uncorrelated clock models in particular-are presented and discussed. Autocorrelated models are shown to be more reasonable from a biological perspective. Some of the most recent autocorrelated models also rely on a coherent treatment of instantaneous and average substitution rates while previous models are based on implicit approximations. Second, I provide a brief overview of the processes involved in collecting and preparing fossil data. I then review the main techniques that use this data for calibrating the molecular clock. I argue that, in its current form, the fossilized birth-death process relies on assumptions about the mechanisms underlying fossilization and the data collection process that may negatively impact the date estimates. Node-dating approaches make better use of the data available, even though they rest on paleontologists' intervention to prepare raw fossil data. Altogether, this study provides indications that may help practitioners in selecting appropriate methods for molecular dating. It will also hopefully participate in defining the contour of future methodological developments in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Guindon
- Laboratoire d'Informatique de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier, CNRS and Université Montpellier (UMR 5506), Montpellier, France
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13
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Smith SD, Pennell MW, Dunn CW, Edwards SV. Phylogenetics is the New Genetics (for Most of Biodiversity). Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:415-425. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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14
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Yusuf L, Heatley MC, Palmer JPG, Barton HJ, Cooney CR, Gossmann TI. Noncoding regions underpin avian bill shape diversification at macroevolutionary scales. Genome Res 2020; 30:553-565. [PMID: 32269134 PMCID: PMC7197477 DOI: 10.1101/gr.255752.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress has been made in identifying genomic regions implicated in trait evolution on a microevolutionary scale in many species, but whether these are relevant over macroevolutionary time remains unclear. Here, we directly address this fundamental question using bird beak shape, a key evolutionary innovation linked to patterns of resource use, divergence, and speciation, as a model trait. We integrate class-wide geometric-morphometric analyses with evolutionary sequence analyses of 10,322 protein-coding genes as well as 229,001 genomic regions spanning 72 species. We identify 1434 protein-coding genes and 39,806 noncoding regions for which molecular rates were significantly related to rates of bill shape evolution. We show that homologs of the identified protein-coding genes as well as genes in close proximity to the identified noncoding regions are involved in craniofacial embryo development in mammals. They are associated with embryonic stem cell pathways, including BMP and Wnt signaling, both of which have repeatedly been implicated in the morphological development of avian beaks. This suggests that identifying genotype-phenotype association on a genome-wide scale over macroevolutionary time is feasible. Although the coding and noncoding gene sets are associated with similar pathways, the actual genes are highly distinct, with significantly reduced overlap between them and bill-related phenotype associations specific to noncoding loci. Evidence for signatures of recent diversifying selection on our identified noncoding loci in Darwin finch populations further suggests that regulatory rather than coding changes are major drivers of morphological diversification over macroevolutionary times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeban Yusuf
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.,Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TF, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew C Heatley
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.,Division of Plant and Crop Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph P G Palmer
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
| | - Henry J Barton
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.,Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Viikinkaari 9 (PL 56), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Christopher R Cooney
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Toni I Gossmann
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.,Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, DE-33501, Germany
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15
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16
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Barrett CF, Sinn BT, Kennedy AH. Unprecedented Parallel Photosynthetic Losses in a Heterotrophic Orchid Genus. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:1884-1901. [PMID: 31058965 PMCID: PMC6736286 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotrophic plants are evolutionary experiments in genomic, morphological, and physiological change. Yet, genomic sampling gaps exist among independently derived heterotrophic lineages, leaving unanswered questions about the process of genome modification. Here, we have sequenced complete plastid genomes for all species of the leafless orchid genus Hexalectris, including multiple individuals for most, and leafy relatives Basiphyllaea and Bletia. Our objectives are to determine the number of independent losses of photosynthesis and to test hypotheses on the process of genome degradation as a result of relaxed selection. We demonstrate four to five independent losses of photosynthesis in Hexalectris based on degradation of the photosynthetic apparatus, with all but two species displaying evidence of losses, and variation in gene loss extending below the species level. Degradation in the atp complex is advanced in Hexalectris warnockii, whereas only minimal degradation (i.e., physical loss) has occurred among some "housekeeping" genes. We find genomic rearrangements, shifts in Inverted Repeat boundaries including complete loss in one accession of H. arizonica, and correlations among substitutional and genomic attributes. Our unprecedented finding of multiple, independent transitions to a fully mycoheterotrophic lifestyle in a single genus reveals that the number of such transitions among land plants is likely underestimated. This study underscores the importance of dense taxon sampling, which is highly informative for advancing models of genome evolution in heterotrophs. Mycoheterotrophs such as Hexalectris provide forward-genetic opportunities to study the consequences of radical genome evolution beyond what is possible with mutational studies in model organisms alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig F Barrett
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
| | - Brandon T Sinn
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
| | - Aaron H Kennedy
- Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, USDA-APHIS, Beltsville, MD
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17
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Lamichhaney S, Card DC, Grayson P, Tonini JFR, Bravo GA, Näpflin K, Termignoni-Garcia F, Torres C, Burbrink F, Clarke JA, Sackton TB, Edwards SV. Integrating natural history collections and comparative genomics to study the genetic architecture of convergent evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180248. [PMID: 31154982 PMCID: PMC6560268 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary convergence has been long considered primary evidence of adaptation driven by natural selection and provides opportunities to explore evolutionary repeatability and predictability. In recent years, there has been increased interest in exploring the genetic mechanisms underlying convergent evolution, in part, owing to the advent of genomic techniques. However, the current 'genomics gold rush' in studies of convergence has overshadowed the reality that most trait classifications are quite broadly defined, resulting in incomplete or potentially biased interpretations of results. Genomic studies of convergence would be greatly improved by integrating deep 'vertical', natural history knowledge with 'horizontal' knowledge focusing on the breadth of taxonomic diversity. Natural history collections have and continue to be best positioned for increasing our comprehensive understanding of phenotypic diversity, with modern practices of digitization and databasing of morphological traits providing exciting improvements in our ability to evaluate the degree of morphological convergence. Combining more detailed phenotypic data with the well-established field of genomics will enable scientists to make progress on an important goal in biology: to understand the degree to which genetic or molecular convergence is associated with phenotypic convergence. Although the fields of comparative biology or comparative genomics alone can separately reveal important insights into convergent evolution, here we suggest that the synergistic and complementary roles of natural history collection-derived phenomic data and comparative genomics methods can be particularly powerful in together elucidating the genomic basis of convergent evolution among higher taxa. This article is part of the theme issue 'Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeet Lamichhaney
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daren C. Card
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Phil Grayson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - João F. R. Tonini
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gustavo A. Bravo
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kathrin Näpflin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Flavia Termignoni-Garcia
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Christopher Torres
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, MA 78712, USA
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, MA 78712, USA
| | - Frank Burbrink
- Department of Herpetology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Julia A. Clarke
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, MA 78712, USA
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, MA 78712, USA
| | | | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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18
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Ashkenazy H, Levy Karin E, Mertens Z, Cartwright RA, Pupko T. SpartaABC: a web server to simulate sequences with indel parameters inferred using an approximate Bayesian computation algorithm. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 45:W453-W457. [PMID: 28460062 PMCID: PMC5570005 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many analyses for the detection of biological phenomena rely on a multiple sequence alignment as input. The results of such analyses are often further studied through parametric bootstrap procedures, using sequence simulators. One of the problems with conducting such simulation studies is that users currently have no means to decide which insertion and deletion (indel) parameters to choose, so that the resulting sequences mimic biological data. Here, we present SpartaABC, a web server that aims to solve this issue. SpartaABC implements an approximate-Bayesian-computation rejection algorithm to infer indel parameters from sequence data. It does so by extracting summary statistics from the input. It then performs numerous sequence simulations under randomly sampled indel parameters. By computing a distance between the summary statistics extracted from the input and each simulation, SpartaABC retains only parameters behind simulations close to the real data. As output, SpartaABC provides point estimates and approximate posterior distributions of the indel parameters. In addition, SpartaABC allows simulating sequences with the inferred indel parameters. To this end, the sequence simulators, Dawg 2.0 and INDELible were integrated. Using SpartaABC we demonstrate the differences in indel dynamics among three protein-coding genes across mammalian orthologs. SpartaABC is freely available for use at http://spartaabc.tau.ac.il/webserver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haim Ashkenazy
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Eli Levy Karin
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.,Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Zach Mertens
- The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5301, USA
| | - Reed A Cartwright
- The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5301, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5301, USA
| | - Tal Pupko
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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19
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Hu Z, Sackton TB, Edwards SV, Liu JS. Bayesian Detection of Convergent Rate Changes of Conserved Noncoding Elements on Phylogenetic Trees. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:1086-1100. [PMID: 30851112 PMCID: PMC6501877 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation of DNA sequence over evolutionary time is a strong indicator of function, and gain or loss of sequence conservation can be used to infer changes in function across a phylogeny. Changes in evolutionary rates on particular lineages in a phylogeny can indicate shared functional shifts, and thus can be used to detect genomic correlates of phenotypic convergence. However, existing methods do not allow easy detection of patterns of rate variation, which causes challenges for detecting convergent rate shifts or other complex evolutionary scenarios. Here we introduce PhyloAcc, a new Bayesian method to model substitution rate changes in conserved elements across a phylogeny. The method assumes several categories of substitution rate for each branch on the phylogenetic tree, estimates substitution rates per category, and detects changes of substitution rate as the posterior probability of a category switch. Simulations show that PhyloAcc can detect genomic regions with rate shifts in multiple target species better than previous methods and has a higher accuracy of reconstructing complex patterns of substitution rate changes than prevalent Bayesian relaxed clock models. We demonstrate the utility of PhyloAcc in two classic examples of convergent phenotypes: loss of flight in birds and the transition to marine life in mammals. In each case, our approach reveals numerous examples of conserved nonexonic elements with accelerations specific to the phenotypically convergent lineages. Our method is widely applicable to any set of conserved elements where multiple rate changes are expected on a phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirui Hu
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Jun S Liu
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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20
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Blaz J, Barrera-Redondo J, Vázquez-Rosas-Landa M, Canedo-Téxon A, Aguirre von Wobeser E, Carrillo D, Stouthamer R, Eskalen A, Villafán E, Alonso-Sánchez A, Lamelas A, Ibarra-Juarez LA, Pérez-Torres CA, Ibarra-Laclette E. Genomic Signals of Adaptation towards Mutualism and Sociality in Two Ambrosia Beetle Complexes. Life (Basel) 2018; 9:E2. [PMID: 30583535 PMCID: PMC6463014 DOI: 10.3390/life9010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic symbiosis and eusociality have developed through gradual evolutionary processes at different times in specific lineages. Like some species of termites and ants, ambrosia beetles have independently evolved a mutualistic nutritional symbiosis with fungi, which has been associated with the evolution of complex social behaviors in some members of this group. We sequenced the transcriptomes of two ambrosia complexes (Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus⁻Fusarium euwallaceae and Xyleborus glabratus⁻Raffaelea lauricola) to find evolutionary signatures associated with mutualism and behavior evolution. We identified signatures of positive selection in genes related to nutrient homeostasis; regulation of gene expression; development and function of the nervous system, which may be involved in diet specialization; behavioral changes; and social evolution in this lineage. Finally, we found convergent changes in evolutionary rates of proteins across lineages with phylogenetically independent origins of sociality and mutualism, suggesting a constrained evolution of conserved genes in social species, and an evolutionary rate acceleration related to changes in selective pressures in mutualistic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazmín Blaz
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Josué Barrera-Redondo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04500, Mexico.
| | | | - Anahí Canedo-Téxon
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | | | - Daniel Carrillo
- Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA.
| | - Richard Stouthamer
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California⁻Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Akif Eskalen
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8751, USA.
| | - Emanuel Villafán
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Alexandro Alonso-Sánchez
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Araceli Lamelas
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Luis Arturo Ibarra-Juarez
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
- Cátedras CONACyT/Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Claudia Anahí Pérez-Torres
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
- Cátedras CONACyT/Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
| | - Enrique Ibarra-Laclette
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Instituto de Ecología A.C, Xalapa, Veracruz 91070, Mexico.
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21
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Watson-Lazowski A, Papanicolaou A, Sharwood R, Ghannoum O. Investigating the NAD-ME biochemical pathway within C 4 grasses using transcript and amino acid variation in C 4 photosynthetic genes. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2018; 138:233-248. [PMID: 30078073 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Expanding knowledge of the C4 photosynthetic pathway can provide key information to aid biological improvements to crop photosynthesis and yield. While the C4 NADP-ME pathway is well characterised, there is increasing agricultural and bioengineering interest in the comparably understudied NAD-ME and PEPCK pathways. Within this study, a systematic identification of key differences across species has allowed us to investigate the evolution of C4-recruited genes in one C3 and eleven C4 grasses (Poaceae) spanning two independent origins of C4 photosynthesis. We present evidence for C4-specific paralogs of NAD-malic enzyme 2, MPC1 and MPC2 (mitochondrial pyruvate carriers) via increased transcript abundance and associated rates of evolution, implicating them as genes recruited to perform C4 photosynthesis within NAD-ME and PEPCK subtypes. We then investigate the localisation of AspAT across subtypes, using novel and published evidence to place AspAT3 in both the cytosol and peroxisome. Finally, these findings are integrated with transcript abundance of previously identified C4 genes to provide an updated model for C4 grass NAD-ME and PEPCK photosynthesis. This updated model allows us to develop on the current understanding of NAD-ME and PEPCK photosynthesis in grasses, bolstering our efforts to understand the evolutionary 'path to C4' and improve C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Watson-Lazowski
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Alexie Papanicolaou
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert Sharwood
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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22
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Tahir D, Glémin S, Lascoux M, Kaj I. Modeling a trait-dependent diversification process coupled with molecular evolution on a random species tree. J Theor Biol 2018; 461:189-203. [PMID: 30340056 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of binary traits, which affects the birth and survival of species and also the rate of molecular evolution, remains challenging. In this work, we present a probabilistic modeling framework for binary trait, random species trees, in which the number of species and their traits are represented by an asymmetric, two-type, continuous time Markov branching process. The model involves a number of different parameters describing both character and molecular evolution on the so-called 'reduced' tree, consisting of only extant species at the time of observation. We expand our model by considering the impact of binary traits on dN/dS, the normalized ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions. We also develop mechanisms which enable us to understand the substitution rates on a phylogenetic tree with regards to the observed traits. The properties obtained from the model are illustrated with a phylogeny of outcrossing and selfing plant species, which allows us to investigate not only the branching tree rates, but also the molecular rates and the intensity of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniah Tahir
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Box 480, Uppsala SE-751 06, Sweden.
| | - Sylvain Glémin
- Department of Plant Ecology and Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala SE-752 36, Sweden; UMR 5554 ISEM (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD-EPHE), Montpellier Cedex 5 FR-34095, France.
| | - Martin Lascoux
- Department of Plant Ecology and Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala SE-752 36, Sweden.
| | - Ingemar Kaj
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Box 480, Uppsala SE-751 06, Sweden.
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23
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Sironi M, Forni D, Clerici M, Cagliani R. Genetic conflicts with Plasmodium parasites and functional constraints shape the evolution of erythrocyte cytoskeletal proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14682. [PMID: 30279439 PMCID: PMC6168477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33049-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites exerted a strong selective pressure on primate genomes and mutations in genes encoding erythrocyte cytoskeleton proteins (ECP) determine protective effects against Plasmodium infection/pathogenesis. We thus hypothesized that ECP-encoding genes have evolved in response to Plasmodium-driven selection. We analyzed the evolutionary history of 15 ECP-encoding genes in primates, as well as of their Plasmodium-encoded ligands (KAHRP, MESA and EMP3). Results indicated that EPB42, SLC4A1, and SPTA1 evolved under pervasive positive selection and that episodes of positive selection tended to occur more frequently in primate species that host a larger number of Plasmodium parasites. Conversely, several genes, including ANK1 and SPTB, displayed extensive signatures of purifying selection in primate phylogenies, Homininae lineages, and human populations, suggesting strong functional constraints. Analysis of Plasmodium genes indicated adaptive evolution in MESA and KAHRP; in the latter, different positively selected sites were located in the spectrin-binding domains. Because most of the positively selected sites in alpha-spectrin localized to the domains involved in the interaction with KAHRP, we suggest that the two proteins are engaged in an arms-race scenario. This observation is relevant because KAHRP is essential for the formation of “knobs”, which represent a major virulence determinant for P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Sironi
- Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Diego Forni
- Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Mario Clerici
- Department of Physiopathology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20090, Milan, Italy.,Don C. Gnocchi Foundation ONLUS, IRCCS, 20148, Milan, Italy
| | - Rachele Cagliani
- Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
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24
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Lasky JR, Forester BR, Reimherr M. Coherent synthesis of genomic associations with phenotypes and home environments. Mol Ecol Resour 2017; 18:91-106. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse R. Lasky
- Department of Biology; Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA USA
| | | | - Matthew Reimherr
- Department of Statistics; Pennsylvania State University; University Park PA USA
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25
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Levy Karin E, Ashkenazy H, Wicke S, Pupko T, Mayrose I. TraitRateProp: a web server for the detection of trait-dependent evolutionary rate shifts in sequence sites. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:W260-W264. [PMID: 28453644 PMCID: PMC5570260 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding species adaptation at the molecular level has been a central goal of evolutionary biology and genomics research. This important task becomes increasingly relevant with the constant rise in both genotypic and phenotypic data availabilities. The TraitRateProp web server offers a unique perspective into this task by allowing the detection of associations between sequence evolution rate and whole-organism phenotypes. By analyzing sequences and phenotypes of extant species in the context of their phylogeny, it identifies sequence sites in a gene/protein whose evolutionary rate is associated with shifts in the phenotype. To this end, it considers alternative histories of whole-organism phenotypic changes, which result in the extant phenotypic states. Its joint likelihood framework that combines models of sequence and phenotype evolution allows testing whether an association between these processes exists. In addition to predicting sequence sites most likely to be associated with the phenotypic trait, the server can optionally integrate structural 3D information. This integration allows a visual detection of trait-associated sequence sites that are juxtapose in 3D space, thereby suggesting a common functional role. We used TraitRateProp to study the shifts in sequence evolution rate of the RPS8 protein upon transitions into heterotrophy in Orchidaceae. TraitRateProp is available at http://traitrate.tau.ac.il/prop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Levy Karin
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Haim Ashkenazy
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Susann Wicke
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Tal Pupko
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Itay Mayrose
- Department Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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