1
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Anderson CM, Fink T, McKinnon JS. Ultrastructural analysis of throat dermal tissue and chromatophore components in the threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus). PeerJ 2023; 11:e16248. [PMID: 38077425 PMCID: PMC10704984 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is an important model for studying the evolution of nuptial coloration, but histological analyses of color are largely lacking. Previous analyses of one nuptial coloration trait, orange-red coloration along the body, have indicated carotenoids are the main pigment producing this color. In addition, recent gene expression studies found variation in the correlates of throat coloration between the sexes and between populations, raising the possibility of variation in the mechanisms underlying superficially similar coloration. We used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the histological correlates of color in the throat dermal tissue of threespine stickleback from Western North America, within and between sexes, populations, and ecotypes. Ultrastructural analysis revealed carotenoid-containing erythrophores to be the main chromatophore component associated with orange-red coloration in both males and females across populations. In individuals where some darkening of the throat tissue was present, with no obvious orange-red coloration, erythrophores were not detected. Melanophore presence was more population-specific in expression, including being the only chromatophore component detected in a population of darker fish. We found no dermal chromatophore units within colorless throat tissue. This work confirms the importance of carotenoids and the erythrophore in producing orange-red coloration across sexes, as well as melanin within the melanophore in producing darkened coloration, but does not reveal broad histological differences among populations with similar coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Fink
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey S. McKinnon
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
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2
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Brandon AA, Michael C, Carmona Baez A, Moore EC, Ciccotto PJ, Roberts NB, Roberts RB, Powder KE. Distinct genetic origins of eumelanin intensity and barring patterns in cichlid fishes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.02.547430. [PMID: 37461734 PMCID: PMC10349982 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Pigment patterns are incredibly diverse across vertebrates and are shaped by multiple selective pressures from predator avoidance to mate choice. A common pattern across fishes, but for which we know little about the underlying mechanisms, is repeated melanic vertical bars. In order to understand genetic factors that modify the level or pattern of vertical barring, we generated a genetic cross of 322 F2 hybrids between two cichlid species with distinct barring patterns, Aulonocara koningsi and Metriaclima mbenjii. We identify 48 significant quantitative trait loci that underlie a series of seven phenotypes related to the relative pigmentation intensity, and four traits related to patterning of the vertical bars. We find that genomic regions that generate variation in the level of eumelanin produced are largely independent of those that control the spacing of vertical bars. Candidate genes within these intervals include novel genes and those newly-associated with vertical bars, which could affect melanophore survival, fate decisions, pigment biosynthesis, and pigment distribution. Together, this work provides insights into the regulation of pigment diversity, with direct implications for an animal's fitness and the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Allyson Brandon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Cassia Michael
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Aldo Carmona Baez
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Emily C. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | | | - Natalie B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Reade B. Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Genetics and Genomics Academy, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kara E. Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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3
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Hou Y, Cai XW, Liang ZF, Duan DD, Diao XP, Zhang JL. An integrative investigation of developmental toxicities induced by triphenyltin in a larval coral reef fish, Amphiprion ocellaris. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 867:161487. [PMID: 36638977 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Triphenyltin (TPT) is widely distributed on coastlines, which makes coral reef fish a potential target of TPT pollution. However, the negative effects of TPT on coral reef fish remain poorly understood. Therefore, in the present study, the larval coral reef fish Amphiprion ocellaris was used to investigate the developmental toxicities of TPT at environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 1, 10 and 100 ng/L). After TPT exposure for 14 d, the cumulative mortality increased, and growth was suppressed. In addition, TPT exposure inhibited the development of melanophores and xanthophores and delayed white strip formation, which might be responsible for the disruption of the genes (erbb3b, mitfa, kit, xdh, tyr, oca2, itk and trim33) related to pigmentation. TPT exposure also attenuated ossification of head skeletal elements and the vertebral column and inhibited the expression of genes (bmp2, bmp4 and sp7) related to skeletal development. The observed developmental toxicities on growth, pigmentation and skeleton development might be associated with the disruption of thyroid hormones and the genes related to thyroid hormone regulation (tshβ, thrα, thrβ, tg, tpo, dio2, and ttr). In addition, TPT exposure interfered with locomotor and shoaling behavior, and the related genes dbh, avp and avpr1aa. Taken together, our results suggest that TPT pollution might threaten the development of one of the most iconic coral reef fish, which might produce disastrous consequences on the health of coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Xing-Wei Cai
- Hainan Academy of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Zhi-Fang Liang
- Lingshui Wildlife Conservation Association, Lingshui, Hainan, China
| | - Dan-Dan Duan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Diao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Ji-Liang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, Hainan, China; Lingshui Wildlife Conservation Association, Lingshui, Hainan, China.
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4
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McKinnon JS, Newsome WB, Balakrishnan CN. Gene expression in male and female stickleback from populations with convergent and divergent throat coloration. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8860. [PMID: 35509607 PMCID: PMC9055290 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. McKinnon
- Department of Biology East Carolina University Greenville North Carolina USA
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5
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Sheng J, Guan L, Sheng B, Geng S, Wu D, Hu B, Li Z, Le S, Hong Y. Analysis of pigment cell composition, pigment content, tyrosinase content and activity of three kinds of loaches Misgurnus anguillicaudatus from Poyang Lake. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:366-377. [PMID: 34751443 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14945] [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: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pigment cell composition, pigment content, tyrosinase content and activity analysis were investigated on three kinds of loaches Misgurnus anguillicaudatus: big blackspot loaches (BBL), small blackspot loaches (SBL) and non-blackspot loaches (NBL), from Poyang Lake. Results showed that there were three types of skin pigment cells, namely melanophores, xanthophores and iridophores. Melanophores in dorsum were more than those in abdomen. Melanophore cytosomes in BBL were larger than those in SBL and NBL, and melanosomes were the largest in stage four. The melanophores in dorsal skin of SBL or NBL were small cell bodies, spindle-like and in chain distribution. There was an extremely significant difference in melanin content in BBL between the dorsum and abdomen (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in melanin abdominal content, lutein and carotenoid contents among three kinds of loaches (P > 0.05). In dorsal skin, tyrosinase content was the highest in BBL, and it was significantly lower in NBL than in BBL and SBL (P < 0.01). This study reveals the differences in pigment and tyrosinase content in three kinds of loaches and provides a theoretical basis for further study of the mechanism of black spot formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqing Sheng
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Le Guan
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Bin Sheng
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Shiyu Geng
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Di Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Beijuan Hu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhixiong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
| | - Shunlong Le
- Jiayu Agriculture Development Company Limited, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yijiang Hong
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Aquatic Resources and Utilization of Jiangxi, Nanchang, China
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6
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Zhou A, Xie S, Feng Y, Sun D, Liu S, Sun Z, Li M, Zhang C, Zou J. Insights Into the Albinism Mechanism for Two Distinct Color Morphs of Northern Snakehead, Channa argus Through Histological and Transcriptome Analyses. Front Genet 2020; 11:830. [PMID: 33193565 PMCID: PMC7530302 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00830] [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: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The great northern snakehead (Channa argus) is one of the most important economic and conservational fish in China. In this study, the melanocytes in the skin of two distinct color morphs C. argus were investigated and compared through employment of the microscopic analysis, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson Fontana staining. Our results demonstrated the uneven distribution of melanocytes with extremely low density and most of them were in the state of aging or death. Meanwhile, there was no obvious pigment layer and melanocytes distribution pattern found in the albino-type (AT), while the melanocytes were evenly distributed with abundance in the bicolor-type (BT). The transcriptome analysis through Illumina HiSeq sequencing showed that a total of 34.93 Gb Clean Data was obtained, and Q30 base percentage reached 92.66%. The BT and AT northern snakeheads transcriptome data included a total of 56,039,701 and 60,410,063 clean reads (n = 3), respectively. In gene expression analyses, the sample correlation coefficients (r) were ranged between 0.92 and 1.00; the contribution of PC1 and PC2 were 50.25 and 13.73% by using PCA cluster analysis, the total number of DEGs were 1024 (559 up-regulated and 465 down-regulated), and the number of annotated DEGs was 767 (COG 172, KEGG 262, GO 288, SwissProt 548, Pfam 579 and NR 765). Additionally, 46,363 ± 873 and 44,947 ± 392 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were compiled via genetic structure analysis, respectively. Ten key pigment-related genes were screened using qRT-PCR. And all of them revealed extremely higher expression levels in the skin of BT than those of AT. This is the first study to analyze the mechanism of albino characteristics of Channa via histology and transcriptomics, and also provide the oretical and practical support for the protection and development of germplasm resources for C. argus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiguo Zhou
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaolin Xie
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyong Feng
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Di Sun
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shulin Liu
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhuolin Sun
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingzhi Li
- Independent Researcher, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaonan Zhang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jixing Zou
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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7
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Tibblin P, Hall M, Svensson PA, Merilä J, Forsman A. Phenotypic flexibility in background-mediated color change in sticklebacks. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:950-959. [PMID: 32760177 PMCID: PMC7390996 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic flexibility may incur a selective advantage in changing and heterogeneous environments, and is increasingly recognized as an integral aspect of organismal adaptation. Despite the widespread occurrence and potential importance of rapid and reversible background-mediated color change for predator avoidance, knowledge gaps remain regarding its adaptive value, repeatability within individuals, phenotypic correlates, and whether its expression is context dependent. We used manipulative experiments to investigate these issues in two fish species, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). We sequentially exposed individuals to dark and light visual background treatments, quantified color change from video recordings, and examined associations of color change with phenotypic dimensions that can influence the outcome of predator-prey interactions. G. aculeatus expressed a greater degree of color change compared to P. pungitius. In G. aculeatus, the color change response was repeatable within individuals. Moreover, the color change response was independent of body size but affected by sex and boldness, with males and bolder individuals changing less. Infection by the parasite Schistocephalus solidus did not affect the degree of color change, but it did modulate its association with sex and boldness. G. aculeatus adjusted the expression of color change in response to predation risk, with enhanced color change expression in individuals exposed to either simulated attacks, or olfactory cues from a natural predator. These results provide novel evidence on repeatability, correlated traits, and context dependence in the color change response and highlight how a suite of factors can contribute to individual variation in phenotypic flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petter Tibblin
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Marcus Hall
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - P Andreas Svensson
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anders Forsman
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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8
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Djurdjevič I, Furmanek T, Miyazawa S, Sušnik Bajec S. Comparative transcriptome analysis of trout skin pigment cells. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:359. [PMID: 31072301 PMCID: PMC6509846 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5714-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enormous variability in skin colour and patterning is a characteristic of teleost fish, including Salmonidae fishes, which present themselves as a suitable model for studying mechanisms of pigment patterning. In order to screen for candidate genes potentially involved in the specific skin pigment pattern in marble trout (labyrinthine skin pattern) and brown trout (spotted skin pattern), we conducted comparative transcriptome analysis between differently pigmented dermis sections of the adult skin of the two species. RESULTS Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) possibly associated with skin pigment pattern were identified. The expression profile of 27 DEGs was further tested with quantitative real-time PCR on a larger number of samples. Expression of a subset of ten of these genes was analysed in hybrid (marble x brown) trout individuals and compared with the complexity of their skin pigment pattern. A correlation between the phenotype and the expression profile assessed for hybrid individuals was detected for four (gja5, clcn2, cdkn1a and tjp1) of the ten candidate genes tested. The potential role of these genes in skin pigment pattern maintenance is discussed. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the maintenance of different pigment patterns in trout is dependent upon specific communication-involving gap junctions, tight junctions and ion channels-between chromatophores present in differentially pigmented skin regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Djurdjevič
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
| | | | - Seita Miyazawa
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Simona Sušnik Bajec
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
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9
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Dick C, Arendt J, Reznick DN, Hayashi CY. The developmental and genetic trajectory of coloration in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Evol Dev 2018; 20:207-218. [PMID: 30191662 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Examining the association between trait variation and development is crucial for understanding the evolution of phenotypic differences. Male guppy ornamental caudal fin coloration is one trait that shows a striking degree of variation within and between guppy populations. Males initially have no caudal fin coloration, then gradually develop it as they reach sexual maturity. For males, there is a trade-off between female preference for caudal fin coloration and increased visibility to predators. This trade-off may reach unique endpoints in males from different predation regimes. Caudal fin coloration includes black melanin, orange/yellow pteridines or carotenoids, and shimmering iridescence. This study examined the phenotypic trajectory and genetics associated with color development. We found that black coloration always developed first, followed by orange/yellow, then iridescence. The ordering and timing of color appearance was the same regardless of predation regime. The increased expression of melanin synthesis genes correlated well with the visual appearance of black coloration, but there was no correlation between carotenoids or pteridine synthesis gene expression and the appearance of orange/yellow. The lack of orange/yellow coloration in earlier male caudal fin developmental stages may be due to reduced expression of genes underlying the development of orange/yellow xanthophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Dick
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Jeff Arendt
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - David N Reznick
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Cheryl Y Hayashi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology and Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York
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10
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Ahi EP, Sefc KM. Anterior-posterior gene expression differences in three Lake Malawi cichlid fishes with variation in body stripe orientation. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4080. [PMID: 29158996 PMCID: PMC5695249 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphological differentiation among closely related species provides opportunities to study mechanisms shaping natural phenotypic variation. Here, we address variation in the orientation of melanin-colored body stripes in three cichlid species of the tribe Haplochromini. Melanochromis auratus displays a common pattern of dark, straight horizontal body stripes, whereas in Aristochromis christyi and Buccochromis rhoadesii, oblique stripes extend from the anterior dorsal to the posterior mid-lateral trunk. We first validated a stably reference gene, and then, investigated the chromatophore distribution in the skin by assessing the expression levels of the iridophore and melanophore marker genes, ltk and slc24a5, respectively, as well as pmel, a melanophore pigmentation marker gene. We found anterior-posterior differences in the expression levels of the three genes in the oblique-striped species. The higher anterior expression of ltk, indicates increased iridophore density in the anterior region, i.e., uneven horizontal distribution of iridophores, which coincides with the anterior dorsalization of melanophore stripe in these species. The obliqueness of the horizontal body stripes might be a result of distinct migratory or patterning abilities of melanophores in anterior and posterior stripe regions which could be reflected by variation in the expression of genes involved in melanophore patterning. To address this, we investigated anterior-posterior expression levels of a primary set of candidate target genes with known functions in melanophore migration and stripe patterning in the adult zebrafish, and their related gene regulatory network. Among these genes, those with differences in anterior-posterior expression showed only species-specific differential expression, e.g., sdf1a, col14a1a, ifitm5, and agpat3, with the exception of fbxw4/hagoromo (differentially expressed in an oblique-and the straight-striped species). In summary, distinct anterior-posterior gradients in iridophore density found to be more similar characteristic between the two oblique-striped species. Furthermore, the species-specific differential expression of genes involved in stripe patterning might also implicate distinct molecular processes underlying the obliqueness of body stripe in two closely related cichlid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
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11
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Henning F, Machado-Schiaffino G, Baumgarten L, Meyer A. Genetic dissection of adaptive form and function in rapidly speciating cichlid fishes. Evolution 2017; 71:1297-1312. [PMID: 28211577 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Genes of major phenotypic effects and strong genetic correlations can facilitate adaptation, direct selective responses, and potentially lead to phenotypic convergence. However, the preponderance of this type of genetic architecture in repeatedly evolved adaptations remains unknown. Using hybrids between Haplochromis chilotes (thick-lipped) and Pundamilia nyererei (thin-lipped) we investigated the genetics underlying hypertrophied lips and elongated heads, traits that evolved repeatedly in cichlids. At least 25 loci of small-to-moderate and mainly additive effects were detected. Phenotypic variation in lip and head morphology was largely independent. Although several QTL overlapped for lip and head morphology traits, they were often of opposite effects. The distribution of effect signs suggests strong selection on lips. The fitness implications of several detected loci were demonstrated using a laboratory assay testing for the association between genotype and variation in foraging performance. The persistence of low fitness alleles in head morphology appears to be maintained through antagonistic pleiotropy/close linkage with positive-effect lip morphology alleles. Rather than being based on few major loci with strong positive genetic correlations, our results indicate that the evolution of the Lake Victoria thick-lipped ecomorph is the result of selection on numerous loci distributed throughout the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Henning
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Genetics, CCS, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-599, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Lukas Baumgarten
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
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12
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Ahi EP, Sefc KM. A gene expression study of dorso-ventrally restricted pigment pattern in adult fins of Neolamprologus meeli, an African cichlid species. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2843. [PMID: 28097057 PMCID: PMC5228514 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish color patterns are among the most diverse phenotypic traits found in the animal kingdom. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control in chromatophore distribution and pigmentation underlying this diversity is a major goal in developmental and evolutionary biology, which has predominantly been pursued in the zebrafish model system. Here, we apply results from zebrafish work to study a naturally occurring color pattern phenotype in the fins of an African cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika. The cichlid fish Neolamprologus meeli displays a distinct dorsal color pattern, with black and white stripes along the edges of the dorsal fin and of the dorsal half of the caudal fin, corresponding with differences in melanophore density. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms controlling the differences in dorsal and ventral color patterning in the fins, we quantitatively assessed the expression of 15 candidate target genes involved in adult zebrafish pigmentation and stripe formation. For reference gene validation, we screened the expression stability of seven widely expressed genes across the investigated tissue samples and identified tbp as appropriate reference. Relative expression levels of the candidate target genes were compared between the dorsal, striped fin regions and the corresponding uniform, grey-colored regions in the anal and ventral caudal fin. Dorso-ventral expression differences, with elevated levels in both white and black stripes, were observed in two genes, the melanosome protein coding gene pmel and in igsf11, which affects melanophore adhesion, migration and survival. Next, we predicted potential shared upstream regulators of pmel and igsf11. Testing the expression patterns of six predicted transcriptions factors revealed dorso-ventral expression difference of irf1 and significant, negative expression correlation of irf1 with both pmel and igsf11. Based on these results, we propose pmel, igsf11 and irf1 as likely components of the genetic mechanism controlling distinct dorso-ventral color patterns in N. meeli fins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Pashay Ahi
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz , Graz , Austria
| | - Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, Universitätsplatz 2, Universität Graz , Graz , Austria
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Wang J, Lamer JT, Gaughan S, Wachholtz M, Wang C, Lu G. Transcriptomic comparison of invasive bigheaded carps ( Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and their hybrids. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8452-8459. [PMID: 28031797 PMCID: PMC5167015 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), collectively called bigheaded carps, are invasive species in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). Interspecific hybridization between bigheaded carps has been considered rare within their native rivers in China; however, it is prevalent in the MRB. We conducted de novo transcriptome analysis of pure and hybrid bigheaded carps and obtained 40,759 to 51,706 transcripts for pure, F1 hybrid, and backcross bigheaded carps. The search against protein databases resulted in 20,336–28,133 annotated transcripts (over 50% of the transcriptome) with over 13,000 transcripts mapped to 23 Gene Ontology biological processes and 127 KEGG metabolic pathways. More transcripts were detected in silver carp than in bighead carp; however, comparable numbers of transcripts were annotated. Transcriptomic variation detected between two F1 hybrids may indicate a potential loss of fitness in hybrids. The neighbor‐joining distance tree constructed using over 2,500 one‐to‐one orthologous sequences suggests transcriptomes could be used to infer the history of introgression and hybridization. Moreover, we detected 24,792 candidate SNPs that can be used to identify different species. The transcriptomes, orthologous sequences, and candidate SNPs obtained in this study should provide further knowledge of interspecific hybridization and introgression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha NE 68182 USA; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries Germplasm Resources Ministry of Agriculture Shanghai Ocean University Shanghai 201306 China
| | - James T Lamer
- Department of Biological Sciences Western Illinois University Macomb IL 61455 USA
| | - Sarah Gaughan
- Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha NE 68182 USA
| | - Michael Wachholtz
- Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha NE 68182 USA
| | - Chenghui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries Germplasm Resources Ministry of Agriculture Shanghai Ocean University Shanghai 201306 China
| | - Guoqing Lu
- Department of Biology University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha NE 68182 USA; School of Interdisciplinary Informatics University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha NE 68182 USA
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Marques DA, Lucek K, Haesler MP, Feller AF, Meier JI, Wagner CE, Excoffier L, Seehausen O. Genomic landscape of early ecological speciation initiated by selection on nuptial colour. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:7-24. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Alexander Marques
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Kay Lucek
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - Marcel Philipp Haesler
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Anna Fiona Feller
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Joana Isabel Meier
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Catherine E. Wagner
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Department of Botany, Biodiversity Institute; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY USA
| | - Laurent Excoffier
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics; Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
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15
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Marques DA, Lucek K, Meier JI, Mwaiko S, Wagner CE, Excoffier L, Seehausen O. Genomics of Rapid Incipient Speciation in Sympatric Threespine Stickleback. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005887. [PMID: 26925837 PMCID: PMC4771382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological speciation is the process by which reproductively isolated populations emerge as a consequence of divergent natural or ecologically-mediated sexual selection. Most genomic studies of ecological speciation have investigated allopatric populations, making it difficult to infer reproductive isolation. The few studies on sympatric ecotypes have focused on advanced stages of the speciation process after thousands of generations of divergence. As a consequence, we still do not know what genomic signatures of the early onset of ecological speciation look like. Here, we examined genomic differentiation among migratory lake and resident stream ecotypes of threespine stickleback reproducing in sympatry in one stream, and in parapatry in another stream. Importantly, these ecotypes started diverging less than 150 years ago. We obtained 34,756 SNPs with restriction-site associated DNA sequencing and identified genomic islands of differentiation using a Hidden Markov Model approach. Consistent with incipient ecological speciation, we found significant genomic differentiation between ecotypes both in sympatry and parapatry. Of 19 islands of differentiation resisting gene flow in sympatry, all were also differentiated in parapatry and were thus likely driven by divergent selection among habitats. These islands clustered in quantitative trait loci controlling divergent traits among the ecotypes, many of them concentrated in one region with low to intermediate recombination. Our findings suggest that adaptive genomic differentiation at many genetic loci can arise and persist in sympatry at the very early stage of ecotype divergence, and that the genomic architecture of adaptation may facilitate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Marques
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Kay Lucek
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Joana I. Meier
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Salome Mwaiko
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Catherine E. Wagner
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Laurent Excoffier
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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16
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Sköld HN, Aspengren S, Cheney KL, Wallin M. Fish Chromatophores—From Molecular Motors to Animal Behavior. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 321:171-219. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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17
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Morphological Characters and Transcriptome Profiles Associated with Black Skin and Red Skin in Crimson Snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus). Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:26991-7004. [PMID: 26569232 PMCID: PMC4661863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161126005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, morphology observation and illumina sequencing were performed on two different coloration skins of crimson snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus), the black zone and the red zone. Three types of chromatophores, melanophores, iridophores and xanthophores, were organized in the skins. The main differences between the two colorations were in the amount and distribution of the three chromatophores. After comparing the two transcriptomes, 9200 unigenes with significantly different expressions (ratio change ≥ 2 and q-value ≤ 0.05) were found, of which 5972 were up-regulated in black skin and 3228 were up-regulated in red skin. Through the function annotation, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the differentially transcribed genes, we excavated a number of uncharacterized candidate pigment genes as well as found the conserved genes affecting pigmentation in crimson snapper. The patterns of expression of 14 pigment genes were confirmed by the Quantitative real-time PCR analysis between the two color skins. Overall, this study shows a global survey of the morphological characters and transcriptome analysis of the different coloration skins in crimson snapper, and provides valuable cellular and genetic information to uncover the mechanism of the formation of pigment patterns in snappers.
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18
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Leder EH, McCairns RJS, Leinonen T, Cano JM, Viitaniemi HM, Nikinmaa M, Primmer CR, Merilä J. The evolution and adaptive potential of transcriptional variation in sticklebacks--signatures of selection and widespread heritability. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:674-89. [PMID: 25429004 PMCID: PMC4327155 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence implicating differential gene expression as a significant driver of evolutionary novelty continues to accumulate, but our understanding of the underlying sources of variation in expression, both environmental and genetic, is wanting. Heritability in particular may be underestimated when inferred from genetic mapping studies, the predominant "genetical genomics" approach to the study of expression variation. Such uncertainty represents a fundamental limitation to testing for adaptive evolution at the transcriptomic level. By studying the inheritance of expression levels in 10,495 genes (10,527 splice variants) in a threespine stickleback pedigree consisting of 563 individuals, half of which were subjected to a thermal treatment, we show that 74-98% of transcripts exhibit significant additive genetic variance. Dominance variance is also prevalent (41-99% of transcripts), and genetic sources of variation seem to play a more significant role in expression variance in the liver than a key environmental variable, temperature. Among-population comparisons suggest that the majority of differential expression in the liver is likely due to neutral divergence; however, we also show that signatures of directional selection may be more prevalent than those of stabilizing selection. This predominantly aligns with the neutral model of evolution for gene expression but also suggests that natural selection may still act on transcriptional variation in the wild. As genetic variation both within- and among-populations ultimately defines adaptive potential, these results indicate that broad adaptive potential may be found within the transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica H Leder
- Division of Genetics and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - R J Scott McCairns
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomas Leinonen
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - José M Cano
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO-CSIC-PA), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Spain
| | - Heidi M Viitaniemi
- Division of Genetics and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mikko Nikinmaa
- Division of Genetics and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Division of Genetics and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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19
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Kim SY, Velando A. Phenotypic integration between antipredator behavior and camouflage pattern in juvenile sticklebacks. Evolution 2015; 69:830-8. [PMID: 25572122 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Predation is a strong selective force that promotes the evolution of antipredator behaviors and camouflage in prey animals. However, the independent evolution of single traits cannot explain how observed phenotypic variations of these traits are maintained within populations. We studied genetic and phenotypic correlations between antipredator behaviors (shoaling and risk-taking) and morphology traits (pigmentation and size) in juvenile three-spined sticklebacks by using pedigree-based quantitative genetic analysis to test phenotypic integration (or complex phenotype) as an evolutionary response to predation risk. Individuals with strongly melanized (i.e., camouflaged) phenotype and genotype were less sociable to conspecifics, but bolder during foraging under predation risk. Individuals with faster growing phenotype and genotype were bolder, and those with lager eyes were more fearful. These phenotypic integrations were not confounded with correlated plastic responses to predation risk because the phenotypes were measured in naïve fish born in the laboratory, but originated from a natural population with predation pressure. Consistent selection for particular combinations of traits under predation pressure or pleiotropic genes might influence the maintenance of the genetic (co)variations and polymorphism in melanin color, growth trajectory, and behavior patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sin-Yeon Kim
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain.
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20
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Parichy DM, Spiewak JE. Origins of adult pigmentation: diversity in pigment stem cell lineages and implications for pattern evolution. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2014; 28:31-50. [PMID: 25421288 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Teleosts comprise about half of all vertebrate species and exhibit an extraordinary diversity of adult pigment patterns that function in shoaling, camouflage, and mate choice and have played important roles in speciation. Here, we review studies that have identified several distinct neural crest lineages, with distinct genetic requirements, that give rise to adult pigment cells in fishes. These lineages include post-embryonic, peripheral nerve-associated stem cells that generate black melanophores and iridescent iridophores, cells derived directly from embryonic neural crest cells that generate yellow-orange xanthophores, and bipotent stem cells that generate both melanophores and xanthophores. This complexity in adult chromatophore lineages has implications for our understanding of adult traits, melanoma, and the evolutionary diversification of pigment cell lineages and patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Parichy
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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21
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Ng'oma E, Groth M, Ripa R, Platzer M, Cellerino A. Transcriptome profiling of natural dichromatism in the annual fishes Nothobranchius furzeri and Nothobranchius kadleci. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:754. [PMID: 25183398 PMCID: PMC4168119 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri is characterized by a natural dichromatism with yellow-tailed and red-tailed male individuals. These differences are due to different distributions of xanthophores and erythrophores in the two morphs. Previous crossing studies have showed that dichromatism in N. furzeri is inherited as a simple Mendelian trait with the yellow morph dominant over the red morph. The causative genetic variation was mapped by linkage analysis in a chromosome region containing the Mc1r locus. However, subsequent mapping showed that Mc1r is most likely not responsible for the color difference in N. furzeri. To gain further insight into the molecular basis of this phenotype, we performed RNA-seq on F2 progeny of a cross between N. furzeri male and N. kadleci female. Results We identified 210 differentially-expressed genes between yellow and red fin samples. Functional annotation analysis revealed that genes with higher transcript levels in the yellow morph are enriched for the melanin synthesis pathway indicating that xanthophores are more similar to melanophores than are the erythrophores. Genes with higher expression levels in red-tails included xanthine dehydrogenase (Xdh), coding for a biosynthetic enzyme in the pteridine synthesis pathway, and genes related to muscle contraction. Comparison of DEGs obtained in this study with genes associated with pigmentation in the Midas cichlid (A. citrinellus) reveal similarities like involvement of the melanin biosynthesis pathway, the genes Ptgir, Rasef (RAS and EF-hand domain containing), as well as genes primarily expressed in muscle such as Ttn and Ttnb (titin, titin b). Conclusions Regulation of genes in the melanin synthetic pathway is an expected finding and shows that N. furzeri is a genetically-tractable species for studying the genetic basis of natural phenotypic variations. The current list of differentially-expressed genes can be compared with the results of fine-mapping, to reveal the genetic architecture of this natural phenotype. However, an evolutionarily-conserved role of muscle-related genes in tail fin pigmentation is novel finding and interesting perspective for the future. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-754) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Alessandro Cellerino
- Leibniz Institute for Age Research - Fritz Lipmann Institute, Beutenbergstraße 11, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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22
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Alò R, Mele M, Avolio E, Fazzari G, Canonaco M. Distinct Amygdalar AMPAergic/GABAergic Mechanisms Promote Anxiolitic-Like Effects in an Unpredictable Stress Model of the Hamster. J Mol Neurosci 2014; 55:541-51. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-014-0386-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Mills MG, Greenwood AK, Peichel CL. Pleiotropic effects of a single gene on skeletal development and sensory system patterning in sticklebacks. EvoDevo 2014; 5:5. [PMID: 24499504 PMCID: PMC3976036 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-5-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adaptation to a new environment can be facilitated by co-inheritance of a suite of phenotypes that are all advantageous in the new habitat. Although experimental evidence demonstrates that multiple phenotypes often map to the same genomic regions, it is challenging to determine whether phenotypes are associated due to pleiotropic effects of a single gene or to multiple tightly linked genes. In the threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), multiple phenotypes are associated with a genomic region around the gene Ectodysplasin (Eda), but only the presence of bony lateral plates has been conclusively shown to be caused by Eda. Results Here, we ask whether pleiotropy or linkage is responsible for the association between lateral plates and the distribution of the neuromasts of the lateral line. We first identify a strong correlation between plate appearance and changes in the spatial distribution of neuromasts through development. We then use an Eda transgene to induce the formation of ectopic plates in low plated fish, which also results in alterations to neuromast distribution. Our results also show that other loci may modify the effects of Eda on plate formation and neuromast distribution. Conclusions Together, these results demonstrate that Eda has pleiotropic effects on at least two phenotypes, highlighting the role of pleiotropy in the genetic basis of adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Catherine L Peichel
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle WA, 98109, USA.
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24
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Qian X, Ba Y, Zhuang Q, Zhong G. RNA-Seq technology and its application in fish transcriptomics. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2013; 18:98-110. [PMID: 24380445 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2013.0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing technologies, also known as next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, have revolutionized the way that genomic research is advancing. In addition to the static genome, these state-of-art technologies have been recently exploited to analyze the dynamic transcriptome, and the resulting technology is termed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq is free from many limitations of other transcriptomic approaches, such as microarray and tag-based sequencing method. Although RNA-seq has only been available for a short time, studies using this method have completely changed our perspective of the breadth and depth of eukaryotic transcriptomes. In terms of the transcriptomics of teleost fishes, both model and non-model species have benefited from the RNA-seq approach and have undergone tremendous advances in the past several years. RNA-seq has helped not only in mapping and annotating fish transcriptome but also in our understanding of many biological processes in fish, such as development, adaptive evolution, host immune response, and stress response. In this review, we first provide an overview of each step of RNA-seq from library construction to the bioinformatic analysis of the data. We then summarize and discuss the recent biological insights obtained from the RNA-seq studies in a variety of fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Qian
- 1 Department of Animal Science, University of Vermont , Burlington, Vermont
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25
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Pigment pattern formation in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata, involves the Kita and Csf1ra receptor tyrosine kinases. Genetics 2013; 194:631-46. [PMID: 23666934 PMCID: PMC3697969 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.113.151738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) vary tremendously in their ornamental patterns, which are thought to have evolved in response to a complex interplay between natural and sexual selection. Although the selection pressures acting on the color patterns of the guppy have been extensively studied, little is known about the genes that control their ontogeny. Over 50 years ago, two autosomal color loci, blue and golden, were described, both of which play a decisive role in the formation of the guppy color pattern. Orange pigmentation is absent in the skin of guppies with a lesion in blue, suggesting a defect in xanthophore development. In golden mutants, the development of the melanophore pattern during embryogenesis and after birth is affected. Here, we show that blue and golden correspond to guppy orthologs of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor a (csf1ra; previously called fms) and kita. Most excitingly, we found that both genes are required for the development of the black ornaments of guppy males, which in the case of csf1ra might be mediated by xanthophore–melanophore interactions. Furthermore, we provide evidence that two temporally and genetically distinct melanophore populations contribute to the adult camouflage pattern expressed in both sexes: one early appearing and kita-dependent and the other late-developing and kita-independent. The identification of csf1ra and kita mutants provides the first molecular insights into pigment pattern formation in this important model species for ecological and evolutionary genetics.
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26
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Henning F, Jones JC, Franchini P, Meyer A. Transcriptomics of morphological color change in polychromatic Midas cichlids. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:171. [PMID: 23497064 PMCID: PMC3623868 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Animal pigmentation has received much attention in evolutionary biology research due to its strong implications for adaptation and speciation. However, apart from a few cases the genetic changes associated with these evolutionary processes remain largely unknown. The Midas cichlid fish from Central America are an ideal model system for investigating pigmentation traits that may also play a role in speciation. Most Midas cichlids maintain their melanophores and exhibit a grayish (normal) color pattern throughout their lives. A minority of individuals, however, undergo color change and exhibit a distinctive gold or even white coloration in adulthood. The ontogenetic color change in the Midas cichlids may also shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying pigmentation disorders in humans. Results Here we use next-generation sequencing (Illumina) RNAseq analyses to compare skin transcriptome-wide expression levels in three distinct stages of color transformation in Midas cichlids. cDNA libraries of scale tissue, for six biological replicates of each group, were generated and sequenced using Illumina technology. Using a combination of three differential expression (DE) analyses we identified 46 candidate genes that showed DE between the color morphs. We find evidence for two key DE patterns: a) genes involved in melanosomal pathways are up-regulated in normally pigmented fish; and b) immediate early and inflammatory response genes were up-regulated in transitional fish, a response that parallels some human skin disorders such as melanoma formation and psoriasis. One of the DE genes segregates with the gold phenotype in a genetic cross and might be associated with incipient speciation in this highly “species-rich” lineage of cichlids. Conclusions Using transcriptomic analyses we successfully identified key expression differences between different color morphs of Midas cichlid fish. These differentially expressed genes have important implications for our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying speciation in this lineage of extremely young species since they mate strongly assortatively, and new species may arise by sexual selection due to this color polymorphism. Some of the human orthologues of the genes identified here may also be involved in pigmentation differences and diseases and therefore provide genetic markers for the detection of human pigmentation disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Henning
- Laboratory of Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
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