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Guterres APM, Cunha EJ, Moreira FFF, Torres NR, Juen L. Human impact on the functional diversity of Gerromorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) and differential sexual dimorphism responses in Amazonian aquatic ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2025; 984:179534. [PMID: 40412073 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2025] [Accepted: 04/23/2025] [Indexed: 05/27/2025]
Abstract
Human activities impact the morphology and function of species, especially in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about how these effects influence intraspecific variation associated with sexual dimorphism. Therefore, it is essential to study organisms with conspicuous intersexual variations, such as semiaquatic bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha). This study aimed to assess the effect of land-use changes, conventional logging, reduced-impact logging, pasture, and mining activities on the taxonomic (alpha), functional (Fric and FEve) and beta functional (βF) diversity of semiaquatic bugs, with an emphasis on sexual dimorphism. We tested the following hypotheses: (i) habitat loss reduces the diversity; (ii) larger species are associated with forested streams, while species with slower locomotion are associated with low forest cover; (iii) male βF is driven by trait richness difference, while female βF is driven by trait replacement. We sampled 77 streams in the Capim river basin (Amazon, Brazil). CL and PST streams are associated with agricultural impact and high conductivity, whereas RIL streams were similar to forested sites environmentally and in composition. Environmental filters influenced only the taxonomic composition of males. In contrast, females had longer bodies and legs in forest environments and differed in βF, mainly due to traits loss/gain. Our results highlight the importance of forest conservation and the use of economic practices that cause less damage, as well as evaluating such effects under different biodiversity approaches and including intraspecific variation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Naiara Raiol Torres
- Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade (SEMAS), Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Leandro Juen
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (Labeco), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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2
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French RLK, Kowalewska Groszkowska M, Rowe L, Mahler DL, Karpiński L. Why the Long "Horns"? Fine-Scale Morphology Suggests Tactile Demands Contributed to the Exaggeration of Male Longhorned Beetle Antennae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Ecol Evol 2025; 15:e71380. [PMID: 40352624 PMCID: PMC12061553 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.71380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2025] [Revised: 04/14/2025] [Accepted: 04/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025] Open
Abstract
Insect antennae are covered in hairlike sensilla that detect diverse environmental cues. Selection on these functions has produced a bewildering variety of antennal forms, including many examples of sexual dimorphism (SD). Antenna length SD is particularly common, but poorly understood, in longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Extremely elongate male antennae may extend the reach of individuals searching for mates, enabling rapid recognition via antennal contact. Alternatively, they may increase sensitivity to airborne pheromones by bearing more olfactory sensilla. We tested these hypotheses by modeling sensillum distributions and abundances across species and sexes of Anoplistes, a cerambycid genus with extensive variation in antenna length and SD. We found limited evidence that olfactory sensillum abundance scales with antenna segment length; instead, mechano- and contact chemosensory sensilla cluster near the antenna tip, consistent with contact-mediated mate recognition. If the tip segment serves an important tactile role, that may explain why it is exceptionally elongated in males of several species with long, sexually dimorphic antennae. In other Anoplistes species with strong antennal SD, however, all segments exhibit similar levels of dimorphism. Collectively, our results suggest that alternative pathways to antenna SD evolved rapidly in Anoplistes, perhaps due to different patterns of selection on tactile sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan L. K. French
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | | | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - D. Luke Mahler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Lech Karpiński
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of SciencesWarszawaPoland
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3
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Pruvôt C, Armisén D, Roux P, Arnqvist G, Rowe L, Husby A, Khila A. A shared developmental genetic basis for sexually antagonistic male and female adaptations in the toothed water strider. Evol Lett 2025; 9:13-23. [PMID: 39906577 PMCID: PMC11790218 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrae056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 09/27/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2025] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict can drive the divergence of male and female phenotypes and cross-species comparative analyses have documented patterns of correlated evolution of sex-specific traits that promote the evolutionary interests of the sexes. However, male-female coevolution can be highly dynamic, particularly if the male and female traits share an underlying genetic program. Here, we use water striders, a well-studied model system for sexually antagonistic coevolution, and ask whether sex-specific phenotypic adaptations covary across populations and whether they share a common developmental genetic basis. Using comparative analyses both at the population and species levels, we document an association between a derived male mate-grasping trait and a putative female antigrasping counteradaptation in the toothed water strider Gerris odontogaster. Interestingly, in several populations where males have partly lost their derived grasping trait, females have also reduced their antigrasping adaptation. We used RNAi to show that these male and female traits are both linked to a common developmental genetic program involving Hox- and sex-determination genes, despite the fact that they are different structures on different abdominal segments. Our work illustrates the dynamic nature of sexually antagonistic coevolution and suggests that the pleiotropic nature of developmental genetic programs can blur the distinction between inter- and intralocus genetic conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pruvôt
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, USC1370 Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’alimentation et l’Environnement, Lyon 69364, France
| | - David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, USC1370 Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’alimentation et l’Environnement, Lyon 69364, France
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pascale Roux
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, USC1370 Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’alimentation et l’Environnement, Lyon 69364, France
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S3, Canada
| | - Arild Husby
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, USC1370 Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’alimentation et l’Environnement, Lyon 69364, France
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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4
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Silva BL, Guterres APM, Santana SS, Cunha EJ, Juen L. The loss of riparian vegetation along streams causes morphological divergences in functional traits of semiaquatic insects (Heteropteran: Gerromorpha) in the eastern Amazon. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:914. [PMID: 39254814 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-13056-5] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of mining activities on Amazonian streams and their impact on aquatic communities is of paramount importance in the current context of resource overexploitation in society. In this study, we assessed the significance of the environment and interspecific interactions on the organization patterns of semiaquatic insect species in a mineral extraction region in the eastern Amazon. We utilized the morpho functional characteristics of 22 species from the suborder Gerromorpha (Heteropteran), considering both the abundance and sexual dimorphism of these species. Additionally, we quantified the density of riparian vegetation surrounding each stream to categorize sampling points and evaluate whether there are differences in species distribution patterns among categories. We sampled 16 sites, categorized into two treatments based on the percentage of riparian vegetation in forested and deforested areas located in the Capim River Basin. We did not find the action of environmental filters on the total assembly; however, we found significant morphological divergence for all the traits analyzed. On the other hand, the separation of streams into treatments with different portions of riparian vegetation showed that there are significant differences between them regarding species distribution patterns. Forested streams within a 500-m radius have species distributed over a larger area, indicating that these streams have greater resource availability or that species can use these resources more efficiently. Our results demonstrate the importance of riparian vegetation for the studied communities, as well as for mitigating the impacts caused by mining activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Luz Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil.
| | | | - Sol Silva Santana
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | | | - Leandro Juen
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
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5
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Li Y, Li H, Shi H. Revision of the macropterous subgenus Curtonotus from east China, with the description of a new species (Carabidae, Zabrini, Amara). Zookeys 2024; 1190:39-73. [PMID: 38298408 PMCID: PMC10825861 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1190.109539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Species from east China belonging to the subgenus Curtonotus were studied, resulting in the description of a new species, Amara (Curtonotus) beijingensissp. nov. The type locality is Xiaolongmen Forest Park in Beijing. All the known macropterous Curtonotus species from eastern China are reviewed and for each species taxonomical notes, illustrations, and new provincial records are noted. An improved key for their identification is provided as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Li
- College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, USAPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteUnited States of America
| | - Haoyuan Li
- College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongliang Shi
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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6
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Cutter AD. Speciation and development. Evol Dev 2023; 25:289-327. [PMID: 37545126 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding general principles about the origin of species remains one of the foundational challenges in evolutionary biology. The genomic divergence between groups of individuals can spawn hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility, which presents a tantalizing developmental problem. Divergent developmental programs may yield either conserved or divergent phenotypes relative to ancestral traits, both of which can be responsible for reproductive isolation during the speciation process. The genetic mechanisms of developmental evolution involve cis- and trans-acting gene regulatory change, protein-protein interactions, genetic network structures, dosage, and epigenetic regulation, all of which also have roots in population genetic and molecular evolutionary processes. Toward the goal of demystifying Darwin's "mystery of mysteries," this review integrates microevolutionary concepts of genetic change with principles of organismal development, establishing explicit links between population genetic process and developmental mechanisms in the production of macroevolutionary pattern. This integration aims to establish a more unified view of speciation that binds process and mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Darolti I, Mank JE. Sex-biased gene expression at single-cell resolution: cause and consequence of sexual dimorphism. Evol Lett 2023; 7:148-156. [PMID: 37251587 PMCID: PMC10210449 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression differences between males and females are thought to be key for the evolution of sexual dimorphism, and sex-biased genes are often used to study the molecular footprint of sex-specific selection. However, gene expression is often measured from complex aggregations of diverse cell types, making it difficult to distinguish between sex differences in expression that are due to regulatory rewiring within similar cell types and those that are simply a consequence of developmental differences in cell-type abundance. To determine the role of regulatory versus developmental differences underlying sex-biased gene expression, we use single-cell transcriptomic data from multiple somatic and reproductive tissues of male and female guppies, a species that exhibits extensive phenotypic sexual dimorphism. Our analysis of gene expression at single-cell resolution demonstrates that nonisometric scaling between the cell populations within each tissue and heterogeneity in cell-type abundance between the sexes can influence inferred patterns of sex-biased gene expression by increasing both the false-positive and false-negative rates. Moreover, we show that, at the bulk level, the subset of sex-biased genes that are the product of sex differences in cell-type abundance can significantly confound patterns of coding-sequence evolution. Taken together, our results offer a unique insight into the effects of allometry and cellular heterogeneity on perceived patterns of sex-biased gene expression and highlight the power of single-cell RNA-sequencing in distinguishing between sex-biased genes that are the result of regulatory change and those that stem from sex differences in cell-type abundance, and hence are a consequence rather than a cause of sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Darolti
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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8
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Price PD, Parkus SM, Wright AE. Recent progress in understanding the genomic architecture of sexual conflict. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 80:102047. [PMID: 37163877 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Genomic conflict between the sexes over shared traits is widely assumed to be resolved through the evolution of sex-biased expression and the subsequent emergence of sexually dimorphic phenotypes. However, while there is support for a broad relationship between genome-wide patterns of expression level and sexual conflict, recent studies suggest that sex differences in the nature and strength of interactions between loci are instead key to conflict resolution. Furthermore, the advent of new technologies for measuring and perturbing expression means we now have much more power to detect genomic signatures of sexual conflict. Here, we review our current understanding of the genomic architecture of sexual conflict in the light of these new studies and highlight the potential for novel approaches to address outstanding knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Price
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. https://twitter.com/@PeterDPrice
| | - Sylvie M Parkus
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Alison E Wright
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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9
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Maroni PJ, Bryant KA, Tatarnic NJ. Female genital concealment and a corresponding male clasping apparatus in Australian ripple bugs (Hemiptera: Veliidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2023; 74:101254. [PMID: 37003094 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2023.101254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Conflicts of interest over reproduction between males and females are widespread in sexually reproducing species. This is exemplified in water striders (Gerridae), where females vigorously resist costly mating attempts, and males and females often exhibit elaborate grasping and anti-grasping morphological traits. Like water striders, their sister-group, the ripple bugs (Veliidae), share similar life histories and are expected to face similar conflicts over mating. Veliids in the genus Nesidovelia exhibit elaborate sexual dimorphism, which is predicted to function in intersexual antagonistic struggles. This includes concealed genitalia in females, and elaborate pregenital abdominal modifications in males. By documenting mating behaviour in Nesidovelia peramoena and freezing pairs in copula, we show that males and females struggle prior to mating, and male abdominal modifications function to gain access to the female's concealed genitalia. This is consistent with, though not limited to, sexual conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige J Maroni
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; Collections & Research, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia, 6106, Australia; Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Kate A Bryant
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Nikolai J Tatarnic
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; Collections & Research, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia, 6106, Australia.
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10
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Davranoglou LR, Taylor GK, Mortimer B. Sexual selection and predation drive the repeated evolution of stridulation in Heteroptera and other arthropods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:942-981. [PMID: 36787892 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic and substrate-borne vibrations are among the most widely used signalling modalities in animals. Arthropods display a staggering diversity of vibroacoustic organs generating acoustic sound and/or substrate-borne vibrations, and are fundamental to our broader understanding of the evolution of animal signalling. The primary mechanism that arthropods use to generate vibroacoustic signals is stridulation, which involves the rubbing together of opposing body parts. Although stridulation is common, its behavioural context and evolutionary drivers are often hard to pinpoint, owing to limited synthesis of empirical observations on stridulatory species. This is exacerbated by the diversity of mechanisms involved and the sparsity of their description in the literature, which renders their documentation a challenging task. Here, we present the most comprehensive review to date on the systematic distribution and behavioural context of stridulation. We use the megadiverse heteropteran insects as a model, together with multiple arthropod outgroups (arachnids, myriapods, and selected pancrustaceans). We find that stridulatory vibroacoustic signalling has evolved independently at least 84 times and is present in roughly 20% of Heteroptera, representing a remarkable case of convergent evolution. By studying the behavioural context of stridulation across Heteroptera and 189 outgroup lineages, we find that predation pressure and sexual selection are the main behaviours associated with stridulation across arthropods, adding further evidence for their role as drivers of large-scale signalling and morphological innovation in animals. Remarkably, the absence of tympanal ears in most Heteroptera suggests that they typically cannot detect the acoustic component of their stridulatory signals. This demonstrates that the adoption of new signalling modalities is not always correlated with the ability to perceive those signals, especially when these signals are directed towards interspecific receivers in defensive contexts. Furthermore, by mapping their morphology and systematic distribution, we show that stridulatory organs tend to evolve in specific body parts, likely originating from cleaning motions and pre-copulatory displays that are common to most arthropods. By synthesising our understanding of stridulation and stridulatory organs across major arthropod groups, we create the necessary framework for future studies to explore their systematic and behavioural significance, their potential role in sensory evolution and innovation, and the biomechanics of this mode of signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Graham K Taylor
- The John Krebs Field Station, University of Oxford, Wytham, Oxford, OX2 8QJ, UK
| | - Beth Mortimer
- The John Krebs Field Station, University of Oxford, Wytham, Oxford, OX2 8QJ, UK
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11
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Djordjevic J, Dumas Z, Robinson-Rechavi M, Schwander T, Parker DJ. Dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development in the stick insect Timema californicum. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:113-122. [PMID: 35581477 PMCID: PMC9338061 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00536-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic phenotypes are thought to arise primarily from sex-biased gene expression during development. Major changes in developmental strategies, such as the shift from hemimetabolous to holometabolous development, are therefore expected to have profound consequences for the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression. However, no studies have previously examined sex-biased gene expression during development in hemimetabolous insects, precluding comparisons between developmental strategies. Here we characterized sex-biased gene expression at three developmental stages in a hemimetabolous stick insect (Timema californicum): hatchlings, juveniles, and adults. As expected, the proportion of sex-biased genes gradually increased during development, mirroring the gradual increase of phenotypic sexual dimorphism. Sex-biased genes identified at early developmental stages were generally consistently male- or female-biased at later stages, suggesting their importance in sexual differentiation. Additionally, we compared the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development in T. californicum to those of the holometabolous fly Drosophila melanogaster by reanalyzing publicly available RNA-seq data from third instar larval, pupal and adult stages. In D. melanogaster, 84% of genes were sex-biased at the adult stage (compared to only 20% in T. californicum), and sex-biased gene expression increased abruptly at the adult stage when morphological sexual dimorphism is manifested. Our findings are consistent with the prediction that the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development differ extensively between holometabolous and hemimetabolous insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zoé Dumas
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Schwander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Darren James Parker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom.
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12
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Gudmunds E, Narayanan S, Lachivier E, Duchemin M, Khila A, Husby A. Photoperiod controls wing polyphenism in a water strider independently of insulin receptor signalling. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212764. [PMID: 35473377 PMCID: PMC9043737 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect wing polyphenism has evolved as an adaptation to changing environments and a growing body of research suggests that the nutrient-sensing insulin receptor signalling pathway is a hot spot for the evolution of polyphenisms, as it provides a direct link between growth and available nutrients in the environment. However, little is known about the potential role of insulin receptor signalling in polyphenisms which are controlled by seasonal variation in photoperiod. Here, we demonstrate that wing length polyphenism in the water strider Gerris buenoi is determined by photoperiod and nymphal density, but is not directly affected by nutrient availability. Exposure to a long-day photoperiod is highly inducive of the short-winged morph whereas high nymphal densities moderately promote the development of long wings. Using RNA interference we demonstrate that, unlike in several other species where wing polyphenism is controlled by nutrition, there is no detectable role of insulin receptor signalling in wing morph induction. Our results indicate that the multitude of possible cues that trigger wing polyphenism can be mediated through different genetic pathways and that there are multiple genetic origins to wing polyphenism in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Gudmunds
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shrinath Narayanan
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elise Lachivier
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marion Duchemin
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.,Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Arild Husby
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Armisén D, Khila A. Genomics of the semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera; Gerromorpha): recent advances toward establishing a model lineage for the study of phenotypic evolution. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 50:100870. [PMID: 34990871 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gerromorpha, also known as semi-aquatic bugs, present the striking capability to walk on water surface, which has long attracted the interest of many scientists. Yet our understanding of the mechanisms associated with their adaptation and diversification within this new habitat remain largely unknown. In this review we discuss how new transcriptomic and genomic resources have contributed to establish the Gerromorpha as an important lineage to study phenotypic evolution. In particular we outline the impact of recent comparative transcriptomic analyses and first published genomes to advance our understanding of genomic basis of adaptations to water surface locomotion and sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
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14
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Abouheif E. My road to the ants: A model clade for eco-evo-devo. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 147:231-290. [PMID: 35337451 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This chapter is the story of how I pioneered ants as a system for studying eco-evo-devo, a field that integrates developmental biology with ecology and evolutionary biology. One aim of eco-evo-devo is to understand how the interactions between genes and their environments during development facilitates the origin and evolution of novel phenotypes. In a series of six parts, I review some of the key discoveries from my lab on how novel worker caste systems in ants--soldiers and supersoldiers--originated and evolved. I also discuss some of the ideas that emerged from these discoveries, including the role that polyphenisms, hidden developmental potentials, and rudimentary organs play in facilitating developmental and evolutionary change. As superorganisms, I argue that ants are uniquely positioned to reveal types of variation that are often difficult to observe in nature. In doing so, they have the potential to transform our view of biology and provide new perspectives in medicine, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation. With my story I hope to inspire the next generation of biologists to continue exploring the unknown regions of phenotypic space to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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15
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Abstract
AbstractThe need to respond quickly to the presence of an ephemeral resource required for breeding is often a feature of scramble competition mating systems. Scramble competition mating systems can feature extreme levels of sexual conflict and coercive mating by males. As a result, sexual selection can act on various traits used by males to overcome female resistance behaviours. Selection on these traits may result in significant intra and intersexual size variation and sexual dimorphism. Additionally, traits that influence mating success in males often show positive static allometry. Kelp flies (Coelopidae) are a small family of Diptera which specialise on wrack (beach cast marine macroalgae), a highly ephemeral resource. The mating system of these flies involves high levels of sexual conflict, with females rejecting all male mating attempts. In this study we describe intra and intersexual size variation and static allometry of traits in two of Aotearoa|New Zealand’s species, Coelopella curvipes and Chaetocoelopa littoralis. In addition, we investigate the mating behaviour of C. littoralis under ecologically relevant mating conditions. We found high levels of variation in both species with significant evidence of sexual dimorphism across all traits measured in C. littoralis, and in mid tibia length in C. curvipes. Furthermore, mid tibia length in both species exhibits positive static allometry and is disproportionally larger in larger males, suggesting that this trait in particular may be under strong sexual selection. We found that larger male C. littoralis which attempt to mate are significantly more likely to mate successfully demonstrating a large-size advantage in this species similar to findings across the Coelopidae. However, we only found a non-significant trend towards a mating advantage for males with longer mid-tibiae. We discuss these findings with reference to the population dynamics and ecology of these species.
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Hitchcock TJ, Gardner A. Sex-biased demography modulates male harm across the genome. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212237. [PMID: 34933602 PMCID: PMC8692969 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an explosion of theoretical and empirical interest in the role that kin selection plays in shaping patterns of sexual conflict, with a particular focus on male harming traits. However, this work has focused solely on autosomal genes, and as such it remains unclear how demography modulates the evolution of male harm loci occurring in other portions of the genome, such as sex chromosomes and cytoplasmic elements. To investigate this, we extend existing models of sexual conflict for application to these different modes of inheritance. We first analyse the general case, revealing how sex-specific relatedness, reproductive value and the intensity of local competition combine to determine the potential for male harm. We then analyse a series of demographically explicit models, to assess how dispersal, overlapping generations, reproductive skew and the mechanism of population regulation affect sexual conflict across the genome, and drive conflict between nuclear and cytoplasmic genes. We then explore the effects of sex biases in these demographic parameters, showing how they may drive further conflicts between autosomes and sex chromosomes. Finally, we outline how different crossing schemes may be used to identify signatures of these intragenomic conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andy Gardner
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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Mehlhorn S, Hunnekuhl VS, Geibel S, Nauen R, Bucher G. Establishing RNAi for basic research and pest control and identification of the most efficient target genes for pest control: a brief guide. Front Zool 2021; 18:60. [PMID: 34863212 PMCID: PMC8643023 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00444-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool for knocking-down gene function in diverse taxa including arthropods for both basic biological research and application in pest control. The conservation of the RNAi mechanism in eukaryotes suggested that it should-in principle-be applicable to most arthropods. However, practical hurdles have been limiting the application in many taxa. For instance, species differ considerably with respect to efficiency of dsRNA uptake from the hemolymph or the gut. Here, we review some of the most frequently encountered technical obstacles when establishing RNAi and suggest a robust procedure for establishing this technique in insect species with special reference to pests. Finally, we present an approach to identify the most effective target genes for the potential control of agricultural and public health pests by RNAi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Mehlhorn
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vera S Hunnekuhl
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sven Geibel
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
| | - Ralf Nauen
- Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, R&D, Pest Control, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 50, 40789, Monheim, Germany
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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Gourevitch EHZ, Shuker DM. Environmental Correlates of Sexual Signaling in the Heteroptera: A Prospective Study. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121079. [PMID: 34940167 PMCID: PMC8707444 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection is a major evolutionary process, shaping organisms in terms of success in competition for access to mates and their gametes. The study of sexual selection has provided rich empirical and theoretical literature addressing the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of competition for gametes. However, there remains a bias towards individual, species-specific studies, whilst broader, cross-species comparisons looking for wider-ranging patterns in sexual selection remain uncommon. For instance, we are still some ways from understanding why particular kinds of traits tend to evolve under sexual selection, and under what circumstances. Here we consider sexual selection in the Heteroptera, a sub-order of the Hemiptera, or true bugs. The latter is the largest of the hemimetabolous insect orders, whilst the Heteroptera itself comprises some 40,000-plus described species. We focus on four key sexual signaling modes found in the Heteroptera: chemical signals, acoustic signaling via stridulation, vibrational (substrate) signaling, and finally tactile signaling (antennation). We compare how these modes vary across broad habitat types and provide a review of each type of signal. We ask how we might move towards a more predictive theory of sexual selection, that links mechanisms and targets of sexual selection to various ecologies.
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19
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van der Bijl W, Mank JE. Widespread cryptic variation in genetic architecture between the sexes. Evol Lett 2021; 5:359-369. [PMID: 34367661 PMCID: PMC8327960 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of the genome is shared between the sexes, and it is expected that the genetic architecture of most traits is shared as well. This common architecture has been viewed as a major source of constraint on the evolution of sexual dimorphism (SD). SD is nonetheless common in nature, leading to assumptions that it results from differential regulation of shared genetic architecture. Here, we study the effect of thousands of gene knockout mutations on 202 mouse phenotypes to explore how regulatory variation affects SD. We show that many traits are dimorphic to some extent, and that a surprising proportion of knockouts have sex-specific phenotypic effects. Many traits, regardless whether they are monomorphic or dimorphic, harbor cryptic differences in genetic architecture between the sexes, resulting in sexually discordant phenotypic effects from sexually concordant regulatory changes. This provides an alternative route to dimorphism through sex-specific genetic architecture, rather than differential regulation of shared architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter van der Bijl
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
| | - Judith E. Mank
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
- Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z4Canada
- BiosciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusPenrynTR10 9FEUK
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20
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Toubiana W, Armisén D, Dechaud C, Arbore R, Khila A. Impact of male trait exaggeration on sex-biased gene expression and genome architecture in a water strider. BMC Biol 2021; 19:89. [PMID: 33931057 PMCID: PMC8088084 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exaggerated secondary sexual traits are widespread in nature and often evolve under strong directional sexual selection. Although heavily studied from both theoretical and empirical viewpoints, we have little understanding of how sexual selection influences sex-biased gene regulation during the development of exaggerated secondary sexual phenotypes, and how these changes are reflected in genomic architecture. This is primarily due to the limited availability of representative genomes and associated tissue and sex transcriptomes to study the development of these traits. Here we present the genome and developmental transcriptomes, focused on the legs, of the water strider Microvelia longipes, a species where males exhibit strikingly long third legs compared to females, which they use as weapons. RESULTS We generated a high-quality genome assembly with 90% of the sequence captured in 13 scaffolds. The most exaggerated legs in males were particularly enriched in both sex-biased and leg-biased genes, indicating a specific signature of gene expression in association with trait exaggeration. We also found that male-biased genes showed patterns of fast evolution compared to non-biased and female-biased genes, indicative of directional or relaxed purifying selection. By contrast to male-biased genes, female-biased genes that are expressed in the third legs, but not the other legs, are over-represented in the X chromosome compared to the autosomes. An enrichment analysis for sex-biased genes along the chromosomes revealed also that they arrange in large genomic regions or in small clusters of two to four consecutive genes. The number and expression of these enriched regions were often associated with the exaggerated legs of males, suggesting a pattern of common regulation through genomic proximity in association with trait exaggeration. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate how directional sexual selection may drive sex-biased gene expression and genome architecture along the path to trait exaggeration and sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Toubiana
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France
- Present address: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Corentin Dechaud
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Roberto Arbore
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France
- Present address: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France.
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21
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Kasimatis KR, Sánchez-Ramírez S, Stevenson ZC. Sexual Dimorphism through the Lens of Genome Manipulation, Forward Genetics, and Spatiotemporal Sequencing. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evaa243. [PMID: 33587127 PMCID: PMC7883666 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction often leads to selection that favors the evolution of sex-limited traits or sex-specific variation for shared traits. These sexual dimorphisms manifest due to sex-specific genetic architectures and sex-biased gene expression across development, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these patterns are largely unknown. The first step is to understand how sexual dimorphisms arise across the genotype-phenotype-fitness map. The emergence of "4D genome technologies" allows for efficient, high-throughput, and cost-effective manipulation and observations of this process. Studies of sexual dimorphism will benefit from combining these technological advances (e.g., precision genome editing, inducible transgenic systems, and single-cell RNA sequencing) with clever experiments inspired by classic designs (e.g., bulked segregant analysis, experimental evolution, and pedigree tracing). This perspective poses a synthetic view of how manipulative approaches coupled with cutting-edge observational methods and evolutionary theory are poised to uncover the molecular genetic basis of sexual dimorphism with unprecedented resolution. We outline hypothesis-driven experimental paradigms for identifying genetic mechanisms of sexual dimorphism among tissues, across development, and over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja R Kasimatis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario, USA
| | | | - Zachary C Stevenson
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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22
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Kulkarni A, Lopez DH, Extavour CG. Shared Cell Biological Functions May Underlie Pleiotropy of Molecular Interactions in the Germ Lines and Nervous Systems of Animals. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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23
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Toubiana W, Khila A. Fluctuating selection strength and intense male competition underlie variation and exaggeration of a water strider's male weapon. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182400. [PMID: 30991924 PMCID: PMC6501938 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2400] [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] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexually selected traits can reach high degrees of phenotypic expression and variation under directional selection. A growing number of studies suggest that such selection can vary in space, time and form within and between populations. However, the impact of these fluctuations on sexual trait evolution is poorly understood. In the water strider Microvelia longipes, males display striking trait exaggeration and phenotypic variation manifested as extreme differences in the rear leg length. To study the origin and maintenance of this exaggerated trait, we conducted comparative behavioural, morphometric and reaction norm experiments in a selection of Microvelia species. We uncovered differences both in the mating behaviour and the degree of sexual dimorphism across these species. Interestingly, M. longipes evolved a specific mating behaviour where males compete for egg-laying sites, consisting of small floating objects, to intercept and copulate with gravid females. Through male–male competition assays, we demonstrated that male rear legs are used as weapons to dominate egg-laying sites and that intense competition is associated with the evolution of rear leg length exaggeration. Field observations revealed rapid fluctuation in M. longipes habitat stability and the abundance of egg-laying sites. Paternity tests using genetic markers demonstrated that small males could only fertilize about 5% of the eggs when egg-laying sites are limiting, whereas this proportion increased to about 20% when egg-laying sites become abundant. Furthermore, diet manipulation and artificial selection experiments also showed that the exaggerated leg length in M. longipes males is influenced by both genetic and nutritional factors. Collectively, our results highlight how fluctuation in the strength of directional sexual selection, through changes in the intensity of male competition, can drive the exaggeration and phenotypic variation in this weapon trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Toubiana
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242 , Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07 , France
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242 , Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07 , France
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24
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Co-option of wing-patterning genes underlies the evolution of the treehopper helmet. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 4:250-260. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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25
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Zhou YL, Zhou HZ, Ślipiński A, Beutel RG. Evolution of a hyper-complex intromittent organ in rove beetles – the endophallus of Xantholinini (Staphylinidae: Coleoptera). Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Studies on the functional morphology and evolution of genitalia have been crucial to understanding sexual traits in speciation, reproductive isolation and sexual selection in Coleoptera and insects in general. However, the focus of investigation of the intromittent organ of beetles was largely confined to the sclerotized elements of the aedeagus, whereas the membranous structures of the endophallus (=internal sac) have often not been adequately considered. Using a micro-operating technique, we observed living male rove beetles and found five different types of endophallus eversion and related morphological modifications. Analysing genital data of a larger sample of Xantholinini, we could demonstrate that endophallus complexity and modifications tend to vary inversely with the median lobe (penis: intromittent organ). Our comparative morphological study, combined with a molecular phylogenetic analysis, suggests that endophallus spiralling occurring after endophallus eversion is an innovation in beetle evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Lingzi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P. R. China
- Australian National Insect Collection, National Research Collections Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Hong-Zhang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Adam Ślipiński
- Australian National Insect Collection, National Research Collections Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Rolf G Beutel
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
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26
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Cutter AD, Morran LT, Phillips PC. Males, Outcrossing, and Sexual Selection in Caenorhabditis Nematodes. Genetics 2019; 213:27-57. [PMID: 31488593 PMCID: PMC6727802 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.300244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of Caenorhabditis elegans provide a crucial practical tool in the laboratory, but, as the rarer and more finicky sex, have not enjoyed the same depth of research attention as hermaphrodites. Males, however, have attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists who are exploiting the C. elegans system to test longstanding hypotheses about sexual selection, sexual conflict, transitions in reproductive mode, and genome evolution, as well as to make new discoveries about Caenorhabditis organismal biology. Here, we review the evolutionary concepts and data informed by study of males of C. elegans and other Caenorhabditis We give special attention to the important role of sperm cells as a mediator of inter-male competition and male-female conflict that has led to drastic trait divergence across species, despite exceptional phenotypic conservation in many other morphological features. We discuss the evolutionary forces important in the origins of reproductive mode transitions from males being common (gonochorism: females and males) to rare (androdioecy: hermaphrodites and males) and the factors that modulate male frequency in extant androdioecious populations, including the potential influence of selective interference, host-pathogen coevolution, and mutation accumulation. Further, we summarize the consequences of males being common vs rare for adaptation and for trait divergence, trait degradation, and trait dimorphism between the sexes, as well as for molecular evolution of the genome, at both micro-evolutionary and macro-evolutionary timescales. We conclude that C. elegans male biology remains underexploited and that future studies leveraging its extensive experimental resources are poised to discover novel biology and to inform profound questions about animal function and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Levi T Morran
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, and
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
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27
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Crumière AJJ, Armisén D, Vargas-Lowman A, Kubarakos M, Moreira FFF, Khila A. Escalation and Morphological Constraints of Antagonistic Armaments in Water Striders. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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28
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Crumière AJJ, Khila A. Hox genes mediate the escalation of sexually antagonistic traits in water striders. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20180720. [PMID: 30958129 PMCID: PMC6405465 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict occurs when traits favoured in one sex impose fitness costs on the other sex. In the case of sexual conflict over mating rate, the sexes often undergo antagonistic coevolution and escalation of traits that enhance females' resistance to superfluous mating and traits that increase males' persistence. How this escalation in sexually antagonistic traits is established during ontogeny remains unclear. In the water strider Rhagovelia antilleana, male persistence traits consist of sex combs on the forelegs and multiple rows of spines and a thick femur in the rear legs. Female resistance traits consist of a prominent spike-like projection of the pronotum. RNAi knockdown against the Hox gene Sex Combs Reduced resulted in the reduction in both the sex comb in males and the pronotum projection in females. RNAi against the Hox gene Ultrabithorax resulted in the complete loss or reduction of all persistence traits in male rear legs. These results demonstrate that Hox genes can be involved in intra- and inter-locus sexual conflict and mediate escalation of sexually antagonistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
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29
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Sanger TJ, Rajakumar R. How a growing organismal perspective is adding new depth to integrative studies of morphological evolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:184-198. [PMID: 30009397 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Over the past half century, the field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, or Evo-devo, has integrated diverse fields of biology into a more synthetic understanding of morphological diversity. This has resulted in numerous insights into how development can evolve and reciprocally influence morphological evolution, as well as generated several novel theoretical areas. Although comparative by default, there remains a great gap in our understanding of adaptive morphological diversification and how developmental mechanisms influence the shape and pattern of phenotypic variation. Herein we highlight areas of research that are in the process of filling this void, and areas, if investigated more fully, that will add new insights into the diversification of morphology. At the centre of our discussion is an explicit awareness of organismal biology. Here we discuss an organismal framework that is supported by three distinct pillars. First, there is a need for Evo-devo to adopt a high-resolution phylogenetic approach in the study of morphological variation and its developmental underpinnings. Secondly, we propose that to understand the dynamic nature of morphological evolution, investigators need to give more explicit attention to the processes that generate evolutionarily relevant variation at the population level. Finally, we emphasize the need to address more thoroughly the processes that structure variation at micro- and macroevolutionary scales including modularity, morphological integration, constraint, and plasticity. We illustrate the power of these three pillars using numerous examples from both invertebrates and vertebrates to emphasize that many of these approaches are already present within the field, but have yet to be formally integrated into many research programs. We feel that the most exciting new insights will come where the traditional experimental approaches to Evo-devo are integrated more thoroughly with the principles of this organismal framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Sanger
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, U.S.A
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30
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Rajaratnam G, Supeinthiran A, Meier R, Su KFY. CRISPR/Cas9 deletions in a conserved exon of Distal-less generates gains and losses in a recently acquired morphological novelty in flies. iScience 2018; 10:222-233. [PMID: 30553946 PMCID: PMC6297884 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Distal-less has been repeatedly co-opted for the development of many novel traits. Here, we document its curious role in the development of a novel abdominal appendage (“sternite brushes”) in sepsid flies. CRISPR/Cas9 deletions in the homeodomain result in losses of sternite brushes, demonstrating that Distal-less is necessary for their development. However, deletions in the upstream coding exon (Exon 2) produce losses or gains of brushes. A dissection of Exon 2 reveals that the likely mechanism for gains involves a deletion in an exon-splicing enhancer site that leads to exon skipping. Such contradictory phenotypes are also observed in butterflies, suggesting that mutations in the conserved upstream regions have the potential to generate phenotypic variability in insects that diverged 300 million years ago. Our results demonstrate the importance of Distal-less for the development of a novel abdominal appendage in insects and highlight how site-specific mutations in the same exon can produce contradictory phenotypes. Distal-less is necessary for the development of a novel abdominal appendage CRISPR/Cas9 editing produced both losses and gains of novel abdominal appendages Gains of appendages result from mutations in exonic splicing enhancer (ESEs) sites ESE mutations likely led to exon skipping and an altered Distal-less protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Gowri Rajaratnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Rudolf Meier
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Kathy F Y Su
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Armisén D, Rajakumar R, Friedrich M, Benoit JB, Robertson HM, Panfilio KA, Ahn SJ, Poelchau MF, Chao H, Dinh H, Doddapaneni HV, Dugan S, Gibbs RA, Hughes DST, Han Y, Lee SL, Murali SC, Muzny DM, Qu J, Worley KC, Munoz-Torres M, Abouheif E, Bonneton F, Chen T, Chiang LM, Childers CP, Cridge AG, Crumière AJJ, Decaras A, Didion EM, Duncan EJ, Elpidina EN, Favé MJ, Finet C, Jacobs CGC, Cheatle Jarvela AM, Jennings EC, Jones JW, Lesoway MP, Lovegrove MR, Martynov A, Oppert B, Lillico-Ouachour A, Rajakumar A, Refki PN, Rosendale AJ, Santos ME, Toubiana W, van der Zee M, Vargas Jentzsch IM, Lowman AV, Viala S, Richards S, Khila A. The genome of the water strider Gerris buenoi reveals expansions of gene repertoires associated with adaptations to life on the water. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:832. [PMID: 30463532 PMCID: PMC6249893 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5163-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Having conquered water surfaces worldwide, the semi-aquatic bugs occupy ponds, streams, lakes, mangroves, and even open oceans. The diversity of this group has inspired a range of scientific studies from ecology and evolution to developmental genetics and hydrodynamics of fluid locomotion. However, the lack of a representative water strider genome hinders our ability to more thoroughly investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the processes of adaptation and diversification within this group. RESULTS Here we report the sequencing and manual annotation of the Gerris buenoi (G. buenoi) genome; the first water strider genome to be sequenced thus far. The size of the G. buenoi genome is approximately 1,000 Mb, and this sequencing effort has recovered 20,949 predicted protein-coding genes. Manual annotation uncovered a number of local (tandem and proximal) gene duplications and expansions of gene families known for their importance in a variety of processes associated with morphological and physiological adaptations to a water surface lifestyle. These expansions may affect key processes associated with growth, vision, desiccation resistance, detoxification, olfaction and epigenetic regulation. Strikingly, the G. buenoi genome contains three insulin receptors, suggesting key changes in the rewiring and function of the insulin pathway. Other genomic changes affecting with opsin genes may be associated with wavelength sensitivity shifts in opsins, which is likely to be key in facilitating specific adaptations in vision for diverse water habitats. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that local gene duplications might have played an important role during the evolution of water striders. Along with these findings, the sequencing of the G. buenoi genome now provides us the opportunity to pursue exciting research opportunities to further understand the genomic underpinnings of traits associated with the extreme body plan and life history of water striders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Rajendhran Rajakumar
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology and UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610-3610 USA
| | - Markus Friedrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 USA
| | - Joshua B. Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 USA
| | - Hugh M. Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Kristen A. Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, CV4 7AL UK
| | - Seung-Joon Ahn
- USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit, 3420 NW Orchard Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330 USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, 3050 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Monica F. Poelchau
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Hsu Chao
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Huyen Dinh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Shannon Dugan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Richard A. Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Daniel S. T. Hughes
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Yi Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Sandra L. Lee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Shwetha C. Murali
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Donna M. Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Jiaxin Qu
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Kim C. Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | | | - Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - François Bonneton
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Travis Chen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Li-Mei Chiang
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | | | - Andrew G. Cridge
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Antonin J. J. Crumière
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Amelie Decaras
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Elise M. Didion
- Department of Biological Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Duncan
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Elena N. Elpidina
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991 Russia
| | - Marie-Julie Favé
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Cédric Finet
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Chris G. C. Jacobs
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Emily C. Jennings
- Department of Biological Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 USA
| | - Jeffery W. Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 USA
| | - Maryna P. Lesoway
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa Ancon, Panama City, Panama
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025 Russia
| | - Mackenzie R. Lovegrove
- Laboratory for Evolution and Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alexander Martynov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025 Russia
| | - Brenda Oppert
- USDA ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, 1515 College Ave., Manhattan, KS-66502 USA
| | - Angelica Lillico-Ouachour
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Arjuna Rajakumar
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Peter Nagui Refki
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck-Institut für Evolutionsbiologie, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Andrew J. Rosendale
- Department of Biological Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006 USA
| | - Maria Emilia Santos
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - William Toubiana
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Maurijn van der Zee
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Iris M. Vargas Jentzsch
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Aidamalia Vargas Lowman
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Severine Viala
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Stephen Richards
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 46, allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
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Burke NW, Bonduriansky R. The geography of sex: sexual conflict, environmental gradients and local loss of sex in facultatively parthenogenetic animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170422. [PMID: 30150220 PMCID: PMC6125730 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligately asexual organisms tend to occur at higher altitudes or latitudes and occupy larger ranges than their obligately sexual relatives-a phenomenon called geographical parthenogenesis. Some facultatively parthenogenetic organisms that reproduce both sexually and asexually also exhibit spatial variation in reproductive mode. Theory suggests that sexual conflict and mate limitation can determine the relative frequency of sex in facultative parthenogens, but the effect of these dynamics on spatial distributions is unknown. Here, we use individual-based models to investigate whether these dynamics can generate local differences in the reproductive mode in a facultatively parthenogenetic metapopulation occupying an environmental gradient. We find that selection for resistance and high fecundity creates positive epistasis in virgin females between a mutant allele for parthenogenesis and alleles for resistance, resulting in female-biased sex ratios and higher resistance and coercion towards the productive 'core' of the metapopulation. However, steeper environmental gradients, which lead to lower density and less mating at the 'edge', generate female bias without promoting coercion or resistance. Our analysis shows that local adaptation of facultatively parthenogenetic populations subject to sexual conflict and productivity gradients can generate striking spatial variation suggesting new patterns for empirical investigation. These findings could also help to explain the rarity of facultative parthenogenesis in animals.This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W Burke
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Rajakumar R, Koch S, Couture M, Favé MJ, Lillico-Ouachour A, Chen T, De Blasis G, Rajakumar A, Ouellette D, Abouheif E. Social regulation of a rudimentary organ generates complex worker-caste systems in ants. Nature 2018; 562:574-577. [PMID: 30305737 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0613-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The origin of complex worker-caste systems in ants perplexed Darwin1 and has remained an enduring problem for evolutionary and developmental biology2-6. Ants originated approximately 150 million years ago, and produce colonies with winged queen and male castes as well as a wingless worker caste7. In the hyperdiverse genus Pheidole, the wingless worker caste has evolved into two morphologically distinct subcastes-small-headed minor workers and large-headed soldiers8. The wings of queens and males develop from populations of cells in larvae that are called wing imaginal discs7. Although minor workers and soldiers are wingless, vestiges or rudiments of wing imaginal discs appear transiently during soldier development7,9-11. Such rudimentary traits are phylogenetically widespread and are primarily used as evidence of common descent, yet their functional importance remains equivocal1,12-14. Here we show that the growth of rudimentary wing discs is necessary for regulating allometry-disproportionate scaling-between head and body size to generate large-headed soldiers in the genus Pheidole. We also show that Pheidole colonies have evolved the capacity to socially regulate the growth of rudimentary wing discs to control worker subcaste determination, which allows these colonies to maintain the ratio of minor workers to soldiers. Finally, we provide comparative and experimental evidence that suggests that rudimentary wing discs have facilitated the parallel evolution of complex worker-caste systems across the ants. More generally, rudimentary organs may unexpectedly acquire novel regulatory functions during development to facilitate adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendhran Rajakumar
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophie Koch
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mélanie Couture
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marie-Julie Favé
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Travis Chen
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Arjuna Rajakumar
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Ehab Abouheif
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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35
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Abstract
Sexual conflict is acknowledged as pervasive, with the potential to generate and maintain genetic variation. Mechanistic studies of conflict have been important in providing direct evidence for the existence of sexual conflict. They have also led to the growing realization that there is a striking phenotypic diversity of adaptations whose evolution can be shaped by sexually antagonistic selection. The mechanisms involved range from the use of genital spines, claspers, songs, and smells to ejaculate molecules. In one well-studied example, sexual conflict can occur over the sexually antagonistic effects of seminal fluid proteins in Drosophila melanogaster. However, an important puzzle remains, namely, why seminal fluid proteins are so numerous and complex, hence whether all or some are involved in mediating sexual conflict. I hypothesize that this rich diversity and the complexity of traits subject to sexually antagonistic selection in general may arise, at least in part, due to the deployment of sexually antagonistic adaptations in males in a way that lessens the probability of broadscale, strong resistance evolution in females. In elaborating this hypothesis, I explore how research into the evolution of resistance to insecticides, antimicrobials, and vaccines might be used to provide insights into the evolution of female resistance to the effects of sexually antagonistic manipulative traits of males. In this manner, the manipulative traits of males can be resistance-proofed.
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Abstract
Trait-based community ecology promises an understanding of the factors that determine species abundances and distributions across habitats. However, ecologists are often faced with large suites of potentially important traits, making generalizations across ecosystems and species difficult or even impossible. Here, we hypothesize that key traits structuring ecological communities may be causally dependent on common physiological mechanisms and that elucidating these mechanisms can help us understand the distributions of traits and species across habitats. We test this hypothesis by investigating putatively causal relationships between physiological and behavioral traits at the species and community levels in larvae of 17 species of dragonfly that co-occur at the landscape scale but segregate among lakes. We use tools borrowed from phenotypic selection analyses to show that physiological traits underlie activity rate, which has opposing effects on foraging and predator avoidance behaviors. The effect of activity on these behaviors ultimately shapes species distributions and community composition in habitats with either large-bodied fish or invertebrates as top predators. Remarkably, despite the inherent complexity of ecological communities, the expression of just two biomolecules accounts for a high proportion of the variation in behavioral traits and hence, dragonfly community composition between habitats. We suggest that causal relationships among traits can drive species distributions and community assembly.
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Panfilio KA, Angelini DR. By land, air, and sea: hemipteran diversity through the genomic lens. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:106-115. [PMID: 29602356 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Thanks to a recent spate of sequencing projects, the Hemiptera are the first hemimetabolous insect order to achieve a critical mass of species with sequenced genomes, establishing the basis for comparative genomics of the bugs. However, as the most speciose hemimetabolous order, there is still a vast swathe of the hemipteran phylogeny that awaits genomic representation across subterranean, terrestrial, and aquatic habitats, and with lineage-specific and developmentally plastic cases of both wing polyphenisms and flightlessness. In this review, we highlight opportunities for taxonomic sampling beyond obvious pest species candidates, motivated by intriguing biological features of certain groups as well as the rich research tradition of ecological, physiological, developmental, and particularly cytogenetic investigation that spans the diversity of the Hemiptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen A Panfilio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom; Institute of Zoology: Developmental Biology, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany.
| | - David R Angelini
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, United States
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Gray LJ, Simpson SJ, Polak M. Fruit flies may face a nutrient-dependent life-history trade-off between secondary sexual trait quality, survival and developmental rate. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 104:60-70. [PMID: 29203178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Optimal life-history strategies are those that best allocate finite environmental resources to competing traits. We used the geometric framework for nutrition to evaluate life-history strategies followed by Drosophila melanogaster by measuring the condition-dependent performance of life-history traits, including the morphology of male secondary sexual characters, sex combs. We found that depending on their rearing environment flies faced different forms of trait trade-offs and accordingly followed different life-history strategies. High-energy, high-carbohydrate, low-protein diets supported development of the largest and most symmetrical sex combs, however, consistent with handicap models of sexual selection these foods were associated with reduced fly survival and developmental rate. Expressing the highest quality sex combs may have required secondary sexual trait quality to be traded-off with developmental rate, and our results indicated that flies unable to slow development died. As larval nutritional environments are predominantly determined by female oviposition substrate choice, we tested where mated female flies laid the most eggs. Mothers chose high-energy, high-protein foods associated with rapid larval development. Mothers avoided high-carbohydrate foods associated with maximal sex comb expression, showing they may avoid producing fewer 'sexy' sons in favour of producing offspring that develop rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey J Gray
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia.
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia.
| | - Michal Polak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221 USA.
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The transcriptional architecture of phenotypic dimorphism. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:6. [PMID: 28812569 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The profound differences in gene expression between the sexes are increasingly used to study the molecular basis of sexual dimorphism, sexual selection and sexual conflict. Studies of transcriptional architecture, based on comparisons of gene expression, have also been implemented for a wide variety of other intra-specific polymorphisms. These efforts are based on key assumptions regarding the relationship between transcriptional architecture, phenotypic variation and the target of selection. Some of these assumptions are better supported by available evidence than others. In all cases, the evidence is largely circumstantial, leaving considerable gaps in our understanding of the relationship between transcriptional and phenotypic dimorphism.
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Dean R, Wright AE, Marsh‐Rollo SE, Nugent BM, Alonzo SH, Mank JE. Sperm competition shapes gene expression and sequence evolution in the ocellated wrasse. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:505-518. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Dean
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
| | - Alison E. Wright
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - Susan E. Marsh‐Rollo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
- Department of Psychology Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Bridget M. Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz CA USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven CT USA
| | - Judith E. Mank
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
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Pineaux M, Turgeon J. Behavioural Consistency in Female Resistance to Male Harassment in a Water Strider Species. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Pineaux
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC Canada
| | - Julie Turgeon
- Département de Biologie; Université Laval; Québec QC Canada
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Montgomery SH, Mank JE. Inferring regulatory change from gene expression: the confounding effects of tissue scaling. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:5114-5128. [PMID: 27564408 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Comparative studies of gene expression are often designed with the aim of identifying regulatory changes associated with phenotypic variation. In recent years, large-scale transcriptome sequencing methods have increasingly been applied to nonmodel organisms to ask important ecological or evolutionary questions. Although experimental design varies, many of these studies have been based on RNA libraries obtained from heterogeneous tissue samples, for example homogenized whole bodies. Comparisons between groups of samples that vary in tissue composition can introduce sufficient variation in RNA abundance to produce patterns of differential expression that are mistakenly interpreted as evidence of regulatory differences. Here, we present a simple model that demonstrates this effect. The model describes the relationship between transcript abundance and tissue composition in a two-tissue system, and how this relationship varies under different scaling relationships. Using a range of biologically realistic variables, including real biological examples, to parameterize the model we highlight the potentially severe influence of tissue scaling on relative transcript abundance. We use these results to identify key aspects of experimental design and analysis that can help to limit the influence of tissue scaling on the inference of regulatory difference from comparative studies of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Judith E Mank
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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44
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Toubiana W, Khila A. The benefits of expanding studies of trait exaggeration to hemimetabolous insects and beyond morphology. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2016; 39:14-20. [PMID: 27318690 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2016.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Trait exaggeration, well known to naturalists and evolutionary biologists, has recently become a prominent research subject in the modern field of Evolutionary Developmental Biology. A large number of traits that can be considered as cases of exaggeration exist in nature. Yet, the field has almost exclusively focused on the study of growth-related exaggerated traits in a selection of holometabolous insects. The absence of the hemimetabola from studies of exaggeration leaves a significant gap in our understanding of the development and evolution of such traits. Here we argue that efforts to understand the mechanisms of trait exaggeration would benefit from expanding the study subjects to include other kinds of exaggeration and other model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Toubiana
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, ENS de Lyon - CNRS UMR 5242 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon-1, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, ENS de Lyon - CNRS UMR 5242 - Université Claude Bernard Lyon-1, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
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45
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Yassin A. Unresolved questions in genitalia coevolution: bridging taxonomy, speciation, and developmental genetics. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-016-0286-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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46
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Collet JM, Fuentes S, Hesketh J, Hill MS, Innocenti P, Morrow EH, Fowler K, Reuter M. Rapid evolution of the intersexual genetic correlation for fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 2016; 70:781-95. [PMID: 27077679 PMCID: PMC5069644 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sexual antagonism (SA) arises when male and female phenotypes are under opposing selection, yet genetically correlated. Until resolved, antagonism limits evolution toward optimal sex‐specific phenotypes. Despite its importance for sex‐specific adaptation and existing theory, the dynamics of SA resolution are not well understood empirically. Here, we present data from Drosophila melanogaster, compatible with a resolution of SA. We compared two independent replicates of the “LHM” population in which SA had previously been described. Both had been maintained under identical, controlled conditions, and separated for around 200 generations. Although heritabilities of male and female fitness were similar, the intersexual genetic correlation differed significantly, being negative in one replicate (indicating SA) but close to zero in the other. Using population sequencing, we show that phenotypic differences were associated with population divergence in allele frequencies at nonrandom loci across the genome. Large frequency changes were more prevalent in the population without SA and were enriched at loci mapping to genes previously shown to have sexually antagonistic relationships between expression and fitness. Our data suggest that rapid evolution toward SA resolution has occurred in one of the populations and open avenues toward studying the genetics of SA and its resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Collet
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Current Address: School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sara Fuentes
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Hesketh
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark S Hill
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Innocenti
- Department of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Edward H Morrow
- Department of Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Current Address: School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Fowler
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Max Reuter
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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47
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Schwarzenberger A, Von Elert E. What makes a man a man? Prenatal antennapedia expression is involved in the formation of the male phenotype in Daphnia. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 226:47-51. [PMID: 26754486 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-015-0525-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic parthenogenetic organisms show a switch in reproductive strategy from asexual to sexual reproduction upon the occurrence of unfavourable environmental conditions. The sexual reproductive mode involves the production of ameiotic diploid males and the fertilization of meiotic haploid eggs. One beautiful example for this switch between parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction is Daphnia. Male and female Daphnia from the same clone are genetically identical. Morphological differences should therefore only be due to differential gene expression. This differential gene expression leads to sexually dimorphic phenotypes with elongated and moveable (i.e. leg-like) first antennae in males in comparison to females. For other arthropods, it has been demonstrated that the formation of differential morphology of legs and antennae involves the regulation of the Hox gene antennapedia (antp). Here, we show that antp is expressed during the embryogenesis of Daphnia, and that adults contain much lower amounts of antp mRNA than eggs. The eggs of mothers that were treated with the juvenile hormone methyl farnesoate (responsible for the production of male offspring) showed lower expression of antp than parthenogenetically produced female eggs. We therefore conclude that differential antp expression is involved in the molecular pathways inducing the male phenotype of Daphnia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Schwarzenberger
- Cologne Biocenter, Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Eric Von Elert
- Cologne Biocenter, Aquatic Chemical Ecology, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47b, 50674, Cologne, Germany
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Wulff NC, Lehmann GUC. Function of male genital titillators in mating and spermatophore transfer in the tettigoniid bushcricketMetrioptera roeselii. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadja C. Wulff
- Department of Biology; Humboldt-University Berlin; Behavioral Physiology; Invalidenstrasse 43; 10115 Berlin Germany
| | - Gerlind U. C. Lehmann
- Department of Biology; Humboldt-University Berlin; Behavioral Physiology; Invalidenstrasse 43; 10115 Berlin Germany
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Armisén D, Refki PN, Crumière AJJ, Viala S, Toubiana W, Khila A. Predator strike shapes antipredator phenotype through new genetic interactions in water striders. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8153. [PMID: 26323602 PMCID: PMC4568302 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How novel genetic interactions evolve, under what selective pressures, and how they shape adaptive traits is often unknown. Here we uncover behavioural and developmental genetic mechanisms that enable water striders to survive attacks by bottom-striking predators. Long midlegs, critical for antipredator strategy, are shaped through a lineage-specific interaction between the Hox protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and a new target gene called gilt. The differences in leg morphologies are established through modulation of gilt differential expression between mid and hindlegs under Ubx control. Furthermore, short-legged water striders, generated through gilt RNAi knockdown, exhibit reduced performance in predation tests. Therefore, the evolution of the new Ubx–gilt interaction contributes to shaping the legs that enable water striders to dodge predator strikes. These data show how divergent selection, associated with novel prey–predator interactions, can favour the evolution of new genetic interactions and drive adaptive evolution. Understanding the mechanism underlying the evolution of ecologically relevant traits is challenging. Here the authors show that changes in the Hox protein Ultrabithorax and its target gene gilt contribute to the evolution of long-mid-legs in water striders, a critical trait to escape predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Armisén
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Peter Nagui Refki
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Antonin Jean Johan Crumière
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Séverine Viala
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - William Toubiana
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Abderrahman Khila
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université Claude Bernard, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
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50
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Arbore R, Sekii K, Beisel C, Ladurner P, Berezikov E, Schärer L. Positional RNA-Seq identifies candidate genes for phenotypic engineering of sexual traits. Front Zool 2015; 12:14. [PMID: 26146508 PMCID: PMC4490696 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-015-0106-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION RNA interference (RNAi) of trait-specific genes permits the manipulation of specific phenotypic traits ("phenotypic engineering") and thus represents a powerful tool to test trait function in evolutionary studies. The identification of suitable candidate genes, however, often relies on existing functional gene annotation, which is usually limited in emerging model organisms, especially when they are only distantly related to traditional genetic model organisms. A case in point is the free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano (Lophotrochozoa: Platyhelminthes: Rhabditophora), an increasingly powerful model organism for evolutionary studies of sex in simultaneous hermaphrodites. To overcome the limitation of sparse functional annotation, we have performed a positional RNA-Seq analysis on different body fragments in order to identify organ-specific candidate transcripts. We then performed gene expression (in situ hybridization) and gene function (RNAi) analyses on 23 candidate transcripts, both to evaluate the predictive potential of this approach and to obtain preliminary functional characterizations of these candidate genes. RESULTS We identified over 4000 transcripts that could be expected to show specific expression in different reproductive organs (including testis, ovary and the male and female genital systems). The predictive potential of the method could then be verified by confirming organ-specific expression for several candidate transcripts, some of which yielded interesting trait-specific knock-down phenotypes that can now be followed up in future phenotypic engineering studies. CONCLUSIONS Our positional RNA-Seq analysis represents a highly useful resource for the identification of candidate transcripts for functional and phenotypic engineering studies in M. lignano, and it has already been used successfully in several studies. Moreover, this approach can overcome some inherent limitations of homology-based candidate selection and thus should be applicable to a broad range of emerging model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Arbore
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kiyono Sekii
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter Ladurner
- />Institute of Zoology and CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Eugene Berezikov
- />ERIBA, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Schärer
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
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