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Beck EA, Bassham S, Cresko WA. Extreme intraspecific divergence in mitochondrial haplotypes makes the threespine stickleback fish an emerging evolutionary mutant model for mito-nuclear interactions. Front Genet 2022; 13:925786. [PMID: 36159975 PMCID: PMC9499175 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.925786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA is primarily maternally inherited in most animals and evolves about 10 times faster than biparentally inherited nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial dysfunction (mt-dys) arises when interactions between the co-evolving mitochondrial and nuclear genomes are perturbed in essential processes like oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Over time mt-dys can lead to mitochondrial diseases (mt-diseases), which are surprisingly prevalent and include common diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. Unfortunately, the strong impact that intraspecific mitochondrial and nuclear genetic variation has on mt-disease complicates its study and the development of effective treatments. Animal models have advanced our understanding of mt-disease but their relevance to human conditions is often limited by their relatively low nuclear genetic diversity. Many traditional laboratory models also typically have a single mitochondrial haplotype (mitotype), in stark contrast to over 5,000 mitotypes in humans worldwide. The threespine stickleback fish has an evolutionary history that has made it a favorable evolutionary mutant model (EMM) for studying mito-nuclear interactions and possibly mt-diseases. EMMs are species with naturally evolved states that mimic maladaptive human diseases. In threespine stickleback, a period of isolation followed by introgression of the mitochondrial genome from a sister species resulted in the maintenance of two distinct mitochondrial haplotypes which continue to segregate within many populations of wild stickleback. The existence of two mitogenomes segregating in numerous genetically diverse populations provides a unique system for exploring complex mito-nuclear dynamics. Here we provide the first complete coding region analysis of the two threespine stickleback mitotypes, whose mitogenomic divergence exceeds that of other mammalian models for mitochondrial disease and even that between ancient and modern humans. We find that divergence is not uniform across the mitogenome, but primarily impacts protein coding genes, and significantly impacts proteins in Complex I of OXPHOS. The full characterization of these highly divergent intraspecific mitotypes provides a foundation for the development of threespine stickleback as an EMM for mito-nuclear interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Beck
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
- Presidential Initiative in Data Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Emily A. Beck, ; William A. Cresko,
| | - Susan Bassham
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - William A. Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
- Presidential Initiative in Data Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Emily A. Beck, ; William A. Cresko,
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2
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Kinematic analysis of social interactions deconstructs the evolved loss of schooling behavior in cavefish. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265894. [PMID: 35385509 PMCID: PMC8985933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish display a remarkable diversity of social behaviors, both within and between species. While social behaviors are likely critical for survival, surprisingly little is known about how they evolve in response to changing environmental pressures. With its highly social surface form and multiple populations of a largely asocial, blind, cave-dwelling form, the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, provides a powerful model to study the evolution of social behavior. Here we use motion tracking and analysis of swimming kinematics to quantify social swimming in four Astyanax mexicanus populations. In the light, surface fish school, maintaining both close proximity and alignment with each other. In the dark, surface fish no longer form coherent schools, however, they still show evidence of an attempt to align and maintain proximity when they find themselves near another fish. In contrast, cavefish from three independently-evolved populations (Pachón, Molino, Tinaja) show little preference for proximity or alignment, instead exhibiting behaviors that suggest active avoidance of each other. Two of the three cave populations we studied also slow down when more fish are present in the tank, a behavior which is not observed in surface fish in light or the dark, suggesting divergent responses to conspecifics. Using data-driven computer simulations, we show that the observed reduction in swimming speed is sufficient to alter the way fish explore their environment: it can increase time spent exploring away from the walls. Thus, the absence of schooling in cavefish is not merely a consequence of their inability to see, but may rather be a genuine behavioral adaptation that impacts the way they explore their environment.
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3
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Walsh JT, Garonski A, Jackan C, Linksvayer TA. The Collective Behavior of Ant Groups Depends on Group Genotypic Composition. J Hered 2021; 113:102-108. [PMID: 34634803 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, researchers have documented variation between groups in collective behavior. However, how genetic variation within and between groups contributes to population-level variation for collective behavior remains unclear. Understanding how genetic variation of group members relates to group-level phenotypes is evolutionarily important because there is increasing evidence that group-level behavioral variation influences fitness and that the genetic architecture of group-level traits can affect the evolutionary dynamics of traits. Social insects are ideal for studying the complex relationship between individual and group-level variation because they exhibit behavioral variation at multiple scales of organization. To explore how the genetic composition of groups affects collective behavior, we constructed groups of pharaoh ants (Monomorium pharaonis) from 33 genetically distinct colonies of known pedigree. The groups consisted of either all workers from the same single colony or workers from two genetically different colonies, and we assayed the exploration and aggression of the groups. We found that collective exploration, but not aggression, depended on the specific genotypic combination of group members, i.e., we found evidence for genotype-by-genotype epistasis for exploration. Group collective behavior did not depend on the pedigree relatedness between genotypes within groups. Overall, this study highlights that specific combinations of genotypes influence group-level phenotypes, emphasizing the importance of considering nonadditive effects of genotypic interactions between group members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anna Garonski
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claire Jackan
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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4
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Expanding evolutionary neuroscience: insights from comparing variation in behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:1084-1099. [PMID: 33609484 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have long studied species with convenient biological features to discover how behavior emerges from conserved molecular, neural, and circuit level processes. With the advent of new tools, from viral vectors and gene editing to automated behavioral analyses, there has been a recent wave of interest in developing new, "nontraditional" model species. Here, we advocate for a complementary approach to model species development, that is, model clade development, as a way to integrate an evolutionary comparative approach with neurobiological and behavioral experiments. Capitalizing on natural behavioral variation in and investing in experimental tools for model clades will be a valuable strategy for the next generation of neuroscience discovery.
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5
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QTL Mapping of Intestinal Neutrophil Variation in Threespine Stickleback Reveals Possible Gene Targets Connecting Intestinal Inflammation and Systemic Health. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:613-622. [PMID: 31843804 PMCID: PMC7003091 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Selection, via host immunity, is often required to foster beneficial microbial symbionts and suppress deleterious pathogens. In animals, the host immune system is at the center of this relationship. Failed host immune system-microbial interactions can result in a persistent inflammatory response in which the immune system indiscriminately attacks resident microbes, and at times the host cells themselves, leading to diseases such as Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and Psoriasis. Host genetic variation has been linked to both microbiome diversity and to severity of such inflammatory disease states in humans. However, the microbiome and inflammatory states manifest as quantitative traits, which encompass many genes interacting with one another and the environment. The mechanistic relationships among all of these interacting components are still not clear. Developing natural genetic models of host-microbe interactions is therefore fundamental to understanding the complex genetics of these and other diseases. Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fish are a tractable model for attacking this problem because of abundant population-level genetic and phenotypic variation in the gut inflammatory response. Previous work in our laboratory identified genetically divergent stickleback populations exhibiting differences in intestinal neutrophil activity. We took advantage of this diversity to genetically map variation in an emblematic element of gut inflammation - intestinal neutrophil recruitment - using an F2-intercross mapping framework. We identified two regions of the genome associated with increased intestinal inflammation containing several promising candidate genes. Within these regions we found candidates in the Coagulation/Complement System, NFkB and MAPK pathways along with several genes associated with intestinal diseases and neurological diseases commonly accompanying intestinal inflammation as a secondary symptom. These findings highlight the utility of using naturally genetically diverse ‘evolutionary mutant models’ such as threespine stickleback to better understand interactions among host genetic diversity and microbiome variation in health and disease states.
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6
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Abstract
Quantitative trait loci (QTL) are genetic regions that influence phenotypic variation of a complex trait, often through genetic interactions with each other and the environment. These are commonly identified through a statistical genetic analysis known as QTL mapping. Here, I present a step-by-step, practical approach to QTL mapping along with a sample data file. I focus on methods commonly used and discoveries that have been made in fishes, and utilize a multiple QTL mapping (MQM) approach in the free software package R/qtl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara E Powder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
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7
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Pearish S, Bensky MK, Bell AM, Woese CR. Social environment determines the effect of boldness and activity on survival. Ethology 2019; 125:855-862. [PMID: 36590873 PMCID: PMC9798931 DOI: 10.1111/eth.12939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Populations of animals are composed of individuals that differ in ecologically relevant behaviors. Building evidence also suggests that individuals occupy different social niches. Here, in a mark-recapture experiment, we show evidence of an interacting effect of behavior and social niche on survival in the wild: bold individuals had higher survival if they were initially captured in groups while shy, inactive individuals had higher survival if they were initially captured when alone. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that behavioral type-environment correlations can be favored by natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Pearish
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL
| | - Miles K. Bensky
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL
| | - Alison M. Bell
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL
| | - Carl R. Woese
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, 1206 W Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL
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8
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Massey JH, Chung D, Siwanowicz I, Stern DL, Wittkopp PJ. The yellow gene influences Drosophila male mating success through sex comb melanization. eLife 2019; 8:49388. [PMID: 31612860 PMCID: PMC6794089 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster males perform a series of courtship behaviors that, when successful, result in copulation with a female. For over a century, mutations in the yellow gene, named for its effects on pigmentation, have been known to reduce male mating success. Prior work has suggested that yellow influences mating behavior through effects on wing extension, song, and/or courtship vigor. Here, we rule out these explanations, as well as effects on the nervous system more generally, and find instead that the effects of yellow on male mating success are mediated by its effects on pigmentation of male-specific leg structures called sex combs. Loss of yellow expression in these modified bristles reduces their melanization, which changes their structure and causes difficulty grasping females prior to copulation. These data illustrate why the mechanical properties of anatomy, not just neural circuitry, must be considered to fully understand the development and evolution of behavior. More than 100 years ago, Nobel-prize winning geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan and his colleagues discovered that some fruit flies inherited genetic mutations that caused their body color to change. The yellow flies had a mutation in one specific gene and these mutants did not only look different from normal flies, they behaved differently too. Specifically, yellow males were far less successful at mating than normal males, demonstrating for the first time that some behaviors had a genetic basis. Since then it has remained a mystery how the genetic mutations that cause yellow coloration in fruit flies lead to unsuccessful mating attempts. Geneticists have long suggested that mutations in insect pigment genes cause changes in the fly’s brain because these pigments are made from dopamine, a chemical messenger that acts in the brain. They proposed that yellow flies must have altered levels of dopamine in their brains which was causing them to fail at mating. To solve this mystery, Massey et al. used a series of genetic experiments and high speed-videos to assess how mutations in male yellow fruit flies affected their mating behavior. The experiments showed that yellow fruit flies mated poorly not because of changes in their brain but because of changes in specialized structures on their legs called sex combs. The yellow males lack melanin pigments in their sex combs, which changes their structure. As a result, the yellow males would court female flies but were then unable to grab and mount them. This explains why yellow flies often fail to mate and why fruit flies have sex combs in the first place. The study reveals the importance of scientists considering that genes that affect behavior may do so by changing anatomy rather than by altering the brain. The results also may benefit those working to control insect pests. For example, they could help insect pest managers to develop strategies that prevent reproduction in other insects that spread disease or destroy crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan H Massey
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States.,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Daayun Chung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Igor Siwanowicz
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, United States
| | - Patricia J Wittkopp
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States.,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States
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9
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Abstract
The tremendous diversity of animal behaviors has inspired generations of scientists from an array of biological disciplines. To complement investigations of ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to behavioral evolution, modern sequencing, gene editing, computational and neuroscience tools now provide a means to discover the proximate mechanisms upon which natural selection acts to generate behavioral diversity. Social behaviors are motivated behaviors that can differ tremendously between closely related species, suggesting phylogenetic plasticity in their underlying biological mechanisms. In addition, convergent evolution has repeatedly given rise to similar forms of social behavior and mating systems in distantly related species. Social behavioral divergence and convergence provides an entry point for understanding the neurogenetic mechanisms contributing to behavioral diversity. We argue that the greatest strides in discovering mechanisms contributing to social behavioral diversity will be achieved through integration of interdisciplinary comparative approaches with modern tools in diverse species systems. We review recent advances and future potential for discovering mechanisms underlying social behavioral variation; highlighting patterns of social behavioral evolution, oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems, genetic/transcriptional "toolkits," modern experimental tools, and alternative species systems, with particular emphasis on Microtine rodents and Lake Malawi cichlid fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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10
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Carlson BM, Klingler IB, Meyer BJ, Gross JB. Genetic analysis reveals candidate genes for activity QTL in the blind Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5189. [PMID: 30042884 PMCID: PMC6054784 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models provide useful tools for exploring the genetic basis of morphological, physiological and behavioral phenotypes. Cave-adapted species are particularly powerful models for a broad array of phenotypic changes with evolutionary, developmental and clinical relevance. Here, we explored the genetic underpinnings of previously characterized differences in locomotor activity patterns between the surface-dwelling and Pachón cave-dwelling populations of Astyanax mexicanus. We identified multiple novel QTL underlying patterns in overall levels of activity (velocity), as well as spatial tank use (time spent near the top or bottom of the tank). Further, we demonstrated that different regions of the genome mediate distinct patterns in velocity and tank usage. We interrogated eight genomic intervals underlying these activity QTL distributed across six linkage groups. In addition, we employed transcriptomic data and draft genomic resources to generate and evaluate a list of 36 potential candidate genes. Interestingly, our data support the candidacy of a number of genes, but do not suggest that differences in the patterns of behavior observed here are the result of alterations to certain candidate genes described in other species (e.g., teleost multiple tissue opsins, melanopsins or members of the core circadian clockwork). This study expands our knowledge of the genetic architecture underlying activity differences in surface and cavefish. Future studies will help define the role of specific genes in shaping complex behavioral phenotypes in Astyanax and other vertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Carlson
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, United States of America
| | - Ian B Klingler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Bradley J Meyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Joshua B Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
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11
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Peichel CL, Marques DA. The genetic and molecular architecture of phenotypic diversity in sticklebacks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2015.0486. [PMID: 27994127 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to identify the genotypes and phenotypes that underlie adaptation to divergent environments. Stickleback fish, including the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), have been at the forefront of research to uncover the genetic and molecular architecture that underlies phenotypic diversity and adaptation. A wealth of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies in sticklebacks have provided insight into long-standing questions about the distribution of effect sizes during adaptation as well as the role of genetic linkage in facilitating adaptation. These QTL mapping studies have also provided a basis for the identification of the genes that underlie phenotypic diversity. These data have revealed that mutations in regulatory elements play an important role in the evolution of phenotypic diversity in sticklebacks. Genetic and molecular studies in sticklebacks have also led to new insights on the genetic basis of repeated evolution and suggest that the same loci are involved about half of the time when the same phenotypes evolve independently. When the same locus is involved, selection on standing variation and repeated mutation of the same genes have both contributed to the evolution of similar phenotypes in independent populations.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Peichel
- Divisions of Basic Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David A Marques
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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12
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Currey MC, Bassham S, Perry S, Cresko WA. Developmental timing differences underlie armor loss across threespine stickleback populations. Evol Dev 2017; 19:231-243. [PMID: 29115024 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Comparing ontogenetic patterns within a well-described evolutionary context aids in inferring mechanisms of change, including heterochronies or deletion of developmental pathways. Because selection acts on phenotypes throughout ontogeny, any within-taxon developmental variation has implications for evolvability. We compare ontogenetic order and timing of locomotion and defensive traits in three populations of threespine stickleback that have evolutionarily divergent adult forms. This analysis adds to the growing understanding of developmental genetic mechanisms of adaptive change in this evolutionary model species by delineating when chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in two derived populations begin to deviate from the developmental pattern in their immediate ancestors. We found that differences in adult defensive morphologies arise through abolished or delayed initiation of these traits rather than via an overall heterochronic shift, that intra-population ontogenetic variation is increased for some derived traits, and that altered armor developmental timing differentiates the derived populations from each other despite parallels in adult lateral plate armor phenotypes. We found that changes in ossified elements of the pelvic armor are linked to delayed and incomplete development of an early-forming pelvic cartilage, and that this disruption likely presages the variable pelvic vestiges documented in many derived populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Currey
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Susan Bassham
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Stephen Perry
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - William A Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
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13
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Higham TE, Jamniczky HA, Jagnandan K, Smith SJ, Barry TN, Rogers SM. Comparative dynamics of suction feeding in marine and freshwater three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus: kinematics and geometric morphometrics. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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14
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Robertson S, Bradley JE, MacColl ADC. Eda haplotypes in three-spined stickleback are associated with variation in immune gene expression. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42677. [PMID: 28195171 PMCID: PMC5307360 DOI: 10.1038/srep42677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Haplotypes underlying local adaptation and speciation are predicted to have numerous phenotypic effects, but few genes involved have been identified, with much work to date concentrating on visible, morphological, phenotypes. The link between genes controlling these adaptive morphological phenotypes and the immune system has seldom been investigated, even though changes in the immune system could have profound adaptive consequences. The Eda gene in three-spined stickleback is one of the best studied major adaptation genes; it directly controls bony plate architecture and has been associated with additional aspects of adaptation to freshwater. Here, we exposed F2 hybrids, used to separate Eda genotype from genetic background, to contrasting conditions in semi-natural enclosures. We demonstrate an association between the Eda haplotype block and the expression pattern of key immune system genes. Furthermore, low plated fish grew less and experienced higher burdens of a common ectoparasite with fitness consequences. Little is currently known about the role of the immune system in facilitating adaptation to novel environments, but this study provides an indication of its potential importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun Robertson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Janette E Bradley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Andrew D C MacColl
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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15
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Pearish S, Hostert L, Bell AM. A standardized method for quantifying consistent individual differences in schooling behaviour. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2017; 90:443-450. [PMID: 27766651 PMCID: PMC5493478 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A method for quantifying consistent individual differences in schooling behaviour is presented. This method, which utilizes a school of models, improves on previous methods by removing the unwanted variation that is introduced by live stimulus fish while still providing the physiological experience of schooling to the focal fish. Three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus observed in the model school assay exhibited consistent individual differences in schooling behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pearish
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61821, U.S.A
- College of Science and Math, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663, U.S.A
| | - L Hostert
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61821, U.S.A
| | - A M Bell
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61821, U.S.A
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16
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Hu CK, Hoekstra HE. Peromyscus burrowing: A model system for behavioral evolution. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 61:107-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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17
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Abstract
Moving animal groups display remarkable feats of coordination. This coordination is largely achieved when individuals adjust their movement in response to their neighbours' movements and positions. Recent advancements in automated tracking technologies, including computer vision and GPS, now allow researchers to gather large amounts of data on the movements and positions of individuals in groups. Furthermore, analytical techniques from fields such as statistical physics now allow us to identify the precise interaction rules used by animals on the move. These interaction rules differ not only between species, but also between individuals in the same group. These differences have wide-ranging implications, affecting how groups make collective decisions and driving the evolution of collective motion. Here, I describe how trajectory data can be used to infer how animals interact in moving groups. I give examples of the similarities and differences in the spatial and directional organisations of animal groups between species, and discuss the rules that animals use to achieve this organisation. I then explore how groups of the same species can exhibit different structures, and ask whether this results from individuals adapting their interaction rules. I then examine how the interaction rules between individuals in the same groups can also differ, and discuss how this can affect ecological and evolutionary processes. Finally, I suggest areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Herbert-Read
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, S-75106 Uppsala, Sweden
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18
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Marques DA, Lucek K, Haesler MP, Feller AF, Meier JI, Wagner CE, Excoffier L, Seehausen O. Genomic landscape of early ecological speciation initiated by selection on nuptial colour. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:7-24. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Alexander Marques
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Kay Lucek
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - Marcel Philipp Haesler
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Anna Fiona Feller
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Joana Isabel Meier
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Catherine E. Wagner
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Department of Botany, Biodiversity Institute; University of Wyoming; Laramie WY USA
| | - Laurent Excoffier
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics; Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
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Quantitative trait locus analysis of body shape divergence in nine-spined sticklebacks based on high-density SNP-panel. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26632. [PMID: 27226078 PMCID: PMC4880927 DOI: 10.1038/srep26632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable phenotypic differences between populations, caused by the selective effects of distinct environmental conditions, are of commonplace occurrence in nature. However, the actual genomic targets of this kind of selection are still poorly understood. We conducted a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping study to identify genomic regions responsible for morphometric differentiation between genetically and phenotypically divergent marine and freshwater nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) populations. Using a dense panel of SNP-markers obtained by restriction site associated DNA sequencing of an F2 recombinant cross, we found 22 QTL that explained 3.5-12.9% of phenotypic variance in the traits under investigation. We detected one fairly large-effect (PVE = 9.6%) QTL for caudal peduncle length-a trait with a well-established adaptive function showing clear differentiation among marine and freshwater populations. We also identified two large-effect QTL for lateral plate numbers, which are different from the lateral plate QTL reported in earlier studies of this and related species. Hence, apart from identifying several large-effect QTL in shape traits showing adaptive differentiation in response to different environmental conditions, the results suggest intra- and interspecific heterogeneity in the genomic basis of lateral plate number variation.
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20
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Evolution of Schooling Behavior in Threespine Sticklebacks Is Shaped by the Eda Gene. Genetics 2016; 203:677-81. [PMID: 27052567 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.188342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite longstanding interest in the genetic mechanisms that underlie behavioral evolution, very few genes that underlie naturally occurring variation in behavior between individuals or species are known, particularly in vertebrates. Here, we build on our previous forward genetic mapping experiments and use transgenic approaches to identify Ectodysplasin as a gene that causes differences in schooling behavior between wild populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fish. This work provides rare insight into the proximate mechanisms that have shaped the evolution of vertebrate behavior.
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21
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Marques DA, Lucek K, Meier JI, Mwaiko S, Wagner CE, Excoffier L, Seehausen O. Genomics of Rapid Incipient Speciation in Sympatric Threespine Stickleback. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005887. [PMID: 26925837 PMCID: PMC4771382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological speciation is the process by which reproductively isolated populations emerge as a consequence of divergent natural or ecologically-mediated sexual selection. Most genomic studies of ecological speciation have investigated allopatric populations, making it difficult to infer reproductive isolation. The few studies on sympatric ecotypes have focused on advanced stages of the speciation process after thousands of generations of divergence. As a consequence, we still do not know what genomic signatures of the early onset of ecological speciation look like. Here, we examined genomic differentiation among migratory lake and resident stream ecotypes of threespine stickleback reproducing in sympatry in one stream, and in parapatry in another stream. Importantly, these ecotypes started diverging less than 150 years ago. We obtained 34,756 SNPs with restriction-site associated DNA sequencing and identified genomic islands of differentiation using a Hidden Markov Model approach. Consistent with incipient ecological speciation, we found significant genomic differentiation between ecotypes both in sympatry and parapatry. Of 19 islands of differentiation resisting gene flow in sympatry, all were also differentiated in parapatry and were thus likely driven by divergent selection among habitats. These islands clustered in quantitative trait loci controlling divergent traits among the ecotypes, many of them concentrated in one region with low to intermediate recombination. Our findings suggest that adaptive genomic differentiation at many genetic loci can arise and persist in sympatry at the very early stage of ecotype divergence, and that the genomic architecture of adaptation may facilitate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Marques
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Kay Lucek
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Joana I. Meier
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Salome Mwaiko
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Catherine E. Wagner
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Laurent Excoffier
- Computational and Molecular Population Genetics Lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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Genetic Architecture of Conspicuous Red Ornaments in Female Threespine Stickleback. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2015; 6:579-88. [PMID: 26715094 PMCID: PMC4777121 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.024505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Explaining the presence of conspicuous female ornaments that take the form of male-typical traits has been a longstanding challenge in evolutionary biology. Such female ornaments have been proposed to evolve via both adaptive and nonadaptive evolutionary processes. Determining the genetic underpinnings of female ornaments is important for elucidating the mechanisms by which such female traits arise and persist in natural populations, but detailed information about their genetic basis is still scarce. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of two ornaments, the orange-red throat and pelvic spine, in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Throat coloration is male-specific in ancestral marine populations but has evolved in females in some derived stream populations, whereas sexual dimorphism in pelvic spine coloration is variable among populations. We find that ornaments share a common genetic architecture between the sexes. At least three independent genomic regions contribute to red throat coloration, and harbor candidate genes related to pigment production and pigment cell differentiation. One of these regions is also associated with spine coloration, indicating that both ornaments might be mediated partly via pleiotropic genetic mechanisms.
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