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Phenotypic plasticity of a winter-diapause mechanism copes with the effects of summer global warming in an ectothermic predator.

ABSTRACT: To adapt to changes in temperature, animals tend to invest more energy in thermal tolerance to enhance survival, which can have simultaneous costs on plastic traits. Would a decrease in genetic variability, due to global warming, affect the ability of populations with existing metabolic regulatory mechanisms to cope with extreme temperatures? To address this question, we conducted a series of experiments based on the A1B scenario of global warming, assessing within-population genetic variance in (a) morphological traits, (b) metabolic rate allometries, and (c) survival of a winter-diapausing predator ectotherm. Our study focused on the lacewing species Chrysoperla pallida, using both exogamic and endogamic artificial genetic lines. We discovered that both lines use their winter-diapausing phenotype to adapt to summer extreme temperatures caused by extreme heating conditions, but the exogamic line is prone to express phenotypic plasticity in metabolic scaling, with a trade-off between body size and mandible size, i.e. larger individuals tended to develop smaller mandibles to better survive. These findings highlight the significance of substantial phenotypic plasticity and pre-existing metabolic regulatory mechanisms in enabling ectotherms to cope with potential extreme heating occurring in global warming.

SUBMITTER: Alvarez HA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10792392 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Phenotypic plasticity of a winter-diapause mechanism copes with the effects of summer global warming in an ectothermic predator.

Álvarez Hugo Alejandro HA Ruano Francisca F

Biology letters 20240117 1

To adapt to changes in temperature, animals tend to invest more energy in thermal tolerance to enhance survival, which can have simultaneous costs on plastic traits. Would a decrease in genetic variability, due to global warming, affect the ability of populations with existing metabolic regulatory mechanisms to cope with extreme temperatures? To address this question, we conducted a series of experiments based on the A1B scenario of global warming, assessing within-population genetic variance in ...[more]

PMID: 38229555

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Project description:BackgroundPredator-induced defences are a prominent example of phenotypic plasticity found from single-celled organisms to vertebrates. The water flea Daphnia pulex is a very convenient ecological genomic model for studying predator-induced defences as it exhibits substantial morphological changes under predation risk. Most importantly, however, genetically identical clones can be transcriptionally profiled under both control and predation risk conditions and be compared due to the availability of the sequenced reference genome. Earlier gene expression analyses of candidate genes as well as a tiled genomic microarray expression experiment have provided insights into some genes involved in predator-induced phenotypic plasticity. Here we performed the first RNA-Seq analysis to identify genes that were differentially expressed in defended vs. undefended D. pulex specimens in order to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying predator-induced defences at a qualitatively novel level.ResultsWe report 230 differentially expressed genes (158 up- and 72 down-regulated) identified in at least two of three different assembly approaches. Several of the differentially regulated genes belong to families of paralogous genes. The most prominent classes amongst the up-regulated genes include cuticle genes, zinc-metalloproteinases and vitellogenin genes. Furthermore, several genes from this group code for proteins recruited in chromatin-reorganization or regulation of the cell cycle (cyclins). Down-regulated gene classes include C-type lectins, proteins involved in lipogenesis, and other families, some of which encode proteins with no known molecular function.ConclusionsThe RNA-Seq transcriptome data presented in this study provide important insights into gene regulatory patterns underlying predator-induced defences. In particular, we characterized different effector genes and gene families found to be regulated in Daphnia in response to the presence of an invertebrate predator. These effector genes are mostly in agreement with expectations based on observed phenotypic changes including morphological alterations, i.e., expression of proteins involved in formation of protective structures and in cuticle strengthening, as well as proteins required for resource re-allocation. Our findings identify key genetic pathways associated with anti-predator defences.

Project description:Background and aimsThe impact of global warming on life cycle timing is uncertain. We investigated changes in life cycle timing in a global warming scenario. We compared Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes adapted to the warm/dry Cape Verdi Islands (Cvi), Macaronesia, and the cool/wet climate of the Burren (Bur), Ireland, Northern Europe. These are obligate winter and summer annuals, respectively.MethodsUsing a global warming scenario predicting a 4 °C temperature rise from 2011 to approx. 2080, we produced F1 seeds at each end of a thermogradient tunnel. Each F1 cohort (cool and warm) then produced F2 seeds at both ends of the thermal gradient in winter and summer annual life cycles. F2 seeds from the winter life cycle were buried at three positions along the gradient to determine the impact of temperature on seedling emergence in a simulated winter life cycle.Key resultsIn a winter life cycle, increasing temperatures advanced flowering time by 10.1 d °C-1 in the winter annual and 4.9 d °C-1 in the summer annual. Plant size and seed yield responded positively to global warming in both ecotypes. In a winter life cycle, the impact of increasing temperature on seedling emergence timing was positive in the winter annual, but negative in the summer annual. Global warming reduced summer annual plant size and seed yield in a summer life cycle.ConclusionsSeedling emergence timing observed in the north European summer annual ecotype may exacerbate the negative impact of predicted increased spring and summer temperatures on their establishment and reproductive performance. In contrast, seedling establishment of the Macaronesian winter annual may benefit from higher soil temperatures that will delay emergence until autumn, but which also facilitates earlier spring flowering and consequent avoidance of high summer temperatures. Such plasticity gives winter annual arabidopsis ecotypes a distinct advantage over summer annuals in expected global warming scenarios. This highlights the importance of variation in the timing of seedling establishment in understanding plant species responses to anthropogenic climate change.

Dataset Information

Phenotypic plasticity of a winter-diapause mechanism copes with the effects of summer global warming in an ectothermic predator.

Publications

Phenotypic plasticity of a winter-diapause mechanism copes with the effects of summer global warming in an ectothermic predator.

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