Evolution of Heat Sensors Drove Shifts in Thermosensation between Xenopus Species Adapted to Different Thermal Niches.

ABSTRACT: Temperature is one of the most critical environmental factors affecting survival, and thus species that inhabit different thermal niches have evolved thermal sensitivities suitable for their respective habitats. During the process of shifting thermal niches, various types of genes expressed in diverse tissues, including those of the peripheral to central nervous systems, are potentially involved in the evolutionary changes in thermosensation. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind the evolution of thermosensation, thermal responses were compared between two species of clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis) adapted to different thermal environments. X. laevis was much more sensitive to heat stimulation than X. tropicalis at the behavioral and neural levels. The activity

SUBMITTER: Saito S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4900287 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature