Dataset Information

Intraspecific Variation in the Skin-Associated Microbiome of a Terrestrial Salamander.

ABSTRACT: Resident microbial communities living on amphibian skin can have significant effects on host health, yet the basic ecology of the host-microbiome relationship of many amphibian taxa is poorly understood. We characterized intraspecific variation in the skin microbiome of the salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica, a subspecies composed of four genetically distinct populations distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA. We found that salamanders from four geographically and genetically isolated populations harbor similar skin microbial communities, which are dominated by a common core set of bacterial taxa. Additionally, within a population, the skin microbiome does not appear to differ significantly between salamanders of different ages or sexes. In all cases, the salamander skin microbiomes were significantly different from those of the surrounding terrestrial environment. These results suggest that the relationship between E. e. xanthoptica salamanders and their resident skin microbiomes is conserved, possibly indicating a stable mutualism between the host and microbiome.

SUBMITTER: Prado-Irwin SR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5909955 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Intraspecific Variation in the Skin-Associated Microbiome of a Terrestrial Salamander.

Prado-Irwin Sofia R SR Bird Alicia K AK Zink Andrew G AG Vredenburg Vance T VT

Microbial ecology 20170502 3

Resident microbial communities living on amphibian skin can have significant effects on host health, yet the basic ecology of the host-microbiome relationship of many amphibian taxa is poorly understood. We characterized intraspecific variation in the skin microbiome of the salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica, a subspecies composed of four genetically distinct populations distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA. We found that ...[more]

PMID: 28466089

Similar Datasets

Project description:The data set submitted here contains the raw SNP genotyping data obtained from the analysis of 24 biparental segregating maize (Zea mays L.) populations and their respective parents. The processed and filtered data were used to construct genetic linkage maps which we used in our study of variation of recombination rate in maize. In sexually reproducing organisms, meiotic crossovers ensure the proper segregation of chromosomes and contribute to genetic diversity by shuffling allelic combinations. Such genetic reassortment is exploited in breeding to combine favorable alleles, and in genetic research to identify genetic factors underlying traits of interest via linkage or association-based approaches. Crossover numbers and distributions along chromosomes vary between species, but little is known about their intraspecies variation. In our study, we report on the variation of recombination rates between 22 European maize inbred lines that belong to the Dent and Flint gene pools. We genotyped 23 doubled-haploid populations derived from crosses between these lines with a 50k-SNP array and constructed high-density genetic maps, showing good correspondence with the maize B73 genome sequence assembly. By aligning each genetic map to the B73 sequence, we obtained the recombination rates along chromosomes specific to each population. We identified significant differences in recombination rates at the genome-wide, chromosome, and intrachromosomal levels between populations, as well as significant variation for genome-wide recombination rates among maize lines. Crossover interference analysis using a two-pathway modeling framework revealed a negative association between recombination rate and interference strength. To our knowledge, the present work provides the most comprehensive study on intraspecific variation of recombination rates and crossover interference strength in eukaryotes. Differences found in recombination rates will allow for selection of high or low recombining lines in crossing programs. Our methodology should pave the way for precise identification of genes controlling recombination rates in maize and other organisms.

Project description:The venom apparatus is a conserved organ in parasitoid wasps that shows adaptations correlated with life-style diversification. Recent venom analyses from selected species reveal considerable complexity and high diversity in venom composition existing not only between closely related species but even between strains and individuals, which may partly determine the potential for parasitoid adaptation. However, the investigations have paid little attention to secondary venom components that also have significant functions in parasitism, and the data in regard to full and accurate quantity of venom compositions at the protein level is not available. Using a combination of transcriptomic and label-free quantitative proteomic, we here explored the venom components of the endoparasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae (Eulophidae), a species devoid of polydnavirus, and provided an in-depth comparison of the venom proteomes between its two closely related strains, Tb-On and Tb-Bl. Results showed that approximately 1505 venom proteins were identified in the venom apparatus of T. brontispae, consistent with the classical venom protein characteristics, including enzymes, protease inhibitors, binding proteins and some immune related proteins. The venom extracts also contained novel venom proteins, such as kynurenine-oxoglutarate transaminase, 4-coumarate CoA ligase and venom protein r-like protein. Comparative venom proteomes revealed that significant quantitative and qualitative changes in venom composition occurred when Tb-Bl strain, with an invasive beetle Brontispae longissima pupa as its habitual host, was exposed to another invasive beetle Octodonta nipae pupa as host consecutively for two years; although the most abundant venom proteins were shared between them. These significantly differentially expressed proteins were mainly enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis and melanotic encapsulation response by enrichment analyses. Furthermore, most of the significantly enriched proteins presented strikingly increased levels or were exclusively identified in the Tb-On strain. These combined results indicated that virulence factors in Tb-On strain might be linked to lipid metabolism or more venom is required to inhibit O. nipae pupa’s melanotic encapsulation upon its parasitism. Altogether, our data reveal that venom composition can quickly evolve and respond to host selection, mainly through rapid changes in regulation of protein abundance and/or the emergence of multigenic families by gene duplication. Our data additionally provide invaluable data for further functional analysis of parasitoid venoms.

Project description:Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying snake venom variability provides important clues for understanding how the biological functions of this powerful toxic arsenal evolve. We analyzed in detail individual transcripts and venom protein isoforms produced by five specimens of a venomous snake (Bothrops atrox) from two nearby but genetically distinct populations from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest which show functional similarities in venom properties. Individual variation was observed among the venoms of these specimens, but the overall abundance of each general toxin family was conserved both in transcript and in venom protein levels. However, when expression of independent paralogues was analyzed, remarkable differences were observed within and among each toxin group, both between individuals and between populations. Transcripts for functionally essential venom proteins (“core function” proteins) were highly expressed in all specimens and showed similar transcription/translation rates. In contrast, other paralogues (“adaptive” proteins) showed lower expression levels and the toxins they coded for varied among different individuals. These results provide support for the inferences that (a) expression and translational differences play a greater role in defining adaptive variation in venom phenotypes than does sequence variation in protein coding genes and (b) convergent adaptive venom phenotypes can be generated through different molecular mechanisms. Significance: Analysis of individual transcripts and venom protein isoforms produced by specimens of a venomous snake (Bothrops atrox), from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, revealed that transcriptional and translational mechanisms contribute to venom phenotypic variation. Our finding of evidence for high expression of toxin proteins with conserved function supports the hypothesis that the venom phenotype consists of two kinds of proteins: conserved “core function” proteins that provide essential functional activities with broader relevance and less conserved “adaptive” proteins that vary in expression and may permit customization of protein function. These observations allowed us to suggest that genetic mechanisms controlling venom variability are not restricted to selection of gene copies or mutations in structural genes but also to selection of the mechanisms controlling gene expression, contributing to the plasticity of this important phenotype for venomous snakes.

Dataset Information

Intraspecific Variation in the Skin-Associated Microbiome of a Terrestrial Salamander.

Publications

Intraspecific Variation in the Skin-Associated Microbiome of a Terrestrial Salamander.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure