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Low genome-wide divergence between two lizard populations with high adaptive phenotypic differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Usually, adaptive phenotypic differentiation is paralleled by genetic divergence between locally adapted populations. However, adaptation can also happen in a scenario of nonsignificant genetic divergence due to intense gene flow and/or recent differentiation. While this phenomenon is rarely published, findings on incipient ecologically driven divergence or isolation by adaptation are relatively common, which could confound our understanding about the frequency at which they actually occur in nature. Here, we explore genome-wide traces of divergence between two populations of the lacertid lizard Psammodromus algirus separated by a 600 m elevational gradient. These populations seem to be differentially adapted to their environments despite showing low levels of genetic differentiation (according to previously studies of mtDNA and microsatellite data). We performed a search for outliers (i.e., loci subject to selection) trying to identify specific loci with F_ST statistics significantly higher than those expected on the basis of overall, genome-wide estimates of genetic divergence. We find that local phenotypic adaptation (in terms of a wide diversity of characters) was not accompanied by genome-wide differentiation, even when we maximized the chances of unveiling such differentiation at particular loci with F_ST-based outlier detection tests. Instead, our analyses confirmed the lack of genome-wide differentiation on the basis of more than 70,000 SNPs, which is concordant with a scenario of local adaptation without isolation by environment. Our results add evidence to previous studies in which local adaptation does not lead to any kind of isolation (or early stages of ecological speciation), but maintains phenotypic divergence despite the lack of a differentiated genomic background.

SUBMITTER: Llanos-Garrido A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8717303 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundMarine fish populations are often characterized by high levels of gene flow and correspondingly low genetic divergence. This presents a challenge to define management units. Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) is a heavily exploited species due to its importance as a cleaner-fish in commercial salmonid aquaculture. However, at the present, the population genetic structure of this species is still largely unresolved. Here, full-genome sequencing was used to produce the first genomic reference for this species, to study population-genomic divergence among four geographically distinct populations, and, to identify informative SNP markers for future studies.ResultsAfter construction of a de novo assembly, the genome was estimated to be highly polymorphic and of ~600Mbp in size. 33,235 SNPs were thereafter selected to assess genomic diversity and differentiation among four populations collected from Scandinavia, Scotland, and Spain. Global FST among these populations was 0.015-0.092. Approximately 4% of the investigated loci were identified as putative global outliers, and ~ 1% within Scandinavia. SNPs showing large divergence (FST > 0.15) were picked as candidate diagnostic markers for population assignment. One hundred seventy-three of the most diagnostic SNPs between the two Scandinavian populations were validated by genotyping 47 individuals from each end of the species' Scandinavian distribution range. Sixty-nine of these SNPs were significantly (p < 0.05) differentiated (mean FST_173_loci = 0.065, FST_69_loci = 0.140). Using these validated SNPs, individuals were assigned with high probability (≥ 94%) to their populations of origin.ConclusionsGoldsinny wrasse displays a highly polymorphic genome, and substantial population genomic structure. Diversifying selection likely affects population structuring globally and within Scandinavia. The diagnostic loci identified now provide a promising and cost-efficient tool to investigate goldsinny wrasse populations further.

Project description:Ecological speciation is a common mechanism by which new species arise. Despite great efforts, the role of gene expression in ecological divergence and speciation is poorly understood. Here, we conducted a genome-wide gene expression investigation of two Oryza species that are evolutionarily young and distinct in ecology and morphology. Using digital gene expression (DGE) technology and the paired-end RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) method, we obtained 21,415 expressed genes across three reproduction-related tissues at two critical developmental stages. Of them, ~8% (1717) differed significantly in expression levels between the two species and these differentially expressed genes are randomly distributed across the genome. Moreover, 62% (1064) of the differentially expressed genes exhibited a signature of directional selection in at least one species. Importantly, the genes with differential expression between species evolved more rapidly at the 5â??flanking sequences than the genes without differential expression relative to coding sequences, suggesting that cis-regulatory changes are likely adaptive and play an important role in the ecological divergence of the two species. Finally, we showed evidence of significant differentiation between species in phenotype traits and observed that genes with differential expression were overrepresented with functional terms involving phenotypic and ecological differentiation between the two species, including reproduction- and stress-related characteristics. Our findings demonstrate that ecological speciation is associated with widespread and adaptive alterations in genome-wide gene expression and highlight the dominant role of regulatory evolution in ecological divergence and adaptation. We selected accessions representing typical Oryza rufipogon and O. nivara, which were sampled exclusively from South and Southeast Asia where the two species overlap. We chose to collect three types of tissues, i.e., flag leaves at the heading stage (2â??7 cm above the primary branch) (L), panicles at the heading stage (H) and panicles at the flowering stage (10â??15 cm above the primary branch) (F). Sample collection was repeated twice in two consecutive years (2009 and 2010) under the same controlled conditions. A total of 36 samples were sequenced by Illuminaâ??s digital gene expression (DGE) system, with each type of tissues collected from six individuals of each species as biological replicates. To access the quality of DGE technology, we also selected six samples representing three tissues from each of two individuals (one individual per species) for paired-end RNA-Seq sequencing.

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Low genome-wide divergence between two lizard populations with high adaptive phenotypic differentiation.

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