Project description:Cichlids fishes exhibit extensive phenotypic diversification and speciation. In this study we integrate transcriptomic and proteomic signatures from two cichlids species, identify novel open reading frames (nORFs) and perform evolutionary analysis on these nORF regions. We embark comparative transrcriptomics and proteogenomic analysis of two metabolically active tissues, the testes and liver, of two cichlid species Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia, ON) and Pundamilia nyererei (Makobe Island, PN). Our results suggest that the time scale of speciation of the two species can be better explained by the evolutionary divergence of these nORF genomic regions.
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 5’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.
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.
Project description:Inheritance and plasticity of epigenetic divergence characterise early stages of speciation in an incipient cichlid species of an African crater lake.
Project description:Genomes of closely-related species or populations often display localized regions of enhanced relative sequence divergence, termed genomic islands. It has been proposed that these islands arise through selective sweeps and/or barriers to gene flow. Here, we genetically dissect a genomic island that controls flower color pattern differences between two subspecies of Antirrhinum, A.m.striatum and A.m.pseudomajus, and relate it to clinal variation across a natural hybrid zone. We show that selective sweeps likely raised relative divergence at two tightly-linked MYB-like transcription factors, leading to distinct flower patterns in the two subspecies. The two patterns provide alternate floral guides and create a strong barrier to gene flow where populations come into contact. This barrier affects the selected flower color genes and tightly linked loci, but does not extend outside of this domain, allowing gene flow to lower relative divergence for the rest of the chromosome. Thus, both selective sweeps and barriers to gene flow play a role in shaping genomic islands: sweeps cause elevation in relative divergence while heterogeneous gene flow flattens the surrounding “sea”, making the island of divergence stand out. By showing how selective sweeps establish alternative adaptive phenotypes that lead to barriers to gene flow, our study sheds light on possible mechanisms leading to reproductive isolation and speciation.
Project description:After the end of the last ice age, ancestrally marine threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have undergone an adaptive radiation into freshwater environments throughout the Northern Hemisphere, creating an excellent model system for studying molecular adaptation and speciation. Stickleback populations are reproductively isolated to varying degrees, despite the fact that they can be crossed in the lab to produce viable offspring. Ecological and behavioral factors have been suggested to underlie incipient stickleback speciation. However, reproductive proteins represent a previously unexplored driver of speciation. As mediators of gamete recognition during fertilization, reproductive proteins both create and maintain species boundaries. Gamete recognition proteins are also frequently found to be rapidly evolving, and their divergence may culminate in reproductive isolation and ultimately speciation. As an initial investigation into the contribution of reproductive proteins to stickleback reproductive isolation, we characterized the egg coat proteome of threespine stickleback eggs. In agreement with other teleosts, we find that stickleback egg coats are comprised of homologs to the zona pellucida (ZP) proteins ZP1 and ZP3. We explore aspects of stickleback ZP protein biology, including glycosylation, disulfide bonding, and sites of synthesis, and find many substantial differences compared to their mammalian homologs. Furthermore, molecular evolutionary analyses indicate that ZP3, but not ZP1, has experienced positive Darwinian selection across teleost fish. Taken together, these changes to stickleback ZP protein architecture suggest that the egg coats of stickleback fish, and perhaps fish more generally, have evolved to fulfill a more protective functional role than their mammalian counterparts.
Project description:After the end of the last ice age, ancestrally marine threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have undergone an adaptive radiation into freshwater environments throughout the Northern Hemisphere, creating an excellent model system for studying molecular adaptation and speciation. Stickleback populations are reproductively isolated to varying degrees, despite the fact that they can be crossed in the lab to produce viable offspring. Ecological and behavioral factors have been suggested to underlie incipient stickleback speciation. However, reproductive proteins represent a previously unexplored driver of speciation. As mediators of gamete recognition during fertilization, reproductive proteins both create and maintain species boundaries. Gamete recognition proteins are also frequently found to be rapidly evolving, and their divergence may culminate in reproductive isolation and ultimately speciation. As an initial investigation into the contribution of reproductive proteins to stickleback reproductive isolation, we characterized the egg coat proteome of threespine stickleback eggs. In agreement with other teleosts, we find that stickleback egg coats are comprised of homologs to the zona pellucida (ZP) proteins ZP1 and ZP3. We explore aspects of stickleback ZP protein biology, including glycosylation, disulfide bonding, and sites of synthesis, and find many substantial differences compared to their mammalian homologs. Furthermore, molecular evolutionary analyses indicate that ZP3, but not ZP1, has experienced positive Darwinian selection across teleost fish. Taken together, these changes to stickleback ZP protein architecture suggest that the egg coats of stickleback fish, and perhaps fish more generally, have evolved to fulfill a more protective functional role than their mammalian counterparts.