Article
Entomology
Goran Zivanovic, Concepcio Arenas, Francesc Mestres
Summary: Climate change is a serious problem that can permanently alter ecosystems. Many species adapt to new climatic conditions through natural selection. The inversion chromosomal polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura provides a natural system to study such adaptations.
Article
Biology
Katarina Eric, Marija Savic Veselinovic, Aleksandra Patenkovic, Slobodan Davidovic, Pavle Eric, Marina Stamenkovic-Radak, Marija Tanaskovic
Summary: Drosophila subobscura is a good model species for studying population adaptation to climate change. Research has shown that inversion frequencies change in response to environmental factors, indicating their role in adaptation. The mechanisms behind organisms' responses to temperature are complex and involve changes in physiology, behavior, gene expression, and regulation. The ability of a population to respond to suboptimal conditions depends on genetic variation and population history. Our study investigated the response to temperature in D. subobscura individuals from different altitudes, using traditional cytogenetic techniques and assessing Hsp70 protein expression. Our results demonstrate that local adaptation and population history influence population response to temperature change.
Article
Biology
Yun Wang, Franz Baumdicker, Paul Schweiger, Sven Kuenzel, Fabian Staubach
Summary: The study reveals the significant impact of microbial genomic variation on host fitness, with the thiamine biosynthesis pathway playing a role in the variation of offspring production in Drosophila. Horizontal gene transfer can enhance microbiome flexibility and potentially contribute to host adaptation.
Article
Virology
Parastoo Pouraziz, Milad Yousefi, Adyatma Irawan Santosa, Davoud Koolivand
Summary: Viral symptoms were observed in cucurbits in Iran, and the main suspected causal agent, cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV), was detected and analyzed for genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Iranian isolates belonged to two major clades, Asian and Mediterranean.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Morales-Pison, Julio C. Tapia, Sarai Morales-Gonzalez, Edio Maldonado, Monica Acuna, Gloria M. Calaf, Lilian Jara
Summary: This study found that specific germline variants in driver genes MAP3K1, SF3B1, and SMAD4 contribute to the risk of breast cancer in the Chilean population.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ari Winbush, Nadia D. Singh
Summary: This study utilized experimental temperature-evolved populations of Drosophila melanogaster to reveal heritable differences in recombination rates at different temperature regimes. Whole-genome sequencing and identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with significant allele frequency differences between populations provided insight into potential candidate genes responsible for observed recombination rate variation.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brandon M. Baker, Mary Anna Carbone, Wen Huang, Robert R. H. Anholt, Trudy F. C. Mackay
Summary: This study used Drosophila melanogaster to map the genetic basis of voluntary consumption of cocaine and methamphetamine. Significant phenotypic variation in drug consumption was found in both sexes, with genes associated with nervous system implicated. The genetic basis of voluntary drug consumption in fruit flies is polygenic and involves genes with human orthologs and sex-and drug-specific effects.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark A. Phillips, Ian C. Kutch, Kaitlin M. McHugh, Savannah K. Taggard, Molly K. Burke
Summary: Synthetic recombinant populations are useful for dissecting the genetics of complex traits, with different construction methods affecting genetic variation and adaptive potential in the populations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Chitrang Dani, Vasu Sheeba
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of circadian clocks and rhythms in Drosophila reared under naturally varying time cues. The results show that flies reared under semi-natural conditions have different eclosion timing compared to laboratory-reared flies, particularly in harsh environments. The phenotype of timing differences appears to be responsive to seasonal changes in temperature cycles.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Yuval Sapir, Kate Gallagher, Esther Senden
Summary: Natural selection acts on phenotypic trait variation, with flower color being one of the most conspicuous and diverse traits. Variation can be maintained through balancing selection, frequency-dependent selection, or other mechanisms. Investigating these mechanisms can provide important insights into the evolutionary drivers of trait variation.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Meriem Aloui, Asma Mahjoub, Najah Ben Cheikh, Ndiko Ludidi, Chedly Abdelly, Mounawer Badri
Summary: Soil salinity is a major environmental factor affecting crop productivity worldwide. In this study, the salt responses of four Tunisian populations of Medicago ciliaris were investigated using a morpho-physiological approach. The results showed that the measured traits exhibited significant differences between populations under control treatment and salt stress, and salt tolerance was found to be highly heritable. Furthermore, positive correlations were observed between certain characteristics related to development. The findings of this study can contribute to the identification and breeding of salt-tolerant lines of M. ciliaris.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle P. Harwood, Isabel Alves, Hilary Edgington, Mawusse Agbessi, Vanessa Bruat, David Soave, Fabien C. Lamaze, Marie-Julie Fave, Philip Awadalla
Summary: Understanding how the genetic composition of a population changes through processes like genetic drift and selection is crucial for understanding phenotypic variation in time and space. This study shows how evolutionary forces, including recombination and effective population size, affect genomic patterns of allele-specific expression (ASE). The research integrates tissue-specific genetic and transcriptomic data from two cohorts and demonstrates that ASE is influenced by recombination rates and can be used to underexpress harmful mutations. Genetic ancestry and local environment also have an impact on ASE variability.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine H. Shaw, Craig Dent, Travis K. Johnson, Alisha Anderson, Marien de Bruyne, Coral G. Warr
Summary: Research shows that olfactory behaviors in fruit flies are regulated by a large odorant receptor gene family, with variant alleles at the Or22 locus affecting the response properties of ab3A neurons and leading to changes in odorant preference and oviposition site preference in fruit flies.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Claire Burny, Viola Nolte, Marlies Dolezal, Christian Schloetterer
Summary: This study used a modified evolve and resequence (E&R) design to investigate polygenic adaptation in fruit flies, by exposing them to a high-temperature environment. The findings suggest that the X chromosome shows a stronger selection response than autosomes, possibly due to dominance effects, and that adaptive responses were more pronounced in a two-genotype experiment compared to classic E&R studies.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Alejandra Bodelon, Marie Fablet, Daniel Siqueira de Oliveira, Cristina Vieira, Maria Pilar Garcia Guerreiro
Summary: Global warming is causing insect populations to adapt and move, which in turn triggers genetic responses. This study investigated the effects of heat stress on gene expression, TE expression, and small RNA production in Drosophila subobscura. The results showed that gene expression and small RNA production were affected by heat stress, while TE expression remained relatively stable. This study provides valuable insights into how species adapt to climate change.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jorge F. Vazquez-Castellanos, Sergio Serrano-Villar, Nuria Jimenez-Hernandez, Maria Dolores Soto del Rio, Sara Gayo, David Rojo, Manuel Ferrer, Coral Barbas, Santiago Moreno, Vicente Estrada, Tomas Rattei, Amparo Latorre, Andres Moya, Maria Jose Gosalbes
Article
Microbiology
Diego Santos-Garcia, Ksenia Juravel, Shiri Freilich, Einat Zchori-Fein, Amparo Latorre, Andres Moya, Shai Morin, Francisco J. Silva
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Dzunkova, Daniel Martinez-Martinez, Roman Gardlik, Michal Behuliak, Katarina Jansakova, Nuria Jimenez, Jorge F. Vazquez-Castellanos, Jose Manuel Marti, Giuseppe D'Auria, H. M. H. N. Bandara, Amparo Latorre, Peter Celec, Andres Moya
NPJ BIOFILMS AND MICROBIOMES
(2018)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Goran Zivanovic, Conxita Arenas, Francesc Mestres
Article
Entomology
Raquel Madrenas, Joan Balanya, Concepcio Arenas, Manhaz Khadem, Francesc Mestres
ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
L. A. Ibarra-Juarez, M. A. J. Burton, P. H. W. Biedermann, L. Cruz, D. Desgarennes, E. Ibarra-Laclette, A. Latorre, A. Alonso-Sanchez, E. Villafan, G. Hanako-Rosas, L. Lopez, M. Vazquez-Rosas-Landa, G. Carrion, D. Carrillo, A. Moya, A. Lamelas
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Goran Zivanovic, Concepcio Arenas, Francesc Mestres
Summary: The adaptive value of chromosomal inversions in evolutionary biology continues to raise questions. Studies on Drosophila species show that thermal adapted inversions are significantly associated with temperature-related principal components, with a significant increase in minimum temperature observed over the years. However, stability in chromosomal inversion polymorphism was observed over a certain period of time, possibly due to the selective processes acting on the population.
Article
Biology
Maria Munoz-Benavent, Amparo Latorre, Ester Alemany-Cosme, Jesus Marin-Miret, Rebeca Dominguez-Santos, Francisco J. Silva, Rosario Gil, Carlos Garcia-Ferris
Summary: The German cockroach Blattella germanica serves as a good model to study complex symbiotic relationships due to the presence of both the endosymbiont Blattabacterium and the gut microbiota. While the role of the endosymbiont has been clarified, the function of the gut microbiota remains uncertain. By investigating the impact of endosymbiont removal on the host's fitness, researchers aim to gain insights into the intricate symbiotic interactions within this system.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victor Ojeda, Bruna Serra, Claudia Lagares, Eva Rojo-Francas, Maria Selles, Elena Marco-Herrero, Encarnacion Garcia, Marc Farre, Concepcio Arenas, Pere Abello, Francesc Mestres
Summary: This study investigated the connectivity between marine populations in the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition zone and its relationship with oceanographic fronts. The results showed the presence of two distinct haplogroups in the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, with their distribution influenced by the presence and changes in oceanographic fronts. These findings highlight the importance of considering physical barriers in conservation and fisheries policies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ariadna Colmenero, Bruna Serra, Claudia Lagares, Eva Rojo-Francas, Jose L. Perez-Gil, Francesc Mestres, Pere Abello
Summary: The molecular diversity of Geryon longipes in the Western Mediterranean was studied, revealing 7 distinct haplotypes and three well-differentiated regions. Comparisons with Liocarcinus depurator showed similar molecular diversity parameters but a higher number of haplotypes. Comparison with other populations' sequences from the DNA repository confirmed the presence of a single additional haplotype.
Article
Entomology
Goran Zivanovic, Concepcio Arenas, Francesc Mestres
Summary: Climate change is a serious problem that can permanently alter ecosystems. Many species adapt to new climatic conditions through natural selection. The inversion chromosomal polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura provides a natural system to study such adaptations.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Manhaz Khadem, Concepcio Arenas, Joan Balanya, Francesc Mestres
Summary: This study analyzed the chromosomal polymorphism for inversions in the isolated and marginal population of Drosophila subobscura in the Hyrcanian forests area of Iran. The results showed that the chromosomal polymorphism has changed in this population compared to samples obtained 57 years ago. The similarity of the polymorphism to an isolated Atlantic island suggests that the marginal location and isolation play a role. The increase in the chromosomal thermal index (CTI) also aligns with expectations of global warming. Additionally, the study compared populations from different geographic areas to understand the adaptive potential of D. subobscura.
JOURNAL OF GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maria Munoz-Benavent, Felix Hartkopf, Tim V. D. Bossche, Vitor C. Piro, Carlos Garcia-Ferris, Amparo Latorre, Bernhard Y. Renard, Thilo Muth
NAR GENOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS
(2020)
Article
Zoology
Maria Galludo, Jordi Canals, Laura Pineda-Cirera, Carla Esteve, Maria Rossello, Raquel Madrenas, Joan Balanya, Conxita Arenas, Francesc Mestres
NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Carla Esteve, Claudia Lagares, Francesc Mestres
JOURNAL OF GENETICS
(2020)