Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Moises A. Bernal, Daniel L. Yule, Wendylee Stott, Lori Evrard, Thomas E. Dowling, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft
Summary: Groups of sympatric taxa with low interspecific genetic differentiation, but considerable ecological differences, offer great opportunities to study the dynamics of divergence and speciation. This study on the ciscoes in Laurentian Great Lakes used morphometrics, stable isotopes, and transcriptome sequencing to understand the relationships within the Coregonus artedi complex in western Lake Superior. The results showed general concordance for morphological, ecological, and genomic variation, with the genomic data being more taxonomically informative.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amauris Hechavarria-Hernandez, Jose Lucas Martins Viana, Laurent Barbiero, Ary Tavares Rezende-Filho, Celia Regina Montes, Adolpho Jose Melfi, Anne Helene Fostier
Summary: The presence of high arsenic concentrations in the soda lakes of the Pantanal wetland is a unique case of natural arsenic contamination in South America. This study investigates the speciation of arsenic in these lakes, particularly regarding changes related to the trophic status and seasonality. The results show that the speciation of arsenic varies seasonally according to the wet or dry periods and water levels, with different distribution patterns in eutrophic and oligotrophic soda lakes. Cyanobacteria or macrophytes/algae play a role in the biotransformation of arsenic through their metabolic and detoxification processes.
Article
Ecology
Katherine E. Wenzell, Krissa A. Skogen, Jeremie B. Fant
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between floral trait evolution and pollinators, which is crucial for the diversification of flowering plants. The study finds that there is geographic variation in both floral traits and pollinator interactions, indicating that differences in pollinators may drive floral divergence.
Article
Biology
Emilie J. Richards, Christopher H. Martin
Summary: This study reports the discovery of an intermediate ecological form in a radiation of Cyprinodon pupfishes, highlighting the transition from a generalist to a specialist. The intermediate form is genetically differentiated from the generalist and specialist, and shares genetic variation with other scale-eating species. This research provides a new framework for studying the microevolutionary processes of ecological transitions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tiantian Wu, Pingping Liu, Xintian He, Hongmei Xu, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: The study revealed significant seasonal variations in heavy metal elements in atmospheric fine particulate matter in Xi'an, China, with Cd and Pb posing higher risks to the environment and human health. Pb, Cd, Ni, and Zn were identified as potential bioavailable elements with strong biological toxicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hualong Hong, Binghuang Zhang, Haoliang Lu
Summary: The study found that metal content in sediments of the Zhangjiang Estuary mangrove wetland is higher in the dry season compared to the wet season, with significant accumulation of metals in mangrove sites compared to mudflats. Metals were mainly found in the acid-soluble fraction in the dry season, with lead posing a higher environmental risk during this period.
Article
Ecology
Helena Raposeira, Pedro Horta, Ruben Heleno, Hugo Rebelo
Summary: Understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of biological communities in response to environmental drivers is crucial for predicting the impact of environmental change on biodiversity. In this study, we examined bat diversity across an altitudinal gradient and identified the main environmental factors shaping bat communities. By assessing species' vulnerability to foreseeable environmental changes, we found that altitude, forest cover, and shrub cover were the key drivers influencing bat communities year-round. Interestingly, the vulnerability of bats did not always align with their conservation status, highlighting the importance of considering ecological plasticity in conservation strategies.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gregory L. Owens, Marco Todesco, Natalia Bercovich, Jean-Sebastien Legare, Nora Mitchell, Kenneth D. Whitney, Loren H. Rieseberg
Summary: The origins of the texanus subspecies of Helianthus annuus in Texas are likely not from introgression with the local congener H. debilis, but rather from introgression with the sister species H. argophyllus. Genomic differentiation in H. a. texanus is mainly driven by large segregating inversions, some of which show signs of natural selection based on haplotype frequencies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen Teng, Huiru Fu, Zhuanzhuan Li, Qian Zhang, Chengxun Xu, Hong Yu, Lingfeng Kong, Shikai Liu, Qi Li
Summary: Parallel diversification provides a framework for studying the role of natural selection in evolution. In this study, a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Crassostrea angulata was presented and the parallel genomic evolution in oysters was investigated. The results showed that divergent and purifying selection has contributed to the genomic parallelism between southern and northern latitudes in two oyster species pairs. The top differentiated genomic regions shared in these species pairs contained candidate genes related to energy metabolism, especially adipogenesis.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Grace O. Vaughan, Holly A. Shiels, John A. Burt
Summary: The study found that the abundance and composition of reef fish in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf are significantly influenced by seasonal temperature changes, with more fish in summer than in winter. Nine key fish species drove the seasonal differences, accounting for 70% of the divergence in community structure between summer and winter.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huanhuan Zhang, Rui Li, Chengpeng Huang, Xiaofei Li, Shuwei Dong, Fu Wang, Tingting Li, Yizhu Chen, Guohua Zhang, Yan Ren, Qingcai Chen, Ru-jin Huang, Siyu Chen, Tao Xue, Xinming Wang, Mingjin Tang
Summary: This study investigated the seasonal variation of aerosol iron (Fe) solubility in both coarse (>1 μm) and fine (<1 μm) particles in Xi'an, a megacity in northwestern China. The total Fe concentrations were lowest in summer for both particle sizes, and dissolved Fe concentrations were highest in fall and winter for coarse particles and lowest in spring and summer for fine particles. Desert dust was the main source of total Fe, but not necessarily the dominant source of dissolved Fe. Fe solubility was lowest in spring and highest in winter for coarse particles, and highest in fall and lowest in spring and summer for fine particles. Fe solubility was found to be higher in air masses from local and nearby regions compared to those from long-distance transported desert regions. Compared to coarse particles, fine particles had similar Fe solubility in spring but higher in the other three seasons, and Fe solubility was always higher in fine particles within a given aerosol pH range. Correlations between aerosol Fe solubility and the relative abundance of acidic species were stronger for coarse particles than fine particles in all seasons. Fe solubility was found to increase with relative humidity and aerosol acidity for both particle sizes, highlighting the importance of aerosol liquid water and acidity in regulating Fe solubility through chemical processing.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lu Zhang, Lei Ji, Xi Liu, Xue Zhu, Kang Ning, Zhi Wang
Summary: The abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in surface water and groundwater were found to vary inconsistently with seasonal changes. The relationship between ARGs in surface water and groundwater was stronger during the rainy season. Additionally, land use had a greater impact on ARGs in surface water, especially during the dry season. Stochastic mechanisms mediated by mobile gene elements (MGEs) significantly contributed to ARG assemblages, particularly in groundwater.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arne Jacobs, Kathryn R. Elmer
Summary: Research on the replicated postglacial divergence of Arctic charr into sympatric benthic and pelagic ecotypes reveals the significance of alternative splicing and differential gene expression, primarily controlled by independent cis-regulatory quantitative trait loci. While differentially spliced genes are enriched in muscle development, functioning, and highly central in regulatory networks, differentially expressed genes are associated with metabolism, immunity, and growth, indicating complementary molecular processes in rapid parallel adaptive evolution.
Article
Environmental Studies
Fabio Suzart de Albuquerque, Heather L. Bateman, Cameron Boehme, Daniel C. Allen, Luis Cayuela
Summary: This study further investigates the decline in avian diversity in urban desert ecosystems, focusing on the effects of land-use and land-cover types, vegetation greenness, climate factors, and their interactions on avian seasonal variation abundance and richness. Results show that land-use types are the most important predictor of avian abundance and richness, with vegetation greenness and climate factors also playing significant roles in influencing avian distribution patterns. Temperature and precipitation have moderate effects on avian abundance and richness, highlighting the sensitivity of birds to changes in land cover and climate.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emanuel C. Bertol, Cristiane Biasi, Rafael C. Loureiro, Albanin A. Mielniczki-Pereira, Rozane M. Restello, Luiz U. Hepp
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of arsenic on aquatic hyphomycetes assemblages. Arsenic negatively affected species richness and composition of hyphomycetes, but had no effect on sporulation rates. Therefore, arsenic changed the composition of aquatic hyphomycetes.
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Magnus W. Jacobsen, Nana W. Jensen, Rasmus Nygaard, Kim Praebel, Bjarni Jonsson, Nynne Hjort Nielsen, Jose M. Pujolar, Dylan J. Fraser, Louis Bernatchez, Michael M. Hansen
Summary: This study analysed the mitochondrial genomes of different populations of Arctic char, revealing the phylogeographic relationships between different lineages and potential refugia and colonisation routes. The study found a secondary contact zone between Arctic and Atlantic evolutionary lineages in western Greenland, estimated the divergence time of lineages and the time of the most recent common ancestor, and suggested a complex history involving cryptic refugia or multiple recolonisations.
ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seth R. Smith, Eric Normandeau, Haig Djambazian, Pubudu M. Nawarathna, Pierre Berube, Andrew M. Muir, Jiannis Ragoussis, Chantelle M. Penney, Kim T. Scribner, Gordon Luikart, Chris C. Wilson, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: In this study, an annotated, chromosome-anchored genome assembly for Lake Trout was generated using various sequencing techniques, resulting in a highly contiguous assembly. Analysis revealed insights into homeologs resulting from a salmonid-specific autotetraploid event and homologous chromosomes in related taxa, providing valuable resources for future genomic research.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Catherine R. M. Attard, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Chris J. Brauer, Peter J. Unmack, David Schmarr, Louis Bernatchez, Luciano B. Beheregaray
Summary: This study investigates the persistence of adaptive variation in small populations of desert rainbowfish through population genomic diversity analysis and satellite-derived surface water data integration. The findings suggest that positive selection in refugial subpopulations combined with connectivity during flood periods can enable retention of adaptive diversity, allowing the species to persist in the desert environment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quentin Rougemont, Amanda Xuereb, Xavier Dallaire, Jean-Sebastien Moore, Eric Normandeau, Eric B. Rondeau, Ruth E. Withler, Donald M. Van Doornik, Penelope A. Crane, Kerry A. Naish, John Carlos Garza, Terry D. Beacham, Ben F. Koop, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: This study investigated the genomic basis of local adaptation in Coho salmon across North America and found that migration distance is the primary selective factor. Several candidate genetic variations associated with long-distance migration and altitude were also identified.
Article
Ecology
Hugo Cayuela, Staffan Jacob, Nicolas Schtickzelle, Rik Verdonck, Herve Philippe, Martin Laporte, Michele Huet, Louis Bernatchez, Delphine Legrand
Summary: Phenotypic plasticity refers to the ability of one genotype to produce different phenotypes in different environments, and transgenerational plasticity allows the transmission of this environmentally-induced variation across generations. In this study, using a ciliate model-species, the researchers found that phenotypic traits related to dispersal are plastic and can be inherited over at least 35 generations. The fitness costs and benefits associated with these changes can also be passed on to further generations.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Anne-Laure Ferchaud, Claire Merot, Eric Normandeau, Jiannis Ragoussis, Charles Babin, Haig Djambazian, Pierre Berube, Celine Audet, Margaret Treble, Wojciech Walkusz, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: A chromosome-level reference genome for Greenland Halibut was successfully assembled using single-molecule sequencing and chromatin conformation capture sequencing data. The study revealed that Greenland Halibut possesses a male heterogametic XY system for sex determination, similar to other teleost fishes, and identified several candidate genes potentially involved in this process. Additionally, the study suggested a putative Y-autosomal fusion may be associated with reduced recombination during the early steps of sex chromosome evolution in flatfishes.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Laporte, C. S. Berger, E. Garcia-Machado, G. Cote, O. Morissette, L. Bernatchez
Summary: The study found that the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding can accurately assess the composition and spatial distribution of freshwater fish communities. In a transplant experiment in the St. Lawrence River, the eDNA of brown trout was detected at five locations up to 5,000 meters from the cage, but only one sampling location downstream from the cage showed a significant impact on community composition. Cluster analysis confirmed the impact of the brown trout eDNA on community composition, separating this location from others. No evidence of transport effect of brown trout eDNA on fish community composition was observed in other sampling locations.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Raphael Bouchard, Kyle Wellband, Laurie Lecomte, Louis Bernatchez, Julien April
Summary: Captive-breeding programs, although effective in mitigating biodiversity loss, can result in genetic and nongenetic changes that reduce the fitness of supplemented individuals. This study investigated the reproductive success and genetic diversity of Atlantic salmon stocked at the parr stage in Quebec, Canada. The findings suggest that parr-stage stocking leads to reduced reproductive success compared to wild salmon, but still improves relative reproductive success compared to other stocking practices. Additionally, the supplementation of captive-bred salmon significantly contributes to increasing genetic diversity.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Maeva Leitwein, Kyle Wellband, Hugo Cayuela, Jeremy Le Luyer, Kayla Mohns, Ruth Withler, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: Human activities and resource exploitation have led to a decline in wild salmonid populations. Conservation programs have been developed to supplement wild populations, but studies have shown reduced fitness of hatchery-born fish compared to wild fish. This study uses RNA sequencing and Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing to investigate gene expression differences between hatchery and wild-born Coho salmon. The results suggest that early-life hatchery-rearing environment-induced gene expression differentiation is maintained until the fish return to their natal river. The study highlights the importance of considering both the epigenome and transcriptome in large-scale supplementation programs.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Clare J. Venney, Kyle W. Wellband, Eric Normandeau, Carolyne Houle, Dany Garant, Celine Audet, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: This study investigates the effects of parental and offspring temperatures on DNA methylation in brook charr. The results show that parental maturation temperature has a significant impact on offspring methylation, while offspring rearing temperature has a minimal effect. The intergenerational inheritance of DNA methylation could facilitate adaptation to a warming environment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chris J. Brauer, Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo, Katie Gates, Michael P. Hammer, Peter J. Unmack, Louis Bernatchez, Luciano B. Beheregaray
Summary: Under climate change, species without the ability to shift their range rely on genetic variation for adaptation. Genomic vulnerability studies often overlook hybridization as a source of adaptive variation. This study found that hybrid populations of rainbowfish showed reduced vulnerability to climate change compared to pure narrow endemics, highlighting the importance of hybrid populations and adaptive introgression in the evolutionary rescue of species with narrow environmental ranges.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Florent Sylvestre, Claire Merot, Eric Normandeau, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: Differences between sexes in trait fitness optima can contribute to genetic diversity through balancing selection, but detecting such conflicts is challenging. Recent studies have found that duplications on sexual chromosomes can create misleading signals of intralocus sexual conflicts. In this study, we investigated intralocus sexual conflicts in three-spined sticklebacks and found only two regions that showed potential conflicts and signals of balancing selection. These results suggest that most intralocus sexual conflicts are transient and do not drive long-term balancing selection.
Article
Parasitology
Chloe Suzanne Berger, Berenice Bougas, Guillaume Cote, Jean-Francois Dumont, Louis Bernatchez
Summary: The ability to systematically detect parasitic infection, even without visible signs, is crucial for accurate conservation policies. In particular, the nematode Anguillicola crassus poses a potential threat to eel populations. The authors present a real-time PCR-based method to detect A. crassus infection in both final and intermediate hosts. By using this method, they were able to detect the DNA of A. crassus in both zooplankton and individual swim bladders. This method allows for early detection of A. crassus infection in nature, going beyond previous protocols.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Louis Bernatchez, Anne-Laure Ferchaud, Chloe Suzanne Berger, Clare J. Venney, Amanda Xuereb
Summary: With global climate change causing drastic changes in environmental conditions, it is crucial to understand how organisms respond and adapt to these changes. Recent advancements in genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic technologies provide unprecedented insights into the evolutionary processes and molecular mechanisms of adaptation. This review summarizes the methods that utilize omics tools to investigate, monitor, and predict the responses of species and communities to global climate change, highlighting the need for holistic, multi-omics approaches.
NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Swantje Enge, Claire Merot, Raimondas Mozuraitis, Violeta Apsegaite, Louis Bernatchez, Gerrit A. Martens, Sandra Radziute, Henrik Pavia, Emma L. Berdan
Summary: In this study, researchers found that a overdominant supergene in seaweed flies strongly modulates male traits but only weakly affects female traits. Gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection revealed that females can sense male traits and there may be differential perception between genotypes. Gene expression analysis showed that candidate genes for trait biosynthesis primarily showed differential expression in males, while odorant detection genes were differentially expressed in both sexes but showed high levels of divergence between supergene haplotypes. The reduced recombination between supergene haplotypes may have led to rapid divergence in mate preferences and increasing linkage between male traits and overdominant loci, helping to maintain the polymorphism despite deleterious effects in homozygotes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
