Article
Soil Science
Xiaohua Wan, Zaipeng Yu, Mengjuan Wang, Yu Zhang, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Zhiqun Huang
Summary: This study explored how tree species richness affects soil microbial biomass and community composition through functional trait variation and community-weighted trait means. The findings indicated that an increase in tree species richness decreased total microbial biomass in the soil, with implications on gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria ratio and fungi to bacteria ratio based on leaf nitrogen content and leaf dry matter content traits.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas J. Mozdzer, Sophie E. Drew, Joshua S. Caplan, Paige E. Weber, Linda A. Deegan
Summary: Salt marshes have high carbon storage rates but excessive nutrient loads can alter carbon cycle processes. Research indicates that reducing nutrient loads can lead to rapid recovery of carbon cycle processes to reference levels, potentially enhancing carbon sequestration rates in blue carbon ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rhett M. Rautsaw, Tristan D. Schramer, Rachel Acuna, Lindsay N. Arick, Mark DiMeo, Kathryn P. Mercier, Michael Schrum, Andrew J. Mason, Mark J. Margres, Jason L. Strickland, Christopher L. Parkinson
Summary: The study reveals high intraspecific gene flow within the Nerodia fasciata-clarkii complex in Florida, but reduced gene flow is observed between inland and coastal lineages. The results demonstrate that ecological differences, particularly those caused by salinity, lead to divergent selection and promote species divergence despite significant gene flow.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Martijn F. L. Derks, Christian Gross, Marcos S. Lopes, Marcel J. T. Reinders, Mirte Bosse, Arne B. Gjuvsland, Dick de Ridder, Hendrik-Jan Megens, Martien A. M. Groenen
Summary: The genotype-phenotype link is complex and important in life sciences. Pigs are a valuable model for studying causal variations and molecular pathways underlying important phenotypes, and a new approach has been proposed in this study to accelerate the discovery of novel causal variants and molecular mechanisms affecting these phenotypes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hannah G. Reich, Sheila A. Kitchen, Kathryn H. Stankiewicz, Meghann Devlin-Durante, Nicole D. Fogarty, Iliana B. Baums
Summary: Research has shown genetic differentiation among Symbiodinium 'fitti' strains from different host taxa, likely influenced by unique selection pressures from host-associated microenvironments. The non-random sorting of S. 'fitti' strains to different hosts may be the basis for ecological specialization and ultimately speciation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anubhab Khan, Kaushalkumar Patel, Harsh Shukla, Ashwin Viswanathan, Tom van der Valk, Udayan Borthakur, Parag Nigam, Arun Zachariah, Yadavendradev Jhala, Marty Kardos, Uma Ramakrishnan
Summary: Habitat fragmentation leads to small populations, increasing the risk of inbreeding depression. Small populations can reduce inbreeding depression by purging deleterious recessive alleles. The study on Indian tiger populations found differences in inbreeding levels and mutation load between small and large populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gopalareddy Krishnappa, Siddanna Savadi, Bhudeva Singh Tyagi, Sanjay Kumar Singh, Harohalli Masthigowda Mamrutha, Satish Kumar, Chandra Nath Mishra, Hanif Khan, Krishnappa Gangadhara, Govindareddy Uday, Gyanendra Singh, Gyanendra Pratap Singh
Summary: Increasing the rate of crop improvement is crucial for sustained food production and meeting the needs of a growing population. Genomic selection offers accelerated breeding cycles through the rapid selection of superior genotypes, with advantages in prediction accuracy and efficiency over other breeding methods. Integrating novel technologies into GS can further enhance efficiency and speed, facilitating the development of new varieties.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaojuan Wang, Hua Rao, Jianxiang Ma, Xiaodan Chen, Guanglin Li, Guifang Zhao
Summary: By resequencing the whole genomes of natural populations of Eutrema salsugineum across its Asian and North American distributions, selection signals for genes involved in salt and other abiotic tolerance were detected at the species level. Additionally, local adaptation in North America-NE Russia and northern China led to selection signals in cold-induced and defense genes. These variations provide valuable insights for understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying stress tolerance and local adaptations in this model species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pascal Angst, Dieter Ebert, Peter D. Fields
Summary: Analyzing the genomic diversity variation in a species can provide valuable insights into its historical demography, biogeography, population structure, ecology, and evolution. This study focuses on the genomic variation of the microsporidia parasite Hamiltosporidium, which infects the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna. The study investigates the factors contributing to nucleotide variation, including the mode of reproduction, transmission, and geography. The results demonstrate two main parasite lineages and a pattern of isolation-by-distance, suggesting recent parasite spread through host populations and the loss of sexual reproduction.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Felicia N. New, Benjamin R. Baer, Andrew G. Clark, Martin T. Wells, Ilana L. Brito
Summary: This study examines the interactions between host genetics and gut microbiome by analyzing the gut microbiomes and human variants of 250 individuals. The findings reveal associations between host genetics and microbiome-related metabolic traits, disorders, and certain cancers. The study also identifies common and rare microbial functions that are associated with host genetics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Garrett A. Roberts Kingman, Deven N. Vyas, Felicity C. Jones, Shannon D. Brady, Heidi I. Chen, Kerry Reid, Mark Milhaven, Thomas S. Bertino, Windsor E. Aguirre, David C. Heins, Frank A. von Hippel, Peter J. Park, Melanie Kirch, Devin M. Absher, Richard M. Myers, Federica Di Palma, Michael A. Bell, David M. Kingsley, Krishna R. Veeramah
Summary: This study explores the repeated evolution in stickleback to identify key genomic loci that change during colonization of freshwater habitats by marine fish, showing rapid genotypic and phenotypic changes within 5 years. The speed and location of these changes can be predicted using empirical observations or fundamental genomic features, suggesting the importance of similar features for evolution across diverse taxa.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Neus Font-Porterias, Rocio Caro-Consuegra, Marcel Lucas-Sanchez, Marie Lopez, Aaron Gimenez, Annabel Carballo-Mesa, Elena Bosch, Francesc Calafell, Lluis Quintana-Murci, David Comas
Summary: The study reveals that the Roma genomes exhibit a long-term balance under the effects of founder effects and gene flow, providing insights into the genetic variation in admixed populations.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Victor Noguerales, Joaquin Ortego
Summary: Research shows that postdivergence gene flow can lead to various creative evolutionary outcomes, such as the transfer of beneficial alleles and the formation of new species through hybridization. By combining genomic and phenotypic data, this study confirmed that a grasshopper's dual feeding regime resulted from hybridization between sister taxa and proposed a model for hybrid speciation.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Tania Fabo, Paul Khavari
Summary: The burden of human disease lies primarily in polygenic diseases. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants and loci associated with complex traits since the early 2000s. Recent advances in genetics have utilized computational techniques and genome editing to functionally characterize the extensive genomic variants associated with polygenic disease risk.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gyorgy Barabas, Christine Parent, Andrew Kraemer, Frederik Van de Perre, Frederik De Laender
Summary: The relationship between species diversity and functional diversity can be replaced by a negative correlation, depending on the evolutionary processes of traits within species-rich communities. Species evolve narrower trait breadths in species-rich communities to avoid competition, thus leading to this negative correlation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Jessica R. Rodger, Hannele M. Honkanen, Caroline R. Bradley, Patrick Boylan, Paulo A. Prodohl, Colin E. Adams
Summary: The study investigated the population structure underlying facultative migration in brown trout. Results showed that population genetic divergence was linked to geographical location rather than life-history tactics. This suggests that facultative migration in brown trout may be driven by a quantitative threshold trait that varies among populations and individuals.
ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Anna Tigano, Arne Jacobs, Aryn P. Wilder, Ankita Nand, Ye Zhan, Job Dekker, Nina Overgaard Therkildsen, Kirk Lohmueller
Summary: The levels and distribution of genetic variation in a genome can shed light on adaptation potential, demographic history, and genome structure. The Atlantic silverside genome exhibits extreme levels of diversity and structural variation, likely contributing to its remarkable adaptive divergence among populations.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edward A. M. Curley, Rhian Thomas, Colin E. Adams, Alastair Stephen
Summary: The study explores how alterations in flow depth affect freshwater pearl mussels, and how they respond by moving to avoid prolonged exposure to air. The results support the role of controlled drawdowns in regulated rivers to reduce mortalities associated with receding water levels during prolonged low-flow episodes.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Colin E. Adams, Hannele M. Honkanen, Ellen Bryson, Isabel E. Moore, Malcolm MacCormick, Jennifer A. Dodd
Summary: The study utilized a 116-year time series of catch abundance data from a recreational fishery to examine population trends of Atlantic salmon, sea trout, and brown trout in Loch Lomond, Scotland. Results showed fluctuating trends for salmon, overall declining trends for sea trout and brown trout, with differences in population trends between Loch Lomond and wider regions. Sea trout in Loch Lomond exhibited a similar declining trend to populations in the wider west of Scotland.
Review
Ecology
Jukka-Pekka Verta, Arne Jacobs
Summary: Regulation of gene expression is crucial in evolutionary processes, and alternative splicing has an important but unexplored role in adaptation. Recent studies have shown the independent evolution of alternative splicing and transcript levels, providing diverse paths for selection.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Luis E. Hernandez-Castro, Anita G. Villacis, Arne Jacobs, Bachar Cheaib, Casey C. Day, Sofia Ocana-Mayorga, Cesar A. Yumiseva, Antonella Bacigalupo, Bjorn Andersson, Louise Matthews, Erin L. Landguth, Jaime A. Costales, Martin S. Llewellyn, Mario J. Grijalva
Summary: This study used a landscape genomics approach to investigate gene flow and adaptations in Rhodnius ecuadoriensis, a vector of Chagas disease. The results revealed that elevation is a key barrier to the dispersal of this vector and provided insights for predicting and controlling its spread.
Article
Ecology
Hans Recknagel, Madeleine Carruthers, Andrey A. Yurchenko, Mohsen Nokhbatolfoghahai, Nicholas A. Kamenos, Maureen M. Bain, Kathryn R. Elmer
Summary: By studying natural hybrids between oviparous and viviparous common lizards, researchers uncovered the genetic basis and functional genes related to parity mode, including progesterone-binding functions and pathways for tissue remodelling and immunity. Viviparity was found to involve more genes and complex networks compared to oviparity, with genes active in pregnancy in mammals, squamates, and fish showing associations with immunity, tissue remodelling, and blood vessel generation. This suggests that pre-established regulatory networks are repeatedly recruited for viviparity and shared at deep evolutionary scales.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Colin E. Adams, Louise Chavarie, Jessica R. Rodger, Hannele M. Honkanen, Davide Thambithurai, Matthew P. Newton
Summary: There are strong signals that changing environmental conditions have led to increased migration costs for Atlantic salmon, potentially trapping them in maladaptive long-distance sea migration. If high migration costs persist, population size is likely to decline. However, there is evidence of evolutionary rescue responses in some populations.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Akopyan, Anna Tigano, Arne Jacobs, Aryn P. Wilder, Hannes Baumann, Nina O. Therkildsen
Summary: The study compares the recombination landscape and genome collinearity between two populations of Atlantic silverside. It finds higher recombination rates in females than males and restricted recombination to only the terminal ends of male chromosomes. Additionally, massive chromosomal inversions suppress recombination and coincide with highly differentiated genomic regions between locally adapted populations. Furthermore, the study identifies significantly higher recombination rates on chromosomes in the northern population.
Article
Ecology
Libor Zavorka, J. Peter Koene, Tiffany A. Armstrong, Lena Fehlinger, Colin E. Adams
Summary: This study compared brain morphology of brown trout from different habitats and found differences in brain size and brain region size. However, it does not support the hypothesis that physical habitat complexity increases brain size in brown trout. Instead, the observed differences in brain size might be associated with diet quality and habitat-specific behavioral adaptations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gregoire Vernaz, Alan G. Hudson, M. Emilia Santos, Bettina Fischer, Madeleine Carruthers, Asilatu H. Shechonge, Nestory P. Gabagambi, Alexandra M. Tyers, Benjamin P. Ngatunga, Milan Malinsky, Richard Durbin, George F. Turner, Martin J. Genner, Eric A. Miska
Summary: This study analyzed the DNA methylomes of two ecomorphs of Astatotilapia calliptera from a single lake, as well as a third riverine ecomorph, and found epigenetic differences associated with altered transcriptional activity of ecologically relevant genes. Despite low levels of genetic divergence, these findings suggest that epigenetic variation can promote phenotypic divergence between populations facing different environmental challenges.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Madeleine Carruthers, Duncan E. Edgley, Andrew D. Saxon, Nestory P. Gabagambi, Asilatu Shechonge, Eric A. Miska, Richard Durbin, Jon R. Bridle, George F. Turner, Martin J. Genner
Summary: In an African crater lake, the cichlid Astatotilapia calliptera has diverged into shallow-littoral and deep-benthic ecomorphs within the last 1,000 years. Through analysis of transcriptome data, this study reveals that regulatory variants play a crucial role in driving ecologically relevant divergence in gene expression during adaptive diversification.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Geography
Sam Fenton, Kathryn R. Elmer, Colin W. Bean, Colin E. Adams
Summary: Ice coverage has various impacts on climate, landscape, species composition, and genetic variation. However, the information exchange between geographical and evolutionary fields is limited, leading to a lack of comprehensive understanding in both areas.
SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Fisheries
Isabelle C. Tiddy, Kevin Schneider, Kathryn R. Elmer
Summary: Determining how environmental conditions contribute to divergence among populations and drive speciation is fundamental to resolving mechanisms and understanding outcomes in evolutionary biology. In this study, the authors explored the effects of environment on diversification in freshwater fish species and found that lake surface area, maximum depth, and nutrient availability were associated with the presence of multiple sympatric ecomorphs.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)