scholarly journals Geographically structured genetic variation in the Medicago lupulina – Ensifer mutualism

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tia L. Harrison ◽  
Corlett W. Wood ◽  
Katy D. Heath ◽  
John R. Stinchcombe
Keyword(s):  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Genomic Structure ◽  
Interacting Species ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Rhizobial Species ◽  
Founder Events

AbstractMutualisms are interspecific interactions affecting the ecology and evolution of species. Patterns of geographic variation in interacting species may play an important role in understanding how variation is maintained in mutualisms, particularly in introduced ranges. One agriculturally and ecologically important mutualism is the partnership between legume plants and rhizobia. Through characterizing and comparing the population genomic structure of the legume Medicago lupulina and two rhizobial species (Ensifer medicae and E. meliloti), we explored the spatial scale of population differentiation between interacting partners in their introduced range in North America. We found high proportions of E. meliloti in southeastern populations and high proportions of E. medicae in northwestern populations. Medicago lupulina and the Ensifer genus showed similar patterns of spatial genetic structure (isolation by distance). However, we detected no evidence of isolation by distance or population structure within either species of bacteria. Genome-wide nucleotide diversity within each of the two Ensifer species was low, suggesting limited introduction of strains, founder events, or severe bottlenecks. Our results suggest that there is potential for geographically structured coevolution between M. lupulina and the Ensifer genus, but not between M. lupulina and either Ensifer species.

Genome-Wide Screening of Aedes aegypti (Culicidae: Diptera) Populations From Northwestern Argentina: Active and Passive Dispersal Shape Genetic Structure

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 1930-1941
Author(s):  
Lucía Maffey ◽  
Maximiliano J Garzón ◽  
Viviana Confalonieri ◽  
Mariana M Chanampa ◽  
Esteban Hasson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Northwestern Argentina ◽  
Entomological Survey ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
High Prevalence

Abstract Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of arboviruses of great impact on human health. Our goal was to assess the spatial genetic structure of Ae. aegypti at the regional and local levels in Northwestern Argentina, an area with high prevalence of dengue fever. We analyzed 59 Ae. aegypti individuals collected from six locations in Northwestern Argentina using nuclear genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) generated with double digest Restriction-site Associated DNA Sequencing. We also performed an entomological survey in 70 households in the cities of Orán and Tartagal. An analysis at the regional level indicated that the populations of Ae. aegypti in Northwestern Argentina are spatially structured and present a significant IBD pattern. Our results suggest that passive transport of eggs/immature stages, in both northward and southward directions, plays an important role in structuring Ae. aegypti populations at a regional scale and also as a source for the introduction of novel genetic variants through migration events into established populations. At a local level, we found neither spatial genetic structure nor significant isolation by distance (IBD) in Tartagal, indicating high gene flow within the city and active dispersal. In contrast, samples from Orán formed two clusters with a significant IBD pattern, although weaker than that at a regional level. Both populations showed signs of recent bottleneck events, probably coincident with past eradication campaigns. The entomological survey revealed a high prevalence of Ae. aegypti in both cities, although significantly higher in Tartagal.

scholarly journals No evidence for adaptation to local rhizobial mutualists in the legumeMedicago lupulina

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tia L. Harrison ◽  
Corlett W. Wood ◽  
Isabela L. Borges ◽  
John R. Stinchcombe
Keyword(s):  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Interacting Species ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
A Genome

AbstractLocal adaptation is a common but not ubiquitous feature of species interactions, and understanding the circumstances under which it evolves illuminates the factors that influence adaptive population divergence. Antagonistic species interactions dominate the local adaptation literature relative to mutualistic ones, preventing an overall assessment of adaptation within interspecific interactions. Here, we tested whether the legumeMedicago lupulinais adapted to the locally abundant species of mutualistic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (“rhizobia”), which vary in frequency across its eastern North American range. We reciprocally inoculated northern and southernM. lupulinagenotypes with the northern(Ensifer medicae)or southern bacterium(E. meliloti)in a greenhouse experiment. Neither northern nor southern plants produced more seed flowered earlier, or were more likely to flower when inoculated with their local rhizobium species, although plants produced more root nodules (the structures that house the bacteria) wit their local rhizobia. We used a pre-existing dataset to perform a genome scan for loci that showed elevated differentiation between field-collected plants that hosted different bacteria. None of the loci we identified belonged to the well-characterized suite of legume-rhizobia symbiosis genes, suggesting that the rhizobia do not drive genetic divergence betweenM. lupulinapopulations. Our results demonstrate that symbiont local adaptation is weak in this mutualism despite large-scale geographic variation in the identity of the interacting species.

scholarly journals Deconstructing isolation-by-distance: the genomic consequences of limited dispersal

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stepfanie M. Aguillon ◽  
John W. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Reed Bowman ◽  
Stephan J. Schoech ◽  
Andrew G. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Pedigree Information ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Florida Scrub ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Limited Dispersal ◽  
Dispersal Distances

AbstractGeographically limited dispersal can shape genetic population structure and result in a correlation between genetic and geographic distance, commonly called isolation-bydistance. Despite the prevalence of isolation-by-distance in nature, to date few studies have empirically demonstrated the processes that generate this pattern, largely because few populations have direct measures of individual dispersal and pedigree information. Intensive, long-term demographic studies and exhaustive genomic surveys in the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the influence of dispersal on genetic structure. Here, we used a panel of genome-wide SNPs and extensive pedigree information to explore the role of limited dispersal in shaping patterns of isolation-by-distance in both sexes, and at an exceedingly fine spatial scale (within ~10 km). Isolation-by-distance patterns were stronger in male-male and male-female comparisons than in female-female comparisons, consistent with observed differences in dispersal propensity between the sexes. Using the pedigree, we demonstrated how various genealogical relationships contribute to fine-scale isolation-by-distance. Simulations using field-observed distributions of male and female natal dispersal distances showed good agreement with the distribution of geographic distances between breeding individuals of different pedigree relationship classes. Furthermore, we extended Malécot’s theory of isolation-by-distance by building coalescent simulations parameterized by the observed dispersal curve, population density, and immigration rate, and showed how incorporating these extensions allows us to accurately reconstruct observed sex-specific isolation-by-distance patterns in autosomal and Z-linked SNPs. Therefore, patterns of fine-scale isolation-by-distance in the Florida Scrub-Jay can be well understood as a result of limited dispersal over contemporary timescales.Author SummaryDispersal is a fundamental component of the life history of most organisms and therefore influences many biological processes. Dispersal is particularly important in creating genetic structure on the landscape. We often observe a pattern of decreased genetic relatedness between individuals as geographic distances increases, or isolation-by-distance. This pattern is particularly pronounced in organisms with extremely short dispersal distances. Despite the ubiquity of isolation-by-distance patterns in nature, there are few examples that explicitly demonstrate how limited dispersal influences spatial genetic structure. Here we investigate the processes that result in spatial genetic structure using the Florida Scrub-Jay, a bird with extremely limited dispersal behavior and extensive genome-wide data. We take advantage of the long-term monitoring of a contiguous population of Florida Scrub-Jays, which has resulted in a detailed pedigree and measurements of dispersal for hundreds of individuals. We show how limited dispersal results in close genealogical relatives living closer together geographically, which generates a strong pattern of isolation-by-distance at an extremely small spatial scale (<10 km) in just a few generations. Given the detailed dispersal, pedigree, and genomic data, we can achieve a fairly complete understanding of how dispersal shapes patterns of genetic diversity over short spatial scales.

scholarly journals Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly B. Klingler ◽  
Joshua P. Jahner ◽  
Thomas L. Parchman ◽  
Chris Ray ◽  
Mary M. Peacock
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
American Pika

Abstract Background Distributional responses by alpine taxa to repeated, glacial-interglacial cycles throughout the last two million years have significantly influenced the spatial genetic structure of populations. These effects have been exacerbated for the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine lagomorph constrained by thermal sensitivity and a limited dispersal capacity. As a species of conservation concern, long-term lack of gene flow has important consequences for landscape genetic structure and levels of diversity within populations. Here, we use reduced representation sequencing (ddRADseq) to provide a genome-wide perspective on patterns of genetic variation across pika populations representing distinct subspecies. To investigate how landscape and environmental features shape genetic variation, we collected genetic samples from distinct geographic regions as well as across finer spatial scales in two geographically proximate mountain ranges of eastern Nevada. Results Our genome-wide analyses corroborate range-wide, mitochondrial subspecific designations and reveal pronounced fine-scale population structure between the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range of eastern Nevada. Populations in Nevada were characterized by low genetic diversity (π = 0.0006–0.0009; θW = 0.0005–0.0007) relative to populations in California (π = 0.0014–0.0019; θW = 0.0011–0.0017) and the Rocky Mountains (π = 0.0025–0.0027; θW = 0.0021–0.0024), indicating substantial genetic drift in these isolated populations. Tajima’s D was positive for all sites (D = 0.240–0.811), consistent with recent contraction in population sizes range-wide. Conclusions Substantial influences of geography, elevation and climate variables on genetic differentiation were also detected and may interact with the regional effects of anthropogenic climate change to force the loss of unique genetic lineages through continued population extirpations in the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada.

scholarly journals Spatial genetic structure of the sea sandwort (<i>Honckenya peploides</i>) on Surtsey: an immigrant's journey

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6495-6507 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Árnason ◽  
Ǽ. Th. Thórsson ◽  
B. Magnússon ◽  
M. Philipp ◽  
H. Adsersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Aflp Markers ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Southern Coast ◽  
Binary Matrix

Abstract. Sea sandwort (Honckenya peploides) was one of the first plants to successfully colonize and reproduce on the volcanic island Surtsey, formed in 1963 off the southern coast of Iceland. Using amplified fragment length polymorphic (AFLP) markers, we examined levels of genetic variation and differentiation among populations of H. peploides on Surtsey in relation to populations on the nearby island Heimaey and from the southern coast of Iceland. Selected populations from Denmark and Greenland were used for comparison. In addition, we tested whether the effects of isolation by distance could be seen in the Surtsey populations. Using two primer combinations, we obtained 173 AFLP markers from a total of 347 plant samples. The resulting binary matrix was then analysed statistically. The main results include the following: (i) Surtsey had the highest proportion of polymorphic markers as well as a comparatively high genetic diversity (55.5% proportion of polymorphic loci, PLP; 0.1974 HE) and Denmark the lowest (31.8% PLP; 0.132 HE), indicating rapid expansion during an early stage of population establishment on Surtsey and/or multiple origins of immigrants; (ii) the total genetic differentiation (FST) among Surtsey (0.0714) and Heimaey (0.055) populations was less than half of that found among the mainland populations in Iceland (0.1747), indicating substantial gene flow on the islands; (iii) most of the genetic variation (79%, p < 0.001) was found within localities, possibly due to the outcrossing and subdioecious nature of the species; (iv) a significant genetic distance was found within Surtsey, among sites, and this appeared to correlate with the age of plant colonization; and (v) the genetic structure analysis indicated multiple colonization episodes on Surtsey, whereby H. peploides most likely immigrated from the nearby island of Heimaey and directly from the southern coast of Iceland.

scholarly journals Can We Compare Effect Size of Spatial Genetic Structure Between Studies and Species Using Moran Eigenvector Maps?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Hein ◽  
Hossam E. Abdel Moniem ◽  
Helene H. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Stationary Process ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Sampling Locations ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Moran Eigenvector Maps

As the field of landscape genetics is progressing toward comparative empirical studies and meta-analysis, it is important to know how best to compare the strength of spatial genetic structure between studies and species. Moran’s Eigenvector Maps are a promising method that does not make an assumption of isolation-by-distance in a homogeneous environment but can discern cryptic structure that may result from multiple processes operating in heterogeneous landscapes. MEMgene uses spatial filters from Moran’s Eigenvector Maps as predictor variables to explain variation in a genetic distance matrix, and it returns adjusted R2 as a measure of the amount of genetic variation that is spatially structured. However, it is unclear whether, and under which conditions, this value can be used to compare the degree of spatial genetic structure (effect size) between studies. This study addresses the fundamental question of comparability at two levels: between independent studies (meta-analysis mode) and between species sampled at the same locations (comparative mode). We used published datasets containing 9,900 haploid, biallelic, neutral loci simulated on a quasi-continuous, square landscape under four demographic scenarios (island model, isolation-by-distance, expansion from one or two refugia). We varied the genetic resolution (number of individuals and loci) and the number of random sampling locations. We considered two measures of effect size, the MEMgene adjusted R2 and multivariate Moran’s I, which is related to Moran’s Eigenvector Maps. Both metrics were highly sensitive to the number of locations, even when using standardized effect sizes, SES, and the number of individuals sampled per location, but not to the number of loci. In comparative mode, using the same Moran Eigenvector Maps for all species, even those with missing values at some sampling locations, reduced bias due to the number of locations under isolation-by-distance (stationary process) but increased it under expansion from one or two refugia (non-stationary process). More robust measures of effect size need to be developed before the strength of spatial genetic structure can be accurately compared, either in a meta-analysis of independent empirical studies or within a comparative, multispecies landscape genetic study.

scholarly journals Spatial population genomics of a recent mosquito invasion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L Schmidt ◽  
T. Swan ◽  
Jessica Chung ◽  
Stephan Karl ◽  
Samuel Demok ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Discrete Events ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Population Genomic ◽  
Asian Tiger ◽  
Study Designs

AbstractPopulation genomic approaches can characterise dispersal across a single generation through to many generations in the past, bridging the gap between individual movement and intergenerational gene flow. These approaches are particularly useful when investigating dispersal in recently altered systems, where they provide a way of inferring long-distance dispersal between newly established populations and their interactions with existing populations. Human-mediated biological invasions represent such altered systems which can be investigated with appropriate study designs and analyses. Here we apply temporally-restricted sampling and a range of population genomic approaches to investigate dispersal in a 2004 invasion of Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) in the Torres Strait Islands (TSI) of Australia. We sampled mosquitoes from 13 TSI villages simultaneously and genotyped 373 mosquitoes at genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): 331 from the TSI, 36 from Papua New Guinea (PNG), and 4 incursive mosquitoes detected in uninvaded regions. Within villages, spatial genetic structure varied substantially but overall displayed isolation by distance and a neighbourhood size of 232–577. Close kin dyads revealed recent movement between islands 31–203 km apart, and deep learning inferences showed incursive Ae. albopictus had travelled to uninvaded regions from both adjacent and non-adjacent islands. Private alleles and a coancestry matrix indicated direct gene flow from PNG into nearby islands. Outlier analyses also detected four linked alleles introgressed from PNG, with the alleles surrounding 12 resistance-associated cytochrome P450 genes. By treating dispersal as both an intergenerational process and a set of discrete events, we describe a highly interconnected invasive system.

scholarly journals Whose trait is it anyways? Coevolution of joint phenotypes and genetic architecture in mutualisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1942) ◽  
pp. 20202483
Author(s):  
Anna M. O’Brien ◽  
Chandra N. Jack ◽  
Maren L. Friesen ◽  
Megan E. Frederickson
Keyword(s):  
Association Studies ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Interacting Species ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
Evolutionary Conflict ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Fitness Benefits ◽  
Multiple Genomes

Evolutionary biologists typically envision a trait’s genetic basis and fitness effects occurring within a single species. However, traits can be determined by and have fitness consequences for interacting species, thus evolving in multiple genomes. This is especially likely in mutualisms, where species exchange fitness benefits and can associate over long periods of time. Partners may experience evolutionary conflict over the value of a multi-genomic trait, but such conflicts may be ameliorated by mutualism’s positive fitness feedbacks. Here, we develop a simulation model of a host–microbe mutualism to explore the evolution of a multi-genomic trait. Coevolutionary outcomes depend on whether hosts and microbes have similar or different optimal trait values, strengths of selection and fitness feedbacks. We show that genome-wide association studies can map joint traits to loci in multiple genomes and describe how fitness conflict and fitness feedback generate different multi-genomic architectures with distinct signals around segregating loci. Partner fitnesses can be positively correlated even when partners are in conflict over the value of a multi-genomic trait, and conflict can generate strong mutualistic dependency. While fitness alignment facilitates rapid adaptation to a new optimum, conflict maintains genetic variation and evolvability, with implications for applied microbiome science.

scholarly journals Landscape structure and the genetic effects of a population collapse

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1796) ◽  
pp. 20141798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena A. Caplins ◽  
Kimberly J. Gilbert ◽  
Claudia Ciotir ◽  
Jens Roland ◽  
Stephen F. Matter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Spatial Genetic Structure ◽  
Genetic Differentiation Of Populations ◽  
Patch Connectivity ◽  
Landscape Genetic ◽  
Independent Effects ◽  
Patterns And Processes

Both landscape structure and population size fluctuations influence population genetics. While independent effects of these factors on genetic patterns and processes are well studied, a key challenge is to understand their interaction, as populations are simultaneously exposed to habitat fragmentation and climatic changes that increase variability in population size. In a population network of an alpine butterfly, abundance declined 60–100% in 2003 because of low over-winter survival. Across the network, mean microsatellite genetic diversity did not change. However, patch connectivity and local severity of the collapse interacted to determine allelic richness change within populations, indicating that patch connectivity can mediate genetic response to a demographic collapse. The collapse strongly affected spatial genetic structure, leading to a breakdown of isolation-by-distance and loss of landscape genetic pattern. Our study reveals important interactions between landscape structure and temporal demographic variability on the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of populations. Projected future changes to both landscape and climate may lead to loss of genetic variability from the studied populations, and selection acting on adaptive variation will likely occur within the context of an increasing influence of genetic drift.

scholarly journals Quantitative Genetics of the Maize Leaf Microbiome

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason G. Wallace ◽  
Karl A. Kremling ◽  
Lynsey L. Kovar ◽  
Edward S. Buckler
Keyword(s):  
Community Diversity ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Maize Leaf ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Founder Events ◽  
Diversity Metrics

The degree to which the genotype of an organism can affect the composition of its associated microbial communities (“microbiome”) varies by organism and habitat, and in many cases is unknown. We analyzed the metabolically active bacteria of maize leaves across 300 diverse maize lines growing in a common environment. We performed comprehensive heritability analysis for 49 community diversity metrics, 380 bacterial clades, and 9,042 predicted metagenomic functions. We find that only a few bacterial clades (5) and diversity metrics (2) are significantly heritable, while a much larger number of metabolic functions (200) are. Many of these associations appear to be driven by the Methylobacteria in each sample. Among these heritable metabolic traits, Fisher’s exact test identifies significant overrepresentation of traits relating to short-chain carbon metabolism, secretion, and nitrotoluene degradation. Genome-wide association analysis identified a small number of associated loci for these heritable traits, including two that affect multiple traits. Our results indicate that while most of the maize leaf microbiome composition is driven by environmental factors and/or stochastic founder events, a subset of bacterial taxa and metabolic functions is nonetheless significantly impacted by host genetics. Additional work will be needed to identify the exact nature of these interactions and what effects they may have on their host. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license .

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