Local human pressures influence gene flow in a hybridizing Daphnia species complex

Anthropogenic environmental changes are considered critical drivers of the genetic structure of populations and communities through, for example, the facilitation of introgressive hybridization between syntopic species. However, the mechanisms by which environmental perturbations trigger changes in the genetic structure of populations and communities, such as the processes that determine the directionality of hybridization and patterns of mitochondrial introgression over many generations, remain largely unexplored. In this study, the changes in genetic structure of hybridizing members of the Daphnia longispina species complex were reconstructed over the last 100 years for three large temperate lakes under strong anthropogenic pressures via palaeogenetic analyses of resting egg banks. Drastic changes in the genetic structure of the Daphnia community, associated with hybridization events between D. longispina and D. galeata and subsequent introgression, were detected in Lakes Geneva and Bourget. In Lake Bourget, these changes were induced by the successful establishment of D. galeata with rising phosphorus levels and reinforced by the sensitivity of D. longispina to fish predation pressure. In Lake Geneva, the pattern of hybridization during eutrophication is more likely a function of the original taxonomic composition of the species complex in this lake. Lakes seem to require at least a meso‐oligotrophic status to allow D. galeata populations to establish and accordingly no D. galeata genotypes were found in the egg bank of oligotrophic Lake Annecy. In contrast to the generally assumed pattern of unidirectional hybridization in this species complex, bidirectional hybridization was recorded in Lakes Geneva and Bourget. Our results also demonstrate complex genetic trajectories within this species complex and highlight the irreversibility of changes in the genotypic architecture of populations driven by local human pressures. Finally, we show that extensive hybridization and introgression do not necessarily result in a large and homogenous hybrid swarm.     

Sex in crowded places: population density regulates reproductive strategy

Hydrobiologia - Changing reproductive strategy from investment in current (asexual eggs) to future (sexual ephippia) reproduction depending on environmental cues is an important fitness trait in...     

Geographical and temporal patterns of cyanobacterial assemblages in the Danube Delta lake complexes

Hydrobiologia - Danube Delta shallow lakes experience cyanobacteria blooms that can negatively affect the aquatic ecosystem. Although there are several studies on Danube Delta cyanobacteria, little...     

Transmission mode affects the population genetic structure of Daphnia parasites

Parasite life cycle variation can shape parasite evolution, by predisposing them towards different population genetic structures. We compared the population genetic structure of two co-occurring parasite species of Daphnia, to collect evidence for their expected transmission modes. The ichthyosporean Caullerya mesnili has a direct life cycle, whereas the microsporidian Berwaldia schaefernai is hypothesized to require passage through a secondary host. The parasites were collected from three geographically isolated Daphnia populations. The nucleotide variation in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was assessed at the within-individual, within-population and among-population levels, using amova. We detected significant partitioning at all levels, except for a lack of among-population variation in Berwaldia. This was confirmed by neighbour-joining and principal component analyses; Caullerya populations were distinct from each other, while there was much overlap among parasite isolates representing different populations of Berwaldia. This all implies a higher amount of gene flow for Berwaldia, consistent with the hypothesized transmission mode.     

Population genetic dynamics of an invasion reconstructed from the sediment egg bank

Biological invasions are a global issue with far‐reaching consequences for single species, communities and whole ecosystems. Our understanding of modes and mechanisms of biological invasions requires knowledge of the genetic processes associated with successful invasions. In many instances, this information is particularly difficult to obtain as the initial phases of the invasion process often pass unnoticed and we rely on inferences from contemporary population genetic data. Here, we combined historic information with the genetic analysis of resting eggs to reconstruct the invasion of Daphnia pulicaria into Lower Lake Constance (LLC) in the 1970s from the resting egg bank in the sediments. We identified the invader as ‘European D. pulicaria’ originating from meso‐ and eutrophic lowland lakes and ponds in Central Europe. The founding population was characterized by extremely low genetic variation in the resting egg bank that increased considerably over time. Furthermore, strong evidence for selfing and/or biparental inbreeding was found during the initial phase of the invasion, followed by a drop of selfing rate to low levels in subsequent decades. Moreover, the increase in genetic variation was most pronounced during early stages of the invasion, suggesting additional introductions during this period. Our study highlights that genetic data covering the entire invasion process from its beginning can be crucial to accurately reconstruct the invasion history of a species. We show that propagule banks can preserve such information enabling the study of population genetic dynamics and sources of genetic variation in successful invasive populations.     

Long-term bed rest-induced reductions in stroke volume during rest and exercise: cardiac dysfunction vs. volume depletion.

Long-term head-down-tilt bed rest (HDT) causes cardiovascular deconditioning, attributed to reflex dysfunctions, plasma volume reduction, or cardiac impairments. Our objective with the present study was to evaluate the functional importance and relative contribution of these during rest and exercise in supine and upright postures. We studied six subjects before (baseline), during [days 60 (D60) and 113 (D113)], and after [recovery days 0 (R0), 3 (R3), and 15 (R15)] 120 days of -6 degrees HDT. We determined cardiac output, stroke volume (SV), mean arterial pressure, and heart rate during rest and exercise in supine and upright postures. Cardiac output and SV decreased significantly in all four conditions, but the time courses differed for rest and exercise. Upright resting SV was decreased by 24 +/- 9% at D60 compared with baseline but had recovered already at R3. Supine exercise SV decreased more slowly (by 5 +/- 8% at D60 and by 18 +/- 4% at D113) and recovered more slowly after HDT termination. Steady-state mean arterial pressure showed no changes. Heart rate had increased by 18 +/- 4% at D60 and had recovered partially at R3. Our data indicate that long-term HDT causes both a rapid, preload-dependent reduction in SV, most evident during rest in the upright position, and a more slowly developing cardiac dysfunction, most evident during supine exercise. However, the ability to maintain blood pressure and to perform sustained low levels of dynamic exercise is not influenced by HDT.     

Temperature effects on parasite prevalence in a natural hybrid complex

Both host susceptibility and parasite infectivity commonly have a genetic basis, and can therefore be shaped by coevolution. However, these traits are often sensitive to environmental variation, resulting in genotype-by-environment interactions. We tested the influence of temperature on host–parasite genetic specificity in the Daphnia longispina hybrid complex, exposed to the protozoan parasite Caullerya mesnili. Infection rates were higher at low temperature. Furthermore, significant differences between host clones, but not between host taxa, and a host genotype-by-temperature interaction were observed.     

Building modern coexistence theory from the ground up: The role of community assembly

Modern coexistence theory (MCT) is one of the leading methods to understand species coexistence. It uses invasion growth rates—the average, per-capita growth rate of a rare species—to identify when and why species coexist. Despite significant advances in dissecting coexistence mechanisms when coexistence occurs, MCT relies on a ‘mutual invasibility’ condition designed for two-species communities but poorly defined for species-rich communities. Here, we review well-known issues with this component of MCT and propose a solution based on recent mathematical advances. We propose a clear framework for expanding MCT to species-rich communities and for understanding invasion resistance as well as coexistence, especially for communities that could not be analysed with MCT so far. Using two data-driven community models from the literature, we illustrate the utility of our framework and highlight the opportunities for bridging the fields of community assembly and species coexistence.