Spatial population genetic structure of a bacterial parasite in close coevolution with its host

Knowledge of a species’ population genetic structure can provide insight into fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes including gene flow, genetic drift and adaptive evolution. Such inference is of particular importance for parasites, as an understanding of their population structure can illuminate epidemiological and coevolutionary dynamics. Here, we describe the population genetic structure of the bacterium Pasteuria ramosa, a parasite that infects planktonic crustaceans of the genus Daphnia. This system has become a model for investigations of host–parasite interactions and represents an example of coevolution via negative frequency‐dependent selection (aka “Red Queen” dynamics). To sample P. ramosa, we experimentally infected a panel of Daphnia hosts with natural spore banks from the sediments of 25 ponds throughout much of the species range in Europe and western Asia. Using 12 polymorphic variable number tandem repeat loci (VNTR loci), we identified substantial genetic diversity, both within and among localities, that was structured geographically among ponds. Genetic diversity was also structured among host genotypes within ponds, although this pattern varied by locality, with P. ramosa at some localities partitioned into distinct host‐specific lineages, and other localities where recombination had shuffled genetic variation among different infection phenotypes. Across the sample range, there was a pattern of isolation by distance, and principal components analysis coupled with Procrustes rotation identified congruence between patterns of genetic variation and geography. Our findings support the hypothesis that Pasteuria is an endemic parasite coevolving closely with its host. These results provide important context for previous studies of this model system and inform hypotheses for future research.     

Testing Wallace's intuition: water type,reproductive isolation and divergence in an Amazonian fish

Alfred Russel Wallace proposed classifying Amazon rivers based on their colour and clarity: white, black and clear water. Wallace also proposed that black waters could mediate diversification and yield distinct fish species. Here, we bring evidence of speciation mediated by water type in the sailfin tetra (Crenuchus spilurus), a fish whose range encompasses rivers of very distinct hydrochemical conditions. Distribution of the two main lineages concords with Wallace's water types: one restricted to the acidic and nutrient‐poor waters of the Negro River (herein Rio Negro lineage) and a second widespread throughout the remaining of the species’ distribution (herein Amazonas lineage). These lineages occur over a very broad geographical range, suggesting that despite occurring in regions separated by thousands of kilometres, individuals of the distinct lineages fail to occupy each other's habitats, hundreds of metres apart and not separated by physical barrier. Reproductive isolation was assessed in isolated pairs exposed to black‐water conditions. All pairs with at least one individual of the lineage not native to black waters showed significantly lower spawning success, suggesting that the water type affected the fitness and contributed to reproductive isolation. Our results endorse Wallace's intuition and highlight the importance of ecological factors in shaping diversity of the Amazon fish fauna.     

Morphological changes in hair melanosomes by aging

Various changes appear in hair by aging, and graying is the most remarkable one. Changes in melanocytes have been well studied as the cause; however, little is known about the change in melanosomes which have a role of carrying melanin pigments into hair shafts. Using pigmented hairs of Japanese females from their age of 4–75, I isolated melanosomes and observed them. As a result, I found a significant change in the morphology of hair melanosomes with age. They were ellipsoidal on the whole and there was no age dependence in the major axis, while the minor axis significantly increased and its frequency distribution broadened with age. The anticipated volume of the melanosome of the oldest person hairs was about twice larger than that of child hairs. This enlargement of melanosome seems to be a cause of the age‐related color change in pigmented hairs from brown to black.     

Quantified reproductive isolation in Heliconius butterflies: Implications for introgression and hybrid speciation

Heliconius butterflies have become a model for the study of speciation with gene flow. For adaptive introgression to take place, there must be incomplete barriers to gene exchange that allow interspecific hybridization and multiple generations of backcrossing. The recent publication of estimates of individual components of reproductive isolation between several species of butterflies in the Heliconius melpomene–H. cydno clade allowed us to calculate total reproductive isolation estimates for these species. According to these estimates, the butterflies are not as promiscuous as has been implied. Differences between species are maintained by intrinsic mechanisms, while reproductive isolation of geographical races within species is mainly due to allopatry. We discuss the implications of this strong isolation for basic aspects of the hybrid speciation with introgression hypothesis.     

Quaternary climate instability is correlated with patterns of population genetic variability in Bombus huntii

Climate oscillations have left a significant impact on the patterns of genetic diversity observed in numerous taxa. In this study, we examine the effect of Quaternary climate instability on population genetic variability of a bumble bee pollinator species, Bombus huntii in western North America. Pleistocene and contemporary B. huntii habitat suitability (HS) was estimated with an environmental niche model (ENM) by associating 1,035 locality records with 10 bioclimatic variables. To estimate genetic variability, we genotyped 380 individuals from 33 localities at 13 microsatellite loci. Bayesian inference was used to examine population structure with and without a priori specification of geographic locality. We compared isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by resistance (IBR) models to examine population differentiation within and among the Bayesian inferred genetic clusters. Furthermore, we tested for the effect of environmental niche stability (ENS) on population genetic diversity with linear regression. As predicted, high‐latitude B. huntii habitats exhibit low ENS when compared to low‐latitude habitats. Two major genetic clusters of B. huntii inhabit western North America: (a) a north genetic cluster predominantly distributed north of 28°N and (b) a south genetic cluster distributed south of 28°N. In the south genetic cluser, both IBD and IBR models are significant. However, in the north genetic cluster, IBD is significant but not IBR. Furthermore, the IBR models suggest that low‐latitude montane populations are surrounded by habitat with low HS, possibly limiting dispersal, and ultimately gene flow between populations. Finally, we detected high genetic diversity across populations in regions that have been climatically unstable since the last glacial maximum (LGM), and low genetic diversity across populations in regions that have been climatically stable since the LGM. Understanding how species have responded to climate change has the potential to inform management and conservation decisions of both ecological and economic concerns.     

Pollination genetics of hybridization in sympatric populations of asclepias exaltata and a. syriaca (asclepiadaceae)

Enzyme electrophoresis of pollinia and seeds was used to identify pollinia on pollinators, interspecific pollinations, and hybrid seed production in sympatric populations of Asclepias exaltata and A. syriaca. The frequency of mixed pollinia loads on pollinators was low. Only 4.1% (N= 169 pollinia) and 8% (N= 244 pollinia) of the pollinia collected from pollinators of A. syriaca and A. exaltata, respectively, were identified as pollinia from the other species. Natural levels of interspecific pollination, 3.6% (N = 166 pollinia) on A. syriaca and 3.1% (N = 228 pollinia) on A. exaltata, were typically lower than the number of foreign pollinia carried by pollinators. Hybrid seeds were identified in only two of 208 A. syriaca fruits and one of 178 A. exaltata fruits. Hybrid seeds were largely underdeveloped in the single A. exaltata fruit. High fruit set (34.7%) and near normal seed set following hand-pollination of A. syriaca with A. exaltata pollinia suggest that hybridization is more likely between these taxa when A. syriaca is the maternal parent. Our findings indicate that the likelihood of hybridization between A. exaltata and A. syriaca is remote. Nevertheless, introgressive hybridization has been documented in these species, which suggests that hybridization remains a strong evolutionary force even for species that infrequently interbreed.     

Isolation and the development of shoaling in two populations of the guppy

Socially reared guppies Poecilia reticulata derived from two wild populations (Upper and Lower Aripo River, Trinidad) showed a significant relationship between body size and shoaling tendency, measured as the proportion of time spent in proximity to a bottle containing conspecifics. Larger females shoaled significantly more than smaller females. Fish from the high-shoaling population (Lower Aripo) showed significantly less shoaling behaviour when reared in isolation. In contrast, low-shoaling fish (Upper Aripo) demonstrated no significant change in their shoaling behaviour in response to social isolation.     

THE EVOLUTION OF ASYMMETRY IN SEXUAL ISOLATION: A MODEL AND A TEST CASE

We constructed a model for the evolution of sexual isolation by extending Lande's (1981) model of sexual selection. The model predicts that asymmetric sexual isolation is a transient phenomenon, characteristic of intermediate stages of divergence in sexually selected traits. Unlike the Kaneshiro (1976, 1980) proposal, our model does not depend upon drift and the loss of courtship elements to produce asymmetries in sexual isolation. According to our model, the direction of evolution cannot be predicted from asymmetry in sexual isolation. We tested some features of the model using data from an experimental study of sexual isolation in the salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus. We tested for sexual isolation between 12 allopatric populations and found significant asymmetry in sexual isolation in about a quarter of the test cases. The highest degrees of asymmetry were associated with intermediate levels of divergence. A curvilinear relationship between isolation asymmetry and divergence was predicted by our model and was supported by statistical analysis of the salamander data.     

Isolation and regeneration of protoplasts from the ectomycorrhizal ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum Fr.

Protoplasts of the ectomycorrhizal ascomycete Cenococcum geophilum were isolated from mycelium grown in liquid medium. The method was optimized with regard to culture conditions, preincubation, lytic enzyme system, pH value of the incubation medium, osmotic buffer and incubation temperature for C. geophilum strains SIV and 1448. The yields were 1-3·10⁸ and 7·10⁶ protoplasts per gram fresh weight for C. geophilum SIV and C. geophilum 1448, respectively. Protoplasts from C. geophilum SIV exhibited plasma membrane integrity close to 100% (fluorescein diacetate staining). At least 50% of the protoplasts contained a nucleus (staining with acridine orange). The regeneration of protoplasts from C. geophilum is described for the first time. The regeneration frequency was up to 13%, and, dependent on the conditions of culture (liquid medium, agarose, agar), four types of regeneration patterns could be distinguished Regenerated protoplasts of C. geophilum were capable of forming mycorrhizas with spruce (Picea abies) seedlings.