scholarly journals Novel cytonuclear combinations modify Arabidopsis seed physiology and vigor

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clément Boussardon ◽  
Marie-Laure Martin-Magniette ◽  
Béatrice Godin ◽  
Abdelilah Benamar ◽  
Benjamin Vittrant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Seed Vigor ◽  
Seed Traits ◽  
Exogenous Aba ◽  
Seed Physiology ◽  
Nuclear Background ◽  
Natural Variants ◽  
Cytoplasmic Change ◽  
Issue Section

AbstractThe influence of intraspecific variation in cytoplasmic genomes and cytonuclear interactions on key seed traits that can impact adaptation and agriculture has not been thoroughly explored, so far. Here, dormancy, germination performance and longevity of seeds have been assessed in Arabidopsis plants with novel cytonuclear combinations that disrupt coadaptation between natural variants of nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes. Although all three traits were affected by cytonuclear reshuffling, the sensitivity of seed traits to cytoplasmic change was dependent on the nuclear background. Both deleterious and, more surprisingly, favorable effects of novel cytonuclear combinations (in comparison with the nuclear parent) were observed, suggesting suboptimal genetic combinations exist in natural populations for these traits. Significant changes on dormancy and germination performance due to specific cytonuclear interacting combinations mainly occurred in opposite directions, in accordance with the previously proposed ‘dormancy continuum’. Consistently, reduced sensitivity to exogenous ABA and faster endogenous ABA decay during germination were observed in a novel cytonuclear combination that also exhibited enhanced longevity and better germination performance, compared to its natural nuclear parent. Cytoplasmic genomes, therefore, represent an additional resource of natural variation for breeding seed vigor traits.Issue sectionGrowth and developmentHighlightNatural variation in Arabidopsis organelles and cytonuclear interactions influence seed dormancy, longevity and germination performance. Enhanced seed vigor was obtained through the creation of novel cytonuclear combinations.

scholarly journals Natural variation in social conditions affects male mate choosiness in the amphipod Gammarus roeselii

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad Lipkowski ◽  
Sophie Steigerwald ◽  
Lisa M Schulte ◽  
Carolin Sommer-Trembo ◽  
Jonas Jourdan
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Male Mate

Abstract The extent of male mate choosiness is driven by a trade-off between various environmental factors associated with the costs of mate acquisition, quality assessment and opportunity costs. Our knowledge about natural variation in male mate choosiness across different populations of the same species, however, remains limited. In this study, we compared male mate choosiness across 10 natural populations of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus roeselii (Gervais 1835), a species with overall high male mating investments, and evaluated the relative influence of population density and sex ratio (both affecting mate availability) on male mate choosiness. We investigated amplexus establishment after separating mating pairs and presenting focal males with a novel, size-matched female from the same population. Our analysis revealed considerable effects of sex ratio and (to a lesser extent) population density on time until amplexus establishment (choosiness). Male amphipods are able to perceive variable social conditions (e.g., sex ratio) and modify their mating strategy accordingly: We found choosiness to be reduced in increasingly male-biased populations, whereas selectivity increases when sex ratio becomes female biased. With this, our study expands our limited knowledge on natural variations in male mate choosiness and illustrates the importance of sex ratio (i.e., level of competition) for male mating decisions in natural environments. Accounting for variation in sex ratios, therefore, allows envisioning a distinctive variation of choosiness in natural populations and highlights the importance of considering social background information in future behavioral studies.

scholarly journals Natural variation in yolk fatty acids, but not androgens, predicts offspring fitness in a wild bird

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Mentesana ◽  
Martin N. Andersson ◽  
Stefania Casagrande ◽  
Wolfgang Goymann ◽  
Caroline Isaksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Offspring Fitness

Abstract Background In egg-laying animals, mothers can influence the developmental environment and thus the phenotype of their offspring by secreting various substances into the egg yolk. In birds, recent studies have demonstrated that different yolk substances can interactively affect offspring phenotype, but the implications of such effects for offspring fitness and phenotype in natural populations have remained unclear. We measured natural variation in the content of 31 yolk components known to shape offspring phenotypes including steroid hormones, antioxidants and fatty acids in eggs of free-living great tits (Parus major) during two breeding seasons. We tested for relationships between yolk component groupings and offspring fitness and phenotypes. Results Variation in hatchling and fledgling numbers was primarily explained by yolk fatty acids (including saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids) - but not by androgen hormones and carotenoids, components previously considered to be major determinants of offspring phenotype. Fatty acids were also better predictors of variation in nestling oxidative status and size than androgens and carotenoids. Conclusions Our results suggest that fatty acids are important yolk substances that contribute to shaping offspring fitness and phenotype in free-living populations. Since polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot be produced de novo by the mother, but have to be obtained from the diet, these findings highlight potential mechanisms (e.g., weather, habitat quality, foraging ability) through which environmental variation may shape maternal effects and consequences for offspring. Our study represents an important first step towards unraveling interactive effects of multiple yolk substances on offspring fitness and phenotypes in free-living populations. It provides the basis for future experiments that will establish the pathways by which yolk components, singly and/or interactively, mediate maternal effects in natural populations.

scholarly journals OMICS IN AGING RESEARCH: FROM BIOMARKERS TO SYSTEMS BIOLOGY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S234-S234
Author(s):  
Daniel Promislow
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Explanatory Gap ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Related Disease ◽  
Diverse Species ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Complex Human Traits

Abstract Advances in whole genome sequencing have dramatically increased our potential to understand what shapes variation in rates of aging and age-related disease in natural populations, but we are still far from realizing this potential. Researchers have identified thousands of genetic markers associated with complex human traits. However, these markers typically explain a very small fraction of the observed variance, leaving an enormous explanatory gap between genotype and phenotype. I will present data from diverse species to illustrate the power of so-called endophenotypes—the epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome—to bridge the genotype-phenotype gap. Using multivariate and network models that integrate genetic information with other endophenotype variation, we are closer than ever to understanding the mechanisms that account for natural variation in aging and age-related disease, and the evolutionary forces that have shaped that variation.

Indicators of population viability in red spruce, Picea rubens. I. Reproductive traits and fecundity

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 928-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mosseler ◽  
J E Major ◽  
J D Simpson ◽  
B Daigle ◽  
K Lange ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Population Viability ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Picea Rubens ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Seedling Height ◽  
Seed Traits ◽  
General Validity

Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) has experienced a substantial decline across most of its range in eastern North America over the past century and probably also in the disjunct Ontario populations where it now occurs only in small isolated stands. Measurements of cone and seed traits from natural populations were used as indicators of the reproductive and genetic status of red spruce across the northern margins of its range in Canada. Cone and seed traits were quantified to provide reproductive benchmarks for assessing and monitoring population viability. Reduced fecundity and seedling height growth were observed in some of the smallest Ontario populations, suggesting some inbreeding depression in both vegetative and reproductive components of fitness. Nevertheless, the reproductive status of these small isolated Ontario populations compared favorably with the much larger, more extensive Maritime populations in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Significantly higher proportions of aborted (nonpollinated) seeds and lower proportions of filled seeds suggested poorer pollination conditions in the Maritimes in 1996. The proportion of empty seed, which was used to estimate inbreeding levels, was significantly and negatively related to seedling height growth. In the short-term, the Ontario populations, which probably represent relatively recent remnants of a broader past distribution, generally appeared to be quite resilient to the effects of small population size on fecundity and progeny fitness. In the longer term, continuing decline in population sizes and numbers may be expected to erode reproductive success and genetic diversity through the effects of inbreeding, genetic drift, and changes in mating behavior. The reproductive indicators described here have general validity for assessing and monitoring reproductive and genetic aspects of population viability in conifers.Key words: Picea rubens, reproductive success, reproductive fitness indicators, inbreeding, population viability, conservation.

A Paedomorphocline in Eucalyptus: Natural Variation in the E. risdonii/E. tenuiramis Complex

1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 545 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJE Wiltshire ◽  
BM Potts ◽  
JB Reid
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Leaf Habit ◽  
Juvenile Leaf ◽  
Adult Leaf ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Fruit Characters

Ontogenetic and morphological variation in 40 natural populations of the closely related species, E. risdonii and E. tenuiramis, were assessed in a multivariate study of juvenile and adult leaf and fruit characters. The present taxonomic separation of the two taxa is based mainly on ontogenetic differences, but this study reveals that the variation between the two taxa in the retention of the juvenile leaf habit is continuous and may represent a paedomorphocline. The morphological data suggest that at least four phenetic groups are required to summarise the morphological variation in the E. risdonii/ E. tenuiramis complex. When ontogenetic variation is removed, the morphological variation between some E. risdonii and some E. tenuiramis populations is also continuous and much smaller than the morphological differences within E. tenuiramis. This suggests that E. risdonii may be the product of relatively recent changes in developmental timing (heterochrony) from E. tenuiramis.

scholarly journals Genetic dissection of courtship song variation using the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Pischedda ◽  
Veronica A Cochrane ◽  
Wesley G Cochrane ◽  
Thomas L. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Courtship Song ◽  
Grand Challenge ◽  
Genetic Dissection ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Song Variation ◽  
Synthetic Population ◽  
Causal Allele

Connecting genetic variation to trait variation is a grand challenge in biology. Natural populations contain a vast reservoir of fascinating and potentially useful variation, but it is unclear if the causal alleles will generally have large enough effects for us to detect. Without knowing the effect sizes or allele frequency of typical variants, it is also unclear what methods will be most successful. Here, we use a multi-parent advanced intercross population (the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource) to map natural variation in Drosophila courtship song traits. Most additive genetic variation in this population can be explained by a modest number of highly resolved QTL. Mapped QTL are universally multiallelic, suggesting that individual genes are "hotspots" of natural variation due to a small target size for major mutations and/or filtering of variation by positive or negative selection. Using quantitative complementation in randomized genetic backgrounds, we provide evidence that one causal allele is harbored in the gene Fhos, making this one of the few genes associated with behavioral variation in any taxon.

Correlation analysis on Reaumuria soongorica seed traits of different natural populations in Gansu Corridor

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-141
Author(s):  
苏世平 SU Shiping ◽  
李毅 LI Yi ◽  
种培芳 CHONG Peifang
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Seed Traits ◽  
Reaumuria Soongorica

Sulfolobus islandicus: a model system for evolutionary genomics

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 458-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changyi Zhang ◽  
David J. Krause ◽  
Rachel J. Whitaker
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Genomic Analysis ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Model System ◽  
Evolutionary Genomics ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Sulfolobus Islandicus ◽  
Evolutionary Genomic ◽  
Natural Variants ◽  
Insight Into

Sulfolobus islandicus has been developed as a model system for combining approaches of evolutionary and molecular biology in Archaea. We describe how the application of this interdisciplinary approach can lead to novel hypotheses derived from patterns of natural variation that can be tested in the laboratory when combined with a diversity of natural variants and versatile genetic markers. We review how this approach has highlighted the importance of recombination as an evolutionary parameter and provided insight into a molecular mechanism of recombination that may be unique in the archaeal domain. We review the development and improvement of the model system S. islandicus that will enable us to study the mechanism and genomic architecture of recombination guided by evolutionary genomic analysis of Nature's ongoing experiments in wild populations.

Utilization of natural variation in Cephalaria joppensis to diversify wheat forage crop rotation in Israel

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 195-201
Author(s):  
Shmuel Galili ◽  
Ran Hovav ◽  
Aharon Bellalou ◽  
Orit Amir-Segev ◽  
Hana Badani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Variation ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Nutritional Values ◽  
Near Future

The recently domesticated species, Cephalaria joppensis (CJ), emerges as a new alternative forage crop in Israel. It has high biomass potential and nutritional values that are comparable to forage wheat. Still, much of the agronomic information regarding CJ is based mainly on a single variety, cv. Rishon, and the genetic variability of this species has not been evaluated. In the last 3 years, CJ seeds have been collected from more than 200 natural populations in Israel. In this work, we characterized 42 of these populations in a replicated field trial, using cv. Rishon as a control. In addition, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was calibrated to predict nutritional attributes. NIRS was found to be instrumental in producing excellent predictions of ash, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, in-vitro digestibility and rumen degradability, but it did not predict lignin or nitrate. Large variation was found among the accessions with respect to growth rate, flowering time and yield, with several accessions scoring significantly higher than cv. Rishon. Almost no variation was found in nutritional quality-related traits. Early flowering populations were somewhat less fibers and higher digestibility than late flowering populations. The natural variation in agronomic traits will facilitate the development of new breeding germplasm for CJ in the near future.

scholarly journals FEATURES SEED REPRODUCTION OF HEDYSARUM GRANDIFLORUM PALL. EX SITU AND IN VITRO

2020 ◽  
pp. 286-293
Author(s):  
N. A. Suprun ◽  
◽  
E. V. Malaeva ◽  
S. A. Shumikhin ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Seed Vigor ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Optimal Temperature ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Seed Reproduction ◽  
Optimal Mode

Hedysarum grandiflorum samples were collected from 7 natural populations of the Volgograd, Samara and Lugansk People's Republic and the features of seed reproduction were studied under ex situ and in vitro conditions. The optimal temperature for seed germination and the dependence of germination and seed vigor on the storage were revealed. We observed the maximum germination rate in the scarified seeds of H. grandiflorum of 2018 collection and it was equal to 70%.It was found that the seed germina-tion and seed vigor are low and quickly decrease with years of storage, while their scarification allows to increase these indicators. It is noted that the relatively low germination of the studied seeds is leveled by the rather high productivity of species in general. The optimal mode of sterilization of H. grandiflorum seeds was experimentally determined - 10% Lysofornin® 3000 solution for 5 minutes. The percentage of sterile seedlings was 60%.

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