Thermal adaptation and ecological speciation

Abstract Background The sibling species of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae (sensu stricto) and Anopheles coluzzii co-exist in many parts of West Africa and are thought to have recently diverged through a process of ecological speciation with gene flow. Divergent larval ecological adaptations, resulting in Genotype-by-Environment (G × E) interactions, have been proposed as important drivers of speciation in these species. In West Africa, An. coluzzii tends to be associated with permanent man-made larval habitats such as irrigated rice fields, which are typically more eutrophic and mineral and ammonia-rich than the temporary rain pools exploited by An. gambiae (s.s.) Methods To highlight G × E interactions at the larval stage and their possible role in ecological speciation of these species, we first investigated the effect of exposure to ammonium hydroxide and water mineralisation on larval developmental success. Mosquito larvae were exposed to two water sources and increasing ammonia concentrations in small containers until adult emergence. In a second experiment, larval developmental success was compared across two contrasted microcosms to highlight G × E interactions under conditions such as those found in the natural environment. Results The first experiment revealed significant G × E interactions in developmental success and phenotypic quality for both species in response to increasing ammonia concentrations and water mineralisation. The An. coluzzii strain outperformed the An. gambiae (s.s.) strain under limited conditions that were closer to more eutrophic habitats. The second experiment revealed divergent crisscrossing reaction norms in the developmental success of the sibling species in the two contrasted larval environments. As expected, An. coluzzii had higher emergence rates in the rice paddy environment with emerging adults of superior phenotypic quality compared to An. gambiae (s.s.), and vice versa, in the rain puddle environment. Conclusions Evidence for such G × E interactions lends support to the hypothesis that divergent larval adaptations to the environmental conditions found in man-made habitats such as rice fields in An. coluzzii may have been an important driver of its ecological speciation.

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The draft genome of the specialist flea beetle Altica viridicyanea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-021-07558-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huai-Jun Xue ◽

Yi-Wei Niu ◽

Kari A. Segraves ◽

Rui-E Nie ◽

Ya-Jing Hao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Plant Cell Wall ◽

Flea Beetle ◽

Repetitive Sequences ◽

Draft Genome ◽

Gene Families ◽

Ecological Speciation ◽

Secondary Chemistry ◽

Host Plant Specialization ◽

Insight Into

Abstract Background Altica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a highly diverse and taxonomically challenging flea beetle genus that has been used to address questions related to host plant specialization, reproductive isolation, and ecological speciation. To further evolutionary studies in this interesting group, here we present a draft genome of a representative specialist, Altica viridicyanea, the first Alticinae genome reported thus far. Results The genome is 864.8 Mb and consists of 4490 scaffolds with a N50 size of 557 kb, which covered 98.6% complete and 0.4% partial insect Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Repetitive sequences accounted for 62.9% of the assembly, and a total of 17,730 protein-coding gene models and 2462 non-coding RNA models were predicted. To provide insight into host plant specialization of this monophagous species, we examined the key gene families involved in chemosensation, detoxification of plant secondary chemistry, and plant cell wall-degradation. Conclusions The genome assembled in this work provides an important resource for further studies on host plant adaptation and functionally affiliated genes. Moreover, this work also opens the way for comparative genomics studies among closely related Altica species, which may provide insight into the molecular evolutionary processes that occur during ecological speciation.

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Thermal adaptation of acetic acid bacteria for practical high-temperature vinegar fermentation

Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1093/bbb/zbab009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 85 (5) ◽

pp. 1243-1251

Author(s):

Nami Matsumoto ◽

Naoki Osumi ◽

Minenosuke Matsutani ◽

Theerisara Phathanathavorn ◽

Naoya Kataoka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

High Temperature ◽

Experimental Evolution ◽

Culture Medium ◽

Thermal Adaptation ◽

Acetic Acid Bacteria ◽

Acid Fermentation ◽

Acetic Acid Production ◽

Fermentation System ◽

Fermentor Culture

ABSTRACT Thermotolerant microorganisms are useful for high-temperature fermentation. Several thermally adapted strains were previously obtained from Acetobacter pasteurianus in a nutrient-rich culture medium, while these adapted strains could not grow well at high temperature in the nutrient-poor practical culture medium, “rice moromi.” In this study, A. pasteurianus K-1034 originally capable of performing acetic acid fermentation in rice moromi was thermally adapted by experimental evolution using a “pseudo” rice moromi culture. The adapted strains thus obtained were confirmed to grow well in such the nutrient-poor media in flask or jar-fermentor culture up to 40 or 39 °C; the mutation sites of the strains were also determined. The high-temperature fermentation ability was also shown to be comparable with a low-nutrient adapted strain previously obtained. Using the practical fermentation system, “Acetofermenter,” acetic acid production was compared in the moromi culture; the results showed that the adapted strains efficiently perform practical vinegar production under high-temperature conditions.

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Behavior Patterns, Energy Consumption and Comfort during COVID-19 Lockdown Related to Home Features, Socioeconomic Factors and Energy Poverty in Madrid

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13115949 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 5949

Author(s):

Teresa Cuerdo-Vilches ◽

Miguel Ángel Navas-Martín ◽

Ignacio Oteiza

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Thermal Adaptation ◽

Vulnerability Index ◽

General Increase ◽

Energy Poverty ◽

Poor Households ◽

Global Spread ◽

Containment Measures ◽

The Face ◽

Future Harm

During spring 2020, the world was shocked at the imminent global spread of SARS-CoV-2, resorting to measures such as domestic confinement. This meant the reconfiguration of life in an unusual space; the home. However, not all households experienced it in the same way; many of them were vulnerable. A general increase in energy consumption and discomfort in many cases, led these families to suffer the ravages of confinement. This study analyzes the energy and comfort situation for the Madrid (Spain) population, according to the configuration of the homes, the characteristics of the dwellings, the vulnerability index by district, and energy poverty (measured with the 10% threshold of energy expenditure of home incomes). The results show a greater exposure, in confinement, of vulnerable and energy-poor households to scenarios of discomfort in the home, to which they could not respond, while energy consumption inevitably increased. Driven by need, energy-poor homes applied certain saving strategies, mainly resorting to thermal adaptation with clothing. This study shows the risk these households experienced in the face of an extreme situation, and invites reflection on preventive and containment measures that aim to avoid harming the disadvantaged in the future; harm that would also entail serious consequences on the health of their cohabitants.

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Thermal adaptation of structural dynamics and regulatory function of adenine riboswitch

RNA Biology ◽

10.1080/15476286.2021.1886755 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Lin Wu ◽

Zhijun Liu ◽

Yu Liu

Keyword(s):

Structural Dynamics ◽

Thermal Adaptation ◽

Regulatory Function

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