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Cross‐species transcriptomics uncovers genes underlying genetic accommodation of developmental plasticity in spadefoot toads
Author(s) -
Liedtke Hans Christoph,
Harney Ewan,
GomezMestre Ivan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.15883
Subject(s) - biology , transcriptome , phenotypic plasticity , gene , phenotype , evolutionary biology , developmental plasticity , genetics , genome , adaptation (eye) , gene expression , plasticity , neuroscience , physics , thermodynamics
That hardcoded genomes can manifest as plastic phenotypes responding to environmental perturbations is a fascinating feature of living organisms. How such developmental plasticity is regulated at the molecular level is beginning to be uncovered aided by the development of ‐omic techniques. Here, we compare the transcriptome‐wide responses of two species of spadefoot toads with differing capacity for developmental acceleration of their larvae in the face of a shared environmental risk: pond drying. By comparing gene expression profiles over time and performing cross‐species network analyses, we identified orthologues and functional gene pathways whose environmental sensitivity in expression have diverged between species. Genes related to lipid, cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis and metabolism make up most of a module of genes environmentally responsive in one species, but canalized in the other. The evolutionary changes in the regulation of the genes identified through these analyses may have been key in the genetic accommodation of developmental plasticity in this system.