Differential gene expression and gene variants drive color and pattern development in divergent color morphs of a mimetic poison frog

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Tyler Linderoth (Creator)

Matthew D. MacManes (Creator)

Adam M. M. Stuckert (Creator)

Kyle Summers (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Evolutionary biologists have long investigated the ecological contexts , evolutionary forces , and proximate mechanisms that produce the diversity of animal coloration we see in the natural world. In aposematic species , color and pattern is directly tied to survival and thus understanding the origin of the phenotype has been a focus of both theoretical and empirical inquiry. In order to better understand this diversity , we examined gene expression in skin tissue during development in four different color morphs of the aposematic mimic poison frog , Ranitomeya imitator. We identified a suite of candidate color-related genes a priori and identified the pattern of expression in these genes over time , differences in expression of these genes between the mimetic morphs , and genetic variants that differ between color morphs. We identified several candidate color genes that are differentially expressed over time or across populations , as well as a number of color genes with fixed genetic variants between color morphs. Many of the color genes we discovered in our dataset are involved in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway , including several fixed SNPs between color morphs. Further , many genes in this pathway were differentially expressed at different points in development (e.g. , lef1 , tyr , tyrp1). Importantly , Wnt signaling pathway genes are overrepresented relative to expression in Xenopus tropicalis. Taken together , this provides evidence that the Wnt signaling pathway is contributing to color pattern production in R. imitator , and is an excellent candidate for producing some of the differences in color pattern between morphs. In addition , we found evidence that sepiapterin reductase is likely important in the production of yellow-green coloration in this adaptive radiation. Finally , two iridophore genes (arfap1 , gart) draw a strong parallel to previous work in another dendrobatid , indicating that these genes are also strong candidates for differential color production. We have used high throughput sequencing throughout development to examine the evolution of coloration in a rapid mimetic adaptive radiation and found that these divergent color patterns are likely to be affected by a combination of developmental patterns of gene expression , color morph-specific gene expression , and color morph-specific gene variants.

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Other

Language: English

Date: 2019

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