Parallel evolution of cox genes in H2S-tolerant fish as key adaptation to a toxic environment

Markus Pfenninger; Hannes Lerp; Michael Tobler; Courtney Passow; Joanna L Kelley; Elisabeth Funke; Bastian Greshake; Umut Kaan Erkoc; Thomas Berberich; Martin Plath

doi:10.1038/ncomms4873

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Parallel evolution of cox genes in H2S-tolerant fish as key adaptation to a toxic environment

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Parallel evolution of cox genes in H2S-tolerant fish as key adaptation to a toxic environment

Markus Pfenninger, Hannes Lerp, Michael Tobler, Courtney Passow, Joanna L Kelley, Elisabeth Funke, Bastian Greshake, Umut Kaan Erkoc, Thomas Berberich and Martin Plath

Nature communications, Vol.5(1), pp.3873-3873

05/12/2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4873

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/115370

PMID: 24815812

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Abstract

Animals

Mitochondria - genetics

Adaptation, Physiological - genetics

Poecilia - genetics

Base Sequence

Environment

Hydrogen Sulfide - adverse effects

Electron Transport Complex IV - genetics

Phylogeny

Sequence Analysis, DNA

Amino Acid Substitution

Evolution, Molecular

Populations that repeatedly adapt to the same environmental stressor offer a unique opportunity to study adaptation, especially if there are a priori predictions about the genetic basis underlying phenotypic evolution. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) blocks the cytochrome-c oxidase complex (COX), predicting the evolution of decreased H2S susceptibility of the COX in three populations in the Poecilia mexicana complex that have colonized H2S-containing springs. Here, we demonstrate that decreased H2S susceptibility of COX evolved in parallel in two sulphide lineages, as evidenced by shared amino acid substitutions in cox1 and cox3 genes. One of the shared substitutions likely triggers conformational changes in COX1 blocking the access of H2S. In a third sulphide population, we detect no decreased H2S susceptibility of COX, suggesting that H2S resistance is achieved through another mechanism. Our study thus demonstrates that even closely related lineages follow both parallel and disparate molecular evolutionary paths to adaptation in response to the same selection pressure.

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Title: Parallel evolution of cox genes in H2S-tolerant fish as key adaptation to a toxic environment
Creators: Markus Pfenninger - Molecular Ecology Group, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre by Senckenberg Naturforschende Gesellschaft and Goethe-Universität, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
Hannes Lerp - Department of Ecology and Evolution, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, J.W. Goethe-Universität, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
Michael Tobler - Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
Courtney Passow - Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
Joanna L Kelley - Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Elisabeth Funke - Molecular Ecology Group, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre by Senckenberg Naturforschende Gesellschaft and Goethe-Universität, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
Bastian Greshake - Molecular Ecology Group, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre by Senckenberg Naturforschende Gesellschaft and Goethe-Universität, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
Umut Kaan Erkoc - Department of Ecology and Evolution, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, J.W. Goethe-Universität, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
Thomas Berberich - Molecular Ecology Group, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre by Senckenberg Naturforschende Gesellschaft and Goethe-Universität, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
Martin Plath - Department of Ecology and Evolution, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, J.W. Goethe-Universität, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
Publication Details: Nature communications, Vol.5(1), pp.3873-3873
Academic Unit: Biological Sciences, School of
Publisher: England
Identifiers: 99900548137201842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article