Find research datasets worth reusing

Song and genetic divergence within a subspecies of white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli)

Animal culture evolves alongside genomes, and the two modes of inheritance—culture and genes—interact in myriad ways. For example, stable geographic variation in culture can act as a reproductive barrier, thereby producing genetic divergence between "cultural populations." White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are a well-established model species for bird song learning and cultural evolution, as they have distinct, geographically discrete, and culturally transmitted song types (i.e., song dialects). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that divergence between culturally transmitted songs drives genetic divergence within Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows (Z. l. nuttalli). In accordance with sexual selection theory, we hypothesized that cultural divergence between mating signals both preceded and generated genetic divergence.We characterized the population structure and song variation in the subspecies and found two genetically differentiated populations whose boundary coincides with a major song boundary at Monterey Bay, California. We then conducted a song playback experiment that demonstrated males discriminate between songs based on their degree of divergence from their local dialect. These results support the idea that discrimination against non-local songs is driving genetic divergence between the northern and southern populations. Altogether, this study provides evidence that culturally transmitted bird songs can act as the foundation for speciation by sexual selection.

Assessing the links between pollinators and the genetic and epigenetic features of plant species with contrasting distribution ranges

In flowering plants, pollinators contribute to gene flow while they also respond to variation in plant traits together determined by genetic, epigenetic and environmental sources of variation. Consequently, a correlation between abundance and diversity of pollinators and the genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plant populations such as diversity or distinctiveness is expected. However, no study has explored these long-term dimensions of plant-pollinator interactions. Mediterranean narrow endemics often exhibit unexpectedly high levels of population genetic and epigenetic diversity. We hypothesize that pollinators may contribute to explain this pattern. Specifically, given the higher sensitivity of small, isolated population to gene flow, we expect a stronger association of pollinators with population genetic and epigenetic variability in narrow endemics than in widely distributed congeners. We studied five pairs of congeneric plant species, consisting of one narrow endemic with a restricted distribution and one widespread congener, found in the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (SE Spain). We characterized the pollinators in up to three populations per species to estimate their diversity and visitation rates. Additionally, we calculated the genetic and epigenetic diversity and distinctiveness of each population using AFLP markers and methylation-sensitive AFLP markers (MSAP), respectively. We assessed the relationship between pollinator diversity and visitation rates. The diversity of pollinators did not vary according to the plant´s distribution range, but visitation rate was higher in widespread species. As predicted, only narrow endemics showed a significant association between pollinators and their population genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Specifically, higher pollinator diversity and visitation rates entailed higher population genetic diversity and lower epigenetic distinctiveness. This work shows the importance of investigating the relationship between pollinator diversity and population genetics and epigenetics to better understand the evolution of plant rarity.

openmit-licenseMay 2024View details →

Data underlying the article: "Excuse me, there is a mutant in my bioactivity soup! A comprehensive analysis of the genetic variability landscape of bioactivity databases and its effect on activity modelling"

This repository contains the data underlying the article: “Excuse me, there is a mutant in my bioactivity soup! A comprehensive analysis of the genetic variability landscape of bioactivity databases and its effect on activity modelling” available as a preprint on ChemRxiv. Main authors: Marina Gorostiola González & Olivier J.M. Béquignon (Leiden University) Senior author: Gerard J.P. van Westen (Leiden University) This analysis was performed using the code available at <a href="https://github.com/CDDLeiden/chembl_variants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://github.com/CDDLeiden/chembl_variants</a>

Data from: Analysis of genotyping data reveals the unique genetic diversity represented by the breeds of sheep native to the United Kingdom

Background: Sheep breeds native to the United Kingdom are noted for high breed variability and exhibit a striking diversity of different traits in phenotypes and genetic diversity. Some of these traits are highly sustainable, such as seasonal wool shedding in the Wiltshire Horn, are likely to become more important as pressures on sheep production increase in coming decades. Despite their clear importance to the future of sheep farming, the genetic diversity of native UK sheep breeds is poorly characterised. This increases the risk of losing the ability to select for breed-specific traits from native breeds that might be important to the UK sheep sector in the future. Here, we use 50K genotyping to perform preliminary analysis of breed relationships and genetic diversity within native UK sheep breeds, as a first step towards a comprehensive characterisation. This study generates novel data for thirteen native UK breeds, including 6 on the UK Breeds at Risk (BAR) list, and utilises existing data from the publicly available Sheep HapMap dataset to investigate population structure, heterozygosity and admixture. Results: In this study the commercial breeds exhibited high levels of admixture, weaker population structure and had higher heterozygosity compared to the other native breeds, which generally tend to be more distinct, less admixed, and have lower genetic diversity and higher kinship coefficients. Some breeds including the Wiltshire Horn, Lincoln Longwool and Ryeland showed very little admixture at all, indicating a high level of breed integrity but potentially low genetic diversity. Population structure and admixture were strongly influenced by sample size and sample provenance – highlighting the need for equal sample sizes, sufficient numbers of individuals per breed, and sampling across multiple flocks. The genetic profiles both within and between breeds were highly complex for UK sheep, reflecting the complexity in the demographic history of these breeds. Conclusion: Our results highlight the utility of genotyping data for investigating breed diversity and genetic structure. They also suggest that routine generation of genotyping data would be very useful in informing conservation strategies for rare and declining breeds with small populations sizes. We conclude that generating genetic resources for the sheep breeds that are native to the UK will help preserve the considerable genetic diversity represented by these breeds, and safe guard this diversity as a valuable resource for the UK sheep sector to utilise in the face of future challenges.

Circular genetic structure of the Abies nephrolepis species complex shaped by the circular landform of Northeast Asia

Aim: Pinaceae have been noted for their tendency towards reticulation as a result of interspecific hybridization. Here, we demonstrated the phylogeographic dynamics of the native Northeast Asian sub-alpine conifer, Abies nephrolepis species complex (ANSC), evolving in circular overlaps along the Northeast Asian landform, which functions as a corridor with the sea, thus acting as a geographic barrier. Location: Northeast Asia: the Korean Peninsula, Japanese Archipelago, Russian Far East, and northeastern China Taxon: Abies nephrolepis species complex (Family Pinaceae, Genus Abies, Section Balsamea, Abies nephrolepis, A. koreana, A. veitchii, and A. sachalinensis) Methods: A total of 728 individuals from 38 ANSC populations were analysed using multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing to capture variations in bi-parental nuclear genomes. Eight mitochondrial regions and eight chloroplast regions of each individual were sequenced using the MiSeq platform and Sanger sequencing. Species distribution models were generated. Results: Bayesian clustering with 507 nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms and the discrepancy between cytoplasmic and nuclear genome lineages implied contemporary and ancient connections between neighbouring species in the form of circular overlap. This genetic connectivity was supported by principal component analysis. Strong correlations between genetic distance and geographic distance were observed, suggesting that gene flow occurs through a continuous chain around the sea. We also found that gene flow direction and intensity changed over time, with support from paleodistribution modelling. Conclusion: Past hybridization events were captured in cytoplasmic genomes, generating heterogeneity across maternal ancestries. This intensive phylogeographic study demonstrates speciation with incomplete reproductive isolation (continuous gene flow) among neighbouring species with an alteration of the direction and intensity of gene flow due to climate change. The divergence of ANSC due to repeated isolation and reconnection caused by heterogenous physiological environments and climate fluctuation provides a model to solve evolutionary scenarios for reticulate evolution in Pinaceae and other plants.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2024View details →

Comprehensive clinical and genetic analyses of circulating bile acids and their associations with diabetes and its indices

Files containing source data for "Comprehensive clinical and genetic analyses of circulating bile acids and their associations with diabetes and its indices," by Choucair et al., published in Diabetes.

Evolution of invasion syndrome in invasive goldenrod is not constrained by genetic trade-offs

A suite of plant traits is thought to make weed populations highly invasive, including vigorous growth and reproduction, superior competitive ability, and high dispersal ability. Using a breeding design and a common garden experiment, we tested whether such an "invasion syndrome" has evolved in an invasive range of Solidago altissima, and whether the evolution is likely to be genetically constrained. We found an overall shift in invasive phenotypes between native North American and invasive Japanese populations. The invasive populations were taller and produced more leaves, suggesting a superior ability to exploit limited resources. The populations also produced more allelopathic compounds that can suppress competitor growth. Finally, invasive populations produced more seeds, which are smaller and are released from a greater height, indicating a potential for superior dispersal ability than the native populations. Quantitative genetics analyses found a large amount of additive genetic variation in most focal traits across native and invasive populations, with no systematic differences in its magnitude between the ranges. Genetic covariances among three traits representing invasion strategies (leaf mass, polyacetylene concentration and seed size) were small. The R metric, which measures the effect of genetic covariances on the rate of adaptation, indicated that the covariance neither constrains nor accelerates concerted evolution of these traits. The results suggest that the invasion syndrome in S. altissima has evolved in the novel range due to ample additive genetic variation, and relatively free from genetic trade-offs.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2021View details →

Data and code for phenotypic, genetic and distribution analyses of the parthenogenetic grasshopper Warramaba virgo and its sexual progenitors

Includes raw data on phenotypic traits (critical thermal maximum, chill coma recovery, water loss and metabolic rate vs. temperature, mass of eggs, hatchlings and females, clutch sizes and lifetime reproductive output, development time, time to maturity, longevity), molecular traits (SNP, COI and microsatellite data) and distribution as well as code to analyse them.

Experimental evaluation of genetic variability based on DNA metabarcoding from the aquatic environment: Insights from the Leray COI fragment

Intraspecific genetic variation is important for the assessment of organisms' resistance to changing environments and anthropogenic pressures. Aquatic DNA metabarcoding provides a non-invasive method in biodiversity research, including investigations at the within-species level. Through the analysis of eDNA samples collected from the Peter the Great Gulf of the Japan Sea, in this study we aimed to evaluate the identification of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) in marine eDNA among abundant species of the Zostera sp. community: Hexagrammos octogrammus, Pholidapus dybowskii (Teleostei: Perciformes), and Pandalus latirostris (Arthropoda: Decapoda). These species were collected from two distant locations to produce mock communities and gather aquatic eDNA both on the community and individual level. Our approach highlights the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding in capturing haplotypic diversity and the potential for this methodology to track genetic diversity accurately, contributing to conservation efforts and ecosystem management. Additionally, our results elucidate the impact of nuclear mitochondrial DNA segments (NUMTs) on the reliability of metabarcoding data, indicating the necessity for cautious interpretation of such data in ecological studies. Moreover, we analyzed 83 publicly available COI sequence datasets from common groups of multicellular organisms (Mollusca, Echinodermata, Crustacea, Polychaeta, and Actinopterygii). The results reflect the decrease in population diversity that arises from using the metabarcode compared to the COI barcode.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2013View details →

Data from: Maranville JC, Baxter SS, Witonsky DB, Chase MA, Di Rienzo A. (2013) Genetic Mapping with Multiple Levels of Phenotypic Information Reveals Determinants of Lymphocyte Glucocorticoid Sensitivity.

Genotype data for 88 African American indviduals in binary PLINK format published in  Maranville JC, Baxter SS, Witonsky DB, Chase MA, Di Rienzo A. (2013) Genetic Mapping with Multiple Levels of Phenotypic Information Reveals Determinants of Lymphocyte Glucocorticoid Sensitivity. Am J Hum Genet. 93(4):735-743

Genetic variability and Population structure of two sympatric cownose rays Rhinoptera (Myliobatiformes, Rhinopteridae) in the Western Atlantic Ocean

We analyzed sequences of COI and Cytb genes for Rhinoptera bonasus (COI: 230; 11 haplotypes, Cytb: 108; 12 haplotypes) and R. brasiliensis (COI: 181; 10 haplotypes, Cytb: 105; eight haplotypes ) to investigate the genetic diversity and their relationship with environmental variables, genetic structure, as well as demographic parameters.

Phenotyping data from: Genetics of phenological development and implications for seed yield in lentil

Using a historic collection of Australian lentil varieties released between 1988 and 2019, we show that genetic gain in yield (29 kg ha-1 yr-1) associates with faster reproductive development. A focus on five loci related to reproductive development, the lentil ELF3 ortholog Sn, two loci linked to clusters of lentil FT orthologs and two loci without proposed candidates in chromosomes 2 and 5, revealed the potential for introducing novel early flowering alleles into current breeding material for further phenological diversity with potential implications for yield.

Genetic admixture and evolutionary history of Han Chinese in the Shandong Peninsula inferred from integrative modern and ancient genomic resources

The allele frequency data of 264 individuals from Shandong Province and supplementary table.

Identification of genetic variants associated with clinical features of sickle cell disease

Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.

Result of LAVA-Knock: Genetic correlation via knockoffs removes confounding due to cross-trait assortative mating

Results of application to GWAS summary statistics for 36 traits. 394,060 windows are used to perform LAVA-Bonf. 64,833 windows are used to conduct LAVA-Knock. At target FDR 0.1, LAVA-Knock detects 8,421 significant windows for 4,401 locus-phenotype pairs. LAVA-Bonf with threshold 0.05/394,060 identifies 10,802 windows for 6,260 locus-phenotype pairs.

Polyandry and non-random fertilisation maintain long-term genetic diversity in an isolated island population of adders (Vipera berus)

Conservation genetic theory suggests that small and isolated populations should be subjected to reduced genetic diversity i.e., heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Our 34 years study of an isolated island population of adders (Vipera berus) in southern Sweden challenges this notion. Despite a lack of gene flow and a yearly mean estimated reproductive adult population size of only 65 adult adders (range 12 to 171), the population has been able to maintain high levels of heterozygosity and allelic diversity similar to that observed in two mainland populations. Even a 14-year major "bottleneck" i.e., a reduction in adult adder numbers, encompassing at least four adder generations, did not result in any reduction in the island adders' heterozygosity and allelic diversity. Female adders are polyandrous, and fertilisation is non-random, which our empirical data and modelling suggest underpinning the island adders' ability to maintain a high level of heterozygosity. Our empirical results and subsequent modelling suggest that the positive genetic effects of polyandry in combination with non-random fertilisation, often overlooked in conservation genetic analyses, deserve greater consideration when predicting long-term survival of small and isolated populations.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Figure 1 in Genetic difference between two Schistosoma japonicum isolates with contrasting cercarial shedding patterns revealed by whole genome sequencing

Figure 1. Map of geographical locations of research sites.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2017View details →

Figure 1 in Genetic structure of Trypanosoma congolense "forest type" circulating in domestic animals and tsetse flies in the South-West region of Cameroon

Figure 1. Allelic frequency at each locus by host.

opencc-zeroDec 2023View details →

Gradual transitions in genetics and songs between coastal and inland populations of Setophaga townsendi

Setophaga townsendi is a species of wood-warbler (family Parulidae) in northwestern North America that has a geographic structure in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes: while interior populations have differentiated mitonuclear ancestry from the sister species S. occidentalis, coastal populations have a mix of inland and S. occidentalis mitonuclear ancestries. This coastal-to-inland transition in genomic ancestry raises the possibility of similar geographic structure in phenotypic traits, especially those involved in mate choice. Using qualitative and multivariate approaches, we investigated whether there is a sharp transition between coastal and inland populations in both songs and nuclear DNA. We find there is a shallow geographic cline in the Type I song but not in the Type II song. Nuclear DNA shows a gradient between the coast and inland. There is little correlation between variation in song and the isolation-by-distance pattern in the nuclear DNA. The learned songbird song is shaped by both genetic and cultural processes. There has been a debate on whether song learning promotes or slows down population differentiation. By comparing the within-species variation in song and genetic structures, we can expand our understanding of the dynamic interplay between mating signals and population differentiation.