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18 results for “Pristionchus”
Adaptation to environmental temperature in divergent clades of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus
<p><span>Because of ongoing climate change, populations of organisms are being subjected to stressful temperatures more often. This is especially problematic for ectothermic organisms, which are likely to be more sensitive to changes in temperature. Therefore, we need to know if ectotherms have adapted to environmental temperature and, if so, what are the evolutionary mechanisms behind such adaptation. Here, we use the nematode <em>Pristionchus pacificus</em> as a case study to investigate thermal adaptation on the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion, which experiences a range of temperatures from coast to summit. We study the evolution of high temperature tolerance by constructing a phylogenetic tree of strains collected from many different thermal niches. We show that populations of <em>P. pacificus</em> at low altitudes have higher fertility at warmer temperatures. Most likely, this phenotype has arisen recently and at least twice independently, consistent with parallel evolution. We also studied low temperature tolerance and showed that populations from high altitudes have increased their fertility at cooler temperatures. </span><span>Together, these data indicate that <em>P. pacificus</em> strains on La Réunion are subject to divergent selection, adapting to hot and cold niches at the coast and summit of the volcano.</span><span> </span><span>Precisely defining these thermal niches provides essential information for models that predict the impact of future climate change on these populations.</span></p>
Adaptation to environmental temperature in divergent clades of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus
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Data from: Specialization of a polyphenism switch gene following serial duplications in Pristionchus nematodes
Polyphenism is an extreme manifestation of developmental plasticity, requiring distinct developmental programs and the addition of a switch mechanism. Because the genetic basis of polyphenism switches has only begun to be understood, how their mechanisms arise is unclear. In the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which has a mouthpart polyphenism specialized for alternative diets, a gene (eud-1) executing the polyphenism switch was recently identified as the product of lineage-specific duplications. Here, we infer the role of gene duplications in producing a switch gene. Using reverse genetics and population genetic analyses, we examine evidence for competing scenarios of degeneration and complementation, neutral evolution, and functional specialization. Of the daughter genes, eud-1 alone has assumed switch-like regulation of the mouth polyphenism. Measurements of life-history traits in single, double, and triple sulfatase mutants did not, given a benign environment, identify alternative or complementary roles for eud-1 paralogs. Although possible roles are still unknown, selection analyses of the sister species and 104 natural isolates of P. pacificus detected purifying selection on the genes, suggesting their functionality by their fixation and evolutionary maintenance. Our approach shows the tractability of reverse genetics in a nontraditional model system to study evolution by gene duplication.
Data from: Landscape and oceanic barriers shape dispersal and population structure in the island nematode, Pristionchus pacificus
Despite the biological importance and diversity of nematodes, little is known of the factors influencing their dispersal and shaping their evolutionary history. Populations of the cosmopolitan species Pristionchus pacificus are characterized by high genetic diversity and strong spatial structure, which contrasts with patterns detected in nematode species such as Caenorhabditis elegans. The environmentally heterogeneous volcanic Mascarene Islands provide an ideal setting for investigating fine-scale patterns of nematode migration and gene flow. Based on the analysis of data from 19 nuclear microsatellites and one mitochondrial marker, we infer support for the colonization of both La Réunion Island and Mauritius from similar multiple geographical sources. Although the long-term persistence of populations on both islands is well supported, the historical colonization of one island from the other cannot be discounted. In fact, periodic, bi-directional migration between the islands following their initial colonization is strongly supported in isolation with migration analyses, supporting the occurrence of rare trans-oceanic dispersal events in P. pacificus. Through a combination of population and landscape genetic analyses we also infer non-uniform dispersal across the landscape on the island of La Réunion, probably mediated by the movements of beetle hosts. Collectively, we show that gene flow in P. pacificus is limited by environmental and oceanic barriers, and shaped by the intricacies of the nematode–beetle host interaction
Data from: Specialization of a polyphenism switch gene following serial duplications in Pristionchus nematodes
Polyphenism is an extreme manifestation of developmental plasticity, requiring distinct developmental programs and the addition of a switch mechanism. Because the genetic basis of polyphenism switches has only begun to be understood, how their mechanisms arise is unclear. In the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which has a mouthpart polyphenism specialized for alternative diets, a gene (eud-1) executing the polyphenism switch was recently identified as the product of lineage-specific duplications. Here, we infer the role of gene duplications in producing a switch gene. Using reverse genetics and population genetic analyses, we examine evidence for competing scenarios of degeneration and complementation, neutral evolution, and functional specialization. Of the daughter genes, eud-1 alone has assumed switch-like regulation of the mouth polyphenism. Measurements of life-history traits in single, double, and triple sulfatase mutants did not, given a benign environment, identify alternative or complementary roles for eud-1 paralogs. Although possible roles are still unknown, selection analyses of the sister species and 104 natural isolates of P. pacificus detected purifying selection on the genes, suggesting their functionality by their fixation and evolutionary maintenance. Our approach shows the tractability of reverse genetics in a nontraditional model system to study evolution by gene duplication.
Data from: Succession and dynamics of Pristionchus nematodes and their microbiome during decomposition of Oryctes beetles on La Réunion Island
Insects and nematodes represent the most species-rich animal taxa and they occur together in a variety of associations. Necromenic nematodes of the genus Pristionchus are found on scarab beetles with more than 30 species known from worldwide samplings. However, little is known about the dynamics and succession of nematodes and bacteria during the decomposition of beetle carcasses. Here, we study nematode and bacterial succession of the decomposing rhinoceros beetle Oryctes borbonicus on La Réunion Island. We show that Pristionchus pacificus exits the arrested dauer stage seven days after the beetles´ deaths. Surprisingly, new dauers are seen after 11 days, suggesting that some worms return to the dauer stage after one reproductive cycle. We used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes of decaying beetles, beetle guts and nematodes to study bacterial communities in comparison to soil. We find that soil environments have the most diverse bacterial communities. The bacterial community of living and decaying beetles are more stable but one single bacterial family dominates the microbiome of decaying beetles. In contrast, the microbiome of nematodes is relatively similar even across different families. This study represents the first characterization of the dynamics of nematode-bacterial interactions during the decomposition of insects.
Comparative reconstruction of the predatory feeding structures of the polyphenic nematode Pristionchus pacificus
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span>Pristionchus pacificus</span></em><span> is a nematode model for the developmental genetics of morphological polyphenism, especially at the level of individual cells. Morphological polyphenism in this species includes an evolutionary novelty, moveable teeth, which have enabled predatory feeding in this species and others in its family (Diplogastridae). From transmission electron micrographs of serial thin sections through an adult hermaphrodite of <em>P. pacificus</em>, we three-dimensionally reconstructed all epithelial and myoepithelial cells and syncytia, corresponding to 74 nuclei, of its face, mouth, and pharynx. We found that the epithelia that produce the predatory morphology of <em>P. pacificus</em> are identical to <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> in the number of cell classes and nuclei. However, differences in cell form, spatial relationships, and nucleus position correlate with gross morphological differences from <em>C. elegans</em> and outgroups. Moreover, we identified fine-structural features</span><span>, especially in the anteriormost pharyngeal muscles, that underlie the conspicuous, left-right asymmetry that characterizes the <em>P. pacificus </em>feeding apparatus. Our reconstruction provides an anatomical map for studying the genetics of polyphenism, feeding behavior, and the development of novel form in a satellite model to <em>C. elegans</em>.</span></p>
Data from: Specialization of a polyphenism switch gene following serial duplications in Pristionchus nematodes
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Data from: Succession and dynamics of Pristionchus nematodes and their microbiome during decomposition of Oryctes beetles on La Réunion Island
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Landscape and oceanic barriers shape dispersal and population structure in the island nematode, Pristionchus pacificus
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Data from: Specialization of a polyphenism switch gene following serial duplications in Pristionchus nematodes
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Data from: Multi-locus analysis of Pristionchus pacificus on La Réunion Island reveals an evolutionary history shaped by multiple introductions, constrained dispersal events, and rare out-crossing
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Comparative reconstruction of the predatory feeding structures of the polyphenic nematode Pristionchus pacificus
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Data from: Mating system transitions drive life span evolution in Pristionchus nematodes
Interactions between the sexes influence evolution at many scales, but not all animal species conform to the familiar male-female (dioecious) mating system; such taxa are powerful tools for studying the evolutionary importance of sexual selection and conflict on all manner of life-history traits, including longevity. We tested for an effect of mating system on adult life span in Pristionchus nematodes, where self-fertile hermaphrodites have replaced females multiple times independently throughout the genus (androdioecy). By measuring adult life span for 11 species (6 dioecious, 5 androdioecious), we found that life span is considerably shorter in hermaphrodites relative to closely related females. This effect is not a cost of reproduction; brood size did not reliably trade off with life span in self-fertilizing hermaphrodites or in mated females. Furthermore, we found that sexual dimorphism in life span varied among dioecious species, with females generally outliving males. Finally, we documented intraspecific variation for life span and cuticular disease (blistering) prevalence in Pristionchus pacificus, a model system for evolutionary-developmental biology. This work demonstrates that mating system transitions and life span evolution are linked in Pristionchus nematodes and provides a foundation for future comparative and mechanistic studies of aging in this genus.
Data from: Hybrid crosses and the genetic basis of interspecific divergence in lifespan in Pristionchus nematodes
Characterizing the genetic basis of among-species variation in lifespan is a major goal of evolutionary gerontology research, but the very feature that defines separate species—the inability to interbreed—makes achieving this goal impractical, if not impossible, for most taxa. Pristionchus nematodes provide an intriguing system for tackling this problem, as female lifespan varies among species that can be crossed to form viable (though infertile) hybrids. By conducting reciprocal crosses among three species—two dioecious (long-lived P. exspectatus and short-lived P. arcanus) and one androdioecious (short-lived P. pacificus)—we found that female lifespan was long for all hybrids, consistent with the hypothesis that the relatively short lifespans seen for P. pacificus hermaphrodites and P. arcanus females are caused by independent, recessive alleles that are masked in hybrid genomes. Cross direction had a small effect on survivorship for crosses involving P. exspectatus, indicating that nuclear-mitochondrial interactions may also influence Pristionchus longevity. Our findings suggest that long lifespan in P. exspectatus reflects the realization of an ancestral potential for extended longevity in the P. pacificus species complex. This work demonstrates the utility of interspecific hybrids for ageing research and provides a foundation for future work on the genetic architecture of interspecific lifespan variation.
Data from: Hybrid crosses and the genetic basis of interspecific divergence in lifespan in Pristionchus nematodes
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Data from: Mating system transitions drive life span evolution in Pristionchus nematodes
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Pristionchus pacificus and Caenorhabditis elegans: Dauer and Dauer exit versus mix-stage comparisons
GEO Series GSE36644. Pristionchus pacificus; Caenorhabditis elegans. 15 samples. Type: Expression profiling by array.
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