Individual variation in social behavior seems ubiquitous, but we know little about how it relates to brain diversity. Among monogamous prairie voles, levels of vasopressin receptor (encoded by the gene avpr1a) regions related spatial memory predict male space use and sexual fidelity field. We find that trade-offs between benefits infidelity are reflected patterns territorial intrusion, offspring paternity, avpr1a expression, evolutionary fitness alternative alleles. DNA at locus includes...

Abstract Organisms can adapt to variable environments by using environmental cues modulate developmental gene expression. In principle, maternal influences adaptively adjust offspring phenotype when early life and adult match, but they may be maladaptive future are not predictable. One of the best‐studied ‘maternal effects’ is through modification offspring's hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal ( HPA ) axis, neuroendocrine system that controls responses stress. addition direct transfer...

Lytechinus variegatus is a camarodont sea urchin found widely throughout the western Atlantic Ocean in variety of shallow-water marine habitats. Its distribution, abundance, and amenability to developmental perturbation make it popular model for ecologists biologists. Here, we present chromosomal-level genome assembly L. generated from combination PacBio long reads, 10× Genomics sequencing, HiC chromatin interaction sequencing. We show has 19 chromosomes with an size 870.4 Mb. The contiguity...

Background The emergence of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) associated with severe acute respiratory disease (COVID-19) has prompted efforts to understand the genetic basis for its unique characteristics and jump from non-primate hosts humans. Tests positive selection can identify apparently nonrandom patterns mutation accumulation within genomes, highlighting regions where molecular function may have changed during origin species. Several recent studies SARS-CoV-2 genome identified signals...

Using scRNA-seq coupled with computational approaches, we studied transcriptional changes in cell states of sea urchin embryos during development to the larval stage. Eighteen closely spaced time points were taken first 24 h Lytechinus variegatus (Lv). Developmental trajectories constructed using Waddington-OT, a approach 'stitch' together developmental points. Skeletogenic and primordial germ diverged early cleavage. Ectodermal progenitors distinct from other lineages by 6th cleavage,...

The success of butterflies and moths is tightly linked to the origin scales within group. A long-standing hypothesis postulates that are homologous well-described mechanosensory bristles found in fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, as both derive from an epithelial precursor. Previous histological candidate gene approaches identified parallels genes involved scale bristle development. Here, we provide developmental transcriptomic evidence differentiation lepidopteran derives sensory organ...

Abstract Humans carry a much larger percentage of body fat than other primates. Despite the central role adipose tissue in metabolism, little is known about evolution white Phenotypic divergence often caused by genetic cis-regulatory regions. We examined landscape during human origins performing comparative analyses chromatin accessibility and chimpanzee using rhesus macaque as an outgroup. find that many regions have decreased humans are enriched for promoter enhancer sequences, depleted...

Abstract Background Adaptive changes in cis -regulatory elements are an essential component of evolution by natural selection. Identifying adaptive and functional noncoding DNA throughout the genome is therefore crucial for understanding relationship between phenotype genotype. Results We used ENCODE annotations to identify appropriate proxy neutral sequences demonstrate that conservativeness test can be modulated during filtration reference alignments. applied method Human Accelerated...

Abstract Coffee berry borer—CBB ( Hypothenemus hampei ) is a globally important economic pest of coffee Coffea spp.). Despite current insect control methods for managing CBB, development future strategies requires better understanding its biology and interaction with host plant. Towards this objective, we performed de novo CBB genome transcriptome sequencing, improved assembly predicted 18,765 protein-encoding genes. Using data, annotated the genes associated chemosensation found reduced...

Abstract The success of butterflies and moths is tightly linked to the origin scales within group. A long-standing hypothesis postulates that are homologous well-described mechanosensory bristles found in fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster , where both derive from an epithelial precursor specified by lateral inhibition then undergoes multiple rounds division. Previous histological examination candidate gene approaches identified parallels genes involved scale bristle development. Here, we...

“Regulative development” demonstrated by many animal embryos, is the ability to replace missing cells or parts. The underlying molecular mechanism(s) of that not well understood. If sea urchin micromeres (skeletogenic cell progenitors) are removed at 16-cell stage, early endoderm initiates a sequential switch in fates, called “transfating”. Without micromeres, other mesoderm absent as well, because their specification depends on signaling from micromeres. Most later return transfating, but...

Existen dos especies de Hypothenemus en Colombia importancia económica: H. hampei y obscurus. La primera es la plaga más destructiva del café, mientras que segunda ataca varias especies, incluyendo macadamia café. El objetivo esta investigación fue comparar estas biológica, morfológica genéticamente, con el fin establecer diferencias expliquen adaptación broca al Los insectos fueron criados dieta artificial café para estudiar su biología. Se estudió morfología mediante mediciones microscopio...

Abstract Changes in transcriptional regulation are thought to be a major contributor the evolution of phenotypic traits, but contribution changes chromatin accessibility gene expression remains almost entirely unknown. To address this important gap knowledge, we developed new method identify DNase I Hypersensitive (DHS) sites with differential between species using joint modeling approach. Our overcomes several limitations inherent conventional threshold-based pairwise comparisons that...

Populations undergoing range expansions are often faced with novel selective pressures, and to cope such challenges, populations must either adapt quickly or exhibit phenotypic plasticity. This latter option allows for rapid adjustments persistence in environments, thus could be advantageous at range‐edges. Our previous research on house sparrows Kenya – a site of ongoing expansion growing literature suggests that invasion success is facilitated by epigenetic regulation gene expression....

Pair bonding with a reproductive partner is rare among mammals but an important feature of human social behavior. Decades research on monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), along comparative studies using the related non-bonding meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus), have revealed many neural and molecular mechanisms necessary for pair-bond formation in that species. However, these largely focused just few neuromodulatory systems. To test hypothesis gene expression differences underlie...

Altered regulatory interactions during development likely underlie a large fraction of phenotypic diversity within and between species, yet identifying specific evolutionary changes remains challenging. Analysis single-cell developmental transcriptomes from multiple species provides powerful framework for unbiased identification in mechanisms. Here, we leverage "natural experiment" evolution sea urchins, where major life history switch recently evolved the lineage leading to

ABSTRACT Biphasic lifecycles are widespread among animals, but little is known about how the developmental transition between larvae and adults regulated. Sea urchins a unique system for studying this phenomenon because of stark differences their bilateral larval pentaradial adult body plans. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze development Heliocidaris erythrogramma (He), sea urchin species with an accelerated, non-feeding mode development. The time course extends from...

Abstract Background The emergence of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) associated with severe acute respiratory disease (COVID-19) has prompted efforts to understand the genetic basis for its unique characteristics and jump from non-primate hosts humans. Tests positive selection can identify apparently nonrandom patterns mutation accumulation within genomes, highlighting regions where molecular function may have changed during origin species. Several recent studies SARS-CoV-2 genome...

Abstract Here we employed scRNA-seq coupled with computational approaches to examine molecular changes in cells during specification and differentiation. We examined the first 24 hours of development sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus ( Lv ) 18 time points which embryo develops larval stage. Using Waddington-OT, were computationally “stitched” together calculate developmental trajectories. Skeletogenic displayed expected immediate early divergence while other lineages diverged asynchronously,...

Cytogenetics of triatomines have been a valuable biological tool for the study evolution, taxonomy, and epidemiology these vectors Trypanosoma cruzi. Here we present single microtube protocol that combines micro-centrifugation micro-spreading, allowing high quality cytogenetic preparations from male gonadal material Rhodnius prolixus Triatoma lecticularia. The amount cellular scattering can be modulated, which useful if small aggregates synchronous cells are desired. Moreover, higher number...

Adaptive variation in social behaviour depends upon standing genetic variation, but we know little about how evolutionary forces shape diversity relevant to brain and behaviour. In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), variants at the Avpr1a locus predict expression of vasopressin 1a receptor retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a region that mediates spatial contextual memory; cortical V1aR abundance turn predicts space use sexual fidelity field. To examine potential contributions adaptive neutral...

HighlightsDsiRNA provides an RNAi approach for perturbation of sea urchin embryos. A dilution series DsiRNA oligos reveals properties the Nodal gradient in establishing Dorsal-Ventral axis.