Back to Search Start Over

Gene expression plasticity followed by genetic change during colonization in a high-elevation environment

Authors :
Huishang She
Yan Hao
Gang Song
Xu Luo
Fumin Lei
Weiwei Zhai
Yanhua Qu
Source :
eLife, Vol 12 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2024.

Abstract

Phenotypic plasticity facilitates organismal invasion of novel environments, and the resultant phenotypic change may later be modified by genetic change, so called ‘plasticity first.’ Herein, we quantify gene expression plasticity and regulatory adaptation in a wild bird (Eurasian Tree Sparrow) from its original lowland (ancestral stage), experimentally implemented hypoxia acclimation (plastic stage), and colonized highland (colonized stage). Using a group of co-expressed genes from the cardiac and flight muscles, respectively, we demonstrate that gene expression plasticity to hypoxia tolerance is more often reversed than reinforced at the colonized stage. By correlating gene expression change with muscle phenotypes, we show that colonized tree sparrows reduce maladaptive plasticity that largely associated with decreased hypoxia tolerance. Conversely, adaptive plasticity that is congruent with increased hypoxia tolerance is often reinforced in the colonized tree sparrows. Genes displaying large levels of reinforcement or reversion plasticity (i.e. 200% of original level) show greater genetic divergence between ancestral and colonized populations. Overall, our work demonstrates that gene expression plasticity at the initial stage of high-elevation colonization can be reversed or reinforced through selection-driven adaptive modification.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2050084X
Volume :
12
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
eLife
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f2181f4e5b2444ffb0f74c290b9aea37
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.86687