Adaptation and plasticity in a social spider species with low genetic diversity

TY - BOOK

T1 - Adaptation and plasticity in a social spider species with low genetic diversity

AU - Aagaard, Anne

PY - 2022/6

Y1 - 2022/6

N2 - Populations respond to their local environment through local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. It isincreasingly evident that locally adapted genetic differences may not be the only source of adaptive localresponses. Heritable epigenetic marks and microbiome composition may also raise local phenotypicresponses that could be adaptive. This thesis investigates potentially adaptive plastic responses andpopulation specific patterns in molecular and non-genetic phenotypes in response to temperature in thesocial spider species Stegodyphus dumicola. First, the molecular basis is established in chapter 1. Second, Ihighlight a range of candidate genetic, DNA methylation and microbiome variants likely to be involved inresponses to the local climate in chapter 2. Third, plastic and population specific phenotypic responses totemperature is further investigated in a range of molecular and non-genetic phenotypes using a multiplecommon garden setup.Chapter 1 contains the first published methylome in chelicerates, the reference genome for Stegodyphusdumicola, and the indication that DNA methylation in gene bodies may influence gene expression inspiders. Inferred evidence furthermore suggest that DNA methylation is relatively conserved inchelicerates. This chapter has been published in “Genes”.Chapter 2 is currently under review in “Molecular ecology” and investigates genetic, DNA methylation andmicrobial symbiont variation in relation to climatic variation. The results suggest that both geneticadaptation as well as plasticity, mediated by non-genetic mechanisms, may underlie local responses to theenvironment.Chapter 3 investigates population specific and plastic responses to temperature in a multiple commongarden setup. The phenotypes under investigation are both molecular and non-genetic and includetemperature tolerances, DNA methylome, transcriptome, metabolome and microbiome. The study revealpopulation specific plastic responses in temperature tolerances, and we found candidate variants from allinvestigated phenotypes potentially underlying such phenotypic responses. Exploration of the relationshipbetween gene-body methylation and gene expression return equivocal results, rendering the function ofgene-body DNA methylation in spiders unclear. This chapter is a manuscript in preparation.In summary, this thesis brings insight into the fields of adaptation and plasticity by enlightening thepotential for non-genetic local responses as factors shaping the phenotype.

AB - Populations respond to their local environment through local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. It isincreasingly evident that locally adapted genetic differences may not be the only source of adaptive localresponses. Heritable epigenetic marks and microbiome composition may also raise local phenotypicresponses that could be adaptive. This thesis investigates potentially adaptive plastic responses andpopulation specific patterns in molecular and non-genetic phenotypes in response to temperature in thesocial spider species Stegodyphus dumicola. First, the molecular basis is established in chapter 1. Second, Ihighlight a range of candidate genetic, DNA methylation and microbiome variants likely to be involved inresponses to the local climate in chapter 2. Third, plastic and population specific phenotypic responses totemperature is further investigated in a range of molecular and non-genetic phenotypes using a multiplecommon garden setup.Chapter 1 contains the first published methylome in chelicerates, the reference genome for Stegodyphusdumicola, and the indication that DNA methylation in gene bodies may influence gene expression inspiders. Inferred evidence furthermore suggest that DNA methylation is relatively conserved inchelicerates. This chapter has been published in “Genes”.Chapter 2 is currently under review in “Molecular ecology” and investigates genetic, DNA methylation andmicrobial symbiont variation in relation to climatic variation. The results suggest that both geneticadaptation as well as plasticity, mediated by non-genetic mechanisms, may underlie local responses to theenvironment.Chapter 3 investigates population specific and plastic responses to temperature in a multiple commongarden setup. The phenotypes under investigation are both molecular and non-genetic and includetemperature tolerances, DNA methylome, transcriptome, metabolome and microbiome. The study revealpopulation specific plastic responses in temperature tolerances, and we found candidate variants from allinvestigated phenotypes potentially underlying such phenotypic responses. Exploration of the relationshipbetween gene-body methylation and gene expression return equivocal results, rendering the function ofgene-body DNA methylation in spiders unclear. This chapter is a manuscript in preparation.In summary, this thesis brings insight into the fields of adaptation and plasticity by enlightening thepotential for non-genetic local responses as factors shaping the phenotype.

KW - Plasticity

KW - Adaptation

KW - Population-specific patterns

KW - DNA methylation

KW - Epigenetics

KW - Non-genetic

KW - Microbiome

KW - Local responses

M3 - Ph.D. thesis

BT - Adaptation and plasticity in a social spider species with low genetic diversity

PB - Århus Universitet

ER -