Fudickar Adam M, Peterson Mark P, Greives Timothy J, Atwell Jonathan W, Bridge Eli S, Ketterson Ellen D
Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Department of Biology and Mathematics, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
Biol Lett. 2016 Mar;12(3):20160069. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0069.
In an era of climate change, understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying flexibility in phenology and life history has gained greater importance. These mechanisms can be elucidated by comparing closely related populations that differ in key behavioural and physiological traits such as migration and timing of reproduction. We compared gene expression in two recently diverged dark-eyed Junco ( Junco hyemalis) subspecies that live in seasonal sympatry during winter and early spring, but that differ in behaviour and physiology, despite exposure to identical environmental cues. We identified 547 genes differentially expressed in blood and pectoral muscle. Genes involved in lipid transport and metabolism were highly expressed in migrant juncos, while genes involved in reproductive processes were highly expressed in resident breeders. Seasonal differences in gene expression in closely related populations residing in the same environment provide significant insights into mechanisms underlying variation in phenology and life history, and have potential implications for the role of seasonal timing differences in gene flow and reproductive isolation.
在气候变化的时代，了解物候和生活史灵活性背后的遗传和生理机制变得越发重要。通过比较在关键行为和生理特征（如迁徙和繁殖时间）上存在差异的近缘种群，可以阐明这些机制。我们比较了两个最近分化的暗眼灯草鹀（Junco hyemalis）亚种的基因表达情况，这两个亚种在冬季和早春季节同域分布，但尽管暴露于相同的环境线索下，它们在行为和生理上仍存在差异。我们鉴定出了547个在血液和胸肌中差异表达的基因。参与脂质运输和代谢的基因在迁徙型灯草鹀中高度表达，而参与生殖过程的基因在留居型繁殖鸟中高度表达。生活在相同环境中的近缘种群基因表达的季节性差异，为物候和生活史变异的潜在机制提供了重要见解，并对季节性时间差异在基因流动和生殖隔离中的作用具有潜在影响。
