Nanopore amplicon sequencing reveals molecular convergence and local adaptation of rhodopsin in Great Lakes salmonids
Local adaptation can drive diversification of closely related species across environmental gradients and promote convergence of distantly related taxa that experience similar conditions. We examined a potential case of adaptation to novel visual environments in a species flock (Great Lakes salmonids, genus Coregonus) using a new amplicon genotyping protocol on the Oxford Nanopore Flongle and MinION. We sequenced five visual opsin genes for individuals of C. artedi, C. hoyi, C. kiyi, and C. zenithicus. Comparisons revealed species-specific differences in a key spectral tuning amino acid in rhodopsin (Tyr261Phe substitution), suggesting local adaptation of C. kiyi to the blue-shifted depths of Lake Superior. Ancestral state reconstruction demonstrates that parallel evolution and “toggling” at this amino acid residue has occurred several times across the fish tree of life, resulting in identical changes to the visual systems of distantly related taxa across replicated environmental gradients. Our results suggest that ecological differences and local adaptation to distinct visual environments are strong drivers of both evolutionary parallelism and diversification.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2021 |
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Title | Nanopore amplicon sequencing reveals molecular convergence and local adaptation of rhodopsin in Great Lakes salmonids |
DOI | 10.1093/gbe/evaa237 |
Authors | Katherine Eaton, Moises Bernal, Nathan Backenstose, Daniel Yule, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Genome Biology and Evolution |
Index ID | 70216783 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Great Lakes Science Center |