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: Synergistic Pleiotropy Overrides the Costs of Complexity in Viral Adaptation.; Adaptive evolution progresses as a series of steps toward a multidimensional phenotypic optimum, and organismal or environmental complexity determines the number of phenotypic dimensions, or traits, under selection. Populations evolving in complex environments may experience costs of complexity such that improvement in one or more traits is impeded by selection on others. We compared the fitness effects of the first fixed mutations for populations of single-stranded DNA bacteriophage evolving under simple selection for growth rate to those of populations evolving under more complex selection for growth rate as well as capsid stability. We detected a cost of complexity manifested as a smaller growth rate improvement for mutations fixed under complex conditions. We found that, despite imposing a cost for growth rate improvement, strong complex selection resulted in the greatest overall fitness improvement, even for single mutations. Under weaker secondary selective pressures, tradeoffs between growth rate and stability were pervasive, but strong selection on the secondary trait resulted largely in mutations beneficial to both traits. Strength of selection therefore determined the nature of pleiotropy governing observed trait evolution, and strong positive selection forced populations to find mutations that improved multiple traits, thereby overriding costs incurred as a result of a more complex selective environment. The costs of complexity, however, remained substantial when considering the effects on a single trait in the context of selection on multiple traits., Keywords: Bacteriophage, Complexity, Pleiotropy, Strong selection, Grant Number: R01 GM099723, T32 GM007759, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4701092.

: Systematic analysis reveals tumor-enhancing and -suppressing microRNAs in epithelial tumors.; Despite their emergence as an important class of noncoding RNAs involved in cancer cell transformation, invasion, and migration, the precise role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in tumorigenesis remains elusive. To gain insights into how miRNAs contribute to primary tumor formation, we conducted an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of wing disc epithelial tumors induced by knockdown of a neoplastic tumor-suppressor gene (nTSG) (), combined with overexpression of an active form of oncogene ( ), and identified 51 mature miRNAs that changed significantly in tumorous discs. Followed by tumor enhancer and suppressor screens in sensitized genetic backgrounds, we identified 10 tumor-enhancing (TE) miRNAs and 11 tumor-suppressing (TS) miRNAs that contributed to the nTSG defect-induced tumorigenesis. Among these, four TE and three TS miRNAs have human homologs. From this study, we also identified 29 miRNAs that individually had no obvious role in enhancing or alleviating tumorigenesis despite their changed expression levels in nTSG tumors. This systematic analysis, which includes both RNA-Seq and functional studies, helps to categorize miRNAs into different groups based on their expression profile and functional relevance in epithelial tumorigenesis, whereas the evolutionarily conserved TE and TS miRNAs provide potential therapeutic targets for epithelial tumor treatment., Keywords: RNA-Seq, Lgl, MiRNA, NTSGs, Tumorigenesis, Grant Number: R01 GM072562, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5752484.

: Take a look at plant DNA replication; Recent advances in replicative DNA labeling technology have allowed new ways to study DNA replication in living plants. Temporal and spatial aspects of DNA replication programs are believed to derive from genomic structure and function. Bass et al. (2015) recently visualized DNA synthesis using 3D microscopy of nuclei at three sub-stages of S phase: early, middle and late. This addendum expands on that study by comparing plant and animal DNA replication patterns, by considering implications of the two-compartment model of euchromatin, and by exploring the meaning of the DNA labeling signals inside the nucleolus. Finally, we invite the public to explore and utilize 300 image data sets through OMERO, a teaching and research web resource for visualization, management, or analysis of microscopic data., Keywords: 3D microscopy, Chromatin, DNA synthesis, Maize, Omero, RDNA, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5437822.

: Target Nuclear And Off-target Plastid Hybrid Enrichment Data Inform A Range Of Evolutionary Depths In The Orchid Genus Epidendrum; Universal angiosperm enrichment probe sets designed to enrich hundreds of putatively orthologous nuclear single-copy loci are increasingly being applied to infer phylogenetic relationships of different lineages of angiosperms at a range of evolutionary depths. Studies applying such probe sets have focused on testing the universality and performance of the target nuclear loci, but they have not taken advantage of off-target data from other genome compartments generated alongside the nuclear loci. Here we do so to infer phylogenetic relationships in the orchid genus Epidendrum and closely related genera of subtribe Laeliinae. Our aims are to: 1) test the technical viability of applying the plant anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) method (Angiosperm v.1 probe kit) to our focal group, 2) mine plastid protein coding genes from off-target reads; and 3) evaluate the performance of the target nuclear and off-target plastid loci in resolving and supporting phylogenetic relationships along a range of taxonomical depths. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from the nuclear data set through coalescent summary and site-based methods, whereas plastid loci were analyzed in a concatenated partitioned matrix under maximum likelihood. The usefulness of target and flanking non-target nuclear regions and plastid loci was assessed through the estimation of their phylogenetic informativeness. Our study successfully applied the plant AHE probe kit to Epidendrum, supporting the universality of this kit in angiosperms. Moreover, it demonstrated the feasibility of mining plastome loci from off-target reads generated with the Angiosperm v.1 probe kit to obtain additional, uniparentally inherited sequence data at no extra sequencing cost. Our analyses detected some strongly supported incongruences between nuclear and plastid data sets at shallow divergences, an indication of potential lineage sorting, hybridization, or introgression events in the group. Lastly, we found that the per site phylogenetic informativeness of the ycf1 plastid gene surpasses that of all other plastid genes and several nuclear loci, making it an excellent candidate for assessing phylogenetic relationships at medium to low taxonomic levels in orchids., classification, sequences, phylogenomics, species tree estimation, biogeography, radiation, phylogeny, anchored hybrid enrichment, likelihood, utility, coalescent methods, laeliinae, off-target data, Orchidaceae, universal probe set, ycf1, The publisher's version of record is availible at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01761

: Targeted disruption of the endogenous zebrafish locus as models of rapid rod photoreceptor degeneration.; Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a collection of genetic disorders that results in the degeneration of light-sensitive photoreceptor cells, leading to blindness. RP is associated with more than 70 loci that may display dominant or recessive modes of inheritance, but mutations in the gene encoding the visual pigment rhodopsin (RHO) are the most frequent cause. In an effort to develop precise mutations in zebrafish as novel models of photoreceptor degeneration, we describe the generation and germline transmission of a series of novel clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-induced insertion and deletion (indel) mutations in the major zebrafish locus, . One- or two-cell staged zebrafish embryos were microinjected with in vitro transcribed mRNA encoding Cas9 and a single guide RNA (gRNA). Mutations were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analyses in injected embryos and offspring. Immunolabeling with rod- and cone-specific antibodies was used to test for histological and cellular changes. Using gRNAs that targeted highly conserved regions of , a series of dominant and recessive alleles were recovered that resulted in the rapid degeneration of rod photoreceptors. No effect on cones was observed. Targeting the 5'-coding sequence of led to the recovery of several indels similar to disease-associated alleles. A frame shift mutation leading to a premature stop codon (T17*) resulted in rod degeneration when brought to homozygosity. Immunoblot and fluorescence labeling with a Rho-specific antibody suggest that this is indeed a null allele, illustrating that the Rho expression is essential for rod survival. Two in-frame mutations were recovered that disrupted the highly conserved N-linked glycosylation consensus sequence at N15. Larvae heterozygous for either of the alleles demonstrated rapid rod degeneration. Targeting of the 3'-coding region of resulted in the recovery of an allele encoding a premature stop codon (S347*) upstream of the conserved VSPA sorting sequence and a second in-frame allele that disrupted the putative phosphorylation site at S339. Both alleles resulted in rod death in a dominant inheritance pattern. Following the loss of the targeting sequence, immunolabeling for Rho was no longer restricted to the rod outer segment, but it was also localized to the plasma membrane. The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene targeting, coupled with the large number of mutations associated with RP, provided a backdrop for the rapid isolation of novel alleles in zebrafish that phenocopy disease. These novel lines will provide much needed in-vivo models for high throughput screens of compounds or genes that protect from photoreceptor degeneration., Grant Number: R21 EY025410, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128699.

: Testing the developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis in a tropical passerine; When vertebrates are exposed to stressors, the subsequent acute increase in glucocorticoids by the hypothalamic–pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis triggers a suite of adaptive responses, including mobilization of stored energy and repression of non-essential processes. However, chronic exposure to high concentrations of glucocorticoids can lead to metabolic dysregulation, impaired immune function, and cognitive decline. In developing young, this hormonal stress response shows considerable variation. Generally, the physiological stress response of young of precocial species is comparable to that of adults, whereas offspring of altricial species exhibit an attenuated response compared to adults. The developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis proposes that the dampened stress response in dependent offspring is an adaptive response to avoid the negative effects of elevated glucocorticoids, particularly in altricial species where young lack the ability to mitigate stressful stimuli. We aimed to test the developmental hypothesis in a tropical avian species, the lance-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata). We predicted that nestlings of this altricial species should have a dampened corticosterone response, in both magnitude and duration, compared to that of adults. We also predicted that recently fledged hatch-year birds would display a response intermediate to that of adults and nestlings. We quantified circulating corticosterone levels in adults, recently fledged hatch-year birds, and 11-day-old nestlings using a standardized capture and restraint protocol. Nestlings showed a lower maximal corticosterone response and faster negative feedback compared to adults. Further, five post-fledging hatch-year birds showed a feedback response intermediate to those of nestlings and adults. However, we caution against generalizing about fledgling responses beyond this study due to the small sample (n = 5). Interestingly, lance-tailed manakin nestlings appear to return to baseline concentrations faster than nestlings of temperate species. These results support the developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis explaining variation in stress response. This study is the first to assess the development of the hormonal stress response in nestlings of a tropical bird, which is of interest because of our still-developing understanding of how tropical and temperate species differ physiologically. Finally, findings here underscore the importance of validating and adjusting sampling protocols that quantify nestling stress responses, as sampling timelines identified for adults may underestimate the magnitude of the nestling stress response., Glucocorticoid, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, Stress, Altricial, Hormone, Avian, Data and R Code for analyses in Jones, B. C., Nguyen, L., & DuVal, E. H. (2021). Testing the developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis in a tropical passerine: corticosterone hyporesponsiveness and negative feedback sensitivity diminished with developmental age in lance-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata). General and Comparative Endocrinology. 300: 113639. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113639, NSF 1453408, NSF 0843334

: Tet1 in Nucleus Accumbens Opposes Depression- and Anxiety-Like Behaviors.; Depression is a leading cause of disease burden, yet current therapies fully treat <50% of affected individuals. Increasing evidence implicates epigenetic mechanisms in depression and antidepressant action. Here we examined a possible role for the DNA dioxygenase, ten-eleven translocation protein 1 (TET1), in depression-related behavioral abnormalities. We applied chronic social defeat stress, an ethologically validated mouse model of depression-like behaviors, and examined Tet1 expression changes in nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region. We show decreased Tet1 expression in NAc in stress-susceptible mice only. Surprisingly, selective knockout of Tet1 in NAc neurons of adult mice produced antidepressant-like effects in several behavioral assays. To identify Tet1 targets that mediate these actions, we performed RNAseq on NAc after conditional deletion of Tet1 and found that immune-related genes are the most highly dysregulated. Moreover, many of these genes are also upregulated in the NAc of resilient mice after chronic social defeat stress. These findings reveal a novel role for TET1, an enzyme important for DNA hydroxymethylation, in the brain's reward circuitry in modulating stress responses in mice. We also identify a subset of genes that are regulated by TET1 in this circuitry. These findings provide new insight into the pathophysiology of depression, which can aid in future antidepressant drug discovery efforts., Grant Number: P50 MH096890, R01 MH051399, T32 DA007135, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5518912.

: Thalassiosira Mala (bacillariophyta), A Potentially Harmful, Marine Diatom From Chilka Lake And Other Coastal Localities Of Odisha, India; Our examination of net phytoplankton collected from coastal localities in Odisha on the east coast of India, including Chilka Lake, Chandrabhaga Beach and Puri, in December 2015, revealed the overwhelming dominance of Thalassiosira mala, a gelatinous colony-forming, potentially harmful, marine planktonic diatom. The large numbers of cells allowed us to observe details of the cingulum not previously reported. The epicingulum is composed of four open bands including an areolated valvocopula, an areolated copula and two non-areolated pleurae. The immature hypocingulum includes at least two bands. Openings of alternate bands are arranged in a dextral pattern. Based on previous reports from the west coast and our current findings, Thalassiosira mala appears to be a common, widely distributed primary producer in Indian coastal waters. The presence of morphologically similar species, especially those < 20 mu m in diameter, underscores the importance of reliable species-level taxonomy using appropriate techniques for meaningful ecological and biogeographic considerations and for monitoring potentially harmful algae in India's economically important coastal waters. Published reports suggest that Thalassiosira mala is widely distributed in temperate and tropical waters, present in 26 of 232 ecoregions and 18 of 62 provinces recognized in a recent classification of coastal marine ecoregions., Keywords: diversity, phytoplankton, florida, waters, gulf-of-mexico, Bay of Bengal, fine structure, taxonomy, biogeography, Chilka Lake, diatom, east-coast, genus thalassiosira, planktonic diatoms, southeastern united-states, sp-nov, Thalassiosira mala, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-018-9730-0

: The DEAD-box Protein Rok1 Orchestrates 40S and 60S Ribosome Assembly by Promoting the Release of Rrp5 from Pre-40S Ribosomes to Allow for 60S Maturation; DEAD-box proteins are ubiquitous regulators of RNA biology. While commonly dubbed "helicases," their activities also include duplex annealing, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent RNA binding, and RNA-protein complex remodeling. Rok1, an essential DEAD-box protein, and its cofactor Rrp5 are required for ribosome assembly. Here, we use in vivo and in vitro biochemical analyses to demonstrate that ATP-bound Rok1, but not adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-bound Rok1, stabilizes Rrp5 binding to 40S ribosomes. Interconversion between these two forms by ATP hydrolysis is required for release of Rrp5 from pre-40S ribosomes in vivo, thereby allowing Rrp5 to carry out its role in 60S subunit assembly. Furthermore, our data also strongly suggest that the previously described accumulation of snR30 upon Rok1 inactivation arises because Rrp5 release is blocked and implicate a previously undescribed interaction between Rrp5 and the DEAD-box protein Has1 in mediating snR30 accumulation when Rrp5 release from pre-40S subunits is blocked., Keywords: cryo-em, electron-microscopy images, helicase, junction core complex, pre-ribosomes, RNA, saccharomyces-cerevisiae, subunit biogenesis, translation initiation, yeast, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002480

: The Seckel syndrome and centrosomal protein Ninein localizes asymmetrically to stem cell centrosomes but is not required for normal development, behavior, or DNA damage response in Drosophila; Ninein (Nin) is a centrosomal protein whose gene is mutated in Seckel syndrome (SCKL, MIM 210600), an inherited recessive disease that results in primordial dwarfism, cognitive deficiencies, and increased sensitivity to genotoxic stress. Nin regulates neural stem cell self-renewal, interkinetic nuclear migration, and microtubule assembly in mammals. Nin is evolutionarily conserved, yet its role in cell division and development has not been investigated in a model organism. Here we characterize the single Nin orthologue in Drosophila. Drosophila Nin localizes to the periphery of the centrosome but not at centriolar structures as in mammals. However, Nin shares the property of its mammalian orthologue of promoting microtubule assembly. In neural and germline stem cells, Nin localizes asymmetrically to the younger (daughter) centrosome, yet it is not required for the asymmetric division of stem cells. In wing epithelia and muscle, Nin localizes to noncentrosomal microtubule-organizing centers. Surprisingly, loss of nin expression from a nin mutant does not significantly affect embryonic and brain development, fertility, or locomotor performance of mutant flies or their survival upon exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Although it is not essential, our data suggest that Nin plays a supportive role in centrosomal and extracentrosomal microtubule organization and asymmetric stem cell division., Keywords: centriolar protein, daughter centrosome, division, inheritance, melanogaster, microtubule nucleation, mitotic spindle, neuroblasts, organization, primordial dwarfism, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E15-09-0655

: Thrombopoietin Signaling To Chromatin Elicits Rapid And Pervasive Epigenome Remodeling Within Poised Chromatin Architectures; Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a critical cytokine regulating hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and differentiation into the megakaryocytic lineage. However, the transcriptional and chromatin dynamics elicited by TPO signaling are poorly understood. Here, we study the immediate early transcriptional and cis-regulatory responses to TPO in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) and use this paradigm of cytokine signaling to chromatin to dissect the relationship between cis-regulatory activity and chromatin architecture. We show that TPO profoundly alters the transcriptome of HSPCs, with key hematopoietic regulators being transcriptionally repressed within 30 min of TPO. By examining cis-regulatory dynamics and chromatin architectures, we demonstrate that these changes are accompanied by rapid and extensive epigenome remodeling of cis-regulatory landscapes that is spatially coordinated within topologically associating domains (TADs). Moreover, TPO-responsive enhancers are spatially clustered and engage in preferential homotypic intra-and inter-TAD interactions that are largely refractory to TPO signaling. By further examining the link between cis-regulatory dynamics and chromatin looping, we show that rapid modulation of cis-regulatory activity is largely independent of chromatin looping dynamics. Finally, we show that, although activated and repressed cis-regulatory elements share remarkably similar DNA sequence compositions, transcription factor binding patterns accurately predict rapid cis-regulatory responses to TPO., Keywords: gene-expression, human genome, regulatory landscape, super-enhancers, differentiation, dna shape, hematopoietic stem-cells, hi-c data, topological domains, transcription factors, Publication Note: The publisher's version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.227272.117

: Tissue-Intrinsic Tumor Hotspots; Epithelial tissues are highly organized systems with a remarkable homeostatic ability to maintain morphology through regulation of cellular proliferation and tissue integrity. This robust self-organizing system is progressively disrupted during tumor development. Recent studies of conserved tumor-suppressor genes in Drosophila showed how protumor cells deviate from the robustly organized tissue microenvironment to take the first steps into becoming aggressive tumors. Here we review the 'tumor hotspot' hypothesis that explains how the tissue-intrinsic local microenvironment has a pivotal role in the initial stage of tumorigenesis in Drosophila epithelia and discuss comparable mechanisms in mammalian tissues., Grant Number: R01 GM072562, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5518481.

: Trait Differentiation And Modular Toxin Expression In Palm-pitvipers; Background Modularity is the tendency for systems to organize into semi-independent units and can be a key to the evolution and diversification of complex biological systems. Snake venoms are highly variable modular systems that exhibit extreme diversification even across very short time scales. One well-studied venom phenotype dichotomy is a trade-off between neurotoxicity versus hemotoxicity that occurs through the high expression of a heterodimeric neurotoxic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) or snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs). We tested whether the variation in these venom phenotypes could occur via variation in regulatory sub-modules through comparative venom gland transcriptomics of representative Black-Speckled Palm-Pitvipers (Bothriechis nigroviridis) and Talamancan Palm-Pitvipers (B. nubestris). Results We assembled 1517 coding sequences, including 43 toxins for B. nigroviridis and 1787 coding sequences including 42 toxins for B. nubestris. The venom gland transcriptomes were extremely divergent between these two species with one B. nigroviridis exhibiting a primarily neurotoxic pattern of expression, both B. nubestris expressing primarily hemorrhagic toxins, and a second B. nigroviridis exhibiting a mixed expression phenotype. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified six submodules of transcript expression variation, one of which was highly associated with SVMPs and a second which contained both subunits of the neurotoxic PLA(2) complex. The sub-module association of these toxins suggest common regulatory pathways underlie the variation in their expression and is consistent with known patterns of inheritance of similar haplotypes in other species. We also find evidence that module associated toxin families show fewer gene duplications and transcript losses between species, but module association did not appear to affect sequence diversification. Conclusion Sub-modular regulation of expression likely contributes to the diversification of venom phenotypes within and among species and underscores the role of modularity in facilitating rapid evolution of complex traits., model, evolution, origin, snake, bothriechis, Bothriechis, crotalus-scutulatus-scutulatus, Gene family evolution, Modularity, phospholipase a(2), sequence alignment, Transcriptomics, Venom, venom-gland, wing patterns, The publisher's version of record is availible at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-6545-9

: Transcriptome Dataset of Halophyte Beach Morning Glory, a Close Wild Relative of Sweet Potato; Keywords: halophyte, morning glory, RNA-sequencing, salt-tolerance, salt tolerance and sensitivity, sweet potato, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01267

: Transcriptome Dataset of Halophyte Beach Morning Glory, a Close Wild Relative of Sweet Potato.; Keywords: RNA-sequencing, Halophyte, Morning glory, Salt tolerance and sensitivity, Sweet potato, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995209.

: Unique Maternal And Environmental Effects On The Body Morphology Of The Least Killifish, Heterandria Formosa; An important step in diagnosing local adaptation is the demonstration that phenotypic variation among populations is at least in part genetically based. To do this, many methods experimentally minimize the environmental effect on the phenotype to elucidate the genetic effect. Minimizing the environmental effect often includes reducing possible environmental maternal effects. However, maternal effects can be an important factor in patterns of local adaptation as well as adaptive plasticity. Here, we report the results of an experiment with males from two populations of the poeciliid fish, Heterandria formosa, designed to examine the relative influence of environmental maternal effects and environmental effects experienced during growth and development on body morphology, and, in addition, whether the balance among those effects is unique to each population. We used a factorial design that varied thermal environment and water chemistry experienced by mothers and thermal environment and water chemistry experienced by offspring. We found substantial differences between the two populations in their maternal and offspring norms of reaction of male body morphology to differences in thermal environment and water chemistry. We also found that the balance between maternal effects and postparturition environmental effects differed from one thermal regime to another and among traits. These results indicate that environmental maternal effects can be decidedly population-specific and, as a result, might either contribute to the appearance of or blur evidence for local adaptation. These results also suggest that local adaptation might also occur through the evolution of maternal norms of reaction to important, and varying, environmental factors., Keywords: evolution, life-history, phenotypic plasticity, local adaptation, maternal effects, offspring size, geometric morphometrics, adaptive significance, placental fish, poecilia-latipinna pisces, poeciliid, population differentiation, stress tolerance, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4166

: Unique maternal and environmental effects on the body morphology of the Least Killifish, .; An important step in diagnosing local adaptation is the demonstration that phenotypic variation among populations is at least in part genetically based. To do this, many methods experimentally minimize the environmental effect on the phenotype to elucidate the genetic effect. Minimizing the environmental effect often includes reducing possible environmental maternal effects. However, maternal effects can be an important factor in patterns of local adaptation as well as adaptive plasticity. Here, we report the results of an experiment with males from two populations of the poeciliid fish, , designed to examine the relative influence of environmental maternal effects and environmental effects experienced during growth and development on body morphology, and, in addition, whether the balance among those effects is unique to each population. We used a factorial design that varied thermal environment and water chemistry experienced by mothers and thermal environment and water chemistry experienced by offspring. We found substantial differences between the two populations in their maternal and offspring norms of reaction of male body morphology to differences in thermal environment and water chemistry. We also found that the balance between maternal effects and postparturition environmental effects differed from one thermal regime to another and among traits. These results indicate that environmental maternal effects can be decidedly population-specific and, as a result, might either contribute to the appearance of or blur evidence for local adaptation. These results also suggest that local adaptation might also occur through the evolution of maternal norms of reaction to important, and varying, environmental factors., Keywords: Geometric morphometrics, Maternal effects, Phenotypic plasticity, Poeciliid, Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024122.

: Valproic Acid for a Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa; Publication Note: This NIH-funded author manuscript originally appeared in PubMed Central at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5456104.

: Variation in plant-mediated intra- and interspecific interactions among insect herbivores; Many studies show that indirect interactions between insect herbivores via shared host plants are common and often mediated by plant-induced responses to damage. However, we lack some types of data that will be needed to model how plant-mediated interactions on individual plants contribute to the population dynamics of interacting herbivores. Specifically, there are few simultaneous characterizations of both the intra- and interspecific effects that are mediated by the host plant, as well as host plant constitutive resistance. Additionally, as herbivores are likely to move among plants that differ in quality, we must consider how this set of intra- and interspecific effects differs among plant genotypes-that is, how plant-mediated effects genetically vary or covary. We examined how the set of intra- and interspecific indirect effects involving the insect folivores Leptinotarsa juncta and Manduca sexta varies across different genotypes of a shared host plant, Solanum carolinense. We damaged 12 plant genotypes using both herbivore species, then measured effects on the growth of both con- and heterospecifics, as well as constitutive resistance to each herbivore. We then tested for genetic variation and covariation in plant-mediated effects and constitutive resistance among plant genotypes. We found that on average, there were significant negative intraspecific plant-mediated effects on the growth rate of both herbivores, as well as asymmetric negative interspecific effects of M. sexta on L. juncta. Both intra- and interspecific effects varied across plant genotypes. For example, the interspecific effect of M. sexta on L. juncta ranged from significantly negative to significantly positive. Additionally, there were strong correlations among the individual effects mediated by S. carolinense, particularly between constitutive resistance and both intra- and interspecific effects. We find that these genetic correlations might limit the types and strength of interactions that take place across multiple genotypes of the same plant species. Our results suggest that future models of plant-mediated interactions between herbivores should account for patterns of genetic variation and covariation when scaling from individual interactions to population-level processes., Keywords: competition, genetic tradeoffs, genetic variance, horsenettle solanum-carolinense, indirect effects, induced resistance, manduca-sexta, milkweed asclepias-syriaca, plant-mediated interactions, population-dynamics, responses, Solanum carolinense, specialist herbivores, trade-offs, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1520

: Venom Complexity In A Pitviper Produced By Facultative Parthenogenesis; Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is asexual reproduction in plant and animal species that would otherwise reproduce sexually. This process in vertebrates typically results from automictic development (likely terminal fusion) and is phylogenetically widespread. In squamate reptiles and chondrichthyan fishes, FP has been reported to occur in nature and can result in the production of reproductively viable offspring; suggesting that it is of ecological and evolutionary significance. However, terminal fusion automixis is believed to result in near genome-wide reductions in heterozygosity; thus, FP seems likely to affect key phenotypic characters, yet this remains almost completely unstudied. Snake venom is a complex phenotypic character primarily used to subjugate prey and is thus tightly linked to individual fitness. Surprisingly, the composition and function of venom produced by a parthenogenetic pitviper exhibits a high degree of similarity to that of its mother and conspecifics from the same population. Therefore, the apparent loss of allelic diversity caused by FP appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the prey-capturing ability of this snake. Accordingly, the pitviper offspring produced by FP retained complex phenotypic characteristics associated with fitness. This result reinforces the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of FP and questions our understanding of the inheritance of venom-associated genes., Keywords: mechanisms, evolution, snake-venoms, shark, proteins, copperhead agkistrodon-contortrix, expression differentiation, molecular-genetic evidence, rattlesnake venom, virgin births, Publication Note: The publisher’s version of record is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29791-y

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