Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation via genetic change are two major mechanisms
of response to dynamic environmental conditions. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive,
since genetic change can establish similar phenotypes to plasticity. This connection between
both mechanisms raises the question of how much of the variation observed between species or
populations is plastic and how much of it is genetic. In this study, we used a structured population of
fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra), in which two subpopulations differ in terms of physiology,
genetics, mate-, and habitat preferences. Our goal was to identify candidate genes for differential
habitat adaptation in this system, and to explore the degree of plasticity compared to local adaptation.
We therefore performed a reciprocal transfer experiment of stream- and pond-originated salamander
larvae and analyzed changes in morphology and transcriptomic profile (using species-specific
microarrays). We observed that stream- and pond-originated individuals diverge in morphology
and gene expression. For instance, pond-originated larvae have larger gills, likely to cope with
oxygen-poor ponds. When transferred to streams, pond-originated larvae showed a high degree of
plasticity, resembling the morphology and gene expression of stream-originated larvae (reversion);
however the same was not found for stream-originated larvae when transferred to ponds, where the
expression of genes related to reduction-oxidation processes was increased, possibly to cope with
environmental stress. The lack of symmetrical responses between transplanted animals highlights
the fact that the adaptations are not fully plastic and that some level of local adaptation has already
occurred in this population. This study illuminates the process by which phenotypic plasticity allows
local adaptation to new environments and its potential role in the pathway of incipient speciation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84615 |
| Date | 06 April 2023 |
| Creators | Sabino-Pinto, Joana, Goedbloed, Daniel J., Sanchez, Eugenia, Czypionka, Till, Nolte, Arne W., Steinfartz, Sebastian |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 2073-4425, 875 |
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