The endocrine basis of phenotypic plasticity in a predator-prey system.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Animal and Plant Sciences
Abstract
Why are there so many patterns in colouration, morphology, life history and behaviour within a particular species? Recently, developmental biologists and ecologists have begun to join forces to answer this question in the field of ecological developmental biology (ECO-DEVO). They are asking how phenotypic plasticity (the variation in colour, morphology etc.) emerges from the interplay between a changing environment and the physiological machinery that regulates an organisms development. From an ecological standpoint, identifying the developmental basis of phenotypic plasticity is the identification of the mechanism giving rise to the variation we see in organisms behaviour, morphology and life history. From an evolutionary perspective, this developmental definition brings the study of phenotypic plasticity closer to the molecular and physiological basis of development, which is emerging as the foundation of evolutionary research. Here, I propose to investigate the developmental (e.g. hormonal) basis of inducible defences in a classic water-flea (Daphnia pulex) - phantom midge (Chaoborous spp.) predator-prey system. In this system, predator based chemical signals induce striking adaptive morphological and life history defences in the prey. These include protuberances and spikes on juvenile heads and delayed maturity at a larger size - fundamental, sub-lethal shifts in morphology and development that confer increased survival. The interplay between invertebrate hormones such as ecdysteroids, juvenile hormone and other peptides is known to regulate just these types of developmental changes: the moult cycle and the timing of and variation in morphology, growth and development. The proposed research will test the hypothesis that the chemical signal that predators do emit actually triggers an adaptive shift in the endocrine system, leading to adaptive changes in prey growth and development. This research aims to a) identify the hormones and peptides that underpin the induction of these adaptive, developmental changes; b) identify predator induced change in the time sequence of hormone concentration; and c) test among four hypothesis for the developmental control of the induced phenotype.
People |
ORCID iD |
Andrew Beckerman (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Evison S
(2008)
Combined use of pheromone trails and visual landmarks by the common garden ant Lasius niger
in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Hammill E
(2008)
Costs, benefits and the evolution of inducible defences: a case study with Daphnia pulex.
in Journal of evolutionary biology
Hatchwell BJ
(2013)
Ecological and demographic correlates of helping behaviour in a cooperatively breeding bird.
in The Journal of animal ecology
Lind MI
(2015)
The alignment between phenotypic plasticity, the major axis of genetic variation and the response to selection.
in Proceedings. Biological sciences
MIKOLAJEWSKI D
(2013)
Sexual size dimorphism and the integration of phenotypically plastic traits
in Ecological Entomology
Petchey O
(2008)
Size, foraging, and food web structure
in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Petchey OL
(2011)
Fit, efficiency, and biology: some thoughts on judging food web models.
in Journal of theoretical biology
Reger J
(2018)
Predation drives local adaptation of phenotypic plasticity.
in Nature ecology & evolution
Robinson MR
(2013)
Quantifying multivariate plasticity: genetic variation in resource acquisition drives plasticity in resource allocation to components of life history.
in Ecology letters
Stapley J
(2010)
Adaptation genomics: the next generation.
in Trends in ecology & evolution
Description | The classic example of predator induced defence morphology has been missing a functional genomic hypothesis. We provide the first evidence that the juvenile hormone pathway is involved in the regulation of this morphological change. Our work draws on examples from several other invertebrate species, and highlights how conserved evolution is in manufacturing ornaments for sexual display through to predator defence. |
Exploitation Route | Tissue specific, time controlled, gene expression regulation of morphology has relevance to cancer and biofuel production. We are pursuing both lines of this research - gene expression based profiling of morphogenesis and porting the induced defence bio-chemistry to engineering questions. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Energy,Environment,Healthcare |
URL | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-014-3102-8/fulltext.html |
Description | Our work continues to inspire research into daphnia genomics, providing a functional, a priori platform for hypotheses about the regulation of stress, how organisms trade-off energy among growth, reproduction and immunity, and how daphnia might be harnessed to be a positive influence in the biofuels industry. |
First Year Of Impact | 2007 |
Sector | Education,Energy,Environment |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | NBAF (NERC) Birmingham Node Metabolomics Seed Funding |
Amount | £26,500 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NBAF930 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Department | NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility (NBAF) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 03/2017 |
Title | Multivariate G-Matrix Tools |
Description | Monte-Carlo Markov-Chain mixed modelling tool to estimate and compare genetic covariance matrices between populations or treatments or along gradients. |
Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
Year Produced | 2013 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | EcologyLetters publication |
URL | https://github.com/andbeck/mcmc-plus-tensor |
Description | DFG (Germany)/DGC (Daphnia Genomics Consortium) |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Birmingham was initial host to DFG funded fellowship to Dr. Dörthe Becker. Fellowship was then amended to include Univ. Sheffield (APB) as co-PI and host for experimental work. |
Collaborator Contribution | DFG fellowship hosting. |
Impact | NBAF Grant for Metabolomics. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Valdivia |
Organisation | Institute of Environmental and Evolutionary Sciences (CAEV) |
Country | Chile |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaborative research in quantitative genetics leading to 2 publications and keynote address at the South American Ecology Conference. |
Collaborator Contribution | See above |
Impact | Bacigalupe, L.D., Barrientos, K., Beckerman, A.P., Carter, M., Figueroa, C., Foster, S.P., Moore, A.J., Silva, A.X., and Nespolo, R.F., 2013. Can invasions occur without change? A comparison of G matrices and selection in the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae. Ecology and Evolution 3(15): 5109-5118 doi: 10.1002/ece3.883 Barria, A.M., Lardies, M.A., Beckerman, A.P. and Bacigalupe, L.D. 2013. Latitude or biogeographic breaks? Determinants of phenotypic (co)variation in fitness related traits in Betaeus truncaus along the Chilean coast, Marine Ecology 32:42-51 DOI 10.1007/s00227-013-2319-0 |
Start Year | 2012 |
Title | Tools for Analysis of Multivariate Genetic Data |
Description | R Code for Analysis of Multivariate Genetic Data |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2013 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | 16 + citations of Ecology Letters paper documenting the tool and it's use. |
URL | https://github.com/andbeck/mcmc-plus-tensor |