Gene expression is a complicated topic, but it doesn't have to be. Most papers on the topic assume you're coming with a lot of knowledge already, and it's rare to find a paper that makes genetics and gene plasticity approachable. This one does it!
Our corals are a perfect animal to study if you're interested in gene plasticity - Acropora face incredibly challenging conditions on many of the world's coral reefs as the oceans warm. To some extent Acropora (and other corals!) can activate genes that respond to warmer temperatures in order to produce protective chemicals - chemicals that help prevent cellular damage that happens as a result of the warmer ocean water. This is gene plasticity! The ability to upregulate a particular gene (or set of genes) to meet some change in the environment.
My reef tank is slowly recovering. As you're watching this I'm doing some major tank maintenance - scrubbing the live rock that no longer has coral on it to remove some of that algae, acid washing tank equipment like my Pax Bellum, and generally getting it all going again finally now that I'm home from a family trip. Fingers crossed!
doi.org/10.111...
A framework for understanding gene expression plasticity and its influence on stress tolerance
Hanny E. Rivera, Hannah E. Aichelman, James E. Fifer, Nicola G. Kriefall, Daniel M. Wuitchik, Sara J. S. Wuitchik, Sarah W. Davies
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can serve as a stepping stone towards adaptation. Recently, studies have shown that gene expression contributes to emergent stress responses such as thermal tolerance, with tolerant and susceptible populations showing distinct transcriptional profiles. However, given the dynamic nature of gene expression, interpreting transcriptomic results in a way that elucidates the functional connection between gene expression and the observed stress response is challenging. Here, we present a conceptual framework to guide interpretation of gene expression reaction norms in the context of stress tolerance. We consider the evolutionary and adaptive potential of gene expression reaction norms and discuss the influence of sampling timing, transcriptomic resilience, as well as complexities related to life history when interpreting gene expression dynamics and how these patterns relate to host tolerance. We highlight corals as a case study to demonstrate the value of this framework for non-model systems. As species face rapidly changing environmental conditions, modulating gene expression can serve as a mechanistic link from genetic and cellular processes to the physiological responses that allow organisms to thrive under novel conditions. Interpreting how or whether a species can employ gene expression plasticity to ensure short-term survival will be critical for understanding the global impacts of climate change across diverse taxa.
The image I used for the title card is by Gerd Altmann from pixabay.com.
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24 июл 2021
