Expression of a Phosphoglucomutase Gene in Rainbow Trout (Polymorphism/Developmental Rate/Glycolysis/Salmo Gairdneri) FRED W
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Proc. Natt Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 80, pp. 1397-1400, March 1983 Genetics Adaptive significance of differences in the tissue-specific expression of a phosphoglucomutase gene in rainbow trout (polymorphism/developmental rate/glycolysis/Salmo gairdneri) FRED W. ALLENDORF, KATHY L. KNUDSEN, AND ROBB F. LEARY Department of Zoology,, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 Communicated by G. Ledyard Stebbins, November 17, 1982 ABSTRACT We have investigated the phenotypic effects of fold increase in the expression of a phosphoglucomutase (PGM; a mutant allele that results in the expression of a phosphogluco- a-D-glucose-1,6-bisphosphate:a-D-glucose-l-phosphate phos- mutase locus (Pgml) in the liver of rainbow trout. Embryos with photransferase EC 2.7.5. 1) locus, Pgml, in liver tissue (14, 15). liver Pgml expression hatch earlier than embryos without liver The results of inheritance experiments are consistent with a sin- Pgml expression. These differences apparently result from in- gle regulatory gene, Pgml-t, with additive inheritance being re- creased flux through glycolysis in embryos with liver PGM1 ac- sponsible for the differences in the expression of this locus (15). tivity while they are dependent on the yolk for energy. Fish with We report here that the presence or absence of PGM1 in the liver PGM1 activity are also more developmentally buffered, as liver rise to indicated by less fluctuating asymmetry of five bilateral meristic gives important differences in several phenotypic traits. The more rapidly developing individuals begin exogenous characteristics of adaptive significance (developmental rate, de- feeding earlier and achieve a size advantage that is maintained velopmental stability, body size, and age at first maturity). These until sexual maturity. This size advantage produces a significant differences are apparently related to the action of PGM af- tendency for earlier age of sexual maturity. These results show fecting the flux through glycolysis during embryonic develop- that different genotypes at this regulatory gene result in important ment. phenotypic differences that are likely to be of important adaptive significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Electrophoresis. The presence or absence of liver PGM1 ac- The potential importance of gene regulation in adaptive evo- tivity was determined by horizontal starch gel electrophore- lutionary change has been recognized by evolutionary biologists sis in an aminopropylmorpholine/citric acid buffer, pH 6.6 (16). in a wide variety of disciplines. Experiments with prokaryotes Nomenclature. The nomenclature is adapted from Allendorf have shown that adaptation to new environments often involves and Utter (17) and Paigen (18). Multiple structural loci encoding changes in regulatory genes (1, 2). A number of authors have enzymes in salmonids are identified by a sequential numerical suggested that changes at regulatory genes are also important designation beginning with the least anodal form. The structural in eukaryotic evolution (3-5). The evidence for this view has locus encoding the PGM1 enzyme is designated Pgml. The ge- remained largely indirect. Differences between the rate ofchange netic site responsible for differences in tissue expression of Pgml at structural loci encoding proteins and the rate of change in is designated a temporal regulatory locus, Pgml-t. The common phenotypes having adaptive importance suggests that signifi- allele (a) at this locus is associated with no detectable PGM1 in cant evolutionary changes may be due to changes in gene reg- the liver, in contrast with the large amount of activity associated ulation (4). Further indirect evidence of the importance of gene with the alternative allele (b). regulation has come from paleontology (6, 7) and developmental Culture Methods. Eggs and sperm were collected from ma- genetics (8, 9). ture fish and fertilized after electrophoretic typing of the par- The eventual acceptance of these views awaits direct evi- ents. The fish were raised at 9 ± 10C in temperature-controlled dence of the amount and adaptive significance of variation at aquaria or at the Jocko River State Trout Hatchery of the Mon- regulatory genes in eukaryotes. Evidence is accumulating that tana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The fish used in regulatory elements affecting the expression of the structural these experiments belong to the Arlee strain of rainbow trout. locus (Adh) encoding alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in Dro- This strain has been maintained with alarge effective population sophila melanogaster play an important role in adaptive evo- size (approximately 500) in isolation at this hatchery for some 12 lution. Regulatory elements have been identified on the third generations. chromosome that modify the amounts of ADH produced by the Adh locus on the second chromosome (10, 11). The amount of RESULTS ADH has been found to play an important role in the adaptation Body Size. We began our search for phenotypic or "organ- of D. melanogaster to high concentrations of environmental al- ismal" effects of the Pgml-t polymorphism by comparing the cohol (12, 13). lengths offull sibswithandwithoutliver PGM1. Thesetwo groups We have initiated a search for intraspecific variation in the were raised in the same environment and differ genetically only tissue-specific expression of enzyme loci in the rainbow trout at Pgml-t or tightly linked loci. We suspected that the presence (Salmo gairdneri) that is directed at ascertaining the amounts of PGM1 in the liver might increase the efficiency of use of car- and adaptive significance of variation in gene regulation. We bohydrates in the diet, resulting in increased growth rate. have identified a mutant allele, Pgml-t(b), that results in a >100- We took a chronological series of samples from 14 families segregating at Pgml-t to detect any size differences. The mean The publication.costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertise- Abbreviations: ADH, alcohol dehydrogenase; PGM, phosphogluco- ment" in accordance with 18 U. S. C. §1734 solely to indicate this, fact. mutase. 1397 Downloaded by guest on September 25, 2021 1398 Genetics: Allendorf et aL Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80 (1983) length of fish with liver PGM1 activity was significantly greater of fish were then raised until the time of complete yolk ab- than that of their full sibs lacking activity in most families. The sorption when they were sampled and scored for liver PGM1. mean lengths in these families, sampled on or near 120 days after The results of these experiments support our hypothesis that fertilization, are given in Table 1. In 12 of these families, the fish fish having liver PGM1 develop at a faster rate (Table 2). The with liver PGM1 activity were longer than those without; this fish with liver' PGM1 activity hatched significantly earlier in all difference is statistically significant in 9 families. On the av- three families. Overall, 78% of the early-hatching fish had liver erage, fish with liver PGM1 activity were 3.6% longer. There PGM1, in comparison with 30% of the late-hatching fish. We were no differences in the length/weight vatio between fish conclude that the presence of PGM1 activity in the liver of em- having or not having liver PGM1. We routinely used lengths bryos results in a more rapid developmental rate in the period rather than weights because weights are more variable due to between liver organogenesis (15 days) and hatching (33 days), differences in the time since the last feeding and other reasons. and perhaps longer. The 3;6% difference in lengths represents an -average difference Developmental Stability. Because of the differences in de- of' approximately 11% in weights. velopmental rates detected between fish with and without liver Surprisingly, we could not detect any differences in growth PGM1 activity, we decided to search for differences in devel- rate between Pgml-t types. Fish at the earliest age that we could opmental stability between these types as estimated by the remove livers. and score -Pgml-t phenotypes showed approxi- asymmetry of bilateral morphological traits. It has been pro- mately the same size differential as older fish. Pgml-t(b) fish posed that fluctuating asymmetry reflects accidents during de- apparently achieved a greater size early in development and velopment and that'developmentally superior individuals will maintained that advantage. The oldest fish showing this con- be more buffered and, therefore, will'be less asymmetrical (20- stant size difference was a sample from family G4 collected at 23). 17 months of age, when most ofthe males were sexually mature. We used counts of five bilateral meristic traits to measure None of the females were sexually mature at this age and those developmental stability: gill rakers on the upper portion of the females with liver activitystill maintained their size advantage. first gill arch, gill rakers on the lower portion of the first gill Developmental'Rate. We considered the most likely expla- arch, mandibular pores, rays in the pectoral fin, and rays in the nation for the size-differences between Pgml-t genotypes to be pelvic fin. These counts were carried out on 50 individuals cho- a difference in embryonic developmental rates. At 90C, liver sen-from the Arlee stock to be used as parents in our inheritance organogenesis in rainbow trout begins approximately 15 days studies in December 1981. Thirty-six of these individuals did after fertilization (19). The eggs hatched in =33 days and most not have liver PGM1'activity. Fish with liver PGM1 activity were of the yolk mass was still present at that time. The yolk was not asymmetrical at a significantly smaller mean number of traits completely absorbed until -60 days after hatching. The larvae than fish lacking liver PGM 1 (1.36 and 1.97; t = 2.05, P < 0.02). began exogenous feeding 7-10 days before complete absorption Thus, fish with liver PGM1 activity are apparently more de- of the yolk.