Journal article
Gene-by-environment interactions and adaptive body size variation in mice from the Americas
Molecular biology and evolution, v 42(4), msaf078
02 Apr 2025
PMID: 40172935
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The relationship between genotype and phenotype is often mediated by the environment. Moreover, gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions can contribute to variation in phenotypes and fitness. In the last 500 years, house mice have invaded the Americas. Despite their short residence time, there is evidence of rapid climate adaptation, including shifts in body size and aspects of metabolism with latitude. Previous selection scans have identified candidate genes for metabolic adaptation. However, environmental variation in diet as well as GxE interactions likely impact body mass variation in wild populations. Here, we investigated the role of the environment and GxE interactions in shaping adaptive phenotypic variation. Using new locally adapted inbred strains from North and South America, we evaluated response to a high fat diet, finding that sex, strain, diet, and the interaction between strain and diet contributed significantly to variation in body size. We also found that the transcriptional response to diet is largely strain-specific, indicating that GxE interactions affecting gene expression are pervasive. Next, we used crosses between strains from contrasting climates to characterize gene expression regulatory divergence on a standard diet and on a high fat diet. We found that gene regulatory divergence is often condition-specific, particularly for trans-acting changes. Finally, we found evidence for lineage-specific selection on cis-regulatory variation involved in diverse processes, including lipid metabolism. Overlap with scans for selection identified candidate genes for environmental adaptation with diet-specific effects. Together, our results underscore the importance of environmental variation and GxE interactions in shaping adaptive variation in complex traits.
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Details
- Title
- Gene-by-environment interactions and adaptive body size variation in mice from the Americas
- Creators
- Katya L Mack - University of KansasNico P Landino - Monmouth UniversityMariia Tertyshnaia - Drexel UniversityTiffany C Longo - Monmouth UniversitySebastian A Vera - Monmouth UniversityLilia A Crew - Monmouth UniversityKristi McDonald - Monmouth UniversityMegan Phifer-Rixey (Corresponding Author) - Monmouth University
- Publication Details
- Molecular biology and evolution, v 42(4), msaf078
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Number of pages
- 19
- Grant note
- Monmouth UniversityDrexel UniversityNSF Division of Environmental Biology Award: 2332998 Summer research program at Monmouth UniversityNational Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health: P30 GM145499, R35GM154966 National Science Foundation: 2138259, 2138286, 2138307, 2137603, 2138296
Research was supported by internal funding from Monmouth University and Drexel University. M.P.R. is supported by NSF Division of Environmental Biology Award #2332998. N.P.L., T.C.L., S.A.V., and L.A.C. were supported by the summer research program at Monmouth University. K.L.M. is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P30 GM145499 and R35GM154966. This work used Expanse at the San Deigo Supercomputer Center through allocation BIO230113 from the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS) program, which is supported by grants #2138259, #2138286, #2138307, #2137603, and #2138296 from the National Science Foundation.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001472398900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105003638016
- Other Identifier
- 991022046552704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics & Heredity