Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes
Abstract Genes diverge in form and function in multiple ways over time; they can be conserved, acquire new roles, or eventually be lost. However, the way genes diverge at the functional level is little understood, particularly in plastic systems. We investigated this process using two distantly rela...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14207-5 |
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| author | Sara Wighard Hanh Witte Ralf J. Sommer |
| author_facet | Sara Wighard Hanh Witte Ralf J. Sommer |
| author_sort | Sara Wighard |
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| description | Abstract Genes diverge in form and function in multiple ways over time; they can be conserved, acquire new roles, or eventually be lost. However, the way genes diverge at the functional level is little understood, particularly in plastic systems. We investigated this process using two distantly related nematode species, Allodiplogaster sudhausi and Pristionchus pacificus. Both these nematodes display environmentally-influenced developmental plasticity of mouth-form feeding structures. This phenotype can be manipulated by growth on particular diets, making them ideal traits to investigate functional divergence of developmental plasticity genes between organisms. Using CRISPR-engineered mutations in A. sudhausi mouth-form genes, we demonstrate examples of the various ways ancestral genes regulate developmental plasticity and how these roles can progressively diverge. We examined four ancestral genes, revealing distinct differences in their conservation and divergence in regulating mouth phenotype in both species. Loss of certain genes results in similar developmental disruptions in both species, while for others they are distinct. Additionally, two ancestral genes retain their functions as switch genes, which completely prevent a phenotype, and the other two display quantitative effects, with knock-outs in these genes displaying intermediate phenotypes. Remarkably, despite the evolutionary distance, all genes examined were involved in mouth-form regulation. Finally, key sulfatase-encoding genes act downstream of the other genes, suggesting they play a major role in mouth-form plasticity. Together, this study represents the first mutant-based functional analysis of the evolution of developmental plasticity between two highly diverged species, offering new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic evolution. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2d01d9575844922a99e36d80388a0b9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b2d01d9575844922a99e36d80388a0b92025-08-20T03:42:49ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-14207-5Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodesSara Wighard0Hanh Witte1Ralf J. Sommer2Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for BiologyDepartment for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for BiologyDepartment for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for BiologyAbstract Genes diverge in form and function in multiple ways over time; they can be conserved, acquire new roles, or eventually be lost. However, the way genes diverge at the functional level is little understood, particularly in plastic systems. We investigated this process using two distantly related nematode species, Allodiplogaster sudhausi and Pristionchus pacificus. Both these nematodes display environmentally-influenced developmental plasticity of mouth-form feeding structures. This phenotype can be manipulated by growth on particular diets, making them ideal traits to investigate functional divergence of developmental plasticity genes between organisms. Using CRISPR-engineered mutations in A. sudhausi mouth-form genes, we demonstrate examples of the various ways ancestral genes regulate developmental plasticity and how these roles can progressively diverge. We examined four ancestral genes, revealing distinct differences in their conservation and divergence in regulating mouth phenotype in both species. Loss of certain genes results in similar developmental disruptions in both species, while for others they are distinct. Additionally, two ancestral genes retain their functions as switch genes, which completely prevent a phenotype, and the other two display quantitative effects, with knock-outs in these genes displaying intermediate phenotypes. Remarkably, despite the evolutionary distance, all genes examined were involved in mouth-form regulation. Finally, key sulfatase-encoding genes act downstream of the other genes, suggesting they play a major role in mouth-form plasticity. Together, this study represents the first mutant-based functional analysis of the evolution of developmental plasticity between two highly diverged species, offering new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic evolution.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14207-5PolyphenismsDevelopmental plasticityAllodiplogaster sudhausiPristionchus pacificuseud-1/sulfataseNuclear-hormone-receptors |
| spellingShingle | Sara Wighard Hanh Witte Ralf J. Sommer Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes Scientific Reports Polyphenisms Developmental plasticity Allodiplogaster sudhausi Pristionchus pacificus eud-1/sulfatase Nuclear-hormone-receptors |
| title | Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| title_full | Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| title_fullStr | Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| title_short | Functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| title_sort | functional divergence of conserved developmental plasticity genes between two distantly related nematodes |
| topic | Polyphenisms Developmental plasticity Allodiplogaster sudhausi Pristionchus pacificus eud-1/sulfatase Nuclear-hormone-receptors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14207-5 |
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