Biology subjects

Coleman, J. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Coleman, J. L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

From diet to defense: serpin duplication and gene-expression evolution as putative contributors to poison-frog alkaloid sequestration

Diverse organisms use toxins as antipredator defenses. Although many taxa synthesize their toxins, dietary toxin acquisition is less documented, particularly in vertebrates. In poison frogs (Dendrobatidae), efficient sequestration of dietary alkaloids evolved at least three times from ancestors that bore at most trace concentrations of skin alkaloids. Yet molecular mechanisms underlying poison-frog sequestration remain poorly understood. We used two approaches to address this. First, we performed a broad phylogenetic analysis of the serpinA gene family, which includes serpina1-like/alkaloid-binding globulin (ABG), the putative dendrobatid alkaloid transporter, and biliverdin-binding serpins (BBSs), which bind and spectrally tune biliverdin in blue-green arboreal frogs. Second, we used an evolutionarily narrower but discovery-oriented liver gene-expression analysis, contrasting seven populations from two sequestering Epipedobates species, the most recent origin of sequestration among dendrobatids (<15 mya), with two trace-accumulating lineages, Silverstoneia and Hyloxalus. Phylogenetic analyses revealed extensive diversification of ABGs and BBS-like genes in Dendrobatidae, forming two and five major clades, respectively. These expansions reveal broader ligand-binding serpin diversity than previously recognized and indicate that alkaloid sequestration may involve multiple ABG paralogs. Gene-expression analyses revealed 23 candidate genes associated with small-molecule transport, xenobiotic metabolism, and immune response, including serpina1-like, which was overexpressed in Epipedobates. A co-expression network analysis independently placed 20 of the 23 candidates into four key modules (enriched for differentially-expressed genes, containing [≥]1 candidate, and correlated with sequestration). Our findings point to ligand-binding-protein diversification and coordinated gene-expression changes as major contributors to the evolution of alkaloid defenses in poison frogs.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Genetic introgression is a catalyst for diversification in an Old World fruit bat radiation

Genetic introgression, the exchange of genes between closely related species, was once thought to be rare and counterproductive to species differentiation until more recent evidence showed that introgression is pervasive in nature and may even facilitate the transfer of important functional traits among species. However, evidence for the role of introgression in facilitating speciation in natural systems is rare. In this study, we investigated the role of introgression in accelerating trait sharing and speciation in a poorly understood group of South and Southeast Asian fruit bats of the genus Cynopterus using genome-wide DNA from 93 individuals, including both fresh and historic museum specimens. We uncovered substantial new species level diversity within the genus and retrieved multiple strong signatures of complex genetic introgression, including two putative events of hybrid speciation within this radiation. In the genomic areas implicated in most of these introgression events, we identified a locus potentially linked to sperm integrity and fusion of egg and sperm. Further, we observed high between-species divergence in an area of the genome linked to skull development. The Cynopterus radiation augments a small but growing list of examples showing that genetic introgression - rather than forming an impediment against differentiation - is likely to boost and reinforce diversification processes, for example through the transfer of functional loci that may facilitate innovations. Our study also highlights the importance of museum collections in understanding cryptic diversity and speciation in complex biogeographic settings.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Passive accumulation of alkaloids in putatively non-toxic frogs challenges paradigms of the origins of acquired chemical defenses

Understanding the origins of novel, complex phenotypes is a major goal in evolutionary biology. Poison frogs of the family Dendrobatidae have evolved the novel ability to acquire alkaloids from their diet for chemical defense at least three times. However, taxon sampling for alkaloids has been biased towards colorful species, without similar attention paid to inconspicuous ones that are often assumed to be undefended. As a result, our understanding of how chemical defense evolved in this group is incomplete. Here we provide new data showing that, in contrast to previous studies, species from each undefended poison frog clade have measurable yet low amounts of alkaloids. We confirm that undefended dendrobatids regularly consume mites and ants, which are known sources of alkaloids. Thus, our data suggest that diet is insufficient to explain the defended phenotype. Our data support the existence of a phenotypic intermediate between toxin consumption and sequestration -- passive accumulation -- that differs from sequestration in that it involves no derived forms of transport and storage mechanisms yet results in low levels of toxin accumulation. We discuss the concept of passive accumulation and its potential role in the origin of chemical defenses in poison frogs and other toxin-sequestering organisms. In light of ideas from pharmacokinetics we incorporate new and old data from poison frogs into an evolutionary model that could help explain the origins of acquired chemical defenses in animals and provide insight into the molecular processes that govern the fate of ingested toxins. ResumenComprender los origenes de fenotipos novedosos y complejos es un objetivo central en biologia evolutiva. Las ranas venenosas de la familia Dendrobatidae han desarrollado una novedosa habilidad para adquirir alcaloides de su dieta como defensas quimicas, al menos tres veces. Sin embargo, el muestreo de taxones en busca de alcaloides ha estado sesgado hacia las especies coloridas, sin prestar atencion similar a las poco conspicuas que a menudo se presume, no tienen defensas. Como resultado, nuestra comprension de como evolucionan las defensas quimicas en este grupo es incompleta. Aqui, proporcionamos nuevos datos que muestran que, en contraste con estudios anteriores, las especies de cada clado de ranas venenosas no defendidas tienen cantidades bajas pero cuantificables de alcaloides. Confirmamos que los dendrobatidos no defendidos consumen regularmente acaros y hormigas, que son fuentes conocidas de alcaloides. Por lo tanto, nuestros datos sugieren que la dieta es insuficiente para explicar el fenotipo defendido. Nuestros datos respaldan la existencia de un fenotipo intermedio entre consumo y secuestro de toxinas (acumulacion pasiva), que difiere del secuestro en que no implica formas derivadas de mecanismos de transporte y almacenamiento, pero da lugar a bajos niveles de acumulacion de toxinas. Discutimos el concepto de acumulacion pasiva y su potencial rol en el origen de defensas quimicas en ranas venenosas y otros organismos que secuestran toxinas. Considerando ideas de farmacocinetica, incorporamos datos nuevos y antiguos de ranas venenosas dentro de un modelo evolutivo que podria ayudar a explicar los origenes de defensas quimicas adquiridas en animales, y proporcionar una vision de los procesos moleculares que regulan el destino de las toxinas ingeridas.

evolutionary biology↗