Biology subjects

Mikheyev, A. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Mikheyev, A. S..

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Unlocking the venom vault: Museum venomics reveals an untapped biochemical archive in natural history collections

Venoms are powerful weapons that shape ecological interactions across the animal kingdom. They also have high medical importance, causing thousands of human fatalities annually, while offering a rich resource for drug discovery. Despite this, considerable logistical, safety and ethical challenges mean only a fraction of the worlds venoms have been profiled quantitatively. Natural history collections offer opportunities to greatly expand our knowledge of venom systems. We used quantitative proteomic mass spectrometry on preserved venom glands, spanning 0-57 years in age, from 37 venomous snake species (32 elapids and 5 viperids), alongside fresh venom samples from most of the same taxa. Preserved glands and fresh venoms from the same species showed strong concordance in venom composition across multiple metrics. Critically, specimen age did not degrade data quality, indicating that decades-old material yields reliable quantitative profiles, opening the possibility for vast quantities of existing museum specimens to be used. When we integrate our data with published profiles, we confirm known elapid vs viper broad diversity patterns while revealing substantial Australasian elapid venom diversity. Our findings demonstrate the potential of natural history collections as a vast, largely untapped biochemical archive for high-throughput "museum venomics," enabling evolutionary and temporal analyses of venom diversity at unprecedented scale.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Lizards on a sky archipelago: Genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta

The mountain-dwelling lizards of the genus Iberolacerta inhabit several isolated massifs across central and southwestern Europe. Their restricted and fragmented ranges, coupled with high altitude specialization in most species, entail a significant threat in the context of climate change for this group of lizards that has attracted interest from different fields. On the one hand, the alpine confinement of these relict species precedes the Pleistocene glacial cycles, and a few hypotheses have been proposed to explain it: from competitive exclusion by the wall lizards of the genus Podarcis, to adaptations to either cold or hypoxia, that would prevent them from expanding into lowlands. On the other hand, extensive research on chromosome evolution has shown Iberolacerta karyotypes to fairly differ from other lacertid lizards, exhibiting reductions in chromosome numbers and multiple sex chromosome determination systems. Here we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for Iberolacerta aurelioi, an Endangered rock lizard endemic to the Pyrenees. This genome has shed light on a genome architecture shaped by chromosome fusions, whose adaptive potential we discuss, as well as on expression shifts towards a hemoglobin isoform of enhanced oxygen affinity, as an adaptation to altitudinal hypoxia. In addition, medium coverage whole-genome sequencing data from 12 representatives encompassing all species and subspecies within the genus allowed us to address phylogenomic relationships, unveiling introgression events, gathering evidence in support of the competitive exclusion hypothesis through past demographic inference, and providing insights into homozygosity burdens, which offer valuable information for conservation efforts.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Unveiling the evolutionary history of European vipers and their venoms from a multi-omic approach

Snake genomes attract significant attention from multiple disciplines, including medicine, drug bioprospection, and evolutionary biology, due to the unique features found in snakes, especially, the evolution of venom. However, genomic research within the family Viperidae has mostly focused to date on the subfamily Crotalinae, while overlooking Viperinae, the Old World vipers. Among Viperinae, European vipers (Vipera) have been the subject of extensive research because of their venoms, phylogeographic, and ecological diversification. Nevertheless, venom research in this group has been conducted using mostly proteomes alone, while phylogeography and systematics in the genus have relied on biased information from mitochondrial phylogenies. Here, we generated chromosome-level genome assemblies for three Vipera species and whole-genome sequencing data for 94 samples representing 15 Vipera taxa. This comprehensive dataset has enabled us to disentangle the phylogenomic relationships of this genus, affected by mito-nuclear discordance and pervaded by ancestral introgression. Population-level analyses in the Iberian Peninsula, where the three oldest lineages within Vipera meet, revealed signals of recent adaptive introgression between ecologically dissimilar species, whereas chromosomal rearrangements isolate species occupying similar niches. Finally, using transcriptomic and proteomic data, we characterized the Vipera toxin-encoding genes, in which opposing selective forces were unveiled as common drivers of the evolution of venom as an integrated phenotype.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2024

Purging of highly deleterious alleles through an extreme bottleneck

Transitions to captivity often produce population bottlenecks. On one hand, bottlenecks increase inbreeding and decrease effective population size, thus increasing extinction risk. On the other, elevated homozygosity associated with extreme bottlenecks may purge deleterious alleles. Previous studies of purging in captive breeding programs have focused on phenotypic measurements and may be confounded with environmental effects. We test the ability of natural selection to purge deleterious alleles following an extreme population bottleneck by analysing patterns of genetic diversity in wild and captive-bred populations of the Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis). Dryococelus australis has been bred in captivity for two decades, having passed through an extreme bottleneck - only two mating pairs with few new additions since then. The magnitude of the bottleneck, together with the fact that each female lays hundreds of eggs most of which are not recruited, set up nearly ideal conditions for the purging of deleterious alleles. As expected, captive-bred individuals had a greater number of long runs-of-homozygosity compared to wild individuals, implying strong inbreeding in captivity which would facilitate purging in the homozygous regions. Stop-codon and frameshift alleles were preferentially depleted in captivity compared to other alleles, in coding and non-coding regions. The more deleterious an allele was predicted to be, the more likely it was found outside of runs-of-homozygosity, implying that inbreeding events facilitate the expression and thus removal of deleterious alleles, even after such an extreme bottleneck and under the benign conditions of captivity. These data show that extreme inbreeding has likely decreased the deleterious mutation load of the stick insects, though loss of genetic diversity may make future adaptation more difficult.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Varroa mites escape the evolutionary trap of haplodiploidy

Genetic diversity is essential for populations adapting to environmental-changes. Following genetic bottlenecks, invasive species often have reduced diversity, yet must rapidly adapt to novel environments. This paradox is especially pronounced in parasites, which face repeated transmission bottlenecks and anthropogenic countermeasures. The challenge of maintaining diversity in the short-term intensifies in haplodiploid species, where males inherit and transmit only half of their mothers genome, limiting effective population size. To examine how such species may maintain adaptability, we studied inheritance in Varroa mites (Varroa destructor), globally invasive honey bee parasite. Using three-generation pedigrees, we found that Varroa is not haplodiploid, as previously thought. Rather, females produce diploid sons who transmit either maternal allele to daughters. This system slows reduced heterozygosity loss under sib-mating, compared to ancestral haplodiploidy, increasing effective population size and adaptability. Our findings reveal a rare reversion from haplodiploidy, long considered an evolutionary end state, and suggest reproductive plasticity underlies the resilience of invasive parasites like Varroa.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

The molecular groundplan of male reproduction is partially preserved in parthenogenetic stick insects.

After the loss of a trait, theory predicts that the molecular machinery underlying its phenotypic expression should decay. Yet, empirical evidence is contrasting. Here, we test the hypotheses that (1) the molecular ground plan of a lost trait could persist due to pleiotropic effects on other traits and (2) that gene co-expression network architecture could constrain individual gene expression. Our testing ground has been the Bacillus stick insect species complex, which contains close relatives that are either bisexual or parthenogenetic. After the identification of genes expressed in male reproductive tissues in a bisexual species, we investigated their gene co-expression network structure in two parthenogenetic species. We found that gene co-expression within the male gonads was preserved in parthenogens. Furthermore, parthenogens did not show relaxed selection on genes upregulated in male gonads in the bisexual species. As these genes were mostly expressed in female gonads, this preservation could be driven by pleiotropic interactions and an ongoing role in female reproduction. Connectivity within the network also played a key role, with highly connected - and more pleiotropic - genes within male gonad also having a gonad-biased expression in parthenogens. Our findings provide novel insight into the mechanisms which could underlie the production of rare males in parthenogenetic lineages; more generally, they provide an example of the cryptic persistence of a lost trait molecular ground plan, driven by gene pleiotropy on other traits and within their co-expression network. SignificanceLoss of traits commonly occurs in diverse lineages of organisms. Here we investigate what happens to genes and regulatory networks associated with these traits, using parthenogenetic insect species as a model. We investigated the fate of genes and gene regulatory networks associated with male gonads in a bisexual species in closely related parthenogens. Rather than showing signs of disuse and decay, they have been partially preserved in parthenogens. More highly pleiotropic genes in male gonads were more likely to have a gonad-biased expression profile in parthenogens. These results highlight the role of pleiotropy in the cryptic persistence of a trait molecular ground plan, despite its phenotypical absence.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Diverse and rapidly evolving viral strategies modulate arthropod vector gene expression

Vector-borne viral diseases threaten human and wildlife worldwide. Vectors are often viewed as a passive syringe injecting the virus, however to survive, replicate and spread, viruses must manipulate vector biology. While most vector-borne viral research focuses on vectors transmitting a single virus, in reality vectors often carry diverse viruses. Yet how viruses affect the vectors remains poorly understood. Here we focused on the varroa mite, an emergent parasite that vectors over 20 honey bee viruses, and has been responsible for colony collapses worldwide, as well as changes in global viral populations. Co-evolution of the varroa and the viral community makes it possible to investigate whether viruses affect vector gene expression, and whether these interactions affect viral epidemiology. Using a large set of available varroa transcriptomes we identified how abundances of individual viruses affect the vectors transcriptional network. Perhaps surprisingly, we found no evidence of competition between viruses, but rather that some virus abundances are positively correlated. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between the extent to which a virus interacts with the vectors gene expression and co-occurrence with other viruses, suggesting that interactions with the vector affect epidemiology. We experimentally validated this observation by silencing candidate genes using RNAi and found that reduction in varroa gene expression was accompanied by a change in viral load. Combined, the meta-transcriptomic analysis and experimental results shed light on the mechanism by which viruses interact with each other and with their vector to shape the disease course.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

The parallel origins of vertebrate venoms

Evolution can occur with surprising predictability when organisms face similar ecological challenges. How and why traits arise repeatedly remains a central question in evolutionary biology, but the complexity of most traits makes it challenging to answer. Reptiles and mammals independently evolved oral venoms consisting of proteinaceous cocktails that allow mapping between genotype and phenotype. Although biochemically similar toxins can occur as major venom components across many taxa, whether these toxins evolved via convergent or parallel processes remains unknown. Most notable among them are kallikrein-like serine proteases that form the core of most vertebrate oral venoms. We used a combination of comparative genomics and phylogenetics to investigate whether serine protease recruitment into the venom occurred independently or in parallel in mammalian and reptilian lineages. Using syntenic relationships between genes flanking known toxins, we traced the origin of kallikreins to a single locus containing one or more nearby paralogous kallikrein-like clusters. Independently, phylogenetic analysis of vertebrate serine proteases revealed that kallikrein-like toxins in mammals and reptiles are homologous. Given the shared regulatory and genetic machinery, these findings suggest a unified model underlying vertebrate venom evolution. Namely, the common tetrapod ancestor possessed salivary genes that were biochemically suitable for envenomation. We term such genes toxipotent - in the case of salivary kallikreins they already had potent vasodilatory activity that was weaponized by venomous lineages. Furthermore, the ubiquitous distribution of kallikreins across vertebrates suggests that the evolution of envenomation may be more common than previously recognized, blurring the line between venomous and non-venomous animals.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Genome-wide, genic, and site-specific changes associated with the convergent evolution of sociality in spiders

The transition from solitary to social life is a major phenotypic innovation, but its genetic underpinnings are largely unknown. To identify genomic changes associated with this transition, we compare the genomes of 22 spider species representing eight recent and independent origins of sociality. Hundreds of genes tend to experience shifts in selection during the repeated transition to social life. These genes are associated with several key functions, such as neurogenesis, behavior, and metabolism, and include genes that previously have been implicated in animal social behavior and human behavioral disorders. In addition, social species have elevated genome-wide rates of molecular evolution associated with relaxed selection caused by reduced effective population size. Altogether, our study provides unprecedented insights into the genomic signatures of social evolution and the specific genetic changes that repeatedly underpin the evolution of sociality. Our study also highlights the heretofore unappreciated potential of transcriptomics using ethanol-preserved specimens for comparative genomics and phylotranscriptomics.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

A toolkit for studying Varroa genomics and transcriptomics: Preservation, extraction, and sequencing library preparation

BackgroundThe honey bee parasite, Varroa destructor, is a leading cause of honey bee population declines. In addition to being an obligate ectoparasitic mite, Varroa carries several viruses that infect honey bees and act as the proximal cause of colony collapses. Nevertheless, until recently, studies of Varroa have been limited by the paucity of genomic tools. Lab- and field-based methods exploiting such methods are still nascent. This study developed a set of methods for preserving Varroa DNA and RNA from the field to the lab and processing them into sequencing libraries. We performed preservation experiments in which Varroa mites were immersed in TRIzol, RNAlater, and absolute ethanol for preservation periods up to 21 days post-treatment to assess DNA and RNA integrity. ResultsFor both DNA and RNA, mites preserved in TRIzol and RNAlater at room temperature degraded within 10 days post-treatment. Mites preserved in ethanol at room temperature and 4{degrees}C remained intact through 21 days. Varroa mite DNA and RNA libraries were created and sequenced for ethanol preserved samples, 15 and 21 days post-treatment. All DNA sequences mapped to the V. destructor genome at above 95% on average, while RNA sequences mapped to V. destructor, but also sometimes to high levels of the deformed-wing virus and to various organisms. ConclusionEthanolic preservation of field-collected mites is inexpensive and simple, and allows them to be shipped and processed successfully in the lab for a wide variety of sequencing applications. It appears to preserve RNA from both Varroa and at least some of the viruses it vectors.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

An ancient, conserved gene regulatory network led to the rise of oral venom systems

Oral venom systems evolved multiple times in numerous vertebrates enabling exploitation of unique predatory niches. Yet how and when they evolved remains poorly understood. Up to now, most research on venom evolution has focussed strictly on the toxins. However, using toxins present in modern day animals to trace the origin of the venom system is difficult, since they tend to evolve rapidly, show complex patterns of expression, and were incorporated into the venom arsenal relatively recently. Here we focus on gene regulatory networks associated with the production of toxins in snakes, rather than the toxins themselves. We found that overall venom gland gene expression was surprisingly well conserved when compared to salivary glands of other amniotes. We characterised the meta-venom, a network of approximately 3000 non-secreted housekeeping genes that are strongly co-expressed with the toxins, and are primarily involved in protein folding and modification. Conserved across amniotes, this network was co-opted for venom evolution by exaptation of existing members and the recruitment of new toxin genes. For instance, starting from this common molecular foundation, Heloderma lizards, shrews, and solenodon, evolved venoms in parallel by overexpression of kallikreins, which were common in ancestral saliva and induce vasodilation when injected, causing circulatory shock. Derived venoms, such as those of snakes, incorporated novel toxins, though still rely on hypotension for prey immobilization. These similarities suggest repeated co-option of shared molecular machinery for the evolution of oral venom in mammals and reptiles, blurring the line between truly venomous animals and their ancestors.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

The first steps toward a global pandemic: Reconstructing the demographic history of parasite host switches in its native range

BackgroundHost switching allows parasites to expand their niches. However, successful switching may require suites of adaptations and also may decrease performance on the old host. As a result, reductions in gene flow accompany many host switches, driving speciation. Because host switches tend to be rapid, it is difficult to study them in real-time and their demographic parameters remain poorly understood. As a result, fundamental factors that control subsequent parasite evolution, such as the size of the switching population or the extent of immigration from the original host, remain largely unknown. To shed light on the host switching process, we explored how host switches occur in independent host shifts by two ectoparasitic honey bee mites (Varroa destructor and V. jacobsoni). ResultsBoth switched to the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) after it was brought into contact with their ancestral host (Apis cerana), [~]70 and [~]12 years ago, respectively. Varroa destructor subsequently caused worldwide collapses of honey bee populations. Using whole-genome sequencing on 63 mites collected in their native ranges from both the ancestral and novel hosts, we were able to reconstruct the known temporal dynamics of the switch. We further found multiple previously undiscovered mitochondrial lineages on the novel host, along with the genetic equivalent of tens of individuals that were involved in the initial host switch. Despite being greatly reduced, some gene flow remains between mites adapted to different hosts. ConclusionOur findings suggest that while reproductive isolation may facilitate the fixation of traits beneficial for exploitation of the new host, ongoing genetic exchange may allow genetic amelioration of inbreeding effects.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

Integrating the host plant phylogeny, plant traits, intraspecific competition and repeated measures using a phylogenetic mixed model of field behaviour by polyphagous herbivores, the leaf-cutting ants

Herbivores use a wide range of factors to choose their host, including their own physiological states, physical characteristics of plants, and the degree of competition. Field observations of herbivores in their native habitats provide a means for simultaneously estimating the relative importance of these factors, but statistical analysis of all these factors may be challenging. Here we used a 7-wk dataset of leaf-cutting ant (Atta cephalotes) foraging in a diverse neotropical arboretum containing 193 tree species (822 trees) to examine the relative role of tree phylogeny, territoriality and tree functional characteristics using a phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) model. We observed that 54 tree species (117 trees) were foraged by the ants. This pattern was not random, but reflected known features of leaf-cutting ant foraging behaviour, such as the preference for larger trees and the decreased likelihood of foraging at the periphery of a colonys territory. However, random effects such as tree phylogeny, the identity of individual trees and colony-specific effects, explained most of the variation in foraging data. A significant phylogenetic effect on foraging likelihood ({lambda} = 0.28), together with repeated measures of foraging on the same tree species, allowed estimation of relative palatability for each plant species. PGLS models can be flexibly scaled to include other covariates for even more complex investigation of foraging behaviour, and the link function can be modified to include the amount of plants foraged. As a result, PGLS can be used as a flexible framework for the study of LCA foraging.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Genomic signature of shifts in selection in a sub-alpine ant and its physiological adaptations

Understanding how organisms adapt to extreme environments is fundamental and can provide insightful case studies for both evolutionary biology and climate-change biology. Here, we take advantage of the vast diversity of lifestyles in ants to identify genomic signatures of adaptation to extreme habitats such as high altitude. We hypothesised two parallel patterns would occur in a genome adapting to an extreme habitat: i) strong positive selection on genes related to adaptation and, ii) a relaxation of previous purifying selection. We tested this hypothesis by sequencing the high-elevation specialist Tetramorium alpestre and four other phylogenetic related species. In support of our hypothesis, we recorded a strong shift of selective forces in T. alpestre, in particular a stronger magnitude of diversifying and relaxed selection when compared to all other ants. We further disentangled candidate molecular adaptations in both gene expression and protein-coding sequence that were identified by our genome-wide analyses. In particular, we demonstrate that T. alpestre has i) a derived level of expression for stv and other heat-shock proteins in chill shock tests, and ii) enzymatic enhancement of Hex-T1, a rate-limiting regulatory enzyme that controls the entry of glucose into the glycolytic pathway. Together, our analyses highlight the adaptive molecular changes that support colonisation of high-altitude environments.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Family saga: reconstructing the evolutionary history of a functionally diverse gene family reveals complexity at the genetic origins of novelty

Gene duplication is associated with the evolution of many novel biological functions at the molecular level. The dominant view, often referred to as "neofunctionalization", states that duplications precede many novel gene functions by creating functionally redundant copies which are less constrained than singletons. However, numerous alternative models have been formulated, including some in which novel functions emerge prior to duplication. Unfortunately, few studies have reconstructed the evolutionary history of a functionally diverse gene family sufficiently well to differentiate between these models. Here we examined the evolution of the g2 family of phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) in the genomes of 93 species from all major lineages of Vertebrata. This family is evolutionarily important and has been co-opted for a diverse range of functions, including innate immunity and venom. The genomic region in which this family is located is remarkably syntenic. This allowed us to reconstruct all duplication events over hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history using manual annotation of gene clusters, which enabled the discovery of a large number of previously un-annotated genes. Intriguingly, we found that the same ancestral gene in the phospholipase gene cluster independently acquired novel molecular functions in birds, mammals and snake, and all subsequent expansion of the cluster originates from this locus. This suggests that the locus has a deep ancestral propensity for multiplication, likely conferred by a structural arrangement of genomic material (i.e. the "genomic context" of the locus) that dates back at least the amniote MRCA. These results highlight the underlying complexity of gene family evolution, as well as the historical- and context-dependence of gene family evolution. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=137 SRC="FIGDIR/small/583344v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (33K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c3228forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12053forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11683c0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@123eb3a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Pixel personality for dense object tracking in a 2D honeybee hive

Tracking large numbers of densely-arranged, interacting objects is challenging due to occlusions and the resulting complexity of possible trajectory combinations, as well as the sparsity of relevant, labeled datasets. Here we describe a novel technique of collective tracking in the model environment of a 2D honeybee hive in which sample colonies consist of N [~] 103 highly similar individuals, tightly packed, and in rapid, irregular motion. Such a system offers universal challenges for multiobject tracking, while being conveniently accessible for image recording. We first apply an accurate, segmentation-based object detection method to build initial short trajectory segments by matching object configurations based on class, position and orientation. We then join these tracks into full single object trajectories by creating an object recognition model which is adaptively trained to recognize honeybee individuals through their visual appearance across multiple frames, an attribute we denote as pixel personality. Overall, we reconstruct [~] 46% of the trajectories in 5 min recordings from two different hives and over 71% of the tracks for at least 2 min. We provide validated trajectories spanning 3, 000 video frames of 876 unmarked moving bees in two distinct colonies in different locations and filmed with different pixel resolutions, which we expect to be useful in the further development of general-purpose tracking solutions.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2019

Transcriptomic basis and evolution of the ant social interactome

Development is often strongly regulated by interactions among close relatives, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In eusocial insects, interactions between caregiving worker nurses and larvae regulate larval development and resultant adult phenotypes. Here, we begin to characterize the social interactome regulating ant larval development by collecting and sequencing the transcriptomes of interacting nurses and larvae across time. We find that the majority of nurse and larval transcriptomes exhibit parallel expression dynamics across larval development. We leverage this widespread nurse-larva gene co-expression to infer putative social gene regulatory networks acting between nurses and larvae. Genes with the strongest inferred social effects tend to be peripheral elements of within-tissue regulatory networks and are often known to encode secreted proteins. This includes interesting candidates such as the nurse-expressed giant-lens, which may influence larval epidermal growth factor signaling, a pathway known to influence various aspects of insect development. Finally, we find that genes with the strongest signatures of social regulation tend to experience relaxed selective constraint and are evolutionarily young. Overall, our study provides a first glimpse into the molecular and evolutionary features of the social mechanisms that regulate all aspects of social life.\n\nAuthor SummarySocial interactions are fundamental to all forms of life, from single-celled bacteria to complex plants and animals. Despite their obvious importance, little is known about the molecular causes and consequences of social interactions. In this paper, we study the molecular basis of nurse-larva social interactions that regulate larval development in the pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis. We infer the effects of social interactions on gene expression from samples of nurses and larvae collected in the act of interaction across a developmental time series. Gene expression appears to be closely tied to these interactions, such that we can identify genes expressed in nurses with putative regulatory effects on larval gene expression. Genes which we infer to have strong social regulatory effects tend to have weak regulatory effects within individuals, and highly social genes tend to experience relatively weaker natural selection in comparison to less social genes. This study represents a novel approach and foundation upon which future studies at the intersection of genetics, behavior, and evolution can build.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Genomic analyses of sibling honey bee ectoparasitic mite species show divergent strategies of adaptation

Multispecies host-parasite evolution is common, but how parasites evolve after speciating remains poorly understood. Shared evolutionary history and physiology may propel species along similar evolutionary trajectories whereas pursuing different strategies can reduce competition. We test these scenarios in the economically important association between honey bees and ectoparasitic mites by sequencing the genomes of the sister mite species Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni. These genomes were closely related, with 99.7% sequence identity. Among the 9,628 orthologous genes, 4.8% showed signs of positive selection in at least one species. Divergent selective trajectories were discovered in conserved chemosensory gene families (IGR, SNMP), and Halloween genes (CYP) involved in moulting and reproduction. However, there was little overlap in these gene sets and associated GO terms, indicating different selective regimes operating on each of the parasites. Based on our findings, we suggest that species-specific strategies may be needed to combat evolving parasite communities.

genomics↗