Effect of pentachlorophenol on predator-prey interaction of two rotifers
Abstract The effect of pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the predator-prey relationship of two rotifers (Asplanchna girodi and Brachionus calyciflorus) was studied using Asplanchna predatory behavior as an endpoint. The experimental design included three treatments: prey and predator exposure, only prey exposure, and only predator exposure. This enabled us to distinguish toxic effects on the predator from those on the prey and to detect interactions. The main toxic effects observed were on the predator and involved the number of predator-prey encounters. Encounters decreased in a dose-dependent manner, with a no observed effect threshold at 0.11 mg PCP l−1. Decrease in encounter rate reduced the n…
Allozyme electrophoresis: its application to rotifers
Allozyme electrophoresis is a well established technique for revealing genetic variation that has given useful results in a wide range of organisms. However, in rotifers it has been applied scarcely and only in a few species. In this paper the methods of acetate allozyme electrophoresis are introduced, including laboratory setup, equipment and staining recipes that have been successfully applied to brachionid rotifers. In addition, the literature published on allozyme electrophoresis in rotifers is reviewed and the main results and future prospects of the technique are discussed. We conclude that, despite the onset of DNA techniques, allozyme electrophoresis is promising and can yield impor…
On the taxonomy of three sympatric sibling species of the Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera) complex from Spain, with the description of B. ibericus n. sp.
The accumulation of evidence during the last decade led to the splitting of the Brachionus plicatilis complex (Rotifera) into two morphologically recognizable species: B. plicatilis Muller and B. rotundiformis Tschugunoff, previously referred to as L- and S-type B. plicatilis (s.l.), respectively. However, recent population genetics and molecular studies have revealed that each of these taxa concern cryptic species complexes. In particular, in Torreblanca Marsh, a wetland on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, three genetically distinct groups in this rotifer complex have been shown to co-occur. Differences in genetic markers, ecological preferences, mixis responses, mating behaviour and no e…
Founder effects drive the genetic structure of passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates
Populations of passively dispersed organisms in continental aquatic habitats typically show high levels of neutral genetic differentiation, despite their high dispersal capabilities. Several evolutionary factors, including founder events and local adaptation, and life cycle features such as high population growth rates and the presence of propagule banks, have been proposed to be responsible for this paradox. Here, we have modeled the colonization process in these organisms to assess the impact of migration rate, growth rate, population size, local adaptation and life-cycle features on their population genetic structure. Our simulation results show that the strongest effect on population st…
Selection on life-history traits and genetic population divergence in rotifers
A combination of founder effects and local adaptation – the Monopolization hypothesis – has been proposed to reconcile the strong population differentiation of zooplankton dwelling in ponds and lakes and their high dispersal abilities. The role genetic drift plays in genetic differentiation of zooplankton is well documented, but the impact of natural selection has received less attention. Here, we compare differentiation in neutral genetic markers (FST) and in quantitative traits (QST) in six natural populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis to assess the importance of natural selection in explaining genetic differentiation of life-history traits. Five life-history traits were measur…
Coexistence of cryptic rotifer species: ecological and genetic characterisation of Brachionus plicatilis
SUMMARY 1. The coexistence of five cryptic species of the rotifer species complex Brachionus plicatilis was investigated in four coastal Mediterranean ponds. Monthly sampling was undertaken for 15 months and species were characterised using allozyme electrophoresis. 2. We describe species-diagnostic allozyme loci that can be used for rapid identification of these species. 3. The five species overlapped to some extent in their temporal use of the ponds, although some seasonal segregation was observed. 4. The match between temporal and spatial distribution and limnological conditions suggested ecological specialisation in some cases, although we found striking examples of extensive seasonal o…
Review paper: Ecological genetics of Brachionus sympatric sibling species
In this paper we review previous studies on sympatric Brachionus populations in Torreblanca Marsh as a model of evolutionary and ecological relationships between closely related species. The marsh is a wetland on the Mediterranean coast of Spain with high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Allozyme and morphometric analysis showed that Brachionus group plicatilis (formerly, Brachionus plicatilis and currently split into B. plicatilis and B. rotundiformis) was composed of three groups of genotypes with no evidence of gene flow between them (B. plicatilis, B. rotundiformis SM and B. rotundiformis SS). Correlations between seasonal and spatial distributions, on one hand, and temperature and s…
Fifteen species in one: deciphering the Brachionus plicatilis species complex (Rotifera, Monogononta) through DNA taxonomy
Understanding patterns and processes in biological diversity is a critical task given current and rapid environmental change. Such knowledge is even more essential when the taxa under consideration are important ecological and evolutionary models. One of these cases is the monogonont rotifer cryptic species complex Brachionus plicatilis, which is by far the most extensively studied group of rotifers, is widely used in aquaculture, and is known to host a large amount of unresolved diversity. Here we collate a dataset of previously available and newly generated sequences of COI and ITS1 for 1273 isolates of the B. plicatilis complex and apply three approaches in DNA taxonomy (i.e. ABGD, PTP, …
Widespread secondary contact and new glacial refugia in the halophilic rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in the Iberian Peninsula.
Small aquatic organisms harbour deep phylogeographic patterns and highly structured populations even at local scales. These patterns indicate restricted gene flow, despite these organisms' high dispersal abilities, and have been explained by a combination of (1) strong founder effects due to rapidly growing populations and very large population sizes, and (2) the development of diapausing egg banks and local adaptation, resulting in low effective gene flow, what is known as the Monopolization hypothesis. In this study, we build up on our understanding of the mitochondrial phylogeography of the halophilic rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in the Iberian Peninsula by both increasing the number of…
Ecological genetics of a cyclical parthenogen in temporary habitats
Populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis inhabiting three temporary ponds in Torreblanca Marsh (Castellon, Spain) were regularly screened for allozyme variation, sexual reproduction levels and population densities during an annual cycle. Relevant ecological parameters in the ponds were also recorded. The electrophoretic survey of the three ponds (Poza Sur, Poza Norte and Canal Central) revealed a high level of overall genetic polymorphism in four marker loci, but only 13 multilocus genotypes were found. We classified clones into three clonal groups (SS, SM, L) characterized by unique arrays of alleles in the four marker loci, and significant differences in body shape and size. Clona…
Genomic signatures of local adaptation to the degree of environmental predictability in rotifers
AbstractEnvironmental fluctuations are ubiquitous and thus essential for the study of adaptation. Despite this, genome evolution in response to environmental fluctuations —and more specifically to the degree of environmental predictability– is still unknown. Saline lakes in the Mediterranean region are remarkably diverse in their ecological conditions, which can lead to divergent local adaptation patterns in the inhabiting aquatic organisms. The facultatively sexual rotifer Brachionus plicatilis shows diverging local adaptation in its life-history traits in relation to estimated environmental predictability in its habitats. Here, we used an integrative approach —combining environmental, phe…
Persistent genetic signatures of colonization inBrachionus manjavacasrotifers in the Iberian Peninsula
Recent phylogeographical assessments have consistently shown that continental zooplankton display high levels of population subdivision, despite the high dispersal capacity of their diapausing propagules. As such, there is an apparent paradox between observed cosmopolitanism in the zooplankton that is associated with long-distance dispersal, and strong phylogeographical structures at a regional scale. Such population dynamics, far from migration-drift equilibrium, have been shown in the rotifer species complex Brachionus plicatilis, a group of over a dozen species inhabiting salt lakes and coastal lagoons worldwide. Here we present the mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of one of these specie…
Mictic patterns of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis Müller in small ponds
Populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis were monitored in three small ponds in a marsh on the Mediterranean coast. Samples were taken approximately every three weeks from July 1992 to November 1993. Salinity, temperature, conductivity, pH and oxygen concentration were measured in the field. Population density was determined from preserved quantitative samples. Individuals were classified as mictic females, amictic females, non-ovigerous females, and males, differentiating between two morphotypes (‘S’ and ‘L’). From these counts, a level of mixis was calculated. We also determined the proportion of mictic females in natural populations by culturing females isolated from fresh sample…
Long-Term Coexistence of Rotifer Cryptic Species
Despite their high morphological similarity, cryptic species often coexist in aquatic habitats presenting a challenge in the framework of niche differentiation theory and coexistence mechanisms. Here we use a rotifer species complex inhabiting highly unpredictable and fluctuating salt lakes to gain insights into the mechanisms involved in stable coexistence in cryptic species. We combined molecular barcoding surveys of planktonic populations and paleogenetic analysis of diapausing eggs to reconstruct the current and historical coexistence dynamics of two highly morphologically similar rotifer species, B. plicatilis and B. manjavacas. In addition, we carried out laboratory experiments using …
Sex ratio, reproductive mode and genetic diversity inTriops cancriformis
SUMMARY 1. Aquatic invertebrates display a wide array of alternative reproductive modes from apomixis to hermaphroditism and cyclical parthenogenesis. These have important effects on genetic diversity and population structure. Populations of the ‘living fossil’ Triops cancriformis display a range of sex ratios, and various reproductive modes are thought to underlie this variation. Using sex ratio information and histological analyses European populations have been inferred to be gonochoric (with separate males and females), selfing hermaphroditic and androdioecious, a rare reproductive mode in which selfing hermaphrodites coexist with variable proportions of males. In addition, some populat…
Speciation in monogonont rotifers
Monogonont rotifers are cyclical parthenogens livingin limnic habitats with considerable seasonalvariation and often with island-like features. Theoccurrence of bisexual reproduction in these organismsmakes it feasible to define ’fields for generecombination‘, i.e. biological species. In thispaper, we analyze the structure of the diversity inmonogonont rotifers using several data sets: taxonomicand intraspecific diversity as reported inidentification keys, morphological variation reportedin ecological studies, and allozyme and matingbehavior patterns. Our analysis suggests that siblingspecies may be frequent in rotifers. Monogonontrotifers seem to meet conditions for an activespeciation, wh…
Ecological genomics of adaptation to unpredictability in experimental rotifer populations
AbstractElucidating the genetic basis of phenotypic variation in response to different environments is key to understanding how populations evolve. Facultatively sexual rotifers can develop adaptive responses to fluctuating environments. In a previous evolution experiment, diapause-related traits changed rapidly in response to two selective regimes (predictable vs unpredictable) in laboratory populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. Here, we investigate the genomic basis of adaptation to environmental unpredictability in these experimental populations. We identified and genotyped genome-wide polymorphisms in 169 clones from both selective regimes after seven cycles of selection usi…
Behavioral reproductive isolation among sympatric strains of Brachionus plicatilis Müller 1786: insights into the status of this taxonomic species
We present results on cross-mating experiments using Brachionus plicatilis strains collected in three ponds of a coastal marsh (Torreblanca Marsh, Castellon, Spain). These strains were known to differ widely both in morphology and allozyme patterns from a previous study, where they were grouped into three genetically different clonal groups. Although some of the strains co-occurred in the same pond and sexual periods overlapped, no gene flow was found among them. Our first objective was to determine whether behavioral reproductive isolation was responsible for the absence of interbreeding. A second objective was to explore the relationship between sexual isolation and genetic divergence. We…
Application of an inexpensive and high-throughput genomic DNA extraction method for the molecular ecology of zooplanktonic diapausing eggs
We describe the application of a simple, low-cost, and effective method of DNA extraction (hot sodium hydroxide and Tris, HotSHOT) to the diapausing propagules of continental aquatic invertebrates for its use in PCR amplification. We illustrate the use of the technique in cladocerans, rotifers, anostracans, notostracans, and copepod diapausing eggs. We compare the performance of the HotSHOT technique to the currently most widely used method for DNA extraction of zooplankton eggs and individuals, the chelating resin (or Chelex) technique. The HotSHOT technique overcomes several of the problems posed by Chelex and permits easy optimization for its use with 96-well plates for high-throughput D…