title: Genetic variation in HIF signaling underlies quantitative variation in physiological and life-history traits within lowland butterfly populations.
abstract: Oxygen conductance to the tissues determines aerobic metabolic performance in most eukaryotes but has cost/benefit tradeoffs. Here we examine in lowland populations of a butterfly a genetic polymorphism affecting oxygen conductance via the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway, which senses intracellular oxygen and controls the development of oxygen delivery networks. Genetically distinct clades of Glanville fritillary (Melitaea cinxia) across a continental scale maintain, at intermediate frequencies, alleles in a metabolic enzyme (succinate dehydrogenase, SDH) that regulates HIF-1α. One Sdhd allele was associated with reduced SDH activity rate, twofold greater cross-sectional area of tracheoles in flight muscle, and better flight performance. Butterflies with less tracheal development had greater post-flight hypoxia signaling, swollen & disrupted mitochondria, and accelerated aging of flight metabolic performance. Allelic associations with metabolic and aging phenotypes were replicated in samples from different clades. Experimentally elevated succinate in pupae increased the abundance of HIF-1α and expression of genes responsive to HIF activation, including tracheal morphogenesis genes. These results indicate that the hypoxia inducible pathway, even in lowland populations, can be an important axis for genetic variation underlying intraspecific differences in oxygen delivery, physiological performance, and life history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. jhm10@psu.edu
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Marden
authors.forename: Howard W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Fescemyer
authors.forename: Rudolf J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schilder
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Doerfler
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vera
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wheat
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000483:Alleles; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D005426:Flight, Animal; D017344:Genes, Insect; D014644:Genetic Variation; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011153:Population / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014132:Trachea / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D019476:Insect Proteins; D019802:Succinic Acid; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase