title: Identifying biochemical phenotypic differences between cryptic species.
abstract: Molecular genetic methods can distinguish divergent evolutionary lineages in what previously appeared to be single species, but it is not always clear what functional differences exist between such cryptic species. We used a metabolomic approach to profile biochemical phenotype (metabotype) differences between two putative cryptic species of the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus. There were no straightforward metabolite biomarkers of lineage, i.e. no metabolites that were always at higher concentration in one lineage. Multivariate methods, however, identified a small number of metabolites that together helped distinguish the lineages, including uncommon metabolites such as Nε-trimethyllysine, which is not usually found at high concentrations. This approach could be useful for characterizing functional trait differences, especially as it is applicable to essentially any species group, irrespective of its genome sequencing status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liebeke
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bruford
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Timothy M D
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ebbels
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kille
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Elma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahive
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Rachael M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Madison
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Gabriela A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Pinto-Juma
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Spurgeon
authors.affiliation: NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK j.bundy@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jacob G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-8465
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bundy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D008239:Lysine
keywords: Lumbricus; cryptic species; metabolomics