title: Genomic Characterization of the Evolutionary Potential of the Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis Facing Ocean Acidification.
abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) is increasing due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions and poses a threat to marine species and communities worldwide. To better project the effects of acidification on organisms' health and persistence, an understanding is needed of the 1) mechanisms underlying developmental and physiological tolerance and 2) potential populations have for rapid evolutionary adaptation. This is especially challenging in nonmodel species where targeted assays of metabolism and stress physiology may not be available or economical for large-scale assessments of genetic constraints. We used mRNA sequencing and a quantitative genetics breeding design to study mechanisms underlying genetic variability and tolerance to decreased seawater pH (-0.4 pH units) in larvae of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. We used a gene ontology-based approach to integrate expression profiles into indirect measures of cellular and biochemical traits underlying variation in larval performance (i.e., growth rates). Molecular responses to OA were complex, involving changes to several functions such as growth rates, cell division, metabolism, and immune activities. Surprisingly, the magnitude of pH effects on molecular traits tended to be small relative to variation attributable to segregating functional genetic variation in this species. We discuss how the application of transcriptomics and quantitative genetics approaches across diverse species can enrich our understanding of the biological impacts of climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Runcie
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
authors.forename: Narimane
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dorey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Integrative Research Institute for the Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Garfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.|Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Sciences (GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stumpp
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.|Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wray
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D057231:Climate Change; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D023281:Genomics; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D047269:Strongylocentrotus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: RNAseq; System genetics; climate change; gene set variation analysis; genetic variation; plasticity