Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries
Abstract Hybridisation and introgression of eukaryotic genomes can generate new species or subsume existing ones, with direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity. An understudied component of these evolutionary forces is their potentially rapid effect on host gut microbiomes, and whether thes...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04919-7 |
| _version_ | 1797822765168852992 |
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| author | Megan J. Huggett Jean-Paul A. Hobbs Federico Vitelli Michael Stat Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor Michael Bunce Joseph D. DiBattista |
| author_facet | Megan J. Huggett Jean-Paul A. Hobbs Federico Vitelli Michael Stat Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor Michael Bunce Joseph D. DiBattista |
| author_sort | Megan J. Huggett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Hybridisation and introgression of eukaryotic genomes can generate new species or subsume existing ones, with direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity. An understudied component of these evolutionary forces is their potentially rapid effect on host gut microbiomes, and whether these pliable microcosms may serve as early biological indicators of speciation. We address this hypothesis in a field study of angelfishes (genus Centropyge), which have one of the highest prevalence of hybridisation within coral reef fish. In our study region of the Eastern Indian Ocean, the parent fish species and their hybrids cohabit and display no differences in their diet, behaviour, and reproduction, often interbreeding in mixed harems. Despite this ecological overlap, we show that microbiomes of the parent species are significantly different from each other in form and function based on total community composition, supporting the division of parents into distinct species, despite the confounding effects of introgression acting to homogenize parent species identity at other molecular markers. The microbiome of hybrid individuals, on the other hand, are not significantly different to each of the parents, instead harbouring an intermediate community composition. These findings suggest that shifts in gut microbiomes may be an early indicator of speciation in hybridising species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:12:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d526a77dca394dc4b4ac2d36cff7e706 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:12:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d526a77dca394dc4b4ac2d36cff7e7062023-05-21T11:23:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422023-05-01611910.1038/s42003-023-04919-7Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundariesMegan J. Huggett0Jean-Paul A. Hobbs1Federico Vitelli2Michael Stat3Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor4Michael Bunce5Joseph D. DiBattista6School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleSchool of Biological Sciences, The University of QueenslandCentre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan UniversitySchool of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin UniversityTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin UniversityAbstract Hybridisation and introgression of eukaryotic genomes can generate new species or subsume existing ones, with direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity. An understudied component of these evolutionary forces is their potentially rapid effect on host gut microbiomes, and whether these pliable microcosms may serve as early biological indicators of speciation. We address this hypothesis in a field study of angelfishes (genus Centropyge), which have one of the highest prevalence of hybridisation within coral reef fish. In our study region of the Eastern Indian Ocean, the parent fish species and their hybrids cohabit and display no differences in their diet, behaviour, and reproduction, often interbreeding in mixed harems. Despite this ecological overlap, we show that microbiomes of the parent species are significantly different from each other in form and function based on total community composition, supporting the division of parents into distinct species, despite the confounding effects of introgression acting to homogenize parent species identity at other molecular markers. The microbiome of hybrid individuals, on the other hand, are not significantly different to each of the parents, instead harbouring an intermediate community composition. These findings suggest that shifts in gut microbiomes may be an early indicator of speciation in hybridising species.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04919-7 |
| spellingShingle | Megan J. Huggett Jean-Paul A. Hobbs Federico Vitelli Michael Stat Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor Michael Bunce Joseph D. DiBattista Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries Communications Biology |
| title | Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| title_full | Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| title_fullStr | Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| title_short | Gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| title_sort | gut microbial communities of hybridising pygmy angelfishes reflect species boundaries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04919-7 |
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