Climate warming threatens dozens of bumblebee species across the world, including alpine areas. In plateaus with vast and continuous high-altitude areas, bumblebees' response to climate warming may be relatively optimistic. To study the species' responses to future climate in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we quantified the suitable areas for 4 local bumblebee indicator species under current and future climate scenarios (Shared Socio-economic Pathway 126, 245, 370, and 585 in 2,100) using MaxEnt models. Suitable areas of indicator species were stacked to obtain the species richness layer. According to the acreage and connectivity of suitable areas and the acreage of the high richness area, a warmed climate will be more suitable for bumblebees' distribution compared to the current climate. The SSP 126 and SSP 245 scenario will be the 2 most suitable. Meanwhile, with climate warming, suitable areas and the high richness areas will move to high altitudes and their altitude range will decrease. The greater suitability in warmed climates may be caused by the topography of plateaus, which provides an opportunity for bumblebees to migrate to cooler areas. However, mitigation of warming is still necessary because an excessively warm climate will decrease bumblebees' habitat suitability. In plateaus, species in lower altitudes will migrate to higher altitudes, conservation in high altitudes should pay attention to not only original species, but also immigrated species. In lower altitudes, many species will migrate to higher altitudes, then local bumblebee diversity will decrease. Local conservation should be focused on these lower altitude areas.
Climate Change , Climate , Bees , Animals , Tibet , Ecosystem
Determining the adaptive mechanisms by which bumblebees adapt to high altitudes can help us to better understand their distribution, providing a basis for the future protection and utilization of bumblebee resources. For this study, the adaptive mechanisms of two dominant bumblebee species in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau-Bombus kashmirensis and B. waltoni-were studied through transcriptomics methods. For each species, enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes and gene set enrichment analysis were carried out between samples collected at different altitudes (4000 m, 4500 m, and 5000 m). The results indicate that these bumblebees tend to up-regulate energy metabolism-related genes when facing extremely high-altitude environments. Of the enriched pathways up-regulated in higher altitudes, the pentose and glucuronate interconversions pathway presented the most severe up-regulation in multiple comparisons of different altitudes for B. kashmirensis, as well as the AMPK signaling pathway, which was found to be up-regulated in both species. Notably, limited by the extreme hypoxic conditions in this study, oxidative phosphorylation was found to be down-regulated with increasing altitude, which is uncommon in studies on bumblebee adaptation to high altitudes.
Pontania dolichura is a leaf-eating pest that mainly damages willow trees and is widely distributed in northern regions. In this study, we sequenced the entire mitochondrial genome of P. dolichura (GenBank accession number: MZ726800). The circular gene was 16,104 bp in length and comprised 38 column elements, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a non-coding control region. Most of the PCGs of P. dolichura have typical ATN (Met) start codons and typical TAN stop codons. The A + T contents of the genome, PCGs, transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) were 80.32%, 78.66%, 81.94%, and 82.59%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis supported the close genetic relationship between P. dolichura and Mesoneura rufonota indicating that the two species share more recent common ancestor gene. These data will be useful for further molecular identification and population genetics studies.
In this study, based on high-throughput sequencing technology, the biodiversity and the community structure of microbiota in different GIT segments (the stomach, small intestine, cecum and rectum) of plateau zokors and Gansu zokors were studied and compared. A source tracking analysis for the microbial communities of different GIT segments was carried out using the fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking (FEAST) method. We found that, for both species, the microbial community richness and diversity of the small intestine were almost the lowest while those of the cecum were the highest among the four segments of the GIT. Beta diversity analyses revealed that the bacterial community structures of different GIT segments were significantly different. As for the comparison between species, the bacterial community compositions of the whole GIT, as well as for each segment, were all significantly different. Source tracking conducted on both zokors indicated that the soil has little effect on the bacterial community of the GIT. A fairly high percentage of rectum source for the bacterial community of the stomach indicated that both zokors may engage in coprophagy.
Wild-caught animals must cope with drastic lifestyle and dietary changes after being induced to captivity. How the gut microbiome structure of these animals will change in response receives increasing attention. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a typic subterranean rodent endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, spends almost the whole life underground and is well adapted to the environmental pressures of both plateau and underground. However, how the gut microbiome of the plateau zokor will change in response to captivity has not been reported to date. This study compared the microbial community structure and functions of 22 plateau zokors before (the WS group) and after being kept in captivity for 15 days (the LS group, fed on carrots) using the 16S rRNA gene via high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the LS group retained 973 of the 977 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the WS group, and no new OTUs were found in the LS group. The dominant bacterial phyla were Bacteroides and Firmicutes in both groups. In alpha diversity analysis, the Shannon, Sobs, and ACE indexes of the LS group were significantly lower than those of the WS group. A remarkable difference (P < 0.01) between groups was also detected in beta diversity analysis. The UPGMA clustering, NMDS, PCoA, and Anosim results all showed that the intergroup difference was significantly greater than the intragroup difference. And compared with the WS group, the intragroup difference of the gut microbiota in the LS group was much larger, which failed to support the assumption that similar diets should drive convergence of gut microbial communities. PICRUSt revealed that although some functional categories displayed significant differences between groups, the relative abundances of these categories were very close in both groups. Based on all the results, we conclude that as plateau zokors enter captivity for a short time, although the relative abundances of different gut microbiota categories shifted significantly, they can maintain almost all the OTUs and the functions of the gut microbiota in the wild. So, the use of wild-caught plateau zokors in gut microbial studies is acceptable if the time in captivity is short.
Polyphylla gracilicornis is one of the important underground pest species that damage agricultural and forestry plants and often requires chemical control during outbreak. Here, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of P. gracilicornis (GenBank accession no. MW143080) using Illumina NovaSe Sequencing System with a read length of 150 bp. The complete mitogenome consists of a 16,793 bp circular DNA molecule and the overall base composition was 36.97% A, 31.95% T, 10.41% G and 20.67% C. The full mitochondrial genome contains 38 sequence elements: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and a putative control region (CR). All protein-coding genes of P. gracilicornis have the typical ATN (Met) start codons and typical TAN stop codons. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. gracilicornis clustered into a clade with homologous species with high bootstrap support.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Eristalia cerealis was sequenced and reported here. The circle genome of the syrphid fly is 15,348 bp in length. There are 38 sequence elements including 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. The order of all elements was the same with that of E. tenax. With 2 species from Muscidae and Drosophilidae as outgroups, phylogenetic relationships of 10 Syrphidae species based on mitogenomes were in complete agreement with their taxonomic relationships based on morphological characteristics. Our result will provide more fundamental data to the development of the molecular systematics of Syrphidae.
Stellera chamaejasme L. f. chrysantha S. C. Huang is a toxic perennial herb of Thymelaeaceae and has the potential for medicine as Stellera chamaejasme L. Here, we present the complete chloroplast genome sequence of S. chamaejasme f. chrysantha based on Illumina sequencing data. The complete chloroplast genome sequence is 173,364 bp in size and contains four subregions: a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, each for 41,978 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC, 86,558 bp), and a small single-copy region (SSC, 2,850 bp). 141 genes were recognized in the assembled sequence: 93 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 38 tRNAs, 8 rRNAs, and 2 pseudo genes. The phylogenetic analysis result strongly supported that Stellera chamaejasme f. chrysantha was closely related to S. chamaejasme L.
Geographical barriers and distance can reduce gene exchange among animals, resulting in genetic divergence of geographically isolated populations. The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) has a geographical range of approximately 1600 km across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which comprises a series of tall mountains and big rivers. However, previous studies indicate that there is little genetic differentiation among their geographically delineated populations. To better understand the genetic structure of P. hodgsonii populations, we collected 145 samples from the 3 major calving regions, taking into consideration their various calving grounds and migration routes. We used a combination of mitochondrial sequences (Cyt b, ATPase, D-loop and COX I) to investigate the genetic structure and the evolutionary divergence of the populations. Significant, albeit weak, genetic differentiation was detected among the 3 geographical populations. Analysis of the genetic divergence process revealed that the animals gradually entered a period of rapid genetic differentiation approximately 60 000 years ago. The calving migration of P. hodgsonii cannot be the main cause of their weak genetic structure because this cannot fully homogenize the genetic pool. Instead, the geological and climatic events as well as the coupling vegetation succession process during this period have been suggested to greatly contribute to the genetic structure and the expansion of genetic diversity.
Animal Migration , Antelopes/genetics , Antelopes/physiology , Climate Change , Animals , DNA/genetics , Female , Genetic Variation , Parturition , Phylogeny , Pregnancy , Tibet
Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinners is a popular cut flower due to its beautiful morphological characteristics and extended vase life. Here, the complete plastome sequence of E. grandiflorum was reported based on the Illumina HiSeq Platform. The plastome sequence is 154,230 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure, containing a pair of inverted repeated (IR) regions (25,755 bp) that are separated by a large single copy (LSC) region of 84,297 bp, and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,423 bp. A total of 130 functional genes were annotated, including 84 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The complete plastome sequence of E. grandiflorum will provide a valuable resource for its garden utilization and the phylogenetic studies of Gentianaceae.
Sesia siningensis is an important trunk borer of poplar and is widely distributed in China. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of S. siningensis was sequenced. The circle genome of the clearwing moth is 15,454 bp in length. There are 38 sequence elements including 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. The order of most elements was consistent with that of Chilo suppressalis, with the exception of one tRNA gene. As the first reported mitochondrial genome in the Sesiidae family, it will provide useful information to the development and application of better markers and primers in the molecular taxonomy of this family.
The primary host of plague in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), China, is Marmota himalayana, which plays an essential role in the maintenance, transmission, and prevalence of plague. To achieve a more clear insight into the differentiation of M. himalayana, complete cytochrome b (cyt b) gene and 11 microsatellite loci were analyzed for a total of 423 individuals from 43 localities in the northeast of the QTP. Phylogenetic analyses with maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods showed that all derived haplotypes diverged into two primary well-supported monophyletic lineages, I and II, which corresponded to the referential sequences of two recognized subspecies, M. h. himalayana and M. h. robusta, respectively. The divergence between the two lineages was estimated to be at about 1.03 million years ago, nearly synchronously with the divergence between M. baibacina and M. kastschenkoi and much earlier than that between M. vancouverensis and M. caligata. Genetic structure analyses based on the microsatellite dataset detected significant admixture between the two lineages in the mixed region, which verified the intraspecies level of the differentiation between the two lineages. Our results for the first time demonstrated the coexistence of M. h. himalayana and M. h. robusta, and also, determined the distribution range of the two subspecies in the northeast of QTP. We provided fundamental information for more effective plague control in the QTP.
Plague/transmission , Animals , Bayes Theorem , Marmota , Microsatellite Repeats/genetics , Phylogeny , Plague/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Tibet
