High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator

Iva Popovic*, Lucie A. Bergeron, Yves Marie Bozec, Ann Marie Waldvogel, Samantha M. Howitt, Katarina Damjanovic, Frances Patel, Maria G. Cabrera, Gert Wörheide, Sven Uthicke, Cynthia Riginos

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

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Abstract

Lewontin’s paradox, the observation that levels of genetic diversity (π) do not scale linearly with census population size (Nc) variation, is an evolutionary conundrum. The most extreme mismatches between π and Nc are found for highly abundant marine invertebrates. Yet, the influences of new mutations on π relative to extrinsic processes such as Nc fluctuations are unknown. Here, we provide the first germline mutation rate (μ) estimate for a marine invertebrate in corallivorous crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster cf. solaris). We use high-coverage whole-genome sequencing of 14 parent-offspring trios alongside empirical estimates of Nc in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to jointly examine the determinants of π in populations undergoing extreme Nc fluctuations. The A. cf. solaris mean μ was 9.13 x 10−09 mutations per-site per-generation (95% CI: 6.51 x 10−09 to 1.18 x 10−08), exceeding estimates for other invertebrates and showing greater concordance with vertebrate mutation rates. Lower-than-expected Ne (~70,000–180,000) and low Ne/Nc values (0.0047–0.048) indicated weak influences of population outbreaks on long-term π. Our findings are consistent with elevated μ evolving in response to reduced Ne and generation time length, with important implications for explaining high mutational loads and the determinants of genetic diversity in marine invertebrate taxa.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummere1011129
TidsskriftPLOS Genetics
Vol/bind20
Udgave nummer2
Antal sider22
ISSN1553-7390
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Popovic et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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