Convergent and divergent patterns of holobiont evolution in co-distributed chemosynthetic symbioses
- 1University of Rhode Island
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in microbial symbioses is shaped by a variety of ecological and evolutionary processes. In geographically separated populations, divergence in genomic traits is expected due to dispersal barriers and habitat differentiation, whereas sympatric populations might exhibit functional convergence to the characteristics of a shared environment. While these two processes have been well documented in many animal and plant species, they remain understudied in symbiotic systems. Here, we examined these processes in Atlantic cold seep mussel species that associate with environmentally acquired methane and/or sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Using genomic methods, we reveal an eco-geographical barrier between the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico that influences the distribution of symbiont species and the level of divergence between holobiont populations. While host populations were only slightly differentiated across this divide, symbiont populations were structured both between and within regions. The sulfur-oxidizing symbionts contained different regional types of dissimilatory nitrate reductase, possibly due to variation in oxygen availability. The methane-oxidizing symbionts showed evidence for convergent evolution, such as retention of a secondary, iron-dependent methane monooxygenase in Western Atlantic populations, driven by local copper limitation. These findings advance our understanding of divergent and convergent adaptive mechanisms underlying intraspecific host-symbiont variation in horizontally transmitted symbioses.
Related
- Convergent evolution of longevity reveals divergent genomic mechanisms in small and large mammals
- Evolution, multifunctionality, and agricultural potential of insect microbiomes and the holobiont concept
- Divergent interfaces and convergent outcome in the structural basis of HIV-2 Vif antagonism of APOBEC3H
- Convergent activity but divergent anxiety dimensions in male and female C57BL/6 mice across the open field and elevated plus maze
- Convergent evolution of dogs and humans: a promising new model system for human social behaviors and mental health.
BibTeX
@misc{breusing2026convergent,
title = {{Convergent and divergent patterns of holobiont evolution in co-distributed chemosynthetic symbioses}},
author = {C. Breusing and C. Q. Plowman and S. M. Arellano and A. J. Davies and B. T. Phillips and C. M. Young},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.01.753749},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.01.753749v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Convergent and divergent patterns of holobiont evolution in co-distributed chemosynthetic symbioses
AU - C. Breusing
AU - C. Q. Plowman
AU - S. M. Arellano
AU - A. J. Davies
AU - B. T. Phillips
AU - C. M. Young
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.01.753749
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.01.753749v1
AB - Intraspecific variation in microbial symbioses is shaped by a variety of ecological and evolutionary processes. In geographically separated populations, divergence in genomic traits is expected due to dispersal barriers and habitat differentiation, whereas sympatric populations might exhibit functional convergence to the characteristics of a shared environment. While these two processes have been well documented in many animal and plant species, they remain understudied in symbiotic systems. Here, we examined these processes in Atlantic cold seep mussel species that associate with environmentally acquired methane and/or sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Using genomic methods, we reveal an eco-geographical barrier between the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico that influences the distribution of symbiont species and the level of divergence between holobiont populations. While host populations were only slightly differentiated across this divide, symbiont populations were structured both between and within regions. The sulfur-oxidizing symbionts contained different regional types of dissimilatory nitrate reductase, possibly due to variation in oxygen availability. The methane-oxidizing symbionts showed evidence for convergent evolution, such as retention of a secondary, iron-dependent methane monooxygenase in Western Atlantic populations, driven by local copper limitation. These findings advance our understanding of divergent and convergent adaptive mechanisms underlying intraspecific host-symbiont variation in horizontally transmitted symbioses.
ER -