Brown Trout Show Parallel Genetic Adaptation to Mining Pollution Across British Rivers
A genomic study of brown trout populations in metal-polluted British rivers reveals parallel evolutionary adaptations to mining contamination, with multiple populations independently developing similar genetic changes. Researchers identified a key 0.5 megabase region on chromosome 25 containing genes linked to osmoregulation and developmental functions that are disrupted by metals. The findings demonstrate how wild fish populations can rapidly adapt to anthropogenic pollution through both shared and population-specific genetic pathways.
Using low-coverage whole genome resequencing, researchers analyzed paired metal-polluted and non-polluted brown trout populations across the British Isles to identify adaptive mechanisms enabling survival in contaminated environments. Metal-impacted populations showed reduced genetic diversity and increased genomic divergence from control populations. A candidate region on chromosome 25 demonstrated strong parallel adaptation across multiple population comparisons, even among populations experiencing different water chemistries, containing genes for estrogen receptor (esr2b) and a potassium-gated ion channel (kcnh5b)—both known to regulate functions disrupted by metal exposure. Beyond this shared region, population-specific candidate loci were identified, though these repeatedly converged on similar gene families and functional pathways. The study reveals that rapid adaptation to pollution involves both convergent evolutionary responses across populations and unique population-specific solutions.
What's missing
The study does not specify which metals are present in the polluted rivers studied, the timeframe over which these adaptations occurred, or whether the identified genetic changes confer fitness advantages in polluted environments versus potential trade-offs in non-polluted conditions. The functional consequences of the identified genetic variants remain to be experimentally validated.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Forging together: Parallel adaptation to minewater pollution in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.).
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