Population differentiation and genetic variation in host choice among pea aphids from eight host plant genera

Julia Ferrari; H. Charles J. Godfray; Adam S. Faulconbridge; Kim Prior; Sara Via

Population differentiation and genetic variation in host choice among pea aphids from eight host plant genera

Julia Ferrari, H. Charles J. Godfray, Adam S. Faulconbridge, Kim Prior, Sara Via

Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Habitat choice plays a critical role in the processes of host range evolution, specialization, and ecological speciation. Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, populations from alfalfa and red clover in eastern North America are known to be genetically differentiated and show genetic preferences for the appropriate host plant. This species feeds on many more hosts, and here we report a study of the genetic variation in host plant preference within and between pea aphid populations collected from eight genera of host plants in southeastern England. Most host-associated populations show a strong, genetically based preference for the host plant from which they were collected. Only in one case (populations from Vicia and Trifolium) was there little difference in the plant preference spectrum between populations. All populations showed a significant secondary preference for the plant on which all the aphid lines were reared: broad bean, Vicia faba, previously suggested to be a "universal host" for pea aphids. Of the total genetic variance in host preference within our sample, 61% could be attributed to preference for the collection host plant and a further 9% to systematic differences in secondary preferences with the residual representing within-population genetic variation between clones. We discuss how a combination of host plant preference and mating on the host plant may promote local adaptation and possibly ecological speciation, and whether a widely accepted host could oppose speciation by mediating gene flow between different populations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1574-1584
Number of pages	11
Journal	Evolution: international journal of organic evolution
Volume	60
Issue number	8
Publication status	Published - Aug 2006

Keywords

Acyrthosiphon pisum
assortative mating
ecological speciation
evolution of specialization
habitat choice
host preference
pea aphid
REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION
SYMPATRIC SPECIATION
ACYRTHOSIPHON-PISUM
ECOLOGICAL SPECIALIZATION
RACE FORMATION
OVIPOSITION PREFERENCE
EUROSTA-SOLIDAGINIS
ALSOPHILA-POMETARIA
ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE
BEHAVIORAL EVIDENCE

Cite this

@article{0ca899391b724102bb3d7134cd4562e5,

title = "Population differentiation and genetic variation in host choice among pea aphids from eight host plant genera",

abstract = "Habitat choice plays a critical role in the processes of host range evolution, specialization, and ecological speciation. Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, populations from alfalfa and red clover in eastern North America are known to be genetically differentiated and show genetic preferences for the appropriate host plant. This species feeds on many more hosts, and here we report a study of the genetic variation in host plant preference within and between pea aphid populations collected from eight genera of host plants in southeastern England. Most host-associated populations show a strong, genetically based preference for the host plant from which they were collected. Only in one case (populations from Vicia and Trifolium) was there little difference in the plant preference spectrum between populations. All populations showed a significant secondary preference for the plant on which all the aphid lines were reared: broad bean, Vicia faba, previously suggested to be a {"}universal host{"} for pea aphids. Of the total genetic variance in host preference within our sample, 61% could be attributed to preference for the collection host plant and a further 9% to systematic differences in secondary preferences with the residual representing within-population genetic variation between clones. We discuss how a combination of host plant preference and mating on the host plant may promote local adaptation and possibly ecological speciation, and whether a widely accepted host could oppose speciation by mediating gene flow between different populations.",

keywords = "Acyrthosiphon pisum, assortative mating, ecological speciation, evolution of specialization, habitat choice, host preference, pea aphid, REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION, SYMPATRIC SPECIATION, ACYRTHOSIPHON-PISUM, ECOLOGICAL SPECIALIZATION, RACE FORMATION, OVIPOSITION PREFERENCE, EUROSTA-SOLIDAGINIS, ALSOPHILA-POMETARIA, ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE, BEHAVIORAL EVIDENCE",

author = "Julia Ferrari and Godfray, {H. Charles J.} and Faulconbridge, {Adam S.} and Kim Prior and Sara Via",

year = "2006",

month = aug,

language = "English",

volume = "60",

pages = "1574--1584",

journal = "Evolution: international journal of organic evolution",

issn = "0014-3820",

publisher = "Society for the Study of Evolution",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Population differentiation and genetic variation in host choice among pea aphids from eight host plant genera

AU - Ferrari, Julia

AU - Godfray, H. Charles J.

AU - Faulconbridge, Adam S.

AU - Prior, Kim

AU - Via, Sara

PY - 2006/8

Y1 - 2006/8

N2 - Habitat choice plays a critical role in the processes of host range evolution, specialization, and ecological speciation. Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, populations from alfalfa and red clover in eastern North America are known to be genetically differentiated and show genetic preferences for the appropriate host plant. This species feeds on many more hosts, and here we report a study of the genetic variation in host plant preference within and between pea aphid populations collected from eight genera of host plants in southeastern England. Most host-associated populations show a strong, genetically based preference for the host plant from which they were collected. Only in one case (populations from Vicia and Trifolium) was there little difference in the plant preference spectrum between populations. All populations showed a significant secondary preference for the plant on which all the aphid lines were reared: broad bean, Vicia faba, previously suggested to be a "universal host" for pea aphids. Of the total genetic variance in host preference within our sample, 61% could be attributed to preference for the collection host plant and a further 9% to systematic differences in secondary preferences with the residual representing within-population genetic variation between clones. We discuss how a combination of host plant preference and mating on the host plant may promote local adaptation and possibly ecological speciation, and whether a widely accepted host could oppose speciation by mediating gene flow between different populations.

AB - Habitat choice plays a critical role in the processes of host range evolution, specialization, and ecological speciation. Pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, populations from alfalfa and red clover in eastern North America are known to be genetically differentiated and show genetic preferences for the appropriate host plant. This species feeds on many more hosts, and here we report a study of the genetic variation in host plant preference within and between pea aphid populations collected from eight genera of host plants in southeastern England. Most host-associated populations show a strong, genetically based preference for the host plant from which they were collected. Only in one case (populations from Vicia and Trifolium) was there little difference in the plant preference spectrum between populations. All populations showed a significant secondary preference for the plant on which all the aphid lines were reared: broad bean, Vicia faba, previously suggested to be a "universal host" for pea aphids. Of the total genetic variance in host preference within our sample, 61% could be attributed to preference for the collection host plant and a further 9% to systematic differences in secondary preferences with the residual representing within-population genetic variation between clones. We discuss how a combination of host plant preference and mating on the host plant may promote local adaptation and possibly ecological speciation, and whether a widely accepted host could oppose speciation by mediating gene flow between different populations.

KW - Acyrthosiphon pisum

KW - assortative mating

KW - ecological speciation

KW - evolution of specialization

KW - habitat choice

KW - host preference

KW - pea aphid

KW - REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION

KW - SYMPATRIC SPECIATION

KW - ACYRTHOSIPHON-PISUM

KW - ECOLOGICAL SPECIALIZATION

KW - RACE FORMATION

KW - OVIPOSITION PREFERENCE

KW - EUROSTA-SOLIDAGINIS

KW - ALSOPHILA-POMETARIA

KW - ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE

KW - BEHAVIORAL EVIDENCE

M3 - Article

VL - 60

SP - 1574

EP - 1584

JO - Evolution: international journal of organic evolution

JF - Evolution: international journal of organic evolution

SN - 0014-3820

IS - 8

ER -