Convergent evolution of conserved mitochondrial pathways underlies repeated adaptation to extreme environments.

ABSTRACT: Extreme environments test the limits of life; yet, some organisms thrive in harsh conditions. Extremophile lineages inspire questions about how organisms can tolerate physiochemical stressors and whether the repeated colonization of extreme environments is facilitated by predictable and repeatable evolutionary innovations. We identified the mechanistic basis underlying convergent evolution of tolerance to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)-a toxicant that impairs mitochondrial function-across evolutionarily independent lineages of a fish (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae) from H₂S-rich springs. Using comparative biochemical and physiological analyses, we found that mitochondrial function is maintained in the presence of H₂S in sulfide spring P. mexicana but

SUBMITTER: Greenway R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7368198 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature