Project description:To explore the adaptive mechanisms and molecular basis of body color polymorphism in Rana dybowskii, we conducted body color plasticity experiments, color plate preference behavioral experiments, COI gene-based phylogenetic analysis, and multi-tissue transcriptome sequencing on red, black, and white body color morphs. The results showed that R. dybowskii exhibited significant background-dependent body color plasticity, with rapid darkening or lightening in response to black/white background stimulation. Behavioral experiments revealed that all three morphs displayed a significant active preference for black-colored environments (P<0.05), but contrary to the initial hypothesis, none showed a preference for the environment matching its own body color. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genetic distances of black and red morphs from the reference R. dybowskii sequence fell within the range of intraspecific variation, while the white morph showed some genetic differentiation; however, the overall degree of genetic differentiation was limited. Following stringent transcriptome screening (CV<0.8), only a small number of differentially expressed genes were retained. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of these filtered genes revealed significant enrichment of specific pathways in pairwise comparisons, showing tissue-specific and inter-group differences. This study reveals the complexity of body color polymorphism in R. dybowskii across phenotypic, behavioral, genetic, and molecular levels, though the specific ecological and physiological roles of the three color morphs remain to be elucidated.
