loading page

Toll-like receptor polymorphism in fan mussels: does the resistance of Pinna nobilis to Haplosporidium pinnae only depends on its hybridization with Pinna rudis?
  • +11
  • Stéphane Coupé,
  • Jean-Marc Prévot,
  • Ioannis Giantsis,
  • Fabio Scarpa,
  • Maite Vázquez Luis,
  • Mathieu Foulquié,
  • Marco Casu,
  • Athanasios Lattos,
  • Basile Michaelidis,
  • Daria Sanna,
  • Jose rafael Garcia March,
  • JOSE TENA-MEDIALDEA,
  • Nardo Vicente,
  • Robert Bunet
Stéphane Coupé
Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography

Corresponding Author:stephane.coupe@univ-tln.fr

Author Profile
Jean-Marc Prévot
Université de Toulon - Campus de La Garde
Author Profile
Ioannis Giantsis
University of Western Macedonia
Author Profile
Fabio Scarpa
University of Sassari
Author Profile
Maite Vázquez Luis
Instituto Español de Oceanografía Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears
Author Profile
Mathieu Foulquié
Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography
Author Profile
Marco Casu
University of Sassari
Author Profile
Athanasios Lattos
University of Western Macedonia
Author Profile
Basile Michaelidis
University of Western Macedonia
Author Profile
Daria Sanna
University of Sassari
Author Profile
Jose rafael Garcia March
Universidad Catolica de Valencia San Vicente Martir
Author Profile
JOSE TENA-MEDIALDEA
Universidad Catolica de Valencia San Vicente Martir
Author Profile
Nardo Vicente
IMBE
Author Profile
Robert Bunet
Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard
Author Profile

Abstract

The fan mussel Pinna nobilis is currently on the brink of extinction due to a multifactorial disease mainly caused to the highly pathogenic parasite Haplosporidium pinnae, meaning that the selection pressure outweighs the adaptive potential of the species. Hopefully, rare specimens have been observed somehow resistant to the parasite, stretching the need to identify the traits underlying this better fitness. Among the candidate to explore at first intention are fast evolving immune genes, of which toll-like receptor (TLR). In this study, we examined the genetic diversity at 14 TLR loci across Pinna nobilis, Pinna rudis and Pinna nobilis x Pinna rudis hybrid genomes, collected at four physically distant regions, that were found to be either resistant or sensitive to the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae. We report a high genetic diversity, mainly observed at cell surface TLRs compared to that of endosomal TLRs. However, the TLR-7 and TLR-1 exhibited unexpected level of diversity and haplotype phylogeny, respectively. The lack of population structure, associated with a high genetic diversity and elevated dN/dS ratio were interpreted as balancing selection, though both directional and purifying selection were detected. Overall, we observed small contributions of putatively selected SNPs involved in the resistance. However, the most contributing SNPs were carried by two TLR-6 loci and might be used as potent biomarkers of distinguish between resistant and sensitive P. nobilis individuals. Moreover, more than 10% of P. nobilis individuals were found introgressed with P. rudis. Noteworthy, all introgressed P. nobilis observed as resistant to H. pinnae carried a TLR-7 of P. rudis origin. This study contributes to the ongoing efforts towards conservation carried out to prevent from extinction this Mediterranean endemic species.
23 Nov 2022Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
26 Nov 2022Assigned to Editor
26 Nov 2022Submission Checks Completed
29 Nov 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned