Journal Article

Population transcriptogenomics highlights impaired metabolism and small population sizes in tree frogs living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Car, Clément, Audebert, Stéphane, Armengaud, Jean, Gilles, André, Tenenhaus, Arthur, Muller, Marie-Laure Delignette, Camoin, Luc, Garali, Imène, Armant, Olivier, Burraco, Pablo, Frelon, Sandrine, Bonzom, Jean-Marc, Granjeaud, Samuel, Baudelet, Emilie, Orizaola, Germán, Goujon, Elen

2023

Overview

Background Individual functional modifications shape the ability of wildlife populations to cope with anthropogenic environmental changes. But instead of adaptive response, human-altered environments can generate a succession of deleterious functional changes leading to the extinction of the population. To study how persistent anthropogenic changes impacted local species’ population status, we characterised population structure, genetic diversity and individual response of gene expression in the tree frog Hyla orientalis along a gradient of radioactive contamination around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Results We detected lower effective population size in populations most exposed to ionizing radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone that is not compensated by migrations from surrounding areas. We also highlighted a decreased body condition of frogs living in the most contaminated area, a distinctive transcriptomics signature and stop-gained mutations in genes involved in energy metabolism. While the association with dose will remain correlational until further experiments, a body of evidence suggests the direct or indirect involvement of radiation exposure in these changes. Conclusions Despite ongoing migration and lower total dose rates absorbed than at the time of the accident, our results demonstrate that Hyla orientalis specimens living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are still undergoing deleterious changes, emphasizing the long-term impacts of the nuclear disaster.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Amphibian / Amphibians / Analysis / Animal genetics / Animals / Animals, Wild / Anthropogenic factors / Anura - genetics / Biochemistry, Molecular Biology / Biodiversity and Ecology / Biological diversity / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Chernobyl Nuclear Accident / Chronic exposure / Climate change / Diseases / Energy metabolism / Environmental changes / Environmental Sciences / Evolution & development / Exclusion zones / Extinction (Biology) / Frogs / Gene expression / Genetic aspects / Genetic diversity / Genetics / Genomics / Growth / Human influences / Humans / Hyla / Ionizing radiation / Life Sciences / Man made disasters / Modelling / Nuclear accidents & safety / Nuclear energy / Nuclear power plants / Physiological aspects / Pollutants / Pollution / Population / Population Density / Population genetics / Population number / Population status / Population structure / Population studies / Populations / Radiation / Radiation effects / Radiation, Ionizing / Radioactive contamination / Radioactive pollution / Research Article / Single nucleotide polymorphisms / SNP / Species extinction / Transcriptomics / Wildlife