A biogeographic framework of octopod species diversification: the role of the Isthmus of Panama

The uplift of the Isthmus of Panama (IP) created a land bridge between Central and South America and caused the separation of the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans, resulting in profound changes in the environmental and oceanographic conditions. To evaluate how these changes have influenced speciation processes in octopods, fragments of two mitochondrial (Cytochrome oxidase subunit I, COI and 16S rDNA) and two nuclear (Rhodopsin and Elongation Factor-1 alpha, EF-1 alpha) genes were amplified from samples from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. One biogeographical and four fossil calibration priors were used within a relaxed Bayesian phylogenetic analysis framework to estimate divergence times among dadogenic events. Reconstruction of the ancestral states in phylogenies was used to infer historical biogeography of the lineages and species dispersal routes. The results revealed three well-supported Glades of transisthmian octopus sister species pair/complex (TSSP/TSSC) and two additional clades showing a low probability of species diversification, having been influenced by the IP. Divergence times estimated in the present study revealed that octopod TSSP/TSSC from the Atlantic and Pacific diverged between the Middle Miocene and Early Pliocene (mean range = 5-18 Ma). Given that oceanographic changes caused by the uplift of the IP were so strong as to affect the global climate, we suggest that octopod TSSP/TSSC diverged because of these physical and environmental barriers, even before the complete uplift of the IP 3 Ma, proposed by the Late Pliocene model. The results obtained in this phylogenetic reconstruction also indicate that the octopus species pairs in each ocean share a recent common ancestor from the Pacific Ocean

Geographic variability of Octopus insularis diet: from oceanic island to continental populations

Sherpa Romeo green journal. Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) applies.A predator’s choice of prey can be affected by many factors. We evaluated various influences on population dietary composition, individual specialization and size of prey in Octopus insularis populations from 2 continental and 4 insular locations. We expected that habitat diversity would lead to diet heterogeneity. Furthermore, in keeping with MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, we expected that diet diversity would be lower around islands than on the coast of the mainland. Both predictions were confirmed when prey remains from octopus middens were examined. The 2 continental areas exhibited a richer habitat diversity and a wider variety of prey. Niche widths in the continental areas were 2.42 and 2.03, with the lowest niche widths exhibited by the population from the most distant oceanic islands (1.30, 0.85). We found variation in the proportion of specialist relative to generalist individuals across areas based on the proportional similarity index. The correlation between habitat diversity and niche width (R2 = 0.84) was highly significant, as was distance from the continental shelf and niche width (R2 = 0.89). This study reaffirms the central position of octopuses in the nearshore benthic ecosystem, and supports MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) prediction of a lower diversity of species on islands—which applies not only to the species themselves, but also indirectly for the diet of their predators.Ye

Functional Consequences of Necdin Nucleocytoplasmic Localization

Background: Necdin, a MAGE family protein expressed primarily in the nervous system, has been shown to interact with both nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, but the mechanism of its nucleocytoplasmic transport are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: We carried out a large-scale interaction screen using necdin as a bait in the yeast RRS system, and found a wide range of potential interactors with different subcellular localizations, including over 60 new candidates for direct binding to necdin. Integration of these interactions into a comprehensive network revealed a number of coherent interaction modules, including a cytoplasmic module connecting to necdin through huntingtin-associated protein 1 (Hap1), dynactin and hip-1 protein interactor (Hippi); a nuclear P53 and Creb-binding-protein (Crebbp) module, connecting through Crebbp and WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1 (Wwtr1); and a nucleocytoplasmic transport module, connecting through transportins 1 and 2. We validated the necdin-transportin1 interaction and characterized a sequence motif in necdin that modulates karyopherin interaction. Surprisingly, a D234P necdin mutant showed enhanced binding to both transportin1 and importin b1. Finally, exclusion of necdin from the nucleus triggered extensive cell death. Conclusions/Significance: These data suggest that necdin has multiple roles within protein complexes in different subcellular compartments, and indicate that it can utilize multiple karyopherin-dependent pathways to modulate its localization