Bringing Disciplines and People Together to Characterize the Plastic and Genetic Responses of Molluscs to Environmental Change

Abstract

Molluscs are remarkably diverse and are found across nearly all ecosystems, meaning that members of this ancient animal phylum provide a powerful means to study genomic-phenotype connections in a climate change framework. Recent advances in genomic sequencing technologies and genome assembly approaches finally allow the relatively cheap and tractable assembly of high-quality mollusc genome resources. After a brief review of these issues and advances, we use a case-study approach to provide some concrete examples of phenotypic plasticity and genomic adaptation in molluscs in response to environmental factors expected to be influenced by climate change. Our goal is to use molluscs as a “common currency” to demonstrate how organismal and evolutionary biologists can use natural systems to make phenotype-genotype connections in the context of changing environments. In parallel, we emphasize the critical need to collaborate and integrate findings across taxa and disciplines in order to use new data and information to advance our understanding of mollusc biology in the context of global environmental change. We end with a brief synthetic summary of the papers inspired by the 2021 SICB Symposium “Genomic Perspectives in Comparative Physiology of Molluscs: Integration across Disciplines”.

Distribution of genetic diversity of neotropical Biomphalaria (Preston 1910) (Basommatophora: Planorbidae) intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis in Southeast Brazil

“…It would be worth considering the adaptability of snails to specific ecological and environmental factors as a possible explanation for their containment in the MP region. The low genetic diversity associated with mitochondrial genes would also hypothetically be an important factor, since, snails can alter their oxidative systems to decrease their plasticity tolerance under stressors and environmental changes (56,57).…”

Diversity of planktonic gastropods from western Baja California Peninsula assessed by 18S rDNA sequences

“…In any case, efforts should be devoted to increase the number of gastropod 18S rDNA sequences and other genes in the databases and to promote frequent survey campaigns to detect previously undescribed species in this region. This is particularly relevant because mollusks are gaining attention within climate change research, not only to study phenotypic plasticity and genetic variation (Matoo & Neiman, 2021), but also because of their utility to act as indicators of climatic variability (Molina-González et al, 2018). Also, eDNA metabarcoding, which can be used to detect diverse ecological phenomena such as potential species invasions (e.g., Mychek-Londer et al, 2020), requires solid supporting information.…”

Mollusks from Arctic Region at the National Museum of Natural Sciences Collections (MNCN-CSIC, Madrid, Spain)

“…Mollusca is one of the most diverse groups of animals and the second largest animal phylum after the Arthropoda. Estimates of all living mollusks range from near 50,000 to 200,000 species (Chapman 2009; Groombridge and Jenkins 2002; Matoo and Neiman 2021; Rosenberg 2014). Besides their diversity in body form, mollusks also exhibit a wide range of physiological, behavioral, and ecological adaptations, and they have evolved very diverse lifestyles enabling them to live in almost every habitat (marine, terrestrial, and freshwater) except free flying in the atmosphere.…”