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SUMMARY:The Role of Mitochondria in Plasticity and Adaptation to Environmen
 tal Change
LOCATION:Biology Auditorium 136
TZID:America/Denver
DTSTART:20170201T000000
UID:2026-05-13-06-25-41@natsci.colostate.edu
DTSTAMP:20260513T062541
Description:Animals are profoundly dependent on aerobic ATP generation by m
 itochondria\, and thus the functional properties of this key cellular orga
 nelle play an important role in determining organismal performance and fit
 ness in the context of a changing environment. In addition\, because of th
 e endosymbiotic origin of the mitochondrion\, any adjustments to mitochond
 rial function necessarily involve tight coordination between both the nucl
 ear and mitochondrial genomes.  Across evolutionary timescales\, coadapta
 tion of these interacting gene products is essential for organism function
 \, and differentiation in mitochondrial genes has been suggested to be an 
 important cause of hybrid incompatibility between closely related taxa. In
  this talk\, I will explore some of these issues using examples from my gr
 oup’s work on the Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus).  This spe
 cies is found in marshes in estuaries along the Atlantic coast from southe
 rn Canada to Northern Florida. These habitats are highly variable in tempe
 rature\, oxygenation level and salinity across tidal and seasonal cycles\,
  and these fish have both high tolerance of variation in these parameters 
 and exhibit substantial phenotypic plasticity. In addition\, there is a st
 eep thermal gradient along the Atlantic coast\, and killifish populations 
 have undergone local adaptation such that northern and southern population
 s form genetically distinct groups that differ in thermal tolerance\, hypo
 xia tolerance and metabolic rate. We have examined mitochondrial performan
 ce and plasticity in northern and southern killifish and have shown that t
 here are clear differences in mitochondrial performance and oxygen binding
  capacity. Both populations also exhibit substantial plasticity in mitocho
 ndrial function that is associated with changes in mitochondrial membrane 
 lipids.  We also detect evidence of hybrid incompatibility between killif
 ish subspecies\, and are currently examining the role of mito-nuclear inte
 ractions in this process. Taken together\, these data strongly suggest tha
 t mitochondrial processes are a major determinant of adaptive variation an
 d plasticity in aerobic performance\, thermal tolerance\, and hypoxia tole
 rance in this species. 4:00 pm
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