Light environments critically impact species that rely on vision to survive and reproduce. Animal visual systems must accommodate changes in light that occur from minutes to years, yet we do not know how they respond to divergent spectral changes over longer time scales. Here we used a laboratory experiment where replicate guppy populations were kept different light environments for up to 8-12 generations to explore possible differences in the expression levels of nine guppy opsin genes. Previous evidence for opsin expression-light environment ‘tuning’ has been either correlative or focused exclusively on the relationship between the light environment and opsin expression over one or two generations. In our multi-generation experiment, the relative expression levels of nine different opsin genes responded differently to light environment changes: some did not respond, while others differed due to phenotypic plasticity. Moreover for LWS-1 we found that, while we observed a wide range of plastic responses under different light conditions, common plastic responses occurred only after multigenerational exposure to different light environments. Taken together this suggests that opsin expression plasticity plays an important role in light environment ‘tuning’ in different light environments and, in turn, has important implications for both visual system function and evolution.
Guppy digital PCR concentrations
This file contains the absolute quantification values for four Poecila reticulata transcripts that accompanies: Kranz, A. M., Forgan L. G., Cole G. L., Endler, J. A. 2018. Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi-generational evolution experiment.
Absolute quantification of target transcripts was determined by digital PCR, using EvaGreen Supermix (Bio-Rad) and the QX 200™ Droplet Digital™ PCR system (Bio-Rad). The absolute quantification of each transcript was calculated using the Quantasoft v1.7.4 (Bio-Rad) and is represented as copies of transcript per microliter of amplified PCR mixture.
Tank = T-numbers refer to tank numbers.
Treatment = EV, evolution experiment (filtered light conditions); AP, adult plasticity experiment; DP, developmental plasticity experiment.
Sampling date = Sampling month and year.
Light environment = the populations’ designated light environment. Green (F89) filtered light; Clear (CF) filtered light
Genes of interest = LWS-1, LWS-3, RH2-2 and EF-1a.
dPCR concentrations.xlsx
Relative qPCR expression (CNRQ) values for nine guppy opsins
This file contains the calibrated normalized relative quantity (CNRQ) values for nine Poecila reticulata opsin transcripts that accompanies: Kranz, A. M., Forgan L. G., Cole G. L., Endler, J. A. 2018. Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi-generational evolution experiment.
Calibrated normalized relative quantity (CNRQ) values were calculated using qBase+ software (version 3). Tank = T-numbers refer to tank numbers.
Treatment = EV, evolution experiment (filtered light conditions); AP, adult plasticity experiment; DP, developmental plasticity experiment.
Sampling date = Sampling month and year.
Light environment = the populations’ designated light environment. Green (F89) filtered light; Lilac (F55) filtered light; Clear (CF) filtered light.
Genes of interest are LWS-1, LWS-2, LWS-3, LWS-4, RH2-1, RH2-2, SWS1, SWS2a, SWS2b.
qPCR values.xlsx
Evolution experiment qPCR CT values for 11 genes
This file contains the quantitative real time RT-PCR (qPCR) cycle threshold values for nine Poecila reticulata opsin genes and two references genes that accompanies: Kranz, A. M., Forgan L. G., Cole G. L., Endler, J. A. 2018. Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi-generational evolution experiment.
Cycle threshold values were determined by qPCR using SYBR® Premix Ex Taq Master Mix (Takara) on a Corbett Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research).
For each sample, T-numbers refer to tank numbers and EV refers to the evolution experiment under filtered light conditions. UNKN, Unknown; STD, standard dilution series; NTC, no temple control; Cal, calibrator. Pr, Poecilia reticulata. Reference genes are ActinB and EF-1a. Genes of interest are LWS-1, LWS-2, LWS-3, LWS-4, RH2-1, RH2-2, SWS1, SWS2a, SWS2b.
qPCR CT values_EV experiment_11genes.xlsx
Adult plasticity experiment qPCR CT values for 11 genes
This file contains the quantitative real time RT-PCR (qPCR) cycle threshold values for nine Poecila reticulata opsin genes and two references genes that accompanies: Kranz, A. M., Forgan L. G., Cole G. L., Endler, J. A. 2018. Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi-generational evolution experiment.
Cycle threshold values were determined by qPCR using SYBR® Premix Ex Taq Master Mix (Takara) on a Corbett Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research).
For each sample, T-numbers refer to tank numbers and AP refers to the adult plasticity experiment under lab light conditions. UNKN, Unknown; STD, standard dilution series; NTC, no temple control; Cal, calibrator. Pr, Poecilia reticulata. Reference genes are ActinB and EF-1a. Genes of interest are LWS-1, LWS-2, LWS-3, LWS-4, RH2-1, RH2-2, SWS1, SWS2a, SWS2b.
qPCR CT values_AP experiment_11genes.xlsx
Developmental plasticity experiment qPCR CT values for 11 genes
This file contains the quantitative real time RT-PCR (qPCR) cycle threshold values for nine Poecila reticulata opsin genes and two references genes that accompanies: Kranz, A. M., Forgan L. G., Cole G. L., Endler, J. A. 2018. Light environment change induces differential expression of guppy opsins in a multi-generational evolution experiment.
Cycle threshold values were determined by qPCR using SYBR® Premix Ex Taq Master Mix (Takara) on a Corbett Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research).
For each sample, T-numbers refer to tank numbers and DP refers to the developmental plasticity experiment under lab light conditions. UNKN, Unknown; STD, standard dilution series; NTC, no temple control; Cal, calibrator. Pr, Poecilia reticulata. Reference genes are ActinB and EF-1a. Genes of interest are LWS-1, LWS-2, LWS-3, LWS-4, RH2-1, RH2-2, SWS1, SWS2a, SWS2b.
qPCR CT values_DP experiment_11genes.xlsx