Parallel gene expansions drive rapid dietary adaptation in herbivorous woodrats.

Abstract

How mammalian herbivores evolve to feed on chemically defended plants remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the adaptation of two species of woodrats (<i>Neotoma lepida</i> and <i>N. bryanti</i>) to creosote bush (<i>Larrea tridentata</i>), a toxic shrub that expanded across the southwestern United States after the Last Glacial Maximum. We found that creosote-adapted woodrats have elevated gene dosage across multiple biotransformation enzyme families. These duplication events occurred independently across species and substantially increase expression of biotransformation genes, especially within the glucuronidation pathway. We propose that increased gene dosage resulting from duplication is an important mechanism by which animals initially adapt to novel environmental pressures.