Chimeric Protein Complexes in Hybrid Species Generate Novel Phenotypes.docVIP

ChimericProteinComplexesinHybridSpeciesGenerate NovelPhenotypes ElzbietaM.Piatkowska,SaminaNaseeb,DavidKnight,DanielaDelneri* FacultyofLifeSciences,MichaelSmithBuilding,UniversityofManchester,Manchester,UnitedKingdom Abstract Hybridization between species is an important mechanism for the origin of novel lineages and adaptation to new environments. Increased allelic variation andmodification ofthetranscriptional network arethetworecognized forces currently deemed toberesponsible for the phenotypic properties seen inhybrids. However, since the majority ofthe biological functions inacellarecarried outbyprotein complexes, inter-specific protein assemblies therefore represent anotherimportant sourceofnaturalvariation uponwhichevolutionary forcescanact.Herewestudiedthecomposition of six protein complexes in two different Saccharomyces ‘‘sensu stricto’’ hybrids, to understand whether chimeric interactions canbefreelyformedinthecellinspiteofspecies-specific co-evolutionary forces,andwhetherthedifferent types ofcomplexes cause achange inhybrid fitness. Theprotein assemblies wereisolated fromthehybrids viaaffinity chromatography and identified via mass spectrometry. Wefound evidence of spontaneous chimericity for four ofthe six protein assemblies tested and we showed that different types of complexes can cause a variety of phenotypes in selected environments. Inthecase ofTRP2/TRP3 complex, theeffect ofsuch chimeric formation resulted inthefitness advantage ofthehybridinanenvironment lackingtryptophan, whileonlyonetypeofparentalcombination oftheMBF complex allowed thehybrid togrowunder respiratory conditions. Thesephenotypes weredependent onbothgenetic and environmental backgrounds. This study provides empirical evidence that chimeric protein complexes can freely assemble incellsandrevealsanewmechanism togenerate phenotypic noveltyandplasticity inhybridstocomplement the genomic innovation resulting from gene duplication. The ability to exchange orthologous