Annual Killifish Transcriptomics and Candidate Genes for Metazoan Diapause

Dormancy has evolved in all major metazoan lineages. It is critical for survival when environmental stresses are not conducive to growth, maturation, or reproduction. Embryonic diapause is a form of dormancy where development is reversibly delayed and metabolism is depressed. We report the diapause transcriptome of the annual killifish Nematolebias whitei, and compare gene expression between diapause embryos and free-living larvae to identify a candidate set of 945 differentially expressed diapause genes for this species. Similarity of transcriptional patterns among N. whitei and other diapausing animals is striking for a small set of genes associated with stress resistance, circadian rhythm, and metabolism, while other genes show discordant patterns. Although convergent evolution of diapause may require shared molecular mechanisms for fundamental processes, similar physiological phenotypes also may arise through modification of alternative pathways. Annual killifishes are a tractable model system for comparative transcriptomic studies on the evolution of diapause.