A

Gene Saga:
How the Tiny Atlantic Molly Survives in
Toxic Waters

Danielle Minji Jung

Honors 221B
February 13, 2016

Tobler et al. recently published a study in Molecular Biology and Evolution about the Atlantic
molly, a fish species that lives in caves and springs in Mexico (2016). While these fish are tiny, they can
live in toxic hydrogen sulfide water. By comparison, most forms of life die within minutes of living in the
same conditions (Tidball 2016). This is because H2S is highly toxic to most cells, disrupting vital bodily
processes like oxygen-dependent energy production (Tobler et al. 2016). Accordingly, scientists wanted
to know how Atlantic mollies survive in such toxic environments. Based on prior research done on H2S
adaptation, scientists hypothesized that gene expression would be different across sulfide and nonsulfide
molly populations. To better understand this claim, scientists put forth three mechanisms; either Atlantic
mollies (1) minimize hydrogen sulfide uptake into cells, (2) have a greater enzyme capacity to detoxify
and eliminate H2S from the body, (3) modify the targets of H2S toxicity to block its effects, or some
combination of the three.
In order to test the hypothesis of differences in gene expression, the scientists collected fish from
three major sites, Tacotalpa, Puyacatengo, and Pichucalco, along a single river in Tabasco, Mexico
(Tobler 2016). At each of the three sites, researchers collected fish from a sulfide habitat and a nonsulfide
habitat within a few yards of each other (Tidball 2016). If it is true that gene expression varies among
sulfide and nonsulfide mollies, then there should be noteworthy differences in the top expressed genes.
Based on these top expressed genes, sulfide populations should be more related to each other than to their
corresponding, nonsulfide neighbor mollies (Fig 1). However, if the hypothesis is incorrect, then molly
populations should be related by location rather than ability to live in hydrogen sulfide (Fig 2). To further
test the possible mechanisms, scientists should see upregulation of genes that prevent uptake of H2S,
upregulation of H2S detoxifing genes, or modified proteins that resist H2S toxicity.
After isolating DNA from gills of the six molly populations, scientists constructed an
evolutionary tree. The tree confirmed their hypothesis that gene expression differed between sulfide and
nonsulfide molly populations (Fig 3). Furthermore, scientists found that mollies evade H2S toxicity by
upregulating oxygen-independent energy pathways and upregulating enzymes that can better detoxify and
eliminate H2S (Tobler 2016). To conclude, there are significant differences in gene expression between

mollies in sulfide and nonsulfide habitats. Upregulating and downregulating certain genes may give
sulfide mollies their ability to thrive in H2S toxic waters. Variation in gene expression gave mollies the
capability to adapt to extreme sulfide habitats. Some questions that still remain include whether sulfide
and nonsulfide mollies are different species. Also, can mollies survive in any concentration of H2S or is
there some sort of threshold? What other organisms are capable of surviving in sulfide waters, and did
they accomplish this through different gene expression as well? Because most organisms have some
capacity to detoxify and eliminate H2S, can any organism potentially adapt to sulfide environments? What
sort of cost is invested in adapting to sulfide waters, and does this lower sulfide mollies fitness in
nonsulfide environments? In addition, how could Atlantic mollys response to H2S be used to develop
drugs that help humans who are exposed to H2S?
Atlantic mollies provide an excellent case to study the capacities and limitations of living
organisms to adapt to extreme conditions, such as sulfide waters. While there is great potential to
understand how ecosystems change in response to changes in toxicity, this also poses ethical issues to the
human and nature relationship. Though indirectly, research on how organisms adapt to toxic or polluted
environments may validate human-caused pollution. Instead of directing attention to strategies to best
protect stable ecosystems or reduce human pollution, the focus is instead shifted on organisms abilities to
quickly adapt to changing conditions. This places an undue burden on organisms to hurry up and
evolve, and fails to acknowledge organisms as the true victim of climate change, habitat destruction, and
pollution. While this research on Atlantic mollies is not necessarily unethical, studies that focus solely on
organisms response to environmental stressors neglects to enter crucial dialogue on the larger picture of
human impact. Research should be oriented to both celebrate animal research and recognize humancaused changes to ecosystems. This is a step in the right direction: to refuse defending human pollution
and direct focus to how to take responsibility of the safety and sustainability of our globe.

Fig 1: Hypothesis is True

Of the top expressed genes, this evolutionary tree shows that sulfide molly populations are closer related
to each other than to their nonsulfide neighbor populations. Different shapes correspond to the location
fish were taken. Yellow corresponds to sulfide fish and blue corresponds to nonsulfide fish.
Fig 2: Hypothesis is Not True

Of the top expressed genes, this evolutionary tree shows that sulfide molly populations are closer related
to their neighbors from proximate habitats than to other sulfide populations.

Fig 3: Actual ResultsHypothesis is True

Yellow corresponds to sulfide fish and blue to nonsulfide fish. This evolutionary tree shows the variation
in the 10,000 top expressed genes. From this, the hypothesis is accepted, because sulfide mollies are
closer related to other sulfide populations than to their proximate neighbor populations.

References
Tidball, J. "Genetics help fish thrive in toxic environments, collaborative study
finds." ScienceDaily. Kansas State University, 10 February 2016.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160210135209.htm>.
Tobler, M. et al. 2016. Mechanisms underlying adaptation to life in hydrogen sulfide rich
environments. Molecular Biology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw020