Epigenetics and the evolution of form: Experimental manipulation of a chromatin modification causes species-specific changes to the craniofacial skeleton

A central question in biology is the molecular origins of phenotypic diversity. While genetic changes are key to the genotype–phenotype relationship, alterations to chromatin structure and the physical packaging of histone proteins may also be important drivers of vertebrate divergence. We investigate the impact of such an epigenetic mechanism, histone acetylation, within a textbook example of an adaptive radiation. Cichlids of Lake Malawi have adapted diverse craniofacial structures, and here we investigate how histone acetylation influences morphological variation in these fishes. Specifically, we assessed the effect of inhibiting histone deacetylation using the drug trichostatin A (TSA) on developing facial structures. We examined this during three critical developmental windows in two cichlid species with alternate adult morphologies. Exposure to TSA during neural crest cell (NCC) migration and as postmigratory NCCs proliferate in the pharyngeal arches resulted in significant changes in lateral and ventral shape in Maylandia, but not in Tropheops. This included an overall shortening of the head, widening of the lower jaw, and steeper craniofacial profile, all of which are paedomorphic morphologies. In contrast, treatment with TSA during early chondrogenesis did not result in significant morphological changes in either species. Together, these data suggest a sensitivity to epigenetic alterations that are both time- and species-dependent. We find that morphologies are due to nonautonomous or potentially indirect effects on NCC development, including in part a global developmental delay. Our research bolsters the understanding that proper histone acetylation is essential for early craniofacial development and identifies a species-specific robustness to developmental change. Overall, this study demonstrates how epigenetic regulation may play an important role in both generating and buffering morphological variation.