Predator-induced phenotypic plasticity during early biological evolution and ROS suppression in the brain of Xenopus tropicalis

Predator-induced adaptive phenotypic plasticity is essential for evolution. However, Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles do not exhibit distinct phenotypes when exposed to new predation threats. Herein, we investigated adaptions within their brain. Principal component analysis using morphological parameters indicated that short-term predation threats (24 hr) change tadpole morphs when compared to the control or 5 day-out (5 days exposure to predation and then five days without). Whole-brain ingenuity pathway and metabolome analyses revealed that free radicals, superoxide dismutase, glycogenesis, and pyruvate were elevated after 6 hr of predation pressure.