Project description:Increasingly imperative objectives in ecology are to understand and forecast population dynamic and evolutionary responses to seasonal environmental variation and change. Such population and evolutionary dynamics result from immediate and lagged responses of all key life-history traits, and resulting demographic rates that affect population growth rate, to seasonal environmental conditions and population density. However, existing population dynamic and eco-evolutionary theory and models have not yet fully encompassed within-individual and among-individual variation, covariation, structure and heterogeneity, and ongoing evolution, in a critical life-history trait that allows individuals to respond to seasonal environmental conditions: seasonal migration. Meanwhile, empirical studies aided by new animal-tracking technologies are increasingly demonstrating substantial within-population variation in the occurrence and form of migration versus year-round residence, generating diverse forms of 'partial migration' spanning diverse species, habitats and spatial scales. Such partially migratory systems form a continuum between the extreme scenarios of full migration and full year-round residence, and are commonplace in nature. Here, we first review basic scenarios of partial migration and associated models designed to identify conditions that facilitate the maintenance of migratory polymorphism. We highlight that such models have been fundamental to the development of partial migration theory, but are spatially and demographically simplistic compared to the rich bodies of population dynamic theory and models that consider spatially structured populations with dispersal but no migration, or consider populations experiencing strong seasonality and full obligate migration. Second, to provide an overarching conceptual framework for spatio-temporal population dynamics, we define a 'partially migratory meta-population' system as a spatially structured set of locations that can be occupied by different sets of resident and migrant individuals in different seasons, and where locations that can support reproduction can also be linked by dispersal. We outline key forms of within-individual and among-individual variation and structure in migration that could arise within such systems and interact with variation in individual survival, reproduction and dispersal to create complex population dynamics and evolutionary responses across locations, seasons, years and generations. Third, we review approaches by which population dynamic and eco-evolutionary models could be developed to test hypotheses regarding the dynamics and persistence of partially migratory meta-populations given diverse forms of seasonal environmental variation and change, and to forecast system-specific dynamics. To demonstrate one such approach, we use an evolutionary individual-based model to illustrate that multiple forms of partial migration can readily co-exist in a simple spatially structured landscape. Finally, we summarise recent empirical studies that demonstrate key components of demographic structure in partial migration, and demonstrate diverse associations with reproduction and survival. We thereby identify key theoretical and empirical knowledge gaps that remain, and consider multiple complementary approaches by which these gaps can be filled in order to elucidate population dynamic and eco-evolutionary responses to spatio-temporal seasonal environmental variation and change.

Project description:The experimental evolution of laboratory populations of microbes provides an opportunity to observe the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation in real time.Until very recently, however, such studies have been limited by our inability to systematically find mutations in evolved organisms.We overcome this limitation by using a variety of DNA microarray-based techniques to characterize genetic changes, including point mutations, structural changes, and insertion variation, that resulted from the experimental adaptation of 24 haploid and diploid cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to growth in glucose-, sulfate, or phosphate-limited chemostats for ~ 200 generations.We identified frequent genomic amplifications and rearrangements as well as novel retrotransposition events associated with adaptation.Global mutation detection in 10 clonal isolates identified 32 point mutations. On the basis of mutation frequencies, we infer that these mutations and the subsequent dynamics of adaptation are determined by the batch phase of growth prior to initiation of continuous phase in the chemostat.We relate these genotypic changes to phenotypic outcomes, namely global patterns of gene expression, and to increases in fitness by 5-50%. We found that the spectrum of available mutations in glucose or phosphate-limited environments combined with the batch phase population dynamics early in our experiments to allow several distinct genotypic and phenotypic evolutionary pathways in response to these nutrient limitations. By contrast, sulfate-limited populations were much more constrained in both genotypic and phenotypic outcomes.Thus, the reproducibility of evolution varies with specific selective pressures reflecting the constraints inherent in the system-level organization of metabolic processes in the cell.We were able to relate some of the observed adaptive mutations (e.g. transporter gene amplifications) to known features of the relevant metabolic pathways, but many of the mutations pointed to genes not previously associated with the relevant physiology. Thus, in addition to answering basic mechanistic questions about evolutionary mechanisms our work suggests that experimental evolution can also shed light on the function and regulation of individual metabolic pathways. Keywords: gene expression, CGH, and TSE analysis consult individual records for details of analysis This Dataset consists of several experiments: Gene expression experiments found in Figure 1a of paper: Design: RNA from each evolved clone or population grown in chemostat culture is compared to RNA from matching ancestor strains grown in the same conditions. Samples: GSM339025-GSM339088 CGH experiments found in Figure 2A, Figure 3, and Table S2: Experiment design: DNA from each evolved clone or population is hybridized vs DNA from the matched ancestor strain Samples: GSM339089-GSM339146 CGH experiments found in Table S3: Experiment design: DNA from each segregant derived from an evolved strain is hybridized vs DNA from the matched ancestor strain Samples: GSM339147-GSM339158 Gel band CGH experiments found in Figure S1: Experiment design: Chromosomes from evolved strains were run on a gel and excised. DNA from the bands is hybridized vs matched ancestor genomic DNA Samples: GSM339159-GSM339184 TSE CGH experiments found in Table S4: Experiment design: DNA linked to Ty1/Ty2 sequences was extracted from evolved strains and ancestor strains, and compared to ancestral extracted or genomic DNA as indicated. Samples: GSM339185-GSM339212 CGH experiments for experiments in Figure S7: Experiment design: DNA from 2 strains transformed with a SUL1 plasmid hybridized vs DNA from the matched ancestor strain Samples: GSM339213 and GSM339214

Project description:BACKGROUND: Class 1 integrons are one of the most successful elements in the acquisition, expression and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) among clinical isolates. Little is known about the gene flow of the components of the genetic platforms of class 1 integrons within and between bacterial communities. Thus it is important to better understand the interactions among "environmental" intI1, its genetic platforms and its distribution with human activities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An evaluation of two types of genetic determinants, ARG (sul1 and qacE1/qacE?1 genes) and lateral genetic elements (LGE) (intI1, ISCR1 and tniC genes) in a model of a culture-based method without antibiotic selection was conducted in a gradient of anthropogenic disturbances in a Patagonian island recognized as being one of the last regions containing wild areas. The intI1, ISCR1 genes and intI1 pseudogenes that were found widespread throughout natural communities were not associated with urbanization (p>0.05). Each ARG that is embedded in the most common genetic platform of clinical class 1 integrons, showed different ecological and molecular behaviours in environmental samples. While the sul1 gene frequency was associated with urbanization, the qacE1/qacE?1 gene showed an adaptive role to several habitats. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The high frequency of intI1 pseudogenes suggests that, although intI1 has a deleterious impact within several genomes, it can easily be disseminated among natural bacterial communities. The widespread occurrence of ISCR1 and intI1 throughout Patagonian sites with different degree of urbanization, and within different taxa, could be one of the causes of the increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant isolates that have characterized Argentina for decades. The flow of ARG and LGE between natural and clinical communities cannot be explained with a single general process but is a direct consequence of the interaction of multiple factors operating at molecular, ecological, phylogenetic and historical levels.

Project description:The experimental evolution of laboratory populations of microbes provides an opportunity to observe the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation in real time.Until very recently, however, such studies have been limited by our inability to systematically find mutations in evolved organisms.We overcome this limitation by using a variety of DNA microarray-based techniques to characterize genetic changes, including point mutations, structural changes, and insertion variation, that resulted from the experimental adaptation of 24 haploid and diploid cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to growth in glucose-, sulfate, or phosphate-limited chemostats for ~ 200 generations.We identified frequent genomic amplifications and rearrangements as well as novel retrotransposition events associated with adaptation.Global mutation detection in 10 clonal isolates identified 32 point mutations. On the basis of mutation frequencies, we infer that these mutations and the subsequent dynamics of adaptation are determined by the batch phase of growth prior to initiation of continuous phase in the chemostat.We relate these genotypic changes to phenotypic outcomes, namely global patterns of gene expression, and to increases in fitness by 5-50%. We found that the spectrum of available mutations in glucose or phosphate-limited environments combined with the batch phase population dynamics early in our experiments to allow several distinct genotypic and phenotypic evolutionary pathways in response to these nutrient limitations. By contrast, sulfate-limited populations were much more constrained in both genotypic and phenotypic outcomes.Thus, the reproducibility of evolution varies with specific selective pressures reflecting the constraints inherent in the system-level organization of metabolic processes in the cell.We were able to relate some of the observed adaptive mutations (e.g. transporter gene amplifications) to known features of the relevant metabolic pathways, but many of the mutations pointed to genes not previously associated with the relevant physiology. Thus, in addition to answering basic mechanistic questions about evolutionary mechanisms our work suggests that experimental evolution can also shed light on the function and regulation of individual metabolic pathways. Keywords: gene expression, CGH, and TSE analysis

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The evolutionary dynamics of integrons in changing environments.

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The evolutionary dynamics of integrons in changing environments.

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