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Evolution without standing genetic variation: change in transgenerational plastic response under persistent predation pressure.

ABSTRACT: Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity is a fast non-genetic response to environmental modifications that can buffer the effects of environmental stresses on populations. However, little is known about the evolution of plasticity in the absence of standing genetic variation although several non-genetic inheritance mechanisms have now been identified. Here we monitored the pea aphid transgenerational phenotypic response to ladybird predators (production of winged offspring) during 27 generations of experimental evolution in the absence of initial genetic variation (clonal multiplication starting from a single individual). We found that the frequency of winged aphids first increased rapidly in response to predators and then remained stable over 25 generations, implying a stable phenotypic reconstruction at each generation. We also found that the high frequency of winged aphids persisted for one generation after removing predators. Winged aphid frequency then entered a refractory phase during which it dropped below the level of control lines for at least two generations before returning to it. Interestingly, the persistence of the winged phenotype decreased and the refractory phase lasted longer with the increasing number of generations of exposure to predators. Finally, we found that aphids continuously exposed to predators for 22 generations evolved a significantly weaker plastic response than aphids never exposed to predators, which, in turn, increased their fitness in presence of predators. Our findings therefore showcased an example of experimental evolution of plasticity in the absence of initial genetic variation and highlight the importance of integrating several components of non-genetic inheritance to detect evolutionary responses to environmental changes.

SUBMITTER: Sentis A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6082885 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evolution without standing genetic variation: change in transgenerational plastic response under persistent predation pressure.

Sentis Arnaud A Bertram Raphaël R Dardenne Nathalie N Ramon-Portugal Felipe F Espinasse Gilles G Louit Ines I Negri Lucie L Haeler Elena E Ashkar Thomas T Pannetier Théo T Cunningham James L JL Grunau Christoph C Le Trionnaire Gaël G Simon Jean-Christophe JC Magro Alexandra A Pujol Benoit B Hemptinne Jean-Louis JL Danchin Etienne E

Heredity 20180629 3

Transgenerational phenotypic plasticity is a fast non-genetic response to environmental modifications that can buffer the effects of environmental stresses on populations. However, little is known about the evolution of plasticity in the absence of standing genetic variation although several non-genetic inheritance mechanisms have now been identified. Here we monitored the pea aphid transgenerational phenotypic response to ladybird predators (production of winged offspring) during 27 generations ...[more]

PMID: 29959428

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Project description:Although the relationship between bacteria and lytic bacteriophage is fundamentally antagonistic, these microbes not only coexist but thrive side by side in myriad ecological environments. The mechanisms by which coexistence is achieved, however, are not fully understood. By examining Escherichia coli and bacteriophage T7 population dynamics at the single-cell and single-virion level using a novel microfluidics assay, we observed bacteria growing "persistently" when perfused with high-titer bacteriophage. Bacteriophage persistence occurred at a frequency five orders of magnitude higher than is expected from the natural selection of bacteriophage-resistant mutants. Rather, the frequency of persistence was correlated with the degree to which the bacteria were mechanically compressed by the microfluidic perfusion chamber. Using a combination of mutagenesis and fluorescent imaging techniques, we discovered that compression induces persistence by activating the Rcs phosphorelay pathway, which results in the synthesis of extracellular capsule that sterically blocks bacteriophage adsorption. Other forms of mechanical perturbation also promoted Rcs activity and persistence. These findings have important implications for our understanding of microbial ecology in many important environments, including the gut and the soil, where bacteria grow in confinement. IMPORTANCE Bacteria and bacteriophage form one of the most important predator-prey relationships on earth, yet how the long-term stability of this ecological interaction is achieved is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Escherichia coli can rapidly grow during bacteriophage predation if they are doing so in spatially confined environments. This discovery revises our understanding of bacteria-bacteriophage population dynamics in many real-world environments where bacteria grow in confinement, such as the gut and the soil. Additionally, this result has clear implications for the potential of bacteriophage therapy and the role of mechanosensation during bacterial pathogenesis.

Dataset Information

Evolution without standing genetic variation: change in transgenerational plastic response under persistent predation pressure.

Publications

Evolution without standing genetic variation: change in transgenerational plastic response under persistent predation pressure.

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