1
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Khattar G, Savary P, Peres-Neto PR. The biotic and abiotic contexts of ecological selection mediate the dominance of distinct dispersal strategies in competitive metacommunities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230132. [PMID: 38913058 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
While the influence of dispersal on ecological selection is the subject of intense research, we still lack a thorough understanding of how ecological selection operates to favour distinct dispersal strategies in metacommunities. To address this issue, we developed a model framework in which species with distinct quantitative dispersal traits that govern the three stages of dispersal-departure, movement and settlement-compete under different ecological contexts. The model identified three primary dispersal strategies (referred to as nomadic, homebody and habitat-sorting) that consistently dominated metacommunities owing to the interplay of spatiotemporal environmental variation and different types of competitive interactions. We outlined the key characteristics of each strategy and formulated theoretical predictions regarding the abiotic and biotic conditions under which each strategy is more likely to prevail in metacommunities. By presenting our results as relationships between dispersal traits and well-known ecological gradients (e.g. seasonality), we were able to contrast our theoretical findings with previous empirical research. Our model demonstrates how landscape environmental characteristics and competitive interactions at the intra- and interspecific levels can interact to favour distinct multivariate and context-dependent dispersal strategies in metacommunities. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Khattar
- Laboratory of Community and Quantitative Ecology, Department of Biology, Concordia University , Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Paul Savary
- Laboratory of Community and Quantitative Ecology, Department of Biology, Concordia University , Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Pedro R Peres-Neto
- Laboratory of Community and Quantitative Ecology, Department of Biology, Concordia University , Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
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2
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Faller L, Leite MFA, Kuramae EE. Enhancing phosphate-solubilising microbial communities through artificial selection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1649. [PMID: 38388537 PMCID: PMC10884399 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46060-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities, acting as key drivers of ecosystem processes, harbour immense potential for sustainable agriculture practices. Phosphate-solubilising microorganisms, for example, can partially replace conventional phosphate fertilisers, which rely on finite resources. However, understanding the mechanisms and engineering efficient communities poses a significant challenge. In this study, we employ two artificial selection methods, environmental perturbation, and propagation, to construct phosphate-solubilising microbial communities. To assess trait transferability, we investigate the community performance in different media and a hydroponic system with Chrysanthemum indicum. Our findings reveal a distinct subset of phosphate-solubilising bacteria primarily dominated by Klebsiella and Enterobacterales. The propagated communities consistently demonstrate elevated levels of phosphate solubilisation, surpassing the starting soil community by 24.2% in activity. The increased activity of propagated communities remains consistent upon introduction into the hydroponic system. This study shows the efficacy of community-level artificial selection, particularly through propagation, as a tool for successfully modifying microbial communities to enhance phosphate solubilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Faller
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Utrecht University, Institute of Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcio F A Leite
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Utrecht University, Institute of Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eiko E Kuramae
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Utrecht University, Institute of Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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3
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Thomas JL, Rowland-Chandler J, Shou W. Artificial selection of microbial communities: what have we learnt and how can we improve? Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 77:102400. [PMID: 38091857 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities are capable of performing diverse functions with important bioindustrial and medical applications. One approach to improving community function is to breed new communities by artificially selecting for those displaying high community function ('community selection'). Importantly, community selection can improve the function of interest without needing to understand how the function arises, just like in classical artificial selection of individuals. However, experimental studies of community selection have had varied and largely limited success. Here, we review a conceptual framework to help foster an understanding of community selection and its associated challenges, and provide broad insights for designing effective selection strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L Thomas
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jamila Rowland-Chandler
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Wenying Shou
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, United Kingdom.
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4
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Diaz-Colunga J, Skwara A, Gowda K, Diaz-Uriarte R, Tikhonov M, Bajic D, Sanchez A. Global epistasis on fitness landscapes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220053. [PMID: 37004717 PMCID: PMC10067270 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Epistatic interactions between mutations add substantial complexity to adaptive landscapes and are often thought of as detrimental to our ability to predict evolution. Yet, patterns of global epistasis, in which the fitness effect of a mutation is well-predicted by the fitness of its genetic background, may actually be of help in our efforts to reconstruct fitness landscapes and infer adaptive trajectories. Microscopic interactions between mutations, or inherent nonlinearities in the fitness landscape, may cause global epistasis patterns to emerge. In this brief review, we provide a succinct overview of recent work about global epistasis, with an emphasis on building intuition about why it is often observed. To this end, we reconcile simple geometric reasoning with recent mathematical analyses, using these to explain why different mutations in an empirical landscape may exhibit different global epistasis patterns-ranging from diminishing to increasing returns. Finally, we highlight open questions and research directions. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches to predicting evolutionary biology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diaz-Colunga
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Abigail Skwara
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Karna Gowda
- Department of Ecology & Evolution & Center for the Physics of Evolving Systems, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ramon Diaz-Uriarte
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas ‘Alberto Sols’ (UAM-CSIC), Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Mikhail Tikhonov
- Department of Physics, Washington University of St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Djordje Bajic
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Alvaro Sanchez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Campus de Cantoblanco, CNB-CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain
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5
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de Kemmeter JF, Carletti T, Asllani M. Self-segregation in heterogeneous metapopulation landscapes. J Theor Biol 2022; 554:111271. [PMID: 36075456 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Complex interactions are at the root of the population dynamics of many natural systems, particularly for being responsible for the allocation of species and individuals across apposite niches of the ecological landscapes. On the other side, the randomness that unavoidably characterises complex systems has increasingly challenged the niche paradigm providing alternative neutral theoretical models. We introduce a network-inspired metapopulation individual-based model (IBM), hereby named self-segregation, where the density of individuals in the hosting patches (local habitats) drives the individuals spatial assembling while still constrained by nodes' saturation. In particular, we prove that the core-periphery structure of the networked landscape triggers the spontaneous emergence of vacant habitat patches, which segregate the population in multistable patterns of isolated (sub)communities separated by empty patches. Furthermore, a quantisation effect in the number of vacant patches is observed once the total system mass varies continuously, emphasising thus a striking feature of the robustness of population stationary distributions. Notably, our model reproduces the patch vacancy found in the fragmented habitat of the Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia, an endemic species of the Åland islands. We argue that such spontaneous breaking of the natural habitat supports the concept of the highly contentious (Grinnellian) niche vacancy and also suggests a new mechanism for the endogeneous habitat fragmentation and consequently the peripatric speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François de Kemmeter
- naXys, Namur Institute for Complex Systems, & Department of Mathematics, University of Namur, rue Grafé, 2 B5000, Belgium.
| | - Timoteo Carletti
- naXys, Namur Institute for Complex Systems, & Department of Mathematics, University of Namur, rue Grafé, 2 B5000, Belgium
| | - Malbor Asllani
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; Department of Mathematics, Florida State University, 1017 Academic Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States of America
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6
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Ngeve MN, Koedam N, Triest L. Genotypes of Rhizophora Propagules From a Non-mangrove Beach Provide Evidence of Recent Long-Distance Dispersal. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2021.746461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal plays a crucial role in the connectivity of established mangrove populations and in species range dynamics. As species ranges shift in response to climate change, range expansions can occur from incremental short-distance dispersal events and from stochastic long-distance dispersal events. Most population genetic research dealt with historically accumulated events though evidence of actual propagule dispersal allows to estimate genotypic features and origin of founders. In this study, we aim to disentangle a contemporary dispersal event. Using microsatellite markers, we genotyped 60 Rhizophora racemosa drift propagules obtained on a bare unforested coastal area in southern Cameroon, estimated their relationship to 109 adult trees from most proximate sites (which were 3–85 km away), and assessed their relative difference with 873 trees of major mangrove areas (> 300 km) along the Cameroonian coastline. Proximate mangrove populations were considered as potential source populations in assignment tests. However, drift propagules could not be assigned to any of the Cameroonian mangrove sites and were genetically isolated from Cameroonian populations. Drift propagules showed higher levels of genetic diversity and private alleles giving a higher relatedness to each other than to any putative source population. Chloroplast sequences were used to confirm the identity of drift propagules as R. racemosa. We postulate that a complex interaction of ocean currents, estuarine geomorphology, and tidal patterns explain drift propagule dispersal to an area. Most likely the investigated cohort of propagules originated from more southern mangrove areas of the West African range beyond the Cameroonian border. This study unraveled the allelic, genetic, and genotypic features of stranded propagules following a stochastic long-distance dispersal. Transboundary dispersal of these propagules highlights the need for intergovernmental efforts in the management of biodiversity.
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7
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Chang CY, Vila JCC, Bender M, Li R, Mankowski MC, Bassette M, Borden J, Golfier S, Sanchez PGL, Waymack R, Zhu X, Diaz-Colunga J, Estrela S, Rebolleda-Gomez M, Sanchez A. Engineering complex communities by directed evolution. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1011-1023. [PMID: 33986540 PMCID: PMC8263491 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01457-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution has been used for decades to engineer biological systems at or below the organismal level. Above the organismal level, a small number of studies have attempted to artificially select microbial ecosystems, with uneven and generally modest success. Our theoretical understanding of artificial ecosystem selection is limited, particularly for large assemblages of asexual organisms, and we know little about designing efficient methods to direct their evolution. Here, we have developed a flexible modelling framework that allows us to systematically probe any arbitrary selection strategy on any arbitrary set of communities and selected functions. By artificially selecting hundreds of in silico microbial metacommunities under identical conditions, we first show that the main breeding methods used to date, which do not necessarily let communities reach their ecological equilibrium, are outperformed by a simple screen of sufficiently mature communities. We then identify a range of alternative directed evolution strategies that, particularly when applied in combination, are well suited for the top-down engineering of large, diverse and stable microbial consortia. Our results emphasize that directed evolution allows an ecological structure-function landscape to be navigated in search of dynamically stable and ecologically resilient communities with desired quantitative attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Yu Chang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jean C C Vila
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Madeline Bender
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard Li
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Madeleine C Mankowski
- Department of Immunobiology and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Molly Bassette
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julia Borden
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Golfier
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, and Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul Gerald L Sanchez
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Developmental Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rachel Waymack
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xinwen Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juan Diaz-Colunga
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sylvie Estrela
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Maria Rebolleda-Gomez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alvaro Sanchez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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8
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Sánchez Á, Vila JCC, Chang CY, Diaz-Colunga J, Estrela S, Rebolleda-Gomez M. Directed Evolution of Microbial Communities. Annu Rev Biophys 2021; 50:323-341. [PMID: 33646814 PMCID: PMC8105285 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-101220-072829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Directed evolution is a form of artificial selection that has been used for decades to find biomolecules and organisms with new or enhanced functional traits. Directed evolution can be conceptualized as a guided exploration of the genotype-phenotype map, where genetic variants with desirable phenotypes are first selected and then mutagenized to search the genotype space for an even better mutant. In recent years, the idea of applying artificial selection to microbial communities has gained momentum. In this article, we review the main limitations of artificial selection when applied to large and diverse collectives of asexually dividing microbes and discuss how the tools of directed evolution may be deployed to engineer communities from the top down. We conceptualize directed evolution of microbial communities as a guided exploration of an ecological structure-function landscape and propose practical guidelines for navigating these ecological landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Sánchez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Jean C C Vila
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Chang-Yu Chang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Juan Diaz-Colunga
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Sylvie Estrela
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
| | - María Rebolleda-Gomez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , , , , ,
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9
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Borchert E, Hammerschmidt K, Hentschel U, Deines P. Enhancing Microbial Pollutant Degradation by Integrating Eco-Evolutionary Principles with Environmental Biotechnology. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:908-918. [PMID: 33812769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental accumulation of anthropogenic pollutants is a pressing global issue. The biodegradation of these pollutants by microbes is an emerging field but is hampered by inefficient degradation rates and a limited knowledge of potential enzymes and pathways. Here, we advocate the view that significant progress can be achieved by harnessing artificial community selection for a desired biological process, an approach that makes use of eco-evolutionary principles. The selected communities can either be directly used in bioremediation applications or further be analyzed and modified, for instance through a combination of systems biology, synthetic biology, and genetic engineering. This knowledge can then inform machine learning and enhance the discovery of novel biodegradation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Borchert
- RD3 Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Ute Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany; University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Peter Deines
- RD3 Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
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10
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Chang CY, Osborne ML, Bajic D, Sanchez A. Artificially selecting bacterial communities using propagule strategies. Evolution 2020; 74:2392-2403. [PMID: 32888315 PMCID: PMC7942404 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Artificial selection is a promising approach to manipulate microbial communities. Here, we report the outcome of two artificial selection experiments at the microbial community level. Both used "propagule" selection strategies, whereby the best-performing communities are used as the inocula to form a new generation of communities. Both experiments were contrasted to a random selection control. The first experiment used a defined set of strains as the starting inoculum, and the function under selection was the amylolytic activity of the consortia. The second experiment used multiple soil communities as the starting inocula, and the function under selection was the communities' cross-feeding potential. In both experiments, the selected communities reached a higher mean function than the control. In the first experiment, this was caused by a decline in function of the control, rather than an improvement of the selected line. In the second experiment, this response was fueled by the large initial variance in function across communities, and stopped when the top-performing community "fixed" in the metacommunity. Our results are in agreement with basic expectations from breeding theory, pointing to some of the limitations of community-level selection experiments that can inform the design of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Yu Chang
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute. Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Melisa L. Osborne
- The Rowland Institute at Harvard, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Djordje Bajic
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute. Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alvaro Sanchez
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute. Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- The Rowland Institute at Harvard, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Ruckman SN, Blackmon H. The March of the Beetles: Epistatic Components Dominate Divergence in Dispersal Tendency in Tribolium castaneum. J Hered 2020; 111:498-505. [PMID: 32798223 PMCID: PMC7525825 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic underpinnings of traits are rarely simple. Most traits of interest are instead the product of multiple genes acting in concert to determine the phenotype. This is particularly true for behavioral traits, like dispersal. Our investigation focuses on the genetic architecture of dispersal tendency in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. We used artificial selection to generate lines with either high or low dispersal tendency. Our populations responded quickly in the first generations of selection and almost all replicates had higher dispersal tendency in males than in females. These selection lines were used to create a total of 6 additional lines: F1 and reciprocal F1, as well as 4 types of backcrosses. We estimated the composite genetic effects that contribute to divergence in dispersal tendency among lines using line cross-analysis. We found variation in the dispersal tendency of our lines was best explained by autosomal additive and 3 epistatic components. Our results indicate that dispersal tendency is heritable, but much of the divergence in our selection lines was due to epistatic effects. These results are consistent with other life-history traits that are predicted to maintain more epistatic variance than additive variance and highlight the potential for epistatic variation to act as an adaptive reserve that may become visible to selection when a population is subdivided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Ruckman
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX.,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX
| | - Heath Blackmon
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, TX.,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX
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12
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Raynaud T, Devers M, Spor A, Blouin M. Effect of the Reproduction Method in an Artificial Selection Experiment at the Community Level. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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Rebolleda-Gómez M, Forrester NJ, Russell AL, Wei N, Fetters AM, Stephens JD, Ashman TL. Gazing into the anthosphere: considering how microbes influence floral evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1012-1020. [PMID: 31442301 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The flower is the hallmark of angiosperms and its evolution is key to their diversification. As knowledge of ecological interactions between flowers and their microbial communities (the anthosphere) expands, it becomes increasingly important to consider the evolutionary impacts of these associations and their potential eco-evolutionary dynamics. In this Viewpoint we synthesize current knowledge of the anthosphere within a multilevel selection framework and illustrate the potential for the extended floral phenotype (the phenotype expressed from the genes of the plant and its associated flower microbes) to evolve. We argue that flower microbes are an important, but understudied, axis of variation that shape floral trait evolution and angiosperm reproductive ecology. We highlight knowledge gaps and discuss approaches that are critical for gaining a deeper understanding of the role microbes play in mediating plant reproduction, ecology, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Rebolleda-Gómez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Nicole J Forrester
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Avery L Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Na Wei
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Andrea M Fetters
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Jessica D Stephens
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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14
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Flues S, Bass D, Bonkowski M. Grazing of leaf‐associated Cercomonads (Protists: Rhizaria: Cercozoa) structures bacterial community composition and function. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:3297-3309. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Flues
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of ZoologyUniversity of CologneZülpicher Straße 47bKöln 50674 Germany
| | - David Bass
- Department of Life SciencesThe Natural History MuseumCromwell RoadLondonSW7 5BD UK
- CefasBarrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB UK
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of ZoologyUniversity of CologneZülpicher Straße 47bKöln 50674 Germany
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15
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Watanabe K, Monaghan MT. Comparative tests of the species-genetic diversity correlation at neutral and nonneutral loci in four species of stream insect. Evolution 2017; 71:1755-1764. [PMID: 28485820 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental question linking population genetics and community ecology is how adaptive processes (e.g., natural selection) and neutral processes (e.g., drift-migration equilibrium) underpin the species-genetic diversity correlation (SGDC). Here, we combine genome scans and outlier loci detection with community analysis to separately test for neutral and nonneutral SGDCs in four species of stream insect. We sampled 60 localities in Japan and examined the relationships among population AFLP band richness (Br), taxon richness of the total community (S) and of the trophic guild (Str ), and 15 habitat parameters that could potentially drive adaptation and influence richness. Neutral Br was positively correlated with S only in the dominant species of these communities, suggesting Br may be constrained when intraspecific competition is pronounced. Nonneutral Br was correlated with Str in a species restricted to high elevations where habitat heterogeneity was highest. Community distance and genetic distance (β-SGDC) was correlated in two of the four species at both neutral and nonneutral loci. Distance-based redundancy analysis found geographic isolation and elevation to drive divergence of both communities and populations. This suggests that both neutral and adaptive divergence occurred through the shared influences of geographic isolation and local adaptation at the two levels of diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozo Watanabe
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8577, Japan
| | - Michael T Monaghan
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, Königin-Luise-Str. 6-8, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Wendling CC, Piecyk A, Refardt D, Chibani C, Hertel R, Liesegang H, Bunk B, Overmann J, Roth O. Tripartite species interaction: eukaryotic hosts suffer more from phage susceptible than from phage resistant bacteria. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:98. [PMID: 28399796 PMCID: PMC5387238 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0930-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evolutionary shifts in bacterial virulence are often associated with a third biological player, for instance temperate phages, that can act as hyperparasites. By integrating as prophages into the bacterial genome they can contribute accessory genes, which can enhance the fitness of their prokaryotic carrier (lysogenic conversion). Hyperparasitic influence in tripartite biotic interactions has so far been largely neglected in empirical host-parasite studies due to their inherent complexity. Here we experimentally address whether bacterial resistance to phages and bacterial harm to eukaryotic hosts is linked using a natural tri-partite system with bacteria of the genus Vibrio, temperate vibriophages and the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. We induced prophages from all bacterial isolates and constructed a three-fold replicated, fully reciprocal 75 × 75 phage-bacteria infection matrix. Results According to their resistance to phages, bacteria could be grouped into three distinct categories: highly susceptible (HS-bacteria), intermediate susceptible (IS-bacteria), and resistant (R-bacteria). We experimentally challenged pipefish with three selected bacterial isolates from each of the three categories and determined the amount of viable Vibrio counts from infected pipefish and the expression of pipefish immune genes. While the amount of viable Vibrio counts did not differ between bacterial groups, we observed a significant difference in relative gene expression between pipefish infected with phage susceptible and phage resistant bacteria. Conclusion These findings suggest that bacteria with a phage-susceptible phenotype are more harmful against a eukaryotic host, and support the importance of hyperparasitism and the need for an integrative view across more than two levels when studying host-parasite evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0930-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin C Wendling
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Agnes Piecyk
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany.,Present address: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306, Plön, Germany
| | - Dominik Refardt
- Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Campus Grüental, CH-8820, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Cynthia Chibani
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Goettingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Robert Hertel
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Goettingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Heiko Liesegang
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Goettingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany
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Li T, Jiang S, Yang Z, Ma Z, Yi W, Wang D, Yang Y. Targeting the energy guardian AMPK: another avenue for treating cardiomyopathy? Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:1413-1429. [PMID: 27815596 PMCID: PMC11107559 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2407-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a pivotal regulator of endogenous defensive molecules in various pathological processes. The AMPK signaling regulates a variety of intracellular intermedial molecules involved in biological reactions, including glycogen metabolism, protein synthesis, and cardiac fibrosis, in response to hypertrophic stimuli. Studies have revealed that the activation of AMPK performs a protective role in cardiovascular diseases, whereas its function in cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy remains elusive and poorly understood. In view of the current evidence of AMPK, we introduce the biological information of AMPK and cardiac hypertrophy as well as some upstream activators of AMPK. Next, we discuss two important types of cardiomyopathy involving AMPK, RKAG2 cardiomyopathy, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Eventually, therapeutic research, genetic screening, conflicts, obstacles, challenges, and potential directions are also highlighted in this review, aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of AMPK for readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Li
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shuai Jiang
- Department of Aerospace Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhiqiang Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, 1 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Wei Yi
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, 127 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Dongjin Wang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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Getting the Hologenome Concept Right: an Eco-Evolutionary Framework for Hosts and Their Microbiomes. mSystems 2016; 1:mSystems00028-16. [PMID: 27822520 PMCID: PMC5069740 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00028-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the complexity of host-microbiota symbioses, scientists and philosophers are asking questions at new biological levels of hierarchical organization—what is a holobiont and hologenome? When should this vocabulary be applied? Are these concepts a null hypothesis for host-microbe systems or limited to a certain spectrum of symbiotic interactions such as host-microbial coevolution? Critical discourse is necessary in this nascent area, but productive discourse requires that skeptics and proponents use the same lexicon. Given the complexity of host-microbiota symbioses, scientists and philosophers are asking questions at new biological levels of hierarchical organization—what is a holobiont and hologenome? When should this vocabulary be applied? Are these concepts a null hypothesis for host-microbe systems or limited to a certain spectrum of symbiotic interactions such as host-microbial coevolution? Critical discourse is necessary in this nascent area, but productive discourse requires that skeptics and proponents use the same lexicon. For instance, critiquing the hologenome concept is not synonymous with critiquing coevolution, and arguing that an entity is not a primary unit of selection dismisses the fact that the hologenome concept has always embraced multilevel selection. Holobionts and hologenomes are incontrovertible, multipartite entities that result from ecological, evolutionary, and genetic processes at various levels. They are not restricted to one special process but constitute a wider vocabulary and framework for host biology in light of the microbiome.
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Blouin M, Karimi B, Mathieu J, Lerch TZ. Levels and limits in artificial selection of communities. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:1040-8. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Blouin
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (UMR 7618); Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne (UPEC, UPMC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris Diderot); 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle 94010 Créteil France
| | - Battle Karimi
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (UMR 7618); Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne (UPEC, UPMC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris Diderot); 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle 94010 Créteil France
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement (UMR 6249); Université de Franche-Comté; 16 route de Gray 25000 Besançon France
| | - Jérôme Mathieu
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (UMR 7618); Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris06 - Sorbonne (UPEC, UPMC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris Diderot); 7 quai Saint Bernard 75005 Paris France
| | - Thomas Z. Lerch
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (UMR 7618); Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne (UPEC, UPMC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Paris Diderot); 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle 94010 Créteil France
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20
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Campobello D, Hare JF, Sarà M. Social phenotype extended to communities: Expanded multilevel social selection analysis reveals fitness consequences of interspecific interactions. Evolution 2015; 69:916-25. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Campobello
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF); University of Palermo; Via Archirafi 18 90123 Palermo Italy
| | - James F. Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Manitoba; Winnipeg MB Canada
| | - Maurizio Sarà
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF); University of Palermo; Via Archirafi 18 90123 Palermo Italy
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21
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Individuality as a Theoretical Scheme. I. Formal and Material Concepts of Individuality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13752-014-0192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
AbstractWhenever selection operates at a given level of a multitier hierarchy, units at that level should become the object of functional analysis, and units at lower levels should be studied as proximate mechanisms. This intuition already exists for the study of genes in individuals, when individuals are the unit of selection. It is only beginning to be applied for the study of individuals in groups, when groups are the unit of selection. Smaldino's target article is an important step in this direction with an emphasis on human cultural evolution, but the same algorithm applies to all multilevel evolutionary processes.
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23
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Livingston G, Jiang Y, Fox JW, Leibold MA. The dynamics of community assembly under sudden mixing in experimental microcosms. Ecology 2013; 94:2898-906. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1993.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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25
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Heath KD, McGhee KE. Coevolutionary constraints? The environment alters tripartite interaction traits in a legume. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41567. [PMID: 22859998 PMCID: PMC3408487 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Third party species, which interact with one or both partners of a pairwise species interaction, can shift the ecological costs and the evolutionary trajectory of the focal interaction. Shared genes that mediate a host's interactions with multiple partners have the potential to generate evolutionary constraints, making multi-player interactions critical to our understanding of the evolution of key interaction traits. Using a field quantitative genetics approach, we studied phenotypic and genetic correlations among legume traits for rhizobium and herbivore interactions in two light environments. Shifts in plant biomass allocation mediated negative phenotypic correlations between symbiotic nodule number and herbivory in the field, whereas positive genetic covariances suggested shared genetic pathways between nodulation and herbivory response. Trait variance-covariance (G) matrices were not equal in sun and shade, but nevertheless responses to independent and correlated selection are expected to be similar in both environments. Interactions between plants and aboveground antagonists might alter the evolutionary potential of traits mediating belowground mutualisms (and vice versa). Thus our understanding of legume-rhizobium genetics and coevolution may be incomplete without a grasp of how these networks overlap with other plant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy D Heath
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
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26
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Natural selection for costly nutrient recycling in simulated microbial metacommunities. J Theor Biol 2012; 312:1-12. [PMID: 22842011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Recycling of essential nutrients occurs at scales from microbial communities to global biogeochemical cycles, often in association with ecological interactions in which two or more species utilise each others' metabolic by-products. However, recycling loops may be unstable; sequences of reactions leading to net recycling may be parasitised by side-reactions causing nutrient loss, while some reactions in any closed recycling loop are likely to be costly to participants. Here we examine the stability of nutrient recycling loops in an individual-based ecosystem model based on microbial functional types that differ in their metabolism. A supplied nutrient is utilised by a "source" functional type, generating a secondary nutrient that is subsequently used by two other types-a "mutualist" that regenerates the initial nutrient at a growth rate cost, and a "parasite" that produces a refractory waste product but does not incur any additional cost. The three functional types are distributed across a metacommunity in which separate patches are linked by a stochastic diffusive migration process. Regions of high mutualist abundance feature high levels of nutrient recycling and increased local population density leading to greater export of individuals, allowing the source-mutualist recycling loop to spread across the system. Individual-level selection favouring parasites is balanced by patch-level selection for high productivity, indirectly favouring mutualists due to the synergistic productivity benefits of the recycling loop they support. This suggests that multi-level selection may promote nutrient cycling and thereby help to explain the apparent ubiquity and stability of nutrient recycling in nature.
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Büchi L, Vuilleumier S. Dispersal strategies, few dominating or many coexisting: the effect of environmental spatial structure and multiple sources of mortality. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34733. [PMID: 22493712 PMCID: PMC3321035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific competition, life history traits, environmental heterogeneity and spatial structure as well as disturbance are known to impact the successful dispersal strategies in metacommunities. However, studies on the direction of impact of those factors on dispersal have yielded contradictory results and often considered only few competing dispersal strategies at the same time. We used a unifying modeling approach to contrast the combined effects of species traits (adult survival, specialization), environmental heterogeneity and structure (spatial autocorrelation, habitat availability) and disturbance on the selected, maintained and coexisting dispersal strategies in heterogeneous metacommunities. Using a negative exponential dispersal kernel, we allowed for variation of both species dispersal distance and dispersal rate. We showed that strong disturbance promotes species with high dispersal abilities, while low local adult survival and habitat availability select against them. Spatial autocorrelation favors species with higher dispersal ability when adult survival and disturbance rate are low, and selects against them in the opposite situation. Interestingly, several dispersal strategies coexist when disturbance and adult survival act in opposition, as for example when strong disturbance regime favors species with high dispersal abilities while low adult survival selects species with low dispersal. Our results unify apparently contradictory previous results and demonstrate that spatial structure, disturbance and adult survival determine the success and diversity of coexisting dispersal strategies in competing metacommunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Büchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Rowntree JK, Shuker DM, Preziosi RF. Forward from the crossroads of ecology and evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:1322-8. [PMID: 21444306 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Community genetics is a synthesis of community ecology and evolutionary biology. It examines how genetic variation within a species affects interactions among species to change ecological community structure and diversity. The use of community genetics approaches has greatly expanded in recent years and the evidence for ecological effects of genetic diversity is growing. The goal of current community genetics research is to determine the circumstances in which, and the mechanisms by which community genetic effects occur and is the focus of the papers in this special issue. We bring a new group of researchers into the community genetics fold. Using a mixture of empirical research, literature reviews and theoretical development, we introduce novel concepts and methods that we hope will enable us to develop community genetics into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Rowntree
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
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