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Wan JSH, Bonser SP, Pang CK, Fazlioglu F, Rutherford S. Adaptive responses to living in stressful habitats: Do invasive and native plant populations use different strategies? Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14419. [PMID: 38613177 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14419] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Plants inhabit stressful environments characterized by a variety of stressors, including mine sites, mountains, deserts, and high latitudes. Populations from stressful and reference (non-stressful) sites often have performance differences. However, while invasive and native species may respond differently to stressful environments, there is limited understanding of the patterns in reaction norms of populations from these sites. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to assess the performance of populations under stress and non-stress conditions. We ask whether stress populations of natives and invasives differ in the magnitude of lowered performance under non-stress conditions and if they vary in the degree of performance advantage under stress. We also assessed whether these distinctions differ with stress intensity. Our findings revealed that natives not only have greater adaptive advantages but also more performance reductions than invasives. Populations from very stressful sites had more efficient adaptations, and performance costs increased with stress intensity in natives only. Overall, the results support the notion that adaptation is frequently costless. Reproductive output was most closely associated with adaptive costs and benefits. Our study characterized the adaptive strategies used by invasive and native plants under stressful conditions, thereby providing important insights into the limitations of adaptation to extreme sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin S H Wan
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanic Science, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen P Bonser
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Clara K Pang
- PlantClinic, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Susan Rutherford
- Center for Sustainable Environmental and Ecosystem Research, Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA
- Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Lab for Applied Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Informatics, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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2
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Liu X, Man X, Chen M, Zhao C, Liu C, Tong J, Meng F, Shao M, Qu B. Transgenerational plasticity in morphological characteristics and biomass of the invasive plant Xanthium strumarium. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2920. [PMID: 37750229 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) allows a plant to acclimate to external variable environments and is a potential mechanism that explains the range expansion and invasion success of some exotic plants. Most studies explored the traits of TGP associated with the success of exotic plant invasions by comparison studies among exotic, native, invasive, and noninvasive species. However, studies on the TGP of invasive plants in different resource environments are scarce, and the biological mechanisms involved are not well understood. This study aimed to determine the role of TGP in the invasiveness of Xanthium strumarium in northeast China. We measured the plant morphology of aboveground parts and the growth of three generations of the invader under different environmental conditions. The results showed that the intergenerational plasticity of X. strumarium was stronger under stress conditions. We found that the X. strumarium parent generation (F0) grown under water and/or nutrient deficiency conditions transferred the environmental information to their offspring (F1 and F2). The F1 generation grown under high-resource conditions has greater height with larger crown sizes, thicker basal diameters, and higher biomass. Both water and nutrients can affect the intergenerational transmission of plant plasticity, nutrients play a more important role compared with water. The high morphological intergenerational plasticity of X. strumarium under a pressure environment can help it quickly adapt to the new environment and accelerate the rapid expansion of the population in the short term. The root:shoot ratio and reproductive and nutrient distribution of the X. strumarium F0 and F1 generations showed high stability when the growth environment of the F0 generation differed from that of the F1 generation. The stable resource allocation strategy can ensure that the obtained resources are evenly distributed to each organ to maintain the long-term existence of the community. Therefore, the study of intergenerational transmission plasticity is of great significance for understanding the invasion process, mechanism, and prevention of invasive plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaozhen Man
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Meishan Chen
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Changxin Zhao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chuang Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jialin Tong
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fanqi Meng
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Meini Shao
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Bo Qu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Biological Invasions and Global Changes, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Panjin Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shenyang, China
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3
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Kovalchuk I. Heritable responses to stress in plants. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 4:e15. [PMID: 38156078 PMCID: PMC10753343 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2023.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Most plants are adapted to their environments through generations of exposure to all elements. The adaptation process involves the best possible response to fluctuations in the environment based on the genetic and epigenetic make-up of the organism. Many plant species have the capacity to acclimate or adapt to certain stresses, allowing them to respond more efficiently, with fewer resources diverted from growth and development. However, plants can also acquire protection against stress across generations. Such a response is known as an intergenerational response to stress; typically, plants lose most of the tolerance in the subsequent generation when propagated without stress. Occasionally, the protection lasts for more than one generation after stress exposure and such a response is called transgenerational. In this review, we will summarize what is known about inter- and transgenerational responses to stress, focus on phenotypic and epigenetic events, their mechanisms and ecological and evolutionary meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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4
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Latzel V, Fischer M, Groot M, Gutzat R, Lampei C, Ouborg J, Parepa M, Schmid K, Vergeer P, Zhang Y, Bossdorf O. Parental environmental effects are common and strong, but unpredictable, in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1014-1023. [PMID: 36319609 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The phenotypes of plants can be influenced by the environmental conditions experienced by their parents. However, there is still much uncertainty about how common and how predictable such parental environmental effects really are. We carried out a comprehensive experimental test for parental effects, subjecting plants of multiple Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes to 24 different biotic or abiotic stresses, or combinations thereof, and comparing their offspring phenotypes in a common environment. The majority of environmental stresses caused significant parental effects, with -35% to +38% changes in offspring fitness. The expression of parental effects was strongly genotype-dependent, and multiple environmental stresses often acted nonadditively when combined. The direction and magnitude of parental effects were unrelated to the direct effects on the parents: Some environmental stresses did not affect the parents but caused substantial effects on offspring, while for others, the situation was reversed. Our study demonstrates that parental environmental effects are common and often strong in A. thaliana, but they are genotype-dependent, act nonadditively, and are difficult to predict. We should thus be cautious with generalizing from simple studies with single plant genotypes and/or only few individual environmental stresses. A thorough and general understanding of parental effects requires large multifactorial experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vít Latzel
- Institute of Botany of the CAS, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maartje Groot
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben Gutzat
- Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Lampei
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Joop Ouborg
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Madalin Parepa
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Karl Schmid
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University, PO Box 9100, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Yuanye Zhang
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Colzi I, Gonnelli C, Vergata C, Golia G, Coppi A, Castellani MB, Giovino A, Buti M, Sabato T, Capuana M, Aprile A, De Bellis L, Cicatelli A, Guarino F, Castiglione S, Ioannou AG, Fotopoulos V, Martinelli F. Transgenerational effects of chromium stress at the phenotypic and molecular level in Arabidopsis thaliana. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 442:130092. [PMID: 36303345 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we describe the results obtained in a study of the transgenerational phenotypic effects of chromium (Cr) stress on the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. The F1 generation derived from parents grown under chronic and medium chronic stress showed significantly higher levels of the maximal effective concentration (EC50) compared with F1 plants generated from unstressed parents. Moreover, F1 plants from Cr-stressed parents showed a higher germination rate when grown in the presence of Cr. F1 plants derived from parents cultivated under chronic Cr stress displayed reduced hydrogen peroxide levels under Cr stress compared to controls. At lower Cr stress levels, F1 plants were observed to activate promptly more genes involved in Cr stress responses than F0 plants, implying a memory effect linked to transgenerational priming. At higher Cr levels, and at later stages, F1 plants modulated significantly fewer genes than F0 plants, implying a memory effect leading to Cr stress adaptation. Several bHLH transcription factors were induced by Cr stress in F1 but not in F0 plants, including bHLH100, ORG2 and ORG3. F1 plants optimized gene expression towards pathways linked to iron starvation response. A model of the transcriptional regulation of transgenerational memory to Cr stress is presented here, and could be applied for other heavy metal stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Colzi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Italy.
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Coppi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Italy.
| | | | - Antonio Giovino
- CREA Consiglio per la ricerca in Agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria, Centro di Ricerca Difesa e Certificazione, Bagheria, Italy.
| | - Matteo Buti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Italy.
| | | | - Maurizio Capuana
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Italy.
| | - Alessio Aprile
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
| | - Luigi De Bellis
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
| | - Angela Cicatelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Italy.
| | | | | | - Andreas G Ioannou
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, 3603 Lemesos, Cyprus.
| | - Vasileios Fotopoulos
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, 3603 Lemesos, Cyprus.
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6
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Li G, Zhao Y, Liu F, Shi M, Guan Y, Zhang T, Zhao F, Qiao Q, Geng Y. Transcriptional memory of gene expression across generations participates in transgenerational plasticity of field pennycress in response to cadmium stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:953794. [PMID: 36247570 PMCID: PMC9561902 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.953794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) occurs when maternal environments influence the expression of traits in offspring, and in some cases may increase fitness of offspring and have evolutionary significance. However, little is known about the extent of maternal environment influence on gene expression of offspring, and its relationship with trait variations across generations. In this study, we examined TGP in the traits and gene expression of field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) in response to cadmium (Cd) stress. In the first generation, along with the increase of soil Cd concentration, the total biomass, individual height, and number of seeds significantly decreased, whereas time to flowering, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and content of reduced glutathione significantly increased. Among these traits, only SOD activity showed a significant effect of TGP; the offspring of Cd-treated individuals maintained high SOD activity in the absence of Cd stress. According to the results of RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, 10,028 transcripts were identified as Cd-responsive genes. Among them, only 401 were identified as transcriptional memory genes (TMGs) that maintained the same expression pattern under normal conditions in the second generation as in Cd-treated parents in the first generation. These genes mainly participated in Cd tolerance-related processes such as response to oxidative stress, cell wall biogenesis, and the abscisic acid signaling pathways. The results of weighted correlation network analysis showed that modules correlated with SOD activity recruited more TMGs than modules correlated with other traits. The SOD-coding gene CSD2 was found in one of the modules correlated with SOD activity. Furthermore, several TMGs co-expressed with CSD2 were hub genes that were highly connected to other nodes and critical to the network's topology; therefore, recruitment of TMGs in offspring was potentially related to TGP. These findings indicated that, across generations, transcriptional memory of gene expression played an important role in TGP. Moreover, these results provided new insights into the trait evolution processes mediated by phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengyun Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yuewan Zhao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Minnuo Shi
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yabin Guan
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ticao Zhang
- College of Chinese Material Medica, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Fangqing Zhao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Beijing Institute of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Qiao
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
- School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yupeng Geng
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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7
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Camilleri T, Piper MDW, Robker RL, Dowling DK. Maternal and paternal sugar consumption interact to modify offspring life history and physiology. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebecca L. Robker
- School of Biomedicine Robinson Research Institute The University of Adelaide Adelaide SA Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
| | - Damian K. Dowling
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
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8
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Zettlemoyer MA, Lau JA. Warming during maternal generations delays offspring germination in native and nonnative species. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A. Zettlemoyer
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State Univ. Hickory Corners MI USA
- Dept of Plant Biology, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
- Dept of Plant Biology, Univ. of Georgia Athens GA USA
| | - Jennifer A. Lau
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State Univ. Hickory Corners MI USA
- Dept of Plant Biology, Michigan State Univ. East Lansing MI USA
- Dept of Biology&Environmental Resilience Inst., Indiana Univ. Bloomington IN USA
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9
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Van Allen B, Jones N, Gilbert B, Carscadden K, Germain R. Maternal effects and the outcome of interspecific competition. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7544-7556. [PMID: 34188833 PMCID: PMC8216948 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal environmental effects create lagged population responses to past environments. Although they are ubiquitous and vary in expression across taxa, it remains unclear if and how their presence alters competitive interactions in ecological communities.Here, we use a discrete-time competition model to simulate how maternal effects alter competitive dynamics in fluctuating and constant environments. Further, we explore how omitting maternal effects alter estimates of known model parameters from observational time series data.Our simulations demonstrate that (i) maternal effects change competitive outcomes, regardless of whether competitors otherwise interact neutrally or exhibit non-neutral competitive differences, (ii) the consequences of maternal effects for competitive outcomes are mediated by the temporal structure of environmental variation, (iii) even in constant conditions, competitive outcomes are influenced by species' maternal effects strategies, and (iv) in observational time series data, omitting maternal effects reduces variation explained by models and biases parameter estimates, including competition coefficients.Our findings demonstrate that the ecological consequences of maternal effects hinge on the competitive environment. Evolutionary biologists have long recognized that maternal effects can be an important but often overlooked strategy buffering populations from environmental change. We suggest that maternal effects are similarly critical to ecology and call for research into maternal effects as drivers of dynamics in populations and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Van Allen
- Ecology, Behavior, and EvolutionUniversity of California San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Natalie Jones
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Kelly Carscadden
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Rachel Germain
- Zoology & Biodiversity Research CentreThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
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10
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Harmon EA, Pfennig DW. Evolutionary rescue via transgenerational plasticity: Evidence and implications for conservation. Evol Dev 2021; 23:292-307. [PMID: 33522673 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
When a population experiences severe stress from a changing environment, evolution by natural selection can prevent its extinction, a process dubbed "evolutionary rescue." However, evolution may be unable to track the sort of rapid environmental change being experienced by many modern-day populations. A potential solution is for organisms to respond to environmental change through phenotypic plasticity, which can buffer populations against change and thereby buy time for evolutionary rescue. In this review, we examine whether this process extends to situations in which the environmentally induced response is passed to offspring. As we describe, theoretical and empirical studies suggest that such "transgenerational plasticity" can increase population persistence. We discuss the implications of this process for conservation biology, outline potential limitations, and describe some applications. Generally, transgenerational plasticity may be effective at buying time for evolutionary rescue to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Harmon
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - David W Pfennig
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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11
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De Long JR, Heinen R, Jongen R, Hannula SE, Huberty M, Kielak AM, Steinauer K, Bezemer TM. How plant–soil feedbacks influence the next generation of plants. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture Bleiswijk The Netherlands
| | - Robin Heinen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology, Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
- Lehrstuhl fur Terrestrische Okologie, Landnutzung und Umwelt Technische Universitat Munchen, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan fur Ernahrung Freising Germany
| | - Renske Jongen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - S. Emilia Hannula
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Martine Huberty
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology, Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Anna M. Kielak
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Katja Steinauer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - T. Martijn Bezemer
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- Institute of Biology, Section Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
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12
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Dewan S, De Frenne P, Leroux O, Nijs I, Vander Mijnsbrugge K, Verheyen K. Phenology and growth of Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur seedlings in response to temperature variation in the parental versus offspring generation. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2020; 22 Suppl 1:113-122. [PMID: 30739399 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Plants are known to respond to warming temperatures. Few studies, however, have included the temperature experienced by the parent plant in the experimental design, in spite of the importance of this factor for population dynamics. We investigated the phenological and growth responses of seedlings of two key temperate tree species (Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur) to spatiotemporal temperature variation during the reproductive period (parental generation) and experimental warming of the offspring. To this end, we sampled oak and beech seedlings of different ages (1-5 years) from isolated mother trees and planted the seedlings in a common garden. Warming of the seedlings advanced bud burst in both species. In oak seedlings, higher temperatures experienced by mother trees during the reproductive period delayed bud burst in control conditions, but advanced bud burst in heated seedlings. In beech seedlings, bud burst timing advanced both with increasing temperatures during the reproductive period of the parents and with experimental warming of the seedlings. Relative diameter growth was enhanced in control oak seedlings but decreased with warming when the mother plant experienced higher temperatures during the reproductive period. Overall, oak displayed more plastic responses to temperatures than beech. Our results emphasise that temperature during the reproductive period can be a potential determinant of tree responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dewan
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - O Leroux
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - I Nijs
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - K Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Gontrode, Belgium
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13
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Donelan SC, Hellmann JK, Bell AM, Luttbeg B, Orrock JL, Sheriff MJ, Sih A. Transgenerational Plasticity in Human-Altered Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 35:115-124. [PMID: 31706627 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Our ability to predict how species will respond to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) may depend upon our understanding of transgenerational plasticity (TGP), which occurs when environments experienced by previous generations influence phenotypes of subsequent generations. TGP evolved to help organisms cope with environmental stressors when parental environments are highly predictive of offspring environments. HIREC can alter conditions that favored TGP in historical environments by reducing parents' ability to detect environmental conditions, disrupting previous correlations between parental and offspring environments, and interfering with the transmission of parental cues to offspring. Because of the propensity to produce errors in these processes, TGP will likely generate negative fitness outcomes in response to HIREC, though beneficial fitness outcomes may occur in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Donelan
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Program in Neuroscience, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Program in Neuroscience, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Barney Luttbeg
- Department of Integrative Biology, 501 Life Sciences West, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, 145 Noland Hall, 250 North Mills Street, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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14
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Banerjee AK, Guo W, Huang Y. Genetic and epigenetic regulation of phenotypic variation in invasive plants – linking research trends towards a unified framework. NEOBIOTA 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.49.33723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic variation in the introduced range of an invasive species can be modified by genetic variation, environmental conditions and their interaction, as well as stochastic events like genetic drift. Recent studies found that epigenetic modifications may also contribute to phenotypic variation being independent of genetic changes. Despite gaining profound ecological insights from empirical studies, understanding the relative contributions of these molecular mechanisms behind phenotypic variation has received little attention for invasive plant species in particular.
This review therefore aimed at summarizing and synthesizing information on the genetic and epigenetic basis of phenotypic variation of alien invasive plants in the introduced range and their evolutionary consequences. Transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic modifications was highlighted focusing on its influence on microevolution of the invasive plant species. We presented a comprehensive account of epigenetic regulation of phenotypic variation and its role in plant invasion in the presence of reduced standing genetic variation, inbreeding depression and associated genomic events which have often been observed during introduction and range expansion of an invasive alien species. Finally, taking clues from the studies conducted so far, we proposed a unified framework of future experimental approaches to understand ecological and evolutionary aspects of phenotypic variation. This holistic approach, being aligned to the invasion process in particular (introduction-establishment-spread), was intended to understand the molecular mechanisms of phenotypic variation of an invasive species in its introduced range and to disentangle the effects of standing genetic variation and epigenetic regulation of phenotypic variation.
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15
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De Long JR, Semchenko M, Pritchard WJ, Cordero I, Fry EL, Jackson BG, Kurnosova K, Ostle NJ, Johnson D, Baggs EM, Bardgett RD. Drought soil legacy overrides maternal effects on plant growth. Funct Ecol 2019; 33:1400-1410. [PMID: 31588158 PMCID: PMC6767434 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects (i.e. trans-generational plasticity) and soil legacies generated by drought and plant diversity can affect plant performance and alter nutrient cycling and plant community dynamics. However, the relative importance and combined effects of these factors on plant growth dynamics remain poorly understood.We used soil and seeds from an existing plant diversity and drought manipulation field experiment in temperate grassland to test maternal, soil drought and diversity legacy effects, and their interactions, on offspring plant performance of two grassland species (Alopecurus pratensis and Holcus lanatus) under contrasting glasshouse conditions.Our results showed that drought soil legacy effects eclipsed maternal effects on plant biomass. Drought soil legacy effects were attributed to changes in both abiotic (i.e. nutrient availability) and biotic soil properties (i.e. microbial carbon and enzyme activity), as well as plant root and shoot atom 15N excess. Further, plant tissue nutrient concentrations and soil microbial C:N responses to drought legacies varied between the two plant species and soils from high and low plant diversity treatments. However, these diversity effects did not affect plant root or shoot biomass.These findings demonstrate that while maternal effects resulting from drought occur in grasslands, their impacts on plant performance are likely minor relative to drought legacy effects on soil abiotic and biotic properties. This suggests that soil drought legacy effects could become increasingly important drivers of plant community dynamics and ecosystem functioning as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense with climate change. A plain language summary is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of EcologyWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marina Semchenko
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - William J. Pritchard
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Irene Cordero
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Ellen L. Fry
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Benjamin G. Jackson
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesThe University of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - Ksenia Kurnosova
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | | | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Elizabeth M. Baggs
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesThe University of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - Richard D. Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
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16
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Llewelyn J, Macdonald SL, Moritz C, Martins F, Hatcher A, Phillips BL. Adjusting to climate: Acclimation, adaptation and developmental plasticity in physiological traits of a tropical rainforest lizard. Integr Zool 2019; 13:411-427. [PMID: 29316349 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The impact of climate change may be felt most keenly by tropical ectotherms. In these taxa, it is argued, thermal specialization means a given shift in temperature will have a larger effect on fitness. For species with limited dispersal ability, the impact of climate change depends on the capacity for their climate-relevant traits to shift. Such shifts can occur through genetic adaptation, various forms of plasticity, or a combination of these processes. Here we assess the extent and causes of shifts in 7 physiological traits in a tropical lizard, the rainforest sunskink (Lampropholis coggeri). Two populations were sampled that differ from each other in both climate and physiological traits. We compared trait values in each animal soon after field collection versus following acclimation to laboratory conditions. We also compared trait values between populations in: (i) recently field-collected animals; (ii) the same animals following laboratory acclimation; and (iii) the laboratory-reared offspring of these animals. Our results reveal high trait lability, driven primarily by acclimation and local adaptation. By contrast, developmental plasticity, resulting from incubation temperature, had little to no effect on most traits. These results suggest that, while specialized, tropical ectotherms may be capable of rapid shifts in climate-relevant traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Llewelyn
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,CSIRO Land and Water, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stewart L Macdonald
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,CSIRO Land and Water, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Craig Moritz
- Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Felipe Martins
- Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Amberlee Hatcher
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ben L Phillips
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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17
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Stinson K, Carley L, Hancock L, Donohue K. Effects of maternal source and progeny microhabitat on natural selection and population dynamics in Alliaria petiolata. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:821-832. [PMID: 31162644 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The success or failure of propagules in contrasting microhabitats may play a role in biological invasion. We tested for variation in demographic performance and phenotypic trait expression during invasion by Alliaria petiolata in different microhabitats. METHODS We performed a reciprocal transplant experiment with Alliaria petiolata from edge, intermediate, and forest understory microhabitats to determine the roles of the environment and maternal source on traits, fecundity, population growth rates (λ), and selection. RESULTS Observations of in situ populations show that edge populations had the highest density and reproductive output, and forest populations had the lowest. In experimental populations, population growth rates and reproductive output were highest in the edge, and the intermediate habitat had the lowest germination and juvenile survival. Traits exhibited phenotypic plasticity in response to microhabitat, but that plasticity was not adaptive. There were few effects of maternal source location on fitness components or traits. CONCLUSIONS Alliaria petiolata appears to be viable, or nearly so, in all three microhabitat types, with edge populations likely providing seed to the other microhabitats. The intermediate microhabitat may filter propagules at the seed stage, but discrepancies between in situ observations and experimental transplants preclude clear conclusions about the role of each microhabitat in niche expansion. However, edge microhabitats show the highest seed output in both analyses, suggesting that managing edge habitats might reduce spread to the forest understory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Stinson
- University of Massachusetts, Environmental Conservation, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- Harvard University, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA, 01366, USA
| | - Lauren Carley
- Duke University Program in Ecology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Duke University Biology Department, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Laura Hancock
- University of Massachusetts, Environmental Conservation, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- University of Massachusetts, Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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18
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Schweiger AH, Boulangeat I, Conradi T, Davis M, Svenning JC. The importance of ecological memory for trophic rewilding as an ecosystem restoration approach. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1-15. [PMID: 29877019 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human pressure on strongly defaunated ecosystems is characteristic of the Anthropocene and calls for proactive restoration approaches that promote self-sustaining, functioning ecosystems. However, the suitability of novel restoration concepts such as trophic rewilding is still under discussion given fragmentary empirical data and limited theory development. Here, we develop a theoretical framework that integrates the concept of 'ecological memory' into trophic rewilding. The ecological memory of an ecosystem is defined as an ecosystem's accumulated abiotic and biotic material and information legacies from past dynamics. By summarising existing knowledge about the ecological effects of megafauna extinction and rewilding across a large range of spatial and temporal scales, we identify two key drivers of ecosystem responses to trophic rewilding: (i) impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna, and (ii) ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem. The impact potential of (re)introduced megafauna species can be estimated from species properties such as lifetime per capita engineering capacity, population density, home range size and niche overlap with resident species. The importance of ecological memory characterising the focal ecosystem depends on (i) the absolute time since megafauna loss, (ii) the speed of abiotic and biotic turnover, (iii) the strength of species interactions characterising the focal ecosystem, and (iv) the compensatory capacity of surrounding source ecosystems. These properties related to the focal and surrounding ecosystems mediate material and information legacies (its ecological memory) and modulate the net ecosystem impact of (re)introduced megafauna species. We provide practical advice about how to quantify all these properties while highlighting the strong link between ecological memory and historically contingent ecosystem trajectories. With this newly established ecological memory-rewilding framework, we hope to guide future empirical studies that investigate the ecological effects of trophic rewilding and other ecosystem-restoration approaches. The proposed integrated conceptual framework should also assist managers and decision makers to anticipate the possible trajectories of ecosystem dynamics after restoration actions and to weigh plausible alternatives. This will help practitioners to develop adaptive management strategies for trophic rewilding that could facilitate sustainable management of functioning ecosystems in an increasingly human-dominated world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas H Schweiger
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Isabelle Boulangeat
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,University Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR LESSEM, 2 rue de la Papeterie-BP 76, F-38402, St-Martin-d'Hères, France
| | - Timo Conradi
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Matt Davis
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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19
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Li K, Chen J, Wei Q, Li Q, Lei N. Effects of Transgenerational Plasticity on Morphological and Physiological Properties of Stoloniferous Herb Centella asiatica Subjected to High/Low Light. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1640. [PMID: 30487805 PMCID: PMC6246981 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Environmentally induced transgenerational plasticity can increase success of progeny and thereby be adaptive if progeny experiences the similarly parental environment. The ecological and evolutionary significance of transgenerational plasticity in plant has been studied mainly in the context of sexual generations. A pot experiment using the stoloniferous herb Centella asiatica was conducted to investigate the effects of high/low light treatment experienced by parental ramets (F0 generation) on morphological and physiological properties of offspring ramets (F2 generation) as well as growth performance. Light environment experienced by parental ramets (F0 generation) significantly influenced petiole length, specific petiole length, internode length of stolon, leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll contents, potential maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax ) in offspring ramets subjected to parental or non-parental environments even after they were detached from the parental ramets. Potential maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax ) of offspring ramets (F2 generation) from parental ramets (F0 generation) subjected to low light treatment was significantly greater than that of offspring ramets (F2 generation) from parental ramets (F0 generation) subjected to high light treatment. Potential maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax ) of offspring ramets (F2 generation) subjected to parental light environment was greater than that of offspring ramets (F2 generation) subjected to non-parental light environment. The greatest biomass accumulation and total stolon length were observed in offspring ramets (F2 generation) subjected to low light treatment as parental ramets (F0 generation) experienced. When parental ramets (F0 generation) were subjected to low light treatment, biomass accumulation and total stolon length of offspring ramets (F2 generation) experiencing parental light environment were significantly greater than those of offspring ramets (F2 generation) experiencing non-parental light environment. Opposite pattern was observed in offspring ramets (F2 generation) from parental ramets subjected to high light treatment. Our work provides evidence that transgenerational plasticity through both morphological and physiological flexibility was triggered across vegetative generations for stoloniferous herb C. asiatica subjected to high/low light treatment. The transgenerational plasticity can allow offspring ramets to present adaptive phenotype early without lag time in response to the current environment. Thus, it is very important for clonal plants in adapting temporally and spatially heterogeneous habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenian Li
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinsong Chen
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qing Wei
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Li
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ningfei Lei
- College of Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
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20
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Kristensen TN, Ketola T, Kronholm I. Adaptation to environmental stress at different timescales. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1476:5-22. [PMID: 30259990 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Environments are changing rapidly, and to cope with these changes, organisms have to adapt. Adaptation can take many shapes and occur at different speeds, depending on the type of response, the trait, the population, and the environmental conditions. The biodiversity crisis that we are currently facing illustrates that numerous species and populations are not capable of adapting with sufficient speed to ongoing environmental changes. Here, we discuss current knowledge on the ability of animals and plants to adapt to environmental stress on different timescales, mainly focusing on thermal stress and ectotherms. We discuss within-generation responses that can be fast and induced within minutes or hours, evolutionary adaptations that are often slow and take several generations, and mechanisms that lay somewhere in between and that include epigenetic transgenerational effects. To understand and predict the impacts of environmental change and stress on biodiversity, we suggest that future studies should (1) have an increased focus on understanding the type and speed of responses to fast environmental changes; (2) focus on the importance of environmental fluctuations and the predictability of environmental conditions on adaptive capabilities, preferably in field studies encompassing several fitness components; and (3) look at ecosystem responses to environmental stress and their resilience when disturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Bioscience, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tarmo Ketola
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ilkka Kronholm
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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21
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Germain RM, Grainger TN, Jones NT, Gilbert B. Maternal provisioning is structured by species’ competitive neighborhoods. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Germain
- Dept Botany and Dept of Zoology, Univ. of British Columbia; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Tess N. Grainger
- Dept Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
| | - Natalie T. Jones
- Dept Biological Sciences, Univ. of California - San Diego; San Diego CA USA
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Dept Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
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22
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Vannier N, Mony C, Bittebiere AK, Michon-Coudouel S, Biget M, Vandenkoornhuyse P. A microorganisms' journey between plant generations. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:79. [PMID: 29695286 PMCID: PMC5918900 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0459-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plants are colonized by a great diversity of microorganisms which form a microbiota and perform additional functions for their host. This microbiota can thus be considered a toolbox enabling plants to buffer local environmental changes, with a positive influence on plant fitness. In this context, the transmission of the microbiota to the progeny represent a way to ensure the presence of beneficial symbionts within the habitat. Examples of such transmission have been mainly described for seed transmission and concern a few pathogenic microorganisms. We investigated the transmission of symbiotic partners to plant progeny within clonal plant network. METHODS We used the clonal plant Glechoma hederacea as plant model and forced newly emitted clonal progeny to root in separated pots while controlling the presence of microorganisms. We used an amplicon sequencing approach of 16S and 18S rRNA targeting bacteria/archaea and fungi respectively to describe the root microbiota of mother and clonal-plant offspring. RESULTS We demonstrated the vertical transmission of a significant proportion of the mother plants' symbiotic bacteria and fungi to the daughters. Interestingly, archaea were not transmitted to the daughter plants. Transmitted communities had lower richness, suggesting a filtration during transmission. We found that the transmitted pool of microorganisms was similar among daughters, constituting the heritability of a specific cohort of microorganisms, opening a new understanding of the plant holobiont. We also found significant effects of distance to the mother plant and of growth time on the richness of the microbiota transmitted. CONCLUSIONS In this clonal plant, microorganisms are transmitted between individuals through connections, thereby ensuring the availability of microbe partners for the newborn plants as well as the dispersion between hosts for the microorganisms. This previously undescribed ecological process allows the dispersal of microorganisms in space and across plant generations. As the vast majority of plants are clonal, this process might be therefore a strong driver of ecosystem functioning and assembly of plant and microorganism communities in a wide range of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Vannier
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France.
| | - Cendrine Mony
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Anne-Kristel Bittebiere
- Université de Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Michon-Coudouel
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMS3343 OSUR, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Marine Biget
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMS3343 OSUR, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Vandenkoornhuyse
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France
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23
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Dong BC, van Kleunen M, Yu FH. Context-Dependent Parental Effects on Clonal Offspring Performance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1824. [PMID: 30574160 PMCID: PMC6291468 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Parental environments may potentially affect offspring fitness, and the expression of such parental effects may depend on offspring environments and on whether one considers an individual offspring or all offspring of a parent. Using a well-studied clonal herb, Alternanthera philoxeroides, we first grew parent plants in high and low soil-nutrient conditions and obtained 1st generation clonal offspring from these two environments. Then we grew offspring of these two types of 1st generation clonal offspring also in high and low nutrient conditions. We measured and analyzed mean performance and summed performance of the four types of 2nd generation clonal offspring. High nutrient availability of parental environments markedly increased both mean performance (i.e., the average fitness measure across all individual offspring produced by a parent) and summed performance (i.e., the sum of the fitness measure of all offspring produced by a parent) of the 2nd generation clonal offspring. The positive parental effects on summed performance of the 2nd generation clonal offspring were stronger when the 1st generation clonal offspring grew in the high instead of the low nutrient conditions, but the positive parental effects on their mean performance did not depend on the nutrient environments of the 1st generation clonal offspring. The results provide novel evidence that parental environmental effects persist across vegetative generations and strongly depend on offspring environments and levels of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bi-Cheng Dong
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Ecology, Biology Department, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- *Correspondence: Fei-Hai Yu
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24
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Balao F, Paun O, Alonso C. Uncovering the contribution of epigenetics to plant phenotypic variation in Mediterranean ecosystems. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2018. [PMID: 28637098 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic signals can affect plant phenotype and fitness and be stably inherited across multiple generations. Epigenetic regulation plays a key role in the mechanisms of plant response to the environment, without altering DNA sequence. As plants cannot adapt behaviourally or migrate instantly, such dynamic epigenetic responses may be particularly crucial for survival of plants within changing and challenging environments, such as the Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems (MTEs). These ecosystems suffer recurrent stressful events (warm and dry summers with associated fire regimes) that have selected for plants with similar phenotypic complex traits, resulting in similar vegetation growth forms. However, the potential role of epigenetics in plant adaptation to recurrent stressful environments such as the MTEs has generally been ignored. To understand the full spectrum of adaptive processes in such contexts, it is imperative to prompt study of the causes and consequences of epigenetic variation in natural populations. With this purpose, we review here current knowledge on epigenetic variation in natural populations and the genetic and epigenetic basis of some key traits for plants in the MTEs, namely those traits involved in adaptation to drought, fire and oligotrophic soils. We conclude there is still much to be learned about 'plant epigenetics in the wild' and, thus, we propose future research steps in the study of natural epigenetic variation of key traits in the MTEs at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Balao
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - O Paun
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Alonso
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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25
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Huang Y, Ao Y, Jiang M. Reproductive Plasticity of an Invasive Insect Pest, Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 110:2381-2387. [PMID: 29045676 DOI: 10.1093/jee/tox274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive plasticity is a key determinant of species invasiveness. However, there are a limited number of studies addressing this issue in exotic insects. The rice water weevil Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), which is native to North America, is one of the most invasive insect pests in east Asia. In this study, we investigated the reproductive status of first-generation females (progeny of overwintered weevils) from five geographic regions in southern and northern China in the field, and reproductive status and ovipositional features of females provided with suitable host plants in the laboratory after collection. Under field conditions, a proportion of females oviposited, while the rest remained in diapause from all three southern regions investigated, but reproductive development did not take place in females from the two northern regions, where the weevil produces only one generation per year. However, when fed host plants in the laboratory, females from all regions laid eggs. They typically had a very short ovipositional period (3-6 d on average on rice at a temperature of 27°C), laid a low number of eggs, and did not die soon after oviposition; this was different from common reproductive females. We concluded that first-generation L. oryzophilus females, which largely enter diapause after emergence, are highly plastic in their reproductive performance and are ready to reproduce under favorable conditions. Our results indicate the significance of their reproductive plasticity for geographic spread and population development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunshang Huang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Yan Ao
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Mingxing Jiang
- Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
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26
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Espeland EK, Johnson RC, Horning ME. Plasticity in native perennial grass populations: Implications for restoration. Evol Appl 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eva.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard C. Johnson
- Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research Unit; USDA-ARS; Pullman WA USA
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Dyer AR, Cochran JE, Phillips JM, Layne KI, Berry ME, Kule AK. Bagged Commercial Soils are an Avenue for Regional Dispersal of Weedy Plant Species. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-178.2.275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Dyer
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
| | - Jessica E. Cochran
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
| | - Jamie M. Phillips
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
| | - Katherine I. Layne
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
| | - Megan E. Berry
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
| | - A. Katherine Kule
- Department of Biology & Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801
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28
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Groot MP, Kubisch A, Ouborg NJ, Pagel J, Schmid KJ, Vergeer P, Lampei C. Transgenerational effects of mild heat in Arabidopsis thaliana show strong genotype specificity that is explained by climate at origin. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:1221-1234. [PMID: 28590553 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational environmental effects can trigger strong phenotypic variation. However, it is unclear how cues from different preceding generations interact. Also, little is known about the genetic variation for these life history traits. Here, we present the effects of grandparental and parental mild heat, and their combination, on four traits of the third-generation phenotype of 14 Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. We tested for correlations of these effects with climate and constructed a conceptual model to identify the environmental conditions that favour the parental effect on flowering time. We observed strong evidence for genotype-specific transgenerational effects. On average, A. thaliana accustomed to mild heat produced more seeds after two generations. Parental effects overruled grandparental effects in all traits except reproductive biomass. Flowering was generally accelerated by all transgenerational effects. Notably, the parental effect triggered earliest flowering in genotypes adapted to dry summers. Accordingly, this parental effect was favoured in the model when early summer heat terminated the growing season and environments were correlated across generations. Our results suggest that A. thaliana can partly accustom to mild heat over two generations and genotype-specific parental effects show non-random evolutionary divergence across populations that may support climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje P Groot
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kubisch
- Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, August-Hartmann-Str. 3, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Theoretical Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Emil-Fischerstr. 32, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - N Joop Ouborg
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jörn Pagel
- Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, August-Hartmann-Str. 3, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Karl J Schmid
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Philippine Vergeer
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Lampei
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
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29
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Hales NR, Schield DR, Andrew AL, Card DC, Walsh MR, Castoe TA. Contrasting gene expression programs correspond with predator-induced phenotypic plasticity within and across generations in Daphnia. Mol Ecol 2017. [PMID: 28628257 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Research has shown that a change in environmental conditions can alter the expression of traits during development (i.e., "within-generation phenotypic plasticity") as well as induce heritable phenotypic responses that persist for multiple generations (i.e., "transgenerational plasticity", TGP). It has long been assumed that shifts in gene expression are tightly linked to observed trait responses at the phenotypic level. Yet, the manner in which organisms couple within- and TGP at the molecular level is unclear. Here we tested the influence of fish predator chemical cues on patterns of gene expression within- and across generations using a clone of Daphnia ambigua that is known to exhibit strong TGP but weak within-generation plasticity. Daphnia were reared in the presence of predator cues in generation 1, and shifts in gene expression were tracked across two additional asexual experimental generations that lacked exposure to predator cues. Initial exposure to predator cues in generation 1 was linked to ~50 responsive genes, but such shifts were 3-4× larger in later generations. Differentially expressed genes included those involved in reproduction, exoskeleton structure and digestion; major shifts in expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins were also identified. Furthermore, shifts within the first-generation and transgenerational shifts in gene expression were largely distinct in terms of the genes that were differentially expressed. Such results argue that the gene expression programmes involved in within- vs. transgeneration plasticity are fundamentally different. Our study provides new key insights into the plasticity of gene expression and how it relates to phenotypic plasticity in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R Hales
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Audra L Andrew
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Daren C Card
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Matthew R Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
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30
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Schneider A. Flowering time evolution is independent of serpentine tolerance in the California flora. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Schneider
- Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology University of California 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley California 94720 USA
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31
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Vannier N, Bittebiere AK, Vandenkoornhuyse P, Mony C. AM fungi patchiness and the clonal growth of Glechoma hederacea in heterogeneous environments. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37852. [PMID: 27886270 PMCID: PMC5122940 DOI: 10.1038/srep37852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of AM fungi spatial distribution on individual plant development may determine the dynamics of the whole plant community. We investigated whether clonal plants display, like for other resources, a foraging or a specialization response, to adapt to the distribution of AM fungi. Two separate experiments were done to investigate the response of Glechoma hederacea to a heterogeneous distribution of a mixture of 3 AM fungi species, and the effects of each species on colonization and allocation traits. No specialization and a limited foraging response to the heterogeneous distribution of AM fungi was observed. An effect of the AM fungal species on plant mass allocation and ramet production, but not on spacer length, was detected. Two possible explanations are proposed: (i) the plant's responses are buffered by differences in individual effects of the fungal species or their root colonization intensity. (ii) the initial heterogeneous distribution of AM fungi is perceived as homogeneous by the plant either by reduced physiological integration or due to the transfer of AM fungi propagules through the stolons. Microscopic and DNA sequencing analyses provided evidence of this transfer, thus demonstrating the role of stolons as dispersal vectors of AM fungi within the plant clonal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Vannier
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, Campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 RENNES Cedex (France)
| | - Anne-Kristel Bittebiere
- Université de Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023 LEHNA 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 VILLEURBANNE Cedex (France)
| | - Philippe Vandenkoornhuyse
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, Campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 RENNES Cedex (France)
| | - Cendrine Mony
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553 EcoBio, Campus Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 RENNES Cedex (France)
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32
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Effects of patch contrast and arrangement on benefits of clonal integration in a rhizomatous clonal plant. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35459. [PMID: 27759040 PMCID: PMC5069692 DOI: 10.1038/srep35459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The availabilities of light and soil water resources usually spatially co-vary in natural habitats, and the spatial pattern of such co-variation may affect the benefits of physiological integration between connected ramets of clonal plants. In a greenhouse experiment, we grew connected or disconnected ramet pairs [consisting of a proximal (relatively old) and a distal (relative young) ramet] of a rhizomatous herb Iris japonica in four heterogeneous environments differing in patch arrangement (reciprocal vs. parallel patchiness of light and soil water) and patch contrast (high vs. low contrast of light and water). Biomass of the proximal part, distal part and clonal fragment of I. japonica were all significantly greater in the intact than in the severed treatment, in the parallel than in the reciprocal patchiness treatment and in the high than in the low contrast treatment, but the effect of severing the connection between ramet pairs did not depend on patch arrangement or contrast. Severing the connection decreased number of ramets of the distal part and the clonal fragment in the parallel patchiness arrangement, but not in the reciprocal patchiness arrangement. Therefore, the spatial arrangement of resource patches can alter the effects of clonal integration on asexual reproduction in I. japonica.
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Walsh MR, Castoe T, Holmes J, Packer M, Biles K, Walsh M, Munch SB, Post DM. Local adaptation in transgenerational responses to predators. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2015.2271. [PMID: 26817775 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental signals can induce phenotypic changes that span multiple generations. Along with phenotypic responses that occur during development (i.e. 'within-generation' plasticity), such 'transgenerational plasticity' (TGP) has been documented in a diverse array of taxa spanning many environmental perturbations. New theory predicts that temporal stability is a key driver of the evolution of TGP. We tested this prediction using natural populations of zooplankton from lakes in Connecticut that span a large gradient in the temporal dynamics of predator-induced mortality. We reared more than 120 clones of Daphnia ambigua from nine lakes for multiple generations in the presence/absence of predator cues. We found that temporal variation in mortality selects for within-generation plasticity while consistently strong (or weak) mortality selects for increased TGP. Such results provide us the first evidence for local adaptation in TGP and argue that divergent ecological conditions select for phenotypic responses within and across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Todd Castoe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Julian Holmes
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Michelle Packer
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Kelsey Biles
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Melissa Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Stephan B Munch
- National Marine Fisheries Service, 110 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - David M Post
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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34
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Herman JJ, Sultan SE. DNA methylation mediates genetic variation for adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160988. [PMID: 27629032 PMCID: PMC5031651 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental stresses experienced by individual parents can influence offspring phenotypes in ways that enhance survival under similar conditions. Although such adaptive transgenerational plasticity is well documented, its transmission mechanisms are generally unknown. One possible mechanism is environmentally induced DNA methylation changes. We tested this hypothesis in the annual plant Polygonum persicaria, a species known to express adaptive transgenerational plasticity in response to parental drought stress. Replicate plants of 12 genetic lines (sampled from natural populations) were grown in dry versus moist soil. Their offspring were exposed to the demethylating agent zebularine or to control conditions during germination and then grown in dry soil. Under control germination conditions, the offspring of drought-stressed parents grew longer root systems and attained greater biomass compared with offspring of well-watered parents of the same genetic lines. Demethylation removed these adaptive developmental effects of parental drought, but did not significantly alter phenotypic expression in offspring of well-watered parents. The effect of demethylation on the expression of the parental drought effect varied among genetic lines. Differential seed provisioning did not contribute to the effect of parental drought on offspring phenotypes. These results demonstrate that DNA methylation can mediate adaptive, genotype-specific effects of parental stress on offspring phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J Herman
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Sonia E Sultan
- Biology Department, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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35
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Wang YJ, Shi XP, Meng XF, Wu XJ, Luo FL, Yu FH. Effects of Spatial Patch Arrangement and Scale of Covarying Resources on Growth and Intraspecific Competition of a Clonal Plant. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:753. [PMID: 27375630 PMCID: PMC4891989 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Spatial heterogeneity in two co-variable resources such as light and water availability is common and can affect the growth of clonal plants. Several studies have tested effects of spatial heterogeneity in the supply of a single resource on competitive interactions of plants, but none has examined those of heterogeneous distribution of two co-variable resources. In a greenhouse experiment, we grew one (without intraspecific competition) or nine isolated ramets (with competition) of a rhizomatous herb Iris japonica under a homogeneous environment and four heterogeneous environments differing in patch arrangement (reciprocal and parallel patchiness of light and soil water) and patch scale (large and small patches of light and water). Intraspecific competition significantly decreased the growth of I. japonica, but at the whole container level there were no significant interaction effects of competition by spatial heterogeneity or significant effect of heterogeneity on competitive intensity. Irrespective of competition, the growth of I. japonica in the high and the low water patches did not differ significantly in the homogeneous treatments, but it was significantly larger in the high than in the low water patches in the heterogeneous treatments with large patches. For the heterogeneous treatments with small patches, the growth of I. japonica was significantly larger in the high than in the low water patches in the presence of competition, but such an effect was not significant in the absence of competition. Furthermore, patch arrangement and patch scale significantly affected competitive intensity at the patch level. Therefore, spatial heterogeneity in light and water supply can alter intraspecific competition at the patch level and such effects depend on patch arrangement and patch scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Jian Wang
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry UniversityBeijing, China
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Xue-Ping Shi
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Xue-Feng Meng
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Wu
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhan, China
| | - Fang-Li Luo
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry UniversityBeijing, China
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Caño L, Fuertes-Mendizabal T, García-Baquero G, Herrera M, González-Moro MB. Plasticity to salinity and transgenerational effects in the nonnative shrub Baccharis halimifolia: Insights into an estuarine invasion. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2016; 103:808-820. [PMID: 27208349 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Abiotic constraints act as selection filters for plant invasion in stressful habitats. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and transgenerational effects play a major role in colonization of heterogeneous habitats when the scale of environmental variation is smaller than that of gene flow. We investigated how plasticity and parental salinity conditions influence the performance of the invasive dioecious shrub Baccharis halimifolia, which replaces heterogeneous estuarine communities in Europe with monospecific and continuous stands. METHODS In two greenhouse experiments, we grew plants derived from seeds and cuttings collected through interspersed patches differing in edaphic salinity from an invasive population. We estimated parental environmental salinity from leaf Na(+) content in parental plants, and we measured fitness and ion homeostasis of the offspring grown in contrasting salinity conditions. KEY RESULTS Baccharis halimifolia tolerates high salinity but experiences drastic biomass reduction at moderate salinity. At moderate salinity, responses to salinity are affected by the parental salinity: flowering initiation in seedlings and male cuttings is positively correlated with parental leaf Na(+) content, and biomass is positively correlated with maternal leaf Na(+) in female cuttings and seedlings. Plant height, leaf production, specific leaf area, and ionic homeostasis at the low part of the gradient are also affected by parental salinity, suggesting enhanced shoot growth as parental salinity increases. CONCLUSIONS Our results support plasticity to salinity and transgenerational effects as factors with great potential to contribute to the invasive ability of B. halimifolia through estuarine communities of high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Caño
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU 48080 Bizkaia, Spain Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science 48160 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Teresa Fuertes-Mendizabal
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU 48080 Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo García-Baquero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU 48080 Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Mercedes Herrera
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU 48080 Bizkaia, Spain
| | - M Begoña González-Moro
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU 48080 Bizkaia, Spain
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Ostrowski MF, Prosperi JM, David J. Potential Implications of Climate Change on Aegilops Species Distribution: Sympatry of These Crop Wild Relatives with the Major European Crop Triticum aestivum and Conservation Issues. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153974. [PMID: 27100790 PMCID: PMC4839726 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene flow from crop to wild relatives is a common phenomenon which can lead to reduced adaptation of the wild relatives to natural ecosystems and/or increased adaptation to agrosystems (weediness). With global warming, wild relative distributions will likely change, thus modifying the width and/or location of co-occurrence zones where crop-wild hybridization events could occur (sympatry). This study investigates current and 2050 projected changes in sympatry levels between cultivated wheat and six of the most common Aegilops species in Europe. Projections were generated using MaxEnt on presence-only data, bioclimatic variables, and considering two migration hypotheses and two 2050 climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Overall, a general decline in suitable climatic conditions for Aegilops species outside the European zone and a parallel increase in Europe were predicted. If no migration could occur, the decline was predicted to be more acute outside than within the European zone. The potential sympatry level in Europe by 2050 was predicted to increase at a higher rate than species richness, and most expansions were predicted to occur in three countries, which are currently among the top four wheat producers in Europe: Russia, France and Ukraine. The results are also discussed with regard to conservation issues of these crop wild relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-France Ostrowski
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes, Montpellier Supagro, France
- Montpellier Supagro, Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes, Montpellier Supagro, France
| | - Jean-Marie Prosperi
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes, Montpellier Supagro, France
| | - Jacques David
- Montpellier Supagro, Unité Mixte de Recherche Amélioration Génétique et Adaptation des Plantes, Montpellier Supagro, France
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Dahro B, Wang F, Peng T, Liu JH. PtrA/NINV, an alkaline/neutral invertase gene of Poncirus trifoliata, confers enhanced tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses by modulating ROS levels and maintaining photosynthetic efficiency. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2016. [PMID: 27025596 DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alkaline/neutral invertase (A/N-INV), an enzyme that hydrolyzes sucrose irreversibly into glucose and fructose, is essential for normal plant growth,development, and stress tolerance. However, the physiological and/or molecular mechanism underpinning the role of A/N-INV in abiotic stress tolerance is poorly understood. RESULTS In this report, an A/N-INV gene (PtrA/NINV) was isolated from Poncirus trifoliata, a cold-hardy relative of citrus, and functionally characterized. PtrA/NINV expression levels were induced by cold, salt, dehydration, sucrose, and ABA, but decreased by glucose. PtrA/NINV was found to localize in both chloroplasts and mitochondria. Overexpression of PtrA/NINV conferred enhanced tolerance to multiple stresses, including cold, high salinity, and drought, as supported by lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduced oxidative damages, decreased water loss rate, and increased photosynthesis efficiency, relative to wild-type (WT). The transgenic plants exhibited higher A/N-INV activity and greater reducing sugar content under normal and stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS PtrA/NINV is an important gene implicated in sucrose decomposition, and plays a positive role in abiotic stress tolerance by promoting osmotic adjustment, ROS detoxification and photosynthesis efficiency. Thus, PtrA/NINV has great potential to be used in transgenic breeding for improvement of stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bachar Dahro
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria
| | - Fei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ting Peng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ji-Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Moriuchi KS, Friesen ML, Cordeiro MA, Badri M, Vu WT, Main BJ, Aouani ME, Nuzhdin SV, Strauss SY, von Wettberg EJB. Salinity Adaptation and the Contribution of Parental Environmental Effects in Medicago truncatula. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150350. [PMID: 26943813 PMCID: PMC4778912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High soil salinity negatively influences plant growth and yield. Some taxa have evolved mechanisms for avoiding or tolerating elevated soil salinity, which can be modulated by the environment experienced by parents or offspring. We tested the contribution of the parental and offspring environments on salinity adaptation and their potential underlying mechanisms. In a two-generation greenhouse experiment, we factorially manipulated salinity concentrations for genotypes of Medicago truncatula that were originally collected from natural populations that differed in soil salinity. To compare population level adaptation to soil salinity and to test the potential mechanisms involved we measured two aspects of plant performance, reproduction and vegetative biomass, and phenological and physiological traits associated with salinity avoidance and tolerance. Saline-origin populations had greater biomass and reproduction under saline conditions than non-saline populations, consistent with local adaptation to saline soils. Additionally, parental environmental exposure to salt increased this difference in performance. In terms of environmental effects on mechanisms of salinity adaptation, parental exposure to salt spurred phenological differences that facilitated salt avoidance, while offspring exposure to salt resulted in traits associated with greater salt tolerance. Non-saline origin populations expressed traits associated with greater growth in the absence of salt while, for saline adapted populations, the ability to maintain greater performance in saline environments was also associated with lower growth potential in the absence of salt. Plastic responses induced by parental and offspring environments in phenology, leaf traits, and gas exchange contribute to salinity adaptation in M. truncatula. The ability of plants to tolerate environmental stress, such as high soil salinity, is likely modulated by a combination of parental effects and within-generation phenotypic plasticity, which are likely to vary in populations from contrasting environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken S. Moriuchi
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Maren L. Friesen
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States of America
| | - Matilde A. Cordeiro
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Plant Cell Biotechnology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Mounawer Badri
- Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, B.P. 901, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia
| | - Wendy T. Vu
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Bradley J. Main
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Sergey V. Nuzhdin
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Eric J. B. von Wettberg
- Department of Biological Sciences and International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Kushlan Institute for Tropical Science, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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40
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Kilkenny FF, Galloway LF. Evolution of marginal populations of an invasive vine increases the likelihood of future spread. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:1773-1780. [PMID: 26467337 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The prediction of invasion patterns may require an understanding of intraspecific differentiation in invasive species and its interaction with climate change. We compare Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) plants from the core (100-150 yr old) and northern margin (< 65 yr old) of their North American invaded range to determine whether evolution during invasion increases the probability of future expansion. Plants from populations in the core and margin were compared in two sites beyond the northern range edge to assess their potential to invade novel areas. Data were compared with previous work to assess the effect of latitudinal climate on L. japonica spread. Winter survival in current climates was modeled and projected for future climates to predict future spread. Margin plants were larger and had 60% greater survival than core plants at sites beyond the northern range edge. Overall, winter survival decreased with increasing latitude and decreasing temperature, and was greater in margin plants than core plants. Models suggested that greater winter tolerance in margin populations has increased L. japonica's northward spread by 76 km, and that this survival advantage will persist under future climates. These results demonstrate that evolution during invasion may increase spread beyond predictions using increasing global temperatures alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis F Kilkenny
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4328, USA
| | - Laura F Galloway
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4328, USA
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41
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Crisp PA, Ganguly D, Eichten SR, Borevitz JO, Pogson BJ. Reconsidering plant memory: Intersections between stress recovery, RNA turnover, and epigenetics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501340. [PMID: 26989783 PMCID: PMC4788475 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plants grow in dynamic environments where they can be exposed to a multitude of stressful factors, all of which affect their development, yield, and, ultimately, reproductive success. Plants are adept at rapidly acclimating to stressful conditions and are able to further fortify their defenses by retaining memories of stress to enable stronger or more rapid responses should an environmental perturbation recur. Indeed, one mechanism that is often evoked regarding environmental memories is epigenetics. Yet, there are relatively few examples of such memories; neither is there a clear understanding of their duration, considering the plethora of stresses in nature. We propose that this field would benefit from investigations into the processes and mechanisms enabling recovery from stress. An understanding of stress recovery could provide fresh insights into when, how, and why environmental memories are created and regulated. Stress memories may be maladaptive, hindering recovery and affecting development and potential yield. In some circumstances, it may be advantageous for plants to learn to forget. Accordingly, the recovery process entails a balancing act between resetting and memory formation. During recovery, RNA metabolism, posttranscriptional gene silencing, and RNA-directed DNA methylation have the potential to play key roles in resetting the epigenome and transcriptome and in altering memory. Exploration of this emerging area of research is becoming ever more tractable with advances in genomics, phenomics, and high-throughput sequencing methodology that will enable unprecedented profiling of high-resolution stress recovery time series experiments and sampling of large natural populations.
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Ecological Genetics, Local Adaptation, and Phenotypic Plasticity in Bromus tectorum in the Context of a Changing Climate. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24930-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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43
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Atlan A, Hornoy B, Delerue F, Gonzalez M, Pierre JS, Tarayre M. Phenotypic Plasticity in Reproductive Traits of the Perennial Shrub Ulex europaeus in Response to Shading: A Multi-Year Monitoring of Cultivated Clones. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137500. [PMID: 26383627 PMCID: PMC4575064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity may be advantageous for plants to be able to rapidly cope with new and changing environments associated with climate change or during biological invasions. This is especially true for perennial plants, as they may need a longer period to respond genetically to selective pressures than annuals, and also because they are more likely to experience environmental changes during their lifespan. However, few studies have explored the plasticity of the reproductive life history traits of woody perennial species. This study focuses on a woody shrub, Ulex europaeus (common gorse), and on the response of its reproductive traits to one important environmental factor, shading. The study was performed on clones originating from western France (within the native range of this invasive species) and grown for seven years. We compared traits of plants grown in a shade treatment (with two successive shade levels) vs. full natural light. The traits monitored included flowering onset, pod production and seed predation. All traits studied responded to shading, exhibiting various levels of plasticity. In particular, dense shade induced a radical but reversible decrease in flower and pod production, while moderate shade had little effect on reproductive traits. The magnitude of the response to dense shade depended on the genotype, showing a genetically based polymorphism of plasticity. The level of plasticity also showed substantial variations between years, and the effect of environmental variations was cumulative over time. This suggests that plasticity can influence the lifetime fitness of U. Europaeus and is involved in the capacity of the species to grow under contrasting environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Atlan
- UMR 6553 ECOBIO, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Michèle Tarayre
- UMR 6553 ECOBIO, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
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Vu WT, Chang PL, Moriuchi KS, Friesen ML. Genetic variation of transgenerational plasticity of offspring germination in response to salinity stress and the seed transcriptome of Medicago truncatula. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:59. [PMID: 25884157 PMCID: PMC4406021 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0322-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transgenerational plasticity provides phenotypic variation that contributes to adaptation. For plants, the timing of seed germination is critical for offspring survival in stressful environments, as germination timing can alter the environmental conditions a seedling experiences. Stored seed transcripts are important determinants of seed germination, but have not previously been linked with transgenerational plasticity of germination behavior. In this study we used RNAseq and growth chamber experiments of the model legume M. trucantula to test whether parental exposure to salinity stress influences the expression of stored seed transcripts and early offspring traits and test for genetic variation. RESULTS We detected genotype-dependent parental environmental effects (transgenerational plasticity) on the expression levels of stored seed transcripts, seed size, and germination behavior of four M. truncatula genotypes. More than 50% of the transcripts detected in the mature, ungerminated seed transcriptome were annotated as regulating seed germination, some of which are involved in abiotic stress response and post-embryonic development. Some genotypes showed increased seed size in response to parental exposure to salinity stress, but no parental environmental influence on germination timing. In contrast, other genotypes showed no seed size differences across contrasting parental conditions but displayed transgenerational plasticity for germimation timing, with significantly delayed germination in saline conditions when parental plants were exposed to salinity. In genotypes that show significant transgenerational plastic germination response, we found significant coexpression networks derived from salt responsive transcripts involved in post-transcriptional regulation of the germination pathway. Consistent with the delayed germination response to saline conditions in these genotypes, we found genes associated with dormancy and up-regulation of abscisic acid (ABA). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate genetic variation in transgenerational plasticity within M. truncatula and show that parental exposure to salinity stress influences the expression of stored seed transcripts, seed weight, and germination behavior. Furthermore, we show that the parental environment influences gene expression to modulate biological pathways that are likely responsible for offspring germination responses to salinity stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy T Vu
- Section of Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Peter L Chang
- Section of Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Ken S Moriuchi
- Plant Pathology, University of California at Davis, 116 Robbins Hall, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Maren L Friesen
- Section of Molecular and Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. .,Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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45
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Can transgenerational plasticity contribute to the invasion success of annual plant species? Oecologia 2014; 176:95-106. [PMID: 24929349 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2994-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive transgenerational plasticity (TGP), i.e., significantly higher fitness when maternal and offspring conditions match, might contribute to the population growth of non-native species in highly variable environments. However, comparative studies that directly test this hypothesis are lacking. Therefore, we performed a reciprocal split-brood experiment to compare TGP in response to N and water availability in single populations of two invasive (Amaranthus retroflexus, Galinsoga parviflora) and two congeneric non-invasive introduced species (Amaranthus albus, Galinsoga ciliata). We hypothesized that the transgenerational effect is adaptive: (1) in invasive species compared with non-invasive adventives, and (2) in stressful conditions compared with resource-rich environments. The phenotypic variation among offspring was generated, in large part, by our experimental treatments in the maternal generation; therefore, we demonstrated a direct TGP effect on the offspring's adult fitness. We found evidence, for the first time, that invasive and non-invasive adventive species differ regarding the expression of TGP in the adult stage, as adaptive responses were found exclusively in the invasive species. The manifestation of TGP was more explicit under resource-rich conditions; therefore, it might contribute to the population dynamics of non-native species in resource-rich sites rather than to their ecological tolerance spectra.
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46
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Germain RM, Gilbert B. Hidden responses to environmental variation: maternal effects reveal species niche dimensions. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:662-9. [PMID: 24602193 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Species responses to fluctuating environments structure population and community dynamics in variable ecosystems. Although offspring number is commonly used to measure these responses, maternal effects on offspring quality may be an important but largely unrecognised determinant of long-term population growth. We selected 29 species across a Mediterranean annual plant phylogeny, and grew populations of each species in wet and dry conditions to determine responses in seed number and maternal effects (seed size, seed dormancy, and seedling growth). Maternal effects were evident in over 40% of species, but only 24% responded through seed number. Despite a strong trade-off between seed size and seed number among species, there was no consistent trade-off within species; we observed correlations that ranged from positive to negative. Overall, species in this plant guild show a complex range of responses to environmental variation that may be underestimated when only seed number responses are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Germain
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada
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47
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Zhang Y, Zhang Q. Clonal integration of Fragaria orientalis in reciprocal and coincident patchiness resources: cost-benefit analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80623. [PMID: 24265832 PMCID: PMC3827182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonal growth allows plants to spread horizontally and to experience different levels of resources. If ramets remain physiologically integrated, clonal plants can reciprocally translocate resources between ramets in heterogeneous environments. But little is known about the interaction between benefits of clonal integration and patterns of resource heterogeneity in different patches, i.e., coincident patchiness or reciprocal patchiness. We hypothesized that clonal integration will show different effects on ramets in different patches and more benefit to ramets under reciprocal patchiness than to those under coincident patchiness, as well as that the benefit from clonal integration is affected by the position of proximal and distal ramets under reciprocal or coincident patchiness. A pot experiment was conducted with clonal fragments consisting of two interconnected ramets (proximal and distal ramet) of Fragaria orientalis. In the experiment, proximal and distal ramets were grown in high or low availability of resources, i.e., light and water. Resource limitation was applied either simultaneously to both ramets of a clonal fragment (coincident resource limitation) or separately to different ramets of the same clonal fragment (reciprocal resource limitation). Half of the clonal fragments were connected while the other half were severed. From the experiment, clonal fragments growing under coincident resource limitation accumulated more biomass than those under reciprocal resource limitation. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, the support from proximal ramets to distal ramets was stronger than that from distal ramets to proximal ramets. Through division of labour, clonal fragments of F. orientalis benefited more in reciprocal patchiness than in coincident patchiness. While considering biomass accumulation and ramets production, coincident patchiness were more favourable to clonal plant F. orientalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunchun Zhang
- Department of Botany, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
- Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong Province, P. R. China
| | - Qiaoying Zhang
- Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, Shandong Province, P. R. China
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Deck A, Muir A, Strauss S. Transgenerational soil-mediated differences between plants experienced or naïve to a grass invasion. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:3663-71. [PMID: 24198931 PMCID: PMC3810866 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species may undergo rapid change as they invade. Native species persisting in invaded areas may also experience rapid change over this short timescale relative to native populations in uninvaded areas. We investigated the response of the native Achillea millefolium to soil from Holcus lanatus-invaded and uninvaded areas, and we sought to determine whether differential responses between A. millefolium from invaded (invader experienced) and uninvaded (invader naïve) areas were mediated by soil community changes. Plants grown from seed from experienced and naïve areas responded differently to invaded and uninvaded soil with respect to germination time, biomass, and height. Overall, experienced plants grew faster and taller than their naïve counterparts. Naïve native plants showed negative feedbacks with their home soil and positive feedbacks with invaded soil; experienced plants were less responsive to soil differences. Our results suggest that native plants naïve to invasion may be more sensitive to soil communities than experienced plants, consistent with recent studies. While differences between naïve and experienced plants are transgenerational, our design cannot differentiate between differences that are genetically based, plastic, or both. Regardless, our results highlight the importance of seed source and population history in restoration, emphasizing the restoration potential of experienced seed sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Deck
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, California
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49
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Phenotypic and transgenerational plasticity promote local adaptation to sun and shade environments. Evol Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-013-9670-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Uller T, Nakagawa S, English S. Weak evidence for anticipatory parental effects in plants and animals. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:2161-70. [PMID: 23937440 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of adaptive phenotypic plasticity relies on the presence of cues that enable organisms to adjust their phenotype to match local conditions. Although mostly studied with respect to nonsocial cues, it is also possible that parents transmit information about the environment to their offspring. Such 'anticipatory parental effects' or 'adaptive transgenerational plasticity' can have important consequences for the dynamics and adaptive potential of populations in heterogeneous environments. Yet, it remains unknown how widespread this form of plasticity is. Using a meta-analysis of experimental studies with a fully factorial design, we show that there is only weak evidence for higher offspring performance when parental and offspring environments are matched compared with when they are mismatched. Estimates of heterogeneity among studies suggest that effects, when they occur, are subtle. Study features, environmental context, life stage and trait categories all failed to explain significant amounts of variation in effect sizes. We discuss theoretical and methodological reasons for the limited evidence for anticipatory parental effects and suggest ways to improve our understanding of the prevalence of this form of plasticity in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Uller
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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