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Abstract
The environmental niche concept describes the distribution of a taxon in the environment and can be used to understand community dynamics, biological invasions, and the impact of environmental changes. The uses and applications are still restricted in microbial ecology, largely due to the complexity of microbial systems and associated methodological limitations. The development of shotgun metagenomics and metatranscriptomics opens new ways to investigate the microbial niche by focusing on the metabolic niche within the environmental space. Here, we propose the metabolic niche framework, which, by defining the fundamental and realised metabolic niche of microorganisms, has the potential to not only provide novel insights into habitat preferences and the metabolism associated, but also to inform on metabolic plasticity, niche shifts, and microbial invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie A Malard
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Twala TC, Fisher JT, Glennon KL. Projecting Podocarpaceae response to climate change: we are not out of the woods yet. AoB Plants 2023; 15:plad034. [PMID: 37415722 PMCID: PMC10321399 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Under the changing climate, the persistence of Afrotemperate taxa may be threatened as suitable habitat availability decreases. The unique disjunct ranges of podocarps in southern Africa raise questions about the persistence of these species under climate change. Here, we identified likely environmental drivers of these distributions, characterized the current and future (2070) environmental niches, and projected distributions of four podocarp species in South Africa. Species distribution models were conducted using species locality data for Afrocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus latifolius, Pseudotropheus elongatus and Podocarpus henkelii and both historical climate data (1970-2000) and future climate scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP] 4.5 and 8.5, 2061-2080) to estimate the current and future distributions. We also used this opportunity to identify the most important climatic variables that likely govern each species' distribution. Using niche overlap estimates, a similarity test, and indices of niche expansion, stability and unfilling, we explored how niches change under different climate scenarios. The distribution of the study species was governed by the maximum temperature of the warmest month, temperature annual range, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, and precipitation of the wettest, driest and warmest quarters. The current distribution of A. falcatus was predicted to expand to higher elevations under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. Podocarpus henkelii was predicted to lose most of its suitable habitat under RCP 4.5 and expand under RCP 8.5; however, this was the opposite for P. elongatus and P. latifolius. Interestingly, P. elongatus, which had the smallest geographic distribution, showed the most vulnerability to climate change in comparison to the other podocarps. Mapping the distribution of podocarps and understanding the differences in their current and future climate niches provide insight into potential climate drivers of podocarp persistence and the potential for adaptation of these species. Overall, these results suggest that P. elongatus and P. henkelii may expand to novel environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jolene T Fisher
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS 2050, South Africa
| | - Kelsey L Glennon
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS 2050, South Africa
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3
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Cenni L, Simoncini A, Massetti L, Rizzoli A, Hauffe HC, Massolo A. Current and future distribution of a parasite with complex life cycle under global change scenarios: Echinococcus multilocularis in Europe. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:2436-2449. [PMID: 36815401 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Global change is expected to have complex effects on the distribution and transmission patterns of zoonotic parasites. Modelling habitat suitability for parasites with complex life cycles is essential to further our understanding of how disease systems respond to environmental changes, and to make spatial predictions of their future distributions. However, the limited availability of high quality occurrence data with high spatial resolution often constrains these investigations. Using 449 reliable occurrence records for Echinococcus multilocularis from across Europe published over the last 35 years, we modelled habitat suitability for this parasite, the aetiological agent of alveolar echinococcosis, in order to describe its environmental niche, predict its current and future distribution under three global change scenarios, and quantify the probability of occurrence for each European country. Using a machine learning approach, we developed large-scale (25 × 25 km) species distribution models based on seven sets of predictors, each set representing a distinct biological hypothesis supported by current knowledge of the autecology of the parasite. The best-supported hypothesis included climatic, orographic and land-use/land-cover variables such as the temperature of the coldest quarter, forest cover, urban cover and the precipitation seasonality. Future projections suggested the appearance of highly suitable areas for E. multilocularis towards northern latitudes and in the whole Alpine region under all scenarios, while decreases in habitat suitability were predicted for central Europe. Our spatially explicit predictions of habitat suitability shed light on the complex responses of parasites to ongoing global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Cenni
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Applied Ecology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Simoncini
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luciano Massetti
- Institute of Bioeconomy of the National Research Council, Firenze, Italy
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Applied Ecology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
| | - Heidi C Hauffe
- Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Massolo
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Calgary, Canada
- UMR CNRS 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
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4
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Kong C, Wong RR, Ghazali AK, Hara Y, Tengku Aziz TN, Nathan S. Transcriptional landscape of Burkholderia pseudomallei cultured under environmental and clinical conditions. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37018040 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Gram-negative pathogen, is the causative agent of melioidosis in humans. This bacterium can be isolated from the soil, stagnant and salt-water bodies, and human and animal clinical specimens. While extensive studies have contributed to our understanding of B. pseudomallei pathogenesis, little is known about how a harmless soil bacterium adapts when it shifts to a human host and exhibits its virulence. The bacterium's large genome encodes an array of factors that support the pathogen's ability to survive under stressful conditions, including the host's internal milieu. In this study, we performed comparative transcriptome analysis of B. pseudomallei cultured in human plasma versus soil extract media to provide insights into B. pseudomallei gene expression that governs bacterial adaptation and infectivity in the host. A total of 455 genes were differentially regulated; genes upregulated in B. pseudomallei grown in human plasma are involved in energy metabolism and cellular processes, whilst the downregulated genes mostly include fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis and regulatory function proteins. Further analysis identified a significant upregulation of biofilm-related genes in plasma, which was validated using the biofilm-forming assay and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, genes encoding known virulence factors such as capsular polysaccharide and flagella were also overexpressed, suggesting an overall enhancement of B. pseudomallei virulence potential when present in human plasma. This ex vivo gene expression profile provides comprehensive information on B. pseudomallei's adaptation when shifted from the environment to the host. The induction of biofilm formation under host conditions may explain the difficulty in treating septic melioidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cin Kong
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Present address: Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Selangor, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Rui-Rui Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Inti International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Ahmad-Kamal Ghazali
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yuka Hara
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Inti International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Tengku Nurfarhana Tengku Aziz
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Present address: Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sheila Nathan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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Sanín MJ, Borchsenius F, Paris M, Carvalho-Madrigal S, Gómez Hoyos AC, Cardona A, Arcila Marín N, Ospina Y, Hoyos-Gómez SE, Manrique HF, Bernal R. The Tracking of Moist Habitats Allowed Aiphanes (Arecaceae) to Cover the Elevation Gradient of the Northern Andes. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:881879. [PMID: 35832227 PMCID: PMC9272002 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.881879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The topographic gradients of the Tropical Andes may have triggered species divergence by different mechanisms. Topography separates species' geographical ranges and offers climatic heterogeneity, which could potentially foster local adaptation to specific climatic conditions and result in narrowly distributed endemic species. Such a pattern is found in the Andean centered palm genus Aiphanes. To test the extent to which geographic barriers and climatic heterogeneity can explain distribution patterns in Aiphanes, we sampled 34 out of 36 currently recognized species in that genus and sequenced them by Sanger sequencing and/or sequence target capture sequencing. We generated Bayesian, likelihood, and species-tree phylogenies, with which we explored climatic trait evolution from current climatic occupation. We also estimated species distribution models to test the relative roles of geographical and climatic divergence in their evolution. We found that Aiphanes originated in the Miocene in Andean environments and possibly in mid-elevation habitats. Diversification is related to the occupation of the adjacent high and low elevation habitats tracking high annual precipitation and low precipitation seasonality (moist habitats). Different species in different clades repeatedly occupy all the different temperatures offered by the elevation gradient from 0 to 3,000 m in different geographically isolated areas. A pattern of conserved adaptation to moist environments is consistent among the clades. Our results stress the evolutionary roles of niche truncation of wide thermal tolerance by physical range fragmentation, coupled with water-related niche conservatism, to colonize the topographic gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Sanín
- Facultad de Ciencias y Biotecnología, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Finn Borchsenius
- Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Margot Paris
- Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Agustín Cardona
- Departamento de Procesos y Energía, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Yerson Ospina
- Facultad de Ciencias y Biotecnología, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia
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Abstract
Abundance-occupancy relationships predict that species that occupy more sites are also more locally abundant, where occupancy is usually estimated following the assumption that species can occupy all sampled sites. Here we use the National Ecological Observatory Network small-mammal data to assess whether this assumption affects abundance-occupancy relationships. We estimated occupancy considering all sampled sites (traditional occupancy) and only the sites found within the species geographic range (spatial occupancy) and realized environmental niche (environmental occupancy). We found that when occupancy was estimated considering only sites possible for the species to colonize (spatial and environmental occupancy) weaker abundance-occupancy relationships were observed. This shows that the assumption that the species can occupy all sampled sites directly affects the assessment of abundance-occupancy relationships. Estimating occupancy considering only sites that are possible for the species to colonize will consequently lead to a more robust assessment of abundance-occupancy relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleber Ten Caten
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29205, USA
| | - Lauren A Holian
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29205, USA
| | - Tad Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29205, USA
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Costa-Pereira R, Moll RJ, Jesmer BR, Jetz W. Animal tracking moves community ecology: Opportunities and challenges. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1334-1344. [PMID: 35388473 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
1. Individual decisions regarding how, why, and when organisms interact with one another and with their environment scale up to shape patterns and processes in communities. Recent evidence has firmly established the prevalence of intraspecific variation in nature and its relevance in community ecology, yet challenges associated with collecting data on large numbers of individual conspecifics and heterospecifics has hampered integration of individual variation into community ecology. 2. Nevertheless, recent technological and statistical advances in GPS-tracking, remote sensing, and behavioral ecology offer a toolbox for integrating intraspecific variation into community processes. More than simply describing where organisms go, movement data provide unique information about interactions and environmental associations from which a true individual-to-community framework can be built. 3. By linking the movement paths of both conspecifics and heterospecifics with environmental data, ecologists can now simultaneously quantify intra- and interspecific variation regarding the Eltonian (biotic interactions) and Grinnellian (environmental conditions) factors underpinning community assemblage and dynamics, yet substantial logistical and analytical challenges must be addressed for these approaches to realize their full potential. 4. Across communities, empirical integration of Eltonian and Grinnellian factors can support conservation applications and reveal metacommunity dynamics via tracking-based dispersal data. As the logistical and analytical challenges associated with multi-species tracking are surmounted, we envision a future where individual movements and their ecological and environmental signatures will bring resolution to many enduring issues in community ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Costa-Pereira
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
| | - Remington J Moll
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 56 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Brett R Jesmer
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Clusella-Trullas S, Garcia RA, Terblanche JS, Hoffmann AA. How useful are thermal vulnerability indices? Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:1000-1010. [PMID: 34384645 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To forecast climate change impacts across habitats or taxa, thermal vulnerability indices (e.g., safety margins and warming tolerances) are growing in popularity. Here, we present their history, context, formulation, and current applications. We highlight discrepancies in terminology and usage, and we draw attention to key assumptions underpinning the main indices and to their ecological and evolutionary relevance. In the process, we flag biases influencing these indices that are not always evaluated. These biases affect both components of index formulations, namely: (i) the characterisation of the thermal environment; and (ii) an organism's physiological and behavioural responses to more frequent and severe warming. Presently, many outstanding questions weaken a thermal vulnerability index approach. We describe ways to validate vulnerability index applications and outline issues to be considered in further developing these indices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raquel A Garcia
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - John S Terblanche
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Miñarro M, García D. Complementary Contribution of Wild Bumblebees and Managed Honeybee to the Pollination Niche of an Introduced Blueberry Crop. Insects 2021; 12:insects12070595. [PMID: 34208929 PMCID: PMC8307808 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The entomophilous pollination niche (abundance, phenotypic traits, foraging behaviours and environmental tolerances of insect pollinators) helps to understand and better manage crop pollination. We apply this niche approach to assess how an entomophilous crop (blueberry, Vaccinium ashei) can be expanded into new territories (i.e., northern Spain) far from their original area of domestication (North America). Insect visits to blueberry flowers were monitored in a plantation on 12 different days, at 8 different times during day and covering various weather conditions. Abundance, visitation rate, pollen gathering behaviour, and frequency of inter-plant and inter-row movements were recorded. The pollinator assemblage was basically composed of one managed honeybee species (50.8% of visits) and three native bumblebee species (48.3%). There was a marked pattern of seasonal segregation throughout bloom, with bumblebees dominating the early bloom and honeybee the late bloom. Pollinators also segregated along gradients of daily temperature and relative humidity. Finally, the two pollinator types differed in foraging behaviour, with bumblebees having a visitation rate double that of honeybee, collecting pollen more frequently and changing plant and row more frequently. The spatio-temporal and functional complementarity between honeybee and bumblebees suggested here encourages the consideration of an integrated crop pollination strategy for blueberries, based on the concurrence of both wild and managed bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Miñarro
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, 33300 Asturias, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Daniel García
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC-Uo-PA), 33004 Asturias, Spain;
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Poggiato G, Münkemüller T, Bystrova D, Arbel J, Clark JS, Thuiller W. On the Interpretations of Joint Modeling in Community Ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:391-401. [PMID: 33618936 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Explaining and modeling species communities is more than ever a central goal of ecology. Recently, joint species distribution models (JSDMs), which extend species distribution models (SDMs) by considering correlations among species, have been proposed to improve species community analyses and rare species predictions while potentially inferring species interactions. Here, we illustrate the mathematical links between SDMs and JSDMs and their ecological implications and demonstrate that JSDMs, just like SDMs, cannot separate environmental effects from biotic interactions. We provide a guide to the conditions under which JSDMs are (or are not) preferable to SDMs for species community modeling. More generally, we call for a better uptake and clarification of novel statistical developments in the field of biodiversity modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Poggiato
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LECA, Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inria, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LJK, Grenoble, France.
| | - Tamara Münkemüller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Daria Bystrova
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LECA, Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inria, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LJK, Grenoble, France
| | - Julyan Arbel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inria, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LJK, Grenoble, France
| | - James S Clark
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, LESSEM, Grenoble, France; Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, LECA, Grenoble, France
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Zheng C, Jiang D, Ding F, Fu J, Hao M. Spatiotemporal Patterns and Risk Factors for Scrub Typhus From 2007 to 2017 in Southern China. Clin Infect Dis 2020; 69:1205-1211. [PMID: 30535175 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy1050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial outbreaks of scrub typhus, coupled with the discovery of this vector-borne disease in new areas, suggest that the disease remains remarkably neglected. The objectives of this study were to map the contemporary and potential transmission risk zones of the disease and to provide novel insights into the health burden imposed by scrub typhus in southern China. METHODS Based on the assembled data sets of annual scrub typhus cases and maps of environmental and socioeconomic correlates, a boosted regression tree modeling procedure was used to identify the environmental niche of scrub typhus and to predict the potential infection zones of the disease. Additionally, we estimated the population living in the potential scrub typhus infection areas in southern China. RESULTS Spatiotemporal patterns of the annual scrub typhus cases in southern China between 2007 and 2017 reveal a tremendous, wide spread of scrub typhus. Temperature, relative humidity, elevation, and the normalized difference vegetation index are the main factors that influence the spread of scrub typhus. In southern China, the predicted highest transmission risk areas of scrub typhus are mainly concentrated in several regions, such as Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Fujian. We estimated that 162 684 million people inhabit the potential infection risk zones in southern China. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a better understanding of the environmental and socioeconomic factors driving scrub typhus spread, and estimate the potential infection risk zones beyond the disease's current, limited geographical extent, which enhances our capacity to target biosurveillance and help public health authorities develop disease control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canjun Zheng
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Carrying Capacity Assessment for Resource and Environment, Ministry of Land & Resources, Beijing, China
| | - Fangyu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingying Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mengmeng Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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12
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Gillard MB, Drenovsky RE, Thiébaut G, Tarayre M, Futrell CJ, Grewell BJ. Seed source regions drive fitness differences in invasive macrophytes. Am J Bot 2020; 107:749-760. [PMID: 32406537 PMCID: PMC7384113 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Worldwide, ecosystems are threatened by global changes, including biological invasions. Invasive species arriving in novel environments experience new climatic conditions that can affect their successful establishment. Determining the response of functional traits and fitness components of invasive populations from contrasting environments can provide a useful framework to assess species responses to climate change and the variability of these responses among source populations. Much research on macrophytes has focused on establishment from clonal fragments; however, colonization from sexual propagules has rarely been studied. Our objective was to compare trait responses of plants generated from sexual propagules sourced from three climatic regions but grown under common environmental conditions, using L. peploides subsp. montevidensis as a model taxon. METHODS We grew seedlings to reproductive stage in experimental mesocosms under a mediterranean California (MCA) climate from seeds collected in oceanic France (OFR), mediterranean France (MFR), and MCA. RESULTS Seed source region was a major factor influencing differences among invasive plants recruiting from sexual propagules of L. peploides subsp. montevidensis. Trait responses of young individual recruits from MCA and OFR, sourced from geographically distant and climatically distinct source regions, were the most different. The MCA individuals accumulated more biomass, flowered earlier, and had higher leaf N concentrations than the OFR plants. Those from MFR had intermediate profiles. CONCLUSIONS By showing that the closer a seedling is from its parental climate, the better it performs, this study provides new insights to the understanding of colonization of invasive plant species and informs its management under novel and changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane B. Gillard
- USDA‐Agricultural Research ServiceInvasive Species and Pollinator Health Research UnitDepartment of Plant Sciences MS‐4University of California, Davis1 Shields AvenueDavisCA95616USA
| | | | | | | | - Caryn J. Futrell
- USDA‐Agricultural Research ServiceInvasive Species and Pollinator Health Research UnitDepartment of Plant Sciences MS‐4University of California, Davis1 Shields AvenueDavisCA95616USA
| | - Brenda J. Grewell
- USDA‐Agricultural Research ServiceInvasive Species and Pollinator Health Research UnitDepartment of Plant Sciences MS‐4University of California, Davis1 Shields AvenueDavisCA95616USA
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13
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Kadye WT, Booth AJ. Environmental niche patterns of native and non-native fishes within an invaded African river system. J Fish Biol 2020; 96:1269-1277. [PMID: 31006850 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To test ecological niche theory, this study investigated the spatial patterns and the environmental niches of native and non-native fishes within the invaded Great Fish River system, South Africa. For the native fishes, there were contrasting environmental niche breadths that varied from being small to being large and overlapped for most species, except minnows that were restricted to headwater tributaries. In addition, there was high niche overlap in habitat association among fishes with similar distribution. It was therefore inferred that habitat filtering-driven spatial organisation was important in explaining native species distribution patterns. In comparison, most non-native fishes were found to have broad environmental niches and these fishes showed high tolerance to environmental conditions, which generally supported the niche opportunity hypothesis. The proliferation of multiple non-native fishes in the mainstem section suggest that they form a functional assemblage that is probably facilitated by the anthropogenic modification of flow regimes through inter-basin water transfer. Based on the distribution patterns observed in the study, it was inferred that there was a likelihood of negative interactions between native and non-native fishes. Such effects are likely to be exacerbated by altered flow regime that was likely to have negative implications for native ichthyofauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilbert T Kadye
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Anthony J Booth
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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Zions M, Meehan EF, Kress ME, Thevalingam D, Jenkins EC, Kaila K, Puskarjov M, McCloskey DP. Nest Carbon Dioxide Masks GABA-Dependent Seizure Susceptibility in the Naked Mole-Rat. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2068-2077.e4. [PMID: 32359429 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
African naked mole-rats were likely the first mammals to evolve eusociality, and thus required adaptations to conserve energy and tolerate the low oxygen (O2) and high carbon dioxide (CO2) of a densely populated fossorial nest. As hypercapnia is known to suppress neuronal activity, we studied whether naked mole-rats might demonstrate energy savings in GABAergic inhibition. Using whole-colony behavioral monitoring of captive naked mole-rats, we found a durable nest, characterized by high CO2 levels, where all colony members spent the majority of their time. Analysis of the naked mole-rat genome revealed, uniquely among mammals, a histidine point variation in the neuronal potassium-chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2). A histidine missense substitution mutation at this locus in the human ortholog of KCC2, found previously in patients with febrile seizures and epilepsy, has been demonstrated to diminish neuronal Cl- extrusion capacity, and thus impairs GABAergic inhibition. Seizures were observed, without pharmacological intervention, in adult naked mole-rats exposed to a simulated hyperthermic surface environment, causing systemic hypocapnic alkalosis. Consistent with the diminished function of KCC2, adult naked mole-rats demonstrate a reduced efficacy of inhibition that manifests as triggering of seizures at room temperature by the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) positive allosteric modulator diazepam. These seizures are blocked in the presence of nest-like levels of CO2 and likely to be mediated through GABAAR activity, based on in vitro recordings. Thus, altered GABAergic inhibition adds to a growing list of adaptations in the naked mole-rat and provides a plausible proximate mechanism for nesting behavior, where a return to the colony nest restores GABA-mediated inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zions
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Edward F Meehan
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Department of Computer Science, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Michael E Kress
- Department of Computer Science, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; PhD Program in Computer Science, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Donald Thevalingam
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Edmund C Jenkins
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Kai Kaila
- Neuroscience Center (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Martin Puskarjov
- Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Molecular and Integrative Biosciences, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Dan P McCloskey
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island in the City University of New York, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
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15
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Melichárková A, Šlenker M, Zozomová-Lihová J, Skokanová K, Šingliarová B, Kačmárová T, Caboňová M, Kempa M, Šrámková G, Mandáková T, Lysák MA, Svitok M, Mártonfiová L, Marhold K. So Closely Related and Yet So Different: Strong Contrasts Between the Evolutionary Histories of Species of the Cardamine pratensis Polyploid Complex in Central Europe. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:588856. [PMID: 33391302 PMCID: PMC7775393 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.588856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Recurrent polyploid formation and weak reproductive barriers between independent polyploid lineages generate intricate species complexes with high diversity and reticulate evolutionary history. Uncovering the evolutionary processes that formed their present-day cytotypic and genetic structure is a challenging task. We studied the species complex of Cardamine pratensis, composed of diploid endemics in the European Mediterranean and diploid-polyploid lineages more widely distributed across Europe, focusing on the poorly understood variation in Central Europe. To elucidate the evolution of Central European populations we analyzed ploidy level and genome size variation, genetic patterns inferred from microsatellite markers and target enrichment of low-copy nuclear genes (Hyb-Seq), and environmental niche differentiation. We observed almost continuous variation in chromosome numbers and genome size in C. pratensis s.str., which is caused by the co-occurrence of euploid and dysploid cytotypes, along with aneuploids, and is likely accompanied by inter-cytotype mating. We inferred that the polyploid cytotypes of C. pratensis s.str. are both of single and multiple, spatially and temporally recurrent origins. The tetraploid Cardamine majovskyi evolved at least twice in different regions by autopolyploidy from diploid Cardamine matthioli. The extensive genome size and genetic variation of Cardamine rivularis reflects differentiation induced by the geographic isolation of disjunct populations, establishment of triploids of different origins, and hybridization with sympatric C. matthioli. Geographically structured genetic lineages identified in the species under study, which are also ecologically divergent, are interpreted as descendants from different source populations in multiple glacial refugia. The postglacial range expansion was accompanied by substantial genetic admixture between the lineages of C. pratensis s.str., which is reflected by diffuse borders in their contact zones. In conclusion, we identified an interplay of diverse processes that have driven the evolution of the species studied, including allopatric and ecological divergence, hybridization, multiple polyploid origins, and genetic reshuffling caused by Pleistocene climate-induced range dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Melichárková
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marek Šlenker
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Judita Zozomová-Lihová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Skokanová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbora Šingliarová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tatiana Kačmárová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michaela Caboňová
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matúš Kempa
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Gabriela Šrámková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Terezie Mandáková
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martin A. Lysák
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research (NCBR), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Marek Svitok
- Department of Biology and General Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | | | - Karol Marhold
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Karol Marhold,
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16
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Abstract
Identifying factors regulating variation in numbers of individuals among populations across a species' distribution is a fundamental goal in ecology. A common prediction, often referred to as the abundant-centre hypothesis, suggests that abundance is highest near the centre of a species' range. However, because of the primary focus on the geographical position of a population, this framework provides little insight into the environmental factors regulating local abundance. While range-wide variation in population abundance associated with environmental conditions has been investigated in terrestrial species, the relationship between climate and local abundance in freshwater taxa across species' distributions is not well understood. We used GIS-based temperature and precipitation data to determine the relationships between climatic conditions and range-wide variation in local abundance for 19 species of North American freshwater fishes. Climate predicted a portion of the variation in local abundance among populations for 18 species. In addition, the relationship between climatic conditions and local abundance varied among species, which is expected as lineages partition the environment across geographical space. The influence of local habitat quality on species persistence is well documented; however, our results also indicate the importance of climate in regulating population sizes across a species geographical range, even in aquatic taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason H. Knouft
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St Louis, Missouri 63103, USA
| | - Melissa M. Anthony
- Program in Integrated and Applied Sciences, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St Louis, Missouri 63103, USA
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17
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Kerkhoff AJ, Moriarty PE, Weiser MD. The latitudinal species richness gradient in New World woody angiosperms is consistent with the tropical conservatism hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:8125-30. [PMID: 24847062 PMCID: PMC4050539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1308932111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant diversity, like that of most other taxonomic groups, peaks in the tropics, where climatic conditions are warm and wet, and it declines toward the temperate and polar zones as conditions become colder and drier, with more seasonally variable temperatures. Climate and evolutionary history are often considered competing explanations for the latitudinal gradient, but they are linked by the evolutionarily conserved environmental adaptations of species and the history of Earth's climate system. The tropical conservatism hypothesis (TCH) invokes niche conservatism, climatic limitations on establishment and survival, and paleoclimatic history to explain the latitudinal diversity gradient. Here, we use latitudinal distributions for over 12,500 woody angiosperm species, a fossil-calibrated supertree, and null modeling to test predictions of the TCH. Regional assemblages in the northern and southern temperate zones are less phylogenetically diverse than expected based on their species richness, because temperate taxa are clustered into relatively few clades. Moreover, lineages with temperate affinities are generally younger and nested within older, more tropical lineages. As predicted by the TCH, the vast majority of temperate lineages have arisen since global cooling began at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (34 Mya). By linking physiological tolerances of species to evolutionary and biogeographic processes, phylogenetic niche conservatism may provide a theoretical framework for a generalized explanation for Earth's predominant pattern of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Kerkhoff
- Departments of Biology and Mathematics and Statistics, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43050;
| | - Pamela E Moriarty
- Departments of Biology and Mathematics and Statistics, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43050;School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105; and
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Polz MF, Alm EJ, Hanage WP. Horizontal gene transfer and the evolution of bacterial and archaeal population structure. Trends Genet 2013; 29:170-5. [PMID: 23332119 PMCID: PMC3760709 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 11/29/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Many bacterial and archaeal lineages have a history of extensive and ongoing horizontal gene transfer and loss, as evidenced by the large differences in genome content even among otherwise closely related isolates. How ecologically cohesive populations might evolve and be maintained under such conditions of rapid gene turnover has remained controversial. Here we synthesize recent literature demonstrating the importance of habitat and niche in structuring horizontal gene transfer. This leads to a model of ecological speciation via gradual genetic isolation triggered by differential habitat-association of nascent populations. Further, we hypothesize that subpopulations can evolve through local gene-exchange networks by tapping into a gene pool that is adaptive towards local, continuously changing organismic interactions and is, to a large degree, responsible for the observed rapid gene turnover. Overall, these insights help to explain how bacteria and archaea form populations that display both ecological cohesion and high genomic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Polz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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