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Related Experiment Videos

Gradual evolution in bacteria: evidence from Bacillus systematics.

Michael Feldgarden1, Noah Byrd1, Frederick M Cohan1

  • 1Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459-0170, USA.

Microbiology (Reading, England)
|December 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Genetic changes in existing bacterial genes significantly impact adaptation, not just gene acquisition. Quantitative analysis reveals substantial metabolic variation within and between bacterial taxa, highlighting the role of gene expression modification in evolution.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial Evolution
  • Bacterial Adaptation
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Bacterial genome projects emphasize horizontal gene transfer in adaptation.
  • Distinguishing adaptive roles of gene acquisition versus modification of existing genes is challenging.
  • Bacterial systematics often focuses on qualitative metabolic traits, overlooking quantitative variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of quantitative metabolic variation in bacterial adaptation.
  • To assess the contribution of changes in existing genes versus gene acquisition.
  • To develop a protocol for identifying adaptive genetic modifications.

Main Methods:

  • Assayed quantitative metabolic variation within and between three closely related Bacillus taxa.

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  • Tested utilization of 95 different resources.
  • Analyzed phenotypic characterization and gene expression.

    • Main Results:

    • No qualitative differences in resource utilization were found between taxa.
    • Quantitative differences in utilization were observed for 8% of tested resources.
    • Significant quantitative variation in resource utilization was present within strains of a single taxon (93% of resources).

    Conclusions:

    • Ordinary genetic changes in existing genes likely play a significant role in bacterial adaptation.
    • Quantitative variation in gene expression may be a major driver of adaptation.
    • Future genomic assays can identify genes modified for adaptive evolution.