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Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...

Microbial Interactions: Parasitism

Microbial Interactions: Parasitism

Parasitism is a form of microbial interaction in which parasitic microbes exploit a host organism for nutrients and shelter, often at the host's expense. Unlike mutualistic relationships, where both organisms benefit, parasitism benefits only the parasite and harms the host.Classification of ParasitesMicrobial parasites are broadly classified based on their location relative to the host.Ectoparasites remain on the host’s surface, such as the skin or outer tissues, drawing nutrients...

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...

Limits to Natural Selection

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Inoculating Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes with Beads to Induce and Measure the Melanization Immune Response

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Published on: January 12, 2017

Experimental evolution of local parasite maladaptation.

S Adiba¹, M Huet, Oliver Kaltz

¹UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Laboratoire de Fonctionnement et Evolution des Systèmes Ecologiques, CNRS-UMR 7625, Paris, France.

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

|April 22, 2010

Summary

Host genetic background influences local adaptation in parasite systems. This study found parasites often evolved to be locally maladapted, regardless of host genetics, shaping spatial adaptation gradients.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Microbial ecology
Genetics

Background:

Local adaptation in host-parasite systems is influenced by various factors.
The role of host genetic background in shaping these adaptations requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how host genetic background affects local adaptation in experimental host-parasite systems.
To understand the coevolutionary trajectories and patterns of adaptation in Paramecium caudatum and Holospora undulata.

Main Methods:

Established long-term experimental populations of different Paramecium caudatum genotypes.
Infected these populations with the bacterial parasite Holospora undulata.
Observed and analyzed parasite infectivity and virulence evolution.

Main Results:

Observed a general pattern of parasite local maladaptation for infectivity across different host genetic backgrounds.
Maladaptation patterns were consistent across host genetic backgrounds and mirrored natural population dynamics.
Virulence showed similar trends but with less statistical significance; infectivity and virulence appeared to evolve independently.

Conclusions:

Host genetic background can shape spatial gradients of local adaptation in host-parasite interactions.
Parasite local maladaptation is a common outcome, irrespective of the host's genetic makeup.
Coevolutionary trajectories are similar across different genetic backgrounds, but genetic distance influences adaptation patterns.