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Environmentally Induced Heritable Changes in Flax
Published on: January 26, 2011
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Environmentally induced changes in correlated responses to selection reveal variable pleiotropy across a complex
Kristin L Sikkink1,2, Rose M Reynolds1,3, William A Cresko4
1Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|March 27, 2015
Summary
Environmental conditions alter evolutionary responses by changing genetic correlations. This study shows that pleiotropy, how genes affect multiple traits, is sensitive to the environment, impacting adaptation to new conditions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Environmental science
Background:
- Evolutionary adaptation to novel environments involves coordinated changes in multiple traits.
- The genetic architecture underlying complex traits can change with environmental conditions, affecting evolutionary trajectories.
- Understanding genetic correlations is crucial for predicting multivariate evolutionary responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different environmental conditions influence the evolutionary response to selection on multiple stress-related phenotypes.
- To determine if environmental context alters the genetic architecture of stress resistance and its covariation.
- To examine the role of pleiotropy in mediating adaptation to novel environments.
Main Methods:
- A factorial selection experiment was conducted on the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei.
- Selection was applied for resistance to heat and oxidative stress under three distinct environmental conditions.
- The evolutionary covariation between phenotypes and across environments was analyzed.
Main Results:
- The pattern of evolutionary response and covariation between heat and oxidative stress resistance varied significantly depending on the selection environment.
- Asymmetrical responses to selection were observed in certain environmental contexts.
- Pleiotropic effects across the stress response network demonstrated high environmental sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Environmental conditions play a critical role in shaping the multivariate evolutionary response to selection.
- The plasticity of pleiotropy in response to environmental cues influences an organism's ability to acclimate to novel conditions.
- Identifying the genetic basis of genetic correlations is essential for understanding adaptive evolution and gene-environment interactions.
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