Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026
15:30
A Telemetric, Gravimetric Platform for Real-Time Physiological Phenotyping of Plant–Environment Interactions
Published on: August 5, 2020
12.5K
Phenotypic plasticity facilitates initial colonization of a novel environment
Sheng Pei Wang1, David M Althoff1,2
1Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|January 9, 2019
Summary
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability to change traits without genetic alteration, aids survival in new environments. In fruit flies, increased alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity plasticity improved survival in high-alcohol conditions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Phenotypic plasticity is crucial for organisms colonizing novel environments.
- Plasticity allows adaptation without immediate genetic change, enhancing survival prospects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if phenotypic plasticity is a key mechanism for population survival during the initial colonization of novel environments.
- To examine the role of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster survival under environmental stress.
Main Methods:
- Wild Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to progressively extreme larval environments.
- Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) expression and its correlation with larval survival were analyzed in the first generation.
Main Results:
- Most fruit fly families exhibited adaptive increases in ADH activity in high-alcohol conditions.
- Families with greater ADH activity plasticity showed higher survival rates in the most extreme alcohol environment.
- ADH plasticity was positively selected and significantly heritable, indicating potential for future evolution.
Conclusions:
- Phenotypic plasticity of ADH activity is adaptive and influences fitness in novel, extreme environments.
- Plasticity's adaptive value is most pronounced in extreme conditions, with less impact in moderate environments.
- This study provides direct evidence for the adaptive role of phenotypic plasticity in environmental colonization.
Related Concept Videos
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
7.7K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
7.7K
02:22The Colonization of Land
37.6K
Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
37.6K
01:04Social Facilitation
36.6K
Not all intergroup interactions lead to negative outcomes. Sometimes, being in a group situation can improve performance. Social facilitation occurs when an individual performs better when an audience is watching than when the individual performs the behavior alone. This typically occurs when people are performing a task for which they are skilled.
36.6K
01:19Facilitated Transport
147.9K
The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a...
147.9K
02:33Initiation of Translation
39.0K
Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...
39.0K
00:58Plasticity
3.1K
Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...
3.1K