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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
04:52
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
Published on: February 3, 2023
Growth rate-dependent mutations and phenotypic switching facilitate rapid adaptation
Anton Grishechkin1, Omer Karin2
1Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, UK.
NPJ Systems Biology and Applications
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Regulating mutation rates by growth rate aids rapid adaptation in asexual populations. This biphasic strategy balances mutation and selection, optimizing evolution in changing environments.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Theoretical biology
Background:
- Mutation rates are often regulated by internal and external factors.
- Stress-induced mutagenesis links organism growth rate to mutation rate modulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the functional consequences of coupling mutation rate regulation with growth rate.
- Determine if this coupling enhances adaptive evolution.
Main Methods:
- Developed a model of asexual evolution on a high-dimensional fitness landscape.
- Analyzed a biphasic response function for mutation rate regulation.
- Simulated effects of environmental fluctuations on adaptive parameters.
Main Results:
- Coupling mutation rate to growth rate enables efficient, rapid adaptation.
- An optimal biphasic response maintains low mutation at high growth, increasing it below a threshold.
- Environmental fluctuations and weak selection generate parameter variability, preparing populations for change.
Conclusions:
- Growth rate-mediated mutation rate regulation is an effective adaptive strategy.
- This mechanism balances mutation and selection to maximize growth.
- Findings inform understanding of evolutionary parameter generation and antibiotic resistance dynamics.
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