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Title: Physiological mechanisms of stress-induced evolution
ABSTRACT Organisms mount the cellular stress response whenever environmental parameters exceed the range that is conducive to maintaining homeostasis. This response is critical for survival in emergency situations because it protects macromolecular integrity and, therefore, cell/organismal function. From an evolutionary perspective, the cellular stress response counteracts severe stress by accelerating adaptation via a process called stress-induced evolution. In this Review, we summarize five key physiological mechanisms of stress-induced evolution. Namely, these are stress-induced changes in: (1) mutation rates, (2) histone post-translational modifications, (3) DNA methylation, (4) chromoanagenesis and (5) transposable element activity. Through each of these mechanisms, organisms rapidly generate heritable phenotypes that may be adaptive, maladaptive or neutral in specific contexts. Regardless of their consequences to individual fitness, these mechanisms produce phenotypic variation at the population level. Because variation fuels natural selection, the physiological mechanisms of stress-induced evolution increase the likelihood that populations can avoid extirpation and instead adapt under the stress of new environmental conditions.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2127516
NSF-PAR ID:
10328349
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Experimental Biology
Volume:
225
Issue:
Suppl_1
ISSN:
0022-0949
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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