A1 Journal article (refereed)
Epigenetic and Genetic Contributions to Adaptation in Chlamydomonas (2017)

Kronholm, I., Bassett, A., Baulcombe, D., & Collins, S. (2017). Epigenetic and Genetic Contributions to Adaptation in Chlamydomonas. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 34(9), 2285-2306. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msx166

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Kronholm, Ilkka; Bassett, Andrew; Baulcombe, David; Collins, Sinéad

Journal or series: Molecular Biology and Evolution

ISSN: 0737-4038

eISSN: 1537-1719

Publication year: 2017

Volume: 34

Issue number: 9

Pages range: 2285-2306

Publisher: Oxford University Press; Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msx166

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/56157

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation or histone modifications, can be transmitted between cellular or organismal generations. However, there are no experiments measuring their role in adaptation, so here we use experimental evolution to investigate how epigenetic variation can contribute to adaptation. We manipulated DNA methylation and histone acetylation in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii both genetically and chemically to change the amount of epigenetic variation generated or transmitted in adapting populations in three different environments (salt stress, phosphate starvation, and high CO2) for two hundred asexual generations. We find that reducing the amount of epigenetic variation available to populations can reduce adaptation in environments where it otherwise happens. From genomic and epigenomic sequences from a subset of the populations, we see changes in methylation patterns between the evolved populations over-represented in some functional categories of genes, which is consistent with some of these differences being adaptive. Based on whole genome sequencing of evolved clones, the majority of DNA methylation changes do not appear to be linked to cis-acting genetic mutations. Our results show that transgenerational epigenetic effects play a role in adaptive evolution, and suggest that the relationship between changes in methylation patterns and differences in evolutionary outcomes, at least for quantitative traits such as cell division rates, is complex.

Keywords: green algae; epigenetic inheritance; tolerance (physical); salt content; carbon dioxide; nutrient content; phosphates

Free keywords: adaptive walk; experimental evolution; methylation; Chlamydomonas

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2017

JUFO rating: 3