Emergence of phenotypic plasticity through epigenetic mechanisms
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F24%3A00584943" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/24:00584943 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/60076658:12310/24:43908870
Result on the web
<a href="https://academic.oup.com/evlett/article-pdf/8/4/561/58646941/qrae012.pdf" target="_blank" >https://academic.oup.com/evlett/article-pdf/8/4/561/58646941/qrae012.pdf</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/evlett/qrae012" target="_blank" >10.1093/evlett/qrae012</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Emergence of phenotypic plasticity through epigenetic mechanisms
Original language description
Plasticity is found in all domains of life and is particularly relevant when populations experience variable environmental conditions. Traditionally, evolutionary models of plasticity are non-mechanistic: they typically view reactions norms as the target of selection, without considering the underlying genetics explicitly. Consequently, there have been difficulties in understanding the emergence of plasticity, and in explaining its limits and costs. In this paper, we offer a novel mechanistic approximation for the emergence and evolution of plasticity. We simulate random ’epigenetic mutations’ in the genotype-phenotype mapping, of the kind enabled by DNA-methylations/demethylations. The frequency of epigenetic mutations at loci affecting the phenotype is sensitive to organism stress (trait-environment mismatch), but is also genetically determined and evolvable. Thus, the ’random motion’ of epigenetic markers enables developmental learning-like behaviors that can improve adaptation within the limits imposed by the genotypes. However, with random motion being ’goal-less,’ this mechanism is also vulnerable to developmental noise leading to maladaptation. Our individual-based simulations show that epigenetic mutations can hide alleles that are temporarily unfavorable, thus enabling cryptic genetic variation. These alleles can be advantageous at later times, under regimes of environmental change, in spite of the accumulation of genetic loads. Simulations also demonstrate that plasticity is favored by natural selection in constant environments, but more under periodic environmental change. Plasticity also evolves under directional environmental change as long as the pace of change is not too fast and costs are low.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10618 - Ecology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Evolution Letters
ISSN
2056-3744
e-ISSN
2056-3744
Volume of the periodical
8
Issue of the periodical within the volume
4
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
14
Pages from-to
561-574
UT code for WoS article
001191859900001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85200454025