Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Evolution under pH stress and high population densities leads to increased density-dependent fitness in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila

View ORCID ProfileFelix Moerman, Angelina Arquint, Stefanie Merkli, Andreas Wagner, View ORCID ProfileFlorian Altermatt, View ORCID ProfileEmanuel A. Fronhofer
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/758300
Felix Moerman
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
2Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
3ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
4Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge—Bâtiment Génopode, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Felix Moerman
  • For correspondence: felix.moerman@ieu.uzh.ch
Angelina Arquint
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stefanie Merkli
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Andreas Wagner
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
4Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge—Bâtiment Génopode, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
5The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Florian Altermatt
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
2Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Florian Altermatt
Emanuel A. Fronhofer
1Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
2Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, Dübendorf CH-8600, Switzerland
3ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Emanuel A. Fronhofer
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Abiotic stress is a major force of selection that organisms are constantly facing. While the evolutionary effects of various stressors have been broadly studied, it is only more recently that the relevance of interactions between evolution and underlying ecological conditions, that is, eco-evolutionary feedbacks, have been highlighted. Here, we experimentally investigated how populations adapt to pH-stress under high population densities. Using the protist species Tetrahymena thermophila, we studied how four different genotypes evolved in response to stressfully low pH conditions and high population densities. We found that genotypes underwent evolutionary changes, some shifting up and others shifting down their intrinsic rates of increase (r0). Overall, evolution at low pH led to the convergence of r0 and intraspecific competitive ability (α) across the four genotypes. Given the strong correlation between r0 and α, we argue that this convergence was a consequence of selection for increased density-dependent fitness at low pH under the experienced high density conditions. Increased density-dependent fitness was either attained through increase in r0, or decrease of α, depending on the genetic background. In conclusion, we show that demography can influence the direction of evolution under abiotic stress.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted December 07, 2019.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Evolution under pH stress and high population densities leads to increased density-dependent fitness in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Evolution under pH stress and high population densities leads to increased density-dependent fitness in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila
Felix Moerman, Angelina Arquint, Stefanie Merkli, Andreas Wagner, Florian Altermatt, Emanuel A. Fronhofer
bioRxiv 758300; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/758300
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Evolution under pH stress and high population densities leads to increased density-dependent fitness in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila
Felix Moerman, Angelina Arquint, Stefanie Merkli, Andreas Wagner, Florian Altermatt, Emanuel A. Fronhofer
bioRxiv 758300; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/758300

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Evolutionary Biology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (2430)
  • Biochemistry (4791)
  • Bioengineering (3333)
  • Bioinformatics (14684)
  • Biophysics (6640)
  • Cancer Biology (5172)
  • Cell Biology (7429)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (4367)
  • Ecology (6874)
  • Epidemiology (2057)
  • Evolutionary Biology (9926)
  • Genetics (7346)
  • Genomics (9533)
  • Immunology (4558)
  • Microbiology (12686)
  • Molecular Biology (4948)
  • Neuroscience (28348)
  • Paleontology (199)
  • Pathology (809)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (1392)
  • Physiology (2024)
  • Plant Biology (4504)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (977)
  • Synthetic Biology (1299)
  • Systems Biology (3917)
  • Zoology (726)