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Eco-Evo-Devo: developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity as…
Eco-Evo-Devo: developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity as evolutionary agents
Important Terminology
Evo-Evo-Devo incorporates topics from ecology and developmental biology such as developmental symbiosis, plasticity, and genetic accommodation into an evolutionary theory
It states that phenotype depend on conditions of the environment and other species
Developmental symbiosis- organisms are partly made and offered genetic variation through interactions that occur between the host and symbiotic organisms
Developmental symbiosis can also contribute to the reproductive isolation of species which then leads to speciation
Developmental plasticity- some organisms in the larval or embryonic stage are able to react to environmental conditions through a change in form, behavior, or physiology
Some environmental cues can cause a change in a phenotype within a singular genome. This plasticity can also allow animals to accommodate environmental challenges including climate changes as well as create niche construction.
Main Concepts
Developmental plasticity can allow for the growth of new traits that can help an organism survive better under different conditions
Anatomical or behavioral changes that are adapted to a particular environment in a generation has the potential to create a macroevolutionary change of the certain species
The divergence of microbiomes among multiple hosts within a population may allow for the evolutionary processes including reproductive isolation and eventually speciation
Genetic variation in the symbiotic bacteria present within the host allows for phenotypic variation in the holobiont such as the ability to adjust to different environmental conditions
All animals interact with microbial communities through their epithelia. All multicellular macroscopic organisms are associated synergistically with bacteria and microbes within and around them.
Evolution of hosts should be considered with its symbionts. Each host species has a distinct microbiome through coevolution (phylosymbiosis)
Research Findings
Bacteria inside mammalian guts are needed for gut development, In germ-free mice, the intestines could not differentiate cells, indicating the bacteria provides critical evolutionary development signals.
Symbiotic bacteria shape the vertebrate immune system. Germ-free animals have shown to have defects in their immunity (less abundancy of macrophages and lymphocytes) making them prone to infections.
The innate immune system includes the skin and is thought to select for specific fungal and bacterial species that enable the body's defense, however it also maintains homeostatic relationships with symbiotic microorganisms by providing ecosystems for the microbiota needed for innate immunity.
Tissues and other regions of the body can evolve plastic responses on their own, however, they need to integrate to constitute a single phenotypic trait and response.
Studies have shown that host factors of the innate immune system including including antimicrobial peptides are important when selecting for specific microbiota
Further Research
Future research directions may look into the developmental genetic basics of phenotypic traits that are sensitive to the conditions of the environment and use patterns of expressions of orthologous genes to traits in model organisms.
Another approach is employing genetic screens which may help understand the genetic mechanisms of plasticity. It not only allows for the unbiased identification of a particular gene that causes a phenotypic trait, but it also allows for the understanding of gene duplication or protein modifications that may have occurred.
Importance
Climate change is a large issue which is causing plants and animals to adjust to changing environmental conditions, including the timing of life cycles. This may eventually lead to extinction when few reproductive options are available.
Some of the main ways commensal symbioses are able to survive climate-induced asynchrony in the life cycles of plants and animals is through their genetic diversity (different alleles may allow for different, better-suited timings) and plasticity so that symbiotic species are able to facilitate the survival of the other.
Reference
Gilbert SF, Bosch TCG, Ledón-Rettig C. 2015. Eco-Evo-Devo: developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity as evolutionary agents. Nature Reviews Genetics. 16(10):611–622. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3982
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