Back to Search
Start Over
Phenotypic plasticity explains apparent reverse evolution of fat synthesis in parasitic wasps
- Source :
- Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2021), Scientific Reports, Scientific Reports, Vol. 11, no.1, p. 13 (2021), Scientific Reports, 11(1):7751. Nature Publishing Group
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Numerous cases of evolutionary trait loss and regain have been reported over the years. Here, we argue that such reverse evolution can also become apparent when trait expression is plastic in response to the environment. We tested this idea for the loss and regain of fat synthesis in parasitic wasps. We first show experimentally that the wasp Leptopilina heterotoma switches lipogenesis on in a fat-poor environment, and completely off in a fat-rich environment. Plasticity suggests that this species did not regain fat synthesis, but that it can be switched off in some environmental settings. We then compared DNA sequence variation and protein domains of several more distantly related parasitoid species thought to have lost lipogenesis, and found no evidence for non-functionality of key lipogenesis genes. This suggests that other parasitoids may also show plasticity of fat synthesis. Last, we used individual-based simulations to show that a switch for plastic expression can remain functional in the genome for thousands of generations, even if it is only used sporadically. The evolution of plasticity could thus also explain other examples of apparent reverse evolution.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine
Evolution
Science
Wasps
Protein domain
Plasticity
Evolutionary ecology
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Genome
Article
Parasitoid
Fats
03 medical and health sciences
Animals
Gene
Phenotypic plasticity
Multidisciplinary
Ecology
biology
Lipogenesis
fungi
biology.organism_classification
Adaptation, Physiological
Biological Evolution
030104 developmental biology
Evolutionary biology
Trait
Medicine
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20452322
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Scientific Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fff3e0e5afb26912e44d4cf6fdabed6e