Ionizing radiation affects the demography and the evolution of Caenorhabditis elegans populations

Quevarec, Loïc; Réale, Denis; Dufourcq‐Sekatcheff, Elizabeth; Armant, Olivier; Adam‐Guillermin, Christelle; Bonzom, Jean‐Marc

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114353

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…These results corroborate that a dose rate of 50 mGy.h − 1 has a negative impact on the population fitness of C. elegans . For 1.4 mGy.h − 1 , the decrease in fitness in C. elegans is consistent with our previous studies, where we observed a decrease in realized fecundity for 20 generations to a dose rate of 1.4 mGy.h − 1 [ 38 ]. In contrast, no effect was observed in C. elegans N2 strain on hatching success between 6.6 and 45 mGy.h − 1 for shorter experiments (three generations [ 42 ]; one generation [ 47 ]), and on the number of larvae per hermaphrodite at 28 mGy.h − 1 [ 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…To our knowledge, studies describing the effects of ionizing radiation on evolution of fitness are scarce [ 39 ]. However, some studies have shown a decrease in reproduction following irradiation in many species [ 40 , 41 ], specifically in C. elegans from 42.7 mGy.h − 1 [ 42 – 45 ], and in a multigenerational experiment from 1.4 mGy.h − 1 with the C. elegans A6140 population [ 38 ]. Also, studies have shown a decrease in survival following irradiation in C. elegans .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clejan et al [ 46 ] showed a decrease of about 55% in the survival rate of C. elegans N2 strain exposed to an acute ionizing radiation dose of 60 Gy. We demonstrated a 7% decrease in larval survival in populations of C. elegans A6140 exposed for 20 generations to a dose rate of 50 mGy.h − 1 [ 38 ]. These results corroborate that a dose rate of 50 mGy.h − 1 has a negative impact on the population fitness of C. elegans .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In previous studies, we showed that long-term irradiation can modify life history traits in C. elegans (e.g., sex ratio, population growth rate, hatching success or fecundity) and alter evolutionary trajectories through selection and adaptation mechanisms [ 37 , 38 ]. In this study, we investigated (1) whether evolution in gamma-irradiated environment could induce a cost on survival against a second stressful environment, here with bacterial parasite Serratia marcescens .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Host defense alteration in Caenorhabditis elegans after evolution under ionizing radiation

Quevarec,

Morran,

Dufourcq-Sekatcheff

et al. 2024

BMC Ecol Evo

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Background Adaptation to a stressor can lead to costs on other traits. These costs play an unavoidable role on fitness and influence the evolutionary trajectory of a population. Host defense seems highly subject to these costs, possibly because its maintenance is energetically costly but essential to the survival. When assessing the ecological risk related to pollution, it is therefore relevant to consider these costs to evaluate the evolutionary consequences of stressors on populations. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effects of evolution in irradiate environment on host defense have never been studied. Using an experimental evolution approach, we analyzed fitness across 20 transfers (about 20 generations) in Caenorhabditis elegans populations exposed to 0, 1.4, and 50.0 mGy.h− 1 of 137Cs gamma radiation. Then, populations from transfer 17 were placed in the same environmental conditions without irradiation (i.e., common garden) for about 10 generations before being exposed to the bacterial parasite Serratia marcescens and their survival was estimated to study host defense. Finally, we studied the presence of an evolutionary trade-off between fitness of irradiated populations and host defense. Results We found a lower fitness in both irradiated treatments compared to the control ones, but fitness increased over time in the 50.0 mGy.h− 1, suggesting a local adaptation of the populations. Then, the survival rate of C. elegans to S. marcescens was lower for common garden populations that had previously evolved under both irradiation treatments, indicating that evolution in gamma-irradiated environment had a cost on host defense of C. elegans. Furthermore, we showed a trade-off between standardized fitness at the end of the multigenerational experiment and survival of C. elegans to S. marcescens in the control treatment, but a positive correlation between the two traits for the two irradiated treatments. These results indicate that among irradiated populations, those most sensitive to ionizing radiation are also the most susceptible to the pathogen. On the other hand, other irradiated populations appear to have evolved cross-resistance to both stress factors. Conclusions Our study shows that adaptation to an environmental stressor can be associated with an evolutionary cost when a new stressor appears, even several generations after the end of the first stressor. Among irradiated populations, we observed an evolution of resistance to ionizing radiation, which also appeared to provide an advantage against the pathogen. On the other hand, some of the irradiated populations seemed to accumulate sensitivities to stressors. This work provides a new argument to show the importance of considering evolutionary changes in ecotoxicology and for ecological risk assessment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Host defense alteration in Caenorhabditis elegans after evolution under ionizing radiation

Quevarec,

Morran,

Dufourcq-Sekatcheff

et al. 2024

BMC Ecol Evo

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“…Organisms permanently exposed to ionizing radiation may experience negative effects on different fitness components such as survival and reproduction [e.g., 14]. However, no field-based study has addressed whether chronic exposure to radiation shapes age in Chornobyl wildlife, so far.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ionizing radiation has negligible effects on the age, telomere length, and corticosterone levels of Chornobyl tree frogs

Burraco,

Gabor,

Bryant

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

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Pollutants, such as ionizing radiation, released at high levels by human activities can shape ecological and evolutionary processes. The accident occurred at Chornobyl nuclear power plant (Ukraine, April 1986) contaminated a large extension of territory after the deposition of radioactive material. Beyond the immediate negative impact caused by the accident, it is still under debate whether the chronic exposure to the radiation levels currently present in the area signifies a serious threat for organisms. One hypothesis suggests that current levels of radiation may cause unobservable damage in the short-term, but have long-term effects such as decreases in longevity. Here, we investigate through a field-based approach, whether current levels of radiation in Chornobyl negatively impact the age of a semi-aquatic vertebrate, the Eastern tree frog Hyla orientalis. We also explore whether radiation induces changes in an ageing marker, telomere length, or in the stress hormone corticosterone. We found no effect of total individual absorbed radiation (including both external and internal exposure) on frog age (n = 197 individuals sampled in three consecutive years). We also did not find any relationship between individual absorbed radiation and telomere length, but a negative relationship between individual absorbed radiation and corticosterone levels. Our results suggest that radiation levels currently experienced by tree frogs in Chornobyl may not be high enough to cause severe chronic damage to semi-aquatic vertebrates such as this species. This is the first study addressing age and stress hormones in Chornobyl wildlife, and thus future research will confirm if these results can be extended to other taxa.

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Evolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation

Car,

Quevarec,

Gilles

et al. 2024

Environmental Pollution

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Ionizing radiation affects the demography and the evolution of Caenorhabditis elegans populations

Cited by 7 publications

References 91 publications

Host defense alteration in Caenorhabditis elegans after evolution under ionizing radiation

Host defense alteration in Caenorhabditis elegans after evolution under ionizing radiation

Ionizing radiation has negligible effects on the age, telomere length, and corticosterone levels of Chornobyl tree frogs

Evolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation

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