Prolonged exposure to constant environmental conditions prompts nonrandom genetic variation

Catania, Francesco; Hagen, Rebecca; Vitali, Valerio

doi:10.1101/2020.04.07.030270

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Based on our findings, we propose that alternative DNAlevel splicing in Paramecium may not only reflect errors or snapshots of a mutual process of germ line/somatic DNA sequence conversion (Arnaiz et al, 2012;Catania et al, 2013Catania et al, , 2020, but also regulatory events that are informed by environmental conditions, in line with previous observations (Nowacki et al, 2010;Cervantes et al, 2013;Singh et al, 2014). In this sense, alternative DNA-level splicing in Paramecium is reminiscent of the eukaryotic process of alternative RNA-level splicing (Lewis et al, 2003;Catania and Lynch, 2008;Kelemen et al, 2013;Catania and Schmitz, 2015;Bush et al, 2017;Saudemont et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cross-Generational Effects and Non-random Developmental Response to Temperature Variation in Paramecium

Hagen

Vitali

Catania

2020

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Unicellular organisms such as ciliates are largely neglected in research on adaptive developmental plasticity, although their nuclear dualism offers ideal circumstances to study development outside an embryonic context. Here, we gain first insights into the ability of the ciliate Paramecium to develop potentially adaptive phenotypic changes in response to early-life adversity. We show that, upon exposure to unconventional culture temperatures, germ line-to-soma differentiation gives rise to coordinated molecular changes that may help attune the number of functional gene copies to the new external conditions. The non-random somatic heterogeneity that developmental plasticity generates is largely epigenetically controlled, shaped by the parental experience, and may prompt a stress response. These findings establish Paramecium as a new model system to study the molecular basis and evolutionary significance of developmental plasticity. In echoing previous indications in mammals, they call for an incorporation of intergenerational effects in adaptation studies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cross-Generational Effects and Non-random Developmental Response to Temperature Variation in Paramecium

Hagen

Vitali

Catania

2020

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Bridging Tumorigenesis and Therapy Resistance With a Non-Darwinian and Non-Lamarckian Mechanism of Adaptive Evolution

et al. 2021

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Although neo-Darwinian (and less often Lamarckian) dynamics are regularly invoked to interpret cancer’s multifarious molecular profiles, they shine little light on how tumorigenesis unfolds and often fail to fully capture the frequency and breadth of resistance mechanisms. This uncertainty frames one of the most problematic gaps between science and practice in modern times. Here, we offer a theory of adaptive cancer evolution, which builds on a molecular mechanism that lies outside neo-Darwinian and Lamarckian schemes. This mechanism coherently integrates non-genetic and genetic changes, ecological and evolutionary time scales, and shifts the spotlight away from positive selection towards purifying selection, genetic drift, and the creative-disruptive power of environmental change. The surprisingly simple use-it or lose-it rationale of the proposed theory can help predict molecular dynamics during tumorigenesis. It also provides simple rules of thumb that should help improve therapeutic approaches in cancer.

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Prolonged exposure to constant environmental conditions prompts nonrandom genetic variation

Cited by 2 publications

References 40 publications

Cross-Generational Effects and Non-random Developmental Response to Temperature Variation in Paramecium

Cross-Generational Effects and Non-random Developmental Response to Temperature Variation in Paramecium

Bridging Tumorigenesis and Therapy Resistance With a Non-Darwinian and Non-Lamarckian Mechanism of Adaptive Evolution

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