scholarly journals Hormones and phenotypic plasticity: Implications for the evolution of integrated adaptive phenotypes

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean C. Lema ◽  
Jun Kitano
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Hormone Signaling ◽  
Norm Of Reaction ◽  
Endocrine Signaling ◽  
Plastic Responses ◽  
Signaling Components ◽  
Phenotypic Development ◽  
Influence Gene Expression ◽  
Phenotypic Responses

Abstract It is generally accepted that taxa exhibit genetic variation in phenotypic plasticity, but many questions remain unanswered about how divergent plastic responses evolve under dissimilar ecological conditions. Hormones are signaling molecules that act as proximate mediators of phenotype expression by regulating a variety of cellular, physiological, and behavioral responses. Hormones not only change cellular and physiological states but also influence gene expression directly or indirectly, thereby linking environmental conditions to phenotypic development. Studying how hormonal pathways respond to environmental variation and how those responses differ between individuals, populations, and species can expand our understanding of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Here, we explore the ways that the study of hormone signaling is providing new insights into the underlying proximate bases for individual, population or species variation in plasticity. Using several studies as exemplars, we examine how a ‘norm of reaction’ approach can be used in investigations of hormone-mediated plasticity to inform the following: 1) how environmental cues affect the component hormones, receptors and enzymes that comprise any endocrine signaling pathway, 2) how genetic and epigenetic variation in endocrine-associated genes can generate variation in plasticity among these diverse components, and 3) how phenotypes mediated by the same hormone can be coupled and decoupled via independent plastic responses of signaling components across target tissues. Future studies that apply approaches such as reaction norms and network modeling to questions concerning how hormones link environmental stimuli to ecologically-relevant phenotypic responses should help unravel how phenotypic plasticity evolves.

scholarly journals PIF4 and PIF4-Interacting Proteins: At the Nexus of Plant Light, Temperature and Hormone Signal Integrations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10304
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Ziqiang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
High Ambient Temperature ◽  
Interacting Proteins ◽  
Hormone Signaling ◽  
Helix Loop Helix ◽  
Robust Network ◽  
Global Transcriptome ◽  
Signaling Components ◽  
Reduce Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Expression Levels

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family transcription factor PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) is necessary for plant adaption to light or high ambient temperature. PIF4 directly associates with plenty of its target genes and modulates the global transcriptome to induce or reduce gene expression levels. However, PIF4 activity is tightly controlled by its interacting proteins. Until now, twenty-five individual proteins have been reported to physically interact with PIF4. These PIF4-interacting proteins act together with PIF4 and form a unique nexus for plant adaption to light or temperature change. In this review, we will discuss the different categories of PIF4-interacting proteins, including photoreceptors, circadian clock regulators, hormone signaling components, and transcription factors. These distinct PIF4-interacting proteins either integrate light and/or temperature cues with endogenous hormone signaling, or control PIF4 abundances and transcriptional activities. Taken together, PIF4 and PIF4-interacting proteins play major roles for exogenous and endogenous signal integrations, and therefore establish a robust network for plants to cope with their surrounding environmental alterations.

scholarly journals Moulding the ideal crab: implications of phenotypic plasticity for crustacean stock enhancement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J Daly ◽  
Ginny L Eckert ◽  
W Christopher Long
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Stock Enhancement ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Ecological Performance ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Plastic Responses

Abstract Numerous examples of behavioural and morphological differences between hatchery-cultured and wild individuals exist for a range of crustacean species; however, we submit that these variances are not deficiencies, but rather are adaptive responses to an unnatural rearing environment that may be detrimental in the natural environment. This phenotypic plasticity could be beneficial for stock enhancement because such plasticity suggests potential for change with adjustments to rearing protocols to achieve improved ecological competence. We examine how specific plastic responses can affect crustacean ecology through effects on predation, foraging, competition, and reproduction. For developing stock enhancement programmes, we recommend consideration of plastic phenotypic patterns before large-scale releases are initiated. Researchers can identify environmental factors that cue plasticity during hatchery rearing, determine if induced responses are ecologically influential after release into the wild, and examine the temporal scale on which phenotypic plasticity operates. Communal hatchery rearing at low-to-medium stocking densities with predator cues and natural substrates along with in situ conditioning, releases during periods of low predation risk, and coupled laboratory-field studies can contribute to improved ecological performance during stock enhancement. Finally, presentation of non-significant research results is needed to avoid bias towards hatchery–wild differences and help guide future conditioning programmes.

Regulation of Constitutive Mouse Hepatic Cytochromes P450 and Growth Hormone Signaling Components by 3-Methylcholanthrene

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1530-1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunja Lee ◽  
Janine R. Hutson ◽  
Vivien Kok-Fung Tzau ◽  
David S. Riddick
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Cytochromes P450 ◽  
Hormone Signaling ◽  
Signaling Components

scholarly journals Morphoanatomical plasticity of Tibouchina clavata (Melastomataceae) in ombrophilous forest and restinga forest

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 484 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Carlos Ferreira Melo Júnior ◽  
Maick William Amorim ◽  
Igor Abba Arriola ◽  
Jessica Stefani Dirksen ◽  
Fernando Andreacci
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Plasticity Index ◽  
Environmental Constraints ◽  
Lower Variation ◽  
Ombrophilous Forest ◽  
Foliar Traits ◽  
Plastic Responses

Structural adjustments in plants may occur in response to environmental constraints, which may influence plant growth and development, as well as patterns of species coexistence. The present study aimed to evaluate the plastic responses of Tibouchina clavata (Melastomataceae) occurring in two forest formations governed by different environmental conditions. Ten leaves of ten individuals were collected in each formation, for a total of n = 100 per area. as were stem samples, for measuring architectural, morphological and foliar traits. Environmental variables considered included edaphic nutrition, water availability and light radiation. The phenotypic plasticity index was calculated for each trait. Morphoanatomical traits varied among populations with greater emphasis on plant height and stem diameter, in contrast to the lower variation observed for leaf traits. Foliar morphoanatomy met the expected pattern for plants that grow under conditions of greater luminosity. Greater development of the aerial system (height and diameter of the stem) was observed in the plants of the ombrophilous forest, indicating that this growth is related to the soil fertility and water availability. The phenotypic plasticity index indicates low plasticity for T. clavata in the geographic distribution studied.

scholarly journals Chromatin structure changes in Daphnia populations upon exposure to environmental cues – or – The discovery of Wolterecks “Matrix”

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronaldo de Carvalho Augusto ◽  
Aki Minoda ◽  
Oliver Rey ◽  
Céline Cosseau ◽  
Cristian Chaparro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Chromatin Structure ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Reaction Norms ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Open Chromatin ◽  
Norm Of Reaction ◽  
Structure Changes

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity is an important feature of biological systems that is likely to play a major role in the future adaptation of organisms to the ongoing global changes. It may allow an organism to produce alternative phenotypes in responses to environmental cues. Modifications in the phenotype can be reversible but are sometimes enduring and can even span over generations. The notion of phenotypic plasticity was conceptualized in the early 20th century by Richard Woltereck. He introduced the idea that the combined relations of a phenotypic character and all environmental gradients that influence on it can be defined as “norm of reaction”. Norms of reaction are specific to species and to lineages within species, and they are heritable. He postulated that reaction norms can progressively be shifted over generations depending on the environmental conditions. One of his biological models was the water-flee daphnia. Woltereck proposed that enduring phenotypic modifications and gene mutations could have similar adaptive effects, and he postulated that their molecular bases would be different. Mutations occurred in genes, while enduring modifications were based on something he called the Matrix. He suggested that this matrix (i) was associated with the chromosomes, (ii) that it was heritable, (iii) it changed during development of the organisms, and (iv) that changes of the matrix could be simple chemical substitutions of an unknown, but probably polymeric molecule. We reasoned that the chromatin has all postulated features of this matrix and revisited Woltereck’s classical experiments with daphnia. We developed a robust and rapid ATAC-seq technique that allows for analyzing chromatin of individual daphnia and show here (i) that this technique can be used with minimal expertise in molecular biology, and (ii) we used it to identify open chromatin structure in daphnia exposed to different environmental cues. Our result indicates that chromatin structure changes consistently in daphnia upon this exposure confirming Woltereck’s classical postulate.

scholarly journals Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in malaria parasites is not constrained by previous responses to environmental change

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-198
Author(s):  
Philip L G Birget ◽  
Petra Schneider ◽  
Aidan J O’Donnell ◽  
Sarah E Reece
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Plastic Response ◽  
Malaria Parasites ◽  
Host Environment ◽  
Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Plastic Responses

Abstract Background and objectives Phenotypic plasticity enables organisms to maximize fitness by matching trait values to different environments. Such adaptive phenotypic plasticity is exhibited by parasites, which experience frequent environmental changes during their life cycle, between individual hosts and also in within-host conditions experienced during infections. Life history theory predicts that the evolution of adaptive phenotypic plasticity is limited by costs and constraints, but tests of these concepts are scarce. Methodology Here, we induce phenotypic plasticity in malaria parasites to test whether mounting a plastic response to an environmental perturbation constrains subsequent plastic responses to further environmental change. Specifically, we perturb red blood cell resource availability to induce Plasmodium chabaudi to alter the trait values of several phenotypes underpinning within-host replication and between-host transmission. We then transfer parasites to unperturbed hosts to examine whether constraints govern the parasites’ ability to alter these phenotypes in response to their new in-host environment. Results Parasites alter trait values in response to the within-host environment they are exposed to. We do not detect negative consequences, for within-host replication or between-host transmission, of previously mounting a plastic response to a perturbed within-host environment. Conclusions and implications We suggest that malaria parasites are highly plastic and adapted to adjusting their phenotypes in response to the frequent changes in the within-host conditions they experience during infections. Our findings support the growing body of evidence that medical interventions, such as anti-parasite drugs, induce plastic responses that are adaptive and can facilitate the survival and potentially, drug resistance of parasites. Lay Summary Malaria parasites have evolved flexible strategies to cope with the changing conditions they experience during infections. We show that using such flexible strategies does not impact upon the parasites’ ability to grow (resulting in disease symptoms) or transmit (spreading the disease).

scholarly journals Developmental plasticity: re-conceiving the genotype

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 20170009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia E. Sultan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Environmental Response ◽  
Norm Of Reaction ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Sorting Process ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Developmental Programme ◽  
Plastic Responses ◽  
Synthesis Approach

In recent decades, the phenotype of an organism (i.e. its traits and behaviour) has been studied as the outcome of a developmental ‘programme’ coded in its genotype. This deterministic view is implicit in the Modern Synthesis approach to adaptive evolution as a sorting process among genetic variants. Studies of developmental pathways have revealed that genotypes are in fact differently expressed depending on environmental conditions. Accordingly, the genotype can be understood as a repertoire of potential developmental outcomes or norm of reaction. Reconceiving the genotype as an environmental response repertoire rather than a fixed developmental programme leads to three critical evolutionary insights. First, plastic responses to specific conditions often comprise functionally appropriate trait adjustments, resulting in an individual-level, developmental mode of adaptive variation. Second, because genotypes are differently expressed depending on the environment, the genetic diversity available to natural selection is itself environmentally contingent. Finally, environmental influences on development can extend across multiple generations via cytoplasmic and epigenetic factors transmitted to progeny individuals, altering their responses to their own, immediate environmental conditions and, in some cases, leading to inherited but non-genetic adaptations. Together, these insights suggest a more nuanced understanding of the genotype and its evolutionary role, as well as a shift in research focus to investigating the complex developmental interactions among genotypes, environments and previous environments.

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