scholarly journals Symbiosis as a source of selectable epigenetic variation: taking the heat for the big guy

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1540) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott F. Gilbert ◽  
Emily McDonald ◽  
Nicole Boyle ◽  
Nicholas Buttino ◽  
Lin Gyi ◽  
...  

Evolutionary developmental biology is based on the principle that evolution arises from hereditable changes in development. Most of this new work has centred on changes in the regulatory components of the genome. However, recent studies (many of them documented in this volume) have shown that development also includes interactions between the organism and its environment. One area of interest concerns the importance of symbionts for the production of the normal range of phenotypes. Many, if not most, organisms have ‘outsourced’ some of their developmental signals to a set of symbionts that are expected to be acquired during development. Such intimate interactions between species are referred to as codevelopment, the production of a new individual through the coordinated interactions of several genotypically different species. Within the past 2 years, several research programmes have demonstrated that such codevelopmental schemes can be selected. We will focus on symbioses in coral reef cnidarians symbiosis, pea aphids and cactuses, wherein the symbiotic system provides thermotolerance for the composite organism.

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1937) ◽  
pp. 20201349
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Hammelman ◽  
Carrie L. Heusinkveld ◽  
Emily T. Hung ◽  
Alydia Meinecke ◽  
Benjamin J. Parker ◽  
...  

A key focus of evolutionary developmental biology is on how phenotypic diversity is generated. In particular, both plasticity and developmental instability contribute to phenotypic variation among genetically identical individuals, but the interactions between the two phenomena and their general fitness impacts are unclear. We discovered a striking example of asymmetry in pea aphids: the presence of wings on one side and the complete or partial absence of wings on the opposite side. We used this asymmetric phenotype to study the connection between plasticity, developmental instability and fitness. We found that this asymmetric wing development (i) occurred equally on both sides and thus is a developmental instability; (ii) is present in some genetically unique lines but not others, and thus has a genetic basis; and (iii) has intermediate levels of fecundity, and thus does not necessarily have negative fitness consequences. We conclude that this dramatic asymmetry may arise from incomplete switching between developmental targets, linking plasticity and developmental instability. We suspect that what we have observed may be a more widespread phenomenon, occurring across species that routinely produce distinct, alternative phenotypes.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1668 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALESSANDRO MINELLI

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is a new research area where the traditions of evolutionary biology and developmental biology merge together. As in the past there has been a fruitful two-way exchange between evolutionary biology and taxonomy, and also between developmental biology and taxonomy, now the way is open for two-way exchanges between taxonomy and evolutionary developmental biology.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1214-1238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navjeet Kaur ◽  
Pranshu Bhardwaj ◽  
Meenu Devi ◽  
Yamini Verma ◽  
Neha Ahlawat ◽  
...  

Due to special properties of ILs (Ionic Liquids) like their wide liquid range, good solvating ability, negligible vapour pressure, non-inflammability, environment friendly medium, high thermal stability, easy recycling and rate promoters etc. they are used in organic synthesis. The investigation for the replacement of organic solvents in organic synthesis is a growing area of interest due to increasing environmental issues. Therefore, ionic liquids have attracted the attention of chemists and act as a catalyst and reaction medium in organic reaction with high activity. There is no doubt that ionic liquids have become a major subject of study for modern chemistry. In comparison to traditional processes the use of ionic liquids resulted in improved, complimentary or alternative selectivities in organic synthesis. The present manuscript reported the synthesis of multiple nitrogen containing five-membered heterocyclic compounds using ionic liquids. This review covered interesting discoveries in the past few years.


Author(s):  
Alan C. Love

Many researchers have argued that evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) constitutes a challenge to standard evolutionary theory, requiring the explicit inclusion of developmental processes that generate variation and attention to organismal form (rather than adaptive function). An analysis of these developmental-form challenges indicates that the primary concern is not the inclusion of specific content but the epistemic organization or structure of evolutionary theory. Proponents of developmental-form challenges favor moving their considerations to a more central location in evolutionary theorizing, in part because of a commitment to the value of mechanistic explanation. This chapter argues there are multiple legitimate structures for evolutionary theory, instead of a single, overarching or canonical organization, and different theory presentations can be understood as idealizations that serve different investigative and explanatory goals in evolutionary inquiry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 1027-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Hanson ◽  
P. D. Gluckman

Extensive experimental animal studies and epidemiological observations have shown that environmental influences during early development affect the risk of later pathophysiological processes associated with chronic, especially noncommunicable, disease (NCD). This field is recognized as the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). We discuss the extent to which DOHaD represents the result of the physiological processes of developmental plasticity, which may have potential adverse consequences in terms of NCD risk later, or whether it is the manifestation of pathophysiological processes acting in early life but only becoming apparent as disease later. We argue that the evidence suggests the former, through the operation of conditioning processes induced across the normal range of developmental environments, and we summarize current knowledge of the physiological processes involved. The adaptive pathway to later risk accords with current concepts in evolutionary developmental biology, especially those concerning parental effects. Outside the normal range, effects on development can result in nonadaptive processes, and we review their underlying mechanisms and consequences. New concepts concerning the underlying epigenetic and other mechanisms involved in both disruptive and nondisruptive pathways to disease are reviewed, including the evidence for transgenerational passage of risk from both maternal and paternal lines. These concepts have wider implications for understanding the causes and possible prevention of NCDs such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, for broader social policy and for the increasing attention paid in public health to the lifecourse approach to NCD prevention.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Angelica Miglioli ◽  
Laura Canesi ◽  
Isa D. L. Gomes ◽  
Michael Schubert ◽  
Rémi Dumollard

Nuclear Receptors (NRs) are a superfamily of transcription factors specific to metazoans that have the unique ability to directly translate the message of a signaling molecule into a transcriptional response. In vertebrates, NRs are pivotal players in countless processes of both embryonic and adult physiology, with embryonic development being one of the most dynamic periods of NR activity. Accumulating evidence suggests that NR signaling is also a major regulator of development in marine invertebrates, although ligands and transactivation dynamics are not necessarily conserved with respect to vertebrates. The explosion of genome sequencing projects and the interpretation of the resulting data in a phylogenetic context allowed significant progress toward an understanding of NR superfamily evolution, both in terms of molecular activities and developmental functions. In this context, marine invertebrates have been crucial for characterizing the ancestral states of NR-ligand interactions, further strengthening the importance of these organisms in the field of evolutionary developmental biology.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Dzik

An instructive introduction to the theory of evolution and its applications in biology, physics, chemistry, geology and humanities. The author shows that evolution is a physical process, occurring in geological time dimension, describes how the Darwin’s theory of natural selection works in immunology, neurobiology, sociology as well as in certain aspects of culture and political institutions. He also shows the effects achieved through the action of selection in different areas of biological and social life. He discusses such problems as: the ambiguity of the term “theory of evolution”, the falsifiability of evolutionary hypotheses, connection between evolution and thermodynamics, the concept of reductionism, methodological background of phylogenetics, cladistics, evolutionary developmental biology and homeotic genes, as well as the cumulative nature of social and cultural evolution.


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