Evans, R., Beckerman, A.P. orcid.org/0000-0002-4797-9143, Wright, R.C.T. et al. (3 more authors) (2020) Eco-evolutionary dynamics set the tempo and trajectory of metabolic evolution in multispecies communities. Current Biology, 30 (24). 4984-4988.e4. ISSN 0960-9822
Abstract
The eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities are predicted to affect both the tempo and trajectory of evolution in constituent species [1]. While community composition determines available niche space, species sorting dynamically alters composition, changing over time the distribution of vacant niches to which species adapt [2], altering evolutionary trajectories [3, 4]. Competition for the same niche can limit evolutionary potential if population size and mutation supply are reduced [5, 6] but, alternatively, could stimulate evolutionary divergence to exploit vacant niches if character displacement results from the coevolution of competitors [7, 8]. Under more complex ecological scenarios, species can create new niches through their exploitation of complex resources, enabling others to adapt to occupy these newly formed niches [9, 10]. Disentangling the drivers of natural selection within such communities is extremely challenging, and it is thus unclear how eco-evolutionary dynamics drive the evolution of constituent taxa. We tracked the metabolic evolution of a focal species during adaptation to wheat straw as a resource both in monoculture and in polycultures wherein on-going eco-evolutionary community dynamics were either permitted or prevented. Species interactions accelerated metabolic evolution. Eco-evolutionary dynamics drove increased use of recalcitrant substrates by the focal species, whereas greater exploitation of readily digested substrate niches created by other species evolved if on-going eco-evolutionary dynamics were prevented. Increased use of recalcitrant substrates was associated with parallel evolution of tctE, encoding a carbon metabolism regulator. Species interactions and species sorting set, respectively, the tempo and trajectory of evolutionary divergence among communities, selecting distinct ecological functions in otherwise equivalent ecosystems.
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) | ||||
Keywords: | experimental evolution; coevolution; eco-evolutionary dynamics; decomposer community; lignocellulose; compost; microbiome; multivariate phenotype; competition; cross-feeding | ||||
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield | ||||
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) > Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (Sheffield) | ||||
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Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield | ||||
Date Deposited: | 23 Nov 2020 13:08 | ||||
Last Modified: | 02 Feb 2022 09:17 | ||||
Status: | Published | ||||
Publisher: | Elsevier BV | ||||
Refereed: | Yes | ||||
Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.028 | ||||
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