Hidden genetic variation in plasticity provides the potential for rapid adaptation to novel environments

Greg M. Walter, James Clark, Delia Terranova, Salvatore Cozzolino, Antonia Cristaudo, Simon J. Hiscock, Jon Bridle

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Rapid environmental change is forcing populations into environments where plasticity will no longer maintain fitness. When populations are exposed to novel environments, evolutionary theory predicts that genetic variation in fitness will increase and should be associated with genetic differences in plasticity. If true, then genetic variation in plasticity can increase adaptive potential in novel environments, and population persistence via evolutionary rescue is more likely. To test whether genetic variation in fitness increases in novel environments and is associated with plasticity, we transplanted 8149 clones of 314 genotypes of a Sicilian daisy (Senecio chrysanthemifolius) within and outside its native range, and quantified genetic variation in fitness, and plasticity in leaf traits and gene expression. Although mean fitness declined by 87% in the novel environment, genetic variance in fitness increased threefold and was correlated with plasticity in leaf traits. High fitness genotypes showed greater plasticity in gene expression, but lower plasticity in most leaf traits. Interestingly, genotypes with the highest fitness in the novel environment had the lowest fitness at the native site. These results suggest that standing genetic variation in plasticity could help populations to persist and adapt to novel environments, despite remaining hidden in native environments.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)374-387
Number of pages14
JournalNew Phytologist
Volume239
Issue number1
Early online date18 Jan 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2023 New Phytologist Foundation.

Funding

We are grateful to Leonie Moyle and three anonymous reviewers whose comments helped us to improve earlier versions of this work. We thank David Aguirre, Spencer Barrett, Roger Butlin, Robert Dugand, Ary Hoffmann and Carla Sgrò for advice and comments on previous versions. We are very grateful to those who helped with fieldwork: Alessandro Barbato, Octavia Brayley, Guy Burstein, Maria Castrogiovanni, Stefania Catara, Sarah du Plessis, Carmen Impelluso, Enrico la Spina, Mari Majorana, Jessica Menzies, Morgan Millen, Giuseppe Pepe and Daniel Ward. We are very grateful to Piante Faro for generously providing glasshouse resources, without which this study would not have been possible. This work was supported by NERC grants NE/P001793/1 and NE/P002145/1 awarded to JB and SH.

FundersFunder number
Natural Environment Research CouncilNE/P002145/1, NE/P001793/1

Keywords

  • adaptive plasticity
  • additive genetic variance
  • differential gene expression
  • environmental change
  • evolutionary rescue
  • fitness
  • novel environments
  • population persistence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Plant Science

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