Phenotypic heterogeneity in lag reflects an evolutionarily stable bet-hedging strategy.

ABSTRACT: Single-cell experiments in yeast reveal two distinct heritable phenotypes-'arresters' and 'recoverers'-when a clonal population experiences a negative shift in its growth environment. Recoverers exhibit a variable yet finite lag before resuming growth in the new environment, whereas arresters remain in a non-growing, arrested state until more favorable conditions return. Although the diversification of individual cells into arresters and recoverers is a robust phenomenon, it remains unclear whether this coexistence constitutes an evolutionarily stable strategy. Here, we demonstrate that a heterogeneous strategy composed of both arrester and recoverer phenotypes maximizes long-term population fitness across a broad spectrum of growth-lag trade-offs. Our analysis employs a dynamic programmin

SUBMITTER: George A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12642563 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature