Fast growth increases the selective advantage of a mutation arising recurrently during evolution under metal limitation.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the evolution of biological systems requires untangling the molecular mechanisms that connect genetic and environmental variations to their physiological consequences. Metal limitation across many environments, ranging from pathogens in the human body to phytoplankton in the oceans, imposes strong selection for improved metal acquisition systems. In this study, we uncovered the genetic and physiological basis of adaptation to metal limitation using experimental populations of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 evolved in metal-deficient growth media. We identified a transposition mutation arising recurrently in 30 of 32 independent populations that utilized methanol as a carbon source, but not in any of the 8 that utilized only succinate. These parallel insertion events increase

SUBMITTER: Chou HH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2732905 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature