Cis-regulatory evolution spotlights species differences in the adaptive potential of gene expression plasticity.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity is the variation in phenotype that a single genotype can produce in different environments and, as such, is an important component of individual fitness. However, whether the effect of new mutations, and hence evolution, depends on the direction of plasticity remains controversial. Here, we identify the cis-acting modifications that have reshaped gene expression in response to dehydration stress in three Arabidopsis species. Our study shows that the direction of effects of most cis-regulatory variants differentiating the response between A. thaliana and the sister species A. lyrata and A. halleri depends on the direction of pre-existing plasticity in gene expression. A comparison of the rate of cis-acting variant accumulation in each lineage indicates that the selecti

SUBMITTER: He F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8184852 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature