Epigenetic and phenotypic variability in populations of Schistosoma mansoni - a possible kick-off for adaptive host/parasite evolution
Epigenetic and phenotypic variability in populations of Schistosoma mansoni - a possible kick-off for adaptive host/parasite evolution
复制标题
DOI：
10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18040.x
复制
发表时间：
2010-04-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Grunau, C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cosseau, C.;Azzi, A.;Grunau, C.
表观遗传学是一门研究可遗传但可修改信息的科学，现在已被许多研究领域广泛接受。然而，表观遗传学还没有在生物学中最令人兴奋的领域之一——对进化的理解中得到广泛的重视。这是令人惊讶的，因为这种信息传递系统存在的原因当然在于它提供的进化优势。理论考虑支持一种模型，在这种模型中，表观遗传机制允许增加表型变异性，并允许种群在不改变基因型的情况下探索适应性景观。本文提供的数据支持这样一种观点，即通过组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂处理幼虫来调节人血吸虫曼氏血吸虫的表观遗传型确实会导致表型变异性的增加。因此，可以想象，环境诱导的表观遗传型变化释放了新的表型，选择可以对其起作用，这一过程是适应性进化的第一步。
Epigenetics, the science of heritable but modifiable information, is now a well-accepted component of many research fields. Nevertheless, epigenetics has not yet found broad appreciation in one of the most exciting fields of biology: the comprehension of evolution. This is surprising, since the reason for the existence of this alternative information-transmitting system lies certainly in the evolutionary advantage it provides. Theoretical considerations support a model in which epigenetic mechanisms allow for increasing phenotypic variability and permit populations to explore the adaptive landscape without modifications of the genotype. The data presented here support the view that modulating the epigenotype of the human bloodfluke Schistosoma mansoni by treatment of larvae with histone deacetylase inhibitor leads indeed to an increase of phenotypic variability. It is therefore conceivable that environmentally induced changes in the epigenotype release new phenotypes on which selection can act and that this process is the first step in adaptive evolution.