Effects of Genetic and Physiological Divergence on the Evolution of a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium under Conditions of Elevated Temperature
Megan L. Kempher, Xuanyu Tao, Rong Song, Bo Wu, David A. Stahl, Judy D. Wall, Adam P. Arkin, Aifen Zhou, Jizhong Zhou
Abstract
Improving our understanding of how previous adaptation influences evolution has been a long-standing goal in evolutionary biology. Natural selection tends to drive populations to find similar adaptive solutions for the same selective conditions. However, variations in historical environments can lead to both physiological and genetic divergence that can make evolution unpredictable. Here, we assessed the influence of divergence on the evolution of a model sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, in response to elevated temperature and found a significant effect at the genetic but not the phenotypic level. Understanding how these influences drive evolution will allow us to better predict how bacteria will adapt to various ecological constraints.