Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga
Abstract Understanding how organisms have adapted to persist in unpredictable environments is a fundamental goal in biology. Bet hedging, an evolutionary adaptation observed from microbes to humans, facilitates reproduction and population persistence in randomly fluctuating environments. Despite its...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46297-6 |
| _version_ | 1797266680018108416 |
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| author | Si Tang Yaqing Liu Jianming Zhu Xueyu Cheng Lu Liu Katrin Hammerschmidt Jin Zhou Zhonghua Cai |
| author_facet | Si Tang Yaqing Liu Jianming Zhu Xueyu Cheng Lu Liu Katrin Hammerschmidt Jin Zhou Zhonghua Cai |
| author_sort | Si Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding how organisms have adapted to persist in unpredictable environments is a fundamental goal in biology. Bet hedging, an evolutionary adaptation observed from microbes to humans, facilitates reproduction and population persistence in randomly fluctuating environments. Despite its prevalence, empirical evidence in microalgae, crucial primary producers and carbon sinks, is lacking. Here, we report a bet-hedging strategy in the unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. We show that isogenic populations reversibly diversify into heterophenotypic mobile and non-mobile cells independently of environmental conditions, likely driven by stochastic gene expression. Mobile cells grow faster but are stress-sensitive, while non-mobile cells prioritise stress resistance over growth. This is due to shifts from growth-promoting activities (cell division, photosynthesis) to resilience-promoting processes (thickened cell wall, cell enlargement, aggregation, accumulation of antioxidant and energy-storing compounds). Our results provide empirical evidence for bet hedging in a microalga, indicating the potential for adaptation to current and future environmental conditions and consequently conservation of ecosystem functions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1817bc81b53945439c36c2214da113bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:32Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-1817bc81b53945439c36c2214da113bf2024-03-10T12:17:01ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-03-0115111310.1038/s41467-024-46297-6Bet hedging in a unicellular microalgaSi Tang0Yaqing Liu1Jianming Zhu2Xueyu Cheng3Lu Liu4Katrin Hammerschmidt5Jin Zhou6Zhonghua Cai7Shenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolInstitute of General Microbiology, Kiel UniversityShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolShenzhen Public Platform for Screening and Application of Marine Microbial Resources, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolAbstract Understanding how organisms have adapted to persist in unpredictable environments is a fundamental goal in biology. Bet hedging, an evolutionary adaptation observed from microbes to humans, facilitates reproduction and population persistence in randomly fluctuating environments. Despite its prevalence, empirical evidence in microalgae, crucial primary producers and carbon sinks, is lacking. Here, we report a bet-hedging strategy in the unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. We show that isogenic populations reversibly diversify into heterophenotypic mobile and non-mobile cells independently of environmental conditions, likely driven by stochastic gene expression. Mobile cells grow faster but are stress-sensitive, while non-mobile cells prioritise stress resistance over growth. This is due to shifts from growth-promoting activities (cell division, photosynthesis) to resilience-promoting processes (thickened cell wall, cell enlargement, aggregation, accumulation of antioxidant and energy-storing compounds). Our results provide empirical evidence for bet hedging in a microalga, indicating the potential for adaptation to current and future environmental conditions and consequently conservation of ecosystem functions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46297-6 |
| spellingShingle | Si Tang Yaqing Liu Jianming Zhu Xueyu Cheng Lu Liu Katrin Hammerschmidt Jin Zhou Zhonghua Cai Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga Nature Communications |
| title | Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| title_full | Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| title_fullStr | Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| title_short | Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| title_sort | bet hedging in a unicellular microalga |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46297-6 |
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