Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism
Abstract Following a host shift, repeated co‐passaging of a mutualistic pair is expected to increase fitness over time in one or both species. Without adaptation, a novel association may be evolutionarily short‐lived as it is likely to be outcompeted by native pairings. Here, we test whether experim...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9011 |
| _version_ | 1811318743748313088 |
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| author | Zoe M. Dinges Raelyn K. Phillips Curtis M. Lively Farrah Bashey |
| author_facet | Zoe M. Dinges Raelyn K. Phillips Curtis M. Lively Farrah Bashey |
| author_sort | Zoe M. Dinges |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Following a host shift, repeated co‐passaging of a mutualistic pair is expected to increase fitness over time in one or both species. Without adaptation, a novel association may be evolutionarily short‐lived as it is likely to be outcompeted by native pairings. Here, we test whether experimental evolution can rescue a low‐fitness novel pairing between two sympatric species of Steinernema nematodes and their symbiotic Xenorhabdus bacteria. Despite low mean fitness in the novel association, considerable variation in nematode reproduction was observed across replicate populations. We selected the most productive infections, co‐passaging this novel mutualism nine times to determine whether selection could improve the fitness of either or both partners. We found that neither partner showed increased fitness over time. Our results suggest that the variation in association success was not heritable and that mutational input was insufficient to allow evolution to facilitate this host shift. Thus, post‐association costs of host switching may represent a formidable barrier to novel partnerships among sympatric mutualists. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:30:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b60acf17ee3e4fa28113cb6d33909231 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:30:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-b60acf17ee3e4fa28113cb6d339092312022-12-22T02:46:52ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582022-06-01126n/an/a10.1002/ece3.9011Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualismZoe M. Dinges0Raelyn K. Phillips1Curtis M. Lively2Farrah Bashey3Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USADepartment of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USADepartment of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USADepartment of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USAAbstract Following a host shift, repeated co‐passaging of a mutualistic pair is expected to increase fitness over time in one or both species. Without adaptation, a novel association may be evolutionarily short‐lived as it is likely to be outcompeted by native pairings. Here, we test whether experimental evolution can rescue a low‐fitness novel pairing between two sympatric species of Steinernema nematodes and their symbiotic Xenorhabdus bacteria. Despite low mean fitness in the novel association, considerable variation in nematode reproduction was observed across replicate populations. We selected the most productive infections, co‐passaging this novel mutualism nine times to determine whether selection could improve the fitness of either or both partners. We found that neither partner showed increased fitness over time. Our results suggest that the variation in association success was not heritable and that mutational input was insufficient to allow evolution to facilitate this host shift. Thus, post‐association costs of host switching may represent a formidable barrier to novel partnerships among sympatric mutualists.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9011evolutionary rescuehost switchingmutualismpost‐association barrierSteinernemaXenorhabdus |
| spellingShingle | Zoe M. Dinges Raelyn K. Phillips Curtis M. Lively Farrah Bashey Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism Ecology and Evolution evolutionary rescue host switching mutualism post‐association barrier Steinernema Xenorhabdus |
| title | Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| title_full | Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| title_fullStr | Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| title_short | Post‐association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| title_sort | post association barrier to host switching maintained despite strong selection in a novel mutualism |
| topic | evolutionary rescue host switching mutualism post‐association barrier Steinernema Xenorhabdus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9011 |
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