Clonal adaptive radiation in a constant environment.
The evolution of new combinations of bacterial properties contributes to biodiversity and the emergence of new diseases. We investigated the capacity for bacterial divergence with a chemostat culture of Escherichia coli. A clonal population radiated into more than five phenotypic clusters within 26 days, with multiple variations in global regulation, metabolic strategies, surface properties, and nutrient permeability pathways. Most isolates belonged to a single ecotype, and neither periodic selection events nor ecological competition for a single niche prevented an adaptive radiation with a single resource. The multidirectional exploration of fitness space is an underestimated ingredient to bacterial success even in unstructured environments.
Maharjan
Ram
R
School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
Seeto
Shona
S
Notley-McRobb
Lucinda
L
Ferenci
Thomas
T
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D003470:Culture Media; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013499:Surface Properties
D003470:Culture Media; D005947:Glucose