title: The transgenerational effects of heat stress in the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei are negative and rapidly eliminated under direct selection for increased stress resistance in larvae.
abstract: Parents encountering stress environments can influence the phenotype of their offspring in a form of transgenerational phenotypic plasticity that has the potential to be adaptive if offspring are thereby better able to deal with future stressors. Here, we test for the existence of anticipatory parental effects in the heat stress response in the highly polymorphic nematode Caenorhabditis remanei. Rather providing an anticipatory response, parents subject to a prior heat stress actually produce offspring that are less able to survive a severe heat shock. Selection on heat shock resistance within the larvae via experimental evolution leads to a loss of sensitivity (robustness) to environmental variation during both the parental and larval periods. Whole genome transcriptional analysis of both ancestor and selected lines shows that there is weak correspondence between genetic pathways induced via temperature shifts during parental and larval periods. Parental effects can evolve very rapidly via selection acting directly on offspring.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sikkink
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ituarte
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA; Department of Biology, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO 64068, USA.
authors.forename: Rose M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA. Electronic address: wcresko@uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Cresko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA. Electronic address: pphil@uoregon.edu.
authors.forename: Patrick C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002107:Caenorhabditis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012098:Reproduction; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
keywords: Experimental evolution; Heat shock; Phenotypic plasticity; Stress resistance; Transgenerational effects