Priming and memory of stress responses in organisms lacking a nervous system.
Experience and memory of environmental stimuli that indicate future stress can prepare (prime) organismic stress responses even in species lacking a nervous system. The process through which such organisms prepare their phenotype for an improved response to future stress has been termed 'priming'. However, other terms are also used for this phenomenon, especially when considering priming in different types of organisms and when referring to different stressors. Here we propose a conceptual framework for priming of stress responses in bacteria, fungi and plants which allows comparison of priming with other terms, e.g. adaptation, acclimation, induction, acquired resistance and cross protection. We address spatial and temporal aspects of priming and highlight current knowledge about the mechanisms necessary for information storage which range from epigenetic marks to the accumulation of (dormant) signalling molecules. Furthermore, we outline possible patterns of primed stress responses. Finally, we link the ability of organisms to become primed for stress responses (their 'primability') with evolutionary ecology aspects and discuss which properties of an organism and its environment may favour the evolution of priming of stress responses.
Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences (DCPS), Institute of Biology, Freie Universität (FU) Berlin, Haderslebener Straße 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany. monika.hilker@fu-berlin.de.|Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany. monika.hilker@fu-berlin.de.
Monika
M
Hilker
Applied Metabolome Analysis, Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Jens
J
Schwachtje
Plant Physiology, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 12-16, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Margarete
M
Baier
Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, Haus 20, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Salma
S
Balazadeh
Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, Haus 20, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Isabel
I
Bäurle
Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences (DCPS), Institute of Biology, Freie Universität (FU) Berlin, Haderslebener Straße 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany.
Sven
S
Geiselhardt
Central Infrastructure Group Transcript Profiling, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Dirk K
DK
Hincha
Applied Genetics/Molecular Plant Genetics, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Reinhard
R
Kunze
Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, Haus 20, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Bernd
B
Mueller-Roeber
Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.|Plant Ecology, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Altensteinstraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Matthias C
MC
Rillig
Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Jens
J
Rolff
Plant Biochemistry, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 12-16, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Tina
T
Romeis
Applied Genetics, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Thomas
T
Schmülling
Molecular Ecology, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Haderslebener Straße 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany.
Anke
A
Steppuhn
Rhizosphere Molecular Ecology, Institute of Biology, RWTH Aachen, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Joost
J
van Dongen
Applied Metabolome Analysis, Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Sarah J
SJ
Whitcomb
Functional Ecology, DCPS, Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, Königin-Luise-Straße 1-3, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
Susanne
S
Wurst
Central Infrastructure Group Transcript Profiling, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Ellen
E
Zuther
Applied Metabolome Analysis, Department of Molecular Physiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Joachim
J
Kopka
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004463:Ecology; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
bet hedging; defence; epigenetics; fitness; memory; priming; stress signalling; stress tolerance