Rapid adaptive evolution of microbial thermal performance curves

Liu, M. H.; Han, Z.-Y.; Yuan, Y.; DeWitt, K.; Wieczynski, D. J.; Yammine, K. M.; Yammine, A.; Zufall, R.; Siepielski, A.; Chalker, D.; Onishi, M.; Machado, F. A.; Gibert, J. P.

doi:10.1101/2024.04.30.590804

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.04.30.590804

Rapid adaptive evolution of microbial thermal performance curves

Liu, M. H.·Han, Z.-Y.·Yuan, Y.·DeWitt, K.·Wieczynski, D. J.·Yammine, K. M.·Yammine, A.·Zufall, R.·Siepielski, A.·Chalker, D.·Onishi, M.·Machado, F. A.·Gibert, J. P.

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Abstract

Microbial respiration is a key biotic driver of climate change. Warming boosts microbial population growth, which increases biomass and respiration. This feedback might be disrupted by adaptation in thermal performance curves (TPCs) -whose shape describes how temperature drives growth. In this study, we uncover substantial genetic variation (G) in microbial intrinsic population growth rates (r), demonstrate a causal link between G variation in r and G variation in TPC shape, and show how this variation constrains r-TPC shape evolution along specific evolutionary paths across temperatures. We also uncover Gene-by-Environment (G x E) variation in r, which results in specific signatures in TPC shape and predictable temperature-dependent rapid TPC evolution but also lower G, which could reduce future evolutionary potential. Overall, we show how temperature-dependent evolution in a linchpin of global ecosystem function--microbial TPC shape--is determined by a combination of heritable and non-heritable variation in intrinsic growth rates.

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Liu, M. H., Han, Z.-Y., Yuan, Y., DeWitt, K., Wieczynski, D. J., Yammine, K. M., Yammine, A., Zufall, R., Siepielski, A., Chalker, D., Onishi, M., Machado, F. A., Gibert, J. P.. 2024-05-03. Rapid adaptive evolution of microbial thermal performance curves. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.30.590804

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