Epigenetic inheritance in adaptive evolution

Sabarís, Gonzalo; Cavalli, Giacomo; Cavalli, Giacomo

doi:10.1111/nyas.14992

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 45 publications

(91 reference statements)

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“…(11) Some organisms can encounter epigenetic changes. Some epigenetic changes in gene functions are heritable and can result in alterations to biological traits, despite the fact that the sequence of the relevant genes remains unchanged [36]. (12) Humans can accumulate knowledge.…”

Section: The Structure-function Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

Chen,

Chen

2024

Preprint

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Why did unordered, simple substances on Earth evolve into orderly, complex, and diverse organisms and social organizations? This is a fundamental scientific question that has captivated humans for millennia. Here we propose the Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET) to provide novel, direct, explicit, and relatively comprehensive answers to this question. The CBET identifies three key mechanisms based on some well-known principles of physics and chemistry (e.g., laws of thermodynamics) and some features of Earth and carbon-based substances (CBSs): the driving force mechanism that provides energy, the structure-function mechanism that generates new functions, and the natural selection mechanism that accumulates orderliness, all for the evolution of CBSs. These mechanisms lead to the progression from chemical to biological and social evolution, marked by the escalating hierarchy of CBSs and the increase in the quantity, diversity, and orderliness of high-hierarchy CBSs. The CBET clarifies the natural roots of multiple pivotal and seemingly paradoxical social notions, such as inclusiveness versus elimination, collaboration versus competition, altruism versus selfishness, and freedom versus restriction. It advocates for the balanced, harmonious, and peaceful development of human society as well as the integration of all countries into a single harmonious social collective. The CBET unifies biology with physics and chemistry and could be a basic theory shared by the natural sciences and the social sciences. It could also be significant in the rational development of human society.

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Section: The Structure-function Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

Chen,

Chen

2024

Preprint

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“…(9) Some organisms can encounter epigenetic changes. Some epigenetic changes in gene functions are heritable and can result in alterations to biological traits, despite the fact that the sequence of the relevant genes remains unchanged [36]. (10) Humans can accumulate knowledge.…”

Section: The Structure-function Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

Chen,

Chen

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Why and how did simple and unordered substances on Earth evolve into complex, orderly, and diverse organisms and social organizations? Here we propose the Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET) to provide an explicit and comprehensive answer to this fundamental scientific question. The CBET is based on the integration of the principles of physics and chemistry (e.g., laws of thermodynamics), the features of Earth (e.g., having abundant water and energy), and the features of carbon-based materials (CBMs) using rational logic and abundant evidence from a panoramic view. The integration reveals the driving force mechanism, the structure-function mechanism, and the natural selection mechanism, which underpin evolution with energy supply, function generation, and structural optimization, respectively. These three mechanisms escalate the hierarchy of CBMs, augment the quantity, diversity, and orderliness of high-hierarchy CBMs, and lead to chemical, biological, and social evolution. The CBET uncovers the natural roots of multiple pivotal and seemingly paradoxical social notions, such as inclusiveness versus elimination, cooperation versus competition, and altruism versus selfishness. It advocates for the balanced, harmonious, and peaceful development of human society. The CBET could unify biology with physics and chemistry, bridge the natural sciences and the social sciences, and guide the rational development of human society.

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“…Mutation and horizontal transfer of resistance genes have been very well described and are traditionally considered the main mechanisms through which microbes evolve resistance (Hiltunen et al., 2017 ). However, new evidence suggests that resistance can also evolve through alternative non‐genetic routes, such as epigenetic mechanisms (Sabarís et al., 2023 ). We use the term epigenetics to refer to changes in gene expression patterns that are not caused by an underlying DNA sequence change, and that can be transmitted through cell division.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These mechanisms are capable of generating diverse phenotypes within an isogenic population by controlling gene expression patterns. Also, the reversible nature of these epigenetic mechanisms makes the genome flexible to respond to environmental changes (Sabarís et al., 2023 ). Transcription is controlled by transcription factors, and in the end they are responsible for regulation of transcription that happens during the lifetime of an organism (Davidson, 2006 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antimicrobial resistance in the wild: Insights from epigenetics

Villalba de la Peña,

Kronholm

2024

Evolutionary Applications

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Spreading of bacterial and fungal strains that are resistant to antimicrobials poses a serious threat to the well‐being of humans, animals, and plants. Antimicrobial resistance has been mainly investigated in clinical settings. However, throughout their evolutionary history microorganisms in the wild have encountered antimicrobial substances, forcing them to evolve strategies to combat antimicrobial action. It is well known that many of these strategies are based on genetic mechanisms, but these do not fully explain important aspects of the antimicrobial response such as the rapid development of resistance, reversible phenotypes, and hetero‐resistance. Consequently, attention has turned toward epigenetic pathways that may offer additional insights into antimicrobial mechanisms. The aim of this review is to explore the epigenetic mechanisms that confer antimicrobial resistance, focusing on those that might be relevant for resistance in the wild. First, we examine the presence of antimicrobials in natural settings. Then we describe the documented epigenetic mechanisms in bacteria and fungi associated with antimicrobial resistance and discuss innovative epigenetic editing techniques to establish causality in this context. Finally, we discuss the relevance of these epigenetic mechanisms on the evolutionary dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in the wild, emphasizing the critical role of priming in the adaptation process. We underscore the necessity of incorporating non‐genetic mechanisms into our understanding of antimicrobial resistance evolution. These mechanisms offer invaluable insights into the dynamics of antimicrobial adaptation within natural ecosystems.

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Epigenetic inheritance in adaptive evolution

Cited by 9 publications

References 45 publications

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)

Antimicrobial resistance in the wild: Insights from epigenetics

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