Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring
Phenotypic plasticity, within and across generations (transgenerational plasticity), allows organisms and their progeny to adapt to the environment without modification of the underlying DNA. Recent findings suggest that epigenetic modifications are important mediators of such plasticity. However, empirical studies have, so far, mainly focused on plasticity in response to abiotic factors, overlooking the response to competition. We tested for within‐generation and transgenerational phenotypic plasticity triggered by plant–plant competition intensity, and tested whether it was mediated via DNA methylation, using the perennial, apomictic herb Taraxacum brevicorniculatum in four coordinated experiments. We then tested the consequences of transgenerational plasticity affecting competitive interactions of the offspring and ecosystem processes such as decomposition. We found that, by promoting differences in DNA methylation, offspring of plants under stronger competition developed faster and presented more resource‐conservative phenotypes. Further, these adjustments associated with less degradable leaves which have the potential to reduce nutrient turnover and might, in turn, favour plants with more conservative traits. Greater parental competition enhanced competitive abilities of the offspring by triggering adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and decreased offspring leaf decomposability. Our results suggest that competition‐induced transgenerational effects could promote rapid adaptations and species coexistence, and feed back on biodiversity assembly and nutrient cycling.
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Format: | artículo biblioteca |
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John Wiley & Sons
2020-10-27
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Subjects: | Adaptation, Decomposition, DNA methylation, Functional traits, Intraspecific phenotypic variability, Parental effects, Plant competition, Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/223931 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 |
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dig-cide-es-10261-2239312021-10-27T04:31:14Z Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring Puy, J. de Bello, Francesco Dvořáková, Hana Medina, Nagore G. Latzel, Vít Carmona, Carlos P. Czech Science Foundation Estonian Research Council European Commission Puy, J. [0000-0002-6422-2791] Bello, Francesco de [0000-0001-9202-8198] Carmona, Carlos P. [0000-0001-6935-4913] Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance Phenotypic plasticity, within and across generations (transgenerational plasticity), allows organisms and their progeny to adapt to the environment without modification of the underlying DNA. Recent findings suggest that epigenetic modifications are important mediators of such plasticity. However, empirical studies have, so far, mainly focused on plasticity in response to abiotic factors, overlooking the response to competition. We tested for within‐generation and transgenerational phenotypic plasticity triggered by plant–plant competition intensity, and tested whether it was mediated via DNA methylation, using the perennial, apomictic herb Taraxacum brevicorniculatum in four coordinated experiments. We then tested the consequences of transgenerational plasticity affecting competitive interactions of the offspring and ecosystem processes such as decomposition. We found that, by promoting differences in DNA methylation, offspring of plants under stronger competition developed faster and presented more resource‐conservative phenotypes. Further, these adjustments associated with less degradable leaves which have the potential to reduce nutrient turnover and might, in turn, favour plants with more conservative traits. Greater parental competition enhanced competitive abilities of the offspring by triggering adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and decreased offspring leaf decomposability. Our results suggest that competition‐induced transgenerational effects could promote rapid adaptations and species coexistence, and feed back on biodiversity assembly and nutrient cycling. The study was financially supported by a 477 Czech Science Foundation grant (GACR 20-00871S). C.P.C. was supported by the Estonian 478 Research Council (project PSG293) and the European Union through the European Regional 479 Development Fund (Centre of Excellence EcolChange). Peer reviewed 2020-11-27T13:27:14Z 2020-11-27T13:27:14Z 2020-10-27 artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 New Phytologist (2020) 0028-646X http://hdl.handle.net/10261/223931 10.1111/nph.17037 1469-8137 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 Postprint http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.17037 Sí open John Wiley & Sons |
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Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance |
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Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance Puy, J. de Bello, Francesco Dvořáková, Hana Medina, Nagore G. Latzel, Vít Carmona, Carlos P. Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
description |
Phenotypic plasticity, within and across generations (transgenerational plasticity), allows organisms and their progeny to adapt to the environment without modification of the underlying DNA. Recent findings suggest that epigenetic modifications are important mediators of such plasticity. However, empirical studies have, so far, mainly focused on plasticity in response to abiotic factors, overlooking the response to competition.
We tested for within‐generation and transgenerational phenotypic plasticity triggered by plant–plant competition intensity, and tested whether it was mediated via DNA methylation, using the perennial, apomictic herb Taraxacum brevicorniculatum in four coordinated experiments. We then tested the consequences of transgenerational plasticity affecting competitive interactions of the offspring and ecosystem processes such as decomposition.
We found that, by promoting differences in DNA methylation, offspring of plants under stronger competition developed faster and presented more resource‐conservative phenotypes. Further, these adjustments associated with less degradable leaves which have the potential to reduce nutrient turnover and might, in turn, favour plants with more conservative traits.
Greater parental competition enhanced competitive abilities of the offspring by triggering adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and decreased offspring leaf decomposability. Our results suggest that competition‐induced transgenerational effects could promote rapid adaptations and species coexistence, and feed back on biodiversity assembly and nutrient cycling. |
author2 |
Czech Science Foundation |
author_facet |
Czech Science Foundation Puy, J. de Bello, Francesco Dvořáková, Hana Medina, Nagore G. Latzel, Vít Carmona, Carlos P. |
format |
artículo |
topic_facet |
Adaptation Decomposition DNA methylation Functional traits Intraspecific phenotypic variability Parental effects Plant competition Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance |
author |
Puy, J. de Bello, Francesco Dvořáková, Hana Medina, Nagore G. Latzel, Vít Carmona, Carlos P. |
author_sort |
Puy, J. |
title |
Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
title_short |
Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
title_full |
Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
title_fullStr |
Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
title_full_unstemmed |
Competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
title_sort |
competition-induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring |
publisher |
John Wiley & Sons |
publishDate |
2020-10-27 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/223931 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 |
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_version_ |
1777665592387436544 |