Open AccessSources of epigenetic variation and their applications in natural populations
Author(s) -
Angers Bernard,
Perez Maëva,
Menicucci Tatiana,
Leung Christelle
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
evolutionary applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 68
ISSN - 1752-4571
DOI - 10.1111/eva.12946
Subject(s) - biology , epigenetics , phenotypic plasticity , variation (astronomy) , context (archaeology) , evolutionary biology , microbiome , holobiont , phenotype , genetics , computational biology , ecology , gene , symbiosis , bacteria , paleontology , physics , astrophysics
Epigenetic processes manage gene expression and products in a real‐time manner, allowing a single genome to display different phenotypes. In this paper, we discussed the relevance of assessing the different sources of epigenetic variation in natural populations. For a given genotype, the epigenetic variation could be environmentally induced or occur randomly. Strategies developed by organisms to face environmental fluctuations such as phenotypic plasticity and diversified bet‐hedging rely, respectively, on these different sources. Random variation can also represent a proxy of developmental stability and can be used to assess how organisms deal with stressful environmental conditions. We then proposed the microbiome as an extension of the epigenotype of the host to assess the factors determining the establishment of the community of microorganisms. Finally, we discussed these perspectives in the applied context of conservation.