Genetic and environmental modulation of natural transposition enhances the adaptive potential of Arabidopsis thaliana
Résumé
How species can adapt to rapid environmental changes, particularly in the absence of standing genetic variation, is poorly understood and a pressing question in the face of ongoing climate change. Here we leveraged multi-omics sequencing data available for >1,000 wild A. thaliana accessions to determine the contribution of transposable element (TE) mobilization to the creation of new variation. We show that overall, transposition-induced insertion substitutions occur almost at the same rate as SNPs. However, transpositional activity of individual TE families varies greatly between accessions, in association with genetic and environmental factors and we identified in addition important gene-environment interactions. Although the distribution of TE insertions across the genome is ultimately mainly shaped by purifying selection, numerous recent transposition events show signatures of positive selection in relation to local climates. Based on these findings, we generated mathematical models to forecast the impact of global warming on TE mobilization. Our models predict higher transposition activity in central parts of the species' range, which in turn will enhance the generation of potentially adaptive TE-containing alleles and may rescue native A. thaliana populations from extinction.
Domaines
Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)