Model Organisms Retain an “Ecological Memory” of Complex Ecologically Relevant Environmental Variation

• DOI: 10.1128/aem.03280-13
• Publication Date: 2014-01-11T04:25:57Z
• Authors: Karlyn D. Beer; Elisabeth J. Wurt...; Nicolás Pinel; Nitin S. Baliga
• Keywords: Extreme environment

Although tractable model organisms are essential to characterize the molecular mechanisms of evolution and adaptation, ecological relevance their behavior is not always clear because certain traits easily lost during long-term laboratory culturing. Here, we demonstrate that despite long tenure in laboratory, retain "ecological memory" complex environmental changes. We have discovered Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1, a halophilic archaeon dominates microbial communities dynamically changing hypersaline environment, simultaneously optimizes fitness total salinity, NaCl concentration, [K]/[Mg] ratio. Despite being maintained under controlled conditions over last 50 years, peaks three-dimensional landscape occur salinity ionic compositions replicated culturing but routinely observed natural environment this organism. Intriguingly, adaptation variations ion composition was associated with differential regulation anaerobic metabolism genes, suggesting an intertwined relationship between responses oxygen salinity. Our results suggest memory imprinted networks for coordinating multiple cellular processes. These coordination also dealing changes other physicochemically linked factors present routine and, hence, retained organisms.