{"title":"Quantitative analysis of relationship between mutation rate and speed of adaptation under antibiotic exposure in Escherichia coli.","authors":"Atsushi Shibai, Minako Izutsu, Hazuki Kotani, Chikara Furusawa","doi":"10.1371/journal.pgen.1011627","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mutations are the ultimate source of biological evolution that creates genetic variation in populations. Mutations can create new advantageous traits but can also potentially interfere with pre-existing organismal functions. Therefore, organisms may have evolved mutation rates to appropriate levels to maintain or improve their fitness. In this study, we aimed to experimentally quantify the relationship between the mutation rate and evolution of antibiotic resistance. We conducted an evolution experiment using 12 Escherichia coli mutator strains with increased mutation rates and five antibiotics. Our results demonstrated that the rate of adaptation generally increased with higher mutation rates, except in a single mutator strain with the highest mutation rate, which exhibited a significant decline in evolutionary speed. To further elucidate these findings, we developed a simple population dynamics model that successfully recapitulated the observed dependence of adaptation speed on mutation rate. These findings provide important insights into the evolution of mutation rate accompanied by the evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":49007,"journal":{"name":"PLoS Genetics","volume":"21 3","pages":"e1011627"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"PLoS Genetics","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011627","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GENETICS & HEREDITY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Quantitative analysis of relationship between mutation rate and speed of adaptation under antibiotic exposure in Escherichia coli.
Mutations are the ultimate source of biological evolution that creates genetic variation in populations. Mutations can create new advantageous traits but can also potentially interfere with pre-existing organismal functions. Therefore, organisms may have evolved mutation rates to appropriate levels to maintain or improve their fitness. In this study, we aimed to experimentally quantify the relationship between the mutation rate and evolution of antibiotic resistance. We conducted an evolution experiment using 12 Escherichia coli mutator strains with increased mutation rates and five antibiotics. Our results demonstrated that the rate of adaptation generally increased with higher mutation rates, except in a single mutator strain with the highest mutation rate, which exhibited a significant decline in evolutionary speed. To further elucidate these findings, we developed a simple population dynamics model that successfully recapitulated the observed dependence of adaptation speed on mutation rate. These findings provide important insights into the evolution of mutation rate accompanied by the evolution.
期刊介绍:
PLOS Genetics is run by an international Editorial Board, headed by the Editors-in-Chief, Greg Barsh (HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology, and Stanford University School of Medicine) and Greg Copenhaver (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
Articles published in PLOS Genetics are archived in PubMed Central and cited in PubMed.