The role of epigenetic inheritance in rapid evolutionary adaptation of invasive plants

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Jasmin Joshi; Professor Dr. Mark van Kleunen
• Subject Area: Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi ; Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 274298473

• Final Report Year: 2019

Final Report Abstract

The fast adaptation response of many invasive plant species to environmental conditions in their non-native range despite the often reduced genetic variation in these introduced species is hard to explain. We experimentally investigated whether the invasion success of the two goldenrod species Solidago canadensis s.l. and Solidago altissimia in Europe might be based on epigenetic mechanisms. We collected seeds of these two species along a latitudinal gradient across Europa and conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment with a southern and northern German common garden in Konstanz and Potsdam, respectively, using either non-treated seeds or seeds treated with a demethylation agent to knock out potential epigenetic adaptation. Even though we did observe latitudinal clines in some phenotypic traits in both species, there was no indication that these adaptation were based on genetic differentiation based on microsatellite patterns or on epigenetic mechanisms. In a second reciprocal transplant experiment analysing a set of 12 native and non-native annual weeds, we did not find any indication of local adaptation, but negative effects of demethylation. Hence, epigenetic mechanisms might influence plant performance, but does not seem to have a pervasive role in local adaptation, at least in annual, wide-spread plant species. An interesting finding of this study was an increase in phytophagous insects on invasive Solidago species that suggest recent host switches of native herbivores that may be associated with an evolutionary change in the insect. But this has to be investigated in further studies.

Publications

• (2016) Latitudinal and longitudinal clines of phenotypic plasticity in the invasive herb Solidago canadensis in China. Oecologia 182:755-764
  Li J, Du L, Guan W, Yu F-H & van Kleunen M
  
• (2019) No evidence for local adaptation and an epigenetic underpinning in native and non-native ruderal plant species in Germany. Ecology and Evolution 9:9412-9426
  Herden J, Eckert S, Stift M, Joshi J & van Kleunen M