Molecular evolution in natural ecosystems: linking comparative genomics and biological stoichiometry

Basic data for this project

Description

A better understanding of molecular evolution from an ecological perspective is a central axis of integration in modern biology. Phenotypes respond to resource constraints by adaptation, but how ecological factors modulate the composition and evolution of genomes remains a puzzle. Recent evidence suggests a pivotal, yet under-explored role of the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus, that are typically limiting in natural ecosystems and are fundamental components of nucleotides and amino acids. Here it is planned to assess the role of the cost of nutrient acquisition from the environment on adaptive mechanisms that have shaped the structure of genes and proteins in response to the eco-physiology of the organisms. In silico experiments will integrate concepts and methods from molecular evolution and ecology to measure the strength of selection induced by nutrient constraint and to determine the time scale on which this ecological factor is evolutionarily relevant. These efforts will illuminate (1) the role of autotrophy and heterotrophy in shaping the basic differences in the genome structure in plants and animals, (2) the role of nutrient conservation in the evolution of metabolic networks and the contents of intracellular components, and (3) the effects of nutrients availability on genetic variation in natural populations of autotrophic and heterotrophic species.