Transgenerational Effects of Early Life Starvation on Growth, Reproduction, and Stress Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Abstract
Starvation during early development can have lasting effects that influence organismal
fitness and disease risk. We characterized the long-term phenotypic consequences of
starvation during early larval development in Caenorhabditis elegans to determine
potential fitness effects and develop it as a model for mechanistic studies. We varied
the amount of time that larvae were developmentally arrested by starvation after hatching
("L1 arrest"). Worms recovering from extended starvation grew slowly, taking longer
to become reproductive, and were smaller as adults. Fecundity was also reduced, with
the smallest individuals most severely affected. Feeding behavior was impaired, possibly
contributing to deficits in growth and reproduction. Previously starved larvae were
more sensitive to subsequent starvation, suggesting decreased fitness even in poor
conditions. We discovered that smaller larvae are more resistant to heat, but this
correlation does not require passage through L1 arrest. The progeny of starved animals
were also adversely affected: Embryo quality was diminished, incidence of males was
increased, progeny were smaller, and their brood size was reduced. However, the progeny
and grandprogeny of starved larvae were more resistant to starvation. In addition,
the progeny, grandprogeny, and great-grandprogeny were more resistant to heat, suggesting
epigenetic inheritance of acquired resistance to starvation and heat. Notably, such
resistance was inherited exclusively from individuals most severely affected by starvation
in the first generation, suggesting an evolutionary bet-hedging strategy. In summary,
our results demonstrate that starvation affects a variety of life-history traits in
the exposed animals and their descendants, some presumably reflecting fitness costs
but others potentially adaptive.
Type
Journal articleSubject
L1 arrestL1 diapause
bet hedging
fitness trade-off
starvation
transgenerational
Animals
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
Disease Resistance
Epigenesis, Genetic
Feeding Behavior
Female
Gene Expression Regulation
Genetic Fitness
Humans
Larva
Longevity
Male
Quantitative Trait, Heritable
Stress, Physiological
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10395Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1534/genetics.115.178699Publication Info
Jobson, Meghan A; Jordan, James M; Sandrof, Moses A; Hibshman, Jonathan D; Lennox,
Ashley L; & Baugh, L Ryan (2015). Transgenerational Effects of Early Life Starvation on Growth, Reproduction, and Stress
Resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 201(1). pp. 201-212. 10.1534/genetics.115.178699. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10395.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
L. Ryan Baugh
Professor of Biology
The Baugh Lab is interested in phenotypic plasticity and physiological adaptation
to variable environmental conditions. We are using the roundworm C. elegans to understand
how animals adapt to starvation using primarily genetic and genomic approaches. We
are studying how development is governed by nutrient availability, how animals survive
starvation, and the long-term consequences of starvation including adult disease and
transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
Ashley Lennox
Program Coord, Senior
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