The Evolution of Stress-induced Mutagenesis

What is it about?

Evidence from bacteria and other organisms shows that mutation rates can be regulated by stress, causing increased rates of mutation under stressful conditions. We used mathematical modeling and computer simulations to show that an allele that increases the mutation rate in response to stress can be favored by natural selection in constant and in changing environments. Our results suggest that stress-induced mutation rates should be observed in natural microbial populations.

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Why is it important?

We demonstrated for the first time that stress-induced mutagenesis is an adaptive trait and that it can evolve due to natural selection. This is an important finding because stress-induced mutagenesis was considered by many researchers due be a by-product of stress.