ArticlePLoS genetics2013
Bacterial adaptation through loss of function.
Article in PLoS genetics, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 152 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
152 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Loss-of-function mutations are main drivers of adaptations during short-term evolution.Scientific reports · 2024Pooled it
- Adaptive deletion of functional duplicate genes in Drosophila.Journal of evolutionary biology · 2026Article
- Metabolite correlation networks reveal complex phenotypes of adaptation-driving mutations.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Genomic analysis ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Microbially derived glutathione from Eubacterium rectale alleviates oxidative stress and promotes intestinal epithelial recovery.Microbiome · 2026Article
- Neisseria subflava Type 6 Secretion System competition with bacterial and fungal species.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Global genetic rewiring during compensatory evolution in the yeast polarity network.EMBO reports · 2026Article
- Using TraDIS as a complementary approach to long term evolution for mapping adaptive mutations in Escherichia coli.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Article
- Emergence of multidrug-resistant ST876 serotype 14Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Environmental stress shapes persistence-like phenotypes and genomic changes inFrontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Stochastic phenotypic switching arises in response to directional selection in experimentally evolved multicellular yeast.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Adaptive deletion of functional duplicate genes inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- ENOblock synergizes with colistin to treat Acinetobacter baumannii infections.EMBO molecular medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Evolving a plant-beneficial bacterium in soil vs. nutrient-rich liquid culture has contrasting effects on in-soil fitness.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2025Article
- Giant transposons promote strain heterogeneity in a major fungal pathogen.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- A Short-Term View of Protein Sequence Evolution from Salmonella.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Article
- Mutations in the Staphylococcus aureus Global Regulator CodY confer tolerance to an interspecies redox-active antimicrobial.PLoS genetics · 2025Article
- Population Genomics of Premature Termination Codons in Cavefish With Substantial Trait Loss.Molecular biology and evolution · 2025Article
92 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The metabolic capabilities and regulatory networks of bacteria have been optimized by evolution in response to selective pressures present in each species' native ecological niche. In a new environment, however, the same bacteria may grow poorly due to regulatory constraints or biochemical deficiencies. Adaptation to such conditions can proceed through the acquisition of new cellular functionality due to gain of function mutations or via modulation of cellular networks. Using selection experiments on transposon-mutagenized libraries of bacteria, we illustrate that even under conditions of extreme nutrient limitation, substantial adaptation can be achieved solely through loss of function mutations, which rewire the metabolism of the cell without gain of enzymatic or sensory function. A systematic analysis of similar experiments under more than 100 conditions reveals that adaptive loss of function mutations exist for many environmental challenges. Drawing on a wealth of examples from published articles, we detail the range of mechanisms through which loss-of-function mutations can generate such beneficial regulatory changes, without the need for rare, specific mutations to fine-tune enzymatic activities or network connections. The high rate at which loss-of-function mutations occur suggests that null mutations play an underappreciated role in the early stages of adaption of bacterial populations to new environments.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.