Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41491638›Full record

ArticleMolecular ecology resources2026

A Computational Ecological Genetic Model of Phenotypic Plasticity in Species Interactions.

Yu Wang, Jinshuai Zhao, Xiaoqing He, Dengcheng Yang, Yi Jin, Rongling Wu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular ecology resources, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yu WangProgram in Applied Statistics, Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Jinshuai ZhaoCenter for Computational Biology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Xiaoqing HeCenter for Computational Biology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Dengcheng YangBeijing Key Laboratory of Topological Statistics and Applications for Complex Systems, Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Beijing, China.
Yi JinCenter for Computational Biology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Rongling WuProgram in Applied Statistics, Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0005-1025

Funding

Interdisciplinary Project at Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences SIMIS-ID-2024-WNNational Natural Science Foundation of China 31971398
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Multiple species respond to each other in their co-existing communities. Such reciprocal phenotypic plasticity can shape the behaviour and evolution of ecological communities, but its genetic architecture remains elusive. We address this issue by developing a computational mapping model that combines community ecology and quantitative genetics into a unifying context. Culturing a pair of genotypes from two species in a socially isolated environment (monoculture) and a socialised environment (co-culture) allows for the quantitative estimation of reciprocal phenotypic plasticity, that is, the difference between trait values of one (defensive) species expressed in the monoculture and the co-culture with the other (offensive) species. Classic quantitative genetic theory is implemented to map genetic variants for reciprocal phenotypic plasticity, including defensive loci derived from the defensive species and offensive loci from the offensive species, and estimate the direct effects of the defensive loci, the indirect effects of the offensive loci and horizontal epistasis due to interactions between the two genomes. We design an ecological genetic experiment of monocultures and co-cultures using 100 pairs of genotyped Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains, from which the model identifies the existence of defensive and offensive loci, despite a remarkable asymmetry between the two bacterial species. We find that horizontal epistasis between defensive and offensive loci plays a sizable role in mediating reciprocal phenotypic plasticity. The biological functions of these identified loci are annotated via GO analysis. Our model could produce unique results that shed light on the genetic mechanisms of interspecies interactions and their adaptation in ecological communities.

Indexed as

Computational BiologyEscherichia coliMicrobial InteractionsModels, GeneticStaphylococcus aureusEpistasis, GeneticGenotypePhenotypebacterial culturedirect genetic effectgenetic architecturehorizontal epistasisindirect genetic effectreciprocal phenotypic plasticity

Identifiers

PMID41491638
PMCPMC12770817

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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.