Sources of epigenetic variation and their applications in natural populations

TLDR

Epigenetic mechanisms enable a single genome to generate diverse phenotypes by modulating gene expression in response to environmental cues or random fluctuations, supporting plasticity, bet‑hedging, and developmental stability. The study examines how different sources of epigenetic variation—environmental, random, and microbiome—can be assessed in natural populations and their implications for conservation. The authors propose incorporating the host microbiome as an epigenetic extension to evaluate factors shaping microbial community establishment.

Abstract

Abstract Epigenetic processes manage gene expression and products in a real‐time manner, allowing a single genome to display different phenotypes. In this paper, we discussed the relevance of assessing the different sources of epigenetic variation in natural populations. For a given genotype, the epigenetic variation could be environmentally induced or occur randomly. Strategies developed by organisms to face environmental fluctuations such as phenotypic plasticity and diversified bet‐hedging rely, respectively, on these different sources. Random variation can also represent a proxy of developmental stability and can be used to assess how organisms deal with stressful environmental conditions. We then proposed the microbiome as an extension of the epigenotype of the host to assess the factors determining the establishment of the community of microorganisms. Finally, we discussed these perspectives in the applied context of conservation.