Abstract: AbstractEpigenetic inheritance allows for the emergence of phenotypic plasticity in clonal populations and enables the rapid stochastic switching between distinct phenotypes. In natural environments, where stress conditions can recurrently fluctuate, clones with an epigenetic control of genes targeted by selection should be fitter than clones that rely solely on genetic mutation. To test this prediction, we engineered switcher and non-switcher yeast strains, where the uracil biosynthesis gene URA3 is under fluctuating selection. Competitions of...
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