Experimental evidence that metapopulation structure can accelerate adaptive evolution

Abstract

Whether the spatial arrangement of a population influences adaptive evolution has puzzled evolutionary biologists. Theoretical models make contrasting predictions about the probability a beneficial mutation will become fixed in a population for certain topologies like stars, where leaf populations are connected through a hub. To date, these predictions have not been evaluated under realistic conditions. Here, we test the prediction that topology can change the fixation probability both in vitro and in silico by tracking the dynamics of a beneficial mutant under positive selection as it spreads through networks of different topologies. Our results provide empirical support that metapopulation topology can increase the likelihood that a beneficial mutation spreads, broadens the conditions under which this phenomenon is thought to occur, and points the way towards using network topology to amplify the effects of weakly favored mutations under directed evolution in industrial applications.