Article
Ecology
Shannon A. Meadley-Dunphy, Kirsten M. Prior, Megan E. Frederickson
Article
Plant Sciences
Anna M. O'Brien, Zhu Hao Yu, Dian-ya Luo, Jason Laurich, Elodie Passeport, Megan E. Frederickson
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Anna M. O'Brien, Jason Laurich, Emma Lash, Megan E. Frederickson
Article
Ecology
Kirsten M. Prior, Shannon A. Meadley-Dunphy, Megan E. Frederickson
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebecca T. Batstone, Anna M. O'Brien, Tia L. Harrison, Megan E. Frederickson
Article
Biology
Anna M. O'Brien, Chandra N. Jack, Maren L. Friesen, Megan E. Frederickson
Summary: This study shows that traits can evolve across multiple genomes, especially in mutualistic relationships. Genetic conflicts may arise between partners, but positive fitness feedback can mitigate these conflicts. Coevolution in host-microbe mutualisms is influenced by factors such as differences in trait values, selection pressures, and fitness feedback.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Julia A. Boyle, Anna K. Simonsen, Megan E. Frederickson, John R. Stinchcombe
Summary: Priority effects occur when the order of species arrival affects the final community structure. In the case of mutualists interacting with hosts in different orders, the outcome can be influenced by the interaction order, with hosts receiving high-quality mutualists early better tolerating low-quality symbionts later.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna M. O'Brien, Tiago F. Lins, Yamin Yang, Megan E. Frederickson, David Sinton, Chelsea M. Rochman
Summary: This study used duckweed and its microbiome to model responses of interacting plants and microbes to climate change and tire wear particles, finding that tire leachate could potentially disrupt plant-microbe mutualisms. Multiple interacting stressors can affect multiple interacting species.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anna M. O'Brien, Zhu Hao Yu, Clara Pencer, Megan E. Frederickson, Gregory H. LeFevre, Elodie Passeport
Summary: Urbanization has a significant impact on land, air, and water, creating environmental gradients between urban and rural areas. Urban stormwater carries various contaminants to aquatic ecosystems, causing a pollution gradient. The interactions between plants and their associated microbes can affect the growth and response to contaminants, providing potential for bioremediation applications.
Article
Ecology
Jason R. Laurich, Christopher G. Reid, Caroline Biel, Tianbi Wu, Christopher Knox, Megan E. Frederickson
Summary: This study examines the genetic architecture of multiple mutualisms in the Jamaican plant species Turnera ulmifolia. The results show that there are genetic correlations between traits related to pollination, seed dispersal, and defense, suggesting that these mutualisms do not evolve independently. The positive genetic correlations between floral and extrafloral nectar production may help explain their stable coexistence.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zoe. A. A. Parshuram, Tia. L. L. Harrison, Anna. K. K. Simonsen, John. R. R. Stinchcombe, Megan. E. E. Frederickson
Summary: Both mutualism and polyploidy can influence plant invasion success, but their joint effects have been rarely studied. This study showed that polyploid legume species have been successfully introduced to new ranges, but their range expansion is constrained by interactions with rhizobia. In contrast, diploid legume species have limited spread regardless of symbiotic status with rhizobia.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Carlson, Megan E. Frederickson
Summary: Mutualistic relationships can mask underlying conflicts of interest, and it is debated how often symbionts cheat their hosts and hosts control uncooperative symbionts. This antagonistic coevolution should result in selective sweeps or balancing selection in host and symbiont genomes. However, the genomic analyses suggest that there is little ongoing fitness conflict between legumes and rhizobia in this system.
Article
Biology
Pooja Nathan, Evan P. Economo, Benoit Guenard, Anna K. Simonsen, Megan E. Frederickson
Summary: Mutualism plays an important role in the spread and adaptation of species in new environments. Generalized mutualisms increase the likelihood of species establishing and thriving beyond native ranges, while specialized mutualisms do not affect or even reduce non-native spread.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tia L. Harrison, Zoe A. Parshuram, Megan E. Frederickson, John R. Stinchcombe
Summary: Mutualism is believed to be more common in the tropics, but the impact of mutualism on latitudinal diversity gradients is still uncertain. This study focuses on the symbiotic microbial community associated with the legume Chamaecrista nictitans and finds that non-rhizobial species richness increases towards lower latitudes in the nodules, but not in the rhizobial community. Host selection plays an important role in structuring non-rhizobia communities, and the non-rhizobia strains have a marginal effect on nodule number and no effect on plant growth.
Article
Agronomy
Xuechun Zhang, Lucian Wang, Judith Li, Rebecca Batstone, Megan E. Frederickson