Citation
Evolving responsively: adaptive mutation
TL;DR
Bacteria increase mutation rates 100-1000x under starvation stress
This foundational paper challenges the textbook view that mutations are purely random, clock-like events occurring at constant rates regardless of environmental conditions. Rosenberg's work demonstrates that bacteria can actively increase mutation rates under stress - a phenomenon called stress-induced mutagenesis.
This research is central to the chapter's thesis that mutation rates are evolvable strategies, not fixed constants. The business analog is that organizations should calibrate their 'mutation rates' (innovation investment) to environmental conditions, increasing experimentation when current strategies are failing.
Key Findings from Rosenberg (2001)
- Bacteria increase mutation rates 100-1000x under starvation stress
- Error-prone DNA polymerases (Pol IV, Pol V) are activated under stress
- Stress-induced mutations are concentrated in genomic regions under selection
- Mutation rate returns to baseline once stress is relieved
- Challenges view that mutation is purely random and clock-like