Evolutionary dynamics of an epigenetic switch in a fluctuating environment

Adaptation and survival in fluctuating environments is an evolutionary challenge faced by organisms. Epigenetic switches (bistable, molecular systems built from self-reinforcing feedback loops) have been suggested as a mechanism of bet-hedging and adaptation to fluctuating environments. These epigenetic systems are capable of spontaneously switching between phenotypes in the absence of DNA mutation and these phenotypes are stably inherited through multiple cell generations. The extent to which epigenetic switches outcompete adaptation through genetic mutation in fluctuating environments remains unexplored. To better understand the conditions that select for epigenetic switching, we used comp