Programmed evolution

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Programmed evolution is an evolutionary process akin to natural selection. The main difference between natural selection and programmed evolution is that natural selection relies on random environmental events to cause mutations. Programmed evolution is a regulated process in which organisms switch on altered levels (usually higher) of mutagenesis. Usually this is in response to sensed, non-mutagenic environmental cues.

Evidence for programmed evolution include:

faster than expected development of bacteria with antibiotic resistance
existence of multiple, low fidelity DNA polymerases in bacteria regulated by SOS response.
the ability to suppress bacterial MDR evolution by small molecule intervention[link].

Programmed evolution is, however, still mildly controversial amongst certain circles of evolutionary biology, since programmed evolution does not confer survival advantage upon the individual.

A further controversial, but related, concept is directed evolution.

Sources

Nature Reviews Genetics 2, 504-515 (2001)

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