Data from: Rapid adaptation to road salts in a freshwater microbial eukaryote

Freshwater habitats in parts of the world that get snow and ice are
experiencing increased salinity due to the use of road salts. We used
experimental evolution to test how the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila,
which is endemic to the northeastern United States and a key player in the
microbial food web, will adapt to increasing salinity. Populations of T.
thermophila were evolved in either no salt or constant or increasing
concentrations of NaCl or MgCl2, two of the most commonly used road salts.
Following about 175 generations of evolution all populations were tested
for survival and growth in different salt concentrations. We found that
Tetrahymena adapt quickly to survive and grow better in
increasing salinity with the IC50 increasing significantly in populations
grown in the highest salt concentrations. However, populations adapted to
the highest salts also experienced fitness tradeoffs when grown in
salt-free conditions. These results demonstrate the rapidity with which
microbial populations can respond to anthropogenic changes to their
environment, yet highlight the potential costs associated with this
adaptation.