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Related Experiment Videos

Is bacterial persistence a social trait?

Andy Gardner1, Stuart A West, Ashleigh S Griffin

  • 1St John's College, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom. andy.gardner@ed.ac.uk

Plos One
|August 22, 2007
PubMed
Summary
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Bacterial persistence, a non-inherited survival strategy, offers direct benefits during crises and indirect benefits by reducing competition. Kin selection and scarce resources can increase selection for this social trait.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a growing concern.
  • Bacterial populations contain 'persister' cells exhibiting non-inherited phenotypic resistance via slow growth.
  • The evolutionary drivers of bacterial persistence remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary forces and social consequences of bacterial persistence.
  • To explore persistence as a potential social trait influenced by kin selection.
  • To develop a theoretical model for analyzing the social dynamics of persistence.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a theoretical evolutionary model.
  • Analysis of social consequences of bacterial persistence.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Modeling the impact of relatedness and resource scarcity on selection for persistence.

    • Main Results:

    • Selection for bacterial persistence is enhanced in related cell populations (e.g., clonal lineages).
    • Limited resource availability increases the evolutionary selection for persistence.
    • The model predicts variations in persistence levels across time, populations, and in response to interventions.

    Conclusions:

    • Bacterial persistence can be viewed as a social trait influenced by kin selection and resource competition.
    • Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of persistence is crucial for predicting bacterial population behavior.
    • Results clarify the interplay between persistence, bet-hedging, and social behaviors in microbial communities.