Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

Mutualism is a symbiotic interaction in which all participating organisms benefit. These relationships can be obligate or facultative and are fundamental to ecosystem functions across diverse biological systems.Plant–Fungi MutualismOne well-known example is the association between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi, such as Rhizophagus species. The fungal hyphae penetrate the root hairs and the epidermis, forming an extensive hyphal network that establishes a symbiotic association. Through this...

Relationship Growth

Relationship Growth

Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...

Relationship Formation

Relationship Formation

What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...

Symbiosis

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial cooperation involves beneficial interactions in which different species work together for individual or mutual advantage. These interactions can profoundly influence ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes, and they are essential to many pathogenic and symbiotic relationships.Nematode–Bacteria CooperationA striking example is the relationship between the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes...

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Phytochemical diversity and seasonality are associated with a critical transition in plant-herbivore network structure.

Ecology·2026

Same author

Rare Phyla, Such as CPR and DPANN, Shape Ecosystem-Level Microbial Community Structure Dissimilarities.

Microbial ecology·2025

Same author

Direct Effects of Polyploidization on Floral Scent.

Journal of chemical ecology·2025

Same author

Repeated polyploidization shapes divergence in floral morphology in <i>Lithophragma bolanderi</i> (Saxifragaceae).

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Urbanization Filters Megacolorful, Small-Bodied, and Diet-Specialist Species in Tropical Bird Assemblages.

Global change biology·2025

Same author

Coevolutionary hotspots favour dispersal and fuel biodiversity in mutualistic landscapes under environmental changes.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Interaction intimacy affects structure and coevolutionary dynamics in mutualistic networks.

Paulo R Guimarães¹, Victor Rico-Gray, Paulo S Oliveira

¹Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Universidade Estadual de Campinas 6165, Campinas-São Paulo, 13083-970, Brazil. prguima@ifi.unicamp.br

Current Biology : CB

|October 24, 2007

Summary

Interaction intimacy shapes mutualistic networks. High intimacy leads to specialized, compartmentalized networks, while low intimacy results in diverse, nested networks with generalist cores.

More Related Videos

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

Quantification of Protein Interaction Network Dynamics using Multiplexed Co-Immunoprecipitation

Quantification of Protein Interaction Network Dynamics using Multiplexed Co-Immunoprecipitation

Published on: August 21, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

Published on: March 26, 2019

Quantification of Protein Interaction Network Dynamics using Multiplexed Co-Immunoprecipitation

Quantification of Protein Interaction Network Dynamics using Multiplexed Co-Immunoprecipitation

Published on: August 21, 2019

Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Network Theory

Background:

Mutualistic networks are key to understanding biodiversity.
Interaction intimacy influences specialization and network organization.
Different levels of intimacy may lead to distinct network structures.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the consequences of interaction intimacy on mutualistic network structure and coevolution.
Examine how symbiotic versus nonsymbiotic interactions shape network organization.
Explore the distinct evolutionary dynamics driven by different mutualism types.

Main Methods:

Analyzed 19 ant-plant mutualistic networks to associate interaction intimacy with network structure.
Employed numerical simulations to model the effects of network structure on evolutionary change.
Compared the impact of symbiotic and nonsymbiotic interactions on coevolutionary processes.

Main Results:

Demonstrated a clear association between interaction intimacy and the structure of ant-plant mutualistic networks.
Simulations revealed that network structure significantly impacts evolutionary change differently across mutualism types.
Symbiotic interactions (high intimacy) affect fewer partners compared to nonsymbiotic interactions (low intimacy).

Conclusions:

Interaction intimacy is a critical factor structuring mutualistic networks and influencing coevolutionary trajectories.
Symbiotic mutualisms are predicted to have coevolution characterized by reciprocal changes between few partners.
Nonsymbiotic mutualisms may exhibit coevolution with rare, large bursts of change affecting multiple species.