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The effect of sibmating on the infection dynamics of male-killing bacteria

Judith Dannowski1, Matthias Flor, Arndt Telschow

  • 1Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany. judith.apel@gmx.de

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|June 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Sibmating, or mating among relatives, can reduce male-killing (MK) bacteria prevalence and potentially lead to extinction. This behavior may also allow coexistence of different MK strains within host populations.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbial ecology
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Male-killing (MK) bacteria are vertically transmitted endosymbionts that induce sex-specific mortality in hosts.
  • Existing models fail to explain extreme MK (all-female broods) and the coexistence of multiple MK strains.
  • Sibmating (mating among relatives) is a common behavior in many species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the theoretical impact of sibmating on MK bacteria infection dynamics.
  • To explore how sibmating influences MK prevalence and strain coexistence.
  • To reconcile observed MK phenomena with mathematical modeling.

Main Methods:

  • Analytical mathematical modeling of MK infection dynamics incorporating sibmating.
  • Computer simulations to explore complex scenarios and parameter spaces.
  • Extension of existing simple mathematical models for MK bacteria.

Main Results:

  • Sibmating generally reduces MK prevalence and can lead to extinction.
  • Sibmating facilitates stable coexistence between uninfected populations and extreme MK.
  • Stable coexistence of two MK strains is possible under specific sibmating thresholds and male mating capacities.

Conclusions:

  • Sibmating is a crucial factor influencing the population dynamics of male-killing bacteria.
  • The inclusion of sibmating provides a framework for understanding persistent extreme MK and strain coexistence.
  • Further research should consider mating system behaviors in microbial symbiont dynamics.

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