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Natural products in soil microbe interactions and evolution.
Matthew F Traxler1, Roberto Kolter
1Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. mtrax@berkeley.edu.
Natural Product Reports
|May 23, 2015
Summary
Soil bacteria like Streptomyces and Bacillus use natural products to interact, influencing each other
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Soil-dwelling bacteria, particularly Streptomyces and Bacillus species, exhibit complex interspecies interactions.
- These interactions are frequently mediated by small molecule natural products.
- Such interactions lead to diverse and often surprising phenotypic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review bacterial interspecies interactions driven by natural products in soil ecosystems.
- To analyze the role of natural products in mediating these interactions.
- To integrate findings from soil science, microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing research from four distinct scientific disciplines.
- Analysis of natural products identified as mediators of bacterial interactions.
- Examination of interaction paradigms: signaling, cueing, and coercion.
Main Results:
- Small molecule natural products are key mediators of bacterial interspecies interactions in soil.
- These interactions significantly shape bacterial phenotypes and community dynamics.
- Evidence supports roles in signaling, cueing, and coercion among soil bacteria.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial interspecies interactions via natural products are crucial in soil environments.
- A multidisciplinary approach is essential for understanding these complex ecological relationships.
- Further research can refine our understanding of microbial communication and adaptation.
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