Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 4, 2026
14:06
Mapping Bacterial Functional Networks and Pathways in Escherichia Coli using Synthetic Genetic Arrays
Published on: November 12, 2012
47.1K
Single gene locus changes perturb complex microbial communities as much as apex predator loss
Deirdre McClean1,2, Luke McNally3,4, Letal I Salzberg5
1Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D2, Ireland.
Nature Communications
|September 11, 2015
Summary
Bacterial social behaviors, like biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis, significantly impact community structure. These microevolutionary changes can be as influential as predator loss or species extinction in shaping microbial ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Microbial ecology
- Bacterial social behavior
- Community dynamics
Background:
- Bacterial species are social and modify their environment via secreted molecules.
- Environmental modifications influence interspecies interactions and community composition.
- The role of social behaviors in complex community structure remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of bacterial social traits on community structure.
- To compare the effect of social behaviors with trophic interactions and species loss.
Main Methods:
- Experimentally manipulated multitrophic microcosm assemblages.
- Focused on single-locus changes affecting biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis.
Main Results:
- Single-locus changes in Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation altered community structure significantly.
- These changes had an impact comparable to the loss of an apex predator.
- The impact was greater than the loss of Bacillus subtilis itself.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial social traits are crucial modulators of microbial community structure.
- Intraspecific genetic variability is as important as strong trophic interactions.
- Microevolution can be as significant as species extinctions in microbial community responses to environmental change.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:08Evolution of Microbial Genome
48
Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.
48
01:18Mutations in Microorganisms
1.1K
Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
1.1K
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
893
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
893
01:26Transformation
1.3K
Microbial communities are dynamic environments where cell lysis releases free DNA into the surroundings. Other cells can take up this extracellular DNA through a process known as transformation.When a cell incorporates this foreign DNA into its genome, resulting in genetic modification, the process is known as transformation. Cells capable of this process are termed competent. Competence can be natural, as observed in certain bacteria and archaea, or artificially induced in the...
1.3K
01:26Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
99
Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
99
01:29Modern Molecular Taxonomy
837
Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
837