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A Visual Assay to Monitor T6SS-mediated Bacterial Competition
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Established Microbial Colonies Can Survive Type VI Secretion Assault.

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Type VI secretion (T6S) systems act as microbial weapons. However, T6S-sensitive bacteria can survive and dominate T6S+ competitors if they form large enough groups.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Type VI secretion (T6S) is a contact-dependent bacterial weapon system found in ~25% of Gram-negative bacteria.
  • T6S mediates interbacterial killing, impacting microbial community structure and dynamics.
  • Understanding the ecological role of T6S is crucial for predicting bacterial interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ecological role of T6S in bacterial competition during range expansions.
  • To determine conditions under which T6S-sensitive bacteria can coexist with or outcompete T6S+ bacteria.
  • To analyze the impact of spatial structure and population size on T6S-mediated competition.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated range expansion experiments comparing T6S+ and T6S-sensitive bacterial strains.
  • In vivo competition assays using *Vibrio cholerae* (T6S+) and *Escherichia coli* (T6S-sensitive).
  • Mathematical modeling of bacterial growth and killing dynamics at strain interfaces.

Main Results:

  • Sufficiently large populations of T6S-sensitive cells can achieve net growth despite T6S-mediated killing at interfaces.
  • T6S-sensitive *E. coli* survived and dominated T6S+ *V. cholerae* when allowed to form initial microcolonies.
  • In competitions between two T6S+ strains, the larger population had a competitive advantage that scaled with the T6S attack rate.

Conclusions:

  • Spatial structure and population size are critical factors in T6S-mediated bacterial competition.
  • T6S-sensitive bacteria can persist and even outcompete T6S+ bacteria under specific ecological conditions.
  • The ecological impact of T6S depends on the interplay between killing efficiency, growth rates, and spatial organization.