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Sharing the sandbox: Evolutionary mechanisms that maintain bacterial cooperation
Eric Bruger1, Christopher Waters1
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
F1000Research
|February 27, 2016
Summary
Bacterial cooperation, including biofilm formation and public-goods production, is maintained by molecular mechanisms. This review covers how microbes stabilize cooperation despite defector cells.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Microbes exhibit complex cooperative behaviors like biofilm formation and public-goods production.
- Maintaining cooperation among microbes is challenging due to the presence of non-cooperating 'defector' cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review bacterial cooperation.
- To describe current understanding of molecular mechanisms that maintain microbial cooperation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on microbial cooperation.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms stabilizing cooperation.
Main Results:
- Several molecular mechanisms, including facultative participation, spatial sorting, and policing, have been identified.
- These mechanisms often function synergistically to reinforce cooperative behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial cooperation is a complex phenomenon stabilized by diverse molecular mechanisms.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for comprehending microbial community dynamics.
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