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Programmed Cell Death and Complexity in Microbial Systems.

Pierre M Durand1, Stuart Sym2, Richard E Michod3

  • 1Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa; Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa; Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.

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|July 13, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Programmed cell death (PCD) in microbes, though costly to individuals, can drive biological complexity. This process benefits related groups by recycling resources and fostering community interactions, impacting the evolution of multicellularity.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Programmed cell death (PCD) was traditionally viewed as exclusive to multicellular organisms.
  • Its presence in unicellular life raises questions about its evolutionary origins and ecological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ecological implications of PCD in microbial communities.
  • To understand how PCD influences biological complexity and group dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on PCD in various microbial contexts.
  • Analysis of ecological effects across different microbial community structures.

Main Results:

  • PCD can increase biological complexity within microbial communities.
  • The manner of cell death influences microenvironmental conditions and inter-species interactions.
  • PCD provides benefits to related groups, facilitating resource recycling and kin selection.

Conclusions:

  • Programmed cell death, despite individual costs, acts as a driver of complexity in microbial ecosystems.
  • PCD may have played a role in the evolution of multicellularity by enabling kin groups and managing the byproducts of death.