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Coexistence and Pattern Formation in Bacterial Mixtures with Contact-Dependent Killing
Liyang Xiong1, Robert Cooper2, Lev S Tsimring3
1Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
Biophysical Journal
|April 12, 2018
Summary
Microbial communities can coexist through a combination of neighbor killing and growth inhibition, leading to complex cellular patterns. This interaction offers a robust mechanism for pattern formation in bacterial mixtures.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Population Dynamics
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Multistrain microbial communities display complex spatial organization driven by interactions.
- Type VI secretion systems mediate contact-dependent killing, a potent competitive mechanism.
- Previous studies indicated this can lead to strain displacement (bistability), but coexistence remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if stable coexistence is possible in bacterial mixtures with contact-dependent killing.
- To explore the role of long-range growth inhibition in microbial community dynamics.
- To identify mechanisms driving spatial pattern formation in interacting bacterial strains.
Main Methods:
- Developed a population dynamics model for two interacting bacterial strains.
- Simulated scenarios involving contact-dependent killing and long-range growth inhibition.
- Analyzed the conditions and parameter ranges supporting bacterial coexistence and pattern formation.
Main Results:
- Coexistence of bacterial strains is achievable through the combined effects of contact-dependent killing and long-range growth inhibition.
- These interactions lead to the emergence of diverse cellular patterns.
- Pattern formation occurs across a broader parameter range than traditional Turing-like instabilities, indicating robustness.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between contact-dependent killing and long-range growth inhibition provides a robust mechanism for stable coexistence in microbial communities.
- This mechanism facilitates the formation of complex spatial patterns, enhancing microbial community structure.
- The findings expand our understanding of how microbial interactions shape community dynamics and spatial organization.
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