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Higher-order effects, continuous species interactions, and trait evolution shape microbial spatial dynamics.

Anshuman Swain1, Levi Fussell2, William F Fagan3

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; answain@umd.edu.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 31, 2021
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbial communities maintain diversity through complex interactions, not just simple competition. Rapid evolution and higher-order interactions are key to sustaining this biodiversity in dynamic environments.

Keywords:
community assemblycontinuous species modelcyclic dominanceeco-evolutionary dynamicshigher-order interactions

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Area of Science:

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • Microbial diversity maintenance is challenging due to prevalent toxin-based antagonism.
  • Existing models often use simplified cyclic dominance games with limited species and low mutation rates.
  • These models fail to capture the continuous phenotypic space and rapid evolution typical of microbial communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel model for microbial community dynamics incorporating continuous phenotypic space, rapid mutation, and higher-order interactions.
  • To investigate the roles of toxin production, resistance, and inhibition in shaping microbial community structure.
  • To explore how species interactions, mobility, and mutation influence diversity and spatial dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated microbial communities with a large number of species interacting in continuous phenotypic space.
  • Incorporated direct and higher-order interactions via antibiotic production and resistance.
  • Analyzed the impact of species interaction constraints, mobility, mutation size, and community formation time on diversity and spatiotemporal dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Species interaction constraints were stronger predictors of spatiotemporal disturbance than mobility.
  • Community formation time, mobility, and mutation size were key factors explaining diversity patterns.
  • A significant relationship was observed between community formation time, spatial disturbance, and diversity dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Higher-order interactions and rapid evolution are critical for the origin and maintenance of microbial diversity.
  • The developed model provides a more realistic framework for understanding complex microbial ecosystems.
  • Findings have implications for understanding diversity maintenance across various biological systems.