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Published on: October 29, 2016
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Host control and the evolution of cooperation in host microbiomes
Connor Sharp1,2, Kevin R Foster3,4
1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. connor.sharp@zoo.ox.ac.uk.
Nature Communications
|June 22, 2022
Summary
Host control, not just mutual benefits, drives cooperation in host-microbe systems like the human microbiome. Immune system mechanisms are central to microbiome evolution, preventing symbiont over-evolution.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Host-microbe relationships are common across species.
- Mutual benefits are often proposed as the sole driver of cooperative evolution in symbiosis.
- The role of host control in symbiont cooperation remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if mutual benefits alone sufficiently explain cooperative evolution in host-microbe systems.
- To investigate the role of host control mechanisms in driving symbiont cooperation.
- To test evolutionary model predictions using genomic and immunological data.
Main Methods:
- Evolutionary modeling to simulate host-microbe interactions.
- Analysis of genomic data from host-associated bacteria.
- Investigating bacterial traits (flagella, butyrate production) under host immune surveillance.
Main Results:
- Mutual benefits are insufficient to drive cooperation due to symbiont competition.
- Host control mechanisms are crucial for cooperation, provided symbiont counter-evolution is limited.
- Genomic data supports predictions: bacteria lose flagella and maintain butyrate production under host control.
- Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) limits symbiont counter-evolution, supporting host control.
Conclusions:
- Host control, particularly immune system functions, is central to microbiome evolution.
- Cooperation in host-microbe systems emerges from a balance between host control and limited symbiont adaptation.
- The findings highlight the active role of hosts in shaping their symbionts.
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