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Related Experiment Video

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Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface

Assessing the Viability of a Synthetic Bacterial Consortium on the In Vitro Gut Host-microbe Interface

Published on: July 4, 2018

Microbial diversification is maintained in an experimentally evolved synthetic community.

Zahraa Al-Tameemi¹, Alejandra Rodríguez-Verdugo¹

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

|October 15, 2024

Summary

Bacterial species diversified into two morphotypes when interacting with another species, a pattern not seen in isolation. Interspecies interactions, like cross-feeding, are crucial for microbial diversification and community structure.

Keywords:

cross-feeding evolutionary tradeoffs experimental evolution interspecies interactions maintenance of diversity synthetic communities

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Compost Microcosms as Microbially Diverse, Natural-like Environments for Microbiome Research in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Published on: September 13, 2022

Area of Science:

Microbial Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Bacteriology

Background:

Bacteria in nature exist in complex communities and engage in interactions like cross-feeding.
The impact of these interactions on bacterial diversification patterns is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how cross-feeding interactions with *Acinetobacter johnsonii* influence the diversification of *Pseudomonas putida*.
To compare the evolutionary trajectories of *P. putida* in monoculture versus co-culture.

Main Methods:

Experimental evolution of *P. putida* in monoculture and co-culture with *A. johnsonii* for 200 generations.
Genomic analysis to identify mutations, including those in the *fleQ* gene.
Invasion experiments and evolutionary 'replay' experiments to assess coexistence dynamics.

Main Results:

*P. putida* diversified into two morphotypes in co-culture, differing by single-point mutations, including in *fleQ*.
Mutations leading to altered motility and biofilm formation, such as in *fleQ*, swept to fixation in monocultures but not in co-cultures.
*Acinetobacter johnsonii* presence stabilized the coexistence of the two *P. putida* morphotypes.

Conclusions:

Interspecies interactions, specifically cross-feeding, significantly shape microbial diversification patterns.
The presence of a cross-feeding partner can prevent the fixation of certain mutations and promote the stable coexistence of distinct lineages.
These findings highlight the importance of considering species interactions in understanding microbial community evolution.