Host-initiated microbial association leads to stable ectosymbiosis in an ecological model

Microbial symbiosis is widespread among metabolically coupled cells; it presumably gave rise to mitochondria. However, how such symbioses emerge, evolve, and stabilize are unknown, particularly in the prokaryotic domain where endosymbiosis is virtually nonexistent. Yet there is growing evidence suggesting that mitochondria originated from such a metabolically driven prokaryotic partnership rather than phagocytotic predation. While prokaryotes almost ubiquitously engage in metabolic syntrophy, it is unknown whether syntrophy alone can enable stable physical associations that could pave the road toward physical integration. Here, we tested the hypothesis that syntrophy can transition into stable ectosymbiosis, using an ecological mathematical model. Starting from an existing syntrophic partnership between free-living hosts and symbionts, we demonstrate that population-level obligate ectosymbiosis can emerge and stabilize, even in unilateral syntrophy where only the symbiont consumes a host-produced metabolite. A key assumption is that the hosts' by-product inhibits their growth when it accumulates. By consuming the toxic by-product, the symbiont locally reduces hosts' self-inhibition at the contact surface, manifesting as a private benefit providing selective advantage. Our results show that due to the direct and indirect benefits, the ectosymbiotic consortium is stable against free-living forms and the consortial cooperation is ecologically selected for. Furthermore, solid metabolic coupling promotes population-level obligacy, ultimately excluding free-living individuals under stricter conditions. Our results support the hypothesis that cooperative, syntrophic microbes (particularly prokaryotes) are capable of forming stable, physical, and species-specific ectosymbiosis through inhibition reduction, providing a plausible first step toward potential, gradual endosymbiotic integration. Our work bridges the gap between models of microbial cooperation between free-living species and models that assume already-concluded, fully integrated endosymbiosis under multilevel selection.