| Title: | Bacteria Use Collective Behavior to Generate Diverse Combat Strategies |
| Author(s): | Mavridou DAI; Gonzalez D; Kim W; West SA; Foster KR; |
| Address: | "Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; Calleva Research Centre for Evolution and Human Sciences, Magdalen College, Oxford OX1 4AU, UK; MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Kensington, London SW7 2DD, UK. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; Calleva Research Centre for Evolution and Human Sciences, Magdalen College, Oxford OX1 4AU, UK. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; Calleva Research Centre for Evolution and Human Sciences, Magdalen College, Oxford OX1 4AU, UK. Electronic address: kevin.foster@zoo.ox.ac.uk" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.030 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-0445 (Electronic) 0960-9822 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Animals have evolved a wide diversity of aggressive behavior often based upon the careful monitoring of other individuals. Bacteria are also capable of aggression, with many species using toxins to kill or inhibit their competitors. Like animals, bacteria also have systems to monitor others during antagonistic encounters, but how this translates into behavior remains poorly understood. Here, we use colonies of Escherichia coli carrying colicin-encoding plasmids as a model for studying antagonistic behavior. We show that in the absence of threat, dispersed cells with low reproductive value produce colicin toxins spontaneously, generating efficient pre-emptive attacks. Cells can also respond conditionally to toxins released by clonemates via autoinduction or other genotypes via competition sensing. The strength of both pre-emptive and responsive attacks varies widely between strains. We demonstrate that this variability occurs easily through mutation by rationally engineering strains to recapitulate the diversity in naturally occurring strategies. Finally, we discover that strains that can detect both competitors and clonemates are capable of massive coordinated attacks on competing colonies. This collective behavior protects established colonies from competitors, mirroring the evolution of alarm calling in the animal world" |
| Keywords: | Colicins/genetics/*metabolism Escherichia coli/*physiology *Microbial Interactions Mutation alarm pheromone collective behavior complex behavior evolutionary biology game theory mibrobe microorganism tit-for-tat warfare; |
| Notes: | "MedlineMavridou, Despoina A I Gonzalez, Diego Kim, Wook West, Stuart A Foster, Kevin R eng 242670/ERC_/European Research Council/International MR/M009505/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom MR/P028225/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/02/06 Curr Biol. 2018 Feb 5; 28(3):345-355.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.030. Epub 2018 Jan 25" |
