The Vibrio fischeri type VI secretion system incurs a fitness cost under host-like conditions.

ABSTRACT: The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is an interbacterial weapon composed of thousands of protein subunits and predicted to require significant cellular energy to deploy, yet a fitness cost from T6SS use is rarely observed. Here, we identify host-like conditions where the T6SS incurs a fitness cost using the beneficial symbiont, Vibrio fischeri, which uses its T6SS to eliminate competitors in the natural squid host. We hypothesized that a fitness cost for the T6SS could be dependent on the cellular energetic state and used theoretical ATP cost estimates to predict when a T6SS-dependent fitness cost may be apparent. Theoretical energetic cost estimates predicted a minor relative cost for T6SS use in fast-growing populations (0.4-0.45% of total ATP used cell^-1), and a higher

SUBMITTER: Septer AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10028907 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature