Enhanced metabolic entanglement emerges during the evolution of an interkingdom microbial community.

ABSTRACT: While different stages of mutualism can be observed in natural communities, the dynamics and mechanisms underlying the gradual erosion of independence of the initially autonomous organisms are not yet fully understood. In this study, by conducting the laboratory evolution on an engineered microbial community, we reproduce and molecularly track the stepwise progression towards enhanced partner entanglement. We observe that the evolution of the community both strengthens the existing metabolic interactions and leads to the emergence of de novo interdependence between partners for nitrogen metabolism, which is a common feature of natural symbiotic interactions. Selection for enhanced metabolic entanglement during the community evolution repeatedly occurred indirectly, via pleiotropies and tra

SUBMITTER: Scarinci G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11341674 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature