The weak shall inherit: bacteriocin-mediated interactions in bacterial populations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Evolutionary arms race plays a major role in shaping biological diversity. In microbial systems, competition often involves chemical warfare and the production of bacteriocins, narrow-spectrum toxins aimed at killing closely related strains by forming pores in their target's membrane or by degrading the target's RNA or DNA. Although many empirical and theoretical studies describe competitive exclusion of bacteriocin-sensitive strains by producers of bacteriocins, the dynamics among producers are largely unknown.

Methodology/principal findings

We used a reporter-gene assay to show that the bacterial response to bacteriocins' treatment mirrors the inflicted damage Potent bacteriocins are lethal to competing strains, but at sublethal doses can serve as strong inducin

SUBMITTER: Majeed H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3660564 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature