Extinction, coexistence, and localized patterns of a bacterial population with contact-dependent inhibition.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Contact-dependent inhibition (CDI) has been recently revealed as an intriguing but ubiquitous mechanism for bacterial competition in which a species injects toxins into its competitors through direct physical contact for growth suppression. Although the molecular and genetic aspects of CDI systems are being increasingly explored, a quantitative and systematic picture of how CDI systems benefit population competition and hence alter corresponding competition outcomes is not well elucidated.

Results

By constructing a mathematical model for a population consisting of CDI+ and CDI- species, we have systematically investigated the dynamics and possible outcomes of population competition. In the well-mixed case, we found that the two species are mutually exclusive: Comp

SUBMITTER: Blanchard AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3942258 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature