Privatization of cooperative benefits stabilizes mutualistic cross-feeding interactions in spatially structured environments.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic cross-feeding interactions are ubiquitous in natural microbial communities. However, it remains generally unclear whether the production and exchange of metabolites incurs fitness costs to the producing cells and if so, which ecological mechanisms can facilitate a cooperative exchange of metabolites among unrelated individuals. We hypothesized that positive assortment within structured environments can maintain mutualistic cross-feeding. To test this, we engineered Acinetobacter baylyi and Escherichia coli to reciprocally exchange essential amino acids. Interspecific coculture experiments confirmed that non-cooperating types were selectively favoured in spatially unstructured (liquid culture), yet disfavoured in spatially structured environments (agar plates). Both an individual-

SUBMITTER: Pande S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5029186 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature