Negative frequency-dependent interactions can underlie phenotypic heterogeneity in a clonal microbial population.

ABSTRACT: Genetically identical cells in microbial populations often exhibit a remarkable degree of phenotypic heterogeneity even in homogenous environments. Such heterogeneity is commonly thought to represent a bet-hedging strategy against environmental uncertainty. However, evolutionary game theory predicts that phenotypic heterogeneity may also be a response to negative frequency-dependent interactions that favor rare phenotypes over common ones. Here we provide experimental evidence for this alternative explanation in the context of the well-studied yeast GAL network. In an environment containing the two sugars glucose and galactose, the yeast GAL network displays stochastic bimodal activation. We show that in this mixed sugar environment, GAL-ON and GAL-OFF phenotypes can each invade the opposi

SUBMITTER: Healey D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5119493 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature