Stability of Cross-Feeding Polymorphisms in Microbial Communities.

ABSTRACT: Cross-feeding, a relationship wherein one organism consumes metabolites excreted by another, is a ubiquitous feature of natural and clinically-relevant microbial communities and could be a key factor promoting diversity in extreme and/or nutrient-poor environments. However, it remains unclear how readily cross-feeding interactions form, and therefore our ability to predict their emergence is limited. In this paper we developed a mathematical model parameterized using data from the biochemistry and ecology of an E. coli cross-feeding laboratory system. The model accurately captures short-term dynamics of the two competitors that have been observed empirically and we use it to systematically explore the stability of cross-feeding interactions for a range of environmental conditions. We find

SUBMITTER: Gudelj I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5201250 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature