Mechanism of Kin-Discriminatory Demarcation Line Formation between Colonies of Swarming Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Swarming bacteria use kin discrimination to preferentially associate with their clonemates for certain cooperative behaviors. Kin discrimination can manifest as an apparent demarcation line (a region lacking cells or with much lower cell density) between antagonist strains swarming toward each other. In contrast, two identical strains merge with no demarcation. Experimental studies suggest contact-dependent killing between different strains as a mechanism of kin discrimination, but it is not clear whether this killing is sufficient to explain the observed patterns. Here, we investigate the formation of demarcation line with a mathematical model. First, using data from competition experiments between kin discriminating strains of Myxococcus xanthus and Proteus mirabilis, we found the rates

SUBMITTER: Patra P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5738499 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature