Pneumococcal quorum sensing drives an asymmetric owner-intruder competitive strategy during carriage via the competence regulon.

ABSTRACT: Competition among microorganisms is a key determinant of successful host colonization and persistence. For Streptococcus pneumoniae, lower than predicted rates of co-colonizing strains suggest a competitive advantage for resident bacteria over newcomers. In light of evolutionary theory, we hypothesized that S. pneumoniae use owner-intruder asymmetries to settle contests, leading to the disproportionate success of the initial resident 'owner', regardless of the genetic identity of the 'intruder'. We investigated the determinants of within-host competitive success utilizing S. pneumoniae colonization of the upper respiratory tract of infant mice. Within 6 h, colonization by the resident inhibited colonization by an isogenic challenger. The competitive advantage of the resident was dependent

SUBMITTER: Shen P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6342471 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature