Bacterial predator-prey coevolution accelerates genome evolution and selects on virulence-associated prey defences.

ABSTRACT: Generalist bacterial predators are likely to strongly shape many important ecological and evolutionary features of microbial communities, for example by altering the character and pace of molecular evolution, but investigations of such effects are scarce. Here we report how predator-prey interactions alter the evolution of fitness, genomes and phenotypic diversity in coevolving bacterial communities composed of Myxococcus xanthus as predator and Escherichia coli as prey, relative to single-species controls. We show evidence of reciprocal adaptation and demonstrate accelerated genomic evolution specific to coevolving communities, including the rapid appearance of mutator genotypes. Strong parallel evolution unique to the predator-prey communities occurs in both parties, with predators drivi

SUBMITTER: Nair RR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6754418 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature