The evolution of coexistence from competition in experimental co-cultures of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT: Microbial communities are comprised of many species that coexist on small spatial scales. This is difficult to explain because many interspecies interactions are competitive, and ecological theory predicts that one species will drive the extinction of another species that competes for the same resource. Conversely, evolutionary theory proposes that natural selection can lead to coexistence by driving competing species to use non-overlapping resources. However, evolutionary escape from extinction may be slow compared to the rate of competitive exclusion. Here, we use experimental co-cultures of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study the evolution of coexistence in species that compete for resources. We find that while E. coli usually outcompetes S. cerevisiae in co-culture,

SUBMITTER: Barber JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8027373 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature