Slow expanders invade by forming dented fronts in microbial colonies.

ABSTRACT: Most organisms grow in space, whether they are viruses spreading within a host tissue or invasive species colonizing a new continent. Evolution typically selects for higher expansion rates during spatial growth, but it has been suggested that slower expanders can take over under certain conditions. Here, we report an experimental observation of such population dynamics. We demonstrate that mutants that grow slower in isolation nevertheless win in competition, not only when the two types are intermixed, but also when they are spatially segregated into sectors. The latter was thought to be impossible because previous studies focused exclusively on the global competitions mediated by expansion velocities, but overlooked the local competitions at sector boundaries. Local competition, however,

SUBMITTER: Lee H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8740590 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature