Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.

The ubiquitous existence of microbial communities marks the importance of understanding how species interact within the community to coexist and their spatial organization. We study a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model through a stochastic cellular automaton on a square lattice using kineti...

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Main Authors: Jiaqi Lin, Hui Sun, JiaJia Dong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276268
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author Jiaqi Lin
Hui Sun
JiaJia Dong
author_facet Jiaqi Lin
Hui Sun
JiaJia Dong
author_sort Jiaqi Lin
collection DOAJ
description The ubiquitous existence of microbial communities marks the importance of understanding how species interact within the community to coexist and their spatial organization. We study a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model through a stochastic cellular automaton on a square lattice using kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. Our model encapsulates the essential dynamic processes such as cell growth, and nutrient excretion, diffusion and uptake. Focusing on the interplay among nutrient diffusion and individual cell division, we discover three general classes of colony morphology: co-existing sectors, co-existing spirals, and engulfment. When the cross-feeding nutrient is widely available, either through high excretion or fast diffusion, a stable circular colony with alternating species sector emerges. When the consumer cells rely on being spatially close to the producers, we observe a stable spiral. We also see one species being engulfed by the other when species interfaces merge due to stochastic fluctuation. By tuning the diffusion rate and the growth rate, we are able to gain quantitative insights into the structures of the sectors and the spirals.
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spelling doaj.art-9738f2cdc28f4ccd831a4e79300452992022-12-22T02:40:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011710e027626810.1371/journal.pone.0276268Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.Jiaqi LinHui SunJiaJia DongThe ubiquitous existence of microbial communities marks the importance of understanding how species interact within the community to coexist and their spatial organization. We study a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model through a stochastic cellular automaton on a square lattice using kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. Our model encapsulates the essential dynamic processes such as cell growth, and nutrient excretion, diffusion and uptake. Focusing on the interplay among nutrient diffusion and individual cell division, we discover three general classes of colony morphology: co-existing sectors, co-existing spirals, and engulfment. When the cross-feeding nutrient is widely available, either through high excretion or fast diffusion, a stable circular colony with alternating species sector emerges. When the consumer cells rely on being spatially close to the producers, we observe a stable spiral. We also see one species being engulfed by the other when species interfaces merge due to stochastic fluctuation. By tuning the diffusion rate and the growth rate, we are able to gain quantitative insights into the structures of the sectors and the spirals.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276268
spellingShingle Jiaqi Lin
Hui Sun
JiaJia Dong
Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
PLoS ONE
title Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
title_full Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
title_fullStr Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
title_full_unstemmed Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
title_short Emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two-species mutualistic cross-feeding model.
title_sort emergence of sector and spiral patterns from a two species mutualistic cross feeding model
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276268
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AT jiajiadong emergenceofsectorandspiralpatternsfromatwospeciesmutualisticcrossfeedingmodel