Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Efficient host exploitation by parasites is frequently likely to depend on cooperative behaviour. Under these conditions, mixed-strain infections are predicted to show lower virulence (host mortality) than are single-clone infections...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2006-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Biology |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/21 |
| _version_ | 1828237808123248640 |
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| author | Vos Michiel Browning Lucy E Harrison Freya Buckling Angus |
| author_facet | Vos Michiel Browning Lucy E Harrison Freya Buckling Angus |
| author_sort | Vos Michiel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Efficient host exploitation by parasites is frequently likely to depend on cooperative behaviour. Under these conditions, mixed-strain infections are predicted to show lower virulence (host mortality) than are single-clone infections, due to competition favouring non-contributing social 'cheats' whose presence will reduce within-host growth. We tested this hypothesis using the cooperative production of iron-scavenging siderophores by the pathogenic bacterium <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>in an insect host.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that infection by siderophore-producing bacteria (cooperators) results in more rapid host death than does infection by non-producers (cheats), and that mixtures of both result in intermediate levels of virulence. Within-host bacterial growth rates exhibited the same pattern. Crucially, cheats were more successful in mixed infections compared with single-clone infections, while the opposite was true of cooperators.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data demonstrate that mixed clone infections can favour the evolution of social cheats, and thus decrease virulence when parasite growth is dependent on cooperative behaviours.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:54:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5758f6dd9664bd9ab13d93d65733c76 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1741-7007 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:54:06Z |
| publishDate | 2006-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5758f6dd9664bd9ab13d93d65733c762022-12-22T03:17:02ZengBMCBMC Biology1741-70072006-07-01412110.1186/1741-7007-4-21Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infectionsVos MichielBrowning Lucy EHarrison FreyaBuckling Angus<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Efficient host exploitation by parasites is frequently likely to depend on cooperative behaviour. Under these conditions, mixed-strain infections are predicted to show lower virulence (host mortality) than are single-clone infections, due to competition favouring non-contributing social 'cheats' whose presence will reduce within-host growth. We tested this hypothesis using the cooperative production of iron-scavenging siderophores by the pathogenic bacterium <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>in an insect host.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that infection by siderophore-producing bacteria (cooperators) results in more rapid host death than does infection by non-producers (cheats), and that mixtures of both result in intermediate levels of virulence. Within-host bacterial growth rates exhibited the same pattern. Crucially, cheats were more successful in mixed infections compared with single-clone infections, while the opposite was true of cooperators.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data demonstrate that mixed clone infections can favour the evolution of social cheats, and thus decrease virulence when parasite growth is dependent on cooperative behaviours.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/21 |
| spellingShingle | Vos Michiel Browning Lucy E Harrison Freya Buckling Angus Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections BMC Biology |
| title | Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections |
| title_full | Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections |
| title_fullStr | Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections |
| title_short | Cooperation and virulence in acute <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>infections |
| title_sort | cooperation and virulence in acute it pseudomonas aeruginosa it infections |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/4/21 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vosmichiel cooperationandvirulenceinacuteitpseudomonasaeruginosaitinfections AT browninglucye cooperationandvirulenceinacuteitpseudomonasaeruginosaitinfections AT harrisonfreya cooperationandvirulenceinacuteitpseudomonasaeruginosaitinfections AT bucklingangus cooperationandvirulenceinacuteitpseudomonasaeruginosaitinfections |