Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations.
It has been suggested that bacterial cells communicate by releasing and sensing small diffusible signal molecules in a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS). It is generally assumed that QS is used to coordinate cooperative behaviours at the population level. However, evolutionary theory pre...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2007
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| _version_ | 1797106272044056576 |
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| author | Diggle, S Griffin, A Campbell, G West, SA |
| author_facet | Diggle, S Griffin, A Campbell, G West, SA |
| author_sort | Diggle, S |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | It has been suggested that bacterial cells communicate by releasing and sensing small diffusible signal molecules in a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS). It is generally assumed that QS is used to coordinate cooperative behaviours at the population level. However, evolutionary theory predicts that individuals who communicate and cooperate can be exploited. Here we examine the social evolution of QS experimentally in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and show that although QS can provide a benefit at the group level, exploitative individuals can avoid the cost of producing the QS signal or of performing the cooperative behaviour that is coordinated by QS, and can therefore spread. We also show that a solution to the problem of exploitation is kin selection, if interacting bacterial cells tend to be close relatives. These results show that the problem of exploitation, which has been the focus of considerable attention in animal communication, also arises in bacteria. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:59:22Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:ff34f158-c448-41ec-84e8-4c6f5aaf38ff |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:59:22Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:ff34f158-c448-41ec-84e8-4c6f5aaf38ff2022-03-27T13:42:59ZCooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ff34f158-c448-41ec-84e8-4c6f5aaf38ffEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2007Diggle, SGriffin, ACampbell, GWest, SAIt has been suggested that bacterial cells communicate by releasing and sensing small diffusible signal molecules in a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS). It is generally assumed that QS is used to coordinate cooperative behaviours at the population level. However, evolutionary theory predicts that individuals who communicate and cooperate can be exploited. Here we examine the social evolution of QS experimentally in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and show that although QS can provide a benefit at the group level, exploitative individuals can avoid the cost of producing the QS signal or of performing the cooperative behaviour that is coordinated by QS, and can therefore spread. We also show that a solution to the problem of exploitation is kin selection, if interacting bacterial cells tend to be close relatives. These results show that the problem of exploitation, which has been the focus of considerable attention in animal communication, also arises in bacteria. |
| spellingShingle | Diggle, S Griffin, A Campbell, G West, SA Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title | Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title_full | Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title_fullStr | Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title_short | Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations. |
| title_sort | cooperation and conflict in quorum sensing bacterial populations |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT diggles cooperationandconflictinquorumsensingbacterialpopulations AT griffina cooperationandconflictinquorumsensingbacterialpopulations AT campbellg cooperationandconflictinquorumsensingbacterialpopulations AT westsa cooperationandconflictinquorumsensingbacterialpopulations |