Evolution of microbial markets

Abstract

Biological market theory has been used successfully to explain cooperative behavior in many animal species. Microbes also engage in cooperative behaviors, both with hosts and other microbes, that can be described in economic terms. However, a market approach is not traditionally used to analyze these interactions. Here, we extend the biological market framework to ask whether this theory is of use to evolutionary biologists studying microbes. We consider six economic strategies used by microbes to optimize their success in markets. We argue that an economic market framework is a useful tool to generate specific and interesting predictions about microbial interactions, including the evolution of partner discrimination, hoarding strategies, specialized versus diversified mutualistic services, and the role of spatial structures, such as flocks and consortia. There is untapped potential for studying the evolutionary dynamics of microbial systems. Market theory can help structure this potential by characterizing strategic investment of microbes across a diversity of conditions. cooperation | mutualism | trade | partner choice

Host plant quality mediates competition between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

“…Researchers have sought to explain such discrepancies, and suggested that spatial heterogeneity of fungal tissues can cause a poor correlation between microscopy and qPCR measurements of fungal colonization (Hart et al 2013). However, using the same fungal strains, positive relationships have been found between fungal gene copy number measured by qPCR and the dry weight of extraradical hyphae (Engelmoer et al 2014, Werner and. Hyphal dry weight, however, can be very laborious to measure.…”

“…Gene copy concentrations of all samples were corrected proportionally to DNA extraction efficiency, and subsequently expressed as target sequence copy number per mg dried root material. Because fungal tissue contains mitochondria, this quantification of mitochondrial target sequences provides speciesspecific information about the amount of fungal tissue (Engelmoer et al 2014, Werner and. R v2.15.3 (2013) was used to perform statistical analyses.…”

Evolutionary signals of symbiotic persistence in the legume–rhizobia mutualism

“…Another idea is that symbiotic N 2 fixation may help alleviate phosphorus limitation because it allows for the secretion of more nitrogen-rich phosphatases, favoring plant phosphorus harvesting (87). Consequentially, high host nutrient demands may increase the benefits of being in a symbiotic relationship (88,89), selecting for persistence of symbiotic capacity. It is still an open question as to whether a high nutrient lifestyle predated symbiosis persistence or the reverse.…”

The Plasmidome of Firmicutes: Impact on the Emergence and the Spread of Resistance to Antimicrobials

“…Alignment of nucleotide sequences was performed using ClustalW2 (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/phylogeny/clustalw2_phylogeny/), and sequences showing an identity equal to or higher than 80% were clustered in groups that were highlighted by different background colors. (E. faecium ST17, ST18, ST78 and E. faecalis ST6 and ST16) (7,67,144,203).…”