Simulation of the evolution of the legume-rhizobia symbiosis under the conditions of ecological instability

Abstract

A mathematical model is constructed which describes the impacts of a chaotically changing envi ronment on the frequencies and productivity of partners in the legume rhizobia symbiosis (LRS). The most sensitive for external impacts are the adaptively prospective bacteria strains which are specific with respect to hosts and are capable for the intensive evolution towards an improved symbiotic efficiency. The increased sta bility of these strains in the symbiotic system may be an important factor of its evolution for the improved effi ciency of partners' interaction.

Drought Tolerance of Legumes: Physiology and the Role of the Microbiome

“…Symbiotic relationships bring advantages to both sides: microsymbionts obtain access to the host’s resources, while the macrosymbiont (host) uses microbial metabolites to enrich nutrition and resist abiotic stresses. From an evolutionary perspective, the symbiose leads to the pooling of hereditary information towards more diverse, top-specie heredity systems, which accelerate the evolution processes [ 26 ]. Drought stress is a major selection factor, shaping the rhizospheric drought-resistant microbiome over many seasons.…”