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An Experimental Study Of Strong Reciprocity In Bacteria, R. Inglis, R. Inglis, Stuart West, Angus Buckling
An Experimental Study Of Strong Reciprocity In Bacteria, R. Inglis, R. Inglis, Stuart West, Angus Buckling
Biology Department Faculty Works
Strong reciprocity, whereby cooperators punish non-cooperators, may help to explain the evolutionary success of cooperative behaviours. However, theory suggests that selection for strong reciprocity can depend upon tight genetic linkage between cooperation and punishment, to avoid the strategy being outcompeted by non-punishing cooperators. We tested this hypothesis using experimental populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which cooperate by producing iron-scavenging siderophores and, in this context, punish non-cooperators with toxins. Consistent with theory, we show that cooperative punishers can indeed invade cheats, but only when the traits are tightly linked. These results emphasize that punishment is only likely to be favoured …
Spite Versus Cheats: Competition Among Social Strategies Shapes Virulence In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, R. Inglis, Sam Brown, Sam Brown, Angus Buckling
Spite Versus Cheats: Competition Among Social Strategies Shapes Virulence In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, R. Inglis, Sam Brown, Sam Brown, Angus Buckling
Biology Department Faculty Works
Social interactions have been shown to play an important role in bacterial evolution and virulence. The majority of empirical studies conducted have only considered social traits in isolation, yet numerous social traits, such as the production of spiteful bacteriocins (anticompetitor toxins) and iron-scavenging siderophores (a public good) by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are frequently expressed simultaneously. Crucially, both bacteriocin production and siderophore cheating can be favored under the same competitive conditions, and we develop theory and carry out experiments to determine how the success of a bacteriocin-producing genotype is influenced by social cheating of susceptible competitors and the resultant …