Bacterial predator-prey coevolution accelerates genome evolution and selects on virulence-associated prey defences

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Date
2019-09-20Type
- Journal Article
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Cited 35 times in
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Cited 37 times in
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Abstract
Generalist bacterial predators are likely to strongly shape many important ecological and evolutionary features of microbial communities, for example by altering the character and pace of molecular evolution, but investigations of such effects are scarce. Here we report how predator-prey interactions alter the evolution of fitness, genomes and phenotypic diversity in coevolving bacterial communities composed of Myxococcus xanthus as predator and Escherichia coli as prey, relative to single-species controls. We show evidence of reciprocal adaptation and demonstrate accelerated genomic evolution specific to coevolving communities, including the rapid appearance of mutator genotypes. Strong parallel evolution unique to the predator-prey communities occurs in both parties, with predators driving adaptation at two prey traits associated with virulence in bacterial pathogens—mucoidy and the outer-membrane protease OmpT. Our results suggest that generalist predatory bacteria are important determinants of how complex microbial communities and their interaction networks evolve in natural habitats. Show more
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https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000367075Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Nature CommunicationsVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Nature Publishing GroupOrganisational unit
03939 - Velicer, Gregory J. / Velicer, Gregory J.
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Show all metadata
Citations
Cited 35 times in
Web of Science
Cited 37 times in
Scopus
ETH Bibliography
yes
Altmetrics