The evolution of siderophore production as a competitive trait

• DOI: 10.1111/evo.13230
• Publication Date: 2017-03-22T02:24:43Z
• Authors: Rene Niehus; Aurore Picot; Nuno M. Oliveira; Sara Mitri; Kevin R. Foster
• Keywords: Trait; Epistasis

Microbes have the potential to be highly cooperative organisms. The archetype of microbial cooperation is often considered secretion siderophores, molecules scavenging iron, where threatened by "cheater" genotypes that use siderophores without making them. Here, we show this view neglects a key piece biology: are imported specific receptors constrain their competing strains. We study effect specificity in an ecoevolutionary model, which vary siderophore sharing among strains, and compare fully shared with private siderophores. privatizing fundamentally alters evolution. Rather than canonical good, become competitive trait used pillage iron from other also physiological regulation using silico long-term Although evolve downregulated presence competitor, as expected for trait, privatized upregulated. evaluate these predictions published experimental work, suggests some upregulated response competition akin traits like antibiotics. can act good single genotypes, argue role fundamental understanding biology.