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The fitness burden imposed by synthesising quorum sensing signals

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Ruparell, Avika, Dubern, Jean Frederic, Ortori, Cartherine A, Harrison, Freya, Halliday, Nigel M., Emtage, Abigail, Ashawesh, Mahmoud, Laughton, Charles A., Diggle, Stephen P., Williams, P., Barrett, D. A. (David A.) and Hardie, Kim Rachael (2016) The fitness burden imposed by synthesising quorum sensing signals. Scientific Reports, 6 . pp. 1-10. 33101. doi:10.1038/srep33101

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep33101

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Abstract

It is now well established that bacterial populations utilize cell-to-cell signaling (quorum-sensing, QS) to control the production of public goods and other co-operative behaviours. Evolutionary theory predicts that both the cost of signal production and the response to signals should incur fitness costs for producing cells. Although costs imposed by the downstream consequences of QS have been shown, the cost of QS signal molecule (QSSM) production and its impact on fitness has not been examined. We measured the fitness cost to cells of synthesising QSSMs by quantifying metabolite levels in the presence of QSSM synthases. We found that: (i) bacteria making certain QSSMs have a growth defect that exerts an evolutionary cost, (ii) production of QSSMs negatively correlates with intracellular concentrations of QSSM precursors, (iii) the production of heterologous QSSMs negatively impacts the production of a native QSSM that shares common substrates, and (iv) supplementation with exogenously added metabolites partially rescued growth defects imposed by QSSM synthesis. These data identify the sources of the fitness costs incurred by QSSM producer cells, and indicate that there may be metabolic trade-offs associated with QS signaling that could exert selection on how signaling evolves.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QR Microbiology
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- )
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Quorum sensing (Microbiology), Bacteria, Metabolites, Evolution (Biology)
Journal or Publication Title: Scientific Reports
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
ISSN: 2045-2322
Official Date: 12 September 2016
Dates:
DateEvent
12 August 2016Accepted
12 September 2016Available
27 May 2016Submitted
Volume: 6
Number of Pages: 10
Page Range: pp. 1-10
Article Number: 33101
DOI: 10.1038/srep33101
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder: European Union (EU), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC), Libya. Government. Natural Environment Research Council
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