• Featured in Physics

Public Good Diffusion Limits Microbial Mutualism

Rajita Menon and Kirill S. Korolev
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 168102 – Published 23 April 2015
Physics logo See Synopsis: Microbes Share, But Not Too Much
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

Standard game theory cannot describe microbial interactions mediated by diffusible molecules. Nevertheless, we show that one can still model microbial dynamics using game theory with parameters renormalized by diffusion. Contrary to expectations, greater sharing of metabolites reduces the strength of cooperation and leads to species extinction via a nonequilibrium phase transition. We report analytic results for the critical diffusivity and the length scale of species intermixing. Species producing slower public good is favored by selection when fitness saturates with nutrient concentration.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 7 November 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.168102

© 2015 American Physical Society

Synopsis

Key Image

Microbes Share, But Not Too Much

Published 23 April 2015

Microbial cooperation involves the diffusion of nutrients from one species to another, but too high a diffusion rate weakens the cooperative bond.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Rajita Menon

  • Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA

Kirill S. Korolev*

  • Department of Physics and Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA

  • *korolev@bu.edu

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 114, Iss. 16 — 24 April 2015

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×