Bacterial cooperation through horizontal gene transfer

Authors

• Isaiah Paolo A. Lee, University of New Hampshire, Durham
• Omar T. Eldakar, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
• J. Peter Gogarten, University of Connecticut - Storrs
• Cheryl P. Andam, State University of New York

ORCID

0000-0002-4807-4979

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

ISSN

0169-5347

Publication Date

11-20-2021

Keywords

Horizontal gene transfer, cooperation, mobile genetic elements, public goods

Abstract

Cooperation exists across all scales of biological organization, from genetic elements to complex human societies. Bacteria cooperate by secreting molecules that benefit all individuals in the population (i.e., public goods). Genes associated with cooperation can spread among strains through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We discuss recent findings on how HGT mediated by mobile genetic elements promotes bacterial cooperation, how cooperation in turn can facilitate more frequent HGT, and how the act of HGT itself may be considered as a form of cooperation. We propose that HGT is an important enforcement mechanism in bacterial populations, thus creating a positive feedback loop that further maintains cooperation. To enforce cooperation, HGT serves as a homogenizing force by transferring the cooperative trait, effectively eliminating cheaters.

DOI

10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.006

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

NSUWorks Citation

Lee, Isaiah Paolo A.; Omar T. Eldakar; J. Peter Gogarten; and Cheryl P. Andam. 2021. "Bacterial cooperation through horizontal gene transfer." Trends in Ecology & Evolution , (). doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.006.