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The dynamics of cooperative bacterial virulence in the field. / Raymond, Ben; West, S; Griffin, A; Bonsall, M.B.

In: Science, Vol. 337, 06.07.2012, p. 85-88.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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The dynamics of cooperative bacterial virulence in the field. / Raymond, Ben; West, S; Griffin, A; Bonsall, M.B.

In: Science, Vol. 337, 06.07.2012, p. 85-88.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Author

Raymond, Ben ; West, S ; Griffin, A ; Bonsall, M.B. / The dynamics of cooperative bacterial virulence in the field. In: Science. 2012 ; Vol. 337. pp. 85-88.

BibTeX

@article{e94cb04afdb040c3aece9cfdc1f1f29b,

title = "The dynamics of cooperative bacterial virulence in the field",

abstract = "Laboratory experiments have shown that the fitness of micro-organisms can depend on cooperation between cells. While this insight has revolutionized our understanding of microbial life, results from artificial microcosms have not been validated in complex natural populations. Here, we investigate the sociality of essential virulence factors (crystal toxins) in the pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis using diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella) as hosts. We show that: crystal toxins are a novel form of cooperative public good; and, in a manipulative field experiment, observed stable high relatedness and both frequency and density dependent selection on toxin production. Conditions favoring social virulence can therefore persist under natural population dynamic conditions, and social interactions (rapid cheat invasion) may account for the rarity of disease outbreaks caused by B. thuringiensis.",

author = "Ben Raymond and S West and A Griffin and M.B. Bonsall",

year = "2012",

month = jul,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1126/science.1218196",

language = "English",

volume = "337",

pages = "85--88",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The dynamics of cooperative bacterial virulence in the field

AU - Raymond, Ben

AU - West, S

AU - Griffin, A

AU - Bonsall, M.B.

PY - 2012/7/6

Y1 - 2012/7/6

N2 - Laboratory experiments have shown that the fitness of micro-organisms can depend on cooperation between cells. While this insight has revolutionized our understanding of microbial life, results from artificial microcosms have not been validated in complex natural populations. Here, we investigate the sociality of essential virulence factors (crystal toxins) in the pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis using diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella) as hosts. We show that: crystal toxins are a novel form of cooperative public good; and, in a manipulative field experiment, observed stable high relatedness and both frequency and density dependent selection on toxin production. Conditions favoring social virulence can therefore persist under natural population dynamic conditions, and social interactions (rapid cheat invasion) may account for the rarity of disease outbreaks caused by B. thuringiensis.

AB - Laboratory experiments have shown that the fitness of micro-organisms can depend on cooperation between cells. While this insight has revolutionized our understanding of microbial life, results from artificial microcosms have not been validated in complex natural populations. Here, we investigate the sociality of essential virulence factors (crystal toxins) in the pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis using diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella) as hosts. We show that: crystal toxins are a novel form of cooperative public good; and, in a manipulative field experiment, observed stable high relatedness and both frequency and density dependent selection on toxin production. Conditions favoring social virulence can therefore persist under natural population dynamic conditions, and social interactions (rapid cheat invasion) may account for the rarity of disease outbreaks caused by B. thuringiensis.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1218196

DO - 10.1126/science.1218196

M3 - Article

VL - 337

SP - 85

EP - 88

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

ER -