Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 20230267 |
| Journal | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
| Volume | 380 |
| Issue number | 1922 |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Mar 2025 |
Abstract
Colonies of the bacterim Streptomyces coelicolor divide labour between cells that specialize in growth and sporulation and cells that specialize in antibiotic production. This division of labour arises owing to costly chromosome deletions in the antibiotic overproducers. However, the spatial distribution and temporal emergence of these mutations in S. coelicolor colonies remain unknown, or whether mutation frequency - which we liken to the caste ratio in social insects - is phenotypically plastic. To elucidate changes in the proportions of specialized cells (measured as the mutation frequency), we sampled S. coelicolor colonies grown under different conditions. Temporally, mutation frequency increased linearly with colony age and size. Spatially, mutations accumulated disproportionately in the colony centre, despite greater growth and sporulation at the periphery. Exposing colonies to sub-inhibitory concentrations of some antibiotics, a competitive cue in Streptomyces, increased mutation frequencies. Finally, direct competition with other Streptomyces that naturally produce antibiotics increased mutation frequencies, while also increasing spore production. Our findings provide insights into the intrinsic and environmental factors driving division of labour in Streptomyces colonies by showing that mutation frequencies are dynamic and responsive to the competitive environment. These results show that chromosome deletions are phenotypically plastic and suggest that Streptomyces can flexibly adjust their caste ratio. This article is part of the theme issue 'Division of labour as key driver of social evolution'.
Keywords
- division of labour, genome instability, mutation frequency, Streptomyces
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
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In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 380, No. 1922, 20230267, 20.03.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors that influence the caste ratio in a bacterial division of labour
AU - Avitia Domínguez, Luis Alfredo
AU - Yu, Zhengzhou
AU - Chopra, Varun
AU - Viveros, Ruth
AU - Tschowri, Natalia
AU - Merks, Roeland
AU - Van Dijk, Bram
AU - Rozen, Daniel
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors.
PY - 2025/3/20
Y1 - 2025/3/20
N2 - Colonies of the bacterim Streptomyces coelicolor divide labour between cells that specialize in growth and sporulation and cells that specialize in antibiotic production. This division of labour arises owing to costly chromosome deletions in the antibiotic overproducers. However, the spatial distribution and temporal emergence of these mutations in S. coelicolor colonies remain unknown, or whether mutation frequency - which we liken to the caste ratio in social insects - is phenotypically plastic. To elucidate changes in the proportions of specialized cells (measured as the mutation frequency), we sampled S. coelicolor colonies grown under different conditions. Temporally, mutation frequency increased linearly with colony age and size. Spatially, mutations accumulated disproportionately in the colony centre, despite greater growth and sporulation at the periphery. Exposing colonies to sub-inhibitory concentrations of some antibiotics, a competitive cue in Streptomyces, increased mutation frequencies. Finally, direct competition with other Streptomyces that naturally produce antibiotics increased mutation frequencies, while also increasing spore production. Our findings provide insights into the intrinsic and environmental factors driving division of labour in Streptomyces colonies by showing that mutation frequencies are dynamic and responsive to the competitive environment. These results show that chromosome deletions are phenotypically plastic and suggest that Streptomyces can flexibly adjust their caste ratio. This article is part of the theme issue 'Division of labour as key driver of social evolution'.
AB - Colonies of the bacterim Streptomyces coelicolor divide labour between cells that specialize in growth and sporulation and cells that specialize in antibiotic production. This division of labour arises owing to costly chromosome deletions in the antibiotic overproducers. However, the spatial distribution and temporal emergence of these mutations in S. coelicolor colonies remain unknown, or whether mutation frequency - which we liken to the caste ratio in social insects - is phenotypically plastic. To elucidate changes in the proportions of specialized cells (measured as the mutation frequency), we sampled S. coelicolor colonies grown under different conditions. Temporally, mutation frequency increased linearly with colony age and size. Spatially, mutations accumulated disproportionately in the colony centre, despite greater growth and sporulation at the periphery. Exposing colonies to sub-inhibitory concentrations of some antibiotics, a competitive cue in Streptomyces, increased mutation frequencies. Finally, direct competition with other Streptomyces that naturally produce antibiotics increased mutation frequencies, while also increasing spore production. Our findings provide insights into the intrinsic and environmental factors driving division of labour in Streptomyces colonies by showing that mutation frequencies are dynamic and responsive to the competitive environment. These results show that chromosome deletions are phenotypically plastic and suggest that Streptomyces can flexibly adjust their caste ratio. This article is part of the theme issue 'Division of labour as key driver of social evolution'.
KW - division of labour
KW - genome instability
KW - mutation frequency
KW - Streptomyces
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000633097&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2023.0267
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2023.0267
M3 - Article
C2 - 40109111
AN - SCOPUS:105000633097
VL - 380
JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
SN - 0962-8436
IS - 1922
M1 - 20230267
ER -