Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.

Why, contrary to theoretical predictions, do marine microbe communities harbor tremendous phenotypic heterogeneity? How can so many marine microbe species competing in the same niche coexist? We discovered a unifying explanation for both phenomena by investigating a non-cooperative game that interpo...

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Autores principales:	Susanne Menden-Deuer, Julie Rowlett, Medet Nursultanov, Sinead Collins, Tatiana Rynearson
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/447347d968b44bea9820226fd57e9309
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:447347d968b44bea9820226fd57e93092021-12-02T20:18:45ZBiodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0254799https://doaj.org/article/447347d968b44bea9820226fd57e93092021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254799https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203Why, contrary to theoretical predictions, do marine microbe communities harbor tremendous phenotypic heterogeneity? How can so many marine microbe species competing in the same niche coexist? We discovered a unifying explanation for both phenomena by investigating a non-cooperative game that interpolates between individual-level competitions and species-level outcomes. We identified all equilibrium strategies of the game. These strategies represent the probability distribution of competitive abilities (e.g. traits) and are characterized by maximal phenotypic heterogeneity. They are also neutral towards each other in the sense that an unlimited number of species can co-exist while competing according to the equilibrium strategies. Whereas prior theory predicts that natural selection would minimize trait variation around an optimum value, here we obtained a mathematical proof that species with maximally variable traits are those that endure. This discrepancy may reflect a disparity between predictions from models developed for larger organisms in contrast to our microbe-centric model. Rigorous mathematics proves that phenotypic heterogeneity is itself a mechanistic underpinning of microbial diversity. This discovery has fundamental ramifications for microbial ecology and may represent an adaptive reservoir sheltering biodiversity in changing environmental conditions.Susanne Menden-DeuerJulie RowlettMedet NursultanovSinead CollinsTatiana RynearsonPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 8, p e0254799 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Susanne Menden-Deuer Julie Rowlett Medet Nursultanov Sinead Collins Tatiana Rynearson Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
description	Why, contrary to theoretical predictions, do marine microbe communities harbor tremendous phenotypic heterogeneity? How can so many marine microbe species competing in the same niche coexist? We discovered a unifying explanation for both phenomena by investigating a non-cooperative game that interpolates between individual-level competitions and species-level outcomes. We identified all equilibrium strategies of the game. These strategies represent the probability distribution of competitive abilities (e.g. traits) and are characterized by maximal phenotypic heterogeneity. They are also neutral towards each other in the sense that an unlimited number of species can co-exist while competing according to the equilibrium strategies. Whereas prior theory predicts that natural selection would minimize trait variation around an optimum value, here we obtained a mathematical proof that species with maximally variable traits are those that endure. This discrepancy may reflect a disparity between predictions from models developed for larger organisms in contrast to our microbe-centric model. Rigorous mathematics proves that phenotypic heterogeneity is itself a mechanistic underpinning of microbial diversity. This discovery has fundamental ramifications for microbial ecology and may represent an adaptive reservoir sheltering biodiversity in changing environmental conditions.
format	article
author	Susanne Menden-Deuer Julie Rowlett Medet Nursultanov Sinead Collins Tatiana Rynearson
author_facet	Susanne Menden-Deuer Julie Rowlett Medet Nursultanov Sinead Collins Tatiana Rynearson
author_sort	Susanne Menden-Deuer
title	Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
title_short	Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
title_full	Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
title_fullStr	Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
title_full_unstemmed	Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
title_sort	biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/447347d968b44bea9820226fd57e9309
work_keys_str_mv	AT susannemendendeuer biodiversityofmarinemicrobesissafeguardedbyphenotypicheterogeneityinecologicaltraits AT julierowlett biodiversityofmarinemicrobesissafeguardedbyphenotypicheterogeneityinecologicaltraits AT medetnursultanov biodiversityofmarinemicrobesissafeguardedbyphenotypicheterogeneityinecologicaltraits AT sineadcollins biodiversityofmarinemicrobesissafeguardedbyphenotypicheterogeneityinecologicaltraits AT tatianarynearson biodiversityofmarinemicrobesissafeguardedbyphenotypicheterogeneityinecologicaltraits
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Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits.

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