細(xì)菌之間通過小型可擴(kuò)散分子的釋放和感應(yīng)（或群體感應(yīng)）來(lái)進(jìn)行的通信，被認(rèn)為是在種群層面上協(xié)調(diào)合作行為的一種方式,。演化理論預(yù)測(cè),，彼此進(jìn)行溝通和合作的個(gè)體還能被“騙子”所利用，后者要么不發(fā)出信號(hào),，要么不對(duì)信號(hào)作出反應(yīng)?，F(xiàn)在，對(duì)病原體綠膿桿菌（它們?cè)诩?xì)胞之間通過信號(hào)進(jìn)行聯(lián)系來(lái)調(diào)控毒性因子表達(dá)）的種群所做的實(shí)驗(yàn)證實(shí),，信號(hào)和信號(hào)受體突變體（或稱“欺騙信號(hào)”）的確都有一個(gè)適應(yīng)優(yōu)勢(shì),。但對(duì)欺騙問題的解決辦法的確以親緣選擇的形式而存在——近親之間傾向于進(jìn)行“誠(chéng)實(shí)的”溝通,。這些發(fā)現(xiàn)為在人體細(xì)菌感染中所觀測(cè)到的欺騙信號(hào)的傳播提供了一個(gè)解釋。
原始出處:
Nature 450, 411-414 (15 November 2007) | doi:10.1038/nature06279; Received 29 June 2007; Accepted 18 September 2007
Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations
Stephen P. Diggle1, Ashleigh S. Griffin2, Genevieve S. Campbell1 & Stuart A. West2
Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
Correspondence to: Stephen P. Diggle1Stuart A. West2 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S.P.D. (Email: [email protected]) or S.A.W. (Email: [email protected]).
It has been suggested that bacterial cells communicate by releasing and sensing small diffusible signal molecules in a process commonly known as quorum sensing (QS)1, 2, 3, 4. It is generally assumed that QS is used to coordinate cooperative behaviours at the population level3, 5. However, evolutionary theory predicts that individuals who communicate and cooperate can be exploited6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Here we examine the social evolution of QS experimentally in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and show that although QS can provide a benefit at the group level, exploitative individuals can avoid the cost of producing the QS signal or of performing the cooperative behaviour that is coordinated by QS, and can therefore spread. We also show that a solution to the problem of exploitation is kin selection, if interacting bacterial cells tend to be close relatives. These results show that the problem of exploitation, which has been the focus of considerable attention in animal communication, also arises in bacteria.
