Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
121(35)
Published: Aug. 22, 2024
From
microbes
to
humans,
organisms
perform
numerous
tasks
for
their
survival,
including
food
acquisition,
migration,
and
reproduction.
A
complex
biological
task
can
be
performed
by
either
an
autonomous
organism
or
cooperation
among
several
specialized
organisms.
However,
it
remains
unclear
how
autonomy
evolutionarily
switch.
Specifically,
whether
cooperative
specialists
repair
deleted
genes
through
direct
genetic
exchange,
thereby
regaining
metabolic
autonomy.
Here,
we
address
this
question
experimentally
evolving
a
mutualistic
microbial
consortium
composed
of
two
that
cooperatively
degrade
naphthalene.
We
observed
genotypes
capable
performing
the
entire
naphthalene
degradation
pathway
evolved
from
dominated
community.
This
evolutionary
transition
was
driven
horizontal
gene
transfer
(HGT)
between
specialists.
evolution
exclusively
in
fluctuating
environment
alternately
supplied
with
pyruvate,
where
mutualism
competition
alternated.
The
naphthalene-supplied
exerted
selective
pressure
favors
expansion
genotypes.
pyruvate-supplied
promoted
coexistence
cell
density
specialists,
increasing
likelihood
HGT.
Using
mathematical
model,
quantitatively
demonstrate
environmental
fluctuations
facilitate
HGT
when
relative
growth
rate
carrying
capacity
allow
enhanced
higher
competitive
environment.
Together,
our
results
exchange
under
specific
conditions,
Natural Product Reports,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 1, 2025
Co-culturing
may
provoke
the
biosynthesis
of
novel
natural
products.
However,
various
microbial
co-culture
techniques
also
boost
fermentation
titer,
yield
and
rate
known
products
–
we
review
current
progress
towards
such
a
goal.
Frontiers in Synthetic Biology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
3
Published: March 18, 2025
Microbial
communities
are
able
to
carry
out
myriad
functions
of
biotechnological
interest,
ranging
from
the
degradation
industrial
waste
synthesis
valuable
chemical
products.
Over
past
years,
several
strategies
have
emerged
for
design
microbial
and
optimization
their
functions.
Here
we
provide
an
accessible
overview
these
strategies.
We
highlight
how
principles
synthetic
biology,
originally
devised
engineering
individual
organisms
sub-organismal
units
(e.g.,
enzymes),
influenced
development
field
ecology.
With
this,
aim
encourage
readers
critically
evaluate
insights
biology
should
guide
our
approach
community-level
engineering.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
121(35)
Published: Aug. 22, 2024
From
microbes
to
humans,
organisms
perform
numerous
tasks
for
their
survival,
including
food
acquisition,
migration,
and
reproduction.
A
complex
biological
task
can
be
performed
by
either
an
autonomous
organism
or
cooperation
among
several
specialized
organisms.
However,
it
remains
unclear
how
autonomy
evolutionarily
switch.
Specifically,
whether
cooperative
specialists
repair
deleted
genes
through
direct
genetic
exchange,
thereby
regaining
metabolic
autonomy.
Here,
we
address
this
question
experimentally
evolving
a
mutualistic
microbial
consortium
composed
of
two
that
cooperatively
degrade
naphthalene.
We
observed
genotypes
capable
performing
the
entire
naphthalene
degradation
pathway
evolved
from
dominated
community.
This
evolutionary
transition
was
driven
horizontal
gene
transfer
(HGT)
between
specialists.
evolution
exclusively
in
fluctuating
environment
alternately
supplied
with
pyruvate,
where
mutualism
competition
alternated.
The
naphthalene-supplied
exerted
selective
pressure
favors
expansion
genotypes.
pyruvate-supplied
promoted
coexistence
cell
density
specialists,
increasing
likelihood
HGT.
Using
mathematical
model,
quantitatively
demonstrate
environmental
fluctuations
facilitate
HGT
when
relative
growth
rate
carrying
capacity
allow
enhanced
higher
competitive
environment.
Together,
our
results
exchange
under
specific
conditions,
