Concurrent coevolution of intra-organismal cheaters and resisters

Journal of Evolutionary Biology
S R LevinJ E Strassmann

Abstract

The evolution of multicellularity is a major transition that is not yet fully understood. Specifically, we do not know whether there are any mechanisms by which multicellularity can be maintained without a single-cell bottleneck or other relatedness-enhancing mechanisms. Under low relatedness, cheaters can evolve that benefit from the altruistic behaviour of others without themselves sacrificing. If these are obligate cheaters, incapable of cooperating, their spread can lead to the demise of multicellularity. One possibility, however, is that cooperators can evolve resistance to cheaters. We tested this idea in a facultatively multicellular social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum. This amoeba usually exists as a single cell but, when stressed, thousands of cells aggregate to form a multicellular organism in which some of the cells sacrifice for the good of others. We used lineages that had undergone experimental evolution at very low relatedness, during which time obligate cheaters evolved. Unlike earlier experiments, which found resistance to cheaters that were prevented from evolving, we competed cheaters and noncheaters that evolved together, and cheaters with their ancestors. We found that noncheaters can evolve resistance ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 7, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Suegene NohDavid C Queller
Mar 19, 2016·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·Avelina EspinosaScott Rutherford
Feb 14, 2016·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·Guillermo Paz-Y-Miño-C, Avelina Espinosa
Jan 23, 2018·Frontiers in Immunology·Joe Dan DunnThierry Soldati

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