Antagonism as a foraging strategy in microbial communities.
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| Title: | Antagonism as a foraging strategy in microbial communities. |
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| Authors: | Stubbusch, Astrid K. M., Peaudecerf, François J., Lee, Kang Soo, Paoli, Lucas, Schwartzman, Julia, Stocker, Roman, Basler, Marek, Schubert, Olga T., Ackermann, Martin, Magnabosco, Cara, D'Souza, Glen G. |
| Source: | Science. 6/12/2025, Vol. 388 Issue 6752, p1214-1217. 4p. |
| Subjects: | Antibiosis, Microbial communities, Bacteriophages, Bacteria classification, Ecosystems |
| Abstract: | In natural habitats, nutrient availability limits bacterial growth. We discovered that bacteria can overcome this limitation by acquiring nutrients by lysing neighboring cells through contact-dependent antagonism. Using single-cell live imaging and isotopic markers, we found that during starvation, the type VI secretion system (T6SS) lysed neighboring cells and thus provided nutrients from lysing cells for growth. Genomic adaptations in antagonists, characterized by a reduced metabolic gene repertoire, and the previously unexplored distribution of the T6SS across bacterial taxa in natural environments suggest that bacterial antagonism may contribute to nutrient transfer within microbial communities in many ecosystems. Editor's summary: Bacteria have evolved contact-dependent antagonism systems to lyse other bacteria by toxin delivery through the type 4 and type 6 secretion systems (T4SS and T6SS, respectively). These bacteriophage-like machines are primarily thought to be mechanisms for reducing interbacterial competition. Stubbusch et al. found that T6SS can also be used to "feed" after target cell killing (see the Perspective by Nadell and Marx). If one species was denied an easily available food source, it survived if another species was present that tolerated nutrient limiting conditions. Survival was contingent on having an intact T6SS that could be used to gain the essential nutrients from the slow lysis of the companion species. —Caroline Ash [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | In natural habitats, nutrient availability limits bacterial growth. We discovered that bacteria can overcome this limitation by acquiring nutrients by lysing neighboring cells through contact-dependent antagonism. Using single-cell live imaging and isotopic markers, we found that during starvation, the type VI secretion system (T6SS) lysed neighboring cells and thus provided nutrients from lysing cells for growth. Genomic adaptations in antagonists, characterized by a reduced metabolic gene repertoire, and the previously unexplored distribution of the T6SS across bacterial taxa in natural environments suggest that bacterial antagonism may contribute to nutrient transfer within microbial communities in many ecosystems. Editor's summary: Bacteria have evolved contact-dependent antagonism systems to lyse other bacteria by toxin delivery through the type 4 and type 6 secretion systems (T4SS and T6SS, respectively). These bacteriophage-like machines are primarily thought to be mechanisms for reducing interbacterial competition. Stubbusch et al. found that T6SS can also be used to "feed" after target cell killing (see the Perspective by Nadell and Marx). If one species was denied an easily available food source, it survived if another species was present that tolerated nutrient limiting conditions. Survival was contingent on having an intact T6SS that could be used to gain the essential nutrients from the slow lysis of the companion species. —Caroline Ash [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00368075 |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.adr8286 |
