RRC ID 29088
Author Santorelli LA, Thompson CR, Villegas E, Svetz J, Dinh C, Parikh A, Sucgang R, Kuspa A, Strassmann JE, Queller DC, Shaulsky G.
Title Facultative cheater mutants reveal the genetic complexity of cooperation in social amoebae.
Journal Nature
Abstract Cooperation is central to many major transitions in evolution, including the emergence of eukaryotic cells, multicellularity and eusociality. Cooperation can be destroyed by the spread of cheater mutants that do not cooperate but gain the benefits of cooperation from others. However, cooperation can be preserved if cheaters are facultative, cheating others but cooperating among themselves. Several cheater mutants have been studied before, but no study has attempted a genome-scale investigation of the genetic opportunities for cheating. Here we describe such a screen in a social amoeba and show that cheating is multifaceted by revealing cheater mutations in well over 100 genes of diverse types. Many of these mutants cheat facultatively, producing more than their fair share of spores in chimaeras, but cooperating normally when clonal. These findings indicate that phenotypically stable cooperative systems may nevertheless harbour genetic conflicts. The opportunities for evolutionary moves and countermoves in such conflicts may select for the involvement of multiple pathways and numerous genes.
Volume 451(7182)
Pages 1107-10
Published 2008-2-28
DOI 10.1038/nature06558
PII nature06558
PMID 18272966
MeSH Amoeba / genetics Amoeba / physiology Animals Cell Aggregation Chimera / genetics Chimera / physiology Cooperative Behavior* Dictyostelium / cytology Dictyostelium / genetics* Dictyostelium / physiology* Genes, Protozoan / genetics Genome / genetics Genomics Mutation / genetics* Myxococcus xanthus / genetics Myxococcus xanthus / physiology Phenotype Social Behavior* Spores, Protozoan / genetics Spores, Protozoan / physiology
IF 42.779
Times Cited 97
WOS Category MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Resource
Cellular slime molds S00331 S00473