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Antibiotic-mediated antagonism leads to a bacterial game of rock–paper–scissors in vivo

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  • Benjamin C. Kirkup

    (Yale University)

  • Margaret A. Riley

    (Yale University)

Abstract

Colicins are narrow-spectrum antibiotics produced by and active against Escherichia coli and its close relatives. Colicin-producing strains cannot coexist with sensitive or resistant strains in a well-mixed culture, yet all three phenotypes are recovered in natural populations1. Recent in vitro results conclude that strain diversity can be promoted by colicin production in a spatially structured, non-transitive interaction2, as in the classic non-transitive model rock–paper–scissors (RPS). In the colicin version of the RPS model, strains that produce colicins (C) kill sensitive (S) strains, which outcompete resistant (R) strains, which outcompete C strains. Pairwise in vitro competitions between these three strains are resolved in a predictable order (C beats S, S beats R, and R beats C), but the complete system of three strains presents the opportunity for dynamic equilibrium2. Here we provide conclusive evidence of an in vivo antagonistic role for colicins and show that colicins (and potentially other bacteriocins) may promote, rather than eliminate, microbial diversity in the environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin C. Kirkup & Margaret A. Riley, 2004. "Antibiotic-mediated antagonism leads to a bacterial game of rock–paper–scissors in vivo," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6981), pages 412-414, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:428:y:2004:i:6981:d:10.1038_nature02429
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02429
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    Cited by:

    1. Menezes, J. & Moura, B., 2022. "Pattern formation and coarsening dynamics in apparent competition models," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Menezes, J. & Barbalho, R., 2023. "How multiple weak species jeopardise biodiversity in spatial rock–paper–scissors models," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Tatur, Tymon, 2023. "Evolutionarily rational mutations in structured populations," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    4. Bazeia, D. & Bongestab, M. & de Oliveira, B.F., 2022. "Influence of the neighborhood on cyclic models of biodiversity," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 587(C).
    5. Tian-Jiao Feng & Jie Mei & Rui-Wu Wang & Sabin Lessard & Yi Tao & Xiu-Deng Zheng, 2022. "Noise-Induced Quasi-Heteroclinic Cycle in a Rock–Paper–Scissors Game with Random Payoffs," Dynamic Games and Applications, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 1280-1292, December.
    6. Wang, Z. & Bayliss, A. & Volpert, V.A., 2024. "Competing alliances in a four-species cyclic ecosystem," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 464(C).
    7. Mendes, Pedro B. & Boeger, Walter A., 2022. "Game dynamics as a driver for pathogen spillover pulses," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 473(C).
    8. Stiadle, Thomas I. & Bayliss, Alvin & Volpert, Vladimir A., 2023. "Cyclic Ecological Systems with an Exceptional Species," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 443(C).
    9. Tenorio, M. & Rangel, E. & Menezes, J., 2022. "Adaptive movement strategy in rock-paper-scissors models," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    10. Erik Brockbank & Edward Vul, 2021. "Formalizing Opponent Modeling with the Rock, Paper, Scissors Game," Games, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Bazeia, D. & Bongestab, M. & de Oliveira, B.F. & Szolnoki, A., 2021. "Effects of a pestilent species on the stability of cyclically dominant species," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

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