Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Leave or stay: Simulating motility and fitness of microorganisms in dynamic aquatic ecosystems. / Klimenko, Alexandra; Matushkin, Yury; Kolchanov, Nikolay et al.
In: Biology, Vol. 10, No. 10, 1019, 10.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Leave or stay: Simulating motility and fitness of microorganisms in dynamic aquatic ecosystems
AU - Klimenko, Alexandra
AU - Matushkin, Yury
AU - Kolchanov, Nikolay
AU - Lashin, Sergey
N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the Russian State Budget (project No. 0259-2019-0008) and the Kurchatov Genomic Centre of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS (075-15-2019-1662). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Motility is a key adaptation factor in scarce marine environments inhabited by bacteria. The question of how a capacity for adaptive migrations influences the success of a microbial population in various conditions is a challenge addressed in this study. We employed the agent-based model of competition of motile and sedentary microbial populations in a confined aquatic environment supplied with a periodic batch nutrient source to assess the fitness of both. Such factors as nutrient concentration in a batch, batch period, mortality type and energetic costs of migration were considered to determine the conditions favouring different strategies: Nomad of a motile population and Settler of a sedentary one. The modelling results demonstrate that dynamic and nutrient-scarce environments favour motile populations, whereas nutrient-rich and stagnant environments promote sedentary microorganisms. Energetic costs of migration determine whether or not the Nomad strategy of the motile population is successful, though it also depends on such conditions as nutrient availability. Even without penalties for migration, under certain conditions, the sedentary Settler population dominates in the ecosystem. It is achieved by decreasing the local nutrient availability near the nutrient source, as motile populations relying on a local optimizing strategy tend to follow benign conditions and fail, enduring stress associated with crossing the valleys of suboptimal nutrient availability.
AB - Motility is a key adaptation factor in scarce marine environments inhabited by bacteria. The question of how a capacity for adaptive migrations influences the success of a microbial population in various conditions is a challenge addressed in this study. We employed the agent-based model of competition of motile and sedentary microbial populations in a confined aquatic environment supplied with a periodic batch nutrient source to assess the fitness of both. Such factors as nutrient concentration in a batch, batch period, mortality type and energetic costs of migration were considered to determine the conditions favouring different strategies: Nomad of a motile population and Settler of a sedentary one. The modelling results demonstrate that dynamic and nutrient-scarce environments favour motile populations, whereas nutrient-rich and stagnant environments promote sedentary microorganisms. Energetic costs of migration determine whether or not the Nomad strategy of the motile population is successful, though it also depends on such conditions as nutrient availability. Even without penalties for migration, under certain conditions, the sedentary Settler population dominates in the ecosystem. It is achieved by decreasing the local nutrient availability near the nutrient source, as motile populations relying on a local optimizing strategy tend to follow benign conditions and fail, enduring stress associated with crossing the valleys of suboptimal nutrient availability.
KW - Agent-based modelling
KW - Ecological modelling
KW - Marine bacteria
KW - Migratory costs
KW - Motility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117420328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/biology10101019
DO - 10.3390/biology10101019
M3 - Article
C2 - 34681118
AN - SCOPUS:85117420328
VL - 10
JO - Biology
JF - Biology
SN - 2079-7737
IS - 10
M1 - 1019
ER -
ID: 34463882