by Alizon S
Abstract:
Micro-organisms are known to exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to changes in their environment. Recent studies have shown that a parasite strain can adjust its host exploitation strategies to the presence of unrelated strains, e.g. for Plasmodium chabaudi by adjusting its sex-ratio. J Evol Biol 2013; 26: 1370-1378 claims to report a similar plastic response to the presence of unrelated strains in the case of siderophore-producing bacteria. I argue that she does not provide sufficient evidence to support the interpretation of the plastic response she observes (increasing siderophore production in the presence of cheaters) through a cooperator/cheater framework. I show that known plastic responses to physicochemical factors, such as siderophore or iron concentration, seem to offer a clearer and more parsimonious explanation. Finally, I also challenge the parallel she makes between the process she observes in siderophore-producing bacteria and compensation in bi-parental care models.
Reference:
Alizon S (2013) On the limits of interpreting some plastic responses through a cooperator/cheater prism. A comment on Harrison. J Evol Biol. 26(9): 2051-6.
Bibtex Entry:
@article{Alizon2013jeb,
Abstract = {Micro-organisms are known to exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to changes in their environment. Recent studies have shown that a parasite strain can adjust its host exploitation strategies to the presence of unrelated strains, e.g. for Plasmodium chabaudi by adjusting its sex-ratio. J Evol Biol 2013; 26: 1370-1378 claims to report a similar plastic response to the presence of unrelated strains in the case of siderophore-producing bacteria. I argue that she does not provide sufficient evidence to support the interpretation of the plastic response she observes (increasing siderophore production in the presence of cheaters) through a cooperator/cheater framework. I show that known plastic responses to physicochemical factors, such as siderophore or iron concentration, seem to offer a clearer and more parsimonious explanation. Finally, I also challenge the parallel she makes between the process she observes in siderophore-producing bacteria and compensation in bi-parental care models.},
Author = {Alizon, S},
Date-Added = {2015-03-18 10:26:24 +0000},
Date-Modified = {2015-09-08 12:10:37 +0000},
Doi = {10.1111/jeb.12199},
Journal = {J Evol Biol},
Journal-Full = {Journal of evolutionary biology},
Keywords = {bacteria, kin selection, cooperation, siderophores},
Number = {9},
Pages = {2051-6},
Pmid = {23848984},
Pst = {ppublish},
Title = {{On the limits of interpreting some plastic responses through a cooperator/cheater prism. A comment on Harrison}},
Url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jeb.12199/pdf},
Volume = {26},
Year = {2013},
Bdsk-Url-1 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12199}}