King, Kayla C., Brockhurst, Michael A., Vasieva, Olga, Paterson, Steve, Betts, Alexander, Ford, Suzanne A., Frost, Crystal L., Horsburgh, Malcolm J., Haldenby, Sam and Hurst, Gregory D. D. (2016) Data from: Rapid evolution of microbe-mediated protection against pathogens in a worm host. [Data Collection]
Description
Microbes can defend their host against virulent infections, but direct evidence for the adaptive origin of microbe-mediated protection is lacking. Using experimental evolution of a novel, tripartite interaction, we demonstrate that mildly pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis) living in worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) rapidly evolved to defend their animal hosts against infection by a more virulent pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus), crossing the parasitism–mutualism continuum. Host protection evolved in all six, independently selected populations in response to within-host bacterial interactions and without direct selection for host health. Microbe-mediated protection was also effective against a broad spectrum of pathogenic S. aureus isolates. Genomic analysis implied that the mechanistic basis for E. faecalis-mediated protection was through increased production of antimicrobial superoxide, which was confirmed by biochemical assays. Our results indicate that microbes living within a host may make the evolutionary transition to mutualism in response to pathogen attack, and that microbiome evolution warrants consideration as a driver of infection outcome.
| Keywords: | Dryad, |
|---|---|
| Depositing User: | Data Catalogue Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2023 17:29 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jan 2023 17:29 |
| DOI: | 10.5061/dryad.nd848 |
| Original Record Link: | https://datadryad.org/stash/share/iYacWX4n1ogeLZK4UxE0cnuTVv6kqGDqhXrBIyx2Ew4 |
| URI: | https://datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2026 |
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