1. Host–microbiome coevolution can promote cooperation in a rock–paper–scissors dynamics
- Author
-
Lewin-Epstein, Ohad and Hadany, Lilach
- Subjects
genetic structures ,Evolution ,host–microbiome ,cooperation ,Altruism (biology) ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Economics ,Animals ,Computer Simulation ,Microbiome ,Coevolution ,030304 developmental biology ,General Environmental Science ,0303 health sciences ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Microbiota ,General Medicine ,Biological Evolution ,altruism ,Evolutionary biology ,coevolution ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Host (network) ,mathematical model ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Research Article - Abstract
Cooperation is a fundamental behaviour observed in all forms of life. The evolution of cooperation has been widely studied, but almost all theories focused on the cooperating individual and its genes. We suggest a different approach, taking into account the microbes carried by the interacting individuals. Accumulating evidence reveals that microbes can affect their host's well-being and behaviour, yet hosts can evolve mechanisms to resist the manipulations of their microbes. We thus propose that coevolution of microbes with their hosts may favour microbes that induce their host to cooperate. Using computational modelling, we show that microbe-induced cooperation can evolve and be maintained in a wide range of conditions, including when facing hosts' resistance to the microbial effect. We find that host–microbe coevolution leads the population to a rock–paper–scissors dynamics that enables maintenance of cooperation in a polymorphic state. Our results suggest a mechanism for the evolution and maintenance of cooperation that may be relevant to a wide variety of organisms, including cases that are difficult to explain by current theories. This study provides a new perspective on the coevolution of hosts and their microbiome, emphasizing the potential role of microbes in shaping their host's behaviour.
- Published
- 2020