Mutualism persistence and coevolution
Mutually beneficial interactions (mutualisms) are ubiquitous and essential for ecosystem health. Individuals that take advantage of benefits exchanged in mutualisms (cheaters or exploiters) are present in every type of mutualism. Although cheaters can have negative effects on mutualisms in same cases, most mutualisms can persist with cheaters. Research on mutualisms in our lab focuses on understanding how species richness and coevolution can support mutualisms persistence with cheaters.
In collaboration with Kari Segraves and David Althoff at Syracuse University, we investigate mutualism dynamics using genetically modified yeast strains that exchange resources forming a nutritional mutualism, and we also have cheaters that take the resources exchanged but gives nothing in return. This research is currently funded by NSF (DEB BEE # 2137555).
In collaboration with Kari Segraves and David Althoff at Syracuse University, we investigate mutualism dynamics using genetically modified yeast strains that exchange resources forming a nutritional mutualism, and we also have cheaters that take the resources exchanged but gives nothing in return. This research is currently funded by NSF (DEB BEE # 2137555).
In our previous research, we used communities with variable numbers of mutualist species to show that species richness and redundancy can buffer mutualistic communities from the negative effects of a cheater. The negative effect of the cheater on simple pairwise communities was mainly driven by the higher survival rates of cheater with lack of mutualistic resources at the onset of the mutualism. In more complex communities, even though some mutualist species were excluded, the mutualism could persist because there was at least one mutualist species left to provide the mutualistic commodity. This result shows that multi-species mutualisms can be inherently buffered from the negative effects of cheating.
We have also compared the coevolutionary dynamics of obligate and facultative mutualisms. More results about that soon!
Read more about our yeast mutualism here:
Vidal, M.C., Wang, S., Rivers, D.M., Althoff, D.M. and K.A. Segraves. 2020. Species richness and redundancy promote persistence of exploited mutualisms in yeast. Science 370: 346-350.
Vidal, M.C. and K.A. Segraves. 2021. Coevolved mutualists experience fluctuating costs and benefits over time. Evolution 75: 219-230
And about our mutualism work in general here:
Sachs, J.L, Vidal, M.C. 2023. Origins, Evolution, and Breakdown of Bacterial Symbiosis. Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, v3 (edited second edition of chapter).
VIDAL, M.C., T.J. Anneberg*, A.E. Curé*, D.M. Althoff and K.A. Segraves. 2021. The variable effects of global environmental change on insect mutualisms. Current Opinion in Insect Science 47: 46-52.
VIDAL, M.C., Sendoya, S.F., Yamaguchi. L., Kato, M.J., Oliveira, R.S. and P.S. Oliveira. 2018. Use of extrafloral nectar as prey attractant by a sit-and-wait dipteran predator. Environmental Entomology 47: 1165-1172.
VIDAL, M.C., Sendoya, S.F. and P.S. Oliveira. 2016. Mutualism exploitation: Predatory drosophilid larvae sugar-trap ants and jeopardize facultative ant-plant mutualism. Ecology 97: 1650-1657.
VIDAL, M.C. and C.R. Vilela. 2015. A new species of Rhinoleucophenga from Brazilian cerrado savanna associated with extrafloral nectaries of Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 108:932-940.