Population dynamics in the co-culture of Shigella flexneri 1b original strain and its antigenic 3b mutant carrying a prophage.
The antigenic mutant Shigella flexneri 3b showed selective prevalence when subcultured with the original strain 1b. Mathematical analysis of such co-cultures showed that the dynamics of bacterial growth may be described by equations of the Lotka-Volterra type. The analysis of serial cultivations suggests that parameters of the equations may be realizations of random variables characterizing strains and media. The mutant carries a prophage lethal for the original strain. Distinctive features of the growth of these strains alone and in co-culture may be successfully explained by the differences in growth parameters, without phage inference. The concurrence model connected only with the existence of the phage is not sufficient. A complete description of the dynamics of the co-culture is obtained by the connection of the assumptions of two models: strains in competition and growth of strains with phage, given the random character of the parameters.
Institute of Microbiology, Wrocław University, Poland.
T M
TM
Lachowicz
D
D
Dziadkowiec
I
I
Kopocińska
B
B
Kopociński
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division; D003470:Culture Media; D008242:Lysogeny; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009154:Mutation; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D003470:Culture Media