Evolution: spatial scaling of microbial interactions.
Intraspecific incompatibility in the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus demonstrates that the social life of microbes is antagonistic on local and global scales. Antagonistic interactions and non-self recognition are likely to promote microbial diversity in local populations.
Whitaker
Rachel J
RJ
Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA. rwhitaker@life.uiuc.edu
D005075:Biological Evolution; D056265:Microbial Interactions; D016941:Myxococcus xanthus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012988:Soil Microbiology