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Bacteriocin-Mediated Competitive Interactions of Bacterial Populations and Communities

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Prokaryotic Antimicrobial Peptides

Abstract

Explaining the coexistence of competing species is a major challenge in community ecology. In bacterial systems, competition is often driven by the production of bacteriocins; narrow spectrum proteinaceous toxins that serve to kill closely related species providing the producer better access to limited resources. Bacteriocin producers have been shown to competitively exclude sensitive, nonproducing strains. However, the interaction dynamics between bacteriocin producers, each lethal to its competitor, are largely unknown. Several recent studies have revealed some of the complexity of these interactions, employing a suite of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico bacterial model systems. This chapter describes the current state of knowledge regarding the population and community ecology of this potent family of toxins.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01GM068657-01A2 and R01A1064588-01A2 to M.A.R.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Margaret A. Riley

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  1. Margaret A. Riley
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Correspondence to Margaret A. Riley .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nantes-Atlantic Natl. College of Vet. Me, Food Sci. & Eng., ONIRIS, Nantes, France

    Djamel Drider

  2. Dépt. Régulations, Développement et, Diversité Moléculaire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, rue Cuvier 57, Paris, 75005, France

    Sylvie Rebuffat

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Riley, M.A. (2011). Bacteriocin-Mediated Competitive Interactions of Bacterial Populations and Communities. In: Drider, D., Rebuffat, S. (eds) Prokaryotic Antimicrobial Peptides. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7692-5_2

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