Microbial population dynamics and evolutionary outcomes under extreme energy limitation
Abstract
Energy limitation is a widespread phenomenon that governs microbial processes ranging from the metabolism of individual cells to the functioning of the biosphere. By tracking the population dynamics of diverse bacterial taxa under prolonged starvation, we identified common strategies that sustain life. Although bacteria have the capacity to reproduce on timescales of minutes to hours, we predict that populations can persist for hundreds to thousands of years, placing upper bounds on microbial lifespans. While the dynamics observed in our long-term experiment were driven by a reduction in death rates, cryptic birth events generated mutations that fueled evolution. Our findings shed light on cellular longevity with implications for biodiversity in extreme environments that dominate vast expanses of Earth.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2101691118
Entities
People
- Brent K. Lehmkuhl
- Jay T. Lennon
- Mario E Muscarella
- Megan Behringer
- Stuart E. Jones
- William R Shoemaker
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- Indiana University
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Science Foundation
- University of California
- University of Notre Dame