Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Curr Biol. 2019 Jun 3;29(11):R521-R537. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.024.
Bacteria have evolved a wide range of mechanisms to harm and kill their competitors, including chemical, mechanical and biological weapons. Here we review the incredible diversity of bacterial weapon systems, which comprise antibiotics, toxic proteins, mechanical weapons that stab and pierce, viruses, and more. The evolution of bacterial weapons is shaped by many factors, including cell density and nutrient abundance, and how strains are arranged in space. Bacteria also employ a diverse range of combat behaviours, including pre-emptive attacks, suicidal attacks, and reciprocation (tit-for-tat). However, why bacteria carry so many weapons, and why they are so often used, remains poorly understood. By comparison with animals, we argue that the way that bacteria live - often in dense and genetically diverse communities - is likely to be key to their aggression as it encourages them to dig in and fight alongside their clonemates. The intensity of bacterial aggression is such that it can strongly affect communities, via complex coevolutionary and eco-evolutionary dynamics, which influence species over space and time. Bacterial warfare is a fascinating topic for ecology and evolution, as well as one of increasing relevance. Understanding how bacteria win wars is important for the goal of manipulating the human microbiome and other important microbial systems.
细菌进化出了各种各样的机制来伤害和杀死它们的竞争对手，包括化学武器、机械武器和生物武器。在这里，我们回顾了细菌武器系统的令人难以置信的多样性，这些武器系统包括抗生素、毒性蛋白、刺穿和穿透的机械武器、病毒等等。细菌武器的进化受到许多因素的影响，包括细胞密度和营养物质的丰富程度，以及菌株在空间中的排列方式。细菌还采用了多种不同的战斗行为，包括先发制人的攻击、自杀式攻击和相互作用（以牙还牙）。然而，为什么细菌携带如此多的武器，以及为什么它们经常被使用，仍然知之甚少。与动物相比，我们认为，细菌的生活方式——通常生活在密集且遗传多样的群落中——很可能是它们具有攻击性的关键，因为这鼓励它们与克隆伙伴一起扎根并战斗。细菌的攻击性如此强烈，以至于通过复杂的共同进化和生态进化动态，强烈影响了跨越时间和空间的物种，这对生态学和进化学来说是一个有趣的话题，也是一个日益相关的话题。了解细菌如何赢得战争对于操纵人类微生物组和其他重要微生物系统的目标非常重要。
