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Subpopulations and stability in microbial communities

Abstract:
In microbial communities, each species often has multiple, distinct phenotypes, but studies of ecological stability have largely ignored this subpopulation structure. Here, we show that such implicit averaging over phenotypes leads to incorrect linear stability results. We then analyze the effect of phenotypic switching in detail in an asymptotic limit and partly overturn classical stability paradigms: Abundant phenotypic variation is linearly destabilizing but, surprisingly, a rare phenotype such as bacterial persisters has a stabilizing effect. Finally, we extend these results by showing how phenotypic variation modifies the stability of the system to large perturbations such as antibiotic treatments.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1103/physrevresearch.2.022036

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Mathematical Institute
Sub department:
Mathematical Institute
Oxford college:
Magdalen College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-6663-0393
More by this author
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-2645-0598


Publisher:
American Physical Society
Journal:
Physical Review Research More from this journal
Volume:
2
Issue:
2
Article number:
22036
Publication date:
2020-05-12
Acceptance date:
2020-04-16
DOI:
EISSN:
2643-1564


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1108767
Local pid:
pubs:1108767
Deposit date:
2020-06-05
ARK identifier:

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