Journal article
The evolution of the host microbiome as an ecosystem on a leash.
- Abstract:
- The human body carries vast communities of microbes that provide many benefits. Our microbiome is complex and challenging to understand, but evolutionary theory provides a universal framework with which to analyse its biology and health impacts. Here we argue that to understand a given microbiome feature, such as colonization resistance, host nutrition or immune development, we must consider how hosts and symbionts evolve. Symbionts commonly evolve to compete within the host ecosystem, while hosts evolve to keep the ecosystem on a leash. We suggest that the health benefits of the microbiome should be understood, and studied, as an interplay between microbial competition and host control.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 781.5KB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1038/nature23292
Authors
+ Wellcome Trust
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- Funding agency for:
- Coyte, K
- Grant:
- Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (grant 201341/Z/16/Z
+ Magdalen College, Oxford
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- Funding agency for:
- Foster, K
- Grant:
- CallevaResearchCentreforEvolution
- HumanSciencegrant
+ European Research Council
More from this funder
- Funding agency for:
- Foster, K
- Grant:
- HumanSciencegrant
- CallevaResearchCentreforEvolution
- Publisher:
- Springer Nature
- Journal:
- Nature More from this journal
- Volume:
- 548
- Pages:
- 43-51
- Publication date:
- 2017-08-02
- Acceptance date:
- 2017-06-20
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1476-4687
- ISSN:
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0028-0836
- Pmid:
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28770836
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
pubs:713175
- UUID:
-
uuid:33037829-9488-4894-9257-7c528986e1d8
- Local pid:
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pubs:713175
- Source identifiers:
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713175
- Deposit date:
-
2017-08-24
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Foster et al
- Copyright date:
- 2017
- Notes:
- © 2017 Author(s); published by Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Nature at: 10.1038/nature23292
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