High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants.

High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Research Abstract Details 

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High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Abstract Text:

Owen M Gilbert,Kevin R Foster,Natasha J Mehdiabadi,Joan E Strassmann,David C Queller,

The control of cheating is important for understanding major transitions in evolution, from the simplest genes to the most complex societies. Cooperative systems can be ruined if cheaters that lower group productivity are able to spread. Kin-selection theory predicts that high genetic relatedness can limit cheating, because separation of cheaters and cooperators limits opportunities to cheat and promotes selection against low-fitness groups of cheaters. Here, we confirm this prediction for the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum; relatedness in natural wild groups is so high that socially destructive cheaters should not spread. We illustrate in the laboratory how high relatedness can control a mutant that would destroy cooperation at low relatedness. Finally, we demonstrate that, as predicted, mutant cheaters do not normally harm cooperation in a natural population. Our findings show how altruism is preserved from the disruptive effects of such mutant cheaters and how exceptionally high relatedness among cells is important in promoting the cooperation that underlies multicellular development.

High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Publishing Authors By Initials

OM Gilbert,KR Foster,NJ Mehdiabadi,JE Strassmann,DC Queller,

For similar proteins: protozoan proteins research abstracts see: proteins: protozoan proteins research

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High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, U.S. Gov't,

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of

VOLUME: 104

Page Numbers: 8913-7

Journal Abbreviation: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

ISSN: 0027-8424

DAY: 11

MONTH: 05

YEAR: 2007

High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Information

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LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 7505876

High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: Protozoan Proteins

MESH TERMS: metabolism

Chemical & Substance for Abstract: High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants. Information

Substance Name: Protozoan Proteins

Registry Number: 0

Grant and Affiliation Information for High relatedness maintains multicellular cooperation in a social amoeba by controlling cheater mutants.

AFFILIATION: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, MS 170, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA. og@rice.edu

Country: United States

AGENCY: United States NLM

GRANT: 5T15 LM07093

ACRONYM: LM

MEDLINETA: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

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