Environmental fluctuations and their effects on microbial communities, populations, and individuals.

ABSTRACT: From the homeostasis of human health to the cycling of Earth's elements, microbial activities underlie environmental, medical and industrial processes. These activities occur in chemical and physical landscapes that are highly dynamic and experienced by bacteria as fluctuations. In this review, we first discuss how bacteria can experience both spatial and temporal heterogeneity in their environments as temporal fluctuations of various timescale (seconds to seasons) and type (nutrient, sunlight, fluid flow, etc.). We then focus primarily on nutrient fluctuations to discuss how bacterial communities, populations and single cells respond to environmental fluctuations. Overall, we find that environmental fluctuations are ubiquitous, diverse, and strongly shape microbial behavior, ecology and evolution when compared to environments in which conditions remain constant over time. We hope this review may serve as a guide towards understanding the significance of environmental fluctuations in microbial life, such that their contributions and implications can be better assessed and exploited.

SUBMITTER: Nguyen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8371271 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature