Cited by 241Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationBacterial biofilms and quorum sensingEvolution and Genetic Dynamics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 23 of the 23 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Public goods and cheating in microbes

Open access

Smith, Parker, Schuster, Martin·2019·Current Biology

DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.001

Open this paper in CoChat — free account Open PDF

Abstract

Communication and cooperation are not restricted to complex, higher organisms. Microbes, too, perform a variety of collective, multicellular behaviors, including biofilm formation, quorum sensing, nutrient acquisition, and dispersal. The products of these microbial cooperative behaviors are generally referred to as public goods. Here we describe the nature of microbial public goods, the associated problem of cheating, and ways in which microbes maintain public goods in the face of cheating. We highlight work in a growing field at the interface of microbiology, evolution, and ecology that combines multiple approaches in experimental evolution, genetics, and mathematical modeling.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.001

Cites

23 of 23 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

The Evolution of Cooperation
Axelrod, R., & Hamilton, W. D. (1981) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.7466396 · Cited by 20,065
The Black Queen Hypothesis: Evolution of Dependencies through Adaptive Gene Loss
Morris, J., Lenski, R. E., & Zinser, E. R. (2012) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.00036-12 · Cited by 1,231
Social evolution theory for microorganisms
West, S. A., Griffin, A. S., Gardner, A., & Diggle, S. P. (2006) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro1461 · Cited by 1,183
Cooperation and conflict in quorum-sensing bacterial populations
Diggle, S. P., Griffin, A. S., Campbell, G. S., & West, S. A. (2007) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature06279 · Cited by 824
Snowdrift game dynamics and facultative cheating in yeast
Gore, J., Youk, H., & van Oudenaarden, A. (2009) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature07921 · Cited by 664
Targeting virulence: can we make evolution-proof drugs?
Allen, R. C., Popat, R., Diggle, S. P., & Brown, S. P. (2014) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro3232 · Cited by 560
The tragedy of the commons in evolutionary biology
Rankin, D. J., Bargum, K., & Kokko, H. (2007) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.009 · Cited by 497
Social cheating in Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing
Sandoz, K. M., Mitzimberg, S. M., & Schuster, M. (2007) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0705653104 · Cited by 480
Self-citation
Solutions to the Public Goods Dilemma in Bacterial Biofilms
Drescher, K., Nadell, C. D., Stone, H. A., Wingreen, N. S., & Bassler, B. L. (2013) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.030 · Cited by 335
Public good dynamics drive evolution of iron acquisition strategies in natural bacterioplankton populations
Cordero, O. X., Ventouras, L.-A., DeLong, E. F., & Polz, M. F. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1213344109 · Cited by 334

Show all 23 references

Sorted by citations

Cross-feeding in the gut microbiome: Ecology and mechanisms
Culp, E. J., & Goodman, A. L. (2023) · Cell Host & Microbe · doi:10.1016/j.chom.2023.03.016 · Cited by 562
Marine biofilms: diversity, interactions and biofouling
Qian, P., Cheng, A., Wang, R., & Zhang, R. (2022) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/s41579-022-00744-7 · Cited by 340
Microbial communities form rich extracellular metabolomes that foster metabolic interactions and promote drug tolerance
Yu, J., Correia‐Melo, C., Zorrilla, F., Herrera-Domínguez, L., Wu, M., Hartl, J., Campbell, K., Blasche, S., Kreidl, M., Egger, A.-S., et al. (2022) · Nature Microbiology · doi:10.1038/s41564-022-01072-5 · Cited by 128
Endophyte-Promoted Phosphorus Solubilization in Populus
Varga, T. R., Hixson, K. K., Ahkami, A. H., Sher, A. W., Barnes, M., Chu, R., Battu, A. K., Nicora, C., Winkler, T. E., Reno, L. R., et al. (2020) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.567918 · Cited by 122
Bacterial cooperation through horizontal gene transfer
Lee, I. P. A., Eldakar, O. T., Gogarten, J. P., & Andam, C. P. (2021) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.006 · Cited by 107
What is microbial dormancy?
McDonald, M. D., Owusu-Ansah, C., Ellenbogen, J., Malone, Z. D., Ricketts, M. P., Frolking, S., Ernakovich, J. G., Ibba, M., Bagby, S. C., & Weissman, J. (2023) · Trends in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.006 · Cited by 108
Gut microbiome-mediated metabolism effects on immunity in rural and urban African populations
Stražar, M., Temba, G. S., Vlamakis, H., Kullaya, V. I., Lyamuya, F., Mmbaga, B. T., Joosten, L. A. B., van der Ven, A. J. A. M., Netea, M. G., de Mast, Q., et al. (2021) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25213-2 · Cited by 91
The pectin metabolizing capacity of the human gut microbiota
Yüksel, E., Voragen, A. G. J., & Kort, R. (2024) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2024.2400235 · Cited by 91
Why do microbes make minerals?
Cosmidis, J., & Benzerara, K. (2022) · Comptes Rendus Géoscience · doi:10.5802/crgeos.107 · Cited by 74
Iron acquisition strategies in pseudomonads: mechanisms, ecology, and evolution
Kümmerli, R. (2022) · BioMetals · doi:10.1007/s10534-022-00480-8 · Cited by 65
Experimental Evolution in Plant-Microbe Systems: A Tool for Deciphering the Functioning and Evolution of Plant-Associated Microbial Communities
Manriquez, B., Muller, D. A. E., & Prigent‐Combaret, C. (2021) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.619122 · Cited by 62
Quorum Sensing Regulates Bacterial Processes That Play a Major Role in Marine Biogeochemical Cycles
Urvoy, M., Labry, C., L’Helguen, S., & Lami, R. (2022) · Frontiers in Marine Science · doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.834337 · Cited by 61
Cooperative virulence via the collective action of secreted pathogen effectors
Ruiz-Bedoya, T., Wang, P. W., Desveaux, D., & Guttman, D. S. (2023) · Nature Microbiology · doi:10.1038/s41564-023-01328-8 · Cited by 57
Energy efficiency and biological interactions define the core microbiome of deep oligotrophic groundwater
Mehrshad, M., López-Fernández, M., Sundh, J., Bell, E., Simone, D., Buck, M., Bernier‐Latmani, R., Bertilsson, S., & Dopson, M. (2021) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24549-z · Cited by 56
Domains and Major Transitions of Social Evolution
Boomsma, J. J. (2022) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198746171.001.0001 · Cited by 59
Cell-cell metabolite exchange creates a pro-survival metabolic environment that extends lifespan
Correia‐Melo, C., Kamrad, S., Tengölics, R., Messner, C. B., Trébulle, P., Townsend, S., Varma, S. J., Freiwald, A., Heineike, B. M., Campbell, K., et al. (2023) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.007 · Cited by 57
Dynamics of carbon substrate competition among heterotrophic microorganisms
McNichol, S. M., Sanchez-Quete, F., Loeb, S. K., Teske, A., Walter, S. R. S., & Mahmoudi, N. (2024) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1093/ismejo/wrae018 · Cited by 52
Changes in interactions over ecological time scales influence single-cell growth dynamics in a metabolically coupled marine microbial community
Daniels, M., van Vliet, S., & Ackermann, M. (2023) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/s41396-022-01312-w · Cited by 56
A mobile genetic element increases bacterial host fitness by manipulating development
Jones, J. M., Grinberg, I., Eldar, A., & Grossman, A. D. (2021) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.65924 · Cited by 49
Cooperation in Microbial Populations: Theory and Experimental Model Systems
Cremer, J., Melbinger, A., Wienand, K., Henríquez, T., Jung, H., & Frey, E. (2019) · Journal of Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2019.09.023 · Cited by 50
The Longevity of Colonies of Fungus-Growing Termites and the Stability of the Symbiosis
Wisselink, M., Aanen, D. K., & Padje, A. V. ’. (2020) · Insects · doi:10.3390/insects11080527 · Cited by 47
Cooperative antibiotic resistance facilitates horizontal gene transfer
Wang, Q., Wei, S., Silva, A. F., & Madsen, J. S. (2023) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/s41396-023-01393-1 · Cited by 48
Prokaryote pangenomes are dynamic entities
Cummins, E., Hall, R. J., McInerney, J. O., & McNally, A. (2022) · Current Opinion in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.mib.2022.01.005 · Cited by 47
Mechanisms driving spatial distribution of residents in colony biofilms: an interdisciplinary perspective
Eigentler, L., Davidson, F. A., & Stanley‐Wall, N. R. (2022) · Open Biology · doi:10.1098/rsob.220194 · Cited by 46
Genomic and functional analysis of phage‐mediated horizontal gene transfer in Pseudomonas syringae on the plant surface
Hulin, M. T., Rabiey, M., Zeng, Z., Dieguez, A. V., Bellamy, S., Swift, P., Mansfıeld, J. W., Jackson, R. W., & Harrison, R. J. (2022) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1111/nph.18573 · Cited by 44
A novel decomposer-exploiter interaction framework of plant residue microbial decomposition
Miao, Y., Wang, W., Xu, H., Xia, Y., Gong, Q., Xu, Z., Zhang, N., Xun, W., Shen, Q., & Zhang, R. (2025) · Genome biology · doi:10.1186/s13059-025-03486-w · Cited by 44
Bacterial hitchhikers derive benefits from fungal housing
Venkatesh, N., Greco, C., Drott, M. T., Koss, M. J., Ludwikoski, I., Keller, N. M., & Keller, N. P. (2022) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.017 · Cited by 43
The evolution of multicellularity and cancer: views and paradigms
Nedelcu, A. M. (2020) · Biochemical Society Transactions · doi:10.1042/bst20190992 · Cited by 46
Genome-Resolved Metaproteomics Decodes the Microbial and Viral Contributions to Coupled Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in River Sediments
Rodríguez-Ramos, J. A., Borton, M., McGivern, B. B., Smith, G. J., Solden, L., Shaffer, M., Daly, R. A., Purvine, S. O., Nicora, C., Eder, E., et al. (2022) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00516-22 · Cited by 40
Kin selection for cooperation in natural bacterial populations
Belcher, L. J., Dewar, A. E., Ghoul, M., & West, S. A. (2022) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2119070119 · Cited by 36
Kin discrimination drives territorial exclusion during Bacillus subtilis swarming and restrains exploitation of surfactin
Kraigher, B., Butolen, M., Štefanič, P., & Mandić-Mulec, I. (2021) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/s41396-021-01124-4 · Cited by 37
Extracellular polymeric substances are closely related to land cover, microbial communities, and enzyme activity in tropical soils
Kidinda, L. K., Babin, D., Döetterl, S., Kalbitz, K., Mujinya, B. B., & Vogel, C. (2023) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109221 · Cited by 36
Cooperation and cheating orchestrate Vibrio assemblages and polymicrobial synergy in oysters infected with OsHV-1 virus
Oyanedel, D., Lagorce, A., Bruto, M., Haffner, P., Morot, A., Labreuche, Y., Dorant, Y., Divonne, S. D. L. F., Delavat, F., Inguimbert, N., et al. (2023) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2305195120 · Cited by 34
Induced Mineralization of Hydroxyapatite in Escherichia coli Biofilms and the Potential Role of Bacterial Alkaline Phosphatase
Zorzetto, L., Scoppola, E., Raguin, É., Blank, K. G., Fratzl, P., & Bidan, C. M. (2023) · Chemistry of Materials · doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c02969 · Cited by 34
The role of microbial interactions on rhizobial fitness
Agudelo, M. G., Ruiz, B., Capela, D., & Remigi, P. (2023) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1277262 · Cited by 33
The Impact of Microbial Interactions on Ecosystem Function Intensifies Under Stress
Bertolet, B. L., Rodríguez, L. C., Murúa, J. M., Favela, A., & Allison, S. (2024) · Ecology Letters · doi:10.1111/ele.14528 · Cited by 30
Soil substrate source drives the microbes involved in the degradation of gelatin used as a biostimulant
Costa, O. Y. A., Pijl, A. S., Houbraken, J. A. M. P., van Lith, W., & Kuramae, E. E. (2023) · Applied Soil Ecology · doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104906 · Cited by 30
Nasal commensals reduce Staphylococcus aureus proliferation by restricting siderophore availability
Zhao, Y., Bitzer, A., Power, J. J., Belikova, D., Salazar, B. O. T., Adolf, L. A., Gerlach, D., Krismer, B., & Heilbronner, S. (2024) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1093/ismejo/wrae123 · Cited by 28
Cooperation and Cheating through a Secreted Aminopeptidase in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa RpoS Response
Robinson, T., Smith, P. N., Alberts, E. R., Colussi-Pelaez, M., & Schuster, M. (2020) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.03090-19 · Cited by 28
Self-citation
Game-environment feedback dynamics in growing population: Effect of finite carrying capacity
Bairagya, J. D., Mondal, S. S., Chowdhury, D., & Chakraborty, S. (2021) · Physical review. E · doi:10.1103/physreve.104.044407 · Cited by 29
Non-genetic variability in microbial populations: survival strategy or nuisance?
Levien, E., Min, J., Kondev, J., & Amir, A. (2021) · Reports on Progress in Physics · doi:10.1088/1361-6633/ac2c92 · Cited by 30
The endosymbiont and the second bacterial circle of entomopathogenic nematodes
Ogier, J.-C., Akhurst, R. J., Boemare, N. E., & Gaudriault, S. (2023) · Trends in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.01.004 · Cited by 28
Drinking-water isolated Delftia acidovorans selectively coaggregates with partner bacteria and facilitates multispecies biofilm development
Afonso, A. C., Gomes, I. B., Saavedra, M. J., Simões, L. C., & Simões, M. V. (2023) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162646 · Cited by 28
Impact of direct physical association and motility on fitness of a synthetic interkingdom microbial community
Scarinci, G., & Sourjik, V. (2022) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/s41396-022-01352-2 · Cited by 24
Kinship effects in quasi-social parasitoids II: co-foundress relatedness and host dangerousness interactively affect host exploitation
Abdi, M. K., Hardy, I. C. W., Jucker, C., & Lupi, D. (2020) · Biological Journal of the Linnean Society · doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa047 · Cited by 26
Spatial-temporal dynamics of a microbial cooperative behavior resistant to cheating
Monaco, H., Liu, K. S., Sereno, T., Déforet, M., Taylor, B. P., Chen, Y., Reagor, C. C., & Xavier, J. B. (2022) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28321-9 · Cited by 27
Trojan horselike T6SS effector TepC mediates both interference competition and exploitative competition
Li, S., Xu, L., Wu, T., Shi, Z., Kareem, H. A., Wang, Z., Dai, Q., Guo, C., Pan, J., Yang, M., et al. (2024) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1093/ismejo/wrad028 · Cited by 24
Metagenomic symphony of the intestinal ecosystem: How the composition affects the mind
Malan-Müller, S., Martín-Hernández, D., Caso, J. R., Matthijnssens, J., Rodríguez-Urrutia, A., Lowry, C. A., & Leza, J. C. (2025) · Brain, Behavior, and Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2024.09.033 · Cited by 24
Rhamnolipids stabilize quorum sensing mediated cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
García‐Contreras, R., Loarca, D., Pérez-González, C., Jiménez-Cortés, J. G., González‐Valdez, A., & Soberón‐Chávez, G. (2020) · FEMS Microbiology Letters · doi:10.1093/femsle/fnaa080 · Cited by 24
A novel thermostable YtnP lactonase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in vitro and in vivo
Ćurčić, J., Dinić, M., Novović, K., Vasiljevic, Z. V., Kojić, M., Jovčić, B., & Malešević, M. (2024) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130421 · Cited by 23
Iron limitation by transferrin promotes simultaneous cheating of pyoverdine and exoprotease in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Tostado-Islas, O., Mendoza-Ortiz, A., Ramírez-García, G., Cabrera-Takane, I. D., Loarca, D., Pérez-González, C., Jasso‐Chávez, R., Jiménez-Cortés, J. G., Hoshiko, Y., Maeda, T., et al. (2021) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1038/s41396-021-00938-6 · Cited by 22
Ecology drives the evolution of diverse social strategies in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Figueiredo, A. R. T., Wagner, A., & Kümmerli, R. (2021) · Molecular Ecology · doi:10.1111/mec.16119 · Cited by 19
The cost of bacterial predation via type VI secretion system leads to predator extinction under environmental stress
Gupta, S., Ray, S., Khan, A., China, A., Das, D., & Mallick, A. I. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.103507 · Cited by 23
Controlling evolutionary dynamics to optimize microbial bioremediation
Shibasaki, S., & Mitri, S. (2020) · Evolutionary Applications · doi:10.1111/eva.13050 · Cited by 19
Microbial Mutualism: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me?
Figueiredo, A. R. T., & Kümmerli, R. (2020) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.002 · Cited by 21
Metagenomic discovery and functional validation of L-asparaginases with anti-leukemic effect from the Caspian Sea
Sobat, M., Asad, S., Kabiri, M., & Mehrshad, M. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101973 · Cited by 21
Jellyfish detritus supports niche partitioning and metabolic interactions among pelagic marine bacteria
Tinta, T., Zhao, Z., Bayer, B., & Herndl, G. J. (2023) · Microbiome · doi:10.1186/s40168-023-01598-8 · Cited by 22
Shedding light on bacteria–host interactions with the aid of TnSeq approaches
Torres, M., Paszti, S., & Eberl, L. (2024) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.00390-24 · Cited by 21
Siderophore-mediated iron partition promotes dynamical coexistence between cooperators and cheaters
Shao, J., Rong, N., Wu, Z., Gu, S., Liu, B., Shen, N., & Li, Z. (2023) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107396 · Cited by 23
Mutualism between degraders and nondegraders stabilizes the function of a natural biopolymer-degrading community
Liu, L., Tian, C. F., Wang, M., Ying, L., Huang, Y., Jiang, T., Zhao, H., Yu, Q., Wang, E. T., Yang, J., et al. (2025) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2500664122 · Cited by 23
Powerful ordered collective heat engines
Filho, F. S., Forão, G. A. L., Busiello, D. M., Cleuren, B., & Fiore, C. E. (2023) · Physical Review Research · doi:10.1103/physrevresearch.5.043067 · Cited by 19
Roles and Regulation of Quorum Sensing of Acidophiles in Bioleaching: A Review
Luo, W., Li, Y., Chen, S., Liang, Y., & Liu, X. (2024) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms12030422 · Cited by 19
Metal-induced bacterial interactions promote diversity in river-sediment microbiomes
Cyriaque, V., Géron, A., Gabriel Billon, A., Nesme, J., Werner, J., Gillan, D. C., Sørensen, S. J., & Wattiez, R. (2020) · FEMS Microbiology Ecology · doi:10.1093/femsec/fiaa076 · Cited by 19
Hidden decomposers: Revisiting saprotrophy among soil protists and its potential impact on carbon cycling
Maillard, F., Klinghammer, F., Jassey, V., Zhang, B., Kennedy, P. G., Lara, E., Geisen, S., Tranvik, L., Hammer, E. C., & Tunlid, A. (2025) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2025.109786 · Cited by 18
Mechanisms Involved in the Active Secretion of CTX-M-15 β-Lactamase by Pathogenic Escherichia coli ST131
Rangama, S., Lidbury, I. D. E. A., Holden, J. M., Borsetto, C., Murphy, A. R. J., Hawkey, P. M., & Wellington, E. M. H. (2021) · Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy · doi:10.1128/aac.00663-21 · Cited by 18
Bacillus subtilis extracellular protease production incurs a context‐dependent cost
Rosazza, T., Eigentler, L., Earl, C., Davidson, F. A., & Stanley‐Wall, N. R. (2023) · Molecular Microbiology · doi:10.1111/mmi.15110 · Cited by 18
Type 1 fimbriae-mediated collective protection against type 6 secretion system attacks
Dessartine, M. M., Kosta, A., Doan, T., Cascales, É., & Côté, J.-P. (2024) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.02553-23 · Cited by 18
A Salvaging Strategy Enables Stable Metabolite Provisioning among Free-Living Bacteria
Gude, S., Pherribo, G. J., & Taga, M. E. (2022) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00288-22 · Cited by 16
How public can public goods be? Environmental context shapes the evolutionary ecology of partially private goods
Lerch, B. A., Smith, D. A., Koffel, T., Bagby, S. C., & Abbott, K. C. (2022) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010666 · Cited by 21
Quorum Sensing Regulates the Hydrolytic Enzyme Production and Community Composition of Heterotrophic Bacteria in Coastal Waters
Urvoy, M., Lami, R., Dréanno, C., Delmas, D., L’Helguen, S., & Labry, C. (2021) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.780759 · Cited by 16
Tracking bacteria at high density with FAST, the Feature-Assisted Segmenter/Tracker
Meacock, O. J., & Durham, W. M. (2023) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011524 · Cited by 15
Optogenetic Tools for Control of Public Goods in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Morales, N. M., Patel, M. T., Stewart, C. J., Sweeney, K., & McClean, M. N. (2021) · mSphere · doi:10.1128/msphere.00581-21 · Cited by 17
Quorum Sensing Coordinates Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism to Optimize Public Goods Production in Pseudomonas fluorescens 2P24
Li, J., Nie, M., Ma, H., Tao, X., Sun, Y., Tu, X., Zhang, P., Zhang, L., Jia, R. L., He, Y., et al. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202412224 · Cited by 16
Towards synthetic ecology: strategies for the optimization of microbial community functions
Román, M. S., Arrabal, A., Benitez‐Dominguez, B., Quirós-Rodríguez, I., & Díaz‐Colunga, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Synthetic Biology · doi:10.3389/fsybi.2025.1532846 · Cited by 17
Evolution of Cooperation in Spatio-Temporal Evolutionary Games with Public Goods Feedback
Cheng, H., Sysoeva, L., Wang, H., Yuan, H., Zhang, T., & Meng, X. (2024) · Bulletin of Mathematical Biology · doi:10.1007/s11538-024-01296-y · Cited by 16
Evolution-proof inhibitors of public good cooperation: a screening strategy inspired by social evolution theory
Lissens, M., Joos, M., Lories, B., & Steenackers, H. P. L. (2022) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fuac019 · Cited by 13
Delivering impactful solutions for the bioeconomy
Hankamer, B. D., Pregelj, L., O’Kane, S., Hussey, K. E., & Hine, D. C. (2023) · Trends in Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.02.007 · Cited by 14
Hypochaos prevents tragedy of the commons in discrete-time eco-evolutionary game dynamics
Mondal, S. S., Ray, A., & Chakraborty, S. (2024) · Chaos An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science · doi:10.1063/5.0190800 · Cited by 13
Theoretical analyses for the evolution of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) emission strategy
Hirose, S., & Satake, A. (2024) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.11548 · Cited by 13
Potential for agricultural recycling of struvite and zeolites to improve soil microbial physiology and mitigate CO2 emissions
Galamini, G., Ferretti, G., Rosinger, C., Huber, S., Mentler, A., Díaz‐Pinés, E., Faccini, B., & Keiblinger, K. M. (2024) · Geoderma · doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117149 · Cited by 13
Forging the iron‐net: Towards a quantitative understanding of microbial communities via siderophore‐mediated interactions
Gu, S., Shao, J., He, R., Xiong, G., Qu, Z., Shao, Y., Yu, L., Zhang, D., Wang, F., Xu, R., et al. (2025) · Quantitative Biology · doi:10.1002/qub2.84 · Cited by 18
The bright side of social cheaters: potential beneficial roles of “social cheaters” in microbial communities
García‐Contreras, R., & Loarca, D. (2020) · FEMS Microbiology Ecology · doi:10.1093/femsec/fiaa239 · Cited by 13
Interspecies electron transfer as one of key drivers of methanogenic consortia succession within quorum sensing regulation
Zhao, S., Wang, F., Song, L., Zhu, S., Liu, S., Zhao, K., Liu, R., & Li, Y. (2025) · ISME Communications · doi:10.1093/ismeco/ycaf165 · Cited by 14
Xylanase production by Thermobacillus xylanilyticus is impaired by population diversification but can be mitigated based on the management of cheating behavior
Bouchat, R., Velard, F., Audonnet, S., Rioult, D., Delvigne, F., Rémond, C., & Rakotoarivonina, H. (2022) · Microbial Cell Factories · doi:10.1186/s12934-022-01762-z · Cited by 12
Optogenetic spatial patterning of cooperation in yeast populations
Bec, M. L., Pouzet, S., Cordier, C., Barral, S., Scolari, V. F., Sorre, B., Banderas, A., & Hersen, P. (2024) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-023-44379-5 · Cited by 12
Filamentous prophage Pf4 promotes genetic exchange in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pei, T., Luo, H., Wang, Y., Li, H., Wang, X., Zhang, Y., An, Y., Wu, L., Ma, J., Liang, X., et al. (2024) · The ISME Journal · doi:10.1093/ismejo/wrad025 · Cited by 13
Tragedy of the commons in Melipona bees revisited
Oliveira, R. C., Pietro, V. D., Quezada‐Euán, J. J. G., Pech, J. R., Moo‐Valle, H., & Wenseleers, T. (2022) · Biology Letters · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2021.0498 · Cited by 12
Involvement of Flagellin in Kin Recognition between Bacillus velezensis Strains
Liu, Y., Huang, R., Chen, Y., Miao, Y., Štefanič, P., Mandić-Mulec, I., Zhang, R., Shen, Q., & Xu, Z. (2022) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00778-22 · Cited by 11
Thermodynamics of interacting systems: The role of the topology and collective effects
Mamede, I. N., Proesmans, K., & Fiore, C. E. (2023) · Physical Review Research · doi:10.1103/physrevresearch.5.043278 · Cited by 11
Ecological dependencies and the illusion of cooperation in microbial communities
Hesse, E., & O’Brien, S. (2024) · Microbiology · doi:10.1099/mic.0.001442 · Cited by 11
Competition for nutrient niches within the apple blossom microbiota antagonizes the initiation of fire blight infection
Lee, S. Y., Roh, E., Kim, S. G., & Kong, H. G. (2024) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1111/nph.19971 · Cited by 11
Interspecies and intraspecies ‘Talk’ shape the bacterial biofilms
Yiyang, L., Liu, Z., Zhang, Q., Zhang, L., Liao, X., Yang, T., Liu, D., Lu, X., Ahn, J., Ding, T., et al. (2025) · Food Quality and Safety · doi:10.1093/fqsafe/fyaf008 · Cited by 12
Determinants of synergistic cell-cell interactions in bacteria
Pauli, B., Ajmera, S., & Kost, C. (2023) · Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1515/hsz-2022-0303 · Cited by 11
Multistability and Hopf bifurcation analysis for a three-strategy evolutionary game with environmental feedback and delay
Cheng, H., & Meng, X. (2023) · Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications · doi:10.1016/j.physa.2023.128766 · Cited by 11
A toxin-mediated policing system in Bacillus optimizes division of labor via penalizing cheater-like nonproducers
Huang, R., Shao, J., Xu, Z., Chen, Y., Liu, Y., Wang, D., Feng, H., Xun, W., Shen, Q., Zhang, N., et al. (2023) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.84743 · Cited by 12
Reward versus punishment: averting the tragedy of the commons in eco-evolutionary dynamics
Mondal, S. S., Pathak, M. S., & Chakraborty, S. (2022) · Journal of Physics Complexity · doi:10.1088/2632-072x/ac6c6e · Cited by 11
The Evolution of Microbial Facilitation: Sociogenesis, Symbiogenesis, and Transition in Individuality
Zachar, I., & Boza, G. (2022) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.798045 · Cited by 13
Serine peptidase Vpr forms enzymatically active fibrils outside Bacillus bacteria revealed by cryo-EM
Cheng, Y., Han, J., Song, M., Zhang, S., & Cao, Q. (2023) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43359-z · Cited by 11
Environmental instability reduces shock resistance by enriching specialist taxa with distinct two component regulatory systems
Mills, S., Ijaz, U. Z., & Lens, P. N. L. (2025) · npj Biofilms and Microbiomes · doi:10.1038/s41522-025-00679-w · Cited by 10
An updated view of metabolic handoffs in microbiomes
Klier, K. M., & Anantharaman, K. (2025) · Trends in Microbiology · doi:10.1016/j.tim.2025.07.009 · Cited by 11

Authors: Smith, P., & Schuster, M.
Affiliations: Oregon State University (US)
ORCID: Smith, Parker
Venue: Current Biology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2019-06
Volume: 29
Issue: 11
Pages: R442-R447
ISSN: 0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.001
OpenAlex: W2948332211
Cited by: 240
References: 23
Citations by year: 2026: 29 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 47 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 2
FWCI: 41.18
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 368 d)
Locations: Current Biology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Keywords: cheating, microbial cooperation, quorum sensing, biofilm formation, nutrient acquisition, dispersal, experimental evolution, mathematical modeling, microbial evolution, microbial ecology
MeSH terms: Biological Evolution, Models, Biological, Microbial Interactions

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Public goods and cheating in microbes

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks