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Cited by 339

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 220 of the 220 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Microbial evolution and transitions along the parasite–mutualist continuum

Open access
Drew, Georgia C., Stevens, Emily J., King, Kayla C.·2021·Nature Reviews Microbiology
DOI 10.1038/s41579-021-00550-7
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Abstract

Virtually all plants and animals, including humans, are home to symbiotic microorganisms. Symbiotic interactions can be neutral, harmful or have beneficial effects on the host organism. However, growing evidence suggests that microbial symbionts can evolve rapidly, resulting in drastic transitions along the parasite–mutualist continuum. In this Review, we integrate theoretical and empirical findings to discuss the mechanisms underpinning these evolutionary shifts, as well as the ecological drivers and why some host–microorganism interactions may be stuck at the end of the continuum. In addition to having biomedical consequences, understanding the dynamic life of microorganisms reveals how symbioses can shape an organism’s biology and the entire community, particularly in a changing world. Symbiotic interactions can be neutral, harmful or have beneficial effects for host organisms. In this Review, Drew, Stevens and King discuss the evolutionary transitions of host–microorganism symbioses along the parasite–mutualist continuum, the mechanisms underlying evolutionary changes, the selective pressures involved and common empirical approaches for studying them.

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Metadata

Authors
Drew, G. C., Stevens, E. J., & King, K. C.
Venue
Nature Reviews Microbiology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-04-19
Volume
19
Issue
10
Pages
623-638
ISSN
  • 1740-1526 (ISSN-L)
  • 1740-1534
DOI
10.1038/s41579-021-00550-7
OpenAlex
W3136772542
Cited by
339
References
220
FWCI
9.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
hybrid

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Microbial evolution and transitions along the parasite–mutualist continuum. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1038/s41579-021-00550-7
The paper
Drew, G. C., Stevens, E. J., & King, K. C. (2021). Microbial evolution and transitions along the parasite–mutualist continuum. Nature Reviews Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00550-7

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