Speaker
Description
Reproductive synchronization between hosts and guests is a defining feature of obligatory endosymbioses. However, the evolutionary stability of synchronization remains unclear when hosts and guests battle to control resource allocation to maximize their own fitness. Here, we examine how control exerted by the host over the guest (or vice versa) affects the evolution of synchronization. We employ genome-scale metabolic network models from the AGORA and CarveMe databases to systematically analyze host-guest interactions. Leveraging thousands of host-guest pairs, we found that synchronization rarely emerges naturally when hosts and guests strive to maximize their own finesses. Our results indicate that the cost of synchronization is context-dependent on control and whether the controller is a host or guest. We then develop a mathematical model and find a simple rule determining what conditions favor synchronization against transient endosymbioses. Ultimately, our results suggest that the path to synchronization is unlikely to emerge without costs and requires a particular tradeoff to be evolutionarily stable.
