Higher-order interactions in auxotroph communities enhance their resilience to resource fluctuations.

Cell systems
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Auxotrophs are prevalent in microbial communities, enhancing their diversity and stability-a counterintuitive effect considering their dependence on essential resources from other species. To address the ecological roles of auxotrophs, our study introduced a consumer-resource model (CRM) to capture the complex higher-order interactions within these communities. We also developed an intuitive graphical and algebraic framework, which assesses the feasibility of auxotroph communities and their stability under resource fluctuations and biological invasions. Validated against experimental data from synthetic E. coli auxotroph communities, the model accurately predicted outcomes of community assembly. Our findings highlight the critical role of higher-order interactions and resource dependencies in maintaining the diversity and stability of microbial ecosystems dominated by auxotrophs. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.

Year of Publication
2026
Journal
Cell systems
Pages
101491
Date Published
02/2026
ISSN
2405-4720
DOI
10.1016/j.cels.2025.101491
PubMed ID
41720095
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