Cheater-resistance is not futile

Anupama Khare, Lorenzo A. Santorelli, Joan E. Strassmann, David C. Queller, Adam Kuspa and Gad Shaulsky ()
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Anupama Khare: Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
Lorenzo A. Santorelli: Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
Joan E. Strassmann: Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
David C. Queller: Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
Adam Kuspa: Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
Gad Shaulsky: Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 461, issue 7266, 980-982

Abstract: 'Noble' mutant beats cheats Individual social amoebae such as Dictyostelium must cooperate to build the fruiting bodies through which they reproduce. As with all societies, this process is highly susceptible to cheats who reap the benefits but don't contribute to the cost. But cheats don't always prosper. Cheating behaviour is limited by various mechanisms, such as kin discrimination and lower fitness of the cheater. Theory suggests that mutants resistant to cheaters will also arise, and now a cheater-resistant D. discoideum has been isolated. Cheater-resistance appears to be a 'noble' strategy, because the resister does not necessarily exploit the other strains, and so preserves cooperation.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08472

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