Figure 3: Pellicle competition assay.
From: De novo evolved interference competition promotes the spread of biofilm defectors
(a) WT ancestor and Δeps–ΔtasA mutant ancestor (I); and WT ancestor and eNMP strains 310mA, 310mB, 310mC, 410 mA, 410mB, 410mC and 510mA, 510mB, 510mC (II). On a separate panel (above right): pellicle competition assay between WT ancestor and Δeps–ΔtasA mutant ancestor, eMP strains (three isolates per population, as in a) and Δeps–ΔtasA mutant ancestor (III). On a panel below: pellicle competition assay between WT ancestor and Δeps–ΔtasA mutant ancestor, eMP strains and eNMP strains sharing evolutionary history (IV). Boxes represent Q1–Q3, lines represent the median, and bars span from max to min. Each competition assay was replicated in parallel with the ancestor WT versus Δeps–ΔtasA combination at least twice. * in sections II and IV indicate that the relative c.f.u. are significantly different from the relative c.f.u. of WT versus Δeps-ΔtasA ancestor competition. (b) Confocal microscopy images of pellicle biofilms (left) including swapped fluorescence marker proteins (right). Scale bars, 10 μm.
