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Science 23 September 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5743, p. 1961
DOI: 10.1126/science.309.5743.1961p
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Many bacteria sense environmental change (and change some phenotypic traits accordingly), but such sensing has a cost. Kussell and Leibler (p. 2075, published online 25 August 2005; see the Perspective by Jansen and Stumpf) suggest an alternative strategy that may be used when environmental change is infrequent to switch phenotypic traits at random. As the rate of environmental change increases, the cost of bearing variable phenotypes within a population (some of which may be slow growers) becomes too high to tolerate, and it becomes relatively cheaper to maintain a sensory apparatus and a variety of phenotypic options in all individuals of a population.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)