The Development of Cooperative Associations Between Animals and Bacteria: Establishing Détente Among Domains

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. détente = n.(fr.) the relaxation of tensions between two nations, usually through cooperation and negotiation. [The Random House Dictionary, 2nd Edition, 1987] Despite the ubiquitous occurrence of cooperative associations between animals and bacteria, there is little understanding of how these interactions arose, how they evolved, and how they persist. Thus, an extensive database concerning the influence of bacteria on developmental pathways is not yet available. However, in much the same way that mutually beneficial liaisons are created between nations with vastly different histories and cultures, it is likely that highly refined developmental mechanisms exist in which a type of detente is created to retain the integrity of the associations between the partners, both within and between generations. These developmental pathways would be responsible for insuring that a balance of cell growth is established and maintained among the community members, comprised of animal and microbial cells, such that neither form of pathogenesis, i.e., overgrowth (war) or aposymbiosis (isolation), ensues. This contribution examines aspects of how alliances with prokaryotes may have been integrated into the mechanisms and patterns of host animal developmental programs.