Evolution of symbiont transmission in conditional mutualisms in spatially and temporally variable environments

Abstract

Symbiotic relationships affect the fitness and organismal function of virtually all organisms. In many cases, the fitness effects of symbiosis may be beneficial or harmful depending on the environment. The hosts of such symbionts are favored to acquire them only when the symbiont is beneficial. However, it is not clear whether such selection favors vertical or horizontal transmission, both, or neither. To address this question, we model the evolution of transmission mode in a conditional mutualism experiencing spatial and temporal environmental variation. We find that when symbionts affect host lifespan, but not fecundity, horizontal transmission can contain them to beneficial environments. Vertical transmission can produce symbiont containment when the environmental state is synchronized across locations. We also find an emergent trade-off between horizontal and vertical transmission, suggesting that physiological constraints are not required for the evolution of limits on the total amount of transmission.