PMC

A competitor plasmid Y accelerates the extinction of the focal plasmid X. The vertical axis represents the time of extinction (ToE) of plasmid X when alone in the bacterial population (model 1) and the horizontal axis represents ToE of plasmid X when a competitor plasmid Y is present in the same population (model 2). The blackline represents y = x.

Relative time of extinction when plasmid interactions affect fitness (epistasis; ε). (A) Relative time of extinction (ToE) in presence and absence of epistasis: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when there is epistasis (model 3) and the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when there are no plasmid interactions (ε = 0; model 2). (B) Relative ToE in presence and absence of a competitor plasmid Y: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when Y is present and plasmid interactions affect fitness (model 3) while the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when plasmid X is alone in the bacterial population (model 1). The analysis is always in function of the focal plasmid X. The blackline represents y = x.

Relative time of extinction (ToE) when plasmid intercellular interactions (ξ) affect conjugation rates. (A,C) Relative time of extinction (ToE) in presence and absence of interactions: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when the plasmids interact (model 5) and the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when the plasmids do not interact (ξ = 1; model 2). (B,D) Relative ToE in presence and absence of a competitor plasmid Y: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when Y is present and plasmid intercellular interactions affect conjugation rates (model 5) while the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when plasmid X is alone in the bacterial population (model 1). In (A,B) plasmid X is the target of the effect ξX while in (C,D) plasmid Y is the target of effect ξY (models 5.1 and 5.2 respectively). The analysis is always in function of the focal plasmid X. The blackline represents y = x.

Relative time of extinction when plasmid intracellular interactions (α) affect conjugation rates. (A,C) Relative time of extinction (ToE) in presence and absence of interactions: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when the plasmids interact (model 4) and the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when the plasmids do not interact (α = 1; model 2). (B,D) Relative ToE in presence and absence of a competitor plasmid Y: the vertical axis represents ToE of plasmid X when Y is present and plasmid intracellular interactions affect conjugation rates (model 4) while the horizontal axis represents the respective ToE when plasmid X is alone in the bacterial population (model 1). In panels (A,B), plasmid X is the target of the effect α_X, while in panels (C,D) plasmid Y is the target of effect α_Y (models 4.1 and 4.2, respectively). The analysis is always in function of the focal plasmid X. The blackline represents y = x.