Shifting Survival Strategies: The Evolution of Sporulation Loss and Hypercannibalism in Bacillus subtilis

Endospore formation is a hallmark of Bacillus subtilis and many other Firmicutes, enabling survival through extreme environmental stress. Sporulation, however, is a costly and irreversible process that requires a major commitment of cellular resources. In environments characterized by intermittent nutrient limitation, where starvation is not prolonged or lethal, the fitness benefits of sporulation may diminish. In this thesis, I explore the evolutionary loss of sporulation in B. subtilis under such fluctuating conditions and uncover its intricate connection to the emergence of hypercannibalism. This work illustrates how environmental fluctuations, regulatory plasticity, and social interactions can drive adaptive transitions between life-history strategies in bacteria.