The influence of host dynamics on the clonal composition of Escherichia coli populations

Species, be they plant or animal, vary in their capacity for population growth or decline. Populations of the same species may also differ in their capacity for population change. A series of mathematical models were developed with the aim of determining if host population dynamics could influence the clonal composition of the Escherichia coli community in that host population. The biological assumptions underlying the models are described in some detail. Analytical and numerical approaches were used to investigate the behaviour of these models. The results demonstrate that host dynamics can have a profound influence on the E. coli clonal composition of the host population. This outcome is largely independent of the nature of the assumptions underlying the models. The ways in which the predictions of these models may be tested empirically are discussed, as are the implications of these models for understanding the nature of host-bacterial pathogen dynamics.