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Goodnight SR, McCoy MW. Cannibalism and competition can increase parasite abundance for parasites with complex life history strategies. Ecology 2024:e4325. [PMID: 38859696 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Ecological interactions among hosts are critical to consider when predicting disease dynamics. Most theory predicts that intraguild predation (IGP) and cannibalism negatively impact parasite populations, but this is based primarily on assumptions of simple or single-host life cycles. Here we investigate the effects of cannibalism in a size-structured host population on two digenean trematodes that have complex, multihost life cycles. A high incidence of cannibalism among paratenic hosts produced higher parasite infection loads and abundance, whereas cannibalism among obligate hosts reduced parasite abundances. We attributed this difference to trophic transmission aggregating parasites in larger, potentially fitter hosts and also to transmission among paratenic hosts via cannibalism. Moreover, we found evidence of indirect competitive interactions between parasites that can also increase infections at small scales. Our results show there are multiple mechanisms through which high cannibalism environments can benefit parasites that use paratenic hosts and trophic transfer to complete their life cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Goodnight
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W McCoy
- Department of Biology, Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
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2
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Moore SE, Siwertsson A, Lafferty KD, Kuris AM, Soldánová M, Morton D, Primicerio R, Amundsen PA. Parasites alter food-web topology of a subarctic lake food web and its pelagic and benthic compartments. Oecologia 2024; 204:257-277. [PMID: 38326516 PMCID: PMC10907417 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05503-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
We compared three sets of highly resolved food webs with and without parasites for a subarctic lake system corresponding to its pelagic and benthic compartments and the whole-lake food web. Key topological food-web metrics were calculated for each set of compartments to explore the role parasites play in food-web topology in these highly contrasting webs. After controlling for effects from differences in web size, we observed similar responses to the addition of parasites in both the pelagic and benthic compartments demonstrated by increases in trophic levels, linkage density, connectance, generality, and vulnerability despite the contrasting composition of free-living and parasitic species between the two compartments. Similar effects on food-web topology can be expected with the inclusion of parasites, regardless of the physical characteristics and taxonomic community compositions of contrasting environments. Additionally, similar increases in key topological metrics were found in the whole-lake food web that combines the pelagic and benthic webs, effects that are comparable to parasite food-web analyses from other systems. These changes in topological metrics are a result of the unique properties of parasites as infectious agents and the links they participate in. Trematodes were key contributors to these results, as these parasites have distinct characteristics in aquatic systems that introduce new link types and increase the food web's generality and vulnerability disproportionate to other parasites. Our analysis highlights the importance of incorporating parasites, especially trophically transmitted parasites, into food webs as they significantly alter key topological metrics and are thus essential for understanding an ecosystem's structure and functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Moore
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Anna Siwertsson
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kevin D Lafferty
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, at Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Armand M Kuris
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Miroslava Soldánová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dana Morton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Raul Primicerio
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Per-Arne Amundsen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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3
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O'Keeffe FE, Pendleton RC, Holland CV, Luijckx P. Increased virulence due to multiple infection in Daphnia leads to limited growth in 1 of 2 co-infecting microsporidian parasites. Parasitology 2024; 151:58-67. [PMID: 37981808 PMCID: PMC10941049 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023001130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of various infectious diseases have highlighted the ever-present need to understand the drivers of the outbreak and spread of disease. Although much of the research investigating diseases focuses on single infections, natural systems are dominated by multiple infections. These infections may occur simultaneously, but are often acquired sequentially, which may alter the outcome of infection. Using waterfleas (Daphnia magna) as a model organism, we examined the outcome of sequential and simultaneous multiple infections with 2 microsporidian parasites (Ordospora colligata and Hamiltosporidium tvaerminnensis) in a fully factorial design with 9 treatments and 30 replicates. We found no differences between simultaneous and sequential infections. However, H. tvaerminnensis fitness was impeded by multiple infection due to increased host mortality, which gave H. tvaerminnensis less time to grow. Host fecundity was also reduced across all treatments, but animals infected with O. colligata at a younger age produced the fewest offspring. As H. tvaerminnensis is both horizontally and vertically transmitted, this reduction in offspring may have further reduced H. tvaerminnensis fitness in co-infected treatments. Our findings suggest that in natural populations where both species co-occur, H. tvaerminnensis may evolve to higher levels of virulence following frequent co-infection by O. colligata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floriane E. O'Keeffe
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rebecca C. Pendleton
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Celia V. Holland
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pepijn Luijckx
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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4
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Hiillos AL, Rony I, Rueckert S, Knott KE. Coinfection patterns of two marine apicomplexans are not associated with genetic diversity of their polychaete host. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2023; 70:e12932. [PMID: 35711085 PMCID: PMC10084031 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Coinfections of two or more parasites within one host are more of a rule than an exception in nature. Interactions between coinfecting parasites can greatly affect their abundance and prevalence. Characteristics of the host, such as genetic diversity, can also affect the infection dynamics of coinfecting parasites. Here, we investigate for the first time the association of coinfection patterns of two marine apicomplexans, Rhytidocystis sp. and Selenidium pygospionis, with the genetic diversity of their host, the polychaete Pygospio elegans, from natural populations. Host genetic diversity was determined with seven microsatellite loci and summarized as allelic richness, inbreeding coefficient, and individual heterozygosity. We detected nonsignificant correlations between infection loads and both individual host heterozygosity and population genetic diversity. Prevalence and infection load of Rhytidocystis sp. were higher than those of S. pygospionis, and both varied spatially. Coinfections were common, and almost all hosts infected by S. pygospionis were also infected by Rhytidocystis sp. Rhytidocystis sp. infection load was significantly higher in dual infections. Our results suggest that factors other than host genetic diversity might be more important in marine apicomplexan infection patterns and experimental approaches would be needed to further determine how interactions between the apicomplexans and their host influence infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lotta Hiillos
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Irin Rony
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Conservation and Restoration Science, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - K Emily Knott
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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F H Strassert J, Rodríguez-Rojas A, Kuropka B, Krahl J, Kaya C, Pulat HC, Nurel M, Saroukh F, Radek R. Nephridiophagids (Chytridiomycota) reduce the fitness of their host insects. J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 192:107769. [PMID: 35597279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Nephridiophagids are unicellular fungi (Chytridiomycota), which infect the Malpighian tubules of insects. While most life cycle features are known, the effects of these endobionts on their hosts remain poorly understood. Here, we present results on the influence of an infection of the cockroach Blattella germanica with Nephridiophaga blattellae (Ni = Nephridiophaga-infected) on physical, physiological, and reproductive fitness parameters. Since the gut nematode Blatticola blattae is a further common parasite of B. germanica, we included double infected cockroaches (N+Ni = nematode plus Ni) in selected experiments. Ni individuals had lower fat reserves and showed reduced mobility. The lifespan of adult hosts was only slightly affected in these individuals but significantly shortened when both Nephridiophaga and nematodes were present. Ni as well as N+Ni females produced considerably less offspring than parasite-free (P-free) females. Immune parameters such as the number of hemocytes and phenoloxidase activity were barely changed by Nephridiophaga and/or nematode infections, while the ability to detoxify pesticides decreased. Quantitative proteomics from hemolymph of P-free, Ni, and N+Ni populations revealed clear differences in the expression profiles. For Ni animals, for example, the down-regulation of fatty acid synthases corroborates our finding of reduced fat reserves. Our study clearly shows that an infection with Nephridiophaga (and nematodes) leads to an overall reduced host fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen F H Strassert
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Alexandro Rodríguez-Rojas
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Internal Medicine - Vetmeduni Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Benno Kuropka
- Protein Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joscha Krahl
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cem Kaya
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hakan-Can Pulat
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehmed Nurel
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fatma Saroukh
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Renate Radek
- Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biology, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Tate AT, Schulz NK. The within-host ecology of insects and their parasites: integrating experiments and mathematical models. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 49:37-41. [PMID: 34793990 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The within-host ecology of hosts and their microbes involves complex feedbacks between the host immune system, energetic resources, and microbial growth and virulence, which in turn affect the probability of transmission to new hosts. This complexity can be challenging to address with experiments alone, and mathematical models have traditionally played an essential role in disentangling these processes, making new predictions, and bridging gaps across biological scales. Insect hosts serve as uniquely powerful systems for the integration of experiments and theory in disease biology. In this review, we highlight recent studies in fruit flies, moths, beetles and other invertebrates that have inspired important mathematical models, and present open questions arising from recent modeling efforts that are ripe for testing in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann T Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 465 21(st) Ave S., Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Nora Ke Schulz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 465 21(st) Ave S., Nashville, TN, USA
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