Tapeworm manipulation of copepod behaviour: parasite genotype has a larger effect than host genotype

The Dominance of Coinfecting Parasites' Indirect Genetic Effects on Host Traits

AbstractIndirect genetic effects (IGEs) exist when there is heritable variation in one organism's ability to alter a second organism's traits. For example, parasites have antigens that can induce a host immune response, as well as disparate strategies to evade or suppress host immunity; among-parasite genetic variation in these antigens generates among-host variation in immune traits. Here, we experimentally show that the cestode parasite Schistocephalus solidus exerts an IGE on an immune trait (peritoneal fibrosis) in its threespine stickleback host: stickleback developed strong fibrosis after exposure to some parasite genotypes but not others. A complication arises during coinfection, when two or more parasite genotypes may impose conflicting IGEs on the same host trait. What parasite-controlled trait will the host express? Will the host trait reflect the more immune-stimulatory parasite genotype or the more immune-evasive genotype? These alternatives can be quantified by estimating the dominance coefficient, as if a coinfected host were a heterozygote. We experimentally estimated the dominance of S. solidus IGEs by coinjecting antigens from different parasite genotypes. Contrary to our a priori hypotheses, coinjected antigens induced an overdominant effect, stronger than either parasite's antigens alone. We present a mathematical model showing that the value of this IGE dominance is biologically important, affecting the evolutionary dynamics of parasites in a density- and frequency-dependent manner. The model indicates that overdominance would be detrimental to immigrants when resident prevalence is high. This combination of experimental data and modeling provides an example of a parasite IGE on host traits and the evolutionary significance of IGE dominance.

Loss of species and genetic diversity during colonization: Insights from acanthocephalan parasites in northern European seals

Studies on host-parasite systems that have experienced distributional shifts, range fragmentation, and population declines in the past can provide information regarding how parasite community richness and genetic diversity will change as a result of anthropogenic environmental changes in the future. Here, we studied how sequential postglacial colonization, shifts in habitat, and reduced host population sizes have influenced species richness and genetic diversity of Corynosoma (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) parasites in northern European marine, brackish, and freshwater seal populations. We collected Corynosoma population samples from Arctic, Baltic, Ladoga, and Saimaa ringed seal subspecies and Baltic gray seals, and then applied COI barcoding and triple-enzyme restriction-site associated DNA (3RAD) sequencing to delimit species, clarify their distributions and community structures, and elucidate patterns of intraspecific gene flow and genetic diversity. Our results showed that Corynosoma species diversity reflected host colonization histories and population sizes, with four species being present in the Arctic, three in the Baltic Sea, two in Lake Ladoga, and only one in Lake Saimaa. We found statistically significant population-genetic differentiation within all three Corynosoma species that occur in more than one seal (sub)species. Genetic diversity tended to be high in Corynosoma populations originating from Arctic ringed seals and low in the landlocked populations. Our results indicate that acanthocephalan communities in landlocked seal populations are impoverished with respect to both species and intraspecific genetic diversity. Interestingly, the loss of genetic diversity within Corynosoma species seems to have been less drastic than in their seal hosts, possibly due to their large local effective population sizes resulting from high infection intensities and effective intra-host population mixing. Our study highlights the utility of genomic methods in investigations of community composition and genetic diversity of understudied parasites.

Host manipulation by parasites through the lens of Niche Construction Theory

The effect of parasites on host behaviour is generally considered an example of the extended phenotype, implying that parasite genes alter host behaviour to benefit the parasite. While the extended phenotype is a valid perspective supported by empirical examples, this approach was proposed from an evolutionary perspective and it does not fully explain all processes that occur at ecological time scales. For instance, the roles of the ontogenetic environment, memory and learning in forming the host phenotype are not explicitly mentioned. Furthermore, the cumulative effect of diverse populations or communities of parasites on host phenotype cannot be attributed to a particular genotype, much less to a particular gene. Building on the idea that the behaviour of a host is the result of a complex process, which certainly goes beyond a specific parasite gene, we use Niche Construction Theory to describe certain systems that are not generally the main focus in the extended phenotype (EP) model. We introduce three niche construction models with corresponding empirical examples that capture the diversity and complexity of host-parasite interactions, providing predictions that simpler models cannot generate. We hope that this novel perspective will inspire further research on the topic, given the impact of ecological factors on both short-, and long-term effects of parasitism.

Optimized and affordable high-throughput sequencing workflow for preserved and nonpreserved small zooplankton specimens

Genomic analysis of hundreds of individuals is increasingly becoming standard in evolutionary and ecological research. Individual-based sequencing generates large amounts of valuable data from experimental and field studies, while using preserved samples is an invaluable resource for studying biodiversity in remote areas or across time. Yet, small-bodied individuals or specimens from collections are often of limited use for genomic analyses due to a lack of suitable extraction and library preparation protocols for preserved or small amounts of tissues. Currently, high-throughput sequencing in zooplankton is mostly restricted to clonal species, that can be maintained in live cultures to obtain sufficient amounts of tissue, or relies on a whole-genome amplification step that comes with several biases and high costs. Here, we present a workflow for high-throughput sequencing of single small individuals omitting the need for prior whole-genome amplification or live cultures. We establish and demonstrate this method using 27 species of the genus Daphnia, aquatic keystone organisms, and validate it with small-bodied ostracods. Our workflow is applicable to both live and preserved samples at low costs per sample. We first show that a silica-column based DNA extraction method resulted in the highest DNA yields for nonpreserved samples while a precipitation-based technique gave the highest yield for ethanol-preserved samples and provided the longest DNA fragments. We then successfully performed short-read whole genome sequencing from single Daphnia specimens and ostracods. Moreover, we assembled a draft reference genome from a single Daphnia individual (>50× coverage) highlighting the value of the workflow for non-model organisms.

Tapeworm manipulation of copepod behaviour: parasite genotype has a larger effect than host genotype

Compared with uninfected individuals, infected animals can exhibit altered phenotypes. The changes often appear beneficial to parasites, leading to the notion that modified host phenotypes are extended parasite phenotypes, shaped by parasite genes. However, the phenotype of a parasitized individual may reflect parasitic manipulation, host responses to infection or both, and disentangling the contribution of parasite genes versus host genes to these altered phenotypes is challenging. Using a tapeworm (Schistocephalus solidus) infecting its copepod first intermediate host, I performed a full-factorial, cross-infection experiment with five host and five parasite genotypes. I found that a behavioural trait modified by infection, copepod activity, was affected by both host and parasite genotype. There was no clear evidence for host genotype by parasite genotype interactions. Several observations indicated that host behaviour was chiefly determined by parasite genes: (i) all infected copepods, regardless of host or parasite genotype, exhibited behavioural changes, (ii) parasitism reduced the differences among copepod genotypes, and (iii) within infected copepods, parasite genotype had twice as large an effect on behaviour as host genotype. I conclude that the altered behaviour of infected copepods primarily represents an extended parasite phenotype, and I discuss how genetic variation in parasitic host manipulation could be maintained.