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Wohlleben AM, Tabima JF, Meyer NP, Steinel NC. Population-level immunologic variation in wild threespine stickleback (Gasterosteusaculeatus). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 149:109580. [PMID: 38663464 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Wild organisms are regularly exposed to a wide range of parasites, requiring the management of an effective immune response while avoiding immunopathology. Currently, our knowledge of immunoparasitology primarily derives from controlled laboratory studies, neglecting the genetic and environmental diversity that contribute to immune phenotypes observed in wild populations. To gain insight into the immunologic variability in natural settings, we examined differences in immune gene expression of two Alaskan stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations with varying susceptibility to infection by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Between these two populations, we found distinct immune gene expression patterns at the population level in response to infection with fish from the high-infection population displaying signs of parasite-driven immune manipulation. Further, we found significant differences in baseline immune gene profiles between the populations, with uninfected low-infection population fish showing signatures of inflammation compared to uninfected high-infection population fish. These results shed light on divergent responses of wild populations to the same parasite, providing valuable insights into host-parasite interactions in natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika M Wohlleben
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany; Biology Department, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | | | - Néva P Meyer
- Biology Department, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Natalie C Steinel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA; Center for Pathogen Research and Training, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
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2
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Lanz-Mendoza H, Gálvez D, Contreras-Garduño J. The plasticity of immune memory in invertebrates. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246158. [PMID: 38449328 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246158] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Whether specific immune protection after initial pathogen exposure (immune memory) occurs in invertebrates has long been uncertain. The absence of antibodies, B-cells and T-cells, and the short lifespans of invertebrates led to the hypothesis that immune memory does not occur in these organisms. However, research in the past two decades has supported the existence of immune memory in several invertebrate groups, including Ctenophora, Cnidaria, Nematoda, Mollusca and Arthropoda. Interestingly, some studies have demonstrated immune memory that is specific to the parasite strain. Nonetheless, other work does not provide support for immune memory in invertebrates or offers only partial support. Moreover, the expected biphasic immune response, a characteristic of adaptive immune memory in vertebrates, varies within and between invertebrate species. This variation may be attributed to the influence of biotic or abiotic factors, particularly parasites, on the outcome of immune memory. Despite its critical importance for survival, the role of phenotypic plasticity in immune memory has not been systematically examined in the past two decades. Additionally, the features of immune responses occurring in diverse environments have yet to be fully characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, INSP, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Dumas Gálvez
- Coiba Scientific Station, City of Knowledge, Calle Gustavo Lara, Boulevard 145B, Clayton 0843-01853, Panama
- Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Universidad de Panamá, Estafeta universitaria, Avenida Simón Bolívar, 0824, Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Edificio 205, Ciudad del Saber, 0816-02852, Panama
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, UNAM, 58190 Morelia, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
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3
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Matthews DG, Maciejewski MF, Wong GA, Lauder GV, Bolnick DI. Locomotor effects of a fibrosis-based immune response in stickleback fish. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246684. [PMID: 37947155 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246684] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate immune system provides an impressively effective defense against parasites and pathogens. However, these benefits must be balanced against a range of costly side-effects including energy loss and risks of auto-immunity. These costs might include biomechanical impairment of movement, but little is known about the intersection between immunity and biomechanics. Here, we show that a fibrosis immune response to Schistocephalus solidus infection in freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has collateral effects on their locomotion. Although fibrosis is effective at reducing infection, some populations of stickleback actively suppress this immune response, possibly because the costs of fibrosis outweigh the benefits. We quantified the locomotor effects of the fibrosis immune response in the absence of parasites to investigate whether there are incidental costs of fibrosis that could help explain why some fish forego this effective defense. To do this, we induced fibrosis in stickleback and then tested their C-start escape performance. Additionally, we measured the severity of fibrosis, body stiffness and body curvature during the escape response. We were able to estimate performance costs of fibrosis by including these variables as intermediates in a structural equation model. This model revealed that among control fish without fibrosis, there is a performance cost associated with increased body stiffness. However, fish with fibrosis did not experience this cost but rather displayed increased performance with higher fibrosis severity. This result demonstrates that the adaptive landscape of immune responses can be complex with the potential for wide-reaching and unexpected fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Matthews
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Meghan F Maciejewski
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Greta A Wong
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - George V Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Matthews DG, Dial TR, Lauder GV. Genes, Morphology, Performance, and Fitness: Quantifying Organismal Performance to Understand Adaptive Evolution. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:843-859. [PMID: 37422435 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the complexities of morphological evolution, we must understand the relationships between genes, morphology, performance, and fitness in complex traits. Genomicists have made tremendous progress in finding the genetic basis of many phenotypes, including a myriad of morphological characters. Similarly, field biologists have greatly advanced our understanding of the relationship between performance and fitness in natural populations. However, the connection from morphology to performance has primarily been studied at the interspecific level, meaning that in most cases we lack a mechanistic understanding of how evolutionarily relevant variation among individuals affects organismal performance. Therefore, functional morphologists need methods that will allow for the analysis of fine-grained intraspecific variation in order to close the path from genes to fitness. We suggest three methodological areas that we believe are well suited for this research program and provide examples of how each can be applied within fish model systems to build our understanding of microevolutionary processes. Specifically, we believe that structural equation modeling, biological robotics, and simultaneous multi-modal functional data acquisition will open up fruitful collaborations among biomechanists, evolutionary biologists, and field biologists. It is only through the combined efforts of all three fields that we will understand the connection between evolution (acting at the level of genes) and natural selection (acting on fitness).
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Matthews
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Terry R Dial
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Moab, UT 84322, USA
- Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Moab, UT 84322, USA
| | - George V Lauder
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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5
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Matthews DG, Maciejewski MF, Wong GA, Lauder GV, Bolnick DI. Locomotor effects of a fibrosis-based immune response in stickleback fish. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.24.546342. [PMID: 37425734 PMCID: PMC10326981 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.24.546342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate immune system provides an impressively effective defense against parasites and pathogens. However, these benefits must be balanced against a range of costly side-effects including energy loss and risks of auto-immunity. These costs might include biomechanical impairment of movement, but little is known about the intersection between immunity and biomechanics. Here, we show that a fibrosis immune response in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has collateral effects on their locomotion. When freshwater stickleback are infected with the tapeworm parasite Schistocephalus solidus, they face an array of fitness consequences ranging from impaired body condition and fertility to an increased risk of mortality. To fight the infection, some stickleback will initiate a fibrosis immune response in which they produce excess collagenous tissue in their coelom. Although fibrosis is effective at reducing infection, some populations of stickleback actively suppress this immune response, possibly because the costs of fibrosis outweigh the benefits. Here we quantify the locomotor effects of the fibrosis immune response in the absence of parasites to investigate whether there are collateral costs of fibrosis that could help explain why some fish forego this effective defense. To do this, we induce fibrosis in stickleback and then test their C-start escape performance. Additionally, we measure the severity of fibrosis, body stiffness, and body curvature during the escape response. We were able to estimate performance costs of fibrosis by including these variables as intermediates in a structural equation model. This model reveals that among control fish without fibrosis, there is a performance cost associated with increased body stiffness. However, fish with fibrosis did not experience this cost but rather displayed increased performance with higher fibrosis severity. This result demonstrates that the adaptive landscape of immune responses can be complex with the potential for wide reaching and unexpected fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Matthews
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
| | - Meghan F. Maciejewski
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, 61820, IL, USA
- Department of Ecology Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, 06269, CT, USA
| | - Greta A. Wong
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
| | - George V. Lauder
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, 02138, MA, USA
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, 06269, CT, USA
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6
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Bolnick DI, Arruda S, Polania C, Simonse L, Padhiar A, Roth A, Rodgers ML. The dominance of coinfecting parasites' indirect effects on host traits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.12.528182. [PMID: 36798170 PMCID: PMC9934634 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.12.528182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Indirect genetic effects (IGEs) exist when there is heritable variation in one species' ability to alter a second species' traits. For example, parasites can evolve disparate strategies to manipulate host immune response, whether by evading detection or suppressing immunity. A complication arises during coinfection, when two or more parasite genotypes may try to impose distinct IGEs on the same host trait: which parasite's IGE will be dominant? Here, we apply the notion of dominance to IGEs during coinfection. Using a mathematical model we show that the dominance of IGEs can alter the evolutionary dynamics of parasites. We consider a resident parasite population receiving rare immigrants with a different immune manipulation trait. These immigrants' relative fitness depends on resident prevalence (e.g., the probability immigrants are alone in a host, or coinfecting with a native), and the dominance of the immigrant's IGE on host immunity. Next, we show experimentally that the cestode Schistocephalus solidus exerts an IGE on a host immune trait: parasite antigens from different populations produced different intensities of fibrosis. We then evaluated IGE dominance, finding evidence for overdominance (coinjected antigens induced an even stronger host immune response) which would be detrimental to immigrants when resident prevalence is high. This combination of experimental and modeling results shows that parasites do exhibit IGEs on host traits, and that the dominance of these IGEs during coinfection can substantially alter parasite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Sophia Arruda
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Christian Polania
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Lauren Simonse
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Arshad Padhiar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Andrea Roth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
| | - Maria L. Rodgers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs CT 06269, USA
- Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Morehead City NC 28557, USA
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Weber JN, Steinel NC, Peng F, Shim KC, Lohman BK, Fuess LE, Subramanian S, Lisle SPD, Bolnick DI. Evolutionary gain and loss of a pathological immune response to parasitism. Science 2022; 377:1206-1211. [PMID: 36074841 PMCID: PMC9869647 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo3411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Parasites impose fitness costs on their hosts. Biologists often assume that natural selection favors infection-resistant hosts. Yet, when the immune response itself is costly, theory suggests that selection may sometimes favor loss of resistance, which may result in alternative stable states where some populations are resistant and others are tolerant. Intraspecific variation in immune costs is rarely surveyed in a manner that tests evolutionary patterns, and there are few examples of adaptive loss of resistance. Here, we show that when marine threespine stickleback colonized freshwater lakes, they gained resistance to the freshwater-associated cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Extensive peritoneal fibrosis and inflammation are a commonly observed phenotype that contributes to suppression of cestode growth and viability but also imposes a substantial cost on fecundity. Combining genetic mapping and population genomics, we find that opposing selection generates immune system differences between tolerant and resistant populations, consistent with divergent optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse N Weber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Natalie C Steinel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Foen Peng
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Kum Chuan Shim
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Brian K Lohman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lauren E Fuess
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Swapna Subramanian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Stephen P De Lisle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Hund AK, Fuess LE, Kenney ML, Maciejewski MF, Marini JM, Shim KC, Bolnick DI. Population-level variation in parasite resistance due to differences in immune initiation and rate of response. Evol Lett 2022; 6:162-177. [PMID: 35386836 PMCID: PMC8966477 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Closely related populations often differ in resistance to a given parasite, as measured by infection success or failure. Yet, the immunological mechanisms of these evolved differences are rarely specified. Does resistance evolve via changes to the host's ability to recognize that an infection exists, actuate an effective immune response, or attenuate that response? We tested whether each of these phases of the host response contributed to threespine sticklebacks' recently evolved resistance to their tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus. Although marine stickleback and some susceptible lake fish permit fast-growing tapeworms, other lake populations are resistant and suppress tapeworm growth via a fibrosis response. We subjected lab-raised fish from three populations (susceptible marine "ancestors," a susceptible lake population, and a resistant lake population) to a novel immune challenge using an injection of (1) a saline control, (2) alum, a generalized pro-inflammatory adjuvant that causes fibrosis, (3) a tapeworm protein extract, or (4) a combination of alum and tapeworm protein. With enough time, all three populations generated a robust fibrosis response to the alum treatments. Yet, only the resistant population exhibited a fibrosis response to the tapeworm protein alone. Thus, these populations differed in their ability to respond to the tapeworm protein but shared an intact fibrosis pathway. The resistant population also initiated fibrosis faster in response to alum, and was able to attenuate fibrosis, unlike the susceptible populations' slow but longer lasting response to alum. As fibrosis has pathological side effects that reduce fecundity, the faster recovery by the resistant population may reflect an adaptation to mitigate the costs of immunity. Broadly, our results confirm that parasite detection and immune initiation, activation speed, and immune attenuation simultaneously contribute to the evolution of parasite resistance and adaptations to infection in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K. Hund
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota55123
| | - Lauren E. Fuess
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut06269
- Current Address: Department of BiologyTexas State UniversitySan MarcosTexas78666
| | - Mariah L. Kenney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut06269
| | - Meghan F. Maciejewski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut06269
| | - Joseph M. Marini
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut06269
| | - Kum Chuan Shim
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of Texas at AustinAustinTexas78712
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticut06269
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Roma S, Carpen L, Raveane A, Bertolini F. The Dual Role of Innate Lymphoid and Natural Killer Cells in Cancer. from Phenotype to Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Functions and Clinical Uses. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205042. [PMID: 34680190 PMCID: PMC8533946 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), a family of innate immune cells including natural killers (NKs), play a multitude of roles in first-line cancer control, in escape from immunity and in cancer progression. In this review, we summarize preclinical and clinical data on ILCs and NK cells concerning their phenotype, function and clinical applications in cellular therapy trials. We also describe how single-cell transcriptome sequencing has been used and forecast how it will be used to better understand ILC and NK involvement in cancer control and progression as well as their therapeutic potential. Abstract The role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including natural killer (NK) cells, is pivotal in inflammatory modulation and cancer. Natural killer cell activity and count have been demonstrated to be regulated by the expression of activating and inhibitory receptors together with and as a consequence of different stimuli. The great majority of NK cell populations have an anti-tumor activity due to their cytotoxicity, and for this reason have been used for cellular therapies in cancer patients. On the other hand, the recently classified helper ILCs are fundamentally involved in inflammation and they can be either helpful or harmful in cancer development and progression. Tissue niche seems to play an important role in modulating ILC function and conversion, as observed at the transcriptional level. In the past, these cell populations have been classified by the presence of specific cellular receptor markers; more recently, due to the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), it has been possible to also explore them at the transcriptomic level. In this article we review studies on ILC (and NK cell) classification, function and their involvement in cancer. We also summarize the potential application of NK cells in cancer therapy and give an overview of the most recent studies involving ILCs and NKs at scRNA-seq, focusing on cancer. Finally, we provide a resource for those who wish to start single-cell transcriptomic analysis on the context of these innate lymphoid cell populations.
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