1
|
Vinkler M, Fiddaman SR, Těšický M, O'Connor EA, Savage AE, Lenz TL, Smith AL, Kaufman J, Bolnick DI, Davies CS, Dedić N, Flies AS, Samblás MMG, Henschen AE, Novák K, Palomar G, Raven N, Samaké K, Slade J, Veetil NK, Voukali E, Höglund J, Richardson DS, Westerdahl H. Understanding the evolution of immune genes in jawed vertebrates. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:847-873. [PMID: 37255207 PMCID: PMC10247546 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14181] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Driven by co-evolution with pathogens, host immunity continuously adapts to optimize defence against pathogens within a given environment. Recent advances in genetics, genomics and transcriptomics have enabled a more detailed investigation into how immunogenetic variation shapes the diversity of immune responses seen across domestic and wild animal species. However, a deeper understanding of the diverse molecular mechanisms that shape immunity within and among species is still needed to gain insight into-and generate evolutionary hypotheses on-the ultimate drivers of immunological differences. Here, we discuss current advances in our understanding of molecular evolution underpinning jawed vertebrate immunity. First, we introduce the immunome concept, a framework for characterizing genes involved in immune defence from a comparative perspective, then we outline how immune genes of interest can be identified. Second, we focus on how different selection modes are observed acting across groups of immune genes and propose hypotheses to explain these differences. We then provide an overview of the approaches used so far to study the evolutionary heterogeneity of immune genes on macro and microevolutionary scales. Finally, we discuss some of the current evidence as to how specific pathogens affect the evolution of different groups of immune genes. This review results from the collective discussion on the current key challenges in evolutionary immunology conducted at the ESEB 2021 Online Satellite Symposium: Molecular evolution of the vertebrate immune system, from the lab to natural populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vinkler
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | | | - Martin Těšický
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | | | - Anna E. Savage
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Central FloridaFloridaOrlandoUSA
| | - Tobias L. Lenz
- Research Unit for Evolutionary ImmunogenomicsDepartment of BiologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | | | - Jim Kaufman
- Institute for Immunology and Infection ResearchUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | | | - Neira Dedić
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Andrew S. Flies
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - M. Mercedes Gómez Samblás
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Department of ParasitologyUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | | | - Karel Novák
- Department of Genetics and BreedingInstitute of Animal SciencePragueUhříněvesCzech Republic
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Faculty of BiologyInstitute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Nynke Raven
- Department of ScienceEngineering and Build EnvironmentDeakin UniversityVictoriaWaurn PondsAustralia
| | - Kalifa Samaké
- Department of Genetics and MicrobiologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Joel Slade
- Department of BiologyCalifornia State UniversityFresnoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Eleni Voukali
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsUppsala UniversitetUppsalaSweden
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Benedict BM, Barboza PS. Adverse effects of Diptera flies on northern ungulates:
Rangifer
,
Alces
, and
Bison. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M. Benedict
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University 2258 TAMU, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd College Station TX77843USA
| | - Perry S. Barboza
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology Texas A&M University 2258 TAMU, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd College Station TX77843USA
- Department of Rangelands Wildlife and Fisheries Management Texas A&M University 2258 TAMU, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd College Station TX77843USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Serological Evidence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Semi-Domesticated Eurasian Tundra Reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Norway. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10121542. [PMID: 34959497 PMCID: PMC8709481 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121542] [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: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common cause of viral hepatitis in humans. In developing countries, HEV-infections seem to be mainly associated with pigs, but other animal species may be involved in viral transmission. Recently, anti-HEV antibodies were detected in Norwegian wild reindeer. Here, we investigated anti-HEV seroprevalence in Norwegian semi-domesticated reindeer, animals in closer contact with humans than their wild counterparts. Blood samples (n = 516) were obtained from eight reindeer herds during the period 2013–2017 and analysed with a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay designed for detecting anti-HEV antibodies in livestock. Antibodies were found in all herds and for all sampling seasons. The overall seroprevalence was 15.7% (81/516), with adults showing a slightly higher seroprevalence (18.0%, 46/256) than calves (13.5%, 35/260, p = 0.11). The seroprevalence was not influenced by gender or latitude, and there was no temporal trend (p > 0.15). A positive association between the presence of anti-HEV antibodies and antibodies against alphaherpesvirus and pestivirus, detected in a previous screening, was found (p < 0.05). We conclude that Norwegian semi-domesticated reindeer are exposed to HEV or an antigenically similar virus. Whether the virus is affecting reindeer health or infects humans and poses a threat for human health remains unknown and warrants further investigations.
Collapse
|
4
|
Ogden NH, Beard CB, Ginsberg HS, Tsao JI. Possible Effects of Climate Change on Ixodid Ticks and the Pathogens They Transmit: Predictions and Observations. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1536-1545. [PMID: 33112403 PMCID: PMC9620468 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The global climate has been changing over the last century due to greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to change over this century, accelerating without effective global efforts to reduce emissions. Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are inherently climate-sensitive due to the sensitivity of tick lifecycles to climate. Key direct climate and weather sensitivities include survival of individual ticks, and the duration of development and host-seeking activity of ticks. These sensitivities mean that in some regions a warming climate may increase tick survival, shorten life-cycles and lengthen the duration of tick activity seasons. Indirect effects of climate change on host communities may, with changes in tick abundance, facilitate enhanced transmission of tick-borne pathogens. High temperatures, and extreme weather events (heat, cold, and flooding) are anticipated with climate change, and these may reduce tick survival and pathogen transmission in some locations. Studies of the possible effects of climate change on TTBDs to date generally project poleward range expansion of geographical ranges (with possible contraction of ranges away from the increasingly hot tropics), upslope elevational range spread in mountainous regions, and increased abundance of ticks in many current endemic regions. However, relatively few studies, using long-term (multi-decade) observations, provide evidence of recent range changes of tick populations that could be attributed to recent climate change. Further integrated 'One Health' observational and modeling studies are needed to detect changes in TTBD occurrence, attribute them to climate change, and to develop predictive models of public- and animal-health needs to plan for TTBD emergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada J2S 2M2
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada J2S 2M2
- Corresponding author,
| | - C. Ben Beard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Howard S. Ginsberg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Rhode Island Field Station, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Glidden CK, Coon CAC, Beechler BR, McNulty C, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Co-infection best predicts respiratory viral infection in a wild host. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:602-614. [PMID: 33232513 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The dynamics of directly transmitted pathogens in natural populations are likely to result from the combined effects of host traits, pathogen biology, and interactions among pathogens within a host. Discovering how these factors work in concert to shape variation in pathogen dynamics in natural host-multi-pathogen systems is fundamental to understanding population health. Here, we describe temporal variation in incidence and then elucidate the effect of hosts trait, season and pathogen co-occurrence on host infection risk using one of the most comprehensive studies of co-infection in a wild population: a suite of seven directly transmitted viral and bacterial respiratory infections from a 4-year study of 200 free-ranging African buffalo Syncerus caffer. Incidence of upper respiratory infections was common throughout the study-five out of the seven pathogens appeared to be consistently circulating throughout our study population. One pathogen exhibited clear outbreak dynamics in our final study year and another was rarely detected. Co-infection was also common in this system: The strongest indicator of pathogen occurrence for respiratory viruses was in fact the presence of other viral respiratory infections. Host traits had minimal effects on odds of pathogen occurrence but did modify pathogen-pathogen associations. In contrast, only season predicted bacterial pathogen occurrence. Though a combination of environmental, behavioural, and physiological factors work together to shape disease dynamics, we found pathogen associations best determined infection risk. Our study demonstrates that, in the absence of very fine-scale data, the intricate changes among these factors are best represented by co-infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline K Glidden
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Courtney A C Coon
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brianna R Beechler
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Chase McNulty
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anna E Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Decker LE, Jeffrey CS, Ochsenrider KM, Potts AS, de Roode JC, Smilanich AM, Hunter MD. Elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO 2 increase endogenous immune function in a specialist herbivore. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:628-640. [PMID: 33241571 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animals rely on a balance of endogenous and exogenous sources of immunity to mitigate parasite attack. Understanding how environmental context affects that balance is increasingly urgent under rapid environmental change. In herbivores, immunity is determined, in part, by phytochemistry which is plastic in response to environmental conditions. Monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus, consistently experience infection by a virulent parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, and some medicinal milkweed (Asclepias) species, with high concentrations of toxic steroids (cardenolides), provide a potent source of exogenous immunity. We investigated plant-mediated influences of elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) on endogenous immune responses of monarch larvae to infection by O. elektroscirrha. Recently, transcriptomics have revealed that infection by O. elektroscirrha does not alter monarch immune gene regulation in larvae, corroborating that monarchs rely more on exogenous than endogenous immunity. However, monarchs feeding on medicinal milkweed grown under eCO2 lose tolerance to the parasite, associated with changes in phytochemistry. Whether changes in milkweed phytochemistry induced by eCO2 alter the balance between exogenous and endogenous sources of immunity remains unknown. We fed monarchs two species of milkweed; A. curassavica (medicinal) and A. incarnata (non-medicinal) grown under ambient CO2 (aCO2 ) or eCO2 . We then measured endogenous immune responses (phenoloxidase activity, haemocyte concentration and melanization strength), along with foliar chemistry, to assess mechanisms of monarch immunity under future atmospheric conditions. The melanization response of late-instar larvae was reduced on medicinal milkweed in comparison to non-medicinal milkweed. Moreover, the endogenous immune responses of early-instar larvae to infection by O. elektroscirrha were generally lower in larvae reared on foliage from aCO2 plants and higher in larvae reared on foliage from eCO2 plants. When grown under eCO2 , milkweed plants exhibited lower cardenolide concentrations, lower phytochemical diversity and lower nutritional quality (higher C:N ratios). Together, these results suggest that the loss of exogenous immunity from foliage under eCO2 results in increased endogenous immune function. Animal populations face multiple threats induced by anthropogenic environmental change. Our results suggest that shifts in the balance between exogenous and endogenous sources of immunity to parasite attack may represent an underappreciated consequence of environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leslie E Decker
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Abigail S Potts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Seeber PA, Kuzmina TA, Greenwood AD, East ML. Effects of life history stage and climatic conditions on fecal egg counts in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti National Park. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3401-3413. [PMID: 32780185 PMCID: PMC7505882 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06836-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In wildlife, endoparasite burden can be affected by host life history stage, environmental conditions, host abundance, and parasite co-infections. We tested the effects of these factors on gastrointestinal parasite infection in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, using fecal egg counts of two nematode families (Strongylidae and Ascarididae) and the presence/absence of cestode (Anoplocephalidae) eggs. We predicted higher egg counts of Strongylidae and Ascarididae, and increased likelihood of Anoplocephalidae infection in individuals (1) during energetically costly life history stages when resource allocation to immune processes may decrease and in young zebras after weaning because of increased uptake of infective stages with forage, (2) when climatic conditions facilitate survival of infective stages, (3) when large zebra aggregations increase forage contamination with infective stages, and (4) in individuals co-infected with more than one parasite group as this may indicate reduced immune competence. Strongylidae egg counts were higher, and the occurrence of Anoplocephalidae eggs was more likely in bachelors than in band stallions, whereas Ascarididae egg counts were higher in band stallions. Strongylidae and Ascarididae egg counts were not increased in lactating females. Strongylidae egg counts were higher in subadults than in foals. Regardless of sex and age, Ascarididae infections were more likely under wet conditions. Co-infections did not affect Strongylidae egg counts. Ascarididae egg counts in adult females were higher when individuals were co-infected with Anoplocephalidae. We present evidence that parasite burdens in plains zebras are affected by life history stage, environmental conditions, and co-infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Seeber
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany. .,Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Tetiana A Kuzmina
- Department of Parasitology, I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, Bogdan Khmelnytsky Street, 15, Kyiv, 01030, Ukraine
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Evolutionary Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Flueck WT. Nutrition as an etiological factor causing diseases in endangered huemul deer. BMC Res Notes 2020; 13:276. [PMID: 32513255 PMCID: PMC7282076 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-020-05122-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Distinct diseases prevent endangered huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) recovery. Fundamental etiological factors include nutriments, a mayor component of habitat quality. Undernutrition affects growth, skeletal development, osteopathology, reproduction and immunocompetence: this paper amplifies data corroborating micro-nutrient deficiencies among huemul. RESULTS In Argentina, 57% huemul cadavers exhibited osteopathology, with new cases reported here. Recently, 86% live huemul had osteopathology: cranial lesions involved antemortem tooth loss, reducing feeding efficiency and body condition, with starvation deaths. This population had tissues well deficient compared to other cervids, averaging 0.28 ppm selenium, 4.98 ppm copper, whereas for manganese 55% were deficient (2.52 ppm) and 45% adequate (42.79 ppm). Recently, lesions in one Chilean huemul were interpreted to stem from parapoxvirus. That population also has cases with cranial osteopathologies, high disease susceptibility (parapoxvirus, parasitism, foot lesions), crippled antlers, and low density, indicative of marginal habitat and primary etiological factors like undernutrition and immunosuppression. The reported atypical symptoms attributed to parapoxvirus may relate to probable diagnostic limitations, but does support presence of nutritional deficiencies. Patagonia has selenium deficient plants and livestock, including severe muscular dystrophy, and soil levels in extant huemul areas considered very deficient. Moreover, 73% of Chilean huemul were selenium deficient and 64% severely deficient with concomitant cranial osteopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Werner T Flueck
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University Basel, Socinstrasse 57, 4051, Basel, Switzerland.
- National Council of Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Argentine National Park Administration, Rolando 699, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tombak KJ, Budischak SA, Hauck S, Martinez LA, Rubenstein DI. The non-invasive measurement of faecal immunoglobulin in African equids. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 12:105-112. [PMID: 32528845 PMCID: PMC7283094 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Eco-immunological research is encumbered by a lack of basic research in a wild context and by the availability of few non-invasive tools to measure the internal state of wild animals. The recent development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring immunoglobulins in faecal samples from Soay sheep prompted us to optimize such an assay to measure immunoglobulin A (IgA: an antibody associated with parasitic nematode fecundity) in faecal samples from equids. We measured total IgA in domestic donkeys, wild plains zebras, and wild Grevy's zebras sharing the same landscape in central Kenya over two field seasons. Attempts to measure anti-nematode IgA more specifically, using a homogenized extract from a mixture of excreted nematodes, failed to clear background. However, we found that total IgA positively correlated with strongyle nematode faecal egg counts (FECs) in donkeys sampled during the wetter field season - a time when the donkeys were in good condition. Further, this relationship appeared among donkeys with high body condition but not among those with low body condition. Time lags of 1–4 days introduced between IgA and FEC measurements in repeatedly sampled donkeys did not yield correlations, suggesting that IgA and FEC roughly tracked one another without much delay in the wet field season. Such a direct IgA-FEC relationship did not appear for zebras in either the wet or dry field season, possibly due to higher interindividual variation in body condition among the free-roaming zebras than in the donkeys. However, Grevy's zebras had higher overall levels of IgA than either plains zebras or donkeys, potentially associated with their reportedly lower FECs at the population level. Our results suggest that equids may mount an IgA response to nematode egg production when the host is in good condition and that equid species may differ in baseline levels of mucosal IgA. We optimized an immunosorbent assay to non-invasively measure total IgA in faeces from equids. IgA positively correlated with nematode faecal egg count (FEC) in donkeys in good body condition. IgA and FEC were not correlated in a dry year for donkeys or in any year for wild plains and Grevy's zebras. IgA may relate to FECs at the population level only when body condition is uniformly good. IgA was higher in Grevy's than plains zebras or donkeys, suggesting differences in immune strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaia J Tombak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Sarah A Budischak
- Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie Hauck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Lindsay A Martinez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Becker DJ, Downs CJ, Martin LB. Multi-Scale Drivers of Immunological Variation and Consequences for Infectious Disease Dynamics. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1129-1137. [PMID: 31559436 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system is the primary barrier to parasite infection, replication, and transmission following exposure, and variation in immunity can accordingly manifest in heterogeneity in traits that govern population-level infectious disease dynamics. While much work in ecoimmunology has focused on individual-level determinants of host immune defense (e.g., reproductive status and body condition), an ongoing challenge remains to understand the broader evolutionary and ecological contexts of this variation (e.g., phylogenetic relatedness and landscape heterogeneity) and to connect these differences into epidemiological frameworks. Ultimately, such efforts could illuminate general principles about the drivers of host defense and improve predictions and control of infectious disease. Here, we highlight recent work that synthesizes the complex drivers of immunological variation across biological scales of organization and scales these within-host differences to population-level infection outcomes. Such studies note the limitations involved in making species-level comparisons of immune phenotypes, stress the importance of spatial scale for immunology research, showcase several statistical tools for translating within-host data into epidemiological parameters, and provide theoretical frameworks for linking within- and between-host scales of infection processes. Building from these studies, we highlight several promising avenues for continued work, including the application of machine learning tools and phylogenetically controlled meta-analyses to immunology data and quantifying the joint spatial and temporal dependencies in immune defense using range expansions as model systems. We also emphasize the use of organismal traits (e.g., host tolerance, competence, and resistance) as a way to interlink various scales of analysis. Such continued collaboration and disciplinary cross-talk among ecoimmunology, disease ecology, and mathematical modeling will facilitate an improved understanding of the multi-scale drivers and consequences of variation in host defense.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- Department of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Becker DJ, Nachtmann C, Argibay HD, Botto G, Escalera-Zamudio M, Carrera JE, Tello C, Winiarski E, Greenwood AD, Méndez-Ojeda ML, Loza-Rubio E, Lavergne A, de Thoisy B, Czirják GÁ, Plowright RK, Altizer S, Streicker DG. Leukocyte Profiles Reflect Geographic Range Limits in a Widespread Neotropical Bat. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1176-1189. [PMID: 30873523 PMCID: PMC6907035 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying how the environment shapes host immune defense is important for understanding which wild populations may be more susceptible or resistant to pathogens. Spatial variation in parasite risk, food and predator abundance, and abiotic conditions can each affect immunity, and these factors can also manifest at both local and biogeographic scales. Yet identifying predictors and the spatial scale of their effects is limited by the rarity of studies that measure immunity across many populations of broadly distributed species. We analyzed leukocyte profiles from 39 wild populations of the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) across its wide geographic range throughout the Neotropics. White blood cell differentials varied spatially, with proportions of neutrophils and lymphocytes varying up to six-fold across sites. Leukocyte profiles were spatially autocorrelated at small and very large distances, suggesting that local environment and large-scale biogeographic factors influence cellular immunity. Generalized additive models showed that bat populations closer to the northern and southern limits of the species range had more neutrophils, monocytes, and basophils, but fewer lymphocytes and eosinophils, than bats sampled at the core of their distribution. Habitats with access to more livestock also showed similar patterns in leukocyte profiles, but large-scale patterns were partly confounded by time between capture and sampling across sites. Our findings suggest that populations at the edge of their range experience physiologically limiting conditions that predict higher chronic stress and greater investment in cellular innate immunity. High food abundance in livestock-dense habitats may exacerbate such conditions by increasing bat density or diet homogenization, although future spatially and temporally coordinated field studies with common protocols are needed to limit sampling artifacts. Systematically assessing immune function and response over space will elucidate how environmental conditions influence traits relevant to epidemiology and help predict disease risks with anthropogenic disturbance, land conversion, and climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Cecilia Nachtmann
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Hernan D Argibay
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Germán Botto
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA.,Departamento de Metodos Cuantitativos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Marina Escalera-Zamudio
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin 10315, Germany.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
| | - Jorge E Carrera
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura 20009, Peru.,Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Perú, Piura Lima-1, Peru
| | - Carlos Tello
- Association for the Conservation and Development of Natural Resources, Lima 15037, Peru.,Yunkawasi, Lima 15049, Peru
| | - Erik Winiarski
- Departamento de Histología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin 10315, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14163, Germany
| | - Maria L Méndez-Ojeda
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz 91710, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth Loza-Rubio
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Microbiología Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico City 05110, Mexico
| | - Anne Lavergne
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana F-97300, France
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana F-97300, France
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin 10315, Germany
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Daniel G Streicker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Albery GF, Becker DJ, Kenyon F, Nussey DH, Pemberton JM. The Fine-Scale Landscape of Immunity and Parasitism in a Wild Ungulate Population. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1165-1175. [PMID: 30942858 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial heterogeneity in susceptibility and exposure to parasites is a common source of confounding variation in disease ecology studies. However, it is not known whether spatial autocorrelation acts on immunity at small scales, within wild animal populations, and whether this predicts spatial patterns in infection. Here we used a well-mixed wild population of individually recognized red deer (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting a heterogeneous landscape to investigate fine-scale spatial patterns of immunity and parasitism. We noninvasively collected 842 fecal samples from 141 females with known ranging behavior over 2 years. We quantified total and helminth-specific mucosal antibodies and counted propagules of three gastrointestinal helminth taxa. These data were analyzed with linear mixed models using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation, using a Stochastic Partial Differentiation Equation approach to control for and quantify spatial autocorrelation. We also investigated whether spatial patterns of immunity and parasitism changed seasonally. We discovered substantial spatial heterogeneity in general and helminth-specific antibody levels and parasitism with two helminth taxa, all of which exhibited contrasting seasonal variation in their spatial patterns. Notably, Fasciola hepatica intensity appeared to be strongly influenced by the presence of wet grazing areas, and antibody hotspots did not correlate with distributions of any parasites. Our results suggest that spatial heterogeneity may be an important factor affecting immunity and parasitism in a wide range of study systems. We discuss these findings with regards to the design of sampling regimes and public health interventions, and suggest that disease ecology studies investigate spatial heterogeneity more regularly to enhance their results, even when examining small geographic areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory F Albery
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Fiona Kenyon
- Pentlands Science Park, Moredun Research Institute, Bush Loan, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Becker DJ, Albery GF, Kessler MK, Lunn TJ, Falvo CA, Czirják GÁ, Martin LB, Plowright RK. Macroimmunology: The drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defence. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:972-995. [PMID: 31856309 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales. Identifying the most important spatial drivers of immunity could help pre-empt infectious disease risks, especially in the context of how large-scale factors such as urbanization affect defence by changing environmental conditions. We provide a synthesis of how to apply macroecological approaches to the study of ecoimmunology (i.e. macroimmunology). We first review spatial factors that could generate spatial variation in defence, highlighting the need for large-scale studies that can differentiate competing environmental predictors of immunity and detailing contexts where this approach might be favoured over small-scale experimental studies. We next conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of spatial studies and to classify them according to taxa, immune measures, spatial replication and extent, and statistical methods. We review 210 ecoimmunology studies sampling multiple host populations. We show that whereas spatial approaches are relatively common, spatial replication is generally low and unlikely to provide sufficient environmental variation or power to differentiate competing spatial hypotheses. We also highlight statistical biases in macroimmunology, in that few studies characterize and account for spatial dependence statistically, potentially affecting inferences for the relationships between environmental conditions and immune defence. We use these findings to describe tools from geostatistics and spatial modelling that can improve inference about the associations between environmental and immunological variation. In particular, we emphasize exploratory tools that can guide spatial sampling and highlight the need for greater use of mixed-effects models that account for spatial variability while also allowing researchers to account for both individual- and habitat-level covariates. We finally discuss future research priorities for macroimmunology, including focusing on latitudinal gradients, range expansions and urbanization as being especially amenable to large-scale spatial approaches. Methodologically, we highlight critical opportunities posed by assessing spatial variation in host tolerance, using metagenomics to quantify spatial variation in parasite pressure, coupling large-scale field studies with small-scale field experiments and longitudinal approaches, and applying statistical tools from macroecology and meta-analysis to identify generalizable spatial patterns. Such work will facilitate scaling ecoimmunology from individual- to habitat-level insights about the drivers of immune defence and help predict where environmental change may most alter infectious disease risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tamika J Lunn
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caylee A Falvo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pruvot M, Fine AE, Hollinger C, Strindberg S, Damdinjav B, Buuveibaatar B, Chimeddorj B, Bayandonoi G, Khishgee B, Sandag B, Narmandakh J, Jargalsaikhan T, Bataa B, McAloose D, Shatar M, Basan G, Mahapatra M, Selvaraj M, Parida S, Njeumi F, Kock R, Shiilegdamba E. Outbreak of Peste des Petits Ruminants among Critically Endangered Mongolian Saiga and Other Wild Ungulates, Mongolia, 2016-2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:51-62. [PMID: 31855146 PMCID: PMC6924898 DOI: 10.3201/eid2601.181998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2016-2017 introduction of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) into livestock in Mongolia was followed by mass mortality of the critically endangered Mongolian saiga antelope and other rare wild ungulates. To assess the nature and population effects of this outbreak among wild ungulates, we collected clinical, histopathologic, epidemiologic, and ecological evidence. Molecular characterization confirmed that the causative agent was PPRV lineage IV. The spatiotemporal patterns of cases among wildlife were similar to those among livestock affected by the PPRV outbreak, suggesting spillover of virus from livestock at multiple locations and time points and subsequent spread among wild ungulates. Estimates of saiga abundance suggested a population decline of 80%, raising substantial concerns for the species' survival. Consideration of the entire ungulate community (wild and domestic) is essential for elucidating the epidemiology of PPRV in Mongolia, addressing the threats to wild ungulate conservation, and achieving global PPRV eradication.
Collapse
|
15
|
Dugovich BS, Crane LL, Alcantar BB, Beechler BR, Dolan BP, Jolles AE. Multiple innate antibacterial immune defense elements are correlated in diverse ungulate species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225579. [PMID: 31774834 PMCID: PMC6881064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to evaluate to what extent different assays of innate immunity reveal similar patterns of variation across ungulate species. We compared several measures of innate antibacterial immune function across seven different ungulate species using blood samples obtained from captive animals maintained in a zoological park. We measured mRNA expression of two receptors involved in innate pathogen detection, toll-like receptors 2 and 5 (TLR2 and 5), the bactericidal capacity of plasma, as well as the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes. Species examined included aoudad (Ammotragus lervia), American bison (Bison bison bison), yak (Bos grunniens), Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), fallow deer (Dama dama), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and Damara zebra (Equus quagga burchellii). Innate immunity varied among ungulate species. However, we detected strong, positive correlations between the different measures of innate immunity-specifically, TLR2 and TLR5 were correlated, and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was positively associated with TLR2, TLR5, and bacterial killing ability. Our results suggest that ecoimmunological study results may be quite robust to the choice of assays, at least for antibacterial innate immunity; and that, despite the complexity of the immune system, important sources of variation in immunity in natural populations may be discoverable with comparatively simple tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S. Dugovich
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Lucie L. Crane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Benji B. Alcantar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- Wildlife Safari, Winston, OR, United States of America
| | - Brianna R. Beechler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Brian P. Dolan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Tomasi
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Briana N Anderson
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California – Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Baliu-Piqué M, Kurniawan H, Ravesloot L, Verheij MW, Drylewicz J, Lievaart-Peterson K, Borghans JAM, Koets A, Tesselaar K. Age-related distribution and dynamics of T-cells in blood and lymphoid tissues of goats. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 93:1-10. [PMID: 30550777 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal mammals have increased disease susceptibility and sub-optimal vaccine responses. This raises problems in both humans and farm animals. The high prevalence of paratuberculosis in goats and the lack of an effective vaccine against it have a strong impact on the dairy sector, and calls for vaccines optimized for the neonatal immune system. We characterized the composition of the T-cell pool in neonatal kids and adult goats and quantified their turnover rates using in vivo deuterium labelling. From birth to adulthood, CD4+ T-cells were the predominant subset in the thymus and lymph nodes, while spleen and bone marrow contained mainly CD8+ lymphocytes. In blood, CD4+ T-cells were the predominant subset during the neonatal period, while CD8+ T-cells predominated in adults. We observed that thymic mass and cellularity increased during the first 5 months after birth, but decreased later in life. Deuterium labelling revealed that T-cell turnover rates in neonatal kids are considerably higher than in adult animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariona Baliu-Piqué
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Henry Kurniawan
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lars Ravesloot
- Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, the Netherlands; Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Myrddin W Verheij
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Julia Drylewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - José A M Borghans
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ad Koets
- Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, the Netherlands; Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kiki Tesselaar
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Becker DJ, Czirják GÁ, Rynda-Apple A, Plowright RK. Handling Stress and Sample Storage Are Associated with Weaker Complement-Mediated Bactericidal Ability in Birds but Not Bats. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:37-48. [PMID: 30481115 DOI: 10.1086/701069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Variation in immune defense influences infectious disease dynamics within and among species. Understanding how variation in immunity drives pathogen transmission among species is especially important for animals that are reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens. Bats, in particular, have a propensity to host serious viral zoonoses without developing clinical disease themselves. The immunological adaptations that allow bats to host viruses without disease may be related to their adaptations for flight (e.g., in metabolism and mediation of oxidative stress). A number of analyses report greater richness of zoonotic pathogens in bats than in other taxa, such as birds (i.e., mostly volant vertebrates) and rodents (i.e., nonvolant small mammals), but immunological comparisons between bats and these other taxa are rare. To examine interspecific differences in bacterial killing ability (BKA), a functional measure of overall constitutive innate immunity, we use a phylogenetic meta-analysis to compare how BKA responds to the acute stress of capture and to storage time of frozen samples across the orders Aves and Chiroptera. After adjusting for host phylogeny, sample size, and total microbe colony-forming units, we find preliminary evidence that the constitutive innate immune defense of bats may be more resilient to handling stress and storage time than that of birds. This pattern was also similar when we analyzed the proportion of nonnegative and positive effect sizes per species, using phylogenetic comparative methods. We discuss potential physiological and evolutionary mechanisms by which complement proteins may differ between species orders and suggest future avenues for comparative field studies of immunity between sympatric bats, birds, and rodents in particular.
Collapse
|
19
|
Wilde LR, Wolf CJ, Porter SM, Stager M, Cheviron ZA, Senner NR. Botfly infections impair the aerobic performance and survival of montane populations of deer mice,
Peromyscus maniculatus rufinus. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luke R. Wilde
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | - Cole J. Wolf
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | - Stephanie M. Porter
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado
| | - Maria Stager
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana
| | | | - Nathan R. Senner
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Downs CJ, Boan BV, Lohuis TD, Stewart KM. Investigating Relationships between Reproduction, Immune Defenses, and Cortisol in Dall Sheep. Front Immunol 2018; 9:105. [PMID: 29445376 PMCID: PMC5797757 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history theory is fundamental to understanding how animals allocate resources among survival, development, and reproduction, and among traits within these categories. Immediate trade-offs occur within a short span of time and, therefore, are more easily detected. Trade-offs, however, can also manifest across stages of the life cycle, a phenomenon known as carryover effects. We investigated trade-offs on both time scales in two populations of Dall sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) in Southcentral Alaska. Specifically, we (i) tested for glucocorticoid-mediated carryover effects from the breeding season on reproductive success and immune defenses during parturition and (ii) tested for trade-offs between immune defenses and reproduction within a season. We observed no relationship between cortisol during mating and pregnancy success; however, we found marginal support for a negative relationship between maternal cortisol and neonate birth weights. Low birth weights, resulting from high maternal cortisol, may result in low survival or low fecundity for the neonate later in life, which could result in overall population decline. We observed a negative relationship between pregnancy and bacterial killing ability, although we observed no relationship between pregnancy and haptoglobin. Study site affected bactericidal capacity and the inflammatory response, indicating the influence of external factors on immune responses, although we could not test hypotheses about the cause of those differences. This study helps advance our understanding of the plasticity and complexity of the immune system and provides insights into the how individual differences in physiology may mediate differences in fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia J. Downs
- Department of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, United States
| | - Brianne V. Boan
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States
| | - Thomas D. Lohuis
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage, AK, United States
| | - Kelley M. Stewart
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Beechler BR, Jolles AE, Budischak SA, Corstjens PLAM, Ezenwa VO, Smith M, Spaan RS, van Dam GJ, Steinauer ML. Host immunity, nutrition and coinfection alter longitudinal infection patterns of schistosomes in a free ranging African buffalo population. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0006122. [PMID: 29253882 PMCID: PMC5755937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomes are trematode parasites of global importance, causing infections in millions of people, livestock, and wildlife. Most studies on schistosomiasis, involve human subjects; as such, there is a paucity of longitudinal studies investigating parasite dynamics in the absence of intervention. As a consequence, despite decades of research on schistosomiasis, our understanding of its ecology in natural host populations is centered around how environmental exposure and acquired immunity influence acquisition of parasites, while very little is known about the influence of host physiology, coinfection and clearance in the absence of drug treatment. We used a 4-year study in free-ranging African buffalo to investigate natural schistosome dynamics. We asked (i) what are the spatial and temporal patterns of schistosome infections; (ii) how do parasite burdens vary over time within individual hosts; and (iii) what host factors (immunological, physiological, co-infection) and environmental factors (season, location) explain patterns of schistosome acquisition and loss in buffalo? Schistosome infections were common among buffalo. Microgeographic structure explained some variation in parasite burdens among hosts, indicating transmission hotspots. Overall, parasite burdens ratcheted up over time; however, gains in schistosome abundance in the dry season were partially offset by losses in the wet season, with some hosts demonstrating complete clearance of infection. Variation among buffalo in schistosome loss was associated with immunologic and nutritional factors, as well as co-infection by the gastrointestinal helminth Cooperia fuelleborni. Our results demonstrate that schistosome infections are surprisingly dynamic in a free-living mammalian host population, and point to a role for host factors in driving variation in parasite clearance, but not parasite acquisition which is driven by seasonal changes and spatial habitat utilization. Our study illustrates the power of longitudinal studies for discovering mechanisms underlying parasite dynamics in individual animals and populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brianna R. Beechler
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Budischak
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Paul L. A. M. Corstjens
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Mireya Smith
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Robert S. Spaan
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Govert J. van Dam
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle L. Steinauer
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the PNW, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, OR, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Couch CE, Movius MA, Jolles AE, Gorman ME, Rigas JD, Beechler BR. Serum biochemistry panels in African buffalo: Defining reference intervals and assessing variability across season, age and sex. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176830. [PMID: 28472180 PMCID: PMC5417560 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Serum biochemical parameters can be utilized to evaluate the physiological status of an animal, and relate it to the animal's health. In order to accurately interpret individual animal biochemical results, species-specific reference intervals (RI) must be established. Reference intervals for biochemical parameters differ between species, and physiological differences including reproductive status, nutritional resource availability, disease status, and age affect parameters within the same species. The objectives of this study were to (1) establish RI for biochemical parameters in managed African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), (2) assess the effects of age, sex, pregnancy, and season on serum biochemistry values, and (3) compare serum biochemistry values from a managed herd to a free-ranging buffalo herd and to values previously published for captive (zoo) buffalo. Season profoundly affected all biochemistry parameters, possibly due to changes in nutrition and disease exposure. Age also affected all biochemical parameters except gamma glutamyl transferase and magnesium, consistent with patterns seen in cattle. Sex and reproductive status had no detectable effects on the parameters that were measured. The biochemical profiles of managed buffalo were distinct from those observed in the free-ranging herd and captive buffalo. Biochemical differences between buffalo from captive, managed, and free-ranging populations may be related to nutritional restriction or lack of predation in the context of management or captivity. The reference intervals provided in this study, in addition to the seasonal and age-related patterns observed, provide a foundation for health investigations that may inform management strategies in this ecologically and economically important species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire E. Couch
- Oregon State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Morgan A. Movius
- Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Oregon State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - M. Elena Gorman
- Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Johanna D. Rigas
- Utah State University, School of Veterinary Medicine, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Brianna R. Beechler
- Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Yaro M, Munyard KA, Stear MJ, Groth DM. Combatting African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) in livestock: The potential role of trypanotolerance. Vet Parasitol 2016; 225:43-52. [PMID: 27369574 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is endemic in at least 37 of the 54 countries in Africa. It is estimated to cause direct and indirect losses to the livestock production industry in excess of US$ 4.5 billion per annum. A century of intervention has yielded limited success, owing largely to the extraordinary complexity of the host-parasite interaction. Trypanotolerance, which refers to the inherent ability of some African livestock breeds, notably Djallonke sheep, N'Dama cattle and West African Dwarf goats, to withstand a trypanosomiasis challenge and still remain productive without any form of therapy, is an economically sustainable option for combatting this disease. Yet trypanotolerance has not been adequately exploited in the fight against AAT. In this review, we describe new insights into the genetic basis of trypanotolerance and discuss the potential of exploring this phenomenon as an integral part of the solution for AAT, particularly, in the context of African animal production systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Yaro
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - K A Munyard
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - M J Stear
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Glasgow University, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - D M Groth
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Beechler BR, Manore CA, Reininghaus B, O'Neal D, Gorsich EE, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Enemies and turncoats: bovine tuberculosis exposes pathogenic potential of Rift Valley fever virus in a common host, African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:rspb.2014.2942. [PMID: 25788592 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquity and importance of parasite co-infections in populations of free-living animals is beginning to be recognized, but few studies have demonstrated differential fitness effects of single infection versus co-infection in free-living populations. We investigated interactions between the emerging bacterial disease bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and the previously existing viral disease Rift Valley fever (RVF) in a competent reservoir host, African buffalo, combining data from a natural outbreak of RVF in captive buffalo at a buffalo breeding facility in 2008 with data collected from a neighbouring free-living herd of African buffalo in Kruger National Park. RVF infection was twice as likely in individual BTB+ buffalo as in BTB- buffalo, which, according to a mathematical model, may increase RVF outbreak size at the population level. In addition, co-infection was associated with a far higher rate of fetal abortion than other infection states. Immune interactions between BTB and RVF may underlie both of these interactions, since animals with BTB had decreased innate immunity and increased pro-inflammatory immune responses. This study is one of the first to demonstrate how the consequences of emerging infections extend beyond direct effects on host health, potentially altering the dynamics and fitness effects of infectious diseases that had previously existed in the ecosystem on free-ranging wildlife populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B R Beechler
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Dryden Hall, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - C A Manore
- Center for Computational Science, Tulane University, Tulane, LA, USA
| | - B Reininghaus
- Mpumalanga State Veterinary Services, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
| | - D O'Neal
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - E E Gorsich
- Environmental Sciences, Oregon State University, OR, USA
| | - V O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - A E Jolles
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Dryden Hall, Corvallis, OR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Affiliation(s)
- J E Bradley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|