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Cayol C, Giermek A, Gomez-Chamorro A, Hytönen J, Kallio ER, Mappes T, Salo J, Voordouw MJ, Koskela E. Borrelia afzelii alters reproductive success in a rodent host. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181056. [PMID: 30068677 PMCID: PMC6111163 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of a pathogen on the fitness and behaviour of its natural host depends upon the host-parasite relationship in a given set of environmental conditions. Here, we experimentally investigated the effects of Borrelia afzelii, one of the aetiological agents of Lyme disease in humans, on the fitness of its natural rodent host, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), in semi-natural conditions with two contrasting host population densities. Our results show that B. afzelii can modify the reproductive success and spacing behaviour of its rodent host, whereas host survival was not affected. Infection impaired the breeding probability of large bank voles. Reproduction was hastened in infected females without alteration of the offspring size at birth. At low density, infected males produced fewer offspring, fertilized fewer females and had lower mobility than uninfected individuals. Meanwhile, the infection did not affect the proportion of offspring produced or the proportion of mating partner in female bank voles. Our study is the first to show that B. afzelii infection alters the reproductive success of the natural host. The effects observed could reflect the sickness behaviour due to the infection or they could be a consequence of a manipulation of the host behaviour by the bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Cayol
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anna Giermek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Andrea Gomez-Chamorro
- Institut de Biologie, Laboratoire d'Ecologie et Evolution des Parasites, Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Jukka Hytönen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Eva Riikka Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jemiina Salo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Maarten Jeroen Voordouw
- Institut de Biologie, Laboratoire d'Ecologie et Evolution des Parasites, Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Esa Koskela
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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