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Northrup GR, White A, Parratt SR, Rozins C, Laine AL, Boots M. The evolutionary dynamics of hyperparasites. J Theor Biol 2024; 582:111741. [PMID: 38280543 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2024.111741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary theory has typically focused on pairwise interactions, such as those between hosts and parasites, with relatively little work having been carried out on more complex interactions including hyperparasites: parasites of parasites. Hyperparasites are common in nature, with the chestnut blight fungus virus CHV-1 a well-known natural example, but also notably include the phages of important human bacterial diseases. We build a general modeling framework for the evolution of hyperparasites that highlights the central role that the ability of a hyperparasite to be transmitted with its parasite plays in their evolution. A key result is that hyperparasites which transmit with their parasite hosts (hitchhike) will be selected for lower virulence, trending towards hypermutualism or hypercommensalism. We examine the impact on the evolution of hyperparasite systems of a wide range of host and parasite traits showing, for example, that high parasite virulence selects for higher hyperparasite virulence resulting in reductions in parasite virulence when hyperparasitized. Furthermore, we show that acute parasite infection will also select for increased hyperparasite virulence. Our results have implications for hyperparasite research, both as biocontrol agents and for their role in shaping community ecology and evolution and moreover emphasize the importance of understanding evolution in the context of multitrophic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham R Northrup
- Center for Computational Biology, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Andy White
- Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Mathematics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Carly Rozins
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Division of Natural Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Boots
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, CA, USA; Center for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, UK
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2
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Nadal-Jimenez P, Parratt SR, Siozios S, Hurst GDD. Isolation, culture and characterization of Arsenophonus symbionts from two insect species reveal loss of infectious transmission and extended host range. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1089143. [PMID: 36819059 PMCID: PMC9928724 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1089143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertically transmitted "Heritable" microbial symbionts represent an important component of the biology and ecology of invertebrates. These symbioses evolved originally from ones where infection/acquisition processes occurred within the environment (horizontal transmission). However, the pattern of evolution that follows transition from horizontal to vertical transmission is commonly obscured by the distant relationship between microbes with differing transmission modes. In contrast, the genus Arsenophonus provides an opportunity to investigate these processes with clarity, as it includes members that are obligate vertically transmitted symbionts, facultative vertically transmitted symbionts, strains with mixed modes of transmission and ones that are purely horizontally transmitted. Significantly, some of the strains are culturable and amenable to genetic analysis. We first report the isolation of Arsenophonus nasoniae strain aPv into culture from the ectoparasitic wasp Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae and characterize the symbiosis. We demonstrate maternal vertical transmission and find no evidence for paternal inheritance, horizontal transmission or reproductive parasitism phenotypes. This leads us to conclude this strain, in contrast to related strains, is a facultative heritable symbiont which is likely to be beneficial. We then report the serendipitous discovery and onward culture of a strain of Arsenophonus (strain aPb) from the blue butterfly, Polyommatus bellargus. This association extends the range of host species carrying Arsenophonus nasoniae/Arsenophonus apicola symbionts beyond the Hymenoptera for the first time. We perform basic metabolic analysis of the isolated strains using Biolog plates. This analysis indicates all strains utilize a restricted range of carbon sources, but these restrictions are particularly pronounced in the A. nasoniae aPv strain that is solely vertically transmitted. Finally, we demonstrate the Arsenophonus sp. strain aPb from the blue butterfly can infect Galleria waxworms, providing a model system for investigating the functional genetics of Arsenophonus-insect interactions. These results are consistent with a model of reduced metabolic competence in strains evolving under vertical transmission only. The data also broadens the range of host species infected with nasoniae/apicola clade strains beyond the Hymenoptera, and indicate the potential utility of the Galleria model for investigation of symbiosis mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregory D. D. Hurst
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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3
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Snook RR, Bretman A, Atkinson D, Price TA. Female fruit flies cannot protect stored sperm from high temperature damage. J Therm Biol 2022; 105:103209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Mannion NLM, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. Plastic responses of survival and fertility following heat stress in pupal and adult Drosophila virilis. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18238-18247. [PMID: 35003670 PMCID: PMC8717264 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of rising global temperatures on survival and reproduction is putting many species at risk of extinction. In particular, it has recently been shown that thermal effects on reproduction, especially limits to male fertility, can underpin species distributions in insects. However, the physiological factors influencing fertility at high temperatures are poorly understood. Key factors that affect somatic thermal tolerance such as hardening, the ability to phenotypically increase thermal tolerance after a mild heat shock, and the differential impact of temperature on different life stages are largely unexplored for thermal fertility tolerance. Here, we examine the impact of high temperatures on male fertility in the cosmopolitan fruit fly Drosophila virilis. We first determined whether temperature stress at either the pupal or adult life history stage impacts fertility. We then tested the capacity for heat-hardening to mitigate heat-induced sterility. We found that thermal stress reduces fertility in different ways in pupae and adults. Pupal heat stress delays sexual maturity, whereas males heated as adults can reproduce initially following heat stress, but become sterile within seven days. We also found evidence that while heat-hardening in D. virilis can improve high temperature survival, there is no significant protective impact of this same hardening treatment on fertility. These results suggest that males may be unable to prevent the costs of high temperature stress on fertility through heat-hardening, which limits a species' ability to quickly and effectively reduce fertility loss in the face of short-term high temperature events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amanda Bretman
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Tom A. R. Price
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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5
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Walsh BS, Mannion NLM, Price TAR, Parratt SR. Sex-specific sterility caused by extreme temperatures is likely to create cryptic changes to the operational sex ratio in Drosophila virilis. Curr Zool 2021; 67:341-343. [PMID: 34616928 PMCID: PMC8489007 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Natasha L M Mannion
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
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6
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Meierhofer MB, Lilley TM, Ruokolainen L, Johnson JS, Parratt SR, Morrison ML, Pierce BL, Evans JW, Anttila J. Ten-year projection of white-nose syndrome disease dynamics at the southern leading-edge of infection in North America. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210719. [PMID: 34074117 PMCID: PMC8170204 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting the emergence and spread of infectious diseases is critical for the effective conservation of biodiversity. White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging infectious disease of bats, has resulted in high mortality in eastern North America. Because the fungal causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans is constrained by temperature and humidity, spread dynamics may vary by geography. Environmental conditions in the southern part of the continent are different than the northeast, where disease dynamics are typically studied, making it difficult to predict how the disease will manifest. Herein, we modelled WNS pathogen spread in Texas based on cave densities and average dispersal distances of hosts, projecting these results out to 10 years. We parameterized a predictive model of WNS epidemiology and its effects on bat populations with observed cave environmental data. Our model suggests that bat populations in northern Texas will be more affected by WNS mortality than southern Texas. As such, we recommend prioritizing the preservation of large overwintering colonies of bats in north Texas through management actions. Our model illustrates that infectious disease spread and infectious disease severity can become uncoupled over a gradient of environmental variation and highlight the importance of understanding host, pathogen and environmental conditions across a breadth of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Meierhofer
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas M Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lasse Ruokolainen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joseph S Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
| | - Michael L Morrison
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Brian L Pierce
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jonah W Evans
- Wildlife Diversity Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, USA
| | - Jani Anttila
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Numminen E, Vaumourin E, Parratt SR, Poulin L, Laine AL. Variation and correlations between sexual, asexual and natural enemy resistance life-history traits in a natural plant pathogen population. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:142. [PMID: 31299905 PMCID: PMC6624897 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1468-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the mechanisms by which diversity is maintained in pathogen populations is critical for epidemiological predictions. Life-history trade-offs have been proposed as a hypothesis for explaining long-term maintenance of variation in pathogen populations, yet the empirical evidence supporting trade-offs has remained mixed. This is in part due to the challenges of documenting successive pathogen life-history stages in many pathosystems. Moreover, little is understood of the role of natural enemies of pathogens on their life-history evolution. RESULTS We characterize life-history-trait variation and possible trade-offs in fungal pathogen Podosphaera plantaginis infecting the host plant Plantago lanceolata. We measured the timing of both asexual and sexual stages, as well as resistance to a hyperparasite of seven pathogen strains that vary in their prevalence in nature. We find significant variation among the strains in their life-history traits that constitute the infection cycle, but no evidence for trade-offs among pathogen development stages, apart from fast pathogen growth coninciding with fast hyperparasite growth. Also, the seemingly least fit pathogen strain was the most prevalent in the nature. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that in the nature environmental variation, and interactions with the antagonists of pathogens themselves may maintain variation in pathogen populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Numminen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Elise Vaumourin
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,University of Liverpool, Institute of Integrative Biology, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Lucie Poulin
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Université de Nantes, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pathologie Végétales (LBPV), EA 1157, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92 208, F-44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Atkinson D, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. Integrated Approaches to Studying Male and Female Thermal Fertility Limits. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:492-493. [PMID: 30979525 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - David Atkinson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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9
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Walsh BS, Parratt SR, Hoffmann AA, Atkinson D, Snook RR, Bretman A, Price TAR. The Impact of Climate Change on Fertility. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:249-259. [PMID: 30635138 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Rising global temperatures are threatening biodiversity. Studies on the impact of temperature on natural populations usually use lethal or viability thresholds, termed the 'critical thermal limit' (CTL). However, this overlooks important sublethal impacts of temperature that could affect species' persistence. Here we discuss a critical but overlooked trait: fertility, which can deteriorate at temperatures less severe than an organism's lethal limit. We argue that studies examining the ecological and evolutionary impacts of climate change should consider the 'thermal fertility limit' (TFL) of species; we propose that a framework for the design of TFL studies across taxa be developed. Given the importance of fertility for population persistence, understanding how climate change affects TFLs is vital for the assessment of future biodiversity impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Walsh
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Authors contributed equally
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Authors contributed equally
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - David Atkinson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Amanda Bretman
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Tom A R Price
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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10
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Penczykowski RM, Parratt SR, Barrès B, Sallinen SK, Laine AL. Manipulating host resistance structure reveals impact of pathogen dispersal and environmental heterogeneity on epidemics. Ecology 2018; 99:2853-2863. [PMID: 30289567 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how variation in hosts, parasites, and the environment shapes patterns of disease is key to predicting ecological and evolutionary outcomes of epidemics. Yet in spatially structured populations, variation in host resistance may be spatially confounded with variation in parasite dispersal and environmental factors that affect disease processes. To tease apart these disease drivers, we paired surveys of natural epidemics with experiments manipulating spatial variation in host susceptibility to infection. We mapped epidemics of the wind-dispersed powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera plantaginis in five populations of its plant host, Plantago lanceolata. At 15 replicate sites within each population, we deployed groups of healthy potted 'sentinel' plants from five allopatric host lines. By tracking which sentinels became infected in the field and measuring pathogen connectivity and microclimate at those sites, we could test how variation in these factors affected disease when spatial variation in host resistance and soil conditions was minimized. We found that the prevalence and severity of sentinel infection varied over small spatial scales in the field populations, largely due to heterogeneity in pathogen prevalence on wild plants and unmeasured environmental factors. Microclimate was critical for disease spread only at the onset of epidemics, where humidity increased infection risk. Sentinels were more likely to become infected than initially healthy wild plants at a given field site. However, in a follow-up laboratory inoculation study we detected no significant differences between wild and sentinel plant lines in their qualitative susceptibility to pathogen isolates from the field populations, suggesting that primarily non-genetic differences between sentinel and wild hosts drove their differential infection rates in the field. Our study leverages a multi-faceted experimental approach to disentangle important biotic and abiotic drivers of disease patterns within wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Penczykowski
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Benoit Barrès
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Suvi K Sallinen
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Parratt SR, Laine A. Pathogen dynamics under both bottom-up host resistance and top-down hyperparasite attack. J Appl Ecol 2018; 55:2976-2985. [PMID: 30449900 PMCID: PMC6220889 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The relative importance of bottom-up versus top-down control of population dynamics has been the focus of much debate. In infectious disease biology, research is typically focused on the bottom-up process of host resistance, wherein the direction of control flows from the lower to the higher trophic level to impact on pathogen population size and epidemiology. However, the importance of top-down control by a pathogen's natural enemies has been mostly overlooked.Here, we explore the effects of, and interaction between, host genotype (i.e., genetic susceptibility to pathogen infection) and infection by a hyperparasitic fungus, Ampelomyces spp., on the establishment and early epidemic growth and transmission of a powdery mildew plant pathogen (Podosphaera plantaginis). We used a semi-natural field experiment to contrast the impacts of hyperparasite infection, host-plant resistance and spatial structure to reveal the key factors that determine pathogen spread. We then used a laboratory-based inoculation approach to test whether the field experiment results hold across multiple pathogen-host genetic combinations and to explore hyperparasite effects on the pathogen's later life-history stages.We found that hyperparasite infection had a negligible effect on within-host infection development and between-host spread of the pathogen during the onset of epidemics. In contrast, host-plant resistance was the major determinant of whether plants became infected, and host genotype and proximity to an infection source determined infection severity.Our laboratory study showed that, while the interaction between host and pathogen genotypes was the key determinant of infection outcome, hyperparasitism did, on average, reduce the severity of infection. Moreover, hyperparasite infection negatively influenced the production of the pathogen's overwintering structures. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that bottom-up host resistance affects pathogen spread, but top-down control of powdery mildew pathogens is likely more effective against later life-history stages. Further, while hyperparasitism in this system can reduce early pathogen growth under stable laboratory conditions, this effect is not detectable in a semi-natural environment. Considering the effects of hyperparasites at multiple points in pathogen's life history will be important when considering hyperparasite-derived biocontrol measures in other natural and agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Parratt
- Research Centre for Ecological ChangeUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Anna‐Liisa Laine
- Research Centre for Ecological ChangeUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
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12
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Parratt SR, Barrès B, Penczykowski RM, Laine AL. Local adaptation at higher trophic levels: contrasting hyperparasite-pathogen infection dynamics in the field and laboratory. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:1964-1979. [PMID: 27859910 PMCID: PMC5412677 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Predicting and controlling infectious disease epidemics is a major challenge facing the management of agriculture, human and wildlife health. Co-evolutionarily derived patterns of local adaptation among pathogen populations have the potential to generate variation in disease epidemiology; however, studies of local adaptation in disease systems have mostly focused on interactions between competing pathogens or pathogens and their hosts. In nature, parasites and pathogens are also subject to attack by hyperparasitic natural enemies that can severely impact upon their infection dynamics. However, few studies have investigated whether this interaction varies across combinations of pathogen-hyperparasite strains, and whether this influences hyperparasite incidence in natural pathogen populations. Here, we test whether the association between a hyperparasitic fungus, Ampelomyces, and a single powdery mildew host, Podosphaera plantaginis, varies among genotype combinations, and whether this drives hyperparasite incidence in nature. Laboratory inoculation studies reveal that genotype, genotype × genotype interactions and local adaptation affect hyperparasite infection. However, observations of a natural pathogen metapopulation reveal that spatial rather than genetic factors predict the risk of hyperparasite presence. Our results highlight how sensitive the outcome of biocontrol using hyperparasites is to selection of hyperparasite strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Parratt
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Benoit Barrès
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rachel M Penczykowski
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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13
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Abstract
Infectious diseases dynamics are affected by both spatial and temporal heterogeneity in their environments. Our ability to quantify and predict how this heterogeneity impacts risks of infection and disease emergence is the key to successful disease prevention efforts. Here, we review the literature on infectious diseases from human, agricultural, and wildlife ecosystems to describe the rapid ecological and evolutionary responses in pathogens to environmental heterogeneity, with expected impacts on their epidemiology. To date, the underlying network structures through which disease transmission proceeds have been notoriously difficult to quantify because of this variation. We show that with recent advances in statistical methods and genomic approaches, it is now more feasible than ever to trace disease transmission networks, the molecular underpinning of infection, and the environmental variation relevant to disease dynamics. We end by identifying major new opportunities and challenges in understanding disease dynamics in an ever-changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Parratt
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland;, ,
| | - Elina Numminen
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland;, ,
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland;, ,
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14
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Parratt SR, Laine AL. The role of hyperparasitism in microbial pathogen ecology and evolution. ISME J 2016; 10:1815-22. [PMID: 26784356 PMCID: PMC5029149 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Many micro-organisms employ a parasitic lifestyle and, through their antagonistic interactions with host populations, have major impacts on human, agricultural and natural ecosystems. Most pathogens are likely to host parasites of their own, that is, hyperparasites, but how nested chains of parasites impact on disease dynamics is grossly neglected in the ecological and evolutionary literature. In this minireview we argue that the diversity and dynamics of micro-hyperparasites are an important component of natural host-pathogen systems. We use the current literature from a handful of key systems to show that observed patterns of pathogen virulence and disease dynamics may well be influenced by hyperparasites. Exploring these factors will shed light on many aspects of microbial ecology and disease biology, including resistance-virulence evolution, apparent competition, epidemiology and ecosystem stability. Considering the importance of hyperparasites in natural populations will have applied consequences for the field of biological control and therapeutic science, where hyperparastism is employed as a control mechanism but not necessarily ecologically understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R Parratt
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna-Liisa Laine
- Department of Biosciences, Metapopulation Research Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Parratt SR, Frost CL, Schenkel MA, Rice A, Hurst GDD, King KC. Superparasitism Drives Heritable Symbiont Epidemiology and Host Sex Ratio in a Wasp. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005629. [PMID: 27322651 PMCID: PMC4920596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Heritable microbial symbionts have profound impacts upon the biology of their arthropod hosts. Whilst our current understanding of the dynamics of these symbionts is typically cast within a framework of vertical transmission only, horizontal transmission has been observed in a number of cases. For instance, several symbionts can transmit horizontally when their parasitoid hosts share oviposition patches with uninfected conspecifics, a phenomenon called superparasitism. Despite this, horizontal transmission, and the host contact structures that facilitates it, have not been considered in heritable symbiont epidemiology. Here, we tested for the importance of host contact, and resulting horizontal transmission, for the epidemiology of a male-killing heritable symbiont (Arsenophonus nasoniae) in parasitoid wasp hosts. We observed that host contact through superparasitism is necessary for this symbiont's spread in populations of its primary host Nasonia vitripennis, such that when superparasitism rates are high, A. nasoniae almost reaches fixation, causes highly female biased population sex ratios and consequently causes local host extinction. We further tested if natural interspecific variation in superparasitism behaviours predicted symbiont dynamics among parasitoid species. We found that A. nasoniae was maintained in laboratory populations of a closely related set of Nasonia species, but declined in other, more distantly related pteromalid hosts. The natural proclivity of a species to superparasitise was the primary factor determining symbiont persistence. Our results thus indicate that host contact behaviour is a key factor for heritable microbe dynamics when horizontal transmission is possible, and that 'reproductive parasite' phenotypes, such as male-killing, may be of secondary importance in the dynamics of such symbiont infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Parratt
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Crystal L. Frost
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Martijn A. Schenkel
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Annabel Rice
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory D. D. Hurst
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kayla C. King
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Tollenaere C, Pernechele B, Mäkinen HS, Parratt SR, Németh MZ, Kovács GM, Kiss L, Tack AJM, Laine AL. A hyperparasite affects the population dynamics of a wild plant pathogen. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:5877-87. [PMID: 25204419 PMCID: PMC4282315 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Assessing the impact of natural enemies of plant and animal pathogens on their host's population dynamics is needed to determine the role of hyperparasites in affecting disease dynamics, and their potential for use in efficient control strategies of pathogens. Here, we focus on the long-term study describing metapopulation dynamics of an obligate pathogen, the powdery mildew (Podosphaera plantaginis) naturally infecting its wild host plant (Plantago lanceolata) in the fragmented landscape of the Åland archipelago (southwest Finland). Regionally, the pathogen persists through a balance of extinctions and colonizations, yet factors affecting extinction rates remain poorly understood. Mycoparasites of the genus Ampelomyces appear as good candidates for testing the role of a hyperparasite, i.e. a parasite of other parasites, in the regulation of their fungal hosts' population dynamics. For this purpose, we first designed a quantitative PCR assay for detection of Ampelomyces spp. in field-collected samples. This newly developed molecular test was then applied to a large-scale sampling within the Åland archipelago, revealing that Ampelomyces is a widespread hyperparasite in this system, with high variability in prevalence among populations. We found that the hyperparasite was more common on leaves where multiple powdery mildew strains coexist, a pattern that may be attributed to differential exposure. Moreover, the prevalence of Ampelomyces at the plant level negatively affected the overwinter survival of its fungal host. We conclude that this hyperparasite may likely impact on its host population dynamics and argue for increased focus on the role of hyperparasites in disease dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Tollenaere
- Metapopulation Research Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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