期刊
AMERICAN NATURALIST
卷 184, 期 -, 页码 S77-S90出版社
UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
DOI: 10.1086/676927
关键词
parasitic castrators; virulence evolution; parasite competition; Chaoborus; obligate killers
资金
- National Science Foundation [OCE-0235119, OCE-0235039, DEB-0841679, DEB-0841817, DEB-1305836]
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates award [OCE-0851606]
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [1305836] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Parasite prevalence shows tremendous spatiotemporal variation. Theory indicates that this variation might stem from life-history characteristics of parasites and key ecological factors. Here, we illustrate how the interaction of an important predator and the schedule of transmission potential of two parasites can explain parasite abundance. A field survey showed that a noncastrating fungus (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) commonly infected a dominant zooplankton host (Daphnia dentifera), while a castrating bacterial parasite (Pasteuria ramosa) was rare. This result seemed surprising given that the bacterium produces many more infectious propagules (spores) than the fungus upon host death. The fungus's dominance can be explained by the schedule of within-host growth of parasites (i.e., how transmission potential changes over the course of infection) and the release of spores from sloppy predators (Chaoborus spp., who consume Daphnia prey whole and then later regurgitate the carapace and parasite spores). In essence, sloppy predators create a niche that the faster-schedule fungus currently occupies. However, a selection experiment showed that the slower-schedule bacterium can evolve into this faster-schedule, predator-mediated niche (but pays a cost in maximal spore yield to do so). Hence, our study shows how parasite life history can interact with predation to strongly influence the ecology, epidemiology, and evolution of infectious disease.
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