Infection with an acanthocephalan manipulates an amphipod’s reaction to a fish predator’s odours

Baldauf, Sebastian A.; Thünken, Timo; Frommen, Joachim G.; Bakker, Theo C. M.; Heupel, Oliver; Kullmann, Harald

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.09.003

Cited by 71 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Similar to Bakker et al (1997) (see also Baldauf et al 2007;Kaldonski et al 2007), we found that P. laevisinfected gammarids were more vulnerable to predation by a fish predator than uninfected ones. However, we found no evidence in favour of a role of cystacanth coloration in increased vulnerability to predation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

et al. 2008

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Manipulation by parasites is a catchy concept that has been applied to a large range of phenotypic alterations brought about by parasites in their hosts. It has, for instance, been suggested that the carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths is adaptive through increasing the conspicuousness of infected intermediate hosts and, hence, their vulnerability to appropriate final hosts such as fish predators. We revisited the evidence in favour of adaptive coloration of acanthocephalan parasites in relation to increased trophic transmission using the crustacean amphipod Gammarus pulex and two species of acanthocephalans, Pomphorhynchus laevis and Polymorphus minutus. Both species show carotenoid-based colorations, but rely, respectively, on freshwater fish and aquatic bird species as final hosts. In addition, the two parasites differ in the type of behavioural alteration brought to their common intermediate host.Pomphorhynchus laevis reverses negative phototaxis in G. pulex, whereas P. minutus reverses positive geotaxis. In aquaria, trout showed selective predation for P. laevis-infected gammarids, whereas P. minutusinfected ones did not differ from uninfected controls in their vulnerability to predation. We tested for an effect of parasite coloration on increased trophic transmission by painting a yellow-orange spot on the cuticle of uninfected gammarids and by masking the yellow-orange spot of infected individuals with inconspicuous brown paint. To enhance realism, match of colour between painted mimics and true parasite was carefully checked using a spectrometer. We found no evidence for a role of parasite coloration in the increased vulnerability of gammarids to predation by trout. Painted mimics did not differ from control uninfected gammarids in their vulnerability to predation by trout. In addition, covering the place through which the parasite was visible did not reduce the vulnerability of infected gammarids to predation by trout. We discuss alternative evolutionary explanations for the origin and maintenance of carotenoidbased colorations in acanthocephalan parasites.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

et al. 2008

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“…Thünken et al, 2010;Perrot-Minnot, 2007;Benesh et al, 2008;Baldauf et al, 2007); there are terrestrial examples of this fearlessness, and even attraction to predators, as well (Kavaliers and Colwell, 1995; The Journal of Experimental Biology 216 (1) THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY Berdoy et al, 2000). This is not, however, the same phenomenon as one involving parasites that alter host odor itself.…”

Section: Trapped In Umweltmentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of parasite-induced behavioral alterations – and some lessons from bats

Moore

2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SummaryAn animal with a parasite is not likely to behave like a similar animal without that parasite. This is a simple enough concept, one that is now widely recognized as true, but if we move beyond that statement, the light that it casts on behavior fades quickly: the world of parasites, hosts and behavior is shadowy, and boundaries are ill-defined. For instance, at first glance, the growing list of altered behaviors tells us very little about how those alterations happen, much less how they evolved. Some cases of parasiteinduced behavioral change are truly manipulative, with the parasite standing to benefit from the changed behavior. In other cases, the altered behavior has an almost curative, if not prophylactic, effect; in those cases, the host benefits. This paper will provide an overview of the conflicting (and coinciding) demands on parasite and host, using examples from a wide range of taxa and posing questions for the future. In particular, what does the larger world of animal behavior tell us about how to go about seeking insights -or at least, what not to do? By asking questions about the sensory-perceptual world of hosts, we can identify those associations that hold the greatest promise for neuroethological studies of parasite-induced behavioral alterations, and those studies can, in turn, help guide our understanding of how parasite-induced alterations evolved, and how they are maintained.

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“…The behavioural changes induced by acanthocephalans can vary and include reaction to light (Bauer et al 2000;PerrotMinnot, 2004), vertical distribution Bauer et al 2005;Médoc et al 2006), drift behaviour (McCahon et al 1991;Maynard et al 1998), activity level or the refuge use and the escape performance faced with non-host predators (Baldauf et al 2007;Perrot-Minnot et al 2007;Beisel and Médoc, 2010). Behavioural changes make gammarids more likely to be preyed upon by the parasite's final host (Lagrue et al 2007;Perrot-Minnot et al 2007;Cézilly et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus modify the energy reserves and antitoxic defences of its intermediate host Gammarus roeseli?

2012

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S U M M A R YIn disturbed environments, infected organisms have to face both parasitic and chemical stresses. Although this situation is common, few studies have been devoted to the effects of infection on hosts' energy reserves and antitoxic defence capacities, while parasite survival depends on host survival. In this study, we tested the consequences of an infection by Polymorphus minutus on the energy reserves (protein, lipid and glycogen) and antioxidant defence capacities (reduced glutathione, γ-glutamylcysteine ligase activity) of Gammarus roeseli males and females, in the absence of chemical stress. Moreover, malondialdehyde concentration was used as a toxicity biomarker. The results revealed that in infected G. roeseli, whatever their gender and the sampling month, protein and lipid contents were lower, but glycogen contents were higher. This could be explained by the fact that the parasite diverts part of the host's energy for its own development. Moreover, glutathione concentrations and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase activity were both lower, which could lead to lower antitoxic defence in the host. These results suggest negative effects on individuals in the case of additional stress (e.g. pollutant exposure). In the absence of chemical stress, the lower malondialdehyde level in infected gammarids could imply a probable protective effect of the parasite.

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Infection with an acanthocephalan manipulates an amphipod’s reaction to a fish predator’s odours

Cited by 71 publications

References 20 publications

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

An overview of parasite-induced behavioral alterations – and some lessons from bats

Does the acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus modify the energy reserves and antitoxic defences of its intermediate host Gammarus roeseli?

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