Malarial parasites decrease reproductive success: an experimental study in a passerine bird

Marzal, Alfonso; Lope, Florentino de; Navarro, Carlos; Møller, Anders Pape

doi:10.1007/s00442-004-1757-2

Cited by 335 publications

(267 citation statements)

References 43 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

249

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, it is highly likely that the Mhc class I molecules of avian hosts recognize the peptides derived from malaria parasites and initiate cell destruction. Avian malaria parasites have been shown to compromise host fitness in both immunologically naive populations [12], as well as in species with which they are assumed to have shared a long evolutionary history [13][14][15], and are thus likely to exert strong selection on their hosts. These findings suggest that Mhc-linked malaria resistance should also exist in wild avian hosts, a premise supported by the results of several studies in passerine birds [16][17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mhc supertypes confer both qualitative and quantitative resistance to avian malaria infections in a wild bird population

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) genes are believed to play a key role in the genetic basis of disease control. Although numerous studies have sought links between Mhc and disease prevalence, many have ignored the ecological and epidemiological aspects of the host-parasite interaction. Consequently, interpreting associations between prevalence and Mhc has been difficult, whereas discriminating alleles for qualitative resistance, quantitative resistance and susceptibility remains challenging. Moreover, most studies to date have quantified associations between genotypes and disease status, overlooking the complex relationship between genotype and the properties of the Mhc molecule that interacts with parasites. Here, we address these problems and demonstrate avian malaria (Plasmodium) parasite species-specific associations with functional properties of Mhc molecules (Mhc supertypes) in a wild great tit (Parus major) population. We further show that correctly interpreting these associations depends crucially on understanding the spatial variation in risk of infection and the fitness effects of infection. We report that a single Mhc supertype confers qualitative resistance to Plasmodium relictum, whereas a different Mhc supertype confers quantitative resistance to Plasmodium circumflexum infections. Furthermore, we demonstrate common functional properties of Plasmodium-resistance alleles in passerine birds, suggesting this is a model system for parasite-Mhc associations in the wild.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mhc supertypes confer both qualitative and quantitative resistance to avian malaria infections in a wild bird population

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…More research has been done on the consequences of the similar malarial parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which are very similar to Babesia spp., but which are a much more significant cause of serious disease and mortality in humans [80,81]. Research has shown that humans born to malarial mothers have lower birth weights owing to inter-uterine growth retardation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most of these studies of malaria investigate the implications of perinatal parasitaemia from a human health perspective. Very few offer insight into offspring life-history consequences of maternal infection (but see [81]), or into the potentially adaptive offspring disease resistance owing to maternal exposure prior to pregnancy. Here, we demonstrate a potentially adaptive life-history consequence for the offspring of infected mothers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection before pregnancy affects immunity and response to social challenge in the next generation

Curno

Reader

McElligott

et al. 2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Natural selection should favour parents that are able to adjust their offspring's life-history strategy and resource allocation in response to changing environmental and social conditions. Pathogens impose particularly strong and variable selective pressure on host life histories, and parental genes will benefit if offspring are appropriately primed to meet the immunological challenges ahead. Here, we investigated transgenerational immune priming by examining reproductive resource allocation by female mice in response to direct infection with Babesia microti prior to pregnancy. Female mice previously infected with B. microti gained more weight over pregnancy, and spent more time nursing their offspring. These offspring generated an accelerated response to B. microti as adults, clearing the infection sooner and losing less weight as a result of infection. They also showed an altered hormonal response to novel social environments, decreasing instead of increasing testosterone production upon social housing. These results suggest that a dominance-resistance trade-off can be mediated by cues from the previous generation. We suggest that strategic maternal investment in response to an infection leads to increased disease resistance in the following generation. Offspring from previously infected mothers downregulate investment in acquisition of social dominance, which in natural systems would reduce access to mating opportunities. In doing so, however, they avoid the reduced disease resistance associated with increased testosterone and dominance. The benefits of accelerated clearance of infection and reduced weight loss during infection may outweigh costs associated with reduced social dominance in an environment where the risk of disease is high.

show abstract

“…Parasites in both genera have been shown to cause harm to their hosts (Marzal et al. 2005; Lachish et al. 2011), especially in cases where a host encounters a novel parasite (e.g., Atkinson and Samuel 2010; Bueno et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local parasite lineage sharing in temperate grassland birds provides clues about potential origins of Galapagos avian Plasmodium

Levin

Colborn

Kim³

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oceanic archipelagos are vulnerable to natural introduction of parasites via migratory birds. Our aim was to characterize the geographic origins of two Plasmodium parasite lineages detected in the Galapagos Islands and in North American breeding bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) that regularly stop in Galapagos during migration to their South American overwintering sites. We used samples from a grassland breeding bird assemblage in Nebraska, United States, and parasite DNA sequences from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, to compare to global data in a DNA sequence registry. Homologous DNA sequences from parasites detected in bobolinks and more sedentary birds (e.g., brown‐headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, and other co‐occurring bird species resident on the North American breeding grounds) were compared to those recovered in previous studies from global sites. One parasite lineage that matched between Galapagos birds and the migratory bobolink, Plasmodium lineage B, was the most common lineage detected in the global MalAvi database, matching 49 sequences from unique host/site combinations, 41 of which were of South American origin. We did not detect lineage B in brown‐headed cowbirds. The other Galapagos‐bobolink match, Plasmodium lineage C, was identical to two other sequences from birds sampled in California. We detected a close variant of lineage C in brown‐headed cowbirds. Taken together, this pattern suggests that bobolinks became infected with lineage B on the South American end of their migratory range, and with lineage C on the North American breeding grounds. Overall, we detected more parasite lineages in bobolinks than in cowbirds. Galapagos Plasmodium had similar host breadth compared to the non‐Galapagos haemosporidian lineages detected in bobolinks, brown‐headed cowbirds, and other grassland species. This study highlights the utility of global haemosporidian data in the context of migratory bird–parasite connectivity. It is possible that migratory bobolinks bring parasites to the Galapagos and that these parasites originate from different biogeographic regions representing both their breeding and overwintering sites.

show abstract

Malarial parasites decrease reproductive success: an experimental study in a passerine bird

Cited by 335 publications

References 43 publications

Mhc supertypes confer both qualitative and quantitative resistance to avian malaria infections in a wild bird population

Mhc supertypes confer both qualitative and quantitative resistance to avian malaria infections in a wild bird population

Infection before pregnancy affects immunity and response to social challenge in the next generation

Local parasite lineage sharing in temperate grassland birds provides clues about potential origins of Galapagos avian Plasmodium

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About