Mechanisms behind the Madness: How Do Zombie-Making Fungal Entomopathogens Affect Host Behavior To Increase Transmission?

Abstract

Transmission is a crucial step in all pathogen life cycles. As such, certain species have evolved complex traits that increase their chances to find and invade new hosts.

Hijacking time: How Ophiocordyceps fungi could be using ant host clocks to manipulate behavior

“… 3 , 4 , 5 These bizarre Ophiocordyceps –ant interactions are certainly not unique. Many other bodysnatching fungi have been discovered so far, 6 , 7 , 8 as well as viruses, protozoans, worms and insects that target both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 Despite the relative ubiquity of bodysnatching parasites, our knowledge of the mechanisms that underlie parasitic hijacking of host behaviour is limited.…”

“… 43 Parasite‐adaptive manipulations of host behaviour also appear to exhibit conspicuous rhythms, which gave rise to the hypothesis that manipulation of host behaviour is, at least in part, achieved through parasitic hijacking of behavioural outputs that are driven by biological clocks. 8 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 This review discusses the current evidence for the involvement of biological clocks in the hijacking of carpenter ant behaviours by Ophiocordyceps fungi. We additionally address the potential fitness effects of specifically timing altered behaviours and the premises for parasitic hijacking of the host clock.…”

“…Myrmecophile Ophiocordyceps species break into the behavioural machinery of the ants that they infect, take the reins and induce precise, stereotypical behaviours that result in their distancing from the ant colony and attachment at vantage points that promote fungal development and transmission. [3][4][5] These bizarre Ophiocordyceps-ant interactions are certainly not unique.Many other bodysnatching fungi have been discovered so far, [6][7][8] as well as viruses, protozoans, worms and insects that target both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. 9-15 Despite the relative ubiquity of bodysnatching parasites, our knowledge of the mechanisms that underlie parasitic hijacking of host behaviour is limited.…”

28 Minutes Later: Investigating the role of aflatrem-like compounds in Ophiocordyceps parasite manipulation of zombie ants

“…Behavioural manipulation in a grasshopper harbouring hairworm: a proteomics approach. Trinh T, Ouellette R, de Bekker C. (2021). Getting lost: the fungal hijacking of ant foraging…”

“…A variety of taxa are implicated in behavioral manipulations across the Tree of Life, including crustaceans (e.g., Loxothylacus panopaei infecting crabs (Blakeslee et al, 2021)), nematomorphs (e.g., Spinochordodes tellinii infecting katydids (Biron et al, 2005)), protozoans (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii infecting mice (Tong et al, 2021)), insects (e.g., Cotesia congregate parasitizing caterpillars (Adamo, 2019)), and fungi (e.g., Entomophthora muscae infecting flies (Elya and Licht, 2021)), and are even found to occur in non-living viruses (e.g., Rabies lyssavirus infecting mammals (Hueffer et al, 2017)). While behavioral manipulation includes a wide array of tactics, many of these parasites induce summiting behavior to increase their transmission chances (de Bekker et al, 2021; Araújo & Hughes, 2019; Steinkraus et al, 2017; Latchininsky et al, 2016; Wesołowski & Wesołowski, 2013). Collectively, behavior-manipulating parasites are referred to colloquially as “zombie parasites” due to the peculiar actions of infected hosts, many of which are reminiscent of zombies from pop culture sci-fi media (e.g., movies such as 28 Days Later and The Body Snatchers ).…”