Natural variation in host feeding behaviors impacts host disease and pathogen transmission potential

Pfenning-Butterworth, Alaina C; Vetter, Rachel E.; Hite, Jessica L.

doi:10.1002/ece3.9865

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 62 publications

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“…Using the same feeding data, we were also able to calculate the total number of sips taken on both substrates by each fly line, as a measure of feeding activity. Feeding activity is relevant in the context of pathogen exposure because more active feeders may be more likely to acquire infection orally if they do not avoid contaminated substrates[51]. This analysis also revealed substantial genetic variation in feeding (Line effect p <0.001) ranging from a mean of 35.5±14 sips (RAL-790) to 1047±140 sips (RAL 059) measured over a 30-minute period ( Figure 1B ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Genetic variation in trophic avoidance shows fruit flies are generally attracted to bacterial pathogens

Monteith,

Thornhill,

Vale

2024

Preprint

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Pathogen avoidance behaviours are often assumed to be an adaptive host defence from infection. However, there is limited experimental data on the prerequisite for this assumption: heritable, intra-population phenotypic variation for avoidance. We investigated trophic pathogen avoidance in 122 inbred Drosophila melanogaster lines, and in a derived outbred population. Using the FlyPAD system, we tracked the feeding choice that flies made between substrates that were either clean or contained a bacterial pathogen. We uncovered significant, but weakly heritable variation in the preference index among fly lines. However, instead of avoidance, most lines demonstrated a preference for several bacterial pathogens, showing avoidance only for extremely high bacterial concentrations. Bacterial preference was not associated with susceptibility to infection and was retained in flies with disrupted immune signalling. Phenotype-genotype association analysis indicated several novel genes (CG2321, CG2006, ptp99A) associated with increased preference for the bacterial substrate, while the amino-acid transporter sobremesa was associated with greater aversion. Together with previous work showing fitness benefits of consuming high-protein diets, our results suggest that bacterial attraction may instead reflect a dietary preference for protein over carbohydrate. More work quantifying intra-population variation in avoidance behaviours is needed to fully assess its importance in host-pathogen evolutionary ecology.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Genetic variation in trophic avoidance shows fruit flies are generally attracted to bacterial pathogens

Monteith,

Thornhill,

Vale

2024

Preprint

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A common multi-host parasite shows genetic structuring at the host species and population levels

Shaw,

Bilich,

Duffy

2024

Parasitology

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Although individual parasite species commonly infect many populations across physical space as well as multiple host species, the extent to which parasites traverse physical and phylogenetic distances is unclear. Population genetic analyses of parasite populations can reveal how parasites move across space or between host species, including helping assess whether a parasite is more likely to infect a different host species in the same location or the same host species in a different location. Identifying these transmission barriers could be exploited for effective disease control. Here, we analysed population genetic structuring of the parasite Pasteuria ramosa in daphniid host species from different lakes. Outbreaks occurred most often in the common host species Daphnia dentifera and Daphnia retrocurva. The genetic distance between parasite samples tended to be smaller when samples were collected from the same lake, the same host species and closer in time. Within lakes, the parasite showed structure by host species and sampling date; within a host species, the parasite showed structure by lake and sampling date. However, despite this structuring, we found the same parasite genotype infecting closely related host species, and we sometimes found the same genotype in nearby lakes. Thus, P. ramosa experiences challenges infecting different host species and moving between populations, but doing so is possible. In addition, the structuring by sampling date indicates potential adaptation to or coevolution with host populations and supports prior findings that parasite population structure is dynamic during outbreaks.

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Natural variation in host feeding behaviors impacts host disease and pathogen transmission potential

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 2 publications

References 62 publications

Genetic variation in trophic avoidance shows fruit flies are generally attracted to bacterial pathogens

Genetic variation in trophic avoidance shows fruit flies are generally attracted to bacterial pathogens

A common multi-host parasite shows genetic structuring at the host species and population levels

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