scholarly journals Phenoloxidase but not lytic activity reflects resistance against Pasteuria ramosa in Daphnia magna

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Pauwels ◽  
Luc De Meester ◽  
Ellen Decaestecker ◽  
Robby Stoks

The field of ecological immunology strongly relies on indicators of immunocompetence. Two major indicators in invertebrates, the activity of phenoloxidase (PO) and lytic activity have recently been questioned in studies showing that, across a natural range of baseline levels, these indicators did not predict resistance against a manipulated challenge with natural parasites. We confirmed this finding by showing that baseline levels of PO and lytic activity in the host Daphnia magna were not related to spore load of the parasite Pasteuria ramosa . Yet, PO levels in infected hosts did predict spore load, indicating PO activity can be useful as an indicator of immunocompetence in this model parasite–host system.

2003 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. 957-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. REGOES ◽  
J. W. HOTTINGER ◽  
L. SYGNARSKI ◽  
D. EBERT

In simple epidemiological models that describe the interaction between hosts with their parasites, the infection process is commonly assumed to be governed by the law of mass action, i.e. it is assumed that the infection rate depends linearly on the densities of the host and the parasite. The mass-action assumption, however, can be problematic if certain aspects of the host–parasite interaction are very pronounced, such as spatial compartmentalization, host immunity which may protect from infection with low doses, or host heterogeneity with regard to susceptibility to infection. As deviations from a mass-action infection rate have consequences for the dynamics of the host–parasite system, it is important to test for the appropriateness of the mass-action assumption in a given host–parasite system. In this paper, we examine the relationship between the infection rate and the parasite inoculum for the water flee Daphnia magna and its bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa. We measured the fraction of infected hosts after exposure to 14 different doses of the parasite. We find that the observed relationship between the fraction of infected hosts and the parasite dose is largely consistent with an infection process governed by the mass-action principle. However, we have evidence for a subtle but significant deviation from a simple mass-action infection model, which can be explained either by some antagonistic effects of the parasite spores during the infection process, or by heterogeneity in the hosts' susceptibility with regard to infection.


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. B. ROSLYCKY

Various concentrations of paraquat, atrazine, simazine, linuron, diuron, and paraquat in combinations with each including simazine + diuron, and terbacil alone, did not inhibit lytic activity of four bacteriophages of Agrobacterium radiobacter, three bacteriophages of Rhizobium meliloti, three bacteriophages of R. trifolii, or two bacteriophages of Streptomyces chrysomallus. Generally, the herbicides had no effect on the neutralization of radiobacterphage PR-1001 with its homologous antiserum, the length of the latent period, the percent adsorption or the average burst size. In contrast, paraquat concentrations from 20 to 400 μg∙mL−1 gradually reduced the adsorption from 38 to 21% and the average burst size from 67 to 9 in the PR-1001:R-1001 phage: host system. The same concentrations, however, showed no effect on the particle attachment or the length of the latent period.


1996 ◽  
Vol 351 (1348) ◽  
pp. 1689-1701 ◽  

The development, life cycle, ultrastructure and phylogenetic position of an obligate, spore-forming endoparasite of Daphnia magna Straus is described. The microparasite was found in the body cavity of three Daphnia species (D. magna , D. pulex and D. longispa )collected in England and Russia during 1992-1994 and maintained in artificial culture by co-cultivation with D. magna . Transmission of the endoparasite occurred horizontally through waterborne spores released from the remains of dead infected hosts. Progeny of infected hosts were never infected, indicating that vertical transmission does not occur. Egg production by infected mothers ceased soon after infection and death ensued after 46 days ( ± 7 standard error) at 20 °C. Phase contrast light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of the infection process showed the endoparasite to have a polymorphic life cycle beginning with the appearance of branched ‘cauliflower-like’ rosettes and ended with the development of single, oval endospores, nippled at one end and with complex internal structure. Endospore formation resembled that found in endosporeforming bacteria. Morphologically the parasite has strong resemblance to the Pasteuria ramosa that Metchnikoff isolated from D. magna and D. pulex in Ukraine and described in 1888. Identification of this parasite has been an enduring puzzle since Metchnikoff. The previously confused phylogenetic position of P. ramosa (it has been classified as bacterium, yeast and protozoa) was resolved by sequencing the 16SrDNA molecule. Fluorescent in situ hybridizations confirmed that the 16S rDNA sequence obtained from the spores within the D. magna body cavity originated from the endoparasite. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analysis showed that P. ramosa belongs to the low G + C Gram positive branch of the eubacteria and resides within a clade containing Bacillus tusciae , Alicyclobacillus cycloheptanicus and A. acidocaldarius as its nearest neighbours. These results confirm suggestions that this parasite is a bacterium and refute its previous tentative placement based on its morphological complexity among the Actinomycetales.


2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1845) ◽  
pp. 20162226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart K. J. R. Auld ◽  
Shona K. Tinkler ◽  
Matthew C. Tinsley

Why is sex ubiquitous when asexual reproduction is much less costly? Sex disrupts coadapted gene complexes; it also causes costs associated with mate finding and the production of males who do not themselves bear offspring. Theory predicts parasites select for host sex, because genetically variable offspring can escape infection from parasites adapted to infect the previous generations. We examine this using a facultative sexual crustacean, Daphnia magna, and its sterilizing bacterial parasite, Pasteuria ramosa . We obtained sexually and asexually produced offspring from wild-caught hosts and exposed them to contemporary parasites or parasites isolated from the same population one year later. We found rapid parasite adaptation to replicate within asexual but not sexual offspring. Moreover, sexually produced offspring were twice as resistant to infection as asexuals when exposed to parasites that had coevolved alongside their parents (i.e. the year two parasite). This fulfils the requirement that the benefits of sex must be both large and rapid for sex to be favoured by selection.


2010 ◽  
Vol 277 (1698) ◽  
pp. 3291-3297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart K. J. R. Auld ◽  
Jennifer A. Scholefield ◽  
Tom J. Little

Linking measures of immune function with infection, and ultimately, host and parasite fitness is a major goal in the field of ecological immunology. In this study, we tested for the presence and timing of a cellular immune response in the crustacean Daphnia magna following exposure to its sterilizing endoparasite Pasteuria ramosa . We found that D. magna possesses two cell types circulating in the haemolymph: a spherical one, which we call a granulocyte and an irregular-shaped amoeboid cell first described by Metchnikoff over 125 years ago. Daphnia magna mounts a strong cellular response (of the amoeboid cells) just a few hours after parasite exposure. We further tested for, and found, considerable genetic variation for the magnitude of this cellular response. These data fostered a heuristic model of resistance in this naturally coevolving host–parasite interaction. Specifically, the strongest cellular responses were found in the most susceptible hosts, indicating resistance is not always borne from a response that destroys invading parasites, but rather stems from mechanisms that prevent their initial entry. Thus, D. magna may have a two-stage defence—a genetically determined barrier to parasite establishment and a cellular response once establishment has begun.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 972-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seanna J. McTaggart ◽  
Philip J. Wilson ◽  
Tom J. Little

Previous pathogen exposure is an important predictor of the probability of becoming infected. This is deeply understood for vertebrate hosts, and increasingly so for invertebrate hosts. Here, we test if an initial pathogen exposure changes the infection outcome to a secondary pathogen exposure in the natural host–pathogen system Daphnia magna and Pasteuria ramosa . Hosts were initially exposed to an infective pathogen strain, a non-infective pathogen strain or a control. The same hosts underwent a second exposure, this time to an infective pathogen strain, either immediately after the initial encounter or 48 h later. We observed that an initial encounter with a pathogen always conferred protection against infection compared with controls.


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