scholarly journals Will Love Tear Them Apart? Identifying the Eco-Evolutionary Feedbacks of Sexual Traits

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Alpedrinha ◽  
Leonor Rodrigues ◽  
Sara Magalhães ◽  
Jessica Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
Contemporary Evolution ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
Host Parasite

The study of eco-evolutionary feedbacks is in clear recent expansion. However, most studies concern predator-prey and host-parasite interactions, while the analysis of eco-evolutionary feedbacks involving sexual interactions is lagging behind. This is at odds with the potential of these interactions to engage in such processes. Indeed, there is now ample evidence that sexual selection is affected by ecological change. There is also evidence that sexual selection traits evolve rapidly, which may modify the ecological context of species, and thus the selection pressures they will be exposed to. Here, we first set a clear distinction between processes in which ecology drives evolution and those in which the contemporary evolution of populations may change their ecology, depending on which traits act as drivers and objects of change. We then review evidence for these processes and discuss examples of closed eco-evolutionary feedbacks in an attempt to understand how we can tear this loop apart. We suggest that a better understanding of eco-evolutionary feedbacks of sexual selection may help us understand the effects of sexual selection on the rate of adaptation, speciation, and extinction, and thus foster future research in this area.

scholarly journals Prospects of Using High-Throughput Proteomics to Underpin the Discovery of Animal Host–Nematode Interactions

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 825
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Robin Gasser
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Anthelmintic Resistance ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Host Parasite

Parasitic nematodes impose a significant public health burden, and cause major economic losses to agriculture worldwide. Due to the widespread of anthelmintic resistance and lack of effective vaccines for most nematode species, there is an urgent need to discover novel therapeutic and vaccine targets, informed through an understanding of host–parasite interactions. Proteomics, underpinned by genomics, enables the global characterisation proteins expressed in a particular cell type, tissue and organism, and provides a key to insights at the host–parasite interface using advanced high-throughput mass spectrometry-based proteomic technologies. Here, we (i) review current mass-spectrometry-based proteomic methods, with an emphasis on a high-throughput ‘bottom-up’ approach; (ii) summarise recent progress in the proteomics of parasitic nematodes of animals, with a focus on molecules inferred to be involved in host–parasite interactions; and (iii) discuss future research directions that could enhance our knowledge and understanding of the molecular interplay between nematodes and host animals, in order to work toward new, improved methods for the treatment, diagnosis and control of nematodiases.

Size-based approaches to aquatic ecosystems and fisheries science: a symposium in honour of Rob Peters

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique C. Giacomini ◽  
Brian J. Shuter ◽  
Julia K. Baum
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Fisheries Science

This special issue honours Rob Peters’ outstanding contributions to the field of aquatic ecology. It focuses on the size spectrum approach — in which individual organisms, rather than species, are the most basic biological unit — and highlights applications of this approach to fisheries management. The 21 papers in this issue cover three subject areas: (i) the use of size spectra to characterize variation in community structure, (ii) the development of size-based models of ecosystem dynamics to address fisheries questions, and (iii) applications of size-based theory to examine the consequences of variation in predator–prey size relationships, body size – trophic level relationships, and body size – life history relationships. The empirical studies herein demonstrate the utility of size spectra as indicators of population or community structure and for detecting impacts associated with environmental change. Future research focused on refining size-based sampling methods, standardizing metrics and analytical methods, understanding model sensitivity to the underlying assumptions, and comparative studies across ecosystems will enhance our ability to reliably interpret changes in size spectrum characteristics, thus facilitating their use as indicators of ecological change.

scholarly journals Intra- and intersexual differences in parasite resistance and female fitness tolerance in a polymorphic insect

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1847) ◽  
pp. 20162407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Willink ◽  
Erik I. Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Parasite Resistance ◽  
Water Mite ◽  
Defence Mechanisms ◽  
Ischnura Elegans ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Colour Morphs ◽  
Host Parasite

To understand host–parasite interactions, it is necessary to quantify variation and covariation in defence traits. We quantified parasite resistance and fitness tolerance of a polymorphic damselfly ( Ischnura elegans ), an insect with three discrete female colour morphs but with monomorphic males. We quantified sex and morph differences in parasite resistance (prevalence and intensity of water mite infections) and morph-specific fitness tolerance in the females in natural populations for over a decade. There was no evidence for higher parasite susceptibility in males as a cost of sexual selection, whereas differences in defence mechanisms between female morphs are consistent with correlational selection operating on combinations of parasite resistance and tolerance. We suggest that tolerance differences between female morphs interact with frequency-dependent sexual conflict, which maintains the polymorphism locally. Host–parasite interactions can therefore shape intra- and intersexual phenotypic divergence and interfere with sexual selection and sexual conflict.

Differential association between circulating testosterone and infection risk by several viruses in natural cat populations: a behavioural-mediated effect?

Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. HELLARD ◽  
D. FOUCHET ◽  
B. REY ◽  
A. MOUCHET ◽  
H. POULET ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Sexual Traits ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Testosterone Effect ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Individual Immunity

SUMMARYTestosterone is involved in the development and expression of physiological, morphological and behavioural traits. High levels are often associated with high infection risk and/or intensity, suggesting a trade-off between sexual traits and immunity. Classically invoked mechanisms are immunological or behavioural, i.e., testosterone increases susceptibility or resistance to parasites via an impact on immunity or modulates behaviours involved in parasite transmission. However, studies report contrasted patterns. Given its modes of action and the diversity of host-parasite interactions, testosterone should not act similarly on all interactions. To reduce host and context diversity, we studied 3 viruses in the same cat population: the aggressively transmitted Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and the Feline Calicivirus (FCV) and Herpesvirus (FHV) both transmitted during friendly contacts. Testosterone had a strong effect on the probability of being positive to FIV whereas its effect was significantly weaker on FCV and FHV. These findings demonstrate that testosterone can be differentially associated with parasites of the same type (viruses). The difference we observed was consistent with a behavioural-mediated effect (increased aggressiveness), supporting the idea that the testosterone effect on infection risk is at least partially driven by behavioural mechanisms in our system. Further investigations (e.g., individual immunity measures) are required to confirm this hypothesis.

scholarly journals Fear of parasitism affects the functional role of ecosystem engineers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim N Mouritsen ◽  
Nina P Dalsgaard ◽  
Sarah B Flensburg ◽  
Josefine C Madsen ◽  
Christian Selbach
Keyword(s):  
Predator Prey ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Blue Mussels ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Mere Presence ◽  
Lower Infection ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
And Function ◽  
Host Parasite

Fear is an integrated part of predator-prey interactions with cascading effects on the structure and function of ecosystems. Fear of parasitism holds a similar ecological potential but our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in host-parasite interactions is limited by lack of empirical examples. Here, we experimentally test if blue mussels Mytilus edulis respond behaviourally to the mere presence of infective transmission stages of the trematode Himasthla elongata by ceasing filtration activity, thereby avoiding infection. Our results show that blue mussels reduced clearance rates by more than 30% in presences of parasites. The reduced filtration activity resulted in lower infection rates in experimental mussels. The identified parasite-specific avoidance behaviour can be expected to play a significant role in regulating the ecosystem engineering function of blue mussels in coastal habitats.

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