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Why should parasite resistance be costly?

Mark C Rigby1, Ryan F Hechinger, Lori Stevens

  • 1Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. rigby@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Trends in Parasitology
|February 21, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Parasite resistance may not always incur fitness costs. Many resistance mechanisms likely do not significantly impact host fitness, challenging common assumptions in host-parasite research.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary ecology
  • Epidemiology
  • Host-parasite interactions

Background:

  • Fitness costs are often assumed for parasite resistance.
  • This assumption influences research in host-parasite dynamics.
  • The paradigm views resistance as resource reallocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the assumption of universal fitness costs for parasite resistance.
  • To propose a framework for understanding diverse resistance mechanisms.
  • To identify resistance strategies that may not incur significant costs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and conceptual analysis.
  • Development of a working framework for resistance means and mechanisms.
  • Evaluation of potential fitness costs associated with different resistance strategies.

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Main Results:

  • Many commonly assumed fitness costs of resistance may be overestimated.
  • Diverse resistance mechanisms exist, with varying cost implications.
  • Several resistance strategies are unlikely to impose significant fitness burdens.

Conclusions:

  • The assumption that all parasite resistance incurs fitness costs is not universally supported.
  • A nuanced understanding of resistance mechanisms is crucial for accurate ecological and evolutionary modeling.
  • Future research should consider the varied costs of different resistance strategies in host-parasite systems.