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The evolutionary consequences of plasticity in host-pathogen interactions.

Peter D Taylor1, Troy Day, Daniel Nagy

  • 1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6. taylorp@post.queensu.ca

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Phenotypic plasticity in host-pathogen interactions promotes cooperation. This evolutionary dynamic leads to reduced pathogen virulence and host immune clearance, fostering a more balanced relationship.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Game theory
  • Theoretical ecology

Background:

  • Host-pathogen interactions often involve reciprocal adaptations.
  • Phenotypic plasticity, the ability to alter traits in response to environmental cues, is common in these interactions.
  • Existing game-theoretic models often overlook plasticity, limiting their explanatory power.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary consequences of phenotypic plasticity in a simple host-pathogen system.
  • To model the reciprocal changes in pathogen virulence and host immune clearance.
  • To explore how plasticity influences cooperation between hosts and pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a game-theoretic model incorporating reaction norms for host and pathogen traits.
  • Simulated the co-evolution of pathogen virulence and host immune clearance under plasticity.
  • Analyzed the conditions under which cooperation evolves.

Main Results:

  • Phenotypic plasticity generally promotes higher levels of cooperation.
  • In this model, plasticity led to reduced pathogen virulence.
  • Plasticity also resulted in decreased host immune clearance, indicating a more stable interaction.

Conclusions:

  • Incorporating phenotypic plasticity into evolutionary models is crucial for understanding host-pathogen dynamics.
  • Plasticity can drive the evolution of mutually beneficial outcomes, reducing harm to both host and pathogen.
  • This work provides a foundation for more complex models of co-evolving systems with adaptive behaviors.