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Published on: March 12, 2021
Host life-history strategy explains pathogen-induced sterility.
1Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. mbonds@uga.edu
The American Naturalist
|September 2, 2006
Summary
Pathogen-induced sterility, often overlooked, can be explained by host life-history strategies. Hosts may preemptively adjust resource allocation, impacting reproduction to maintain essential functions when facing resource competition with pathogens.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Parasitology
- Life-history theory
Background:
- Virulence is typically defined by pathogen-induced mortality, neglecting impacts on host fecundity.
- Pathogen-induced sterility lacks integration into general virulence evolution theories.
- Existing literature on parasitism's fecundity effects is fragmented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a model explaining pathogen-induced sterility.
- To integrate fecundity effects into virulence evolution.
- To explore host-pathogen resource competition dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Modeling pathogen-induced sterility.
- Assuming hosts and pathogens compete for shared resources (reproduction and maintenance).
- Analyzing host life-history adjustments and resource allocation strategies.
Main Results:
- Sterility arises from host "fecundity compensation" – preemptive resource reallocation before infection.
- Host maintenance investment can remain stable pre- and post-infection.
- Pathogens may manipulate hosts, redirecting resources from reproduction to maintenance, causing gigantism.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen-induced sterility is a host life-history strategy under resource competition.
- The model integrates sterility into virulence evolution.
- Pathogen manipulation can lead to host gigantism via resource redirection.
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