Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Mass Isolation and In Vitro Cultivation of Intramolluscan Stages of the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma Mansoni
Published on: January 14, 2018
Interplay between host genetic variation and parasite transmission in the Biomphalaria glabrata-Schistosoma mansoni
Gregory J Sandland1, Alice V Foster, Monika Zavodna
1Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA. gregorys@bilbo.bio.purdue.edu
Abstract:
Genetic variability is often predicted to enhance host fitness in the face of parasitism, yet this idea is rarely tested in an experimental setting, particularly with animal hosts. To assess this question, we used a relatively resistant line of snail hosts (Biomphalaria glabrata) to generate inbred and outcrossed progeny that were then either exposed or sham-exposed to the trematode parasite, Schistosoma mansoni. Results showed no difference in prevalence between the groups; however, large differences appeared in other host life history traits, particularly reproduction. Outcrossed progeny produced large numbers of eggs relative to inbred progeny especially in the face of infection. Furthermore, eggs produced by outcrossed snails took less time to hatch and exhibited greater hatching success compared to their inbred counterparts. Parasite reproduction demonstrated the opposite trend, with fewer parasites emerging from outcrossed snails compared to inbred individuals. This work shows that the introduction of genetic variation into inbred snail populations can have important implications for the viability of host populations and disease transmission.
Related Concept Videos
Malaria
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism
Symbiosis
Diversity of Protists II
Amebiasis
Leishmaniasis

