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Is host-schistosome coevolution going anywhere?

Joanne P Webster1, Jaya Shrivastava, Paul J Johnson

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. joanne.webster@imperial.ac.uk

BMC Evolutionary Biology
|June 15, 2007
PubMed
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Host-parasite coevolution is evident, with schistosome worms rapidly adapting to resistant snail hosts. This suggests that host resistance may only be a temporary defense against evolving pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Parasitology
  • Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

  • Host-pathogen coevolution is a key concept in evolutionary biology with implications for infectious diseases.
  • Empirical studies on coevolution, especially in indirectly transmitted systems, are limited.
  • Schistosoma mansoni and Biomphalaria glabrata snails provide a model for studying host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically investigate host-parasite coevolution in a schistosome-snail system.
  • To examine the impact of host genotype combinations on parasite adaptation and fitness.
  • To test theoretical predictions about the dynamics of coevolution in natural host-parasite interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal co-selection trials were established using replicate populations of Biomphalaria glabrata snails and Schistosoma mansoni parasites.

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  • Snails were selected based on resistance (resistant-selected vs. susceptible) or a mix of genotypes.
  • Parasites were passaged through their definitive mammalian host each generation to maintain infectivity and virulence.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant reciprocal changes in host and pathogen fitness and genotype were observed over time.
    • Parasites demonstrated rapid adaptation to snail hosts previously selected for resistance.
    • The outcome of coevolutionary interactions was dependent on the specific host-parasite genotype combinations.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides empirical evidence for host-schistosome coevolution.
    • Rapid parasite counter-adaptation can undermine host resistance mechanisms.
    • Host resistance to pathogens may be a transient evolutionary state due to ongoing parasite adaptation.