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Host mating system and the spread of a disease-resistant allele in a population

Donald L DeAngelis1, Jennifer M Koslow, Jiang Jiang

  • 1U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-0421, USA. ddeangelis@bio.miami.edu

Theoretical Population Biology
|July 30, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Inbreeding helps eliminate disease in small populations, while outcrossing increases extinction risk from pathogens. This host-pathogen model reveals mating system impacts disease dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Epidemiology
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Host-pathogen interactions are crucial in ecology and evolution.
  • Mating systems can influence population genetic structure and disease dynamics.
  • Understanding these influences is key to predicting disease spread and host survival.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how different mating systems affect host-pathogen interactions.
  • To model the spread of pathogens and resistance alleles under varying mating strategies.
  • To assess the impact of mating on disease eradication versus endemicity or extinction.

Main Methods:

  • Modification of a susceptible-infected (SI) host-pathogen model.
  • Utilized both deterministic and stochastic (individual-based) modeling approaches.
  • Assessed the consequences of inbreeding (selfing) versus outcrossing on disease dynamics.

Main Results:

  • In small populations with initial low resistance, inbreeding increased the likelihood of pathogen elimination.
  • Outcrossing significantly elevated the probability of population extinction due to disease.
  • Mating systems demonstrably alter the course of host-pathogen interactions.

Conclusions:

  • The mating system is a critical factor in determining the outcome of host-pathogen interactions.
  • Inbreeding may offer a selective advantage in disease resistance for small populations.
  • Outcrossing can exacerbate disease impact, potentially leading to population collapse.

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