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Exploiting host compensatory responses: the 'must' of manipulation?
Thierry Lefèvre1, Benjamin Roche, Robert Poulin
1Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, 911 av Agropolis BP 64501 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. tlefevre@mpl.ird.fr
Trends in Parasitology
|August 19, 2008
Summary
Parasites manipulate host traits, not just for their benefit, but to provoke host responses that aid parasite transmission. This co-evolutionary perspective reframes host-parasite interactions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Parasitology
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Parasite-induced host phenotype alterations are traditionally classified into non-adaptive outcomes, host defenses, or parasite adaptations.
- Existing classifications offer a limited view, neglecting the co-evolutionary dynamics between hosts and parasites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel framework for understanding parasite-induced behavioral alterations in hosts.
- To present a scenario where parasites manipulate host traits to elicit compensatory responses beneficial for parasite transmission.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of host-parasite co-evolutionary dynamics.
- Theoretical modeling of manipulation and host response evolution.
Main Results:
- Host modifications by parasites should be viewed as co-evolved traits, not solely host subjugation.
- Parasites may manipulate host fitness traits to induce compensatory responses that serve parasite transmission objectives.
Conclusions:
- A new perspective on parasite manipulation emphasizes co-evolutionary strategies.
- Understanding host compensatory responses is key to deciphering parasite-driven behavioral evolution.
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