Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm
Published on: April 12, 2017
Host-parasite coevolution: genetic variation in a virus population and the interaction with a host gene
1Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK. lb445@cam.ac.uk
Abstract:
Host-parasite coevolution is considered to be an important factor in maintaining genetic variation in resistance to pathogens. Drosophila melanogaster is naturally infected by the sigma virus, a vertically transmitted and host-specific pathogen. In fly populations, there is a large amount of genetic variation in the transmission rate from parent to offspring, much of which is caused by major-effect resistance polymorphisms. We have found that there are similarly high levels of genetic variation in the rate of paternal transmission among 95 different isolates of the virus as in the host. However, when we examined a transmission-blocking gene in the host, we found that it was effective across virus isolates. Therefore, the high levels of genetic variation observed in this system do not appear to be maintained because of coevolution resulting from interactions between this host gene and parasite genes.
More Related Videos
06:02Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
Published on: September 13, 2018
05:49Pseudotyped Viruses As a Molecular Tool to Monitor Humoral Immune Responses Against SARS-CoV-2 Via Neutralization Assay
Published on: November 21, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism
Viral Mutations
Viral Recombination
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Gene Flow
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes