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Interactions between environmental variables determine immunity in the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella
Alison Triggs1, Robert J Knell
1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK. a.m.triggs@qmul.ac.uk
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|October 18, 2011
Summary
Environmental factors like temperature, food, and density interact to affect invertebrate immunity. Good food quality consistently boosted immune responses, while other factors showed complex, context-dependent effects on immune activity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Immunology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Environmental conditions significantly influence animal immunity and parasite resistance.
- Previous studies often examined environmental variables in isolation, potentially missing interactive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the synergistic effects of interacting environmental factors on immune activity.
- To determine how temperature, food quality, and density influence phenoloxidase (PO) activity and haemocyte count in invertebrates.
Main Methods:
- A fully factorial design was employed, manipulating temperature, food quality, and density across eight treatment combinations.
- Phenoloxidase (PO) activity and haemocyte count were measured as indicators of immune system activity.
Main Results:
- Strong interactions were observed between environmental variables, altering the effects of individual factors.
- Good food quality consistently enhanced PO activity and haemocyte count.
- Density-dependent prophylaxis was observed under good food conditions, but reversed under poor food and low temperature.
- Temperature's effect on immunity was highly dependent on food quality and density, sometimes leading to reduced immune activity.
Conclusions:
- Environmental factors interact in complex ways, influencing immune responses.
- Investigating single environmental variables in isolation can lead to inaccurate predictions of immune and disease dynamics.
- Immune system components like PO activity and haemocyte count vary in their sensitivity to environmental changes.
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