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The evolution of reduced antagonism--A role for host-parasite coevolution
A K Gibson1, K S Stoy2, I A Gelarden2
1Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405. amakgibs@indiana.edu.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|October 1, 2015
Summary
Coevolution drives reduced antagonism in host-parasite relationships. When the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and bacterium Serratia marcescens evolved together, antagonism decreased, but not when evolved separately.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Microbiology
- Host-parasite interactions
Background:
- Host-parasite interactions can shift from antagonistic to mutualistic over evolutionary time.
- Vertical transmission is known to select for reduced antagonism.
- The role of coevolution in this transition remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether coevolution drives the evolution of reduced antagonism between hosts and parasites.
- To test the hypothesis that coevolution, independent of vertical transmission, can lead to decreased host-parasite antagonism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Caenorhabditis elegans (host) and Serratia marcescens (parasite) model system.
- Employed experimental evolution with copassaged (coevolving) and independently selected treatments over 20 generations.
- Assessed changes in antagonism as a measure of evolutionary response.
Main Results:
- Reduced antagonism evolved in the copassaged treatment where hosts and parasites coevolved.
- No significant reduction in antagonism was observed when hosts or parasites were selected independently.
- Evidence of strong local adaptation for reduced antagonism was found in coevolving lines.
Conclusions:
- Coevolution is a critical factor in the rapid evolution of reduced antagonism in host-parasite systems.
- Experimental evolution provides a powerful tool to study the mechanisms underlying host-parasite coevolutionary dynamics.
- Findings suggest that joint adaptation can resolve conflict in antagonistic interactions.
Keywords:
Caenorhabditis elegansSerratia marcescensevolution of virulenceexperimental coevolutionexperimental evolutionMore Related Videos
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