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Updated: Mar 15, 2026
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The Insect Galleria mellonella as a Powerful Infection Model to Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis
Published on: December 11, 2012
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Genotype-by-genotype interactions between an insect and its pathogen.
A I Hudson1, A E Fleming-Davies1, D J Páez1
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|September 14, 2016
Summary
Genotype-by-genotype interactions were found in gypsy moths and baculovirus. This study provides evidence for these complex host-pathogen genetic interactions, crucial for coevolutionary dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Genotype-by-genotype (G×G) interactions are critical for host-parasite coevolution.
- These interactions, where specific host and pathogen genotypes influence infection outcomes, are sparsely documented in animal systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate G×G interactions in the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and its associated baculovirus.
- To provide empirical evidence for G×G effects in a natural host-pathogen system.
Main Methods:
- Infected 21 gypsy moth families with 16 baculovirus isolates.
- Measured infection rates and calculated between-isolate correlations across host families.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in baculovirus infectiousness and gypsy moth susceptibility was observed.
- Between-isolate infection rate correlations were consistently below one, indicating non-additive G×G effects.
- Empirical data align with mathematical models predicting increased pathogen polymorphism due to G×G interactions.
Conclusions:
- The gypsy moth-baculovirus system exhibits significant G×G interactions.
- These findings support the role of G×G interactions in driving host-parasite coevolution and pathogen diversity.
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