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Higher phage virulence accelerates the evolution of host resistance
Carolin C Wendling1,2, Janina Lange1, Heiko Liesegang3
1GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|October 5, 2022
Summary
Host bacteria evolved faster resistance to more virulent phages. This occurred through surface receptor mutations (SRM), accelerating host resistance evolution and shortening epidemics.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Microbial genetics
Background:
- Pathogen virulence and host resistance evolution are key ecological and evolutionary factors.
- Understanding host resistance evolution in response to varying pathogen virulence is crucial but underexplored.
- Previous studies relied heavily on theoretical predictions and limited experimental data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate how different levels of pathogen virulence affect the evolution of host resistance.
- To compare the effectiveness of two distinct host defense strategies against phages of varying virulence.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution of the bacterium *Vibrio alginolyticus* challenged with two variants of a filamentous phage differing in virulence.
- Observation and analysis of two bacterial defense strategies: superinfection exclusion (SIE) and surface receptor mutations (SRM).
- Utilizing a mathematical model to analyze the selective pressures driving resistance evolution.
Main Results:
- Both SIE and SRM were observed as host defense strategies against phage infection.
- Superinfection exclusion (SIE) evolved rapidly against both low and high virulence phages.
- Surface receptor mutations (SRM) evolved significantly faster against the high-virulence phage compared to the low-virulence phage.
- Mathematical modeling indicated that increased phage virulence intensifies selection for SRM due to higher infection costs for SIE hosts.
Conclusions:
- Higher pathogen virulence can accelerate the evolution of host resistance, specifically through mechanisms like surface receptor mutations (SRM).
- The interplay between virulence and resistance evolution influences epidemic dynamics, with more virulent phages leading to shorter epidemics.
- Experimental evolution coupled with mathematical modeling provides a robust framework for studying host-pathogen coevolutionary dynamics.
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