Selection for resistance to a fungal pathogen in Drosophila melanogaster
Selection for resistance to a fungal pathogen in Drosophila melanogaster
An artificial selection experiment designed to explore the evolution of resistance to a fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, in Drosophila melanogaster is reported here. The experiment was designed to test whether there is sufficient additive genetic variation in this trait for increased resistance to evolve, and, if so, whether there are correlated responses that might represent a cost to defence. After 15 generations of selection, flies from selected lines did not have higher overall fitness after infection compared with control lines. The response to selection for resistance against this pathogen is thus much weaker than against other species, in particular, parasitoids. There was, however, evidence for increased late-life fecundity in selected lines, which may indicate evolved tolerance of fungal infection. This increase was accompanied by reduced early-life fitness, which may reflect the well-known trade-off between early and late reproduction. In the absence of fungal infection, selected flies had lower fitness than control flies, and the possibility that this is also a trade-off with increased tolerance is explored.
artificial selection, beauveria bassiana, drosophila melanogaster, fungal pathogen, immunity, fungal resistance
400-406
Kraaijeveld, A.R.
4af1791a-15cf-48b9-9fd8-b3a7fb450409
Godfray, H.C.J.
b0e8da11-3f2c-4007-bad2-5fd70fd1baa4
April 2008
Kraaijeveld, A.R.
4af1791a-15cf-48b9-9fd8-b3a7fb450409
Godfray, H.C.J.
b0e8da11-3f2c-4007-bad2-5fd70fd1baa4
Kraaijeveld, A.R. and Godfray, H.C.J.
(2008)
Selection for resistance to a fungal pathogen in Drosophila melanogaster.
Heredity, 100 (4), .
(doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6801092).
Abstract
An artificial selection experiment designed to explore the evolution of resistance to a fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, in Drosophila melanogaster is reported here. The experiment was designed to test whether there is sufficient additive genetic variation in this trait for increased resistance to evolve, and, if so, whether there are correlated responses that might represent a cost to defence. After 15 generations of selection, flies from selected lines did not have higher overall fitness after infection compared with control lines. The response to selection for resistance against this pathogen is thus much weaker than against other species, in particular, parasitoids. There was, however, evidence for increased late-life fecundity in selected lines, which may indicate evolved tolerance of fungal infection. This increase was accompanied by reduced early-life fitness, which may reflect the well-known trade-off between early and late reproduction. In the absence of fungal infection, selected flies had lower fitness than control flies, and the possibility that this is also a trade-off with increased tolerance is explored.
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Published date: April 2008
Keywords:
artificial selection, beauveria bassiana, drosophila melanogaster, fungal pathogen, immunity, fungal resistance
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 49891
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49891
ISSN: 0018-067X
PURE UUID: 94056e96-d918-41c3-996e-8ad0b039d46d
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Date deposited: 11 Dec 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:48
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Author:
H.C.J. Godfray
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