What makes a host profitable? Parasites balance host nutritive resources against immunity

Bize, P., Jeanneret, C., Klopfenstein, A. and Roulin, A. (2008) What makes a host profitable? Parasites balance host nutritive resources against immunity. American Naturalist, 171(1), pp. 107-118. (doi: 10.1086/523943)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/523943

Abstract

Numerous host qualities can modulate parasite fitness, and among these, host nutritive resources and immunity are of prime importance. Indeed, parasite fitness increases with the amount of nutritive resources extracted from the host body and decreases with host immune response. To maximize fitness, parasites have therefore to balance these two host components. Yet, because host nutritive resources and immunity both increase with host body condition, it is unclear whether parasites perform better on hosts in prime, intermediate, or poor condition. We investigated blood meal size and survival of the ectoparasitic louse fly Crataerina melbae in relation to body condition and cutaneous immune response of their Alpine swift (Apus melba) nestling hosts. Louse flies took a smaller blood meal and lived a shorter period of time when feeding on nestlings that were experimentally food deprived or had their cutaneous immune response boosted with methionine. Consistent with these results, louse fly survival was the highest when feeding on nonexperimental nestlings in intermediate body condition. Our findings emphasize that although hosts in poor condition had a reduced immunocompetence, parasites may have avoided them because individuals in poor condition did not provide adequate resources. These findings highlight the fact that giving host immunocompetence primary consideration can result in a biased appraisal of host-parasite interactions.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Bize, Dr Pierre
Authors: Bize, P., Jeanneret, C., Klopfenstein, A., and Roulin, A.
Subjects:Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences
Journal Name:American Naturalist
Publisher:University of Chicago Press
ISSN:0003-0147
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2008 University of Chicago Press
First Published:First published in American Naturalist 171(1):107-118
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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