0000000000743651
AUTHOR
Lucile Dianne
Intraspecific conflict over host manipulation between different larval stages of an acanthocephalan parasite
Competitive interactions between coinfecting parasites are expected to be strong when they affect transmission success. When transmission is enhanced by altering host behaviour, intraspecific conflict can lead to ‘coinfection exclusion’ by the first-in parasite or to a ‘sabotage’ of behavioural manipulation by the youngest noninfective parasite. We tested these hypotheses in the acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis, reversing phototaxis in its intermediate host Gammarus pulex. No evidence was found for coinfection exclusion in gammarids sequentially exposed to infection. Behavioural manipulation was slightly weakened but not cancelled in gammarids infected with mixed larval stages…
Parasite-induced alteration of plastic response to predation threat: increased refuge use but lower food intake in Gammarus pulex infected with the acanothocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis.
6 pages; International audience; Larvae of many trophically-transmitted parasites alter the behaviour of their intermediate host in ways that increase their probability of transmission to the next host in their life cycle. Before reaching a stage that is infective to the next host, parasite larvae may develop through several larval stages in the intermediate host that are not infective to the definitive host. Early predation at these stages results in parasite death, and it has recently been shown that non-infective larvae of some helminths decrease such risk by enhancing the anti-predator defences of the host, including decreased activity and increased sheltering. However, these behavioura…
PROTECTION FIRST THEN FACILITATION: A MANIPULATIVE PARASITE MODULATES THE VULNERABILITY TO PREDATION OF ITS INTERMEDIATE HOST ACCORDING TO ITS OWN DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE
Many trophically transmitted parasites with complex life cycles manipulate their intermediate host behavior in ways facilitating their transmission to final host by predation. This facilitation generally results from lowering host's antipredatory defenses when the parasite is infective to the final host. However, a recent theoretical model predicts that an optimal parasitic strategy would be to protect the intermediate host from predation when noninfective, before switching to facilitation when the infective stage is reached. We tested this hypothesis in the fish acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis using the amphipod Gammarus pulex as intermediate host. Gammarids parasitized by n…
Role of the non-infective stage of the acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhychus laevis on the behavioural manipulation of its amphipod intermediate host
In trophically-transmitted parasites, exploitation strategies of the intermediate host have been selected, in a way increasing parasites transmission probabilities to their definitive host. Particularly, numerous parasites are able to alter their intermediate host behaviour, a phenomenon called ‘behavioural manipulation’. This manipulation only occurs when the parasite developmental stage (or larval stage) is infective for the definitive host. Before reaching this stage, the development of parasite larvae is not sufficiently advanced to allow establishment in the definitive host (this stage is thus called ‘non-infective’). Early transmission of a non-infective stage therefore implies parasi…
Larval size in acanthocephalan parasites : Influence of intraspecific competition and effects on intermediate host behavioural changes
Abstract Background Parasites often face a trade-off between exploitation of host resources and transmission probabilities to the next host. In helminths, larval growth, a major component of adult parasite fitness, is linked to exploitation of intermediate host resources and is influenced by the presence of co-infecting conspecifics. In manipulative parasites, larval growth strategy could also interact with their ability to alter intermediate host phenotype and influence parasite transmission. Methods We used experimental infections of Gammarus pulex by Pomphorhynchus laevis (Acanthocephala), to investigate larval size effects on host behavioural manipulation among different parasite sibshi…
Data from: Protection first then facilitation: a manipulative parasite modulates the vulnerability to predation of its intermediate host according to its own developmental stage
Many trophically-transmitted parasites with complex life cycles manipulate their intermediate host behavior in ways facilitating their transmission to final host by predation. This facilitation generally results from lowering host’s anti-predatory defences when the parasite is infective to the final host. However, a recent theoretical model predicts that an optimal parasitic strategy would be to protect the intermediate host from predation when non-infective, before switching to facilitation when the infective stage is reached. We tested this hypothesis in the fish acanthocephalan parasite Pomphorhynchus laevis using the amphipod Gammarus pulex as intermediate host. Gammarids parasitized by…