6533b851fe1ef96bd12aa1e9
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Condition-dependent ecdysis and immunocompetence in the amphipod crustacean, Gammarus pulex.
Thierry RigaudJean-phillipe TroussardJérôme MoreauYannick MoretSébastien Motreuilsubject
0106 biological sciencesAmphipodacondition-dependent ecdysisAdaptation BiologicalMolting[ SDV.IMM.IA ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Immunology/Adaptive immunologyModels Biological010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciences03 medical and health sciences[ SDV.EE.IEO ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/SymbiosismedicineAnimalsAmphipodaBody cavityinnate immunity030304 developmental biology[ SDE.BE ] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and EcologyEvolutionary Biology0303 health sciencesInnate immune systembiologyEcologybiology.organism_classificationinvertebratesAgricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)CrustaceanImmunity InnateGammarus pulexmedicine.anatomical_structure[SDV.IMM.IA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Immunology/Adaptive immunologyEcdysisHost-Pathogen InteractionsAdaptation[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and EcologyGeneral Agricultural and Biological SciencesImmunocompetenceMoulting[SDV.EE.IEO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology environment/Symbiosisdescription
The exoskeleton of arthropods forms an efficient protection against pathogens, but this first line of defence is periodically weakened during ecdysis, increasing the opportunity for surrounding pathogens to invade the body cavity. Since the richness of pathogens in the environment can be spatially and temporally variable, arthropods may have a fitness advantage in moulting in a place and time of low infection risk. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that the amphipod crustacean, Gammarus pulex , exhibits temporal adjustment of the moult cycle in response to elevated risks of infection. Interestingly, this phenomenon is variable between two populations and independent of levels of immune defences. These results suggest that plasticity of the moult cycle in response to elevated risks of infection is adaptive and may result from adaptation to local variations in the risk of infection.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-05-12 |