Biology
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Wild organisms are regularly exposed to a wide range of parasites, requiring the management of an effective immune response while avoiding immunopathology. Currently, our knowledge of immunoparasitology primarily derives from controlled laboratory studies, neglecting the genetic and environmental diversity that contribute to immune phenotypes observed in wild populations. To gain insight into the immunologic variability in natural settings, we examined differences in immune gene expression of two Alaskan stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations with varying susceptibility to infection by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Between these two populations, we found distinct immune gene expression patterns at the population level in response to infection with fish from the high-infection population displaying signs of parasite-driven immune manipulation. Further, we found significant differences in baseline immune gene profiles between the populations, with uninfected low-infection population fish showing signatures of inflammation compared to uninfected high-infection population fish. These results shed light on divergent responses of wild populations to the same parasite, providing valuable insights into host-parasite interactions in natural ecosystems.
Publication Title
Fish and Shellfish Immunology
Publication Date
6-2024
Volume
149
ISSN
1050-4648
DOI
10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109580
Keywords
fish, threesphine stickleback, sticklebacks, tapeworm infections, gene expression, genetic variation, phenotypes
Repository Citation
Wohlleben, Anika M.; Tabima, Javier F.; Meyer, Néva P.; and Steinel, Natalie C., "Population-level immunologic variation in wild threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)" (2024). Biology. 27.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_biology/27
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Conditions
Published source must be acknowledged with citation: Wohlleben, A. M., Tabima, J. F., Meyer, N. P., & Steinel, N. C. (2024). Population-level immunologic variation in wild threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 149, 109580.