Co-variation and evolutionary trade-off between constitutive and inducible immune responses in an insect

Started in october 2024

Funding: French ministry of research

Supervisors: Yannick Moret & Thierry Rigaud

Abstract

Both the innate and acquired immune defenses rely on constitutive and inducible mechanisms, respectively. Constitutive immunity denotes the organism’s ability to maintain a certain level of nonspecific basal defense continuously, even in the absence of infection, ready for use against pathogens. These defense levels vary among individuals and populations. While beneficial for organisms facing a high and constant infectious risk with a fast pace of life, they require a constant supply of energy resources and may induce cellular damage in the host. On the other hand, inducible immunity involves the activation of the immune system in response to specific antigens or danger signals, generating immune effectors only in the presence of pathogens and minimizing harm to organisms. However, it requires a latency period for activation. The expression of immune memory also appears to differ among populations, with this type of immunity being favored in organisms with a slower pace of life, exposed to unpredictable infectious risks. This project aims to understand the variation in investment between these two immune defense systems in the insect Tenebrio molitor. We anticipate that the relative investment in constitutive versus inducible immunity will be variable and optimized based on the organisms’ life traits. We will use two populations of insects as well as several inbred lines with contrasting life rhythms. A quantitative genetics approach will enable us to characterize the heritability of each defense type and to test the existence of genetic correlations to determine the presence of evolutionary trade-offs

Keywords

immunity, evolution, ecology

extrait:

lien_externe:

titre:

Co-variation et compromis évolutif entre la réponse immunitaire constitutive et inductible chez un insecte

date_de_debut_these:

octobre 2024

nom:

Larges

date_de_debut_these_numerique:

202410

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kc_raw_content:

Co-variation and evolutionary trade-off between constitutive and inducible immune responses in an insect

Started in october 2024

Funding: French ministry of research

Supervisors: Yannick Moret & Thierry Rigaud

 

Abstract

Both the innate and acquired immune defenses rely on constitutive and inducible mechanisms, respectively. Constitutive immunity denotes the organism's ability to maintain a certain level of nonspecific basal defense continuously, even in the absence of infection, ready for use against pathogens. These defense levels vary among individuals and populations. While beneficial for organisms facing a high and constant infectious risk with a fast pace of life, they require a constant supply of energy resources and may induce cellular damage in the host. On the other hand, inducible immunity involves the activation of the immune system in response to specific antigens or danger signals, generating immune effectors only in the presence of pathogens and minimizing harm to organisms. However, it requires a latency period for activation. The expression of immune memory also appears to differ among populations, with this type of immunity being favored in organisms with a slower pace of life, exposed to unpredictable infectious risks. This project aims to understand the variation in investment between these two immune defense systems in the insect Tenebrio molitor. We anticipate that the relative investment in constitutive versus inducible immunity will be variable and optimized based on the organisms' life traits. We will use two populations of insects as well as several inbred lines with contrasting life rhythms. A quantitative genetics approach will enable us to characterize the heritability of each defense type and to test the existence of genetic correlations to determine the presence of evolutionary trade-offs

 

Keywords

immunity, evolution, ecology