The evolutionary ecology of pathogen-host Interactions: how do the competing needs of hosts and their pathogens affect resistance and virulence?

Kurt McKean, Department of biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences, University of Hull, UK

Friday 21st November 2014, 11AM, amphitheatre Monge

Pairwise interactions between hosts and pathogens are the primary determinants of the evolution of host defense and pathogen traits promoting within-host growth and survival and between host transmission. However, if the expression of these traits is negatively correlated (via either pleiotropy or linkage disequilibrium) with other fitness-associated traits then these trade-offs may cause dramatic differences from expected trait values under independence. Trade-offs are often referred to as ‘costs’ and three types of costs may be important secondary determinants of host defense and pathogen virulence. In my talk I will discuss examples from work in my own lab and the labs of others illustrating the importance of such costs in understanding the evolution of host defense and pathogen virulence.

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The evolutionary ecology of pathogen-host Interactions: how do the competing needs of hosts and their pathogens affect resistance and virulence?

Kurt McKean, Department of biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences, University of Hull, UK

Friday 21st November 2014, 11AM, amphitheatre Monge

 

Pairwise interactions between hosts and pathogens are the primary determinants of the evolution of host defense and pathogen traits promoting within-host growth and survival and between host transmission. However, if the expression of these traits is negatively correlated (via either pleiotropy or linkage disequilibrium) with other fitness-associated traits then these trade-offs may cause dramatic differences from expected trait values under independence. Trade-offs are often referred to as ‘costs’ and three types of costs may be important secondary determinants of host defense and pathogen virulence. In my talk I will discuss examples from work in my own lab and the labs of others illustrating the importance of such costs in understanding the evolution of host defense and pathogen virulence.