title: Host-parasite genotypic interactions in the honey bee: the dynamics of diversity.
abstract: Parasites are thought to be a major driving force shaping genetic variation in their host, and are suggested to be a significant reason for the maintenance of sexual reproduction. A leading hypothesis for the occurrence of multiple mating (polyandry) in social insects is that the genetic diversity generated within-colonies through this behavior promotes disease resistance. This benefit is likely to be particularly significant when colonies are exposed to multiple species and strains of parasites, but host-parasite genotypic interactions in social insects are little known. We investigated this using honey bees, which are naturally polyandrous and consequently produce genetically diverse colonies containing multiple genotypes (patrilines), and which are also known to host multiple strains of various parasite species. We found that host genotypes differed significantly in their resistance to different strains of the obligate fungal parasite that causes chalkbrood disease, while genotypic variation in resistance to the facultative fungal parasite that causes stonebrood disease was less pronounced. Our results show that genetic variation in disease resistance depends in part on the parasite genotype, as well as species, with the latter most likely relating to differences in parasite life history and host-parasite coevolution. Our results suggest that the selection pressure from genetically diverse parasites might be an important driving force in the evolution of polyandry, a mechanism that generates significant genetic diversity in social insects.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
authors.forename: Sophie E F
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Evison
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chappell
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Annette B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: William O H
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Hughes
keywords: Apis mellifera; Ascosphaera apis; Aspergillus flavus; Polyandry; disease resistance; genetic diversity; social insect
references.citation: Annu Rev Entomol. 2009;54:405-23
references.pmid: 18793100
references.citation: Naturwissenschaften. 2003 Jun;90(6):265-8
references.pmid: 12835837
references.citation: Nature. 2005 Nov 17;438(7066):355-9
references.pmid: 16292310
references.citation: J Evol Biol. 2006 Jan;19(1):132-43
references.pmid: 16405585
references.citation: Evolution. 2011 Jun;65(6):1791-9
references.pmid: 21644963
references.citation: Am Nat. 1998 Apr;151(4):392-6
references.pmid: 18811329
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2008 Aug;23(8):439-45
references.pmid: 18597889
references.citation: Evolution. 2004 Jun;58(6):1251-60
references.pmid: 15266974
references.citation: Malar J. 2005 Jan 11;4:3
references.pmid: 15644136
references.citation: Evolution. 1999 Apr;53(2):426-434
references.pmid: 28565410
references.citation: Nature. 2006 Jun 15;441(7095):872-5
references.pmid: 16778889
references.citation: J Theor Biol. 1989 Oct 23;140(4):499-518
references.pmid: 2615403
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Mar 22;274(1611):809-17
references.pmid: 17251091
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Jan 7;274(1606):67-72
references.pmid: 17015336
references.citation: Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2000 Feb;75(1):21-64
references.pmid: 10740892
references.citation: Am Nat. 2006 Apr;167(4):568-77
references.pmid: 16670998
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Jan 7;270(1510):99-103
references.pmid: 12596763
references.citation: Evolution. 2003 Sep;57(9):2067-81
references.pmid: 14575328
references.citation: Naturwissenschaften. 2006 Apr;93(4):195-9
references.pmid: 16518641
references.citation: Ecology. 2010 May;91(5):1263-8
references.pmid: 20503859
references.citation: Insect Mol Biol. 2006 Oct;15(5):645-56
references.pmid: 17069638
references.citation: Ecol Evol. 2011 Dec;1(4):451-8
references.pmid: 22393513
references.citation: PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30641
references.pmid: 22347356
references.citation: J Invertebr Pathol. 2012 Sep 15;111(1):68-73
references.pmid: 22750047
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 1996 Feb;11(2):79-82
references.pmid: 21237766
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Feb 22;277(1681):609-15
references.pmid: 19864289
references.citation: Ecol Evol. 2013 Feb;3(2):312-25
references.pmid: 23467563
references.citation: Ecol Lett. 2008 Sep;11(9):918-28
references.pmid: 18479453
references.citation: J Hered. 2010 May-Jun;101(3):334-8
references.pmid: 19945989
references.citation: Ecol Lett. 2008 Jul;11(7):682-9
references.pmid: 18371089
references.citation: Theor Popul Biol. 1970 Aug;1(2):140-64
references.pmid: 5527629
references.citation: PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e25035
references.pmid: 21966406
references.citation: Ecol Evol. 2012 Sep;2(9):2304-14
references.pmid: 23139888
references.citation: J Clin Oncol. 2007 Aug 10;25(23):3482-7
references.pmid: 17687153
references.citation: Evolution. 2001 Jun;55(6):1136-45
references.pmid: 11475049