title: The damage threshold hypothesis and the immune strategies of insects.
abstract: The insect immune response strategy has generally been considered bipolar: either resistance or death. Lately, a much broader and subtler landscape has emerged: occurrence of tolerance and resistance has been described as a host-regulated immune response. However, little is known about the interplay between the immune response strategy mounted by the insect during infection and the damage produced by the pathogen. Based on the Matzinger model of danger/damage, we propose a quantitative model to explain the occurrence of either resistance or tolerance. We discuss the features to be analyzed and describe the terms of reference by which, with basic models, we distinguish between immune strategies. Pathogen type and mixed infections are also contemplated. We hope this analysis will give new perspective, from an evolutionary ecology standpoint, on immune response measurements in the context of insect infection, and on the importance of (non-self or self) damage.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avda. Universidad 655, Col. Sta. María Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: miguelmoga2000@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreno-García
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avda. Universidad 655, Col. Sta. María Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Condé
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Km. 103 Carretera Tijuana - Ensenada, Pedregal Playitas, 22860 Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bello-Bedoy
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avda. Universidad 655, Col. Sta. María Ahuacatitlán, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lanz-Mendoza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000276:immunology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Damage/danger; Evolutionary ecology; Immune strategies; Insects; Resistance; Tolerance