The bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa is not killed if it fails to infect: implications for coevolution Kayla C. King1, Stuart K. J. R. Auld2, Philip J. Wilson2, Janna James2 & Tom J. Little2 1Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK 2Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Labs, King Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK Keywords Abstract Daphnia, dilution effect, host–parasite coevolution, Pasteuria. Strong selection on parasites, as well as on hosts, is crucial for fueling coevolu- tionary dynamics. Selection will be especially strong if parasites that encounter Correspondence resistant hosts are destroyed and diluted from the local environment. We tested Kayla C. King, Institute of Integrative Biology, whether spores of the bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa were passed through University of Liverpool, Crown Street, the gut (the route of infection) of their host, Daphnia magna, and whether pas- Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 151 795 saged spores remained viable for a “second chance” at infecting a new host. In 4388; E-mail:
[email protected] particular, we tested if this viability (estimated via infectivity) depended on host Present address: Stuart K. J. R. Auld, School genotype, whether or not the genotype was susceptible, and on initial parasite of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, dose. Our results show that Pasteuria spores generally remain viable after pas- 310 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0230, sage through both susceptible and resistant Daphnia. Furthermore, these spores USA remained infectious even after being frozen for several weeks. If parasites can get a second chance at infecting hosts in the wild, selection for infection success Funding Information in the first instance will be reduced.