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Two species of feminizing microsporidian parasite coexist in populations of Gammarus duebeni
Author(s) -
Ironside J. E.,
Smith J. E.,
Hatcher M. J.,
Sharpe R. G.,
Rollinson D.,
Dunn A. M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00539.x
Subject(s) - biology , microsporidia , parasite hosting , zoology , microsporidiosis , crustacean , nosema , panmixia , host (biology) , population , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , spore , demography , sociology , world wide web , computer science , gene , microsatellite , biochemistry , allele
The amphipod crustacean Gammarus duebeni hosts two species of vertically transmitted microsporidian parasites, Nosema granulosis and Microsporidium sp. A. Here it is demonstrated that these co‐occurring parasite species both cause infected females to produce female‐biased broods. A survey of European G. duebeni populations demonstrates that these two parasites co‐occur in six of 10 populations. These findings contrast with the theoretical prediction that two vertically transmitted feminizing parasites should not coexist in a panmictic population of susceptible hosts at equilibrium. Possible explanations for the co‐occurrence of the two feminizing microsporidia in G. duebeni include the recent invasion of a new parasite, horizontal transmission of one or both parasites and the spread of alleles for resistance to the dominant parasite in host populations.