Temperature-mediated inhibition of a bumblebee parasite by an intestinal symbiont.

ABSTRACT: Competition between organisms is often mediated by environmental factors, including temperature. In animal intestines, nonpathogenic symbionts compete physically and chemically against pathogens, with consequences for host infection. We used metabolic theory-based models to characterize differential responses to temperature of a bacterial symbiont and a co-occurring trypanosomatid parasite of bumblebees, which regulate body temperature during flight and incubation. We hypothesized that inhibition of parasites by bacterial symbionts would increase with temperature, due to symbionts having higher optimal growth temperatures than parasites. We found that a temperature increase over the range measured in bumblebee colonies would favour symbionts over parasites. As predicted by our hypothesis,

SUBMITTER: Palmer-Young EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6235030 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature