A Microbial Mutualist Within Host Individuals Increases Parasite Transmission Between Host Individuals: Evidence From a Field Mesocosm Experiment.

ABSTRACT: The interactions among host-associated microbes and parasites can have clear consequences for disease susceptibility and progression within host individuals. Yet, empirical evidence for how these interactions impact parasite transmission between host individuals remains scarce. We address this scarcity by using a field mesocosm experiment to investigate the interaction between a systemic fungal endophyte, Epichloë coenophiala, and a fungal parasite, Rhizoctonia solani, in leaves of a grass host, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). Specifically, we investigated how this interaction impacted transmission of the parasite under field conditions in replicated experimental host populations. Epichloë-inoculated populations tended to have greater disease prevalence over

SUBMITTER: O'Keeffe KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9069011 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature