Drosophila melanogaster hosts coevolving with Pseudomonas entomophila pathogen show sex-specific patterns of local adaptation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In spatially structured populations, local adaptation improves organisms' fitness in their native environment. Hosts and pathogens can rapidly adapt to their local antagonist. Since males and females can differ in their immunocompetence, the patterns of local adaptation can be different between the sexes. However, there is little information about sex differences in local adaptation in host-pathogen systems.

Results

In the current study, we experimentally coevolved four different replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster (host) and Pseudomonas entomophila (pathogen) along with appropriate controls. We used the four host-pathogen coevolution populations to investigate the occurrence of local adaptation separately in males and females of the coevolving hosts.

SUBMITTER: Ahlawat N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9206745 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature