Projects per year
Abstract / Description of output
RESULTS: Adaptation in worms was found to be primarily influenced by overall worm fitness, viz. the balance between the advantage of the B allele during the parasitic stage in sheep and its disadvantage on pasture. Genetic variation at the interacting locus in worms could be from de novo or segregating mutations, but de novo mutations are rare and segregating mutations are likely constrained to have (near) neutral effects on worm fitness. Most other aspects of the worm infection we modelled did not affect the outcomes. However, the host-controlled mechanism to reduce faecal worm egg count by lowering worm fecundity reduced the selection pressure on worms to adapt compared to other mechanisms, such as increasing worm mortality. Temporal changes in worm egg count were unreliable for detecting adaptation, despite the steady environment assumed in the simulations.
CONCLUSIONS: Adaptation of worms to sheep selected for low faecal worm egg count requires an allele segregating in worms that is favourable in animals with improved resistance but less favourable in other animals. Obtaining alleles with these specific properties seems unlikely. With support from experimental data, we conclude that selection for low faecal worm egg count should be stable over a short time frame (e.g. 20 years). We are further exploring model outcomes with multiple loci and comparing outcomes to other control strategies.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 14 |
Journal | Genetics Selection Evolution |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | n/a |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 28 May 2013 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Adaptation of gastrointestinal nematode parasites to host genotype: single locus simulation models'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
-
Innate immunity and endemic diseases in livestock species
Collie, D., Beard, P., Bishop, S., Bronsvoort, M., Burt, D., Fitzgerald, R., Freeman, T., Gally, D., Gill, A., Glass, E., Hocking, P., Hope, J., Hume, D., Kaiser, P., Mabbott, N., McLachlan, G., Morrison, L., Stevens, J., Stevens, M. & Watson, M.
1/04/12 → 31/03/17
Project: Research
-
ISP1: Analysis and prediction in complex animal systems
Tenesa, A., Archibald, A., Beard, P., Bishop, S., Bronsvoort, M., Burt, D., Freeman, T., Haley, C., Hocking, P., Houston, R., Hume, D., Joshi, A., Law, A., Michoel, T., Summers, K., Vernimmen, D., Watson, M., Wiener, P., Wilson, A., Woolliams, J., Ait-Ali, T., Barnett, M., Carlisle, A., Finlayson, H., Haga, I., Karavolos, M., Matika, O., Paterson, T., Paton, B., Pong-Wong, R., Robert, C. & Robertson, G.
1/04/12 → 31/03/17
Project: Research
-
European animal disease genomics network of excellence for animal health and food safety.
Glass, E. & Bishop, S.
1/05/08 → 28/02/10
Project: Research