DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Evolution of Parasite Virulence: Experimental Tests using a Lethal Salamander Virus

论文研究：寄生虫毒力的进化：使用致命蝾螈病毒的实验测试

• 批准号: 0309099
• 负责人: James Collins
• 金额: $ 1.16万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0309099&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Evolution; Parasite; Virulence

Pathogens play an important role in the health, welfare, and survival of wildlife, agricultural, and human populations. Only recently, however, has it become evident how quickly pathogens can change, rapidly developing drug resistance, adapting to new hosts, and becoming more (and less) virulent. These changes may be predictable. By understanding how traits beneficial to a pathogen (e.g., reproduction and transmission) are linked to potentially costly traits (like harming one's host), we may be able to explain how pathogens change under certain ecological conditions. The proposed research will first examine the relationship between replication, transmission, and virulence, using a lethal virus of salamanders as a model system. Then, using these relationships among traits, it will assess how this virus changes its level of virulence under conditions favoring or inhibiting transmission. Understanding how and why virulence changes over time can make epidemics predictable, and potentially more easily controlled.

病原体在野生动植物，农业和人类种群的健康，福利和生存中起着重要作用。 然而，直到最近，病原体才能改变，迅速发展耐药性，适应新宿主，并变得更加（且更少）有毒。 这些变化可能是可以预见的。 通过了解对病原体有益的特征（例如繁殖和传播）与潜在昂贵的特征（例如损害宿主）有关，我们可能能够解释病原体在某些生态条件下如何变化。 拟议的研究将首先使用Salamanders的致命病毒作为模型系统来检查复制，传播和毒力之间的关系。 然后，使用这些性状之间的这些关系，它将评估该病毒在有利于或抑制传播的条件下如何改变其毒力水平。 了解毒力随着时间的流逝而变化的方式以及为什么会使流行病可以预测，并且可能更容易受到控制。