Effect of predation on virulence traits of opportunistic pathogens

捕食对机会病原体毒力特征的影响

• 批准号: DP170100453
• 负责人: Prof Diane McDougald
• 金额: $ 26.53万
• 依托单位: University of Technology Sydney
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Projects
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2017-05-22 至 2020-05-22
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DP170100453
• 关键词: Effect; predation; virulence; traits; opportunistic

The project aims to determine if increased fitness of bacteria in animal or human hosts (increased virulence) can occur due to indirect rather than direct selective pressure, particularly pressure on bacteria arising from predation by protozoa. Protozoa feed on many pathogenic bacteria (e.g. those that cause cholera and chronic infections) in the ocean, and warming oceans are predicted to increase predation. Knowing the effect of warming oceans on marine bacteria and the emergence of virulence in bacteria that are subject to predation in the environment can inform design of tools for monitoring the risk of infection outbreaks. Benefits would be realised by academic researchers, clinicians and policy-makers interested in optimising the tracking of infection threats.

该项目旨在确定是否由于间接而不是直接的选择压力，特别是原生动物捕食对细菌的压力，会导致细菌在动物或人类宿主中的适应性增加（毒力增加）。原生动物以海洋中的许多致病细菌（例如引起霍乱和慢性感染的细菌）为食，预计海洋变暖将增加捕食。了解海洋变暖对海洋细菌的影响以及在环境中受到捕食的细菌中出现的毒力，可以为设计用于监测感染爆发风险的工具提供信息。有兴趣优化感染威胁跟踪的学术研究人员、临床医生和政策制定者将从中受益。