An infectious personality: immune personalities and their role in the transmission of wildlife infectious diseases

传染性人格：免疫人格及其在野生动物传染病传播中的作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03457
• 负责人: Seguel, Mauricio
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: University of Guelph
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=761929
• 关键词: infectious; personality; immune; personalities; their

Immune function is one of the most variable traits in animals with significant differences between individuals and between populations. However, it is increasingly recognized that in animal populations many individuals experience predictable and relatively stable immune responses over time. This within-individual stability in a context of high between-individual variance leads to intermediate to high repeatability in some immune traits, and the term "immune personality" has been used to describe these consistent responses over time and across environments. The origin of these immune personalities in free-ranging animal populations is not clear but recent evidence from lab animal and human populations suggests that most of the diversity in immune phenotypes is due to early life exposure to environmental pathogens and microbial commensals (microbiome). These early life microbial exposures can directly stimulate different immune pathways leaving a long-lasting imprinting in the immune system and sometimes higher levels of within-individual variance in immune traits. Interestingly, preliminary studies in people suggest that more variable immune responses overtime predict better response to vaccination. Similarly, we recently found in a wild animal population that immune personalities characterized by lower levels of within-individual variance increase tuberculosis infection risk. Therefore, wild animals exposed to different pathogens and microbiomes during early life could develop unique immune personalities that increase their chances to disseminate infectious diseases. To test this hypothesis, in this research program we will use a unique host parasite system (South American fur seal and hookworm [Uncinaria sp.]) that allows for easy manipulation of early life exposure to pathogens and commensals and allows for longitudinal tracking of immune personalities and naturally acquired infections. Using this model, we will: i) characterize the effects of neonatal hookworm infection on the host microbiome, and ii) test the effects of this disturbed microbiomes during early life on the adult immune personality. Simultaneously, we will assess the impact of these different immune personalities on the infection risk and shedding patterns of influenza viruses and seal tuberculosis (Mycobacterium pinnipediae). This research program will reveal the most important drivers of immune personalities in wildlife systems and will determine the extent of the effects of these personalities on the transmission of important infectious diseases. A better understanding on the drivers and consequences of immune personalities in free-ranging animal populations will be critical to identify through environmental monitoring individuals and populations at higher risk of infection. This program will also offer better tools to predict the impact of environmental change on wildlife immunity and the emergence of important infectious diseases

免疫功能是动物中最易变的性状之一，个体之间和种群之间存在显著差异。然而，人们越来越认识到，在动物群体中，许多个体随着时间的推移经历可预测的和相对稳定的免疫应答。在个体间差异很大的情况下，这种个体内的稳定性导致了某些免疫性状的中等至高重复性，术语“免疫人格”已被用来描述这些随时间和环境变化的一致反应。这些免疫个性在自由放养动物群体中的起源尚不清楚，但最近来自实验室动物和人类群体的证据表明，免疫表型的大部分多样性是由于早期生活暴露于环境病原体和微生物群落（微生物组）。这些生命早期的微生物暴露可以直接刺激不同的免疫途径，在免疫系统中留下持久的印记，有时还会在免疫性状中产生更高水平的个体内差异。有趣的是，对人类的初步研究表明，随着时间的推移，更多可变的免疫反应预示着对疫苗接种的更好反应。同样，我们最近在一个野生动物种群中发现，以个体内变异水平较低为特征的免疫个性会增加结核病感染的风险。因此，在生命早期暴露于不同病原体和微生物组的野生动物可能会发展出独特的免疫个性，增加它们传播传染病的机会。为了验证这一假设，在这项研究计划中，我们将使用一种独特的宿主寄生虫系统（南美海狗和钩虫[钩虫属]）。这允许容易地操纵早期生命暴露于病原体和寄生虫，并允许纵向跟踪免疫个性和自然获得的感染。使用这个模型，我们将：i）表征新生儿钩虫感染对宿主微生物组的影响，以及ii）测试生命早期这种受干扰的微生物组对成人免疫个性的影响。同时，我们将评估这些不同的免疫个性对流感病毒和海豹结核病（鳍状分枝杆菌）的感染风险和脱落模式的影响。这项研究计划将揭示野生动物系统中免疫个性的最重要驱动因素，并将确定这些个性对重要传染病传播的影响程度。更好地了解自由放养动物种群中免疫人格的驱动因素和后果，对于通过环境监测确定感染风险较高的个人和种群至关重要。该计划还将提供更好的工具来预测环境变化对野生动物免疫力的影响以及重要传染病的出现