DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Vertical and Horizontal Transmission and Parasite Virulence in a Plant/fungus Interaction

大多数关于寄生虫毒力进化的理论都假设寄生虫的传播成功与其毒力之间存在正相关关系，但对这种关系的实验测试很少。通过验证这一普遍假设，了解宿主与寄生虫控制传播模式的程度将大大有助于建立寄生虫进化模型。本研究利用可变的植物-真菌相互作用来探索毒力和传播模式（水平或垂直）之间的表型和遗传关系。实验计划确定水平传播是否与寄生虫毒力呈正相关，水平传播与垂直传播之间的关系，寄生虫的生长速度是否预测传播成功或寄生虫毒力，以及寄生虫或宿主-或它们的相互作用-是否控制寄生虫传播模式。这些研究将为寄生虫传播方式与毒力之间的关系提供经验数据，广泛适用于人类健康和农业。该项目将支持非传统研究生的培训和发展。

Most theories on the evolution of parasite virulence assume a positive relationship between transmission success of the parasite and its virulence, but there are few experimental tests of this relationship. Understanding the degree to which the host, versus the parasite, controls transmission mode would contribute substantially to models of parasite evolution by testing this common assumption. This research exploits a variable plant-fungus interaction to explore the phenotypic and genetic relationships between virulence and transmission mode (horizontal or vertical). Experiments are planned to determine if horizontal transmission is positively related to parasite virulence, the relationship between horizontal transmission and vertical transmission, if parasite growth rate predicts transmission success or parasite virulence, and if the parasite or the host - or their interaction - controls the mode of parasite transmission. The proposed studies will provide empirical data on the relationship between parasite transmission mode and virulence, which is broadly applicable to human health and agriculture. The project will support the training and development of a non-traditional graduate student.