Host–parasite network structure is associated with community-level immunogenetic diversity

Shai Pilosof (), Miguel A. Fortuna, Jean-François Cosson, Maxime Galan, Chaisiri Kittipong, Alexis Ribas, Eran Segal, Boris R. Krasnov, Serge Morand and Jordi Bascompte
Additional contact information
Shai Pilosof: Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Miguel A. Fortuna: Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC)
Jean-François Cosson: INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet
Maxime Galan: INRA, UMR CBGP (INRA/IRD/Cirad/Montpellier SupAgro), Campus International de Baillarguet
Chaisiri Kittipong: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
Alexis Ribas: Biodiversity Research Group, Faculty of Science, Udon Thani Rajabhat University
Eran Segal: Weizmann Institute
Boris R. Krasnov: Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Serge Morand: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique—Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution, Université Montpellier 2
Jordi Bascompte: Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC)

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encode proteins that recognize foreign antigens and are thus crucial for immune response. In a population of a single host species, parasite-mediated selection drives MHC allelic diversity. However, in a community-wide context, species interactions may modulate selection regimes because the prevalence of a given parasite in a given host may depend on its prevalence in other hosts. By combining network analysis with immunogenetics, we show that host species infected by similar parasites harbour similar alleles with similar frequencies. We further show, using a Bayesian approach, that the probability of mutual occurrence of a functional allele and a parasite in a given host individual is nonrandom and depends on other host–parasite interactions, driving co-evolution within subgroups of parasite species and functional alleles. Therefore, indirect effects among hosts and parasites can shape host MHC diversity, scaling it from the population to the community level.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6172

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