Relative importance of genetic variability for predicting parasitism

University Of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

Diseases do not affect all individuals in the same way. Why does one animal get sick, when another, exposed to the same environmental conditions, remains healthy? Answering this question offers a central challenge in disease ecology. The answer may lie in differences in genetic make-up of individuals. Some individuals have a greater diversity of alleles than other individuals do. Evidence from inbred populations suggests that an individual's genetic diversity might be associated with reduced levels of parasitism, but this relationship has never been examined in a large, natural population. This research will address two questions. Does genetic diversity enhance an individual's ability to resist parasites? How important is the effect of genetic diversity relative to the many other factors that are also known to be strong predictors of parasitism? These questions will be addressed by generating genetic and parasite profiles for individual animals from a large, well-studied, animal population. Statistical models will be used to assess the importance of genetic variability in determining parasite burdens. Human welfare depends in a way that is truly fundamental on a basic understanding of the factors that control disease. This research will enhance understanding of the role of genetics in controlling resistance to parasitism. A post-doctoral student and undergraduate students will be trained.