A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Variation in Resistance to the Invasive Crayfish Plague and Immune Defence in the Native Noble Crayfish
Authors: Christina Gruber, Raine Kortet, Anssi Vainikka, Pekka Hyvärinen, Markus J. Rantala, Ari Pikkarainen, Japo Jussila, Jenny Makkonen, Harri Kokko, Heikki Hirvonen
Publisher: FINNISH ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL PUBLISHING BOARD
Publication year: 2014
Journal: Annales Zoologici Fennici
Journal name in source: ANNALES ZOOLOGICI FENNICI
Journal acronym: ANN ZOOL FENN
Volume: 51
Issue: 4
First page : 371
Last page: 389
Number of pages: 19
ISSN: 0003-455X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5735/086.051.0403
Emerging diseases, such as the crayfish plague, are a worldwide problem with serious ecological and economic impacts. Under the framework of ecological inummology, we investigated whether variation in crayfish plague resistance, the indicators of immune defence (encapsulation response, phenoloxidase and lytic activity), and the exploration behaviour among four subpopulations of noble crayfish is explained by potential local adaptation through differences in crayfish plague history, or alternatively by geographical divergence in a large watershed. We examined whether the strength of immune defence is associated with survival and exploration behaviour. Survival time after experimental crayfish plague infection and phenoloxidase activity differed among the subpopulations of the watershed but did not reveal local adaptation to the disease. Increased investment in immune defence (i.e. encapsulation response) compromised survival time after infection, suggesting the self-reactivity costs of mounting a strong immune response. Exploration behaviour was negatively associated with phenoloxidase activity before and after immune challenge.