Dragičević Paula, Grbin Dorotea, Maguire Ivana, Blažević Sofia Ana, Abramović Lucija, Tarandek Anita, Hudina Sandra
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov Trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Department of Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva Ulica 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Biology (Basel). 2021 Oct 26;10(11):1102. doi: 10.3390/biology10111102.
Immunity is an important component of invasion success since it enables invaders' adaptation to conditions of the novel environment as they expand their range. Immune response of invaders may vary along the invasion range due to encountered parasites/microbial communities, conditions of the local environment, and ecological processes that arise during the range expansion. Here, we analyzed changes in the immune response along the invasion range of one of the most successful aquatic invaders, the signal crayfish, in the recently invaded Korana River, Croatia. We used several standard immune parameters (encapsulation response, hemocyte count, phenoloxidaze activity, and total prophenoloxidaze) to: i) compare immune response of the signal crayfish along its invasion range, and between species (comparison with co-occurring native narrow-clawed crayfish), and ii) analyze effects of specific predictors (water temperature, crayfish abundance, and body condition) on crayfish immune response changes. Immune response displayed species-specificity, differed significantly along the signal crayfish invasion range, and was mostly affected by water temperature and population abundance. Specific immune parameters showed density-dependent variation corresponding to increased investment in them during range expansion. Obtained results offer baseline insights for elucidating the role of immunocompetence in the invasion success of an invertebrate freshwater invader.
免疫是入侵成功的一个重要组成部分，因为它能使入侵者在扩大其分布范围时适应新环境的条件。由于遇到的寄生虫/微生物群落、当地环境条件以及在分布范围扩张过程中出现的生态过程，入侵者的免疫反应可能会沿着入侵范围发生变化。在这里，我们分析了最成功的水生入侵者之一——信号小龙虾在最近入侵的克罗地亚科拉纳河中，其免疫反应沿着入侵范围的变化。我们使用了几个标准免疫参数（包囊化反应、血细胞计数、酚氧化酶活性和总前酚氧化酶）来：i）比较信号小龙虾在其入侵范围内以及不同物种之间（与同时出现的本地窄爪小龙虾进行比较）的免疫反应，以及ii）分析特定预测因子（水温、小龙虾丰度和身体状况）对小龙虾免疫反应变化的影响。免疫反应表现出物种特异性，在信号小龙虾的入侵范围内有显著差异，并且主要受水温和种群丰度的影响。特定的免疫参数显示出密度依赖性变化，这与在分布范围扩张期间对它们的投入增加相对应。所获得的结果为阐明免疫能力在无脊椎动物淡水入侵者入侵成功中的作用提供了基线见解。
