Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
Ecol Lett. 2023 Jun;26(6):896-907. doi: 10.1111/ele.14218. Epub 2023 Apr 13.
A cornerstone of classical virulence evolution theories is the assumption that pathogen growth rate is positively correlated with virulence, the amount of damage pathogens inflict on their hosts. Such theories are key for incorporating evolutionary principles into sustainable disease management strategies. Yet, empirical evidence raises doubts over this central assumption underpinning classical theories, thus undermining their generality and predictive power. In this paper, we identify a key component missing from current theories which redefines the growth-virulence relationship in a way that is consistent with data. By modifying the activity of a single metabolic gene, we engineered strains of Magnaporthe oryzae with different nutrient acquisition and growth rates. We conducted in planta infection studies and uncovered an unexpected non-monotonic relationship between growth rate and virulence that is jointly shaped by how growth rate and metabolic efficiency interact. This novel mechanistic framework paves the way for a much-needed new suite of virulence evolution theories.
经典毒力进化理论的基石之一是病原体生长率与毒力（病原体对宿主造成的损害量）正相关的假设。这些理论是将进化原理纳入可持续疾病管理策略的关键。然而，实证证据对这一核心假设提出了质疑，从而削弱了它们的普遍性和预测能力。在本文中，我们确定了当前理论中缺失的一个关键组成部分，该部分以与数据一致的方式重新定义了生长-毒力关系。通过修饰单个代谢基因的活性，我们设计了具有不同养分获取和生长速率的稻瘟病菌菌株。我们进行了体内感染研究，揭示了生长速率与毒力之间出人意料的非单调关系，这种关系受到生长速率和代谢效率相互作用的共同影响。这个新的机制框架为急需的一系列新的毒力进化理论铺平了道路。
