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Make Sure Lunch Can't Fight Back

Make Sure Lunch Can't Fight Back

Some parasitic wasps lay their eggs in or on catepillars. The eggs hatch into hungry worm-like larvae, who then begin eating their catepillar hosts -- nonessential parts first so as to keep lunch alive and fresh as long as possible. Meanwhile, the caterpillar responds to this by mounting an immune response designed to kill the wasp larvae. Larvae infected with the polydnavirus transmit an infection with this virus that suppress the caterpillar's immune system. Thus, lunch is unable to fight back, the larvae finish eating, growing, and emerge as adults. Larvae that are not infected with the virus are losers to the caterpillar's immune defenses.

If you were a female wasp of this type, would you rather carry the plydnavirus in your digestive tract or in your ovaries? Why? Do you suppose most such wasps are, or are not infected with polydnavirus? Why?

Many of the genes a human fetus acquired from its fater are forign to its mother. Some scientists think that before placental mammals could evolve, some ancester (s) had to be infected by an immunosuppresive virus. Some women who suffer "chronic miscarriages" may have immune systems unable to tolerate the father's foreign genes

From Microbiology: Principles and Explorations by Dr. Jacquelyn G. Black, Marymount University
//www.amazon.com/Microbiology-Principles-Explorations-Jacquelyn-Black/dp/0471420840

Interesting information. Comparing parasitic condition in animal to human. Thought-provoking in immunology and microbiology.

Read other fun stories in her book. This is one of wonderful textbooks in Microbiology.

Create Date : 05 มีนาคม 2552

Last Update : 5 มีนาคม 2552 12:12:43 น.

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