Experimental coevolution between C. elegans and B. thuringiensis

CLUSTER: „Experimental evolution and natural variation of Bacillus-invertebrate interactions“

Professor Dr. Hinrich Schulenburg

The coevolution between host and parasite is believed to associate with very high selection dynamics that are of prime importance for the evolution of organisms and biological systems. Despite numerous theoretical studies on this topic, conclusive empirical evidence is still scarce. The aim of this project is to provide an experimental test of the consequences of host-parasite coevolution. We will use evolution experiments under controlled laboratory conditions to generate strains of hosts (the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans) and parasites (its microparasite Bacillus thuringiensis) with known histories of either coevolution or onesided adaptation. The evolved strains will then be analyzed in detail at both the phenotypic and genetic levels. Our model system is ideally suited to such a versatile experimental analysis, thus enabling us to address a complex set of predicted evolutionary consequences simultaneously for both antagonists and across time. We will further link our empirical data to theoretical models to refine our understanding of the dynamics of these interactions. This project is proposed as part of the Bacillus-Invertebrate Cluster (Appendix III) within the Priority Programme on Host-Parasite Coevolution (SPP 1399).