Biology Faculty Articles

Title

Interactive Influence of Infectious Disease and Genetic Diversity in Natural Populations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1988

Publication Title

Trends in Ecology and Evolution

ISSN

0169-5347

Volume

3

Issue/No.

10

First Page

254

Last Page

259

Abstract

The importance of infectious disease in the survival and adaptation of animal populations is rapidly becoming apparent. Throughout evolution, animal species have been continually afflicted with devastating disease outbreaks which have influenced the demographic and genetic status of the populations. Some general population consequences of such epidemics include selection for disease resistance, the occasional alteration of host gene frequencies by a genetic ‘founder effect’ after an outbreak, and genetic adaptation of parasites to abrogate host defense mechanisms. A wide variety of host cellular genes which are polymorphic within species and which confer a regulatory effect on the outcome of infectious diseases has recently been discovered. The critical importance of maintaining genetic diversity with respect to disease defense genes in natural populations is indicated by certain populations which have reduced genetic variability and apparent increased vulnerability to infectious disease.

Comments

©1988 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015

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Peer Reviewed

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