ecoimmunity in darwins finches invasive parasites trigger acquired immunity in the medium ground finch (geospiza fortis)ecoimmunity达尔文雀入侵的寄生虫引发后天免疫介质的地雀(geospiza富通).pdfVIP

Ecoimmunity in Darwin’s Finches: Invasive Parasites Trigger Acquired Immunity in the Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) 1¤ 2 1 3 4 Sarah K. Huber *, Jeb P. Owen , Jennifer A. H. Koop , Marisa O. King , Peter R. Grant , B. Rosemary Grant4, Dale H. Clayton1 1 Biology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America, 2 Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America, 3 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America, 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America Abstract ´ Background: Invasive parasites are a major threat to island populations of animals. Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands are under attack by introduced pox virus (Poxvirus avium) and nest flies (Philornis downsi). We developed assays for parasite-specific antibody responses in Darwin’s finches (Geospiza fortis), to test for relationships between adaptive immune responses to novel parasites and spatial-temporal variation in the occurrence of parasite pressure among G. fortis populations. Methodology/Principal Findings: We developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the presence of antibodies in the serum of Darwin’s finches specific to pox virus or Philornis proteins. We compared antibody levels between bird populations with and without evidence of pox infection (visible lesions), and among birds samp