Bottom-up regulation of malaria population dynamics in mice co-infected with lung-migratory nematodes.

Abstract

When and how populations are regulated by bottom up vs. top down processes, and how those processes are affected by co-occurring species, are poorly characterised across much of ecology. We are especially interested in the community ecology of parasites that must share a host. Here, we quantify how resources and immunity affect parasite propagation in experiments in near-replicate 'mesocosms'' - i.e. mice infected with malaria (Plasmodium chabaudi) and nematodes (Nippostrongylus brasiliensis). Nematodes suppressed immune responses against malaria, and yet malaria populations were smaller in co-infected hosts. Further analyses of within-host epidemiology revealed that nematode co-infection altered malaria propagation by suppressing target cell availability. This is the first demonstration that bottom-up resource regulation may have earlier and stronger effects than top-down immune mechanisms on within-host community dynamics. Our findings demonstrate the potential power of experimental ecology to disentangle mechanisms of population regulation in complex communities.