Pathogen dependence and inter-individual variability of post-infection reproductive fitness in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

In the experiments reported in this manuscript, we explore the effect of bacterial infections on the reproductive output of Drosophila melanogaster females. Canonical view of host-pathogen interactions supposes two possible outcomes. Because of immune defence being an energy/resource intensive function, an infected female reallocates resources away from reproductive processes and towards immune defence, therefore compromising its reproductive output. Alternatively, faced with impending mortality, an infected female increases its reproductive output to compensate for lost opportunities of future reproduction. We tested if pathogen identity, infection outcome (survival vs. death), and/or time of death determines the reproductive output of females infected with three bacterial pathogens. Our results show that pathogen identity is a reliable predictor of population level response of infected females but does not reliably predict the behaviour of individual females. Additionally, females succumbing to infection exhibit greater variability in reproductive output, compared to both survivors and controls, but this variability is not explained by either the time of death or the identity of the infecting pathogen. Furthermore, survivors of infection have reproductive output similar to control females.