Gender dimorphism in the virulence of a dioecious mistletoe

Int J Parasitol. 2021 Jul 14:S0020-7519(21)00217-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.05.007. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTParasite virulence often differs between male and female hosts. However, less is known about how virulence might differ between male and female parasites. Here, I show that female plants of the dioecious mistletoe Misodendrum quadrifolium (Misodendraceae) grow larger than male plants. Correspondingly, females reduce the photosynthetic capacity of infected host branches more than males. Results indicate that in addition to playing an important role in determining host susceptibility to parasitism, gender can also play an important role in determining the virulence of dioecious parasites.PMID:34273393 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.05.007

Source: International Journal for Parasitology - July 17, 2021 Category: Parasitology Authors: K C Burns Source Type: research