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Study Highlights Virus Susceptibility in Fruit Fly Species
Research conducted on fruit flies has revealed significant vulnerabilities to various viruses in certain species.
Executed by the University of Exeter, the research involved exposing 35 different species of fruit flies to 11 distinct viruses, which varied widely in type.
Findings indicated that species less impacted by specific viruses tended to demonstrate resilience against related viral strains. Moreover, the study highlighted a noteworthy trend: fruit fly species that exhibited resistance to one virus also generally showed resistance to others, even those from different viral families.
Dr. Ryan Imrie, currently affiliated with the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, commented on the implications of the research: “Large-scale tests such as this are crucial for understanding how pathogens transition to new host species, insights from which are broadly applicable to various animals, including humans.”
He explained that the studied flies shared a common ancestor around 50 million years ago, providing them with a level of diversity comparable to that of mammals. This evolutionary perspective allows for questioning how host shifts typically occur over such vast distances in evolutionary terms.
“In light of ongoing efforts to predict future pandemics, it’s crucial to note that while we cannot test every virus, we must strive to comprehend the overarching principles governing virus behavior in new hosts,” Dr. Imrie added.
Professor Ben Longdon, who is part of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the Penryn Campus in Cornwall, noted that information on new viruses can often be extrapolated from their genetic relatedness to known viruses. “Yet, even a minor mutation can significantly alter viral characteristics, leading to the emergence of new viruses with properties distinct from their close relatives,” he explained.
Longdon further elaborated that susceptibility in the study was assessed by measuring “viral load,” which reflects how much the virus replicated and persisted two days post-infection.
Discussing why some fruit fly species may struggle with virus resistance, Dr. Longdon said, “Immunological defenses can be resource-intensive. Therefore, the more susceptible species in our study may have evolved in environments where viral threats were minimal or may simply be those which viruses can effectively target and exploit.”
Importantly, the study observed no negative correlations; in other words, high resistance to one virus did not correspond to low resistance to another. This suggests that as fruit fly immune systems have adapted over time, the evolution of resistance has not led to trade-offs, where bolstered defenses against one virus weaken responses to others.
The research received funding from the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society, underscoring its significance in understanding virus-host dynamics.
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