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Vertically Transmitted Symbionts in Structured Host Metapopulations

Mats Gyllenberg, Diana Preoteasa, Kari Saikkonen, Vertically Transmitted Symbionts in Structured Host Metapopulations. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 64(5), 959–978, 2002.

Abstract:

We develop a structured metapopulation model for vertically transmitted
symbionts in natural host populations. We focus primarily on two questions:

<li>Are mutualism and high transmission probability prerequisites for the survival of symbionts in structured host metapopulations?
<li>What are the ecological conditions under which coexistence of infected and uninfected hosts is possible?

<p>We start with studying in depth the case of qualitatively identical patches and derive conditions for invasion and coexistence of uninfected and infected hosts. Then we generalize the model for different patch qualities and get conditions for invasion in a virgin environment.

<p>Our model predicts that,in a qualitatively uniform environment, coexistence is possible only if the symbionts increase the fitness of their host, so the mutualism is indeed needed for coexistence. We also prove that evolution selects for 100\% infection frequency in the metapopulation.

BibTeX entry:

@ARTICLE{jGyPrSa02a,
  title = {Vertically Transmitted Symbionts in Structured Host Metapopulations},
  author = {Gyllenberg, Mats and Preoteasa, Diana and Saikkonen, Kari},
  journal = {Bulletin of Mathematical Biology},
  volume = {64},
  number = {5},
  pages = {959–978},
  year = {2002},
}

Belongs to TUCS Research Unit(s): Biomathematics Research Unit (BIOMATH)

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