A manipulative parasite
July
Interview of Frédéric Thomas, CNRS researcher, CNRS-IRD team (UMR 165)
Group “OPM, parasitically modified organisms” working in the team “Genetic and Evolution of Infectious Diseases”
In numerous host-parasite associations , infected hosts present important differences of behaviour or morphology, compared to non-infected ones. These alterations of the phenotype of the host are often adaptive for the parasites as they increase its probability of transmission from one host to another and/or that its propagules are released in an appropriate location.
For this reason we call these changes behavioural manipulations. Hairworms (nematomorphae) is a group of parasites of about 300 species widely distributed over the planet. When juveniles, the nematomorph are parasitic in terrestrial arthropods (like grasshoppers or crickets) but they are free and aquatic when adult.
Once adult, they reach a huge size which exceeds that of the host by a considerable amount and they must absolutely reach an aquatic environment to reproduce. The researchers of the OPM group have shown that these parasites manipulate the behaviour of their host making them “commit suicide” by jumping into the water.
Durée :
2'59
Interview : Anne-Catherine Gandrillon
Director : Luc Markiw
Takes : Delphine Patrel / Luc Markiw
Music : Luc Markiw
English voices : Anne-Catherine Gandrillon / Tim Tranbarger
English translation : Anne-Catherine Gandrillon
The filmed sequences come from the film :
Le Manipulateur
Author – Director : Yves Elie
Coproduction : © VB Films / CNRS Images Media 2002
Partners : co-produced by the CNRS Images Media, with the help of the CNC, the Ministry of Research and the department of Hérault
Director : Luc Markiw
