---
_id: '10284'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Infections early in life can have enduring effects on an organism's development
    and immunity. In this study, we show that this equally applies to developing ‘superorganisms’––incipient
    social insect colonies. When we exposed newly mated Lasius niger ant queens to
    a low pathogen dose, their colonies grew more slowly than controls before winter,
    but reached similar sizes afterwards. Independent of exposure, queen hibernation
    survival improved when the ratio of pupae to workers was small. Queens that reared
    fewer pupae before worker emergence exhibited lower pathogen levels, indicating
    that high brood rearing efforts interfere with the ability of the queen's immune
    system to suppress pathogen proliferation. Early-life queen pathogen exposure
    also improved the immunocompetence of her worker offspring, as demonstrated by
    challenging the workers to the same pathogen a year later. Transgenerational transfer
    of the queen's pathogen experience to her workforce can hence durably reduce the
    disease susceptibility of the whole superorganism.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: ScienComp
acknowledgement: The authors are grateful to G. Tkačik and V. Mireles for advice on
  data analyses and to A. Schloegl for help using the IST Austria HPC cluster for
  data processing. The authors thank J. Eilenberg for providing the fungal strain
  and A.V. Grasse for support with the molecular analysis. The authors also thank
  the Social Immunity group at IST Austria, in particular B. Milutinović, for discussions
  throughout and comments on the manuscript.
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Barbara E
  full_name: Casillas Perez, Barbara E
  id: 351ED2AA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Casillas Perez
- first_name: Christopher
  full_name: Pull, Christopher
  id: 3C7F4840-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Pull
  orcid: 0000-0003-1122-3982
- first_name: Filip
  full_name: Naiser, Filip
  last_name: Naiser
- first_name: Elisabeth
  full_name: Naderlinger, Elisabeth
  id: 31757262-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Naderlinger
- first_name: Jiri
  full_name: Matas, Jiri
  last_name: Matas
- first_name: Sylvia
  full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
  id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Cremer
  orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
  ama: Casillas Perez BE, Pull C, Naiser F, Naderlinger E, Matas J, Cremer S. Early
    queen infection shapes developmental dynamics and induces long-term disease protection
    in incipient ant colonies. <i>Ecology Letters</i>. 2022;25(1):89-100. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907">10.1111/ele.13907</a>
  apa: Casillas Perez, B. E., Pull, C., Naiser, F., Naderlinger, E., Matas, J., &#38;
    Cremer, S. (2022). Early queen infection shapes developmental dynamics and induces
    long-term disease protection in incipient ant colonies. <i>Ecology Letters</i>.
    Wiley. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907</a>
  chicago: Casillas Perez, Barbara E, Christopher Pull, Filip Naiser, Elisabeth Naderlinger,
    Jiri Matas, and Sylvia Cremer. “Early Queen Infection Shapes Developmental Dynamics
    and Induces Long-Term Disease Protection in Incipient Ant Colonies.” <i>Ecology
    Letters</i>. Wiley, 2022. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907</a>.
  ieee: B. E. Casillas Perez, C. Pull, F. Naiser, E. Naderlinger, J. Matas, and S.
    Cremer, “Early queen infection shapes developmental dynamics and induces long-term
    disease protection in incipient ant colonies,” <i>Ecology Letters</i>, vol. 25,
    no. 1. Wiley, pp. 89–100, 2022.
  ista: Casillas Perez BE, Pull C, Naiser F, Naderlinger E, Matas J, Cremer S. 2022.
    Early queen infection shapes developmental dynamics and induces long-term disease
    protection in incipient ant colonies. Ecology Letters. 25(1), 89–100.
  mla: Casillas Perez, Barbara E., et al. “Early Queen Infection Shapes Developmental
    Dynamics and Induces Long-Term Disease Protection in Incipient Ant Colonies.”
    <i>Ecology Letters</i>, vol. 25, no. 1, Wiley, 2022, pp. 89–100, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13907">10.1111/ele.13907</a>.
  short: B.E. Casillas Perez, C. Pull, F. Naiser, E. Naderlinger, J. Matas, S. Cremer,
    Ecology Letters 25 (2022) 89–100.
date_created: 2021-11-14T23:01:25Z
date_published: 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-08-14T11:45:29Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '573'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.1111/ele.13907
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000713396100001'
  pmid:
  - '34725912'
file:
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intvolume: '        25'
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language:
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month: '01'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 89-100
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 2649B4DE-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: H2020
  grant_number: '771402'
  name: Epidemics in ant societies on a chip
publication: Ecology Letters
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1461-0248
  issn:
  - 1461-023X
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
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status: public
title: Early queen infection shapes developmental dynamics and induces long-term disease
  protection in incipient ant colonies
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
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  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 4359f0d1-fa6c-11eb-b949-802e58b17ae8
volume: 25
year: '2022'
...
---
_id: '7224'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'Habitat loss is one of the key drivers of the ongoing decline of biodiversity.
    However, ecologists still argue about how fragmentation of habitat (independent
    of habitat loss) affects species richness. The recently proposed habitat amount
    hypothesis posits that species richness only depends on the total amount of habitat
    in a local landscape. In contrast, empirical studies report contrasting patterns:
    some find positive and others negative effects of fragmentation per se on species
    richness. To explain this apparent disparity, we devise a stochastic, spatially
    explicit model of competitive species communities in heterogeneous habitats. The
    model shows that habitat loss and fragmentation have complex effects on species
    diversity in competitive communities. When the total amount of habitat is large,
    fragmentation per se tends to increase species diversity, but if the total amount
    of habitat is small, the situation is reversed: fragmentation per se decreases
    species diversity.'
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Joel
  full_name: Rybicki, Joel
  id: 334EFD2E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Rybicki
  orcid: 0000-0002-6432-6646
- first_name: Nerea
  full_name: Abrego, Nerea
  last_name: Abrego
- first_name: Otso
  full_name: Ovaskainen, Otso
  last_name: Ovaskainen
citation:
  ama: Rybicki J, Abrego N, Ovaskainen O. Habitat fragmentation and species diversity
    in competitive communities. <i>Ecology Letters</i>. 2020;23(3):506-517. doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450">10.1111/ele.13450</a>
  apa: Rybicki, J., Abrego, N., &#38; Ovaskainen, O. (2020). Habitat fragmentation
    and species diversity in competitive communities. <i>Ecology Letters</i>. Wiley.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450</a>
  chicago: Rybicki, Joel, Nerea Abrego, and Otso Ovaskainen. “Habitat Fragmentation
    and Species Diversity in Competitive Communities.” <i>Ecology Letters</i>. Wiley,
    2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450</a>.
  ieee: J. Rybicki, N. Abrego, and O. Ovaskainen, “Habitat fragmentation and species
    diversity in competitive communities,” <i>Ecology Letters</i>, vol. 23, no. 3.
    Wiley, pp. 506–517, 2020.
  ista: Rybicki J, Abrego N, Ovaskainen O. 2020. Habitat fragmentation and species
    diversity in competitive communities. Ecology Letters. 23(3), 506–517.
  mla: Rybicki, Joel, et al. “Habitat Fragmentation and Species Diversity in Competitive
    Communities.” <i>Ecology Letters</i>, vol. 23, no. 3, Wiley, 2020, pp. 506–17,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13450">10.1111/ele.13450</a>.
  short: J. Rybicki, N. Abrego, O. Ovaskainen, Ecology Letters 23 (2020) 506–517.
date_created: 2020-01-04T11:04:30Z
date_published: 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-09-05T16:04:30Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '000'
department:
- _id: DaAl
doi: 10.1111/ele.13450
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000503625200001'
file:
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  checksum: 372f67f2744f4b6049e9778364766c22
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  date_created: 2020-02-14T12:02:50Z
  date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:47:54Z
  file_id: '7486'
  file_name: 2020_EcologyLetters_Rybicki.pdf
  file_size: 3005474
  relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:47:54Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        23'
isi: 1
issue: '3'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '03'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 506-517
project:
- _id: 260C2330-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: H2020
  grant_number: '754411'
  name: ISTplus - Postdoctoral Fellowships
- _id: 26A5D39A-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: H2020
  grant_number: '840605'
  name: Coordination in constrained and natural distributed systems
publication: Ecology Letters
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1461-0248
  issn:
  - 1461-023X
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Habitat fragmentation and species diversity in competitive communities
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: c635000d-4b10-11ee-a964-aac5a93f6ac1
volume: 23
year: '2020'
...
---
_id: '7343'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Coinfections with multiple pathogens can result in complex within‐host dynamics
    affecting virulence and transmission. While multiple infections are intensively
    studied in solitary hosts, it is so far unresolved how social host interactions
    interfere with pathogen competition, and if this depends on coinfection diversity.
    We studied how the collective disease defences of ants – their social immunity
    – influence pathogen competition in coinfections of same or different fungal pathogen
    species. Social immunity reduced virulence for all pathogen combinations, but
    interfered with spore production only in different‐species coinfections. Here,
    it decreased overall pathogen sporulation success while increasing co‐sporulation
    on individual cadavers and maintaining a higher pathogen diversity at the community
    level. Mathematical modelling revealed that host sanitary care alone can modulate
    competitive outcomes between pathogens, giving advantage to fast‐germinating,
    thus less grooming‐sensitive ones. Host social interactions can hence modulate
    infection dynamics in coinfected group members, thereby altering pathogen communities
    at the host level and population level.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: "We thank Bernhardt Steinwender and Jorgen Eilenberg for the fungal
  strains, Xavier Espadaler, Mireia Diaz, Christiane Wanke, Lumi Viljakainen and the
  Social Immunity Team at IST Austria, for help with ant collection, and Wanda Gorecka
  and Gertraud Stift of the IST Austria Life Science Facility for technical support.
  We are thankful to Dieter Ebert for input at all stages of the project, Roger Mundry
  for statistical advice, Hinrich Schulenburg, Paul Schmid-Hempel, Yuko\r\nUlrich
  and Joachim Kurtz for project discussion, Bor Kavcic for advice on growth curves,
  Marcus Roper for advice on modelling work and comments on the manuscript, as well
  as Marjon de Vos, Weini Huang and the Social Immunity Team for comments on the manuscript.\r\nThis
  study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the Priority Programme
  1399 Host-parasite Coevolution (CR 118/3 to S.C.) and the People Programme\r\n(Marie
  Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)
  under REA grant agreement no 291734 (ISTFELLOW to B.M.). "
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: letter_note
author:
- first_name: Barbara
  full_name: Milutinovic, Barbara
  id: 2CDC32B8-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Milutinovic
  orcid: 0000-0002-8214-4758
- first_name: Miriam
  full_name: Stock, Miriam
  id: 42462816-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Stock
- first_name: Anna V
  full_name: Grasse, Anna V
  id: 406F989C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Grasse
- first_name: Elisabeth
  full_name: Naderlinger, Elisabeth
  id: 31757262-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Naderlinger
- first_name: Christian
  full_name: Hilbe, Christian
  id: 2FDF8F3C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Hilbe
  orcid: 0000-0001-5116-955X
- first_name: Sylvia
  full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
  id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Cremer
  orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
  ama: Milutinovic B, Stock M, Grasse AV, Naderlinger E, Hilbe C, Cremer S. Social
    immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens. <i>Ecology Letters</i>.
    2020;23(3):565-574. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458">10.1111/ele.13458</a>
  apa: Milutinovic, B., Stock, M., Grasse, A. V., Naderlinger, E., Hilbe, C., &#38;
    Cremer, S. (2020). Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens.
    <i>Ecology Letters</i>. Wiley. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458</a>
  chicago: Milutinovic, Barbara, Miriam Stock, Anna V Grasse, Elisabeth Naderlinger,
    Christian Hilbe, and Sylvia Cremer. “Social Immunity Modulates Competition between
    Coinfecting Pathogens.” <i>Ecology Letters</i>. Wiley, 2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458">https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458</a>.
  ieee: B. Milutinovic, M. Stock, A. V. Grasse, E. Naderlinger, C. Hilbe, and S. Cremer,
    “Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens,” <i>Ecology
    Letters</i>, vol. 23, no. 3. Wiley, pp. 565–574, 2020.
  ista: Milutinovic B, Stock M, Grasse AV, Naderlinger E, Hilbe C, Cremer S. 2020.
    Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens. Ecology Letters.
    23(3), 565–574.
  mla: Milutinovic, Barbara, et al. “Social Immunity Modulates Competition between
    Coinfecting Pathogens.” <i>Ecology Letters</i>, vol. 23, no. 3, Wiley, 2020, pp.
    565–74, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13458">10.1111/ele.13458</a>.
  short: B. Milutinovic, M. Stock, A.V. Grasse, E. Naderlinger, C. Hilbe, S. Cremer,
    Ecology Letters 23 (2020) 565–574.
date_created: 2020-01-20T13:32:12Z
date_published: 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-09-05T16:04:49Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: SyCr
- _id: KrCh
doi: 10.1111/ele.13458
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000507515900001'
file:
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  checksum: 0cd8be386fa219db02845b7c3991ce04
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language:
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month: '03'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 565-574
project:
- _id: 25681D80-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  call_identifier: FP7
  grant_number: '291734'
  name: International IST Postdoc Fellowship Programme
- _id: 25DAF0B2-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
  grant_number: CR-118/3-1
  name: Host-Parasite Coevolution
publication: Ecology Letters
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1461-0248
  issn:
  - 1461-023X
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
  link:
  - description: News on IST Homepage
    relation: press_release
    url: https://ist.ac.at/en/news/social-ants-shapes-disease-outcome/
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title: Social immunity modulates competition between coinfecting pathogens
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...