ArticleEvolutionary applications2013
Plasticity in transmission strategies of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi: environmental and genetic effects.
Article in Evolutionary applications, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Single-Cell Transcriptomics and Development of Gametocyte-Specific Molecular Markers for Avian Malaria Parasites.Molecular ecology resources · 2026Article
- Malaria parasites can optimize transmission investment by sensing two within-host cues.PLoS biology · 2025Article
- Virulence is associated with daily rhythms in the within-host replication of the malaria parasiteEvolutionary applications · 2024Article
- Article
- An induced population ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2022Article
- The private life of malaria parasites: Strategies for sexual reproduction.Molecular and biochemical parasitology · 2021Review
- Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte carriage in symptomatic patients shows significant association with genetically diverse infections, anaemia, and asexual stage density.Malaria journal · 2021Article
- Host circadian rhythms are disrupted during malaria infection in parasite genotype-specific manners.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Plasticity and genetic variation in traits underpinning asexual replication of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi.Malaria journal · 2019Article
- Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in malaria parasites is not constrained by previous responses to environmental change.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2019Article
- Adaptive plasticity in the gametocyte conversion rate of malaria parasites.PLoS pathogens · 2018Article
- Transmission traits of malaria parasites within the mosquito: Genetic variation, phenotypic plasticity, and consequences for control.Evolutionary applications · 2018Article
- Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive effort: malaria parasites respond to resource availability.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2017Article
- Review
- Quantifying Transmission Investment in Malaria Parasites.PLoS computational biology · 2016Article
- Associations between Season and Gametocyte Dynamics in Chronic Plasmodium falciparum Infections.PloS one · 2016Article
- Ensuring transmission through dynamic host environments: host-pathogen interactions in Plasmodium sexual development.Current opinion in microbiology · 2015Review
- Targeting Human Transmission Biology for Malaria Elimination.PLoS pathogens · 2015Review
- Evolution of plastic transmission strategies in avian malaria.PLoS pathogens · 2014Article
- Information use and plasticity in the reproductive decisions of malaria parasites.Malaria journal · 2014Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Parasites may alter their behaviour to cope with changes in the within-host environment. In particular, investment in transmission may alter in response to the availability of parasite resources or host immune responses. However, experimental and theoretical studies have drawn conflicting conclusions regarding parasites' optimal (adaptive) responses to deterioration in habitat quality. We analyse data from acute infections with six genotypes of the rodent malaria species Plasmodium chabaudi to quantify how investment in transmission (gametocytes) is influenced by the within-host environment. Using a minimum of modelling assumptions, we find that proportional investment in gametocytogenesis increases sharply with host anaemia and also increases at low parasite densities. Further, stronger dependence of investment on parasite density is associated with greater virulence of the parasite genotype. Our study provides a robust quantitative framework for studying parasites' responses to the host environment and whether these responses are adaptive, which is crucial for predicting the short-term and evolutionary impact of transmission-blocking treatments for parasitic diseases.
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