DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc09
title: Does a biological invasion modify host immune responses to parasite infection?

description: Biological invasions disrupt the spatial structuring of antagonistic
 co-evolution between host and parasites. At the same time, the shifting
 demographic and selective landscapes during invasion can result in rapid
 evolution of traits in both host and parasite. Hosts at the invasion front
 may reduce investment into costly immune defences and redistribute those
 resources to other fitness-enhancing traits. Parasites at the invasion
 front may have reduced pathogenicity because traits that negatively impact
 host dispersal are left behind in the expanding range. The host’s immune
 system is its primary arsenal in the coevolutionary ‘arms race’ with
 parasites. To assess the effects of invasion history on immune responses
 to parasite infection we conducted a cross-infection experiment which
 paired common-garden reared cane toads and lungworm parasites originating
 from various sites in their invaded range across northern Australia.
 Infected toads had larger spleens and higher concentrations of eosinophils
 than did uninfected toads. Infected toads also exhibited lower
 bacteria-killing ability, perhaps reflecting a trade-off of resources
 towards defences that are more specifically anthelminthic. The impact of
 infection intensity on multiple immune measures differed among toads and
 parasites from different parts of the invasion trajectory, supporting the
 hypothesis that invasion has disrupted patterns of local adaptation.
description: Data are immunological measures taken from common-garden reared
 cane toads at the end of an experimental crossinfection study. Toads whose
 parents orignated from different parts of toads' invaded range in
 Australia were exposed to infective larvae of a lungworm parasite (brought
 with the toads when they were introduced from South America) from various
 parts of their range in Australia. A sample of the toads were Conmtrols
 who were never exposed to infective lungworm larvae.
 3-5 months after experimental infections,ads were euthanised and
 we recorded data on their white blood cell populations, the ability of
 their plasma to kill bacteria, and the phagocytic ability of whole
 blood.
description: # Does a biological invasion modify host immune responses to parasite
 infection?
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc09](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc09) ## Description of the data and file structure ### Files and variables Data are from an experiment where cane toads from different sites were exposed to lungworm parasites from different sites. Toad immune responses to infection were then measured. Missing values are indicated by 'NA' ID – Individual ID code infection treatment- Control or exposed to parasites from one of 6 sites: CONT (= control), CNS (= Cairns), FITZ (= Fitzroy Crossing), JAB (= Jabiru), KNX (= Kununurra), ML (= Marlow Lagoon), TWN (= Townsville). litter- ID code indicating family origin of each toad toad_site- location from which each toads parents were captured toad_state- Australian state each capture location was in. 1-WA (= Western Australia), 2-NT (= Northern Territory), 3-QLD (= Queensland). Exposed to Rhabdias?- Yes vs No variable to indicate whether toad was exposed to Rhabdias or served as an unexposed Control worm_state- Australian state where the capture site of parasite donor toad was located. 1-WA (= Western Australia), 2-NT (= Northern Territory), 3-QLD (= Queensland). became infected?- Yes vs No indication of whether parasites were present in the lungs at dissection immune assay date- date of euthanasia, dissection and immune assays SVL- snout to vent length (mm) measure of body size at time of euthanasia Mass- body mass (g) at time of euthanasia \# Rhabdias in lungs- Number of parasites in the lungs at dissection Spleen length mm- length of spleen at dissection Allen BKA index- Allen bacteria killing index (% change) mean luminesence RLU- Average luminescence reading during phagocytosis assay (relative luminescence units) log mn lumin for figure- log transformed mean luminescence wbc_conc- white blood cell concentration (cells/ml) Eo_conc- eosinophil concentration (cells/ml) Baso_conc- basophil concentration (cells/ml) Lympho_conc- lymphocyte concentration (cells/ml) Neut_conc- neutrophil concentration (cells/ml)