The DOI matches its Crossref record; 23 of the 23 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Density–dependent prophylaxis in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): cuticular melanization is an indicator of investment in immunity
Open accessAbstract
If there are costs involved with the maintenance of pathogen resistance, then higher investment in this trait is expected when the risk of pathogenesis is high. One situation in which the risk of pathogenesis is elevated is at increased conspecific density. This paper reports the results of a study of density-dependent polyphenism in pathogen resistance and immune function in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. Beetles reared at high larval densities showed lower mortality when exposed to a generalist entomopathogenic fungus and a higher degree of cuticular melanization than those reared solitarily. The degree of cuticular melanization was a strong indicator of resistance, with darker beetles being more resistant than lighter ones regardless of rearing density. No differences were found between rearing densities in the levels of phenoloxidase, an enzyme key to the insect immune response. The results show that pathogen resistance is phenotypically plastic in T. molitor, suggesting that the maintenance of this trait is costly.
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Cited by
Variation in immune defence as a question of evolutionary ecology
Schmid-Hempel, P. (2003) · Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2265 · Cited by 722
van Broekhoven, S., Oonincx, D. G. A. B., van Huis, A., & van Loon, J. J. A. (2015) · Journal of Insect Physiology · doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2014.12.005 · Cited by 451
Coping with crowds: Density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts
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The Antimicrobial Properties of Melanocytes, Melanosomes and Melanin and the Evolution of Black Skin
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Invertebrate immunity and the limits of mechanistic immunology
Little, T. J., Hultmark, D., & Read, A. F. (2005) · Nature Immunology · doi:10.1038/ni1219 · Cited by 296
Metadata
- Authors
- Barnes, A. I., & Siva-Jothy, M. T.
- Venue
- Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2000-01-22
- Volume
- 267
- Issue
- 1439
- Pages
- 177-182
- ISSN
- 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
- 0962-8452
- 1471-2954
- OpenAlex
- W2107362086
- Cited by
- 326
- References
- 23
- FWCI
- 3.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
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- Barnes, A. I., & Siva-Jothy, M. T. (2000). Density–dependent prophylaxis in the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): cuticular melanization is an indicator of investment in immunity. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2000.0984
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