A. T. Tate

Pleiotropy alleviates the fitness costs associated with resource allocation trade-offs in immune signaling networks

This study uses an agent-based model to show that pleiotropy in immune signaling networks can be advantageous by reducing fitness costs from resource allocation trade-offs, especially in competitive host interactions.

Mapping the functional form of the trade-off between infection resistance and reproductive fitness under dysregulated immune signaling

This study quantifies the trade-off between immune investment and host fitness by manipulating cactus knock-down in flour beetles, revealing dose-dependent benefits and costs to infection resistance and other fitness traits.

Pleiotropy promotes the evolution of inducible immune responses in a model of host-pathogen coevolution

This study shows pleiotropy can promote the evolution of inducible immune responses by allowing immune networks to adapt more effectively during host-pathogen coevolution.

Female investment in terminal reproduction or somatic maintenance depends on infection dose

This study shows that female flour beetles adjust reproductive investment based on infection dose, shifting to somatic maintenance at lower doses and trade-off between offspring quality and quantity at higher doses.

Interactions between evolved pesticide resistance and pesticide exposure influence immunity against pathogens

The paper investigates how pesticide resistance and exposure interact with bacterial infection to affect insect immunity and fitness traits.

Experimental evolution of insect resistance to two pesticide classes reveals mechanistic diversity and context-dependent fitness costs

The paper evolves pesticide resistance in beetles and finds diverse genetic mechanisms and minimal fitness costs for resistance to two pesticide classes.

The effect of developmental pleiotropy on the evolution of insect immune genes

This study investigates how pleiotropy affects the evolution of immune genes in Drosophila, finding that pleiotropic immune genes evolve more slowly but also experience more positive selection.

Larvae and adults exhibit contrasting patterns of immune gene expression and infection resistance in wild flour beetle populations

This study compares immune gene expression and infection resistance between larvae and adults in two flour beetle species across lab and wild populations, finding higher adult investment and resistance.

Selfish mitochondria exploit nutrient status across different levels of selection

This study shows that selfish mitochondrial DNA variants exploit nutrient status to compete within hosts, with their advantage dependent on the FoxO transcription factor DAF-16 during food scarcity.

Natural variation in the contribution of microbial density to inducible immune dynamics

This study examines natural variation in inducible immune responses in flour beetles by analyzing AMP gene expression during infection with different bacteria, showing density-dependent and independent dynamics.