Additional file 7: Figure S6. of Potential for evolution of complex defense strategies in a multi-scale model of virus-host coevolution

Evolutionary potential for resistance in the gene regulatory network and receptor proteins for different conditions. For susceptible host population, the ability to resist using GRN rewiring (1st column) and protein binding site changes (2nd column) is measured for different a, b) host protein mutation rates (μ hp ), c, d) number of required expressed receptors (N ER ), e, f) amino acid matching threshold for the receptor binding (ϵ seqM ), g, h) survival rate from both infected parents (k I ) and i, j) disease related death rate (λ D ) (Error bar: std. dev. over 100 simulations). For low ϵ seqM and k I , population dynamics generally follows that of Additional file 2: Figure S1 b. Hence, in e ~ h) we considered all 100 simulations for the comparison of the resistance potentials. a, b) For lower μ hp , hosts evolve a GRN based strategy (L = 30, μ hp  = 0.01, ϵ seqM  = 90 %, k I  = 0.8). c, d) When expression of more receptors is required, hosts evolve the potential for resistance using GRN rewiring to higher level. (L = 30, N ER /N R  = 3/5, ϵ seqM  = 90 %, k I  = 0.8), e, f) When receptor binding is simple (short L), for reduced ϵ seqM hosts does not necessarily evolve the potential for a GRN rewiring strategy (L = 10, μ hp  = 0.002, N ER /N R  = 3/5, k I  = 0.8). g, h) Selection pressure triggered by the low k I evolves the potential for GRN rewiring strategy (L = 30, μ hp  = 0.002, N ER /N R  = 3/5, ϵ seqM  = 90 %). i, j) The potential for resistance using network rewiring increases both for low and high diseases related death rates (λ D ). (PDF 2128 kb)