Elucidating the molecular mechanisms behind the behavioural manipulation of ‘zombie’-flies by the entomopathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae
The basal fungus Entomophthora muscae is an obligate insect pathogen specific to adult dipterans such as Musca domestica. It is ostensibly regarded as a parasite that induces aberrant behaviour in the host species which is adaptive to the fungus at the expense of the host. Specifically, during the later stages of infection flies exhibit a behaviour sequence just prior to death which is considered