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Carrilho M, Monarca RI, Aparício G, Mathias MDL, Tapisso JT, von Merten S. Physiological and behavioural adjustment of a wild rodent to laboratory conditions. Physiol Behav 2024; 273:114385. [PMID: 37866641 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals are brought to captivity for different reasons, for example to be kept in zoos and rehabilitation centres, but also for basic research. Such animals usually undergo a process of adjustment to captive conditions. While this adjustment occurs on the behavioural and the physiological level, those are usually studied separately. The aim of this study was to assess both the physiological and behavioural responses of wild wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, while adjusting to laboratory conditions. Over the course of four weeks, we measured in wild-caught mice brought to the laboratory faecal corticosterone metabolites and body mass as physiological parameters, stereotypic behaviour and nest-quality, as welfare-linked behavioural parameters, and four personality measures as additional behavioural parameters. The results of our study indicate that mice exhibited an adjustment in both behaviour and physiology over time in the laboratory. While the hormonal stress response decreased significantly, body mass and the proportion of stereotypic behaviours showed a tendency to increase over time. The slight increase of stereotypic behaviours, although not statistically significant, suggests the development of repetitive and non-functional behaviours as a response to laboratory conditions. However, we suggest that those behaviours might have been used by animals as a coping strategy to decrease the physiological stress response. Other behavioural parameters measured, such as boldness and nestbuilding behaviour were stable over time. The information obtained in the present study hints at a complex interplay between behavioural and physiological adjustments of wild animals to laboratory conditions, which should be considered when intending to use wild animals in experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maílis Carrilho
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal.
| | - Rita I Monarca
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Guilherme Aparício
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Maria da Luz Mathias
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Joaquim T Tapisso
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Sophie von Merten
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal; Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
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2
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Turko AJ, Firth BL, Craig PM, Eliason EJ, Raby GD, Borowiec BG. Physiological differences between wild and captive animals: a century-old dilemma. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246037. [PMID: 38031957 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory-based research dominates the fields of comparative physiology and biomechanics. The power of lab work has long been recognized by experimental biologists. For example, in 1932, Georgy Gause published an influential paper in Journal of Experimental Biology describing a series of clever lab experiments that provided the first empirical test of competitive exclusion theory, laying the foundation for a field that remains active today. At the time, Gause wrestled with the dilemma of conducting experiments in the lab or the field, ultimately deciding that progress could be best achieved by taking advantage of the high level of control offered by lab experiments. However, physiological experiments often yield different, and even contradictory, results when conducted in lab versus field settings. This is especially concerning in the Anthropocene, as standard laboratory techniques are increasingly relied upon to predict how wild animals will respond to environmental disturbances to inform decisions in conservation and management. In this Commentary, we discuss several hypothesized mechanisms that could explain disparities between experimental biology in the lab and in the field. We propose strategies for understanding why these differences occur and how we can use these results to improve our understanding of the physiology of wild animals. Nearly a century beyond Gause's work, we still know remarkably little about what makes captive animals different from wild ones. Discovering these mechanisms should be an important goal for experimental biologists in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy J Turko
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3C5
| | - Britney L Firth
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1
| | - Paul M Craig
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1
| | - Erika J Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta, CA 93117, USA
| | - Graham D Raby
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9L 0G2
| | - Brittney G Borowiec
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1
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3
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Grant AD, Kriegsfeld LJ. Continuous body temperature as a window into adolescent development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101221. [PMID: 36821877 PMCID: PMC9981811 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous body temperature is a rich source of information on hormonal status, biological rhythms, and metabolism, all of which undergo stereotyped change across adolescence. Due to the direct actions of these dynamic systems on body temperature regulation, continuous temperature may be uniquely suited to monitoring adolescent development and the impacts of exogenous reproductive hormones or peptides (e.g., hormonal contraception, puberty blockers, gender affirming hormone treatment). This mini-review outlines how traditional methods for monitoring the timing and tempo of puberty may be augmented by markers derived from continuous body temperature. These features may provide greater temporal precision, scalability, and reduce reliance on self-report, particularly in females. Continuous body temperature data can now be gathered with ease across a variety of wearable form factors, providing the opportunity to develop tools that aid in individual, parental, clinical, and researcher awareness and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azure D Grant
- Levels Health, Inc., New York City, NY 10003, United States
| | - Lance J Kriegsfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
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4
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Grant AD, Wilbrecht L, Kriegsfeld LJ. Sex Differences in Pubertal Circadian and Ultradian Rhythmic Development Under Semi-naturalistic Conditions. J Biol Rhythms 2022; 37:442-454. [PMID: 35502708 PMCID: PMC9329191 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221092715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Biological rhythms in core body temperature (CBT) provide informative markers of adolescent development under controlled laboratory conditions. However, it is unknown whether these markers are preserved under more variable, semi-naturalistic conditions, and whether CBT may therefore prove useful in a real-world setting. To evaluate this possibility, we examined fecal steroid concentrations and CBT rhythms from pre-adolescence (p26) through early adulthood (p76) in intact male and female Wistar rats under natural light and climate at the Stephen Glickman Field Station for the Study of Behavior, Ecology and Reproduction. Despite greater environmental variability, CBT markers of pubertal onset and its rhythmic progression were comparable with those previously reported in laboratory conditions in female rats and extend actigraphy-based findings in males. Specifically, sex differences emerged in CBT circadian rhythm (CR) power and amplitude prior to pubertal onset and persisted into early adulthood, with females exhibiting elevated CBT and decreased CR power compared with males. Within-day (ultradian rhythm [UR]) patterns also exhibited a pronounced sex difference associated with estrous cyclicity. Pubertal onset, defined by vaginal opening, preputial separation, and sex steroid concentrations, occurred later than previously reported under lab conditions for both sexes. Vaginal opening and increased fecal estradiol concentrations were closely tied to the commencement of 4-day oscillations in CBT and UR power. By contrast, preputial separation and the first rise in testosterone concentration were not associated with adolescent changes to CBT rhythms in male rats. Together, males and females exhibited unique temporal patterning of CBT and sex steroids across pubertal development, with tractable associations between hormonal concentrations, external development, and temporal structure in females. The preservation of these features outside the laboratory supports CBT as a strong candidate for translational pubertal monitoring under semi-naturalistic conditions in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azure D. Grant
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
| | - Lance J. Kriegsfeld
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
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5
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O'Brien SL, Irian CG, Bentley GE, Lacey EA. Sex, not social behavior, predicts fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in a facultatively social rodent, the highland tuco-tuco (Ctenomys opimus). Horm Behav 2022; 141:105152. [PMID: 35286897 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Social relationships may influence circulating glucocorticoid levels, particularly in group-living species in which individuals regularly engage in interactions with conspecifics. The effects of such interactions appear to vary, with greater social contact being associated with increased glucocorticoid concentrations in some species but decreased concentrations in others. These distinct responses raise intriguing questions regarding relationships among social behavior, individual phenotypes, and glucocorticoid physiology. To explore such relationships in a free-living mammal with a dynamic social organization, we quantified variation in baseline glucocorticoids in a population of highland tuco-tucos (Ctenomys opimus) from Jujuy Province, Argentina. These subterranean rodents are facultatively social, with lone and group-living individuals regularly occurring within the same population. To assess potential endocrine correlates of this behavioral variability, we examined differences in baseline fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCm) concentrations as a function of social group size and composition as well as several metrics of social behavior derived from social network analyses. Despite marked variability in social relationships among the 37 (12 male, 25 female) free-living tuco-tucos sampled, none of the measures of social behavior examined were significant predictors of variation in fGCm concentrations. In contrast, individual variation in glucocorticoid metabolites was best explained by sex, with males having higher fGCm concentrations than females. These analyses provide the first characterization of the glucocorticoid physiology of highland tuco-tucos and underscore the potential importance of intrinsic phenotypic factors (e.g., sex) in shaping glucocorticoid variation in free-living mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L O'Brien
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Christian G Irian
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - George E Bentley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Eileen A Lacey
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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6
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Grant AD, Wilbrecht L, Kriegsfeld LJ. Adolescent Development of Biological Rhythms in Female Rats: Estradiol Dependence and Effects of Combined Contraceptives. Front Physiol 2021; 12:752363. [PMID: 35615288 PMCID: PMC9126190 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.752363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of continuous development, including the maturation of endogenous rhythms across systems and timescales. Although, these dynamic changes are well-recognized, their continuous structure and hormonal dependence have not been systematically characterized. Given the well-established link between core body temperature (CBT) and reproductive hormones in adults, we hypothesized that high-resolution CBT can be applied to passively monitor pubertal development and disruption with high fidelity. To examine this possibility, we used signal processing to investigate the trajectory of CBT rhythms at the within-day (ultradian), daily (circadian), and ovulatory timescales, their dependence on estradiol (E2), and the effects of hormonal contraceptives. Puberty onset was marked by a rise in fecal estradiol (fE2), followed by an elevation in CBT and circadian power. This time period marked the commencement of 4-day rhythmicity in fE2, CBT, and ultradian power marking the onset of the estrous cycle. The rise in circadian amplitude was accelerated by E2 treatment, indicating a role for this hormone in rhythmic development. Contraceptive administration in later adolescence reduced CBT and circadian power and resulted in disruption to 4-day cycles that persisted after discontinuation. Our data reveal with precise temporal resolution how biological rhythms change across adolescence and demonstrate a role for E2 in the emergence and preservation of multiscale rhythmicity. These findings also demonstrate how hormones delivered exogenously in a non-rhythmic pattern can disrupt rhythmic development. These data lay the groundwork for a future in which temperature metrics provide an inexpensive, convenient method for monitoring pubertal maturation and support the development of hormone therapies that better mimic and support human chronobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azure D. Grant
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Lance J. Kriegsfeld
- The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Graduate Group in Endocrinology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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7
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Hammond TT, Vo M, Burton CT, Surber LL, Lacey EA, Smith JE. Physiological and behavioral responses to anthropogenic stressors in a human-tolerant mammal. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
As humans continue to alter natural habitats, many wild animals are facing novel suites of environmental stimuli. These changes, including increased human–wildlife interactions, may exert sublethal impacts on wildlife such as alterations in stress physiology and behavior. California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) occur in human-modified as well as more pristine environments, where they face a variety of anthropogenic and naturally occurring threats. This makes this species a valuable model for examining the effects of diverse challenges on the physiology and behavior of free-living mammals. To explore potential sublethal effects of habitat modification on O. beecheyi, we compared body masses, behaviors, and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels for free-living squirrels in human-disturbed versus undisturbed habitats. Prior to these analyses, we validated the use of FGMs in this species by exposing captive O. beecheyi to pharmacological and handling challenges; both challenges produced significant increases in FGMs in the study animals. While FGM responses were repeatable within captive individuals, responses by free-living animals were more variable, perhaps reflecting a greater range of life-history traits and environmental conditions within natural populations of squirrels. Animals from our human-disturbed study site had significantly higher FGMs, significantly lower body masses, and were significantly less behaviorally reactive to humans than those from our more pristine study site. Thus, despite frequent exposure of California ground squirrels to human impacts, anthropogenic stressors appear to influence stress physiology and other phenotypic traits in this species. These findings suggest that even human-tolerant mammalian species may experience important sublethal consequences due to human modifications of natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talisin T Hammond
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Minnie Vo
- Biology Department, Mills College, Oakland, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Eileen A Lacey
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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8
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Clay TA, Steffen MA, Treglia ML, Torres CD, Trujano-Alvarez AL, Bonett RM. Multiple stressors produce differential transcriptomic patterns in a stream-dwelling salamander. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:482. [PMID: 31185901 PMCID: PMC6560913 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5814-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global biodiversity is decreasing at an alarming rate and amphibians are at the forefront of this crisis. Understanding the factors that negatively impact amphibian populations and effectively monitoring their health are fundamental to addressing this epidemic. Plasma glucocorticoids are often used to assess stress in amphibians and other vertebrates, but these hormones can be extremely dynamic and impractical to quantify in small organisms. Transcriptomic responses to stress hormones in amphibians have been largely limited to laboratory models, and there have been few studies on vertebrates that have evaluated the impact of multiple stressors on patterns of gene expression. Here we examined the gene expression patterns in tail tissues of stream-dwelling salamanders (Eurycea tynerensis) chronically exposed to the stress hormone corticosterone under different temperature regimes. RESULTS We found unique transcriptional signatures for chronic corticosterone exposure that were independent of temperature variation. Several of the corticosterone responsive genes are known to be involved in immune system response (LY-6E), oxidative stress (GSTM2 and TRX), and tissue repair (A2M and FX). We also found many genes to be influenced by temperature (CIRBP, HSC71, HSP40, HSP90, HSP70, ZNF593). Furthermore, the expression patterns of some genes (GSTM2, LY-6E, UMOD, ZNF593, CIRBP, HSP90) show interactive effects of temperature and corticosterone exposure, compared to each treatment alone. Through a series of experiments we also showed that stressor induced patterns of expression were largely consistent across ages, life cycle modes, and tissue regeneration. CONCLUSIONS Outside of thermal stressors, the application of transcriptomes to monitor the health of non-human vertebrate systems has been vastly underinvestigated. Our study suggests that transcriptomic patterns harbor stressor specific signatures that can be highly informative for monitoring the diverse stressors of amphibian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Clay
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA. .,Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA, 70310, USA.
| | - Michael A Steffen
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA.,Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Michael L Treglia
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA.,Present Address: The Nature Conservancy, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Carolyn D Torres
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA
| | | | - Ronald M Bonett
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA.
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9
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Vera F, Antenucci CD, Zenuto RR. Different regulation of cortisol and corticosterone in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum: Responses to dexamethasone, angiotensin II, potassium, and diet. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 273:108-117. [PMID: 29782839 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
When harmful environmental stimuli occur, glucocorticoids (GCs), cortisol and corticosterone are currently used to evaluate stress status in vertebrates, since their secretions are primarily associated to an increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis. To advance in our comprehension about GCs regulation, we evaluated the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum to assess cortisol and corticosterone response to (1) the negative feedback of the HPA axis using the dexamethasone (DEX) suppression test, (2) angiotensin II (Ang II), (3) potassium (K+) intake, and (4) different diets (vegetables, grasses, acute fasting). Concomitantly, several indicators of individual condition (body mass, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, blood glucose, triglycerides and hematocrit) were measured for diet treatments. Results confirm the effect of DEX on cortisol and corticosterone in recently captured animals in the field but not on corticosterone in captive animals. Data suggest that Ang II is capable of stimulating corticosterone, but not cortisol, secretion. Neither cortisol nor corticosterone were responsive to K+ intake. Cortisol levels increased in animals fed with grasses in comparison to those fed with vegetables while corticosterone levels were unaffected by diet type. Moreover, only cortisol responded to fasting. Overall, these results confirm that cortisol and corticosterone are not interchangeable hormones in C. talarum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Vera
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - C Daniel Antenucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Roxana R Zenuto
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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10
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van Breukelen NA, Snekser JL, Itzkowitz M. Male convict cichlid 11-ketotestosterone levels throughout the reproductive cycle: an exploratory profile study in laboratory and field populations. PeerJ 2015; 3:e949. [PMID: 26020006 PMCID: PMC4435447 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) has been extensively examined in relation to many behavioral topics, such as courtship, pair-bonding, bi-parental care, and territoriality. Recently, this model species has been utilized in studies on genetics, endocrinology, and neuroanatomy, with an ultimate goal of connecting behavior with its underlying mechanisms. The goal of this study was two-fold: (1) profile the circulating levels of plasma 11KT in the male convict cichlid at multiple points during the reproductive cycle and (2) generally compare the hormonal profiles of the widely used laboratory populations and those of a free-living population in the streams of Costa Rica. The results of the field experiment showed that male convict cichlids had higher levels of circulating 11KT during courtship and lower during the parental care and non-breeding phases. The profile of the laboratory population was similar to the profile of the free-living individuals, with significantly higher levels of 11KT occurring during courtship than during parental care, though the level of 11KT during non-breeding phase was elevated in the laboratory. The high levels of 11KT during courtship and low levels of 11KT during parental care found in both the field and the laboratory is similar to what has been reported in other species of teleosts, and may suggest an important function of 11KT in the expression of courtship behavior and the subsequent onset of parental behaviors in this model species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Murray Itzkowitz
- Lehigh University, Department of Biological Sciences , Bethlehem, PA , USA
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11
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Hammond TT, Palme R, Lacey EA. Contrasting stress responses of two co-occurring chipmunk species (Tamias alpinus and T. speciosus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 211:114-22. [PMID: 25461808 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are important mediators of responses to environmental conditions. Accordingly, differences in GC physiology may contribute to interspecific variation in response to anthropogenically-induced patterns of climate change. To begin exploring this possibility, we validated the use of fecal cortisol/corticosterone metabolites (FCM) to measure baseline glucocorticoid levels in two species of co-occurring chipmunks that have exhibited markedly different patterns of response to environmental change. In Yosemite National Park, the alpine chipmunk (Tamias alpinus) has undergone a significant upward contraction of its elevational range over the past century; in contrast, the lodgepole chipmunk (Tamiasspeciosus) has experienced no significant change in elevational distribution over this period. To determine if GC levels in these species vary in response to external stimuli and to assess whether these responses differ between species, we compared FCM levels for the same individuals (1) at the time of capture in the field, (2) after a short period of captivity, and (3) after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), (4) handling, and (5) trapping challenges conducted while these animals were held in captivity. Our analyses indicate that T. alpinus was more responsive to several of these changes in external conditions. Although both species displayed a significant FCM response to ACTH challenge, only T. alpinus showed a significant response to our handling challenge and to captive housing conditions. These findings underscore the importance of species-specific validation studies and support the potential for studies of GC physiology to generate insights into interspecific differences in response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talisin T Hammond
- Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA.
| | - Rupert Palme
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eileen A Lacey
- Department of Integrative Biology, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA
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12
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McMichael LA, Edson D, Field H. Measuring physiological stress in Australian flying-fox populations. ECOHEALTH 2014; 11:400-8. [PMID: 24990534 PMCID: PMC7087598 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0954-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Flying-foxes (pteropid bats) are the natural host of Hendra virus, a recently emerged zoonotic virus responsible for mortality or morbidity in horses and humans in Australia since 1994. Previous studies have suggested physiological and ecological risk factors for infection in flying-foxes, including physiological stress. However, little work has been done measuring and interpreting stress hormones in flying-foxes. Over a 12-month period, we collected pooled urine samples from underneath roosting flying-foxes, and urine and blood samples from captured individuals. Urine and plasma samples were assayed for cortisol using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay. We demonstrated a typical post-capture stress response in flying-foxes, established urine specific gravity as an attractive alternative to creatinine to correct urine concentration, and established population-level urinary cortisol ranges (and geometric means) for the four Australian species: Pteropus alecto 0.5-305.1 ng/mL (20.1 ng/mL); Pteropus conspicillatus 0.3-370.9 ng/mL (18.9 ng/mL); Pteropus poliocephalus 0.3-311.3 ng/mL (10.1 ng/mL); Pteropus scapulatus 5.2-205.4 ng/mL (40.7 ng/mL). Geometric means differed significantly except for P. alecto and P. conspicillatus. Our approach is methodologically robust, and has application both as a research or clinical tool for flying-foxes, and for other free-living colonial wildlife species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee A McMichael
- Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Brisbane, QLD, 4108, Australia,
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Narayan EJ, Evans N, Hero JM. Monitoring physiological stress in semi-free ranging populations of an endangered Australian marsupial, the Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-014-0842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Woodruff JA, Lacey EA, Bentley GE, Kriegsfeld LJ. Effects of social environment on baseline glucocorticoid levels in a communally breeding rodent, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis). Horm Behav 2013; 64:566-72. [PMID: 23928366 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The social environment in which an animal lives can profoundly impact its physiology, including glucocorticoid (GC) responses to external stressors. In social, group-living species, individuals may face stressors arising from regular interactions with conspecifics as well as those associated with basic life history needs such as acquiring food or shelter. To explore the relative contributions of these two types of stressors on glucocorticoid physiology in a communally breeding mammal, we characterized baseline GC levels in female colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis), which are subterranean rodents endemic to southwestern Argentina. Long-term field studies have revealed that while about half of all yearling female C. sociabilis live and breed alone, the remainder live and breed within their natal group. We assessed the effects of this intraspecific variation in social environment on GC physiology by comparing concentrations of baseline fecal corticosterone metabolite (fCM) for (1) lone and group-living yearling females in a free-living population of C. sociabilis and (2) captive yearling female C. sociabilis that had been experimentally assigned to live alone or with conspecifics. In both cases, lone females displayed significantly higher mean baseline fCM concentrations. Data from free-living animals indicated that this outcome arose from differences in circadian patterns of GC production. fCM concentrations for group-living animals declined in the afternoon while fCM in lone individuals did not. These findings suggest that for C. sociabilis, stressors associated with basic life history functions present greater challenges than those arising from interactions with conspecifics. Our study is one of the first to examine GC levels in a plural-breeding mammal in which the effects of group-living are not confounded by differences in reproductive or dominance status, thereby generating important insights into the endocrine consequences of group-living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Woodruff
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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MacManes MD, Lacey EA. The social brain: transcriptome assembly and characterization of the hippocampus from a social subterranean rodent, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis). PLoS One 2012; 7:e45524. [PMID: 23049809 PMCID: PMC3458066 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the genetic mechanisms that underlie complex adaptive phenotypes is a central problem in evolutionary biology. For behavioral biologists, the ability to link variation in gene expression to the occurrence of specific behavioral traits has long been a largely unobtainable goal. Social interactions with conspecifics represent a fundamental component of the behavior of most animal species. Although several studies of mammals have attempted to uncover the genetic bases for social relationships using a candidate gene approach, none have attempted more comprehensive, transcriptome-based analyses using high throughout sequencing. As a first step toward improved understanding of the genetic underpinnings of mammalian sociality, we generated a reference transcriptome for the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis), a social species of subterranean rodent that is endemic to southwestern Argentina. Specifically, we analyzed over 500 million Illumina sequencing reads derived from the hippocampi of 10 colonial tuco-tucos housed in captivity under a variety of social conditions. The resulting reference transcriptome provides a critical tool for future studies aimed at exploring relationships between social environment and gene expression in this non-model species of social mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D MacManes
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
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Smith JE, Monclús R, Wantuck D, Florant GL, Blumstein DT. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in wild yellow-bellied marmots: experimental validation, individual differences and ecological correlates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 178:417-26. [PMID: 22732084 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection is expected to shape phenotypic traits that permit organisms to respond appropriately to the environments in which they live. One important mechanism by which animals cope with changes in their environment is through physiological responses to stressors mediated by glucocorticoid hormones. Here we perform biological and physiological validations of a minimally-invasive technique for assessing fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) in captive and wild groups of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris). Then we draw from ten years of data on these obligate hibernators at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, USA to assess the extent to which seasonal and daily changes explain naturalistic variation in baseline levels of FCMs. Interestingly, beyond important population-level variation with respect to year, season, time of day, sex, age and reproductive state, we found repeatable inter-individual differences in FCMs, suggesting this hormonal trait might be a meaningful target of selection. FCM levels were 68% lower in captive than wild marmots, suggesting that the natural environment in which these animals occur is generally more challenging or less predictable than life in captivity. Most live-trapping events failed to represent stressors for wild marmots such that repeated measurements of traits were possible with minimal "stress" to subjects. We also document the natural ranges of annual and seasonal variation necessary for understanding the extent to which anthropogenic assaults represent stressors for wild mammals. Taken together, this study provides a foundation for understanding the evolution of hormonal traits and has important welfare and conservation implications for field biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Smith
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.
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Suzuki K, Yamada H, Kobayashi T, Okanoya K. Decreased Fecal Corticosterone Levels Due to Domestication: A Comparison Between the White-Backed Munia (Lonchura striata) and Its Domesticated Strain, the Bengalese Finch (Lonchura striatavar.domestica) With a Suggestion for Complex Song Evolution. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 317:561-70. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tetsuya Kobayashi
- Division of Life Science; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University; Sakura-ku; Saitama; Japan
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VERA FEDERICO, ZENUTO ROXANARITA, ANTENUCCI CARLOSDANIEL. Differential Responses of Cortisol and Corticosterone to Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) in a Subterranean Rodent (Ctenomys talarum). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 317:173-84. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Comparative patterns of adrenal activity in captive and wild Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). J Comp Physiol B 2011; 182:157-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-011-0597-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2011] [Revised: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Vera F, Antenucci CD, Zenuto RR. Cortisol and corticosterone exhibit different seasonal variation and responses to acute stress and captivity in tuco-tucos (Ctenomys talarum). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 170:550-7. [PMID: 21095193 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2009] [Revised: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 11/17/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In this work we aimed to evaluate variations in plasma glucocorticoids (GCs, cortisol and corticosterone) levels throughout an annual cycle in free-living male tuco-tucos (Ctenomys talarum) and compare their responses to acute and chronic stressors (trapping, manipulation, immobilization, confinement in a novel environment, transference to captivity). In addition, we used leukocyte profiles to allow discrimination between basal and stress-induced seasonal changes in GC concentrations. Our results showed that cortisol and corticosterone are differently affected by environmental stimuli in C. talarum. Both hormones showed different patterns of variation in the field and responses to captivity. Moreover, only cortisol was responsive to acute stressors. Leukocyte profiles indicated that animals were unstressed in the field and therefore, that we were able to measure basal, stress-independent, fluctuations in GC levels. GC concentrations were low in comparison to values frequently reported for other mammals. Our results suggest differentiated physiological roles for cortisol and corticosterone in our study species and further emphasize the complexity of GC physiology in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Vera
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CC 1245, Mar del Plata 7600, Argentina.
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