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Magierecka A, Aristeidou A, Papaevripidou M, Gibson JK, Sloman KA, Metcalfe NB. Timing of reproduction modifies transgenerational effects of chronic exposure to stressors in an annual vertebrate. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221462. [PMID: 36476008 PMCID: PMC9554732 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful environmental conditions can shape both an individual's phenotype and that of its offspring. However, little is known about transgenerational effects of chronic (as opposed to acute) stressors, nor whether these vary across the breeding lifespan of the parent. We exposed adult female (F0 generation) three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to chronic environmental stressors and compared their reproductive allocation with that of non-exposed controls across early, middle and late clutches produced within the single breeding season of this annual population. There was a seasonal trend (but no treatment difference) in F0 reproductive allocation, with increases in egg mass and fry size in late clutches. We then tested for transgenerational effects in the non-exposed F1 and F2 generations. Exposure of F0 females to stressors resulted in phenotypic change in their offspring and grandoffspring that were produced late in their breeding lifespan: F1 offspring produced from the late-season clutches of stressor-exposed F0 females had higher early life survival, and subsequently produced heavier eggs and F2 fry that were larger at hatching. Changed maternal allocation due to a combination of seasonal factors and environmental stressors can thus have a transgenerational effect by influencing the reproductive allocation of daughters, especially those born late in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Magierecka
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Antreas Aristeidou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Maria Papaevripidou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - John K. Gibson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Katherine A. Sloman
- Institute for Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, University of the West of Scotland, Lanarkshire G72 0LH, UK
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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Langen EMA, von Engelhardt N, Goerlich-Jansson VC. No evidence for sex-specific effects of the maternal social environment on offspring development in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 263:12-20. [PMID: 29684400 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The social environment of reproducing females can cause physiological changes, with consequences for reproductive investment and offspring development. These prenatal maternal effects are often found to be sex-specific and may have evolved as adaptations, maximizing fitness of male and female offspring for their future environment. Female hormone levels during reproduction are considered a potential mechanism regulating sex allocation in vertebrates: high maternal androgens have repeatedly been linked to increased investment in sons, whereas high glucocorticoid levels are usually related to increased investment in daughters. However, results are not consistent across studies and therefore still inconclusive. In Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), we previously found that pair-housed females had higher plasma androgen levels and tended to have higher plasma corticosterone levels than group-housed females. In the current study we investigate whether these differences in maternal social environment and physiology affect offspring sex allocation and physiology. Counter to our expectations, we find no effects of the maternal social environment on offspring sex ratio, sex-specific mortality, growth, circulating androgen or corticosterone levels. Also, maternal corticosterone or androgen levels do not correlate with offspring sex ratio or mortality. The social environment during reproduction therefore does not necessarily modify sex allocation and offspring physiology, even if it causes differences in maternal physiology. We propose that maternal effects of the social environment strongly depend upon the type of social stimuli and the timing of changes in the social environment and hormones with respect to the reproductive cycle and meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M A Langen
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Nikolaus von Engelhardt
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Vivian C Goerlich-Jansson
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Martyka R, Śliwińska EB, Martyka M, Cichoń M, Tryjanowski P. The effect of pre-laying maternal immunization on offspring growth and immunity differs across experimentally altered postnatal rearing conditions in a wild songbird. Front Zool 2018; 15:25. [PMID: 29946341 PMCID: PMC6006776 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal antibody transfer is an immune-mediated maternal effect by which females can shape postnatal offspring resistance to pathogens and parasites. Maternal antibodies passed on to offspring provide primary protection to neonates against diverse pathogenic antigens, but they may also affect offspring growth and influence the development of an offspring’s own immune response. The effects of maternal antibodies on offspring performance commonly require that the disease environment experienced by a mother prior to breeding matches the environment encountered by her offspring after hatching/birth. However, other circumstances, like postnatal rearing conditions that affect offspring food availability, may also determine the effects of maternal antibodies on offspring growth and immunity. To date, knowledge about how prenatal immune-mediated maternal effects interact with various postnatal rearing conditions to affect offspring development and phenotype in wild bird population remains elusive. Here we experimentally studied the interactive effects of pre-laying maternal immunization with a bacterial antigen (lipopolysaccharide) and post-hatching rearing conditions, altered by brood size manipulation, on offspring growth and humoral immunity of wild great tits (Parus major). Results We found that maternal immunization and brood size manipulation interactively affected the growth and specific humoral immune response of avian offspring. Among nestlings reared in enlarged broods, only those that originated from immunized mothers grew better and were heavier at fledging stage compared to those that originated from non-immunized mothers. In contrast, no such effects were observed among nestlings reared in non-manipulated (control) broods. Moreover, offspring of immunized females had a stronger humoral immune response to lipopolysaccharide during postnatal development than offspring of non-immunized females, but only when the nestling was reared in control broods. Conclusions This study demonstrates that offspring development and their ability to cope with pathogens after hatching are driven by mutual influences of pathogen-induced prenatal maternal effects and post-hatching rearing conditions. Our findings suggest that immune-mediated maternal effects may have context-dependent influences on offspring growth and immune function, related to the postnatal environmental conditions experienced by the progeny. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-018-0272-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Martyka
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa B Śliwińska
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Martyka
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- 2Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- 3Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
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Podmokła E, Drobniak SM, Rutkowska J. Chicken or egg? Outcomes of experimental manipulations of maternally transmitted hormones depend on administration method - a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 93:1499-1517. [PMID: 29573376 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Steroid hormones are important mediators of prenatal maternal effects in animals. Despite a growing number of studies involving experimental manipulation of these hormones, little is known about the impact of methodological differences among experiments on the final results expressed as offspring traits. Using a meta-analytical approach and a representative sample of experimental studies performed on birds, we tested the effect of two types of direct hormonal manipulations: manipulation of females (either by implantation of hormone pellets or injection of hormonal solutions) and manipulation of eggs by injection. In both types of manipulation we looked at the effects of two groups of hormones: corticosterone and androgens in the form of testosterone and androstenedione. We found that the average effect on offspring traits differed between the manipulation types, with a well-supported positive effect of egg manipulation and lack of a significant effect of maternal manipulation. The observed average positive effect for egg manipulation was driven mainly by androgen manipulations, while corticosterone manipulations exerted no overall effect, regardless of manipulation type. Detailed analyses revealed effects of varying size and direction depending on the specific offspring traits; e.g., egg manipulation positively affected physiology and behaviour (androgens), and negatively affected future reproduction (corticosterone). Effect size was negatively related to the dose of androgen injected into the eggs, but unrelated to timing of manipulation, offspring developmental stage at the time of measuring their traits, solvent type, the site of egg injection and maternal hormone delivery method. Despite the generally acknowledged importance of maternal hormones for offspring development in birds, the overall effect of their experimental elevation is rather weak, significantly heterogeneous and dependent on the hormone and type of manipulation. We conclude by providing general recommendations as to how hormonal manipulations should be performed in order to standardize their impact and the results achieved. We also emphasize the need for research on free-living birds with a focus on fitness-related and other long-term effects of maternal hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Podmokła
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon M Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
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Lutyk D, Tagirov M, Drobniak S, Rutkowska J. Higher growth rate and gene expression in male zebra finch embryos are independent of manipulation of maternal steroids in the eggs. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 254:1-7. [PMID: 28935580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in prenatal development is widespread among vertebrates, including birds. Its mechanism remains unclear, although it has been attributed to the effect of maternal steroid hormones. The aim of this study was to investigate how increased levels of steroid hormones in the eggs influence early embryonic development of male and female offspring. We also asked whether maternal hormones take part in the control of sex-specific expression of the genes involved in prenatal development. We experimentally manipulated hormones' concentrations in the egg yolk by injecting zebra finch females prior to ovulation with testosterone or corticosterone. We assessed growth rate and expression levels of CDK7, FBP1 and GHR genes in 37h-old embryos. We found faster growth and higher expression of two studied genes in male compared to female embryos. Hormonal treatment, despite clearly differentiating egg steroid levels, had no effect on the sex-specific pattern of the embryonic gene expression, even though we confirmed expression of receptors of androgens and glucocorticoids at such an early stage of development. Thus, our study shows high stability of the early sex differences in the embryonic development before the onset of sexual differentiation and indicates their independence of maternal hormones in the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Lutyk
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Makhsud Tagirov
- Poultry Research Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Lenin Street 20, Borky, Zmiiv District, Kharkiv Region 63421, Ukraine
| | - Szymon Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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Muriel J, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Puerta M, Gil D. Sex-Specific Effects of High Yolk Androgen Levels on Constitutive and Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Nestlings of an Altricial Passerine. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:106-117. [DOI: 10.1086/688445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Bentz AB, Becker DJ, Navara KJ. Evolutionary implications of interspecific variation in a maternal effect: a meta-analysis of yolk testosterone response to competition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160499. [PMID: 28018636 PMCID: PMC5180134 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Competition between conspecifics during the breeding season can result in behavioural and physiological programming of offspring via maternal effects. For birds, in which maternal effects are best studied, it has been claimed that exposure to increased competition causes greater deposition of testosterone into egg yolks, which creates faster growing, more aggressive offspring; such traits are thought to be beneficial for high-competition environments. Nevertheless, not all species show a positive relationship between competitive interactions and yolk testosterone, and an explanation for this interspecific variation is lacking. We here test if the magnitude and direction of maternal testosterone allocated to eggs in response to competition can be explained by life-history traits while accounting for phylogenetic relationships. We performed a meta-analysis relating effect size of yolk testosterone response to competition with species coloniality, nest type, parental effort and mating type. We found that effect size was moderated by coloniality and nest type; colonial species and those with open nests allocate less testosterone to eggs when in more competitive environments. Applying a life-history perspective helps contextualize studies showing little or negative responses of yolk testosterone to competition and improves our understanding of how variation in this maternal effect may have evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B. Bentz
- Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia, 203 Poultry Science Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Daniel J. Becker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kristen J. Navara
- Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia, 203 Poultry Science Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Vergauwen J, Eens M, Müller W. Consequences of experimentally elevated yolk testosterone levels for intra- and inter-sexual selection in canaries. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1740-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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9
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Haywood S. Origin of evolutionary change in avian clutch size. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2013; 88:895-911. [PMID: 23521762 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Why different bird species lay different numbers of eggs is a question that has long been associated with factors external to the organism, that is, factors which operate on inherited variation in clutch size through the action of natural selection. Yet, while external factors are important, the extent of what is evolutionarily possible rests with the mechanisms developed by birds for clutch-size control. Hitherto neglected, these mechanisms generate factors internal to the organism that are central to the origin of evolutionary change. They are related to the fact that a species-specific range of clutch size arises from the differential survival of pre-ovulatory follicles undergoing growth when the signal causing egg laying to end reaches the ovary. Herein, I examine three internal factors that, together with external factors, could impact the evolution of avian clutch size. Each factor acts by changing either the number of pre-ovulatory follicles present in the ovary at the time of follicular disruption or the timing of this event. These changes to clutch size can be explained by the concept of heterochrony. In light of this, the role of phenotypic plasticity and genes determining clutch size is discussed. Finally, to account for the origin of evolutionary change in clutch size, I detail an hypothesis involving a process similar to Waddington's theory of genetic assimilation.
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Long-lasting effects of yolk androgens on phenotype in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1456-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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11
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Ruuskanen S, Doligez B, Gustafsson L, Laaksonen T. Long-term effects of yolk androgens on phenotype and parental feeding behavior in a wild passerine. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1373-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Ruuskanen S, Doligez B, Pitala N, Gustafsson L, Laaksonen T. Long-term fitness consequences of high yolk androgen levels: sons pay the costs. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01994.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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13
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Carotenoid supplementation and GnRH challenges influence female endocrine physiology, immune function, and egg-yolk characteristics in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). J Comp Physiol B 2012; 182:687-702. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-011-0638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Revised: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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GnRH--a missing link between testosterone concentrations in yolk and plasma and its intergenerational effects. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22675. [PMID: 21829476 PMCID: PMC3145665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the strong interest in hormone-mediated maternal effects two key questions concerning their mechanisms are as yet unanswered: First, whether the deposition of hormones in the egg yolk is coupled with the levels of these hormones in the maternal circulation, and second, whether epigenetic changes as induced by embryonic exposure to maternal yolk hormones impinge on yolk hormone deposition at adulthood. We investigated the responsiveness to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in female canaries whose embryonic exposure to yolk testosterone had been manipulated. This enabled us to study to what extent GnRH interlinks testosterone concentrations in female circulation and egg yolk as well as the intergenerational potential of hormone-mediated maternal effects. As expected, canary females responded to GnRH with a rise in plasma testosterone. The GnRH-responsiveness was positively correlated with the yolk testosterone content. Factors stimulating the release of GnRH will, therefore, lead to an increase of testosterone in both plasma and egg, posing a potential constraint on the yolk hormone deposition due to testosterone related trade-offs within the laying female. Exposure to elevated yolk testosterone levels as embryo reduced the GnRH-responsiveness in adulthood, potentially limiting environmental influences on yolk testosterone deposition, but the concentrations of yolk testosterone itself were not affected.
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15
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Smiseth PT, Scott MP, Andrews C. Hormonal regulation of offspring begging and mediation of parent–offspring conflict. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Müller W, Vergauwen J, Eens M. Testing the developmental stress hypothesis in canaries: consequences of nutritional stress on adult song phenotype and mate attractiveness. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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17
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Ruuskanen S, Laaksonen T. Yolk hormones have sex-specific long-term effects on behavior in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Horm Behav 2010; 57:119-27. [PMID: 19804778 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 09/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The hormonal environment during early development, such as maternally derived androgens in bird eggs, shapes the development and phenotype of the offspring in ways that may have important long-term consequences for behaviour. We studied the effects of yolk androgens on multiple behavioural traits in female and male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) by experimentally elevating androgen levels (testosterone and androstenedione) in the eggs. The birds were housed in a common-garden environment in captivity until full independence, after which their behaviour was tested. We found that androgen-treated males were more likely than control males to explore a novel environment and showed higher activity in the presence of a novel object. In response to a simulated predator attack, androgen-treated males mainly showed freezing behaviour, while control males showed escape behaviour. Females from the androgen treatment and control group showed no differences in these behaviours. Androgen treatment did not affect neophobia (latency to approach the novel object) or dominance behaviour in either sex. Behaviour in the novel environment and towards a novel object was repeatable, but behaviours in the different experiments were mostly not inter-correlated. These results indicate that yolk androgens have various long-lasting effects on behaviour, especially in males, but that they do not induce a distinct behavioural syndrome. As behaviour is strongly linked with fitness, our results suggest that yolk androgens may play a role in determining fitness, and thus play a potentially adaptive role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Ruuskanen
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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18
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Partecke J, Schwabl H. Organizational effects of maternal testosterone on reproductive behavior of adult house sparrows. Dev Neurobiol 2009; 68:1538-48. [PMID: 18814315 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Despite the well-known, long-term, organizational actions of sex steroids on phenotypic differences between the sexes, studies of maternal steroids in the vertebrate egg have mainly focused on effects seen in early life. Long-term organizational effects of yolk hormones on adult behavior and the underlying mechanisms that generate them have been largely ignored. Using an experiment in which hand-reared house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from testosterone- or control-treated eggs were kept under identical conditions, we show that testosterone treatment in the egg increased the frequency of aggressive, dominance, and sexual behavior of 1-year-old, reproductively competent house sparrows. We also show that circulating plasma levels of progesterone, testosterone, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and 17beta-estradiol did not differ between treatment groups. Thus, a simple change in adult gonadal hormone secretion is not the primary physiological cause of long-term effects of maternal steroids on adult behavior. Rather, differences in adult behavior caused by exposure to yolk testosterone during embryonic development are likely generated by organizational modifications of brain function. Furthermore, our data provide evidence that hormone-mediated maternal effects are an epigenetic mechanism causing intra-sexual variation in adult behavioral phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesko Partecke
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4236, USA.
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19
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Müller W, Vergauwen J, Eens M. Long-lasting consequences of elevated yolk testosterone levels on female reproduction. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0714-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Dziminski MA, Vercoe PE, Roberts JD. Variable offspring provisioning and fitness: a direct test in the field. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01480.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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21
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Soma M, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Okanoya K. Early ontogenetic effects on song quality in the Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica): laying order, sibling competition, and song syntax. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0670-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Müller W, Vergauwen J, Eens M. Yolk testosterone, postnatal growth and song in male canaries. Horm Behav 2008; 54:125-33. [PMID: 18353330 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2007] [Revised: 02/07/2008] [Accepted: 02/08/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Avian eggs contain substantial amounts of maternal yolk androgens, which have been shown to modulate offspring phenotype. The first studies on the functional consequences of maternal yolk androgens have focused on early life stages and their role in sibling competition. However, recent longitudinal studies reported long-lasting effects of maternal yolk androgens on offspring phenotype, mostly concerning traits that are sensitive to androgens. This suggests that maternal yolk androgens could play an important role in sexual selection, since the expression of many male sexual characters is testosterone-dependent. Using male canaries as a model, we examined the consequences of an experimental elevation of yolk testosterone concentrations on early development as well as long-lasting effects particularly on song, which is one of the most important sexual characters in male songbirds. Elevated yolk testosterone concentrations inhibited male growth, possibly in interaction with an existent ectoparasite exposure. Males hatched from testosterone-treated eggs (T-males) did not have enhanced competitive skills, in contrast to previous studies. The elevation of yolk testosterone concentrations delayed song development but did not affect adult song phenotype. This is intriguing, as yolk testosterone possibly induced developmental stress, which is known to reduce song quality. We hypothesize that yolk testosterone has either no direct effect on adult song phenotype, or that positive effects are merged by the negative effects of developmental stress. Finally, females mated with T-males invested more in their clutch indicating that females either assess T-males as more attractive (differential allocation hypothesis) or compensated for lower offspring viability (compensation hypothesis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology-Ethology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Gil D. Chapter 7 Hormones in Avian Eggs: Physiology, Ecology and Behavior. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s0065-3454(08)00007-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Sex-specific maternal effect on egg mass, laying order, and sibling competition in the Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0400-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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