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Mendoza-Díaz de León L, Cordero-Molina S, Krams I, Contreras-Garduño J. Lie to me to lay with me: Females deceive males via terminal investment. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301942. [PMID: 38976699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Historically, males have frequently been portrayed as the manipulative and deceptive gender, while females are often seen as adopting a coy and passive role. In this context, it is proposed that males use a terminal investment strategy, misleading females about their true poor condition, while females passively opt to mate with these deceptive males. However, we hypothesize that females in suboptimal condition may also engage in a terminal investment strategy by mimicking or enhancing their attractiveness to match that of females in better conditions. We studied this hypothesis in Tenebrio molitor, by subjecting females to three varying doses of lipopolysaccharides of Escherichia coli (LPS; 0.25, 0.5, or 1 mg ml-1), or three doses of the pro-oxidant Paraquat (PQ; 20, 40 or 80 mM), and subsequently assessing their survival and attractiveness to males. The LPS treatments and 20 mM of PQ had no significant effect on the survival or attractiveness of the females. However, females treated with 40 or 80 mM PQ survived fewer days compared to the control group. Those injected with 40 mM were more attractive than their control counterparts, while those treated with 80 mM were less attractive. Since the identical doses of LPS, which induce terminal investment in males, had no effect on females, we suggest sexual dimorphism in terminal investment. Furthermore, similar to males, if the stressor reaches a sufficiently high level, the signal becomes honest. These findings highlight how the quantity of stressors influences support for the terminal investment strategy in both males and females. Notably, this study challenges prevailing notions regarding gender roles in sexual selection, indicating that females, not just males, conceal their poor condition to attract mating partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mendoza-Díaz de León
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sagrario Cordero-Molina
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Indikris Krams
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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2
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Fu Y, Zhang F, Wang W, Xu J, Zhao M, Ma C, Cheng Y, Chen W, Su Z, Lv X, Liu Z, Ma K, Ma L. Temporal and Spatial Signatures of Scylla paramamosain Transcriptome Reveal Mechanistic Insights into Endogenous Ovarian Maturation under Risk of Starvation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:700. [PMID: 38255774 PMCID: PMC10815400 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020700] [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] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Variability in food availability leads to condition-dependent investments in reproduction. This study is aimed at understanding the metabolic response and regulatory mechanism of female Scylla paramamosain in response to starvation in a temporal- and tissue-specific manner. The mud crabs were starved for 7 (control), 14, 28, and 40 days for histological and biochemical analysis in the hepatopancreas, ovary, and serum, as well as for RNA sequencing on the hepatopancreas and ovary. We further highlighted candidate gene modules highly linked to physiological traits. Collectively, our observations suggested that starvation triggered endogenous ovarian maturation at the expense of hepatopancreas mass, with both metabolic adjustments to optimize energy and fatty acid supply from hepatopancreas to ovary in the early phase, followed by the activation of autophagy-related pathways in both organs over prolonged starvation. These specific adaptive responses might be considered efficient strategies to stimulate ovarian maturation of Scylla paramamosain under fasting stress, which improves the nutritional value of female mud crabs and other economically important crustaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Fu
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
- Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition (CREEFFN) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Fengying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Jiayuan Xu
- Experimental Base of East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Ningbo 315604, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Chunyan Ma
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Yongxu Cheng
- Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition (CREEFFN) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Zhixing Su
- Experimental Base of East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Ningbo 315604, China
| | - Xiaokang Lv
- Experimental Base of East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Ningbo 315604, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Keyi Ma
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
| | - Lingbo Ma
- Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China; (Y.F.)
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3
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Amaro-Sánchez T, Ruiz-Guzmán G, Hernández-Martínez S, Krams I, Rantala MJ, Contreras-Garduño J. Effect of juvenile hormone on phenoloxidase and hemocyte number: The role of age, sex, and immune challenge. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 265:110827. [PMID: 36610635 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2023.110827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Hormones are key factors in determining the response of organisms to their environment. For example, the juvenile hormone (JH) coordinates the insects' development, reproduction, and survival. However, it is still unclear how the impact of juvenile hormone on insect immunity varies depending on the sex and reproductive state of the individual, as well as the type of the immune challenge (i.e., Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria). We used Tenebrio molitor and methoprene, a JH analog (JHa) to explore these relationships. We tested the effect of methoprene on phenoloxidase activity (PO), an important component of humoral immunity in insects, and hemocyte number. Lyophilized Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative Escherichia coli were injected for the immune challenge. The results suggest that JH did not affect the proPO, PO activity, or hemocyte number of larvae. JH and immune challenge affected the immune response and consequently, affected adult developmental stage and sex. We propose that the influence of JH on the immune response depends on age, sex, the immune response parameter, and the immune challenge, which may explain the contrasting results about the role of JH in the insect immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Amaro-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Campus Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n, Colonia Noria Alta, 36050 Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Gloria Ruiz-Guzmán
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No.8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Salvador Hernández-Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62300 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils 5401, Latvia; Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga 1004, Latvia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No.8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
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4
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Keppner EM, Laubenthal M, Prang MA, Conrad T, Steiger S. Harsh nutritional environment has positive and negative consequences for family living in a burying beetle. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9699. [PMID: 36620421 PMCID: PMC9817192 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Harsh environmental conditions in form of low food availability for both offspring and parents alike can affect breeding behavior and success. There has been evidence that food scarce environments can induce competition between family members, and this might be intensified when parents are caring as a pair and not alone. On the other hand, it is possible that a harsh, food-poor environment could also promote cooperative behaviors within a family, leading, for example, to a higher breeding success of pairs than of single parents. We studied the influence of a harsh nutritional environment on the fitness outcome of family living in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. These beetles use vertebrate carcasses for reproduction. We manipulated food availability on two levels: before and during breeding. We then compared the effect of these manipulations in broods with either single females or biparentally breeding males and females. We show that pairs of beetles that experienced a food-poor environment before breeding consumed a higher quantity of the carcass than well-fed pairs or single females. Nevertheless, they were more successful in raising a brood with higher larval survival compared to pairs that did not experience a food shortage before breeding. We also show that food availability during breeding and social condition had independent effects on the mass of the broods raised, with lighter broods in biparental families than in uniparental ones and on smaller carcasses. Our study thus indicates that a harsh nutritional environment can increase both cooperative as well as competitive interactions between family members. Moreover, our results suggest that it can either hamper or drive the formation of a family because parents choose to restrain reproductive investment in a current brood or are encouraged to breed in a food-poor environment, depending on former experiences and their own nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Keppner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation GenomicsUlm UniversityUlmGermany
| | - Melina Laubenthal
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Madlen A. Prang
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Taina Conrad
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Department of Evolutionary Animal EcologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
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5
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A resource-poor developmental diet reduces adult aggression in male Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:110. [PMID: 34720349 PMCID: PMC8549984 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviours occur throughout the animal kingdom and agonistic contests often govern access to resources. Nutrition experienced during development has the potential to influence aggressive behaviours in adults through effects on growth, energy budgets and an individual’s internal state. In particular, resource-poor developmental nutrition might decrease adult aggression by limiting growth and energy budgets, or alternatively might increase adult aggression by enhancing motivation to compete for resources. However, the direction of this relationship—and effects of developmental nutrition experienced by rivals—remains unknown in most species, limiting understanding of how early-life environments contribute to variation in aggression. We investigated these alternative hypotheses by assessing male-male aggression in adult fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, that developed on a low-, medium- or high-resource diet, manipulated via yeast content. We found that a low-resource developmental diet reduced the probability of aggressive lunges in adults, as well as threat displays against rivals that developed on a low-resource diet. These effects appeared to be independent of diet-related differences in body mass. Males performed relatively more aggression on a central food patch when facing rivals of a low-resource diet, suggesting that developmental diet affects aggressive interactions through social effects in addition to individual effects. Our finding that resource-poor developmental diets reduce male-male aggression in D. melanogaster is consistent with the idea that resource budgets mediate aggression and in a mass-independent manner. Our study improves understanding of the links between nutrition and aggression. Significance statement Early-life nutrition can influence social behaviours in adults. Aggression is a widespread social behaviour with important consequences for fitness. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, we show that a poor developmental diet reduces aspects of adult aggressive behaviour in males. Furthermore, males perform more aggression near food patches when facing rivals of poor nutrition. This suggests that early-life nutrition affects aggressive interactions through social effects in addition to individual effects.
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6
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Edmunds D, Wigby S, Perry JC. 'Hangry' Drosophila: food deprivation increases male aggression. Anim Behav 2021; 177:183-190. [PMID: 34290451 PMCID: PMC8274700 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive interactions are costly, such that individuals should display modified aggression in response to environmental stress. Many organisms experience frequent periods of food deprivation, which can influence an individual's capacity and motivation to engage in aggression. However, because food deprivation can simultaneously decrease an individual's resource-holding potential and increase its valuation of food resources, its net impact on aggression is unclear. Here, we tested the influence of increasingly prolonged periods of adult food deprivation on intermale aggression in pairs of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. We found that males displayed increased aggression following periods of food deprivation longer than a day. Increased aggression in food-deprived flies occurred despite their reduced mass. This result is probably explained by an increased attraction to food resources, as food deprivation increased male occupancy of central food patches, and food patch occupancy was positively associated with aggression. Our findings demonstrate that aggressive strategies in male D. melanogaster are influenced by nutritional experience, highlighting the need to consider past nutritional stresses to understand variation in aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, U.K
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, U.K
| | - Jennifer C. Perry
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, U.K
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, U.K
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7
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Zurowski K, Janmaat AF, Kabaluk T, Cory JS. Modification of reproductive schedule in response to pathogen exposure in a wild insect: Support for the terminal investment hypothesis. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1558-1566. [PMID: 32780527 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Trade-offs in the time and energy allocated to different functions, such as reproductive activities, can be driven by alterations in condition which reduce resources, often in response to extrinsic factors such as pathogens or parasites. When individuals are challenged by a pathogen, they may either reduce reproduction as a cost of increasing defence mechanisms or, alternatively, modify reproductive activities so as to increase fecundity thereby minimizing the fitness costs of earlier death, a behaviour consistent with the terminal investment hypothesis (TIH). The TIH predicts that individuals with decreased likelihood of future reproduction will maximize current reproductive effort, which may include shifts in reproductive timing. We examined how wild, adult female click beetles (Agriotes obscurus) responded after exposure to the fungal pathogen Metarhizium brunneum. Field-collected beetles exposed to a high concentration of M. brunneum died earlier and in greater numbers than those exposed to a low concentration. Using a multivariate approach, we examined the impact of pathogen challenge on lifespan and a suite of reproductive traits. Stepdown regression analysis showed that only female lifespan differed among the fungal treatments. Fungal-induced reductions in lifespan drove changes in the reproductive schedule, characterized by a decrease in preoviposition period. Moving the start of egg laying forward allowed the females to offset the costs of a shortened lifespan. These changes suggest that there is a threshold for terminal investment, which is dependent on strength of the survival threat. From an applied perspective, our findings imply that exposing adult click beetles to M. brunneum to reduce their population density might not succeed and is an approach that needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Zurowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alida F Janmaat
- Department of Biology, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Todd Kabaluk
- Agassiz Research and Development Centre, Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jenny S Cory
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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8
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Pretterebner K, Pardo LM. All or nothing: Switch to high current reproductive investment under risk of starvation in male kelp crab. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3383-3391. [PMID: 32273995 PMCID: PMC7141040 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the key features in reproduction of polygynous species is seminal recovery after mating. However, it is poorly known how environmental factors affect the recuperation period of seminal material. This study aims to test plasticity in recovery of seminal reserves in response to distinct environmental conditions of the kelp crab Taliepus dentatus. Male crabs were maintained after depletion of seminal reserves in one of eight different treatments in a factorial design of temperature (12 and 16°C), food availability (with alimentation and food deprivation), and time period (15 and 30 days), simulating different environmental situations in the laboratory to which the crab might be exposed to along its distribution. Temperature and food availability modulated the seminal recovery period in T. dentatus. Complete replenishment was reached within 30 days in all treatments (i.e., 12 and 16°C each with alimentation and food deprivation), but the highest recovery index was found in crabs without food provision (16°C). In this condition, the recovery index was twice as high compared with males maintained at a similar temperature but with feeding. Prolonged starvation at 16°C may be extremely stressful conditions for male crabs, during which risk to die probably triggered a concentration of the reproductive effort in favor of immediate reproduction. This suggests that plasticity of energy allocation toward reproduction may be expressed during extremely suboptimal conditions, which might be a similar strategy as proposed by the terminal investment hypothesis. The generally relatively fast seminal recovery regardless of the temperature may explain the kelp crab's continuous mating throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Pretterebner
- Programa de Doctorado en Biología MarinaFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Laboratorio Costero de CalfucoFacultad de CienciasInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Centro de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL)ValdiviaChile
| | - Luis M. Pardo
- Laboratorio Costero de CalfucoFacultad de CienciasInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Centro de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL)ValdiviaChile
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9
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Hudson AL, Moatt JP, Vale PF. Terminal investment strategies following infection are dependent on diet. J Evol Biol 2019; 33:309-317. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali L. Hudson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Joshua P. Moatt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Pedro F. Vale
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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10
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The costs of the immune memory within generations. Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:59. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1657-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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11
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Hatase H, Omuta K. Seasonal and annual variations in egg mass and clutch size for Loggerhead Sea Turtles ( Caretta caretta): experienced females lay heavier eggs. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Organisms modify reproductive traits adaptively or non-adaptively in response to temporal environmental variation. Long-lived iteroparous sea turtles are ideal animals to examine such temporal shifts in resource allocation. We analyzed seasonal shifts in egg mass and clutch size for Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)) nesting at a temperate rookery (Yakushima Island, Japan) over a 2-year period, as well as annual variation in egg mass and clutch size over a 5-year period. Egg mass and clutch size, adjusted for female body size, did not vary seasonally at both the population and individual levels. Adjusted egg mass showed significant annual variation, despite a lack of annual variation in adjusted clutch size. Thus, Loggerhead Sea Turtles are unlikely to exhibit adaptive seasonal variation in reproductive traits, whereas they vary egg size non-adaptively in response to annual environmental conditions. Although experienced Loggerhead Sea Turtles laid heavier eggs, the annual variation in egg mass was not attributable either to breeding experience of the sampled females or to ambient temperature during follicular development, implying that other factors are involved, such as resource availability. Our data show that egg size is a more plastic reproductive trait than clutch size for Loggerhead Sea Turtles inhabiting the North Pacific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Hatase
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Omuta
- Yakushima Sea Turtle Research Group, 489-8 Nagata, Yakushima, Kagoshima 891-4201, Japan
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12
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Duffield KR, Hampton KJ, Houslay TM, Hunt J, Rapkin J, Sakaluk SK, Sadd BM. Age‐dependent variation in the terminal investment threshold in male crickets. Evolution 2018; 72:578-589. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin R. Duffield
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University Normal Illinois 61761
| | - Kylie J. Hampton
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University Normal Illinois 61761
| | - Thomas M. Houslay
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn TR10 9FE United Kingdom
| | - John Hunt
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn TR10 9FE United Kingdom
- School of Science and Health and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
| | - James Rapkin
- Center for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn TR10 9FE United Kingdom
| | - Scott K. Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University Normal Illinois 61761
| | - Ben M. Sadd
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences Illinois State University Normal Illinois 61761
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13
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McMillan LE, Miller DW, Adamo SA. Eating when ill is risky: immune defense impairs food detoxification in the caterpillar Manduca sexta. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.173336. [PMID: 29217626 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.173336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mounting an immune response consumes resources, which should lead to increased feeding. However, activating the immune system reduces feeding (i.e. illness-induced anorexia) in both vertebrates and invertebrates, suggesting that it may be beneficial. We suggest that illness-induced anorexia may be an adaptive response to conflicts between immune defense and food detoxification. We found that activating an immune response in the caterpillar Manduca sexta increased its susceptibility to the toxin permethrin. Conversely, a sublethal dose of permethrin reduced resistance to the bacterium Serratia marcescens, demonstrating a negative interaction between detoxification and immune defense. Immune system activation and toxin challenge each depleted the amount of glutathione in the hemolymph. Increasing glutathione concentration in the hemolymph increased survival for both toxin- and immune+toxin-challenged groups. The results of this rescue experiment suggest that decreased glutathione availability, such as occurs during an immune response, impairs detoxification. We also found that the expression of some detoxification genes were not upregulated during a combined immune-toxin challenge, although they were when animals received a toxin challenge alone. These results suggest that immune defense reduces food detoxification capacity. Illness-induced anorexia may protect animals by decreasing exposure to food toxins when detoxification is impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E McMillan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H4R2
| | - Dylan W Miller
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H4R2
| | - Shelley A Adamo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H4R2
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14
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Abstract
Although reproductive strategies can be influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, life history theory provides a rigorous framework for explaining variation in reproductive effort. The terminal investment hypothesis proposes that a decreased expectation of future reproduction (as might arise from a mortality threat) should precipitate increased investment in current reproduction. Terminal investment has been widely studied, and a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic cues that elicit such a response have been identified across an array of taxa. Although terminal investment is often treated as a static strategy, the level at which a cue of decreased future reproduction is sufficient to trigger increased current reproductive effort (i.e., the terminal investment threshold) may depend on context, including the internal state of the organism or its current external environment, independent of the cue that triggers a shift in reproductive investment. Here, we review empirical studies that address the terminal investment hypothesis, exploring both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that mediate its expression. Based on these studies, we propose a novel framework within which to view the strategy of terminal investment, incorporating factors that influence an individual's residual reproductive value beyond a terminal investment trigger - the dynamic terminal investment threshold.
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15
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Birget PLG, Repton C, O'Donnell AJ, Schneider P, Reece SE. Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive effort: malaria parasites respond to resource availability. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171229. [PMID: 28768894 PMCID: PMC5563815 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between survival and reproduction is fundamental in the life history of all sexually reproducing organisms. This includes malaria parasites, which rely on asexually replicating stages for within-host survival and on sexually reproducing stages (gametocytes) for between-host transmission. The proportion of asexual stages that form gametocytes (reproductive effort) varies during infections-i.e. is phenotypically plastic-in response to changes in a number of within-host factors, including anaemia. However, how the density and age structure of red blood cell (RBC) resources shape plasticity in reproductive effort and impacts upon parasite fitness is controversial. Here, we examine how and why the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi alters its reproductive effort in response to experimental perturbations of the density and age structure of RBCs. We show that all four of the genotypes studied increase reproductive effort when the proportion of RBCs that are immature is elevated during host anaemia, and that the responses of the genotypes differ. We propose that anaemia (counterintuitively) generates a resource-rich environment in which parasites can afford to allocate more energy to reproduction (i.e. transmission) and that anaemia also exposes genetic variation to selection. From an applied perspective, adaptive plasticity in parasite reproductive effort could explain the maintenance of genetic variation for virulence and why anaemia is often observed as a risk factor for transmission in human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L G Birget
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology, and Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Charlotte Repton
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology, and Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Aidan J O'Donnell
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology, and Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Petra Schneider
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology, and Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology, and Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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16
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Ruiz-Guzmán G, Ramos-Castañeda J, Hernández-Quintero A, Contreras-Garduño J. Costs and benefits of vertical and horizontal transmission of dengue virus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3665-3669. [PMID: 27618859 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.145102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Parasites can be transmitted vertically and/or horizontally, but the costs or benefits for the host of infection have only been tested after horizontal transmission. Here, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the survival, reproduction and infection of Aedes aegypti during vertical and horizontal transmission of dengue virus 2 (DENV-2). Females infected horizontally produced more eggs, with a sex ratio skewed towards males, compared with uninfected controls. However, there was no significant difference in the number of emerging adults or in survival of mothers. In contrast, dengue-infected female offspring (vertical transmission) had a shorter lifespan but there were no significant differences in the number of eggs or sex ratio, compared with controls. Finally, the corroboration of infection revealed that virus infected about 11.5% and 8.8% of pools of mothers and of daughters, respectively. These results suggest that the mode of infection and the contact with the virus has no reproductive costs to female mosquitoes, which may explain why both types of transmission are evolutionarily maintained. In addition, we suggest that more attention should be paid to the male contribution to virus dissemination within and among populations and as reservoirs of the infection for human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ruiz-Guzmán
- Departamento de Arbovirus, Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, Cuernavaca, Morelos C. P. 62508, México.,Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| | - José Ramos-Castañeda
- Departamento de Arbovirus, Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, Cuernavaca, Morelos C. P. 62508, México
| | - Angélica Hernández-Quintero
- Departamento de Estadística, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad No. 940, Ciudad Universitaria, Aguascalientes, Ags 20131, México
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
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17
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Krams I, Eichler Inwood S, Trakimas G, Krams R, Burghardt GM, Butler DM, Luoto S, Krama T. Short-term exposure to predation affects body elemental composition, climbing speed and survival ability in Drosophila melanogaster. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2314. [PMID: 27602281 PMCID: PMC4991848 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Factors such as temperature, habitat, larval density, food availability and food quality substantially affect organismal development. In addition, risk of predation has a complex impact on the behavioural and morphological life history responses of prey. Responses to predation risk seem to be mediated by physiological stress, which is an adaptation for maintaining homeostasis and improving survivorship during life-threatening situations. We tested whether predator exposure during the larval phase of development has any influence on body elemental composition, energy reserves, body size, climbing speed and survival ability of adult Drosophila melanogaster. Fruit fly larvae were exposed to predation by jumping spiders (Phidippus apacheanus), and the percentage of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content, extracted lipids, escape response and survival were measured from predator-exposed and control adult flies. The results revealed predation as an important determinant of adult phenotype formation and survival ability. D. melanogaster reared together with spiders had a higher concentration of body N (but equal body C), a lower body mass and lipid reserves, a higher climbing speed and improved adult survival ability. The results suggest that the potential of predators to affect the development and the adult phenotype of D. melanogaster is high enough to use predators as a more natural stimulus in laboratory experiments when testing, for example, fruit fly memory and learning ability, or when comparing natural populations living under different predation pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrikis Krams
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States; Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Risk Assessment and Epidemiology, Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia
| | - Sarah Eichler Inwood
- Bredesen Center, Energy Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville , United States
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Centre for Ecology and Environmental Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University , Daugavpils , Latvia
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Departments of Psychology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee , Knoxville , TN , United States
| | - David M Butler
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee , Knoxville , United States
| | - Severi Luoto
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Department of Plant Protection, Estonian University of Life Science , Tartu , Estonia
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18
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Ratz T, Kramer J, Veuille M, Meunier J. The population determines whether and how life-history traits vary between reproductive events in an insect with maternal care. Oecologia 2016; 182:443-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3685-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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19
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Krams I, Burghardt GM, Krams R, Trakimas G, Kaasik A, Luoto S, Rantala MJ, Krama T. A dark cuticle allows higher investment in immunity, longevity and fecundity in a beetle upon a simulated parasite attack. Oecologia 2016; 182:99-109. [PMID: 27245343 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3654-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cuticle melanism in insects is linked to a number of life history traits: a positive relationship is hypothesized between melanism, immune function, fecundity and lifespan. However, it is not clear how activation of the immune system affects trade-offs between life history traits in female mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) differing in cuticle melanization. The females with tan, brown and black cuticles examined in the present study did not differ in the intensity of encapsulation response, fecundity and longevity when their immune system was not activated. However, we found that immune activation and cuticle melanization have a significant effect on life history traits. Offspring number and lifespan decreased in females with tan and brown cuticles, while the fecundity and lifespan of black females were not affected. Importantly, we inserted the implants again and found a significant decrease in the strength of encapsulation response in females with tan and brown cuticles. In contrast, black females increased melanotic reactions against the nylon implant, suggesting immunological priming. The results show that cuticle melanization plays an important adaptive role under the risk of being infected, while the lack of these benefits before the insertion of nylon monofilaments suggests that there are costs associated with an activated immunity system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrikis Krams
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA. .,Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia. .,Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Departments of Psychology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia.,Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies & School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, Tartu, Estonia
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