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Eikenaar C, Ostolani A, Hessler S, Ye EY, Karwinkel T, Isaksson C. Stopovers Serve Physiological Recovery in Migratory Songbirds. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:378-389. [PMID: 37713714 DOI: 10.1086/726788] [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] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
AbstractMigrating birds perform extreme endurance exercise when flying. This shifts the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant defense system toward the former, potentially generating oxidative damages. In between migratory flights, birds make stopovers, where besides accumulating fuel (mainly fats), they are assumed to rest and recover from the strenuous flight. We performed a series of studies on both temporarily caged (northern wheatears) and free-flying (northern wheatears and European robins) migrants to investigate whether migrants recover during stopover by decreasing the amount of oxidative lipid damage (malondialdehyde [MDA]) and/or increasing the total nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity (AOX). In caged wheatears, MDA decreased within a single day. These birds were able to simultaneously accumulate considerable amounts of fuel. Also, in the free-flying wheatears, there was a decrease in MDA during stopover; however, this process seemed incompatible with refueling. The reason for this difference could relate to constraints in the wild that are absent in caged birds, such as food limitation/composition and locomotor activity. In the robins, there was a near significant decrease in MDA concentration in relation to how long the birds were already at stopover, suggesting that this species also physiologically recovers during stopover. AOX did not change during stopover in either of the wheatear studies. For the robins, however, uric acid-corrected AOX declined during stopover. Our results show that during stopover, migrating birds rapidly reduce oxidative lipid damage, thereby likely recovering their physiological state. In addition to the commonly accepted function of refueling, stopovers thus probably serve physiological recovery.
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Armstrong HC, Russell DJF, Moss SEW, Pomeroy P, Bennett KA. Fitness correlates of blubber oxidative stress and cellular defences in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus): support for the life-history-oxidative stress theory from an animal model of simultaneous lactation and fasting. Cell Stress Chaperones 2023; 28:551-566. [PMID: 36933172 PMCID: PMC10469160 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-023-01332-1] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Life-history-oxidative stress theory predicts that elevated energy costs during reproduction reduce allocation to defences and increase cellular stress, with fitness consequences, particularly when resources are limited. As capital breeders, grey seals are a natural system in which to test this theory. We investigated oxidative damage (malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration) and cellular defences (relative mRNA abundance of heat shock proteins (Hsps) and redox enzymes (REs)) in blubber of wild female grey seals during the lactation fast (n = 17) and summer foraging (n = 13). Transcript abundance of Hsc70 increased, and Nox4, a pro-oxidant enzyme, decreased throughout lactation. Foraging females had higher mRNA abundance of some Hsps and lower RE transcript abundance and MDA concentrations, suggesting they experienced lower oxidative stress than lactating mothers, which diverted resources into pup rearing at the expense of blubber tissue damage. Lactation duration and maternal mass loss rate were both positively related to pup weaning mass. Pups whose mothers had higher blubber glutathione-S-transferase (GST) expression at early lactation gained mass more slowly. Higher glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and lower catalase (CAT) were associated with longer lactation but reduced maternal transfer efficiency and lower pup weaning mass. Cellular stress, and the ability to mount effective cellular defences, could proscribe lactation strategy in grey seal mothers and thus affect pup survival probability. These data support the life-history-oxidative stress hypothesis in a capital breeding mammal and suggest lactation is a period of heightened vulnerability to environmental factors that exacerbate cellular stress. Fitness consequences of stress may thus be accentuated during periods of rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly C Armstrong
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK.
| | - Debbie J F Russell
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Simon E W Moss
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Paddy Pomeroy
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Kimberley A Bennett
- Division of Health Science, School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee, DD1 1HG, UK
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Eikenaar C, Ostolani A, Brust V, Karwinkel T, Schmaljohann H, Isaksson C. The oxidative balance and stopover departure decisions in a medium- and a long-distance migrant. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:7. [PMID: 36747277 PMCID: PMC9903453 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00372-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds have extremely elevated metabolic rates during migratory endurance flight and consequently can become physiologically exhausted. One feature of exhaustion is oxidative damage, which occurs when the antioxidant defense system is overwhelmed by the production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Migrating birds have been shown to decrease the amount of oxidative lipid damage during stopovers, relatively stationary periods in between migratory flights. It has therefore been argued that, in addition to accumulating fuel, one of the functions of stopover is to restore the oxidative balance. If this is so, we would expect that migrating birds are unlikely to resume migration from stopover when they still have high amounts of lipid damage. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we measured parameters of the oxidative balance and related these to stopover departure decisions of song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) and northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe), a medium- and long-distance songbird migrant, respectively. We measured malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, a biomarker for oxidative lipid damage, and total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (AOX), an overall biomarker of protection against ROS. Stopover departure decisions were determined using a fully automated telemetry system set-up on our small island study site. RESULTS The decision to resume migration was not related with MDA concentration in either study species, also not when this was corrected for circulating fatty acid concentrations. Similarly, AOX did not affect this decision, also not when corrected for uric-acid concentration. The time within the night when birds departed also was not affected by MDA concentration or AOX. However, confirming earlier observations, we found that in both species, fat individuals were more likely to depart than lean individuals, and fat northern wheatears departed earlier within the night than lean conspecifics. Northern wheatears additionally departed earlier in spring with more southerly winds. CONCLUSIONS We found no support for the idea that stopovers departure decisions are influenced by parameters of the oxidative balance. We discuss possible reasons for this unexpected finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | | | - Vera Brust
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Thiemo Karwinkel
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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Nwaogu CJ, Amar A, Nebel C, Isaksson C, Hegemann A, Sumasgutner P. Innate immune function and antioxidant capacity of nestlings of an African raptor covary with the level of urbanisation around breeding territories. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:124-141. [PMID: 36353782 PMCID: PMC10107107 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Urban areas provide breeding habitats for many species. However, animals raised in urban environments face challenges such as altered food availability and quality, pollution and pathogen assemblages. These challenges can affect physiological processes such as immune function and antioxidant defences which are important for fitness. Here, we explore how levels of urbanisation influence innate immune function, immune response to a mimicked bacterial infection and antioxidant capacity of nestling Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus in South Africa. We also explore the effect of timing of breeding and rainfall on physiology since both can influence the environmental condition under which nestlings are raised. Finally, because urbanisation can influence immune function indirectly, we use path analyses to explore direct and indirect associations between urbanisation, immune function and oxidative stress. We obtained measures of innate immunity (haptoglobin, lysis, agglutination, bactericidal capacity), indices of antioxidant capacity (total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (tAOX) and total glutathione from nestlings from 2015 to 2019. In addition, in 2018 and 2019, we mimicked a bacterial infection by injecting nestlings with lipopolysaccharide and quantified their immune response. Increased urban cover was associated with an increase in lysis and a decrease in tAOX, but not with any of the other physiological parameters. Furthermore, except for agglutination, no physiological parameters were associated with the timing of breeding. Lysis and bactericidal capacity, however, varied consistently with the annual rainfall pattern. Immune response to a mimicked a bacterial infection decreased with urban cover but not with the timing of breeding nor rainfall. Our path analyses suggested indirect associations between urban cover and some immune indices via tAOX but not via the timing of breeding. Our results show that early-life development in an urban environment is associated with variation in immune and antioxidant functions. The direct association between urbanisation and antioxidant capacity and their impact on immune function is likely an important factor mediating the impact of urbanisation on urban-dwelling animals. Future studies should explore how these results are linked to fitness and whether the responses are adaptive for urban-dwelling species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chima Josiah Nwaogu
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Austria.,Department of Behavioural & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Eikenaar C, Winslott E, Schmaljohann H, Wang HL, Isaksson C. Can differential fatty acid composition help migrating birds to limit oxidative lipid damage? Physiol Behav 2022; 249:113768. [PMID: 35247445 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
During migratory endurance flights, which are energetically very demanding, migrants have to deal with prolonged elevated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To limit the damaging actions that ROS have on lipids and proteins, migrating birds are known to upregulate their antioxidant defence system. However, there may be additional ways to limit oxidative damage incurred from flying. Migratory endurance flights are fuelled mainly with fatty acids (FAs), and the risk of their peroxidation (resulting in oxidative lipid damage) increases with the number of double bonds in a FA, with polyunsaturated FAs (2 or more double bonds, PUFAs) being most peroxidation-prone. By fuelling their flights with relatively few PUFAs, migratory birds could thus limit oxidative lipid damage. Within migratory birds, there is considerable variation in the length of their flights, with nocturnal migrants making lengthier flight bouts, thus more likely to experience lengthier periods of elevated ROS production, than diurnal migrants. However, whether migrants making lengthier flights incur more oxidative lipid damage is unknown. Neither is it known whether flight length and FA composition are associated. Therefore, we determined plasmatic malondialdehyde level, a marker of oxidative lipid damage, and FA composition of three nocturnal and two diurnal migrant species caught at an autumn stopover site. We found little inter-specific variation in malondialdehyde level, indicating that the amount of oxidative lipid damage was comparable across the species. In contrast, the species strongly differed in their plasmatic FA composition. The nocturnal migrants had significantly lower relative PUFA levels than both diurnal migrants, an effect mainly attributable to linoleic acid, an essential (strictly dietary) FA. Consequently, the susceptibility of plasmatic FAs to lipid peroxidation was significantly lower in the nocturnal than diurnal migrants. Because in birds, energy expenditure during flight decreases with the degree of FA unsaturation, we interpret our observation of lower PUFA levels in nocturnal migrants as support for the idea that utilizing PUFA-poor fuel can help migrating birds to curb oxidative lipid damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, 26386, Germany.
| | - Erica Winslott
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, 26386, Germany; Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg,Oldenburg, 26129, Germany
| | - Hong-Lei Wang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
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Cooper-Mullin C, McWilliams SR. Fat Stores and Antioxidant Capacity Affect Stopover Decisions in Three of Four Species of Migratory Passerines With Different Migration Strategies: An Experimental Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.762146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During migratory stopovers, birds must make decisions about when and where to travel and these decisions are likely contingent on their fuel stores, food availability, and antioxidant capacity as well as seasonal changes in key environmental factors. We conducted a field experiment on an offshore stopover site (Block Island, Rhode Island, United States: 41°130N, 71°330W) during autumn migration to test the hypothesis that birds with greater fuel stores and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity have shorter stopovers than lean birds with low antioxidant capacity, and to determine the extent to which this depends on migration strategy. We used a 2 × 2 factorial field experiment (two levels each of available food and dietary polyphenols) with four species of songbirds kept in captivity for 3–5 days to produce experimental groups with different fuel stores and antioxidant capacity. We attached digital VHF transmitters to assess stopover duration and departure direction using automated telemetry. Non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity increased during refueling for Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) and Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) fed ad lib diets, and for ad lib fed Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) supplemented with polyphenols, but not for Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata coronata). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decreased during captivity and was influenced by dietary treatment only in Red-eyed Vireos. Oxidative damage decreased during captivity for all species except Yellow-rumped Warblers. Stopover duration was shorter for Vireos and Blackpolls fed ad lib as compared to those fed maintenance. Ad lib fed Hermit Thrushes supplemented with polyphenols had shorter stopovers than those fed ad lib, as did thrushes fed at maintenance and supplemented with polyphenols compared with those fed at maintenance alone. There was no influence of condition on stopover duration for Yellow-rumped Warblers. Departure direction was not strongly related to condition, and birds primarily reoriented north when departing Block Island. Thus, fat stores and oxidative status interacted to influence the time passerines spent on stopover, and condition-dependent departure decisions were related to a bird’s migration strategy. Therefore, seasonal variation in macro- and micro-nutrient resources available for refueling at stopover sites can affect body condition and antioxidant capacity and in turn influence the timing and success of migration.
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7
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McWilliams S, Carter W, Cooper-Mullin C, DeMoranville K, Frawley A, Pierce B, Skrip M. How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.742642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build antioxidant capacity as they build fat stores in preparation for long flights? (2) Is oxidative damage an inevitable consequence of oxidative challenges such as flight, and, if so, how is the extent of damage affected by factors such as the response of the antioxidant system, the level of energetic challenge, and the availability of dietary antioxidants? (3) Do migratory birds ‘recover’ from the oxidative damage accrued during long-duration flights, and, if so, does the pace of this rebalancing of oxidative status depend on the quality of the stopover site? The answer to all these questions is a qualified ‘yes’ although ecological factors (e.g., diet and habitat quality, geographic barriers to migration, and weather) affect how the antioxidant system responds. Furthermore, the pace of this dynamic physiological response remains an open question, despite its potential importance for shaping outcomes on timescales ranging from single flights to migratory journeys. In sum, the antioxidant system of birds during migration is impressively dynamic and responsive to environmental conditions, and thus provides ample opportunities to study how the physiology of migratory birds responds to a changing and challenging world.
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Marasco V, Sebastiano M, Costantini D, Pola G, Fusani L. Controlled expression of the migratory phenotype affects oxidative status in birds. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb233486. [PMID: 33536304 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.233486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
High caloric intake can increase production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. We examined whether the emergence of the migratory phenotype, primarily signalled by increased food intake and fuelling, is accompanied by changes in oxidative status. We induced autumn migration followed by a non-migratory wintering phase in common quails (Coturnix coturnix). We compared three markers of oxidative status - oxidative damage to lipids expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); superoxide dismutase (SOD); and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) - between birds sampled during the migratory and non-migratory phase. We found that the emergence of the migratory phenotype was associated with: (i) higher levels of TBARS in the liver; (ii) lower levels of SOD in red blood cells and, marginally, in the liver; (iii) higher levels of GPx in the pectoral muscle; and (iv) sex-specific changes in red blood cells and liver. We found no link between food intake and variation in markers of oxidative status in any of the tissues examined, despite food intake being higher in the migratory birds. However, the increase in body mass was positively correlated with muscle GPx activity as birds entered the pre-migratory fattening phase, while the amount of decrease in body mass was negatively correlated with muscle GPx as birds transitioned to the non-migratory phase. Such correlations were absent in red blood cells and liver. Our work suggests that during the emergence of the migratory phenotype, birds might strategically displace oxidative costs on the liver in order to safeguard the pectoral muscles, which have a fundamental role in successfully completing the migratory flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manrico Sebastiano
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ, La Rochelle, France
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS; CP32, 57 rue Cuvier 75005, Paris, France
| | - Gianni Pola
- Istituto Sperimentale Zootecnico per la Sicilia, via Roccazzo 85, 90135, Palermo, Italia
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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9
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Ferretti A, McWilliams SR, Rattenborg NC, Maggini I, Cardinale M, Fusani L. Energy Stores, Oxidative Balance, and Sleep in Migratory Garden Warblers ( Sylvia borin) and Whitethroats ( Sylvia communis) at a Spring Stopover Site. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa010. [PMID: 33791554 PMCID: PMC7671129 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how songbirds modulate sleep during migratory periods. Due to the alternation of nocturnal endurance flights and diurnal refueling stopovers, sleep is likely to be a major constraint for many migratory passerine species. Sleep may help to increase the endogenous antioxidant capacity that counteracts free radicals produced during endurance flight and reduces energy expenditure. Here, we investigated the relationship between sleep behavior, food intake, and two markers of physiological condition-the amount of energy reserves and oxidative status-in two migratory songbird species, the garden warbler (Sylvia borin) and the whitethroat (Sylvia communis). In garden warblers, birds with high energy stores were more prone to sleep during the day, while this condition-dependent sleep pattern was not present in whitethroats. In both species, birds with low energy stores were more likely to sleep with their head tucked in the feathers during nocturnal sleep. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between food intake and the extent of energy reserves in garden warblers, but not in whitethroats. Finally, we did not find significant correlations between oxidative status and sleep, or oxidative status and energy stores. Despite our study was not comparative, it suggests that different species might use different strategies to manage their energy during stopover and, additionally, it raises the possibility that migrants have evolved physiological adaptations to deal with oxidative damage produced during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZA1), Wien 1090, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, Seewiesen 8231, Germany
| | - Ivan Maggini
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Marine Research Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, Lysekil SE-453 30, Sweden
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZA1), Wien 1090, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
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Eikenaar C, Winslott E, Hessler S, Isaksson C. Oxidative damage to lipids is rapidly reduced during migratory stopovers. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | | | - Sven Hessler
- Institute of Avian Research Wilhelmshaven Germany
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11
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Gutiérrez JS, Sabat P, Castañeda LE, Contreras C, Navarrete L, Peña-Villalobos I, Navedo JG. Oxidative status and metabolic profile in a long-lived bird preparing for extreme endurance migration. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17616. [PMID: 31772390 PMCID: PMC6879648 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54057-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The high metabolic activity associated with endurance flights and intense fuelling of migrant birds may produce large quantities of reactive oxygen species, which cause oxidative damage. Yet it remains unknown how long-lived birds prepare for oxidative challenges prior to extreme flights. We combined blood measurements of oxidative status and enzyme and fat metabolism in Hudsonian godwits (Limosa haemastica, a long-lived shorebird) before they embarked on non-stop flights longer than 10,000 km during their northbound migrations. We found that godwits increased total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and reduced oxidative damage (TBARS) as the pre-migratory season progressed, despite higher basal metabolic rates before departure. Elevations in plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and uric acid suggest that lipid and protein breakdown supports energetic requirements prior to migration. Significant associations between blood mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase and plasma TAC (negative) and TBARS (positive) during winter indicate that greater enzyme activity can result in greater oxidative damage and antioxidant responses. However enzyme activity remained unchanged between winter and premigratory stages, so birds may be unable to adjust metabolic enzyme activity in anticipation of future demands. These results indicate that godwits enhance their oxidative status during migratory preparation, which might represent an adaptation to diminish the physiological costs of long-distance migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Estación Experimental Quempillén, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chiloé, Chile.
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis E Castañeda
- Programa de Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina Contreras
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lucas Navarrete
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Isaac Peña-Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan G Navedo
- Estación Experimental Quempillén, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chiloé, Chile
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
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12
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Eikenaar C, Hegemann A, Packmor F, Kleudgen I, Isaksson C. Not just fuel: energy stores are correlated with immune function and oxidative damage in a long-distance migrant. Curr Zool 2019; 66:21-28. [PMID: 32467701 PMCID: PMC7245008 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In many animals, catabolic and anabolic periods are temporally separated. Migratory birds alternate energy expenditure during flight with energy accumulation during stopover. The size of the energy stores at stopover affects the decision to resume migration and thus the temporal organization of migration. We now provide data suggesting that it is not only the size of the energy stores per se that may influence migration scheduling, but also the physiological consequences of flying. In two subspecies of the northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, a long-distance migrant, estimated energy stores at a stopover during autumn migration were positively related with both constitutive innate and acquired immune function, and negatively related with oxidative damage to lipids. In other words, migrants' physiological condition was associated with their energetic condition. Although time spent at stopover before sampling may have contributed to this relationship, our results suggest that migrants have to trade-off the depletion of energy stores during flight with incurring physiological costs. This will affect migrants' decisions when to start and when to terminate a migratory flight. The physiological costs associated with the depletion of energy stores may also help explaining why migrants often arrive at and depart from stopover sites with larger energy stores than expected. We propose that studies on the role of energy stores as drivers of the temporal organization of (avian) migration need to consider physiological condition, such as immunological and oxidative states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Florian Packmor
- Institute of Avian Research, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2DG, UK
| | - Iris Kleudgen
- Institute of Avian Research, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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13
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Salmón P, Watson H, Nord A, Isaksson C. Effects of the Urban Environment on Oxidative Stress in Early Life: Insights from a Cross-fostering Experiment. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:986-994. [PMID: 30052952 PMCID: PMC6204991 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As urban areas expand rapidly worldwide, wildlife is exposed to a wide range of novel environmental stressors, such as increased air pollution and artificial light at night. Birds in highly polluted and/or urbanized habitats have been found to have increased antioxidant protection, which is likely important to avoid accumulation of oxidative damage, which can have negative fitness consequences. Yet, the current knowledge about the ontogeny of antioxidant protection in urban areas is limited; i.e., is the capacity to up-regulate the antioxidant defences already established during pre-natal development, or does it manifest itself during post-natal development? We cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings within and between urban and rural habitats, to determine if oxidative stress (measured as non-enzymatic total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and plasma lipid peroxidation) is affected by habitat of origin and/or by habitat of rearing. The results demonstrate that being reared in the urban environment triggers an increase in SOD (an intracellular, enzymatic antioxidant) independent of natal habitat. Oxidative damage increased with hatching date in urban-reared nestlings, but there was little seasonal change in rural-reared nestlings. Total antioxidant capacity was neither affected by habitat of rearing or habitat of origin, but we observed a decline with hatching date in both rearing habitats. Taken together, our results support the growing evidence that the urban environment induces a direct plastic adjustment in antioxidant protection, but that up-regulation is not sufficient to avoid increased oxidative damage in late-hatched broods. Future studies should explore the underlying causes for this effect in late-hatched broods and whether it has any negative long-term implications, both at the individual- and the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Hannah Watson
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Andreas Nord
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Caroline Isaksson
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
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14
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Dick MF, Guglielmo CG. Flight muscle protein damage during endurance flight is related to energy expenditure but not dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids in a migratory bird. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/5/jeb187708. [PMID: 30824569 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.187708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Migration poses many physiological challenges for birds, including sustaining high intensity aerobic exercise for hours or days. A consequence of endurance flight is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS production may be influenced by dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which, although prone to oxidative damage, may limit mitochondrial ROS production and increase antioxidant capacity. We examined how flight muscles manage oxidative stress during flight, and whether dietary long-chain PUFA influence ROS management or damage. Yellow-rumped warblers were fed diets low in PUFA, or high in long-chain n-3 or n-6 PUFA. Flight muscle was sampled from birds in each diet treatment at rest or immediately after flying for up to a maximum of 360 min in a wind tunnel. Flight increased flight muscle superoxide dismutase activity but had no effect on catalase activity. The ratio of glutathione to glutathione disulphide decreased during flight. Oxidative protein damage, indicated by protein carbonyls, increased with flight duration (Pearson r=0.4). Further examination of just individuals that flew for 360 min (N=15) indicates that oxidative damage was related more to total energy expenditure (Pearson r=0.86) than to flight duration itself. This suggests that high quality individuals with higher flight efficiency have not only lower energy costs but also potentially less oxidative damage to repair after arrival at the destination. No significant effects of dietary long-chain PUFA were observed on antioxidants or damage. Overall, flight results in oxidative stress and the degree of damage is likely driven more by energy costs than fatty acid nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morag F Dick
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7
| | - Christopher G Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7
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15
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Pritsos KL, Perez CR, Muthumalage T, Dean KM, Cacela D, Hanson-Dorr K, Cunningham F, Bursian SJ, Link JE, Shriner S, Horak K, Pritsos CA. Dietary intake of Deepwater Horizon oil-injected live food fish by double-crested cormorants resulted in oxidative stress. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2017; 146:62-67. [PMID: 28688517 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.06.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill released 134 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico making it the largest oil spill in US history and exposing fish, birds, and marine mammals throughout the Gulf of Mexico to its toxicity. Fish eating waterbirds such as the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) were exposed to the oil both by direct contact with the oil and orally through preening and the ingestion of contaminated fish. This study investigated the effects of orally ingestedMC252 oil-contaminated live fish food by double-crested cormorants on oxidative stress. Total, reduced, and oxidized glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation were assessed in the liver tissues of control and treated cormorants. The results suggest that ingestion of the oil-contaminated fish resulted in significant increase in oxidative stress in the liver tissues of these birds. The oil-induced increase in oxidative stress could have detrimental impacts on the bird's life-history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Pritsos
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | - Cristina R Perez
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | - Thivanka Muthumalage
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | | | | | - Katie Hanson-Dorr
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, MS, United States
| | - Fred Cunningham
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, MS, United States
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Jane E Link
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Susan Shriner
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Katherine Horak
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Chris A Pritsos
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States.
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16
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Cooper-Mullin C, McWilliams SR. The role of the antioxidant system during intense endurance exercise: lessons from migrating birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:3684-3695. [PMID: 27903627 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.123992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
During migration, birds substantially increase their metabolic rate and burn fats as fuel and yet somehow avoid succumbing to overwhelming oxidative damage. The physiological means by which vertebrates such as migrating birds can counteract an increased production of reactive species (RS) are rather limited: they can upregulate their endogenous antioxidant system and/or consume dietary antioxidants (prophylactically or therapeutically). Thus, birds can alter different components of their antioxidant system to respond to the demands of long-duration flights, but much remains to be discovered about the complexities of RS production and antioxidant protection throughout migration. Here, we use bird migration as an example to discuss how RS are produced during endurance exercise and how the complex antioxidant system can protect against cellular damage caused by RS. Understanding how a bird's antioxidant system responds during migration can lend insights into how antioxidants protect birds during other life-history stages when metabolic rate may be high, and how antioxidants protect other vertebrates from oxidative damage during endurance exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Cooper-Mullin
- The Department of Natural Resources Science, The University of Rhode Island, 105 Coastal Institute, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- The Department of Natural Resources Science, The University of Rhode Island, 105 Coastal Institute, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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17
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Isaksson C, Andersson MN, Nord A, von Post M, Wang HL. Species-Dependent Effects of the Urban Environment on Fatty Acid Composition and Oxidative Stress in Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Eikenaar C, Källstig E, Andersson MN, Herrera-Dueñas A, Isaksson C. Oxidative Challenges of Avian Migration: A Comparative Field Study on a Partial Migrant. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:223-229. [DOI: 10.1086/689191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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