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Case BF, Groffen J, Galligan TM, Bodinof Jachowski CM, Hallagan JJ, Hildreth SB, Alaasam V, Keith Ray W, Helm RF, Hopkins WA. Androgen and glucocorticoid profiles throughout extended uniparental paternal care in the eastern hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 355:114547. [PMID: 38772453 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The behavioral endocrinology associated with reproduction and uniparental male care has been studied in teleosts, but little is known about hormonal correlates of uniparental male care in other ectotherms. To address this gap, we are the first to document the seasonal steroid endocrinology of uniparental male hellbender salamanders during the transition from pre-breeding to nest initiation, and through the subsequent eight months of paternal care. In doing so, we investigated the correlates of nest fate and clutch size, exploring hellbenders' alignment with several endocrinological patterns observed in uniparental male fish. Understanding the endocrinology of hellbender paternal care is also vital from a conservation perspective because high rates of nest failure were recently identified as a factor causing population declines in this imperiled species. We corroborated previous findings demonstrating testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to be the primary androgens in hellbender reproduction, and that cortisol circulates as the most abundant glucocorticoid. However, we were unable to identify a prolactin or a "prolactin-like" peptide in circulation prior to or during parental care. We observed ∼ 80 % declines in both primary androgens during the transition from pre-breeding to nest initiation, and again as paternal care progressed past its first month. In the days immediately following nest initiation, testosterone and DHT trended higher in successful individuals, but did not differ with males' clutch size. We did not observe meaningful seasonality in baseline glucocorticoids associated with breeding or nesting. In contrast, stress-induced glucocorticoids were highest at pre-breeding and through the first two months of care, before declining during the latter-most periods of care as larvae approach emergence from the nest. Neither baseline nor stress-induced glucocorticoids varied significantly with either nest fate or clutch size. Both stress-induced cortisol and corticosterone were positively correlated with total length, a proxy for age in adult hellbenders. This is consistent with age-related patterns in some vertebrates, but the first such pattern observed in a wild amphibian population. Generally, we found that nesting hellbenders adhere to some but not all of the endocrinological patterns observed in uniparental male teleosts prior to and during parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian F Case
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.
| | - Jordy Groffen
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Thomas M Galligan
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | | | - John J Hallagan
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Sherry B Hildreth
- Virginia Tech, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Valentina Alaasam
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - W Keith Ray
- Virginia Tech, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Richard F Helm
- Virginia Tech, Department of Biochemistry, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - William A Hopkins
- Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
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2
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Churchman EKL, Hain TJA, Neff BD. Prolactin modulates changes in parental care behaviour in response to perceived paternity in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Horm Behav 2024; 164:105610. [PMID: 39059232 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Prolactin is a hormone conserved across all vertebrates and is renowned for its role in reproduction and parental care. Previous studies on prolactin in fish have primarily relied on administration of mammalian prolactin and have suggested that increases in prolactin lead to greater parental care. However, the influence of endogenous prolactin on fish parental care remains unknown. Here, we measure circulating concentrations of endogenous prolactin during parental care in a fish and link these concentrations to parental care behaviour. We provide evidence that male bluegill sunfish with higher circulating concentrations of prolactin provide more parental care to their offspring. Furthermore, we show that nesting males with experimentally reduced perceived paternity have lower circulating prolactin concentrations and perform fewer parental behaviours, facilitating an adaptive investment in offspring in response to paternity cues. Our findings not only confirm the role of endogenous prolactin in modulating parental care behaviour in a fish but also provide a mechanism underlying the adaptive changes in parental care made in response to perceived paternity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy J A Hain
- Department of Biology, Western University, London N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Bryan D Neff
- Department of Biology, Western University, London N6A 3K7, Canada.
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3
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Raulo A, Dantzer B. Associations between glucocorticoids and sociality across a continuum of vertebrate social behavior. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7697-7716. [PMID: 30151183 PMCID: PMC6106170 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes and consequences of individual differences in animal behavior and stress physiology are increasingly studied in wild animals, yet the possibility that stress physiology underlies individual variation in social behavior has received less attention. In this review, we bring together these study areas and focus on understanding how the activity of the vertebrate neuroendocrine stress axis (HPA-axis) may underlie individual differences in social behavior in wild animals. We first describe a continuum of vertebrate social behaviors spanning from initial social tendencies (proactive behavior) to social behavior occurring in reproductive contexts (parental care, sexual pair-bonding) and lastly to social behavior occurring in nonreproductive contexts (nonsexual bonding, group-level cooperation). We then perform a qualitative review of existing literature to address the correlative and causal association between measures of HPA-axis activity (glucocorticoid levels or GCs) and each of these types of social behavior. As expected, elevated HPA-axis activity can inhibit social behavior associated with initial social tendencies (approaching conspecifics) and reproduction. However, elevated HPA-axis activity may also enhance more elaborate social behavior outside of reproductive contexts, such as alloparental care behavior. In addition, the effect of GCs on social behavior can depend upon the sociality of the stressor (cause of increase in GCs) and the severity of stress (extent of increase in GCs). Our review shows that the while the associations between stress responses and sociality are diverse, the role of HPA-axis activity behind social behavior may shift toward more facilitating and less inhibiting in more social species, providing insight into how stress physiology and social systems may co-evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aura Raulo
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Zoology DepartmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichigan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichigan
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4
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Algera DA, Brownscombe JW, Gilmour KM, Lawrence MJ, Zolderdo AJ, Cooke SJ. Cortisol treatment affects locomotor activity and swimming behaviour of male smallmouth bass engaged in paternal care: A field study using acceleration biologgers. Physiol Behav 2017; 181:59-68. [PMID: 28866027 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Paternal care, where the male provides sole care for the developing brood, is a common form of reproductive investment among teleost fish and ubiquitous in the Centrarchidae family. Throughout the parental care period, nesting males expend energy in a variety of swimming behaviours, including routine and burst swimming, vigilantly monitoring the nest area and protecting the brood from predators. Parental care is an energetically demanding period, which is presumably made even more difficult if fish are exposed to additional challenges such as those arising from human disturbance, resulting in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (i.e., elevation of cortisol). To study this situation, we examined the effects of experimental manipulation of the stress hormone cortisol on locomotor activity and behaviour of nest guarding male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). We exogenously elevated circulating cortisol levels (via intracoelomic implants) and attached tri-axial accelerometers to wild smallmouth bass for three days. During the recovery period (i.e., ≤4h post-release), cortisol-treated fish exhibited significantly reduced locomotor activity and performed significantly less burst and routine swimming relative to control fish, indicating cortisol uptake was rapid, as were the associated behavioural responses. Post-recovery (i.e., >4h post-release), fish with high cortisol exhibited lower locomotor activity and reduced routine swimming relative to controls. Fish were less active and reduced routine and burst swimming at night compared to daylight hours, an effect independent of cortisol treatment. Collectively, our results suggest that cortisol treatment (as a proxy for anthropogenic disturbance and stress) contributed to altered behaviour, and consequently cortisol-treated males decreased parental investment in their brood, which could have potential fitness implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk A Algera
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Jacob W Brownscombe
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron J Zolderdo
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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5
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Vitousek MN, Jenkins BR, Hubbard JK, Kaiser SA, Safran RJ. An experimental test of the effect of brood size on glucocorticoid responses, parental investment, and offspring phenotype. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 247:97-106. [PMID: 28137535 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Because elevated glucocorticoid levels can impair reproduction, populations or species that engage in particularly valuable reproductive attempts may down-regulate the glucocorticoid stress response during reproduction (the brood value hypothesis). It is not clear, however, whether individuals rapidly modulate glucocorticoid responses based on shifting cues about the likelihood of reproductive success. By manipulating brood size to create broods that differed in potential value, we tested whether female barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) rapidly modulated the glucocorticoid stress response to promote investment in high-value broods, and whether nestling phenotype was influenced by treatment. Within-individual changes in female corticosterone, body mass, and measures of oxidative stress were unrelated to brood size treatment. Standard offspring provisioning rate did not differ across treatments; however, in the presence of a model predator, females raising enlarged broods maintained higher offspring feeding rates relative to control broods. Brood size did influence nestling phenotype. Nestlings from enlarged broods had lower body mass and higher baseline corticosterone than those from reduced broods. Finally, in adult females both baseline and stress-induced corticosterone were individually repeatable. Thus, while under moderately challenging environmental conditions brood size manipulations had context-dependent effects on parental investment, and influenced nestling phenotype, maternal glucocorticoid levels were not modulated based on brood value but were individually consistent features of phenotype during breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| | - Brittany R Jenkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Joanna K Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Sara A Kaiser
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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6
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Elmer LK, O’Connor CM, Philipp DP, Van Der Kraak G, Gilmour KM, Willmore WG, Barthel BL, Cooke SJ. Oxidative ecology of paternal care in wild smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1905-1914. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Physiologically, oxidative stress is considered a homeostatic imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and absorption. From an ecological perspective, oxidative stress may serve as an important constraint to life history traits such as lifespan, reproduction, and the immune system, and is gaining interest as a potential mechanism underlying life history trade-offs. Of late, there has been much interest in understanding the role of oxidative stress in the ecology of wild animals, particularly during challenging periods such as reproduction. Here, we used a long-term study population of a fish with sole-male parental care, the smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, to examine the associations among oxidative stress indicators and life history variables in nest-guarding males. In addition, we investigated the potential role of oxidative stress as a physiological mediator of the life history trade-off decision of paternal smallmouth bass to stay with or abandon their brood. We found that oxidative stress was significantly related to the life history of paternal smallmouth bass, such that older, larger fish with greater reproductive experience and larger broods nesting in cooler water temperatures had lower levels of oxidative stress. However, we found no significant correlation between oxidative stress and nesting success, suggesting that oxidative stress may not be involved in the decision of male smallmouth bass to abandon their brood. Wild fish have been relatively understudied in the emerging field of oxidative ecology, and the study presented here makes noteworthy contributions by revealing interesting connections between the life histories of paternal smallmouth bass and their oxidative status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K. Elmer
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Constance M. O’Connor
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, P.O. Box 10285, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6T8, Canada
| | - David P. Philipp
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
| | - Glen Van Der Kraak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Kathleen M. Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - William G. Willmore
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Brandon L. Barthel
- Florida Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
- Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
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7
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Chronic environmental warming alters cardiovascular and haematological stress responses in European perch (Perca fluviatilis). J Comp Physiol B 2016; 186:1023-1031. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-016-1010-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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8
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King GD, Chapman JM, Midwood JD, Cooke SJ, Suski CD. Watershed-Scale Land Use Activities Influence the Physiological Condition of Stream Fish. Physiol Biochem Zool 2016; 89:10-25. [PMID: 27082521 DOI: 10.1086/684109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Land use changes within watersheds can have large effects on stream ecosystems, but the mechanistic basis of those effects remains poorly understood. While changes to population size presumably reflect underlying variation in organismal health and condition, such individual-level metrics are rarely evaluated in the context of ecosystem disturbance. To address this deficiency, we combined physiological sampling with geographic information systems to quantify the effects of land use on physiological indicators of health in largemouth bass. More specifically, we first quantified blood metrics relating to nutrition, oxidative stress, and the glucocorticoid stress response from largemouth bass residing in eight watersheds. We then used Akaike's information criterion to define relationships between these blood metrics and land cover, including forests, agricultural areas, urban areas, and wetlands. The proportion of forest cover in a watershed was the best predictor of blood metrics representing recent feeding and resistance to oxidative stress, whereas the proportion of wetlands was the best predictor of glucocorticoid function; however, further investigation is needed, as the explanatory power of the models was relatively low. Patterns in energy reserves were not influenced by any land use practices. Interestingly, anthropogenic land use categories, such as urban and agricultural areas, were not the best predictor for any blood metrics. Together, our results indicate that fish health is most related to natural features of a landscape rather than anthropogenic land uses. Furthermore, these findings suggest that physiological methods could supplement traditional population and community assessments to develop a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem interactions and improve stream management.
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9
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King GD, Chapman JM, Cooke SJ, Suski CD. Stress in the neighborhood: Tissue glucocorticoids relative to stream quality for five species of fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 547:87-94. [PMID: 26780133 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic alterations to terrestrial habitat (e.g., urbanization, deforestation, agriculture) can have a variety of negative effects on watercourses that flow through disturbed landscapes. Currently, the relationship between stream habitat quality and fish condition remains poorly understood. The use of physiological metrics such as glucocorticoids (GCs) provides a useful tool for quantifying these effects by relating the health of resident fishes to stream quality. To date, however, most studies that measure GC levels tend to focus on a single, large-bodied species, rather than evaluating how GCs may be influenced differently between species in a community. In this study, we measured cortisol, the glucocorticoid found in fishes, from fish tissues to quantify effects of habitat degradation on the glucocorticoid function of five species of juvenile and small-bodied stream fish which differ ecologically and phylogenetically. Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, white sucker Catostomus commersonii, pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus, and logperch Percina caprodes were sampled from a reference and a degraded stream. Upon capture, fish were either euthanized immediately, to quantify baseline stress parameters, or following a standardized stressor, to quantify GC responsiveness. As a result of stream degradation largemouth bass possessed altered baseline GC concentrations and brown bullhead and logperch had altered GC responses to a stressor. White sucker and pumpkinseed did not demonstrate any alteration in baseline or post-stress GC concentrations. Together, our results show that different species residing in identical habitats can demonstrate a variety of responses to environmental stress, highlighting the variation in physiological ability to cope under poor environmental conditions, as well as the difficulty of predicting GC dynamics in wild animals. Understanding the relationships between GC function, habitat quality, and population-level processes will increase the ability of researchers and managers to predict how fish communities and aquatic ecosystems will be shaped by anthropogenic environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory D King
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, USA, 61801.
| | - Jacqueline M Chapman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada; Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Cory D Suski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, USA, 61801
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10
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Belanger CB, Vera-Chang MN, Moon TW, Midwood JD, Suski CD, Cooke SJ. Seasonal variation in baseline and maximum whole-body glucocorticoid concentrations in a small-bodied stream fish independent of habitat quality. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 192:1-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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12
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Halliday WD, Gilmour KM, Blouin-Demers G. Faecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations are not a good predictor of habitat suitability for common gartersnakes. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 3:cov047. [PMID: 27293731 PMCID: PMC4778491 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Measuring habitat suitability is important in conservation and in wildlife management. Measuring the abundance or presence-absence of a species in various habitats is not sufficient to measure habitat suitability because these metrics can be poor predictors of population success. Therefore, having some measure of population success is essential in assessing habitat suitability, but estimating population success is difficult. Identifying suitable proxies for population success could thus be beneficial. We examined whether faecal corticosterone metabolite (fCM) concentrations could be used as a proxy for habitat suitability in common gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). We conducted a validation study and confirmed that fCM concentrations indeed reflect circulating corticosterone concentrations. We estimated abundance, reproductive output and growth rate of gartersnakes in field and in forest habitat and we also measured fCM concentrations of gartersnakes from these same habitats. Common gartersnakes were more abundant and had higher reproductive outputs and higher growth rates in field habitat than in forest habitat, but fCM concentrations did not differ between the same two habitats. Our results suggest either that fCM concentrations are not a useful metric of habitat suitability in common gartersnakes or that the difference in suitability between the two habitats was too small to induce changes in fCM concentrations. Incorporating fitness metrics in estimates of habitat suitability is important, but these metrics of fitness have to be sensitive enough to vary between habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Halliday
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Kathleen M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Gabriel Blouin-Demers
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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13
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Tartu S, Bustamante P, Angelier F, Lendvai ÁZ, Moe B, Blévin P, Bech C, Gabrielsen GW, Bustnes JO, Chastel O. Mercury exposure, stress and prolactin secretion in an Arctic seabird: an experimental study. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Tartu
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université La Rochelle 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés UMR 7266 CNRS‐Université La Rochelle 17000 La Rochelle France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université La Rochelle 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Ádám Z. Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen Egyetem tér 1. 4032 Debrecen Hungary
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Høgskoleringen 9 7034 Trondheim Norway
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université La Rochelle 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
| | - Claus Bech
- Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Realfagbygget, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Geir W. Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment 9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment 9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université La Rochelle 79360 Villiers‐en‐Bois France
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14
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Pradhan DS, Solomon-Lane TK, Willis MC, Grober MS. A mechanism for rapid neurosteroidal regulation of parenting behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.0239. [PMID: 24827441 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While systemic steroid hormones are known to regulate reproductive behaviour, the actual mechanisms of steroidal regulation remain largely unknown. Steroidogenic enzyme activity can rapidly modulate social behaviour by influencing neurosteroid production. In fish, the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) synthesizes 11-ketotestosterone (KT, a potent teleost androgen) and deactivates cortisol (the primary teleost glucocorticoid), and both of these steroid hormones can regulate behaviour. Here, we investigated the role of neurosteroidogenesis in regulating parenting in a haremic bidirectionally hermaphroditic fish, Lythrypnus dalli, where males provide all requisite parental care. Using an in vitro assay, we found that an 11β-HSD inhibitor, carbenoxolone (CBX), reduced brain and testicular KT synthesis by 90% or more. We modulated neurosteroid levels in parenting males via intracerebroventricular injection of CBX. Within only 20 min, CBX transiently eliminated parenting behaviour, but not other social behaviour, suggesting an enzymatic mechanism for rapid neurosteroidal regulation of parenting. Consistent with our proposed mechanism, elevating KT levels rescued parenting when paired with CBX, while cortisol alone did not affect parenting. Females paired with the experimental males opportunistically consumed unattended eggs, which reduced male reproductive success by 15%, but some females also exhibited parenting behaviour and these females had elevated brain KT. Brain KT levels appear to regulate the expression of parenting behaviour as a result of changes in neural 11β-HSD activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Madelyne C Willis
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Matthew S Grober
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
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15
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Jeffrey JD, Cooke SJ, Gilmour KM. Regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis function in male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) during parental care. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 204:195-202. [PMID: 24879931 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) provide sole parental care until offspring reach independence, a period of several weeks. During the early parental care period when males are guarding fresh eggs (MG-FE), cortisol responsiveness is attenuated; the response is re-established when males reach the end of the parental care period and are guarding free-swimming fry (MG-FSF). It was hypothesized that attenuation of the cortisol response in male smallmouth bass during early parental care reflected modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Male smallmouth bass were sampled at the beginning (MG-FE) and end of the parental care period (MG-FSF), before and/or 25 min after exposure to a standardized stressor consisting of 3 min of air exposure. Repeated sampling of stressed fish for analysis of plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels was carried out. Males significantly elevated both plasma cortisol and ACTH levels when guarding free-swimming fry but not during early parental care. Control and stressed fish were terminally sampled for tissue mRNA abundance of preoptic area (POA) and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) as well as head kidney melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc). No significant differences in either hypothalamus CRF or head kidney P450scc mRNA abundance were found across parental care stages or in response to stress. However, POA CRF mRNA abundance and interrenal cell MC2R and StAR mRNA abundances failed to increase in response to stress in MG-FE. Thus, the attenuated cortisol response in males guarding fresh eggs may be explained by hypoactive HPI axis function in response to stress. The present is one of few studies, and the first teleost study, to address the mechanisms underlying resistance to stress during the reproductive/parental care period.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Jeffrey
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - S J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - K M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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16
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Feswick A, Ankley GT, Denslow N, Ellestad LE, Fuzzen M, Jensen KM, Kroll K, Lister A, MacLatchy DL, McMaster ME, Orlando EF, Servos MR, Tetreault GR, Van Den Heuvel MR, Munkittrick KR. An inter-laboratory study on the variability in measured concentrations of 17β-estradiol, testosterone, and 11-ketotestosterone in white sucker: implications and recommendations. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2014; 33:847-857. [PMID: 24375479 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are exogenous substances that can impact the reproduction of fish, potentially by altering circulating concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT). Common methods to measure steroids in plasma samples include radioimmunoassays (RIAs) and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs). The present study examines variability in E2, T, and 11-KT across 8 laboratories measuring reference and pulp mill effluent-exposed white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) plasma. We examine the contribution of assay type (RIA vs ELISA), standardized hormone extraction, location of values on the standard curve (upper and lower limits), and other variables on the ability to distinguish hormone levels between reference and exposed fish and the impact of these variables on quantitation of hormones in different laboratories. Of the 8 participating laboratories, 7 of 8 and 7 of 7 identified differences between sites for female E2 and female T, respectively, and 7 of 7 and 4 of 5 identified no differences between male T and male 11-KT. Notably, however, the ng/mL concentration of steroids measured across laboratories varied by factors of 10-, 6-, 14-, and 10-fold, respectively. Within laboratory intra-assay variability was generally acceptable and below 15%. Factors contributing to interlaboratory variability included calculation errors, assay type, and methodology. Based on the interlaboratory variability detected, we provide guidelines and recommendations to improve the accuracy and precision of steroid measurements in fish ecotoxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Feswick
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
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17
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Zuckerman ZC, Suski CD. Predator burden and past investment affect brood abandonment decisions in a parental care‐providing teleost. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary C. Zuckerman
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Turner Hall MC‐047, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave Urbana IL61801 USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois 1816 S. Oak St Champaign IL61820 USA
| | - Cory D. Suski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Turner Hall MC‐047, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave Urbana IL61801 USA
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18
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Crespi EJ, Williams TD, Jessop TS, Delehanty B. Life history and the ecology of stress: how do glucocorticoid hormones influence life-history variation in animals? Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erica J. Crespi
- School of Biological Sciences; Washington State University; Box 644236; Pullman; Washington; USA
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences; Simon Fraser University; Burnaby; British Columbia; V5A 1S6; Canada
| | - Tim S. Jessop
- Department of Zoology; University of Melbourne; Melbourne; Victoria; 3010; Australia
| | - Brendan Delehanty
- Department of Biological Sciences; Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress; University of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto; Ontario; M1C 1A4; Canada
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19
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O'Connor CM, Nannini M, Wahl DH, Wilson SM, Gilmour KM, Cooke SJ. Sex-Specific Consequences of Experimental Cortisol Elevation in Pre-Reproductive Wild Largemouth Bass. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 319:23-31. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Constance M. O'Connor
- FishEcology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory; Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, Carleton University; Ottawa; Ontario; Canada
| | - Michael Nannini
- Sam Parr Biological Station; Illinois Natural History Survey; Kinmundy, Illinois
| | - David H. Wahl
- Kaskaskia Biological Station; Illinois Natural History Survey; Sullivan, Illinois
| | - Samantha M. Wilson
- FishEcology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory; Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, Carleton University; Ottawa; Ontario; Canada
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O’Connor CM, Barthel BL, Gilmour KM, Philipp DP, Van Der Kraak G, Cooke SJ. Reproductive History and Nest Environment Are Correlated with Circulating Androgen and Glucocorticoid Concentrations in a Parental Care–Providing Teleost Fish. Physiol Biochem Zool 2012; 85:209-18. [DOI: 10.1086/665272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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21
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Cook KV, O’Connor CM, Gilmour KM, Cooke SJ. The glucocorticoid stress response is repeatable between years in a wild teleost fish. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2011; 197:1189-96. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-011-0680-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2011] [Revised: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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O’Connor CM, Gilmour KM, Van Der Kraak G, Cooke SJ. Circulating androgens are influenced by parental nest defense in a wild teleost fish. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2011; 197:711-5. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-011-0629-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Revised: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Martin B.A. WH. IX.: SOME EXPERIMENTS ON THE FREEZING AND THAWING OF LIVE FISH. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1911. [DOI: 10.1139/f11-009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
not available
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