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Lu G, Zhang X, Li X, Zhang S. Immunity and Growth Plasticity of Asian Short-Toed Lark Nestlings in Response to Changes in Food Conditions: Can It Buffer the Challenge of Climate Change-Induced Trophic Mismatch? Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050860. [PMID: 36899717 PMCID: PMC10000144 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Passerine nestlings frequently suffer from sub-optimal food conditions due to climate change-induced trophic mismatch between the nestlings and their optimal food resources. The ability of nestlings to buffer this challenge is less well understood. We hypothesized that poor food conditions might induce a higher immune response and lower growth rate of nestlings, and such physiological plasticity is conducive to nestling survival. To test this, we examined how food (grasshopper nymphs) abundance affects the expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) genes, plasma IGF-1 levels, body mass, and fledging rates in wild Asian short-toed lark (Alaudala cheleensis) nestlings. Linear mixed models revealed that nymph biomass significantly influenced the expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-1β genes, and the level of plasma IGF-1. The expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-1β genes were negatively correlated with nymph biomass and plasma IGF-1 level. Plasma IGF-1 level, nestling body mass growth rate, was positively correlated with nymph biomass. Despite a positive correlation between the nestling fledge rate and nymph biomass, more than 60% of nestlings fledged when nymph biomass was at the lowest level. These results suggest that immunity and growth plasticity of nestlings may be an adaptation for birds to buffer the negative effects of trophic mismatch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xinjie Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
- Correspondence:
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2
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Ridenour M, Spicer LJ, Grindstaff JL. Insulin-like growth factor 1 and the hormonal mediation of sibling rivalry. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 330:114163. [PMID: 36356644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114163] [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: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In altricial animals, young are completely dependent on parents for provisioning. The ability to outcompete siblings to receive parental provisioning has clear fitness benefits, and may be mediated by hormones that influence growth. We analyzed the effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on body size, growth, and sibling rivalry in eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis). To determine whether IGF-1 is upregulated in response to the competitive environment, we manipulated brood sizes and examined the effect on IGF-1 levels, nestling body size, growth rate, and behavior. In a separate experiment, we injected nestlings with exogenous IGF-1 to study its impacts on body size, growth rate, and sibling competition. Brood size manipulation did not influence endogenous IGF-1 levels, but male nestlings with higher IGF-1 levels early in the nestling period tended to have greater mass gain than males with lower IGF-1 levels. Nestlings with higher IGF-1 levels also tended to be fed more frequently by parents. In the injection experiment, IGF-1 injected individuals tended to be heavier than vehicle injected young by the end of the nestling period, which suggests that IGF-1 can influence mass gain in bluebirds. IGF-1 has been proposed to be a mediator of life-history strategies and post-hatching behavior. Our results suggest that although bluebird nestlings do not adaptively elevate IGF-1 in response to the presence or number of siblings, IGF-1 may influence growth during the nestling period. These findings shed light on sibling competition, life history strategies, and the hormones that underlie them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ridenour
- Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Leon J Spicer
- Oklahoma State University, 101 Animal Science Building, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
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3
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Tóth Z, Mahr K, Ölveczki G, Őri L, Lendvai ÁZ. Food Restriction Reveals Individual Differences in Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Reaction Norms. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.826968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Most organisms have to cope with unpredictable environmental challenges such as fluctuations in nutritional resources. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is an evolutionarily conserved hormone that is highly sensitive to the individual nutritional status and regulates major life-history traits including lifespan and reproduction across vertebrates. We investigated the role of IGF-1 during periods of food shortages by altering between two feeding regimes (110 and 70% of daily food intake) after a period of ad libitum feeding in captive bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus). Each dietary treatment was repeated twice. Birds lost mass under food restriction, but the magnitude of mass change depended on the preceding dietary conditions. Moreover, bearded reedlings showed large, repeatable individual differences in their IGF-1 reaction norms with some individuals increasing IGF-1 levels in response to a restricted diet, whereas others showed no responses or decreased IGF-1 levels. This variation was explained by differences in average body mass: heavier individuals had higher IGF-1 levels during the control treatment and were more likely to decrease IGF-1 levels in response to the dietary restriction than did lighter ones. This result uncovers an individual by environment interaction (I × E) and may have important implications for the evolution of IGF-1 related hormonal phenotypes in this species.
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Montoya B, Tóth Z, Lendvai ÁZ, Stier A, Criscuolo F, Zahn S, Bize P. Does IGF-1 Shape Life-History Trade-Offs? Opposite Associations of IGF-1 With Telomere Length and Body Size in a Free-Living Bird. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.853674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormonal pathways have been proposed to be key at modulating how fast individuals grow and reproduce and how long they live (i.e., life history trajectory). Research in model species living under controlled environment is suggesting that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is an evolutionarily conserved polypeptide hormone, has an important role in modulating animal life histories. Much remains, however, to be done to test the role played by IGF-1 in shaping the phenotype and life history of animals in the wild. Using a wild long-lived bird, the Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba), we show that adults with higher levels of IGF-1 had longer wings and shorter telomeres. Hence, telomeres being a proxy of lifespan in this species, our results support a potential role of IGF-1 at shaping the life-history of wild birds and suggest that IGF-1 may influence the growth-lifespan trade-off.
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Lendvai ÁZ, Tóth Z, Mahr K, Osváth G, Vogel-Kindgen S, Gander BA. Effects of experimental increase in insulin-like growth factor 1 on feather growth rate, moult intensity and feather quality in a passerine bird. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269142. [PMID: 34124749 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Moulting is a crucial, yet often overlooked life-history stage in many animals, when they renew their integumental structures. This life-history stage is an energetically demanding somatic growth event that has particular importance in birds because feathers play a crucial role in flight, insulation and communication. Somatic growth processes are regulated by the evolutionarily conserved peptide hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). However, the role of IGF-1 in feather growth remains unknown. In this study, we captured 41 juvenile free-living bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus) that had started their first complete moult and brought them into captivity. Then, we manipulated their circulating IGF-1 levels using poly-(lactic-co-glycolid acid) microparticles (microspheres) that provide a sustained release of IGF-1. The treatment increased IGF-1 levels but did not affect the feather growth rate. However, 2 weeks after the treatment, birds in the increased IGF-1 group were moulting more feathers simultaneously than the controls and were at a more advanced stage of moult. Birds with experimentally increased IGF-1 levels had better quality feathers (measured by a lower number of fault bars) than the controls. These results suggest that an increase in IGF-1 does not speed up feather growth, but may alter moult intensity by initiating the renewal of several feathers simultaneously. This may shorten the overall moulting time but may imply costs in terms of IGF-1-induced oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Tóth
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences , University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Katharina Mahr
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gergely Osváth
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Sciences , University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Museum of Zoology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Bruno A Gander
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Lodjak J, Verhulst S. Insulin-like growth factor 1 of wild vertebrates in a life-history context. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110978. [PMID: 32798584 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Broad variation in intra- and interspecific life-history traits is largely shaped by resource limitation and the ensuing allocation trade-offs that animals are forced to make. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a growth-hormone-dependent peptide, may be a key player in the regulation of allocation processes. In laboratory animals, the effects of IGF-1 on growth- and development (positive), reproduction (positive), and longevity (negative) are well established. We here review the evidence on these effects in wild vertebrates, where animals are more likely to face resource limitation and other challenges. We point out the similarities and dissimilarities in patterns of IGF-1 functions obtained in these two different study settings and discuss the knowledge we need to develop a comprehensive picture of the role of IGF-1 in mediating life-history variation of wild vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaanis Lodjak
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise Street, Tartu, 51014, Estonia; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
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Ma B, Zhang L, Li J, Xing T, Jiang Y, Gao F. Heat stress alters muscle protein and amino acid metabolism and accelerates liver gluconeogenesis for energy supply in broilers. Poult Sci 2020; 100:215-223. [PMID: 33357684 PMCID: PMC7772709 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.09.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat stress impairs growth performance and alters body protein and amino acid metabolism. This study was investigated to explore how body protein and amino acid metabolism changed under heat stress (HS) and the stress adaptation mechanism. A total of 144 broilers (28 d old) were divided into 3 treatment groups for 1 wk: HS group (32°C), normal control group (22°C), and pair-feeding group (22°C). We found that HS elevated the feed-to-gain ratio, reduced the ADFI and ADG, decreased breast muscle mass and plasma levels of several amino acids (glycine, lysine, threonine, and tyrosine), and increased serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) activity and corticosterone (CORT) level and liver GOT and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities. Heat stress elevated muscle atrophy F-box mRNA expression and reduced mRNA expression of the 70-kD ribosomal protein S6 kinase in the breast muscle of broilers. Broilers in the HS group exhibited striking increases of mRNA expressions of solute carrier family 1 member 1, family 3 member 1, family 7 member 1, and family 7 member-like in the liver and liver gluconeogenesis genes (PCKc, PCKm, PC, and FBP1) in comparison with the other 2 groups. In conclusion, HS increased the circulating CORT level and subsequently caused muscle protein breakdown to provide amino acid substrates to liver gluconeogenesis responsible for energy supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Lin Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Jiaolong Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Tong Xing
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China
| | - Yun Jiang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Feng Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Animal Origin Food Production and Safety Guarantee of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, PR China.
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8
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Insulin-like growth factor 1 is related to the expression of plumage traits in a passerine species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2821-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Avian plumage colors and ornaments are excellent models to study the endocrine mechanisms linking sexually selected traits and individual parameters of quality and condition. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is an evolutionarily highly conserved peptide hormone. Its regulatory role in cell proliferation and differentiation and its high sensitivity to the nutritional state of individuals suggest it as an interesting candidate, possibly providing a link between body condition and individual capacity to grow elaborated ornamental features. We investigated whether IGF-1 levels during molting correlate with the expression of multiple ornaments in a sexually dichromatic passerine species, the bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus). We collected blood samples of males and females shortly before the molting completed and measured the size and colors of ornamental traits. Our results indicate that in males, structural plumage colors, the size of the melanin-based ornament (beard), and tail length are independent traits. IGF-1 levels are associated with the length of the tail and the expression of male structural plumage components (UV coloration), but not the melanin-based ornament. In females, plumage color and tail length were independent traits, which were not related to IGF-1 levels. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that IGF-1 could play a role in the development of secondary sexual characters in a bird species.
Significance statement
IGF-1 is an evolutionarily highly conserved peptide hormone, which recently entered the center stage of research enquiry in evolutionary biology. It is considered as one of the key factors shaping individual life histories, but little is known about its effects on sexually selected traits. We investigated whether IGF-1 levels during molting predict the elaboration of multiple ornamental plumage traits in male and female bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus). Our results indicate that higher IGF-1 levels had positive effects on male structural plumage colors and tail feather length. This is the first study, bringing indication for a potential role of IGF-1 in the expression of plumage ornaments in a bird species. Our findings suggest that IGF-1 might serve as an ideal candidate to study the mechanisms linking condition and the capacity to develop sexually selected ornaments.
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9
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Zhang S, Zhao L, Zhang X, Liang W. Predicting the vulnerability of birds to trophic threat posed by phenological mismatch based on nutritional and physiological status of nestlings. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz096. [PMID: 31827800 PMCID: PMC6894998 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change induced phenological mismatches between nestlings and their optimal food resources have been found to negatively influence the survival of many bird species. Discriminating which species is vulnerable to such threat is difficult only based on the diet observation, and therefore it is necessary to establish a more reliable method to predict the vulnerability of bird species. In the case of Asian short-toed lark (Calandrella cheleensis), we predicted such vulnerability by evaluating whether nestlings can absorb equal level of nutrients from different diets and maintain equal physiological status. We compared the diet, plasma nutrients, plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), body mass and survival rate of nestlings hatched under different optimal food (grasshopper nymph) abundance conditions in two breeding seasons. Plasma glucides, amino acids, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites, some fatty acids, IGF-1, body mass and survival rate of the nestlings hatched under medium or low nymph abundance conditions were significantly lower than those of nestlings hatched under high nymph abundance condition. The relative abundance of plasma amino acids, glucides, TCA cycle metabolites and fatty acids were significantly, and positively, correlated with IGF-1 levels, which, in turn, was positively correlated with nestling body mass. These results indicate that the diet with low optimal food proportion was nutritionally inferior to the diet with high optimal food proportion and inhibited the growth of nestlings. Species like Asian short-toed lark is vulnerable to the trophic threat induced by phenological mismatch because the alternative food is insufficient to satisfy the nutritional requirement of nestlings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuping Zhang
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun south street 27, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Lidan Zhao
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun south street 27, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xinjie Zhang
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun south street 27, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Longkun south road 99, Haikou 571158, China
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10
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Regan JC, Froy H, Walling CA, Moatt JP, Nussey DH. Dietary restriction and insulin‐like signalling pathways as adaptive plasticity: A synthesis and re‐evaluation. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C. Regan
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Craig A. Walling
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Joshua P. Moatt
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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11
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Tilgar V. Repeated stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis alters offspring phenotype of a wild passerine. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.200659. [PMID: 31053648 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged stress can have long-lasting effects on an individual's physiology and growth. However, the impact of chronically elevated glucocorticoids on the expression of early antipredator responses is still poorly documented. In this study, I simulated the effect of repeated acute stress on offspring phenotype in free-living pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) by administering adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to nestlings for 6 days. The results showed that frequent induction of stress responses by ACTH injections, independent of parental care, adversely affected offspring final body size, wing length and baseline corticosterone levels. Nestling behavioural activity did not differ between ACTH- and saline-treated groups during exposure to control sounds, whereas behavioural activity during exposure to alarm calls was reduced in manipulated offspring only. I conclude that prolonged physiological stress may have short-term benefits to nest-bound offspring, such as more effective antipredator behaviour, but at the expense of negative effects on body size and developmental speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vallo Tilgar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
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12
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Moreira FX, Carmo H, Melo A, André MB, Silva R, Azevedo Z, Bastos ML, de Pinho PG. The Use of Feathers from Racing Pigeons for Doping Control Purposes. J Anal Toxicol 2018; 43:307-315. [DOI: 10.1093/jat/bky088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando X Moreira
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena Carmo
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
| | - Armindo Melo
- LAQV/REQUIMTE/ Departamento de Ciências Químicas, Laboratório de Bromatologia e Hidrologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria B André
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
| | - Renata Silva
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
| | - Zélia Azevedo
- ICETA/REQUIMTE/LAQV – Laboratório Associado para a Química Verde, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria L Bastos
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula G de Pinho
- REQUIMTE/UCIBIO, Laboratório de Toxicologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
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13
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Tóth Z, Ouyang JQ, Lendvai ÁZ. Exploring the mechanistic link between corticosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in a wild passerine bird. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5936. [PMID: 30581657 PMCID: PMC6296332 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Physiological regulators of life history trade-offs need to be responsive to sudden changes of resource availability. When homeostasis is challenged by unpredictable stressors, vertebrates respond through a set of physiological reactions, which can promote organismal survival. Glucocorticoids have been traditionally recognized as one of the main regulators of the physiological stress response, but the role of an evolutionarily more conserved pathway, the hypothalamic-pituitary-somatotropic (HPS) axis producing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has received much less attention. Although IGF-1 is known to affect several life history traits, little is known about its role in the physiological stress response and it has never been studied directly in adult wild animals. Methods In this study, we combined field observations with a controlled experiment to investigate how circulating levels of IGF-1 change in response to stress and whether this change is due to concomitant change in glucocorticoids in a free-living songbird, the bearded reedling Panurus biarmicus. We used a standard capture-restraint protocol in field observation, in which we took first and second (stress induced: 15 minutes later) samples. In a follow-up experiment, we used a minimally invasive oral corticosterone manipulation. Results We showed that corticosterone levels significantly increased while IGF-1 levels significantly decreased during capture and handling stress. However, change in corticosterone levels were not related to change in IGF-1 levels. We found that experimentally elevated corticosterone levels did not affect IGF-1 levels. Discussion Our results are the first to highlight that circulating IGF-1 levels are responsive to stress independently from glucocorticoids and suggest that the HPS axis is an autonomous physiological pathway that may play an important role as regulator of life-history decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Tóth
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.,Department of Geology, University of Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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14
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Lodjak J, Mänd R, Mägi M. Insulin‐like growth factor 1 and life‐history evolution of passerine birds. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaanis Lodjak
- Department of ZoologyInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesUniversity of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Raivo Mänd
- Department of ZoologyInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesUniversity of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Marko Mägi
- Department of ZoologyInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesUniversity of Tartu Tartu Estonia
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15
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Berk SA, McGettrick JR, Hansen WK, Breuner CW. Methodological considerations for measuring glucocorticoid metabolites in feathers. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 4:cow020. [PMID: 27335650 PMCID: PMC4913509 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cow020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, researchers have begun to use corticosteroid metabolites in feathers (fCORT) as a metric of stress physiology in birds. However, there remain substantial questions about how to measure fCORT most accurately. Notably, small samples contain artificially high amounts of fCORT per millimetre of feather (the small sample artefact). Furthermore, it appears that fCORT is correlated with circulating plasma corticosterone only when levels are artificially elevated by the use of corticosterone implants. Here, we used several approaches to address current methodological issues with the measurement of fCORT. First, we verified that the small sample artefact exists across species and feather types. Second, we attempted to correct for this effect by increasing the amount of methanol relative to the amount of feather during extraction. We consistently detected more fCORT per millimetre or per milligram of feather in small samples than in large samples even when we adjusted methanol:feather concentrations. We also used high-performance liquid chromatography to identify hormone metabolites present in feathers and measured the reactivity of these metabolites against the most commonly used antibody for measuring fCORT. We verified that our antibody is mainly identifying corticosterone (CORT) in feathers, but other metabolites have significant cross-reactivity. Lastly, we measured faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in house sparrows and correlated these measurements with corticosteroid metabolites deposited in concurrently grown feathers; we found no correlation between faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and fCORT. We suggest that researchers should be cautious in their interpretation of fCORT in wild birds and should seek alternative validation methods to examine species-specific relationships between environmental challenges and fCORT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Berk
- Organismal Biology and Ecology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Julie R. McGettrick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Warren K. Hansen
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Creagh W. Breuner
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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16
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Lodjak J, Mägi M, Sild E, Mänd R. Causal link between insulin‐like growth factor 1 and growth in nestlings of a wild passerine bird. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaanis Lodjak
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu 46 Vanemuise Street Tartu 51014 Estonia
| | - Marko Mägi
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu 46 Vanemuise Street Tartu 51014 Estonia
| | - Elin Sild
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu 46 Vanemuise Street Tartu 51014 Estonia
| | - Raivo Mänd
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu 46 Vanemuise Street Tartu 51014 Estonia
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