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Cabanzo-Olarte LC, Cardoso Bícego K, Navas Iannini CA. Behavioral responses during sickness in amphibians and reptiles: Concepts, experimental design, and implications for field studies. J Therm Biol 2024; 123:103889. [PMID: 38897001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103889] [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] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
In ectothermic vertebrates, behavioral fever, where an individual actively seeks warmer areas, seems to be a primary response to pathogens. This is considered a broad and evolutionarily conserved response among vertebrates. Recent population declines in amphibians are associated with an increase of infectious disease driven largely by climate change, habitat degradation, and pollution. Immediate action through research is required to better understand and inform conservation efforts. The literature available, does not provide unifying concepts that can guide adequate experimental protocols and interpretation of data, especially when studying animals in the field. The aim of this review is to promote common understanding of terminology and facilitating improved comprehension and application of key concepts about the occurrence of both sickness behavior or behavioral fever in ectothermic vertebrates. We start with a conceptual synthesis of sickness behavior and behavioral fever, with examples in different taxa. Through this discussion we present possible paths to standardize terminology, starting from original use in endothermic tetrapods which was expanded to ectothermic vertebrates, particularly amphibians and reptiles. This conceptual expansion from humans (endothermic vertebrates) and then to ectothermic counterparts, gravitates around the concept of 'normality'. Thus, following this discussion, we highlight caveats with experimental protocols and state the need of a reference value considered normal (RVCN), which is different from experimental control and make recommendations regarding experimental procedures and stress the value of detailed documentation of behavioral responses. We also propose some future directions that could enhance interaction among disciplines, emphasizing relationships at different levels of biological organization. This is crucial given the increasing convergence of fields such as thermal physiology, immunology, and animal behavior due to emerging diseases and other global crises impacting biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Camila Cabanzo-Olarte
- Physiology Department, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Trav. 14, N 321, CEP 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Kênia Cardoso Bícego
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, São Paulo State University (FCAV-UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil.
| | - Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
- Physiology Department, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Trav. 14, N 321, CEP 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Tevs DR, Mukhalian JA, Simpson E, Cox CL, Schrey AW, McBrayer LD. DNA Methylation and Counterdirectional Pigmentation Change following Immune Challenge in a Small Ectotherm. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:418-429. [PMID: 38237192 DOI: 10.1086/727692] [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: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
AbstractBy allowing for increased absorption or reflectance of solar radiation, changes in pigmentation may assist ectotherms in responding to immune challenges by enabling a more precise regulation of behavioral fever or hypothermia. Variation in epigenetic characteristics may also assist in regulating immune-induced pigmentation changes and managing the body's energetic reserves following infection. Here, we explore how dorsal pigmentation, metabolic rate, and DNA methylation in the Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) respond to two levels of immune challenge across two habitat types. We found changes in pigmentation that are suggestive of efforts to assist in behavioral fever and hypothermia depending on the intensity of immune challenge. We also found correlations between DNA methylation in liver tissue and pigmentation change along the dorsum, indicating that color transitions may be part of a multifaceted immune response across tissue types. The relationship between immune response and metabolic rate supports the idea that energetic reserves may be conserved for the costs associated with behavioral fever when immune challenge is low and the immune functions when immune challenge is high. While immune response appeared to be unaffected by habitat type, we found differences in metabolic activity between habitats, suggesting differences in the energetic costs associated with each. To our knowledge, these results present the first potential evidence of pigmentation change in ectotherms in association with immune response. The relationship between immune response, DNA methylation, and pigmentation change also highlights the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in organism physiology.
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Rakhshaninejad M, Zheng L, Nauwynck H. Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) survive white spot syndrome virus infection by behavioral fever. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18034. [PMID: 37865676 PMCID: PMC10590431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45335-5] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Both endotherms and ectotherms may raise their body temperature to limit pathogen infection. Endotherms do this by increasing their basal metabolism; this is called 'fever'. Ectotherms do this by migrating to warmer places; this is called 'behavioral fever'. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the most lethal pathogen of cultured shrimp. This study examined the existence of behavioral fever in WSSV-infected Penaeus vannamei shrimp. Shrimp weighing 15 ± 0.5 g were inoculated intramuscularly with WSSV and kept in a four-compartment system (4-CS) with all the chambers at 27 °C or with a thermal gradient (27-29-31-33 °C). During the first 4 days post-inoculation, 94% of the WSSV-inoculated shrimp died in the 4-CS with a fixed temperature (27 °C), while only 28% died in the 4-CS with a temperature gradient. The inoculated animals clearly demonstrated a movement towards the warmer compartments, whereas this was not the case with the mock- and non-inoculated animals. With primary lymphoid organ cell cultures, it was demonstrated that the increase of temperature from 27-29 °C to 31-33 °C inhibits virus replication. It is concluded that behavioral fever is used by shrimp to elevate their temperature when infected with WSSV. Behavioral fever prevents WSSV infection and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Rakhshaninejad
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Liping Zheng
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Hans Nauwynck
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Viola MF, Gerardo Herrera M L, da Cruz-Neto AP. The acute phase response in bats (Carollia perspicillata) varies with time and dose of the immune challenge. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286160. [PMID: 36448935 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244583] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The acute phase response (APR) is a core component of the innate immune response and represents the first line of immune defense used in response to infections. Although several studies with vertebrates reported fever, a decrease in food intake and body mass, and an increase in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and total white blood cell count after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inoculation, there was great variability in the magnitude of these responses. Some of these differences might reflect, to some extent, differences in the time of endotoxin inoculation (during active or rest periods) and dose. Therefore, our study tested the interplay between LPS dose and time of injection on selected physiological (fever and increase in total white blood cell count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio) and behavioral (food intake) components of the APR using a Neotropical fruit-eating bat (Carollia perspicillata) as a model organism. We predicted that LPS would trigger a dose- and time-dependent response in APR components. APR components were assessed in rest and active periods after injection of three doses of LPS (5, 10 and 15 mg kg-1 LPS). The results indicate a more robust decrease in food intake at higher doses during the active period, while increased neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was more robust during the active period regardless of dose. Furthermore, the skin temperature increase lasted longer at higher doses regardless of the timing of injections. Our study offers important insights into the dependence of time as well as the LPS dosage effect in the APR of bats, and how they deal with the magnitude of infections at different times of day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus F Viola
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Animal (LaFA), Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - L Gerardo Herrera M
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional, Autónoma de México, 48980 San Patricio, Jalisco, México
| | - Ariovaldo P da Cruz-Neto
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Animal (LaFA), Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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Thermal ecology of Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon) in a northern wetland in central Michigan. J Therm Biol 2022; 105:103204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Brown GP, Shine R. Do Microbiota in the Soil Affect Embryonic Development and Immunocompetence in Hatchling Reptiles? Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.780456] [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
Reptile eggs develop in intimate association with microbiota in the soil, raising the possibility that embryogenesis may be affected by shifts in soil microbiota caused by anthropogenic disturbance, translocation of eggs for conservation purposes, or laboratory incubation in sterile media. To test this idea we incubated eggs of keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) in untreated versus autoclaved soil, and injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the egg to induce an immune response in the embryo. Neither treatment modified hatching success, water uptake, incubation period, or white-blood-cell profiles, but both treatments affected hatchling size. Eggs incubated on autoclaved soil produced smaller hatchlings than did eggs on untreated soil, suggesting that heat and/or pressure treatment decrease the soil’s suitability for incubation. Injection of LPS reduced hatchling size, suggesting that the presence of pathogen cues disrupts embryogenesis, possibly by initiating immune reactions unassociated with white-blood-cell profiles. Smaller neonates had higher ratios of heterophils to leucocytes, consistent with higher stress in smaller snakes, or body-size effects on investment into different types of immune cells. Microbiota in the incubation medium thus can affect viability-relevant phenotypic traits of hatchling reptiles. We need further studies to explore the complex mechanisms and impacts of environmental conditions on reptilian embryogenesis.
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Giacometti D, Yagi KT, Abney CR, Jung MP, Tattersall GJ. Staying warm is not always the norm: behavioural differences in thermoregulation of two snake species. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Thermal biology research compares field with laboratory data to elucidate the evolution of temperature-sensitive traits in ectotherms. The hidden challenge of many of these studies is discerning whether animals actively thermoregulate, since motivation is not typically assessed. By studying the behaviours involved in thermoregulation, we can better understand the mechanisms underlying body temperature control. Using an integrative approach, we assessed the thermoregulatory and thermotactic behaviours of two sympatric snake species with contrasting life histories: the generalist Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis ( Linnaeus, 1758 )) and the semi-fossorial Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata ( Storer, 1839 )). We expected that thermoregulatory behaviours would be optimized based on life history, in that T. s. sirtalis would show higher evidence for thermally oriented behaviours than S. o. occipitomaculata due to its active nature. Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis actively thermoregulated, had higher thermal preferences (29.4 ± 2.5 vs. 25.3 ± 3.6 °C), and was more active than S. o. occipitomaculata, which showed relatively low evidence for thermotaxis. Our results build on the notion that evaluating movement patterns and rostral orientation towards a heat source can help ascertain whether animals make thermally motivated choices. Our data provide insight into the thermoregulatory strategies used by snakes with different life histories and maximize the information provided by behavioural thermoregulation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Giacometti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, 09972-270, Brazil
| | - Katharine T. Yagi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Curtis R. Abney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Matthew P. Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Glenn J. Tattersall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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Adamovicz L, Baker SJ, Merchant M, Darville L, Allender MC. Plasma complement activation mechanisms differ in ornate (Terrapene ornata ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 333:720-731. [PMID: 33075215 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Eastern (Terrapene carolina carolina) and ornate (Terrapene ornata ornata) box turtles have robust plasma antibacterial activity, however, the mechanism behind this activity is unknown. We used sheep red blood cell (SRBC) hemolysis assays, mannan-affinity chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) to explore the mechanisms of complement activity in box turtles. Plasma from both species demonstrated volume, time, and temperature-dependent SRBC hemolysis, with significantly greater hemolytic activity in ornate box turtle plasma. Hemolytic activity was highly attenuated following treatment with heat, EDTA, and salicylaldoxime in both species, but was unchanged after treatment with methylamine and ammonium hydroxide. Two abundant mannan-binding proteins (presumed C-type lectins) were identified in eastern box turtle plasma using SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF, but ornate box turtles did not express either protein. Eastern box turtles appear to rely on the lectin pathway of complement activation while ornate box turtles utilize the alternative pathway. This study provides further evidence that mechanisms underlying immune function are not always conserved between closely related species. This finding may have important implications for explaining species differences in susceptibility to emerging threats such as disease, toxicants, and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Adamovicz
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Sarah J Baker
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Mark Merchant
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
| | - Lancia Darville
- Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Matthew C Allender
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Challenges and Opportunities for Terrapene carolina carolina Under Different Climate Scenarios. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12050836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An unprecedented rate of global climate change as a result of human impacts has affected both endotherms and ectotherms. This is of special concern for ectotherms, such as reptiles, as these species are suffering from large population declines and lack the dispersal ability of other taxa. There are many protected areas across the United States; however, these areas are fragmented, which hinders dispersal. We examined species distribution and dispersal capabilities for Terrapene carolina carolina, a relatively narrow range, low dispersal, and vulnerable species. We created climatic suitability models to predict changes in suitable habitat and identified important predictor variables. We modeled three time periods using MaxEnt and hypothesized that there would be an increase in northern habitat. We found that most of the suitable habitat changed at the northern end of the range and that mean temperature of driest quarter had the most influence on future predictions. Overall there were relatively moderate changes in suitable habitat, but where these changes occur affects accessibility. As an example, we examined these local scale movements within Oak Openings Region and found that individuals are capable of dispersing to new suitable habitats; however, other physical barriers will hinder movements. In conclusion, there is a critical need to protect this vulnerable reptilian species and our results suggest that T. c. carolina will expand their distribution northward. We suggest that land managers increase connectivity among protected areas to facilitate dispersal, but future studies should incorporate other dynamic ecological factors at finer spatial scale.
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Adamovicz L, Baker SJ, Merchant M, Allender MC. Plasma antibacterial activities in ornate (Terrapene ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 333:295-305. [PMID: 32037741 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chelonians are one of the most imperiled vertebrate taxa and many species are increasingly threatened by disease, however, the immune response in this group is understudied. We quantified the innate immune response of eastern (Terrapene carolina; EBT) and ornate (Terrapene ornate; OBT) box turtles using plasma antibacterial activity assays. Plasma from both species abolished or significantly reduced the growth of all eight bacterial species evaluated, including Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundi, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Bactericidal capacity was greater in OBT compared to EBT, and OBT plasma retained high antibacterial activities at a broader temperature range (20-40°C) compared to EBT (30-40°C). Plasma antibacterial activity was abolished following treatment with heat, protease, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, indicating that complement is likely responsible for the observed effects. Further characterization of the box turtle immune response may provide insight into the importance of infectious diseases for species conservation, enabling the development of more efficient and effective population management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Adamovicz
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Sarah J Baker
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois.,Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Mark Merchant
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana
| | - Matthew C Allender
- Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois
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Wirth W, Ariel E. Temperature-dependent infection of freshwater turtle hatchlings, Emydura macquarii krefftii, inoculated with a ranavirus isolate (Bohle iridovirus, Iridoviridae). Facets (Ott) 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish, amphibians, and reptiles exhibit temperature-dependent ranaviral disease. We performed an experimental infection at four different environmental temperatures (16, 22, 28, and 34 °C) to investigate the effect of temperature on ranaviral infection in Krefft’s turtle ( Emydura macquarii krefftii). Infection rates and viral loads were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect ranaviral DNA in liver samples at 21 d postexposure. The rate of infection differed across the temperature treatment groups. Infection rates were 44%, 90%, 60%, and 10% for the 16, 22, 28, and 34 °C temperature groups, respectively. Highest viral load was observed in the 28 °C temperature group, and there was a statistically significant difference in viral load between the 16 and 28 °C temperature groups ( p = 0.027). Based on the results of this study, the temperature of maximal infection rate for ranaviral infection in Krefft’s river turtles is estimated to be 23.2 °C (SD = 4.5). The findings of this study can inform management decisions in terms of disease control and treatment and form a platform for modelling disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wytamma Wirth
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Douglas, QLD 4814, Australia
| | - Ellen Ariel
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Douglas, QLD 4814, Australia
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Mitchell DJ, Dujon AM, Beckmann C, Biro PA. Temporal autocorrelation: a neglected factor in the study of behavioral repeatability and plasticity. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Quantifying individual variation in labile physiological or behavioral traits often involves repeated measures through time, so as to test for consistency of individual differences (often using repeatability, “R”) and/or individual differences in trendlines over time. Another form of temporal change in behavior is temporal autocorrelation, which predicts observations taken closely together in time to be correlated, leading to nonrandom residuals about individual temporal trendlines. Temporal autocorrelation may result from slowly changing internal states (e.g., hormone or energy levels), leading to slowly changing behavior. Autocorrelation is a well-known phenomenon, but has been largely neglected by those studying individual variation in behavior. Here, we provide two worked examples which show substantial temporal autocorrelation (r > 0.4) is present in spontaneous activity rates of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and house mice (Mus domesticus) in stable laboratory conditions, even after accounting for temporal plasticity of individuals. Second, we show that ignoring autocorrelation does bias estimates of R and temporal reaction norm variances upwards, both in our worked examples and in separate simulations. This bias occurs due to the misestimation of individual-specific means and slopes. Given the increasing use of technologies that generate behavioral and physiological data at high sampling rates, we can now study among- and within-individual changes in behavior in more detailed ways, including autocorrelation, which we discuss from biological and methodological perspectives and provide recommendations and annotated R code to help researchers implement these models on their data.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Mitchell
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong VIC 3216, Australia
- Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 18B. SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Christa Beckmann
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong VIC 3216, Australia
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Peter A Biro
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong VIC 3216, Australia
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Mitchell JC. Victor Hobbs Hutchison. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-19-225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C. Mitchell
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611;
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DURAN FERNANDO, BORETTO JORGELINAM, FERNÁNDEZ JIMENAB, MOLINA MORAIBÁÑEZ, MEDINA MARLINS, IBARGÜENGOYTÍA NORAR. Impact of immunological state on eco-physiological variables in one of the southernmost lizards in the world. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 91:e20190055. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Roe JH, Wild KH, Hall CA. Thermal biology of eastern box turtles in a longleaf pine system managed with prescribed fire. J Therm Biol 2017; 69:325-333. [PMID: 29037402 PMCID: PMC5815311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Fire can influence the microclimate of forest habitats by removing understory vegetation and surface debris. Temperature is often higher in recently burned forests owing to increased light penetration through the open understory. Because physiological processes are sensitive to temperature in ectotherms, we expected fire-maintained forests to improve the suitability of the thermal environment for turtles, and for turtles to seasonally associate with the most thermally-optimal habitats. Using a laboratory thermal gradient, we determined the thermal preference range (Tset) of eastern box turtles, Terrapene carolina, to be 27-31°C. Physical models simulating the body temperatures experienced by turtles in the field revealed that surface environments in a fire-maintained longleaf pine forest were 3°C warmer than adjacent unburned mixed hardwood/pine forests, but the fire-maintained forest was never of superior thermal quality owing to wider Te fluctuations above Tset and exposure to extreme and potentially lethal temperatures. Radiotracked turtles using fire-managed longleaf pine forests maintained shell temperatures (Ts) approximately 2°C above those at a nearby unburned forest, but we observed only moderate seasonal changes in habitat use which were inconsistent with thermoregulatory behavior. We conclude that turtles were not responding strongly to the thermal heterogeneity generated by fire in our system, and that other aspects of the environment are likely more important in shaping habitat associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Roe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA.
| | - Kristoffer H Wild
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA.
| | - Carlisha A Hall
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA.
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Goessling JM, Guyer C, Mendonça MT. More than Fever: Thermoregulatory Responses to Immunological Stimulation and Consequences of Thermoregulatory Strategy on Innate Immunity in Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:484-493. [DOI: 10.1086/692116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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17
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Smith GD, Neuman-Lee LA, Webb AC, Angilletta MJ, DeNardo DF, French SS. Metabolic responses to different immune challenges and varying resource availability in the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). J Comp Physiol B 2017; 187:1173-1182. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1095-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Palackdharry S, Sadd BM, Vogel LA, Bowden RM. The effect of environmental temperature on reptilian peripheral blood B cell functions. Horm Behav 2017; 88:87-94. [PMID: 27816625 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have identified phagocytic B cells in a variety of species, yet little is understood about their function and how it is influenced by natural environmental variation, such as temperature. Phagocytic B-cells are present in red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta, and the wide range of temperatures experienced by these ectotherms may have an effect on immunity, including B cell antibody secretion and phagocytosis. We examined the impact of environmental temperature on B cell function in vitro using phagocytic and ELISpot assays conducted at biologically relevant temperatures. We found a significant effect of temperature on antibody secretion, with maximal antibody secretion occurring at intermediate temperatures (estimated maximum of 28.8°C). There was no effect of temperature on phagocytosis. We also noted a difference in the efficiency of phagocytosis in this assay between B cells and non-B cells. Interestingly, in our in vitro assay, phagocytic B cells engulfed more foreign fluorescent beads per cell than phagocytes lacking surface immunoglobulin. This work sheds light on our understanding of phagocytic B cells and the importance of environmental temperature on the behavior of reptilian immune cells, which may have relevance for organismal fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Palackdharry
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - Laura A Vogel
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - Rachel M Bowden
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA.
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Rakus K, Ronsmans M, Vanderplasschen A. Behavioral fever in ectothermic vertebrates. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 66:84-91. [PMID: 27381718 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Fever is an evolutionary conserved defense mechanism which is present in both endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates. Ectotherms in response to infection can increase their body temperature by moving to warmer places. This process is known as behavioral fever. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms of induction of fever in mammals. We further discuss the evolutionary conserved mechanisms existing between fever of mammals and behavioral fever of ectothermic vertebrates. Finally, the experimental evidences supporting an adaptive value of behavioral fever expressed by ectothermic vertebrates are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Rakus
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Maygane Ronsmans
- Immunology-Vaccinology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Alain Vanderplasschen
- Immunology-Vaccinology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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20
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Zhou Y, Liang Q, Li W, Gu Y, Liao X, Fang W, Li X. Characterization and functional analysis of toll-like receptor 4 in Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 63:128-135. [PMID: 27259833 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) recognizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in initiating the innate immune responses. Early studies indicate that turtles are more resistant to LPS challenge than mammals. It remains unknown if turtles express TLR4 and why they are more resistant to LPS. In this study, TLR4 gene from Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, was cloned and characterized. The full length cDNA of turtle TLR4 (tTLR4) consists of 3396 base pairs with an 2499-bp open reading frame, encoding 833 amino acids. Phylogenetic and syntenic analyses suggest that tTLR4 is to be orthologous to human TLR4. Its mRNA expression was up-regulated in spleen and blood of turtles upon Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Stimulation of turtle peripheral blood monocytes with LPS significantly upregulated tTLR4 mRNA and inflammation-related gene expression, such as Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In tTLR4-expressing HEK293 cells, higher concentration of LPS exposure could enhance the activity of the NF-κB promoter, but not the INF-β promoter. Such activity required co-expression of turtle myeloid differentiation factor 2 (tMD2) and cluster of differentiation 14 (tCD14). These results provide evidence for a functional TLR4 in reptiles and, together with the syntenic analysis, support the idea that the TLR4 receptor for LPS recognition may have arisen after reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingshan Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Quan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Weifen Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuanxing Gu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xun Liao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Weihuan Fang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaoliang Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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21
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Head ML, Cabido C. Habitat dependent effects of experimental immune challenge on lizard anti-predator responses. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2199-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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22
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Clint E, Fessler DMT. INSURMOUNTABLE HEAT: THE EVOLUTION AND PERSISTENCE OF DEFENSIVE HYPERTHERMIA. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2016; 91:25-46. [PMID: 27192778 DOI: 10.1086/685302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Fever, the rise in body temperature set point in response to infection or injury, is a highly conserved trait among vertebrates, and documented in many arthropods. Fever is known to reduce illness duration and mortality. These observations present an evolutionary puzzle: why has fever continued to be an effective response to fast-evolving pathogenic microbes across diverse phyla, and probably over countless millions of years? Framing fever as part of a more general thermal manipulation strategy that we term defensive hyperthermia, we hypothesize that the solution lies in the independent contributions to pathogen fitness played by virulence and infectivity. A host organism deploying defensive hyperthermia alters the ecological environment of an invading pathogen. To the extent that the pathogen evolves to be able to function effectively at elevated temperatures, it disadvantages itself at infecting the next (thermonormative) host, becoming more likely to be thwarted by that host's immune system and outcompeted by wild ecotype conspecifics (a genetically distinct strain adapted to specific environmental conditions) that, although more vulnerable to elevated temperatures, operate more effectively at the host's normal temperature. We evaluate this hypothesis in light of existing evidence concerning pathogen thermal specialization, and discuss theoretical and translational implications of this model.
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Reguera S, Moreno-Rueda G. Elevational variation in body-temperature response to immune challenge in a lizard. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1972. [PMID: 27168981 PMCID: PMC4860334 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunocompetence benefits animal fitness by combating pathogens, but also entails some costs. One of its main components is fever, which in ectotherms involves two main types of costs: energy expenditure and predation risk. Whenever those costs of fever outweigh its benefits, ectotherms are expected not to develop fever, or even to show hypothermia, reducing costs of thermoregulation and diverting the energy saved to other components of the immune system. Environmental thermal quality, and therefore the thermoregulation cost/benefit balance, varies geographically. Hence, we hypothesize that, in alpine habitats, immune-challenged ectotherms should show no thermal response, given that (1) hypothermia would be very costly, as the temporal window for reproduction is extremely small, and (2) fever would have a prohibitive cost, as heat acquisition is limited in such habitat. However, in temperate habitats, immune-challenged ectotherms might show a febrile response, due to lower cost/benefit balance as a consequence of a more suitable thermal environment. We tested this hypothesis in Psammodromus algirus lizards from Sierra Nevada (SE Spain), by testing body temperature preferred by alpine and non-alpine lizards, before and after activating their immune system with a typical innocuous pyrogen. Surprisingly, non-alpine lizards responded to immune challenge by decreasing preferential body-temperature, presumably allowing them to save energy and reduce exposure to predators. On the contrary, as predicted, immune-challenged alpine lizards maintained their body-temperature preferences. These results match with increased costs of no thermoregulation with elevation, due to the reduced window of time for reproduction in alpine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States; Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Senda Reguera
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada , Granada , Spain
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Siroski PA, Poletta GL, Latorre MA, Merchant ME, Ortega HH, Mudry MD. Immunotoxicity of commercial-mixed glyphosate in broad snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris). Chem Biol Interact 2016; 244:64-70. [PMID: 26658029 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2015.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The expansion and intensification of agriculture during the past 50 years is unprecedented, and thus environmental problems have been triggered at different scales. These transformations have caused the loss of habitat and biodiversity, and disruption of the structure and functioning of ecosystems. As a result of the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the recent past, many areas of the natural geographic distribution of the local wildlife, among them crocodilians and particularly the broad snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris), are being exposed to contaminants. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of commercially-mixed glyphosate (RU) on some parameters of the immune system of C. latirostris. Two groups of caimans were exposed for two months to different concentrations of RU recommended for its application in the field, while one group was maintained as an unexposed control. The RU concentration was progressively decreased through the exposure period to simulate glyphosate degradation in water. After exposure, total and differential white blood cell (WBC), and complement system activity (CS) were determined. In addition, the animals were injected with a solution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli to trigger an immune response and evaluate the parameters associated with it. The results showed that an effect of the herbicide on CS was observed, as animals exposed to RU showed a lower CS activity than animals from the negative control (NC) but not in total WBC. In the case of leukocyte population counts, differences were only found for heterophils and lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Siroski
- "Proyecto Yacaré"- Laboratorio de Zoología Aplicada: Anexo Vertebrados (Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral/Ministerio de Aguas, Servicios Públicos y Medio Ambiente), Santa Fe, Argentina; Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral-(UNL-CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Gisela L Poletta
- "Proyecto Yacaré"- Laboratorio de Zoología Aplicada: Anexo Vertebrados (Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral/Ministerio de Aguas, Servicios Públicos y Medio Ambiente), Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Toxicología, Farmacología y Bioquímica Legal, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - María A Latorre
- "Proyecto Yacaré"- Laboratorio de Zoología Aplicada: Anexo Vertebrados (Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral/Ministerio de Aguas, Servicios Públicos y Medio Ambiente), Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mark E Merchant
- Department of Chemistry, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA, USA
| | - Hugo H Ortega
- Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral-(UNL-CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Marta D Mudry
- Grupo Investigación Biología Evolutiva (GIBE), IEGEBA-DEGE (CONICET-UBA), FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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25
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Effects of Ectoparasitism on Behavioral Thermoregulation in the Tropical lizards Anolis cybotes (Squamata: Dactyloidae) and Anolis armouri (Squamata: Dactyloidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.3099/brvo-545-00-1-13.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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26
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Effects of mycoplasmal upper-respiratory-tract disease on movement and thermoregulatory behavior of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in Georgia, USA. J Wildl Dis 2014; 50:745-56. [PMID: 25121399 DOI: 10.7589/2013-11-306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract From 2011-12, we studied a gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) population with a historically high prevalence of antibodies to Mycoplasma agassizii to assess long-term effects of upper-respiratory-tract disease (URTD) on tortoise behavior. We radiotracked 30 adult tortoises (16 males, 14 females) from a long-term study site with the use of mark-recapture methods to determine site fidelity and to compare home-range size to that of a study in 1997. An additional 10 tortoises (six males, four females) with severe clinical signs of URTD from elsewhere in the study area were radiotracked and compared to tortoises that were asymptomatic or had only mild clinical signs. We also monitored thermoregulatory behavior of tortoises with the use of data loggers affixed to the carapace. There was no significant difference in home-range size between the asymptomatic tortoises and those with mild symptoms. Home ranges of tortoises with severe URTD were significantly larger than asymptomatic or mildly affected tortoises. Tortoises with severe clinical signs moved long distances over short periods, contradicting a hypothesis that chronically infected tortoises are less likely to emigrate. Prevalence of M. agassizii antibodies was similar among the three groups (98% overall), but prevalence of antibodies to a second pathogen associated with URTD, Mycoplasma testudineum, was lower in the asymptomatic (n=14, 7%) and mild-symptoms (n=7, 14%) groups than the severe-symptoms group (n=8, 50%). Variation in the average carapacial temperatures of tortoises with severe URTD was significantly different from carapacial temperatures of mild and asymptomatic tortoises, suggesting differences in thermoregulatory behavior of severely ill tortoises. Our 15-yr recapture data suggest that, despite high prevalence of M. agassizii, population density has not decreased over time. However, emigration, especially of tortoises with severe clinical disease, may play an important role in dispersal and persistence of pathogens.
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Ibáñez A, Polo-Cavia N, López P, Martín J. Honest sexual signaling in turtles: experimental evidence of a trade-off between immune response and coloration in red-eared sliders Trachemys scripta elegans. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:803-11. [PMID: 25091549 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1219-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual signals can be evolutionarily stable if they are honest and condition dependent or costly to the signaler. One possible cost is the existence of a trade-off between maintaining the immune system and the elaboration of ornaments. This hypothesis has been experimentally tested in some groups of animals but not in others such as turtles. We experimentally challenged the immune system of female red-eared sliders Trachemys scripta elegans, with a bacterial antigen (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) without pathogenic effects to explore whether the immune activation affected visual colorful ornaments of the head. The LPS injection altered the reflectance patterns of color ornaments. In comparison to the control animals, the yellow chin stripes of injected animals exhibited (1) reduced brightness, (2) lower long wavelength (>470 nm) reflectance, and (3) lower values for carotenoid chroma. The postorbital patches of injected individuals also showed reduced very long wavelength (>570 nm) reflectance but did not change in carotenoid chroma. Thus, experimental turtles showed darker and less "yellowish" chin stripes and less "reddish" postorbital patches at the end of the experiment, whereas control turtles did not change their coloration. This is the first experimental evidence supporting the existence of a trade-off between the immune system and the expression of visual ornaments in turtles. We suggest that this trade-off may allow turtles to honestly signal individual quality via characteristics of coloration, which may have an important role in intersexual selection processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Ibáñez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C., José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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28
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Bassetti LAB, Marques TS, Malvásio A, Piña CI, Verdade LM. Thermoregulation in captive broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris). Zool Stud 2014. [DOI: 10.1186/1810-522x-53-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Anderson RD, Blanford S, Jenkins NE, Thomas MB. Discriminating fever behavior in house flies. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62269. [PMID: 23620820 PMCID: PMC3631181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fever has generally been shown to benefit infected hosts. However, fever temperatures also carry costs. While endotherms are able to limit fever costs physiologically, the means by which behavioral thermoregulators constrain these costs are less understood. Here we investigated the behavioral fever response of house flies (Musca domestica L.) challenged with different doses of the fungal entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana. Infected flies invoked a behavioral fever selecting the hottest temperature early in the day and then moving to cooler temperatures as the day progressed. In addition, flies infected with a higher dose of fungus exhibited more intense fever responses. These variable patterns of fever are consistent with the observation that higher fever temperatures had greater impact on fungal growth. The results demonstrate the capacity of insects to modulate the degree and duration of the fever response depending on the severity of the pathogen challenge and in so doing, balance the costs and benefits of fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Anderson
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics - Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Gräns A, Rosengren M, Niklasson L, Axelsson M. Behavioural fever boosts the inflammatory response in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2012; 81:1111-1117. [PMID: 22880741 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03333.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Behavioural fever, manifested as an increased preferred temperature, was shown in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss following an injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Simulated behavioural fever, through a 2·5° C water temperature rise following bacterial lipopolysaccharide injection, enhanced the expression of the cytokine interleukin-1β, in comparison with an untreated group held at the initial temperature. The present findings show that an important mediator in the immune response can be boosted through behavioural fever in fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gräns
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, Box 463, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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31
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Itonaga K, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Effects of variation in maternal carotenoid intake during gestation on offspring innate immune response in a matrotrophic viviparous reptile. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01882.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Zimmerman LM, Vogel LA, Bowden RM. Understanding the vertebrate immune system: insights from the reptilian perspective. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:661-71. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.038315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Reptiles are ectothermic amniotes, providing the key link between ectothermic anamniotic fishes and amphibians, and endothermic amniotic birds and mammals. A greater understanding of reptilian immunity will provide important insights into the evolutionary history of vertebrate immunity as well as the growing field of eco-immunology. Like mammals, reptile immunity is complex and involves innate, cell-mediated and humoral compartments but, overall, there is considerably less known about immune function in reptiles. We review the current literature on each branch of the reptilian immune system, placing this information in context to other vertebrates. Further, we identify key areas that are prime for research as well as areas that are lagging because of lack of reagents in non-model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. M. Zimmerman
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - L. A. Vogel
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - R. M. Bowden
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
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Merchant M, Fleury L, Rutherford R, Paulissen M. Effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on thermoregulation in green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2008; 125:176-81. [PMID: 18514328 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2007] [Revised: 02/06/2008] [Accepted: 04/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fever is a non-specific host defense mechanism that comprises part of the innate immune response. Innate immune function is thought to be an important adaptive immunological response to infection because it occurs across a broad diversity of phyla. Some reptiles can mount a febrile response, despite the fact that their internal body temperatures (T(b)s) are, to some extent, controlled by the environmental temperatures in which they live. This study was undertaken to determine if LPS would induce fever in green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Lizards were maintained in thermal gradients (22-45 degrees C) with a 12-h diurnal cycle. anoles were injected with LPS, pyrogen-free saline, or left untreated, and their T(b)s were recorded every 15min using internal cloacal probes. All lizards showed a diurnal periodicity in T(b) characterized by decreased temperatures during the scotophase (dark hours) and higher temperatures during the photophase (light phase). Anoles injected with LPS exhibited a hypothermic response, relative to untreated and saline-injected animals. The response varied from 2.1 to 4.6 degrees C lower than control lizards. The hypothermic response was initiated within 12-24h of LPS injection, and continued for 3 days after treatment. However, the anapyrexic response was observed primarily during scotophases, with photophase hypothermia observed only on the first day after LPS injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Merchant
- Department of Chemistry, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA 70609, USA.
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Merchant M, Williams S, Trosclair PL, Elsey RM, Mills K. Febrile response to infection in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 148:921-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2007] [Revised: 09/27/2007] [Accepted: 09/27/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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