1
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Wang K, Xue Y, Liu Y, Su X, Wei L, Lv C, Zhang X, Zhang L, Jia L, Zheng S, Ma Y, Yan H, Jiang G, Song H, Wang F, Lin Q, Hou Y. The detoxification ability of sex-role reversed seahorses determines the sexual dimorphism in immune responses to benzo[a]pyrene exposure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:173088. [PMID: 38735333 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in immune responses is an essential factor in environmental adaptation. However, the mechanisms involved remain obscure owing to the scarcity of data from sex-role-reversed species in stressed conditions. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most pervasive and carcinogenic organic pollutants in coastal environments. In this study, we evaluated the potential effects on renal immunotoxicity of the sex-role-reversed lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) toward environmental concentrations BaP exposure. Our results discovered the presence of different energy-immunity trade-off strategies adopted by female and male seahorses during BaP exposure. BaP induced more severe renal damage in female seahorses in a concentration-dependent manner. BaP biotransformation and detoxification in seahorses resemble those in mammals. Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-oxide (BPDE) and 9-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (9-OH-BaP) formed DNA adducts and disrupted Ca2+ homeostasis may together attribute the renal immunotoxicity. Sexual dimorphisms in detoxification of both BPDE and 9-OH-BaP, and in regulation of Ca2+, autophagy and inflammation, mainly determined the extent of renal damage. Moreover, the mechanism of sex hormones regulated sexual dimorphism in immune responses needs to be further elucidated. Collectively, these findings contribute to the understanding of sexual dimorphism in the immunotoxicity induced by BaP exposure in seahorses, which may attribute to the dramatic decline in the biodiversity of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Xue
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Yali Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China.
| | - Xiaolei Su
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Lei Wei
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Chunhui Lv
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Lele Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Longwu Jia
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Shiyi Zheng
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Yicong Ma
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Hansheng Yan
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China; Research and Development Center of Science, Technology and Industrialization of Seahorses, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Guangjun Jiang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Hongce Song
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pathology, the Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Qiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
| | - Yuping Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
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2
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Pappert FA, Kolbe D, Dubin A, Roth O. The effect of parental age on the quantity and quality of offspring in Syngnathus typhle, a species with male pregnancy. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13755. [PMID: 39027687 PMCID: PMC11254578 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Parental age impacts offspring quantity and quality. Most prior research focused on maternal age. Since in most organisms the mother produces the costly eggs plus provides all or most parental care, it is difficult to distinguish maternal effects mediated via the egg from later maternal care. Here, we addressed the effects of parental age on offspring in Syngnathus typhle, a pipefish with male pregnancy. The divide between one parent producing the eggs and the second parent being the exclusive provider of parental care facilitates a distinction between the effects of parental age on egg quality versus parental age on early development. We fully reciprocally crossed young and old mothers and young and old fathers and assessed impact of parental age combination on offspring number, offspring size, and offspring gene expression patterns. Neither parental combination significantly influenced offspring size or male gestation duration; however, they influenced the number of offspring. Paternal, but not maternal, age strongly affected the offspring gene expression. Offspring from old fathers exhibited substantial changes in the expression of genes related to cell cycle regulation, protein synthesis, DNA repair, and neurogenesis. Our findings thus highlight the importance of gestation, as opposed to gamete production, in shaping the parental contribution to offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya Adele Pappert
- Marine Evolutionary BiologyZoological Institute, Christian‐Albrechts‐Universität KielKielGermany
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine FishesHelmholtz‐Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)KielGermany
| | - Daniel Kolbe
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB)Christian‐Albrechts‐Universität KielKielGermany
| | - Arseny Dubin
- Marine Evolutionary BiologyZoological Institute, Christian‐Albrechts‐Universität KielKielGermany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary BiologyZoological Institute, Christian‐Albrechts‐Universität KielKielGermany
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine FishesHelmholtz‐Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)KielGermany
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3
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Healey HM, Penn HB, Small CM, Bassham S, Goyal V, Woods MA, Cresko WA. Single Cell RNA Sequencing Provides Clues for the Developmental Genetic Basis of Syngnathidae's Evolutionary Adaptations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.08.588518. [PMID: 38645265 PMCID: PMC11030337 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.08.588518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons are fishes from the family Syngnathidae that have evolved extraordinary traits including male pregnancy, elongated snouts, loss of teeth, and dermal bony armor. The developmental genetic and cellular changes that led to the evolution of these traits are largely unknown. Recent syngnathid genomes revealed suggestive gene content differences and provide the opportunity for detailed genetic analyses. We created a single cell RNA sequencing atlas of Gulf pipefish embryos to understand the developmental basis of four traits: derived head shape, toothlessness, dermal armor, and male pregnancy. We completed marker gene analyses, built genetic networks, and examined spatial expression of select genes. We identified osteochondrogenic mesenchymal cells in the elongating face that express regulatory genes bmp4, sfrp1a, and prdm16. We found no evidence for tooth primordia cells, and we observed re-deployment of osteoblast genetic networks in developing dermal armor. Finally, we found that epidermal cells expressed nutrient processing and environmental sensing genes, potentially relevant for the brooding environment. The examined pipefish evolutionary innovations are composed of recognizable cell types, suggesting derived features originate from changes within existing gene networks. Future work addressing syngnathid gene networks across multiple stages and species is essential for understanding how their novelties evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope M Healey
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
| | - Hayden B Penn
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
| | - Clayton M Small
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
- School of Computer and Data Science, University of Oregon
| | - Susan Bassham
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
| | - Vithika Goyal
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
| | - Micah A Woods
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
| | - William A Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon
- Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon
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4
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Parker J, Marten SM, Ó Corcora TC, Rajkov J, Dubin A, Roth O. The effects of primary and secondary bacterial exposure on the seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) immune response. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 153:105136. [PMID: 38185263 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary adaptations in the Syngnathidae teleost family (seahorses, pipefish and seadragons) culminated in an array of spectacular morphologies, key immune gene losses, and the enigmatic male pregnancy. In seahorses, genome modifications associated with immunoglobulins, complement, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC II) pathway components raise questions concerning their immunological efficiency and the evolution of compensatory measures that may act in their place. In this investigation heat-killed bacteria (Vibrio aestuarianus and Tenacibaculum maritimum) were used in a two-phased experiment to assess the immune response dynamics of Hippocampus erectus. Gill transcriptomes from double and single-exposed individuals were analysed in order to determine the differentially expressed genes contributing to immune system responses towards immune priming. Double-exposed individuals exhibited a greater adaptive immune response when compared with single-exposed individuals, while single-exposed individuals, particularly with V. aestuarianus replicates, associated more with the innate branch of the immune system. T. maritimum double-exposed replicates exhibited the strongest immune reaction, likely due to their immunological naivety towards the bacterium, while there are also potential signs of innate trained immunity. MHC II upregulated expression was identified in selected V. aestuarianus-exposed seahorses, in the absence of other pathway constituents suggesting a possible alternative or non-classical MHC II immune function in seahorses. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis highlighted prominent angiogenesis activity following secondary exposure, which could be linked to an adaptive immune process in seahorses. This investigation highlights the prominent role of T-cell mediated adaptive immune responses in seahorses when exposed to sequential foreign bacteria exposures. If classical MHC II pathway function has been lost, innate trained immunity in syngnathids could be a potential compensatory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Parker
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, D-24118, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Silke-Mareike Marten
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, D-24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tadhg C Ó Corcora
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, D-24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jelena Rajkov
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, D-24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arseny Dubin
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, D-24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, D-24118, Kiel, Germany
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5
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He Y, Taylor RL, Bai H, Ashwell CM, Zhao K, Li Y, Sun G, Zhang H, Song J. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and immunity in chickens that vary in Marek's disease resistance. Poult Sci 2023; 102:103036. [PMID: 37832188 PMCID: PMC10568563 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103036] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease virus (MDV), a naturally oncogenic, highly contagious alpha herpesvirus, induces a T cell lymphoma in chickens that causes severe economic loss. Marek's disease (MD) outcome in an individual is attributed to genetic and environmental factors. Further investigation of the host-virus interaction mechanisms that impact MD resistance is needed to achieve greater MD control. This study analyzed genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in 2 highly inbred parental lines 63 and 72 and 5 recombinant congenic strains (RCS) C, L, M, N, and X strains from those parents. Lines 63 and 72, are MD resistant and susceptible, respectively, whereas the RCS have different combinations of 87.5% Line 63 and 12.5% Line 72. Our DNA methylation cluster showed a strong association with MD incidence. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the parental lines and the 5 RCS were captured. MD-resistant and MD-susceptible markers of DNA methylation were identified as transgenerational epigenetic inheritable. In addition, the growth of v-src DNA tumors and antibody response against sheep red blood cells differed among the 2 parental lines and the RCS. Overall, our results provide very solid evidence that DNA methylation patterns are transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) in chickens and also play a vital role in MD tumorigenesis and other immune responses; the specific methylated regions may be important modulators of general immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghua He
- Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822 USA; Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Robert L Taylor
- Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26508 USA
| | - Hao Bai
- Department of Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Christopher M Ashwell
- Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26508 USA
| | - Keji Zhao
- Laboratory of Epigenome Biology, Systems Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yaokun Li
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, GD 510642, China
| | - Guirong Sun
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huanmin Zhang
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA.
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6
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Parker J, Dubin A, Schneider R, Wagner KS, Jentoft S, Böhne A, Bayer T, Roth O. Immunological tolerance in the evolution of male pregnancy. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:819-840. [PMID: 34951070 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The unique male pregnancy in pipefishes and seahorses ranges from basic attachment (pouch-less species: Nerophinae) of maternal eggs to specialized internal gestation in pouched species (e.g. Syngnathus and Hippocampus) with many transitions in between. Due to this diversity, male pregnancy offers a unique platform for assessing physiological and molecular adaptations in pregnancy evolution. These insights will contribute to answering long-standing questions of why and how pregnancy evolved convergently in so many vertebrate systems. To understand the molecular congruencies and disparities in male pregnancy evolution, we compared transcriptome-wide differentially expressed genes in four syngnathid species, at four pregnancy stages (nonpregnant, early, late and parturition). Across all species and pregnancy forms, metabolic processes and immune dynamics defined pregnancy stages, especially pouched species shared expression features akin to female pregnancy. The observed downregulation of adaptive immune genes in early-stage pregnancy and its reversed upregulation during late/parturition in pouched species, most notably in Hippocampus, combined with directionless expression in the pouch-less species, suggests immune modulation to be restricted to pouched species that evolved placenta-like systems. We propose that increased foeto-paternal intimacy in pouched syngnathids commands immune suppression processes in early gestation, and that the elevated immune response during parturition coincides with pouch opening and reduced progeny reliance. Immune response regulation in pouched species supports the recently described functional MHC II pathway loss as critical in male pregnancy evolution. The independent co-option of similar genes and pathways both in male and female pregnancy highlights immune modulation as crucial for the evolutionary establishment of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Parker
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arseny Dubin
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ralf Schneider
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Kim Sara Wagner
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astrid Böhne
- Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Till Bayer
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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7
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Holt WV, Fazeli A, Otero-Ferrer F. Sperm transport and male pregnancy in seahorses: An unusual model for reproductive science. Anim Reprod Sci 2022; 246:106854. [PMID: 34579988 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106854] [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: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefishes) are a group of teleost fishes in which, uniquely, developing embryos are hosted throughout pregnancy by males, using a specialized brood pouch situated on the abdomen or tail. Seahorses have evolved the most advanced form of brood pouch, whereby zygotes and embryos are intimately connected to the host's circulatory system and also bathed in pouch fluid. The pouch is closed to the external environment and has to perform functions such as gaseous exchange, removal of waste and maintenance of appropriate osmotic conditions, much like the mammalian placenta. Fertilization of the oocytes occurs within the brood pouch, but unlike the mammalian situation the sperm transport mechanism from the ejaculatory duct towards the pouch is unclear, and the sperm: egg ratio (about 5:1) is possibly the least of any vertebrate. In this review, there is highlighting of the difficulty of elucidating the sperm transport mechanism, based on studies of Hippocampus kuda. The similarities between seahorse pouch function and the mammalian placenta have led to suggestions that the pouch provides important nutritional support for the developing embryos, supplementing the nutritional functions of the yolk sac provided by the oocytes. In this review, there is a description of the recent evidence in support of this hypothesis, and also emphasis, as in mammals, that embryonic development depends on nutritional support from the placenta-like pouch at important stages of the gestational period ("critical windows").
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Affiliation(s)
- William V Holt
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Level 4, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield S10 2SF, UK.
| | - Alireza Fazeli
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tartu University, Tartu, Estonia; Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Francisco Otero-Ferrer
- University Institute of Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (IU ECOAQUA) Scientific and Technological Marine Park, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35200, Spain
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8
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Parker J, Guslund NC, Jentoft S, Roth O. Characterization of Pipefish Immune Cell Populations Through Single-Cell Transcriptomics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:820152. [PMID: 35154138 PMCID: PMC8828949 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.820152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Teleost adaptive immune systems have evolved with more flexibility than previously assumed. A particularly enigmatic system to address immune system modifications in the evolutionary past is represented by the Syngnathids, the family of pipefishes, seahorses and seadragons. These small fishes with their unique male pregnancy have lost the spleen as an important immune organ as well as a functional major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) pathway. How these evolutionary changes have impacted immune cell population dynamics have up to this point remained unexplored. Here, we present the first immune cell repertoire characterization of a syngnathid fish (Syngnathus typhle) using single-cell transcriptomics. Gene expression profiles of individual cells extracted from blood and head-kidney clustered in twelve putative cell populations with eight belonging to those with immune function. Upregulated cell marker genes identified in humans and teleosts were used to define cell clusters. While the suggested loss of CD4+ T-cells accompanied the loss of the MHC II pathway was supported, the upregulation of specific subtype markers within the T-cell cluster indicates subpopulations of regulatory T-cells (il2rb) and cytotoxic T-cells (gzma). Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing this report is the first to characterize immune cell populations in syngnathids and provides a valuable foundation for future cellular classification and experimental work within the lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Parker
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Naomi Croft Guslund
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Immunology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Olivia Roth
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Marine Evolutionary Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
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9
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Hellmann JK, Carlson ER, Bell AM. The interplay between sperm-mediated and care-mediated paternal effects in threespine sticklebacks. Anim Behav 2021; 179:267-277. [PMID: 34658382 PMCID: PMC8513676 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The environment experienced by one generation can influence the phenotypes of future generations. Because parental cues can be conveyed to offspring at multiple points in time, ranging from fertilization to posthatching/parturition, offspring can potentially receive multiple cues from their parents via different mechanisms. We have relatively little information regarding how different mechanisms operate in isolation and in tandem, but it is possible, for example, that offspring phenotypes induced by nongenetic changes to gametes may be amplified by, mitigated by, or depend upon parental care. Here, we manipulated paternal experience with predation risk prior to fertilization in threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, and then examined the potential of paternal care to mitigate and/or amplify sperm-mediated paternal effects. Specifically, we compared (1) offspring of predator-exposed fathers who were reared without paternal care, (2) offspring of predator-exposed fathers who were reared with paternal care, (3) offspring of control (unexposed) fathers who were reared without paternal care and (4) offspring of control fathers who were reared with paternal care. We found that offspring of predator-exposed fathers were less active and had higher cortisol following a simulated predator attack. Although predator-exposed males shifted their paternal care behaviours - reduced fanning early in egg development and increased fanning right before egg hatching compared to control males - this shift in paternal behavior did not appear to affect offspring traits. This suggests that paternal care neither amplifies nor compensates for these phenotypic effects induced by sperm and that nongenetic changes induced by sperm may occur independently of nongenetic changes induced by paternal care. Overall, these results underscore the importance of considering how parents may have multiple nongenetic mechanisms by which they can influence offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Erika R. Carlson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Alison M. Bell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
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10
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Spinks RK, Bonzi LC, Ravasi T, Munday PL, Donelson JM. Sex- and time-specific parental effects of warming on reproduction and offspring quality in a coral reef fish. Evol Appl 2021; 14:1145-1158. [PMID: 33897826 PMCID: PMC8061261 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Global warming can disrupt reproduction or lead to fewer and poorer quality offspring, owing to the thermally sensitive nature of reproductive physiology. However, phenotypic plasticity may enable some animals to adjust the thermal sensitivity of reproduction to maintain performance in warmer conditions. Whether elevated temperature affects reproduction may depend on the timing of exposure to warming and the sex of the parent exposed. We exposed male and female coral reef damselfish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) during development, reproduction or both life stages to an elevated temperature (+1.5°C) consistent with projected ocean warming and measured reproductive output and newly hatched offspring performance relative to pairs reared in a present-day control temperature. We found female development in elevated temperature increased the probability of breeding, but reproduction ceased if warming continued to the reproductive stage, irrespective of the male's developmental experience. Females that developed in warmer conditions, but reproduced in control conditions, also produced larger eggs and hatchlings with greater yolk reserves. By contrast, male development or pairs reproducing in higher temperature produced fewer and poorer quality offspring. Such changes may be due to alterations in sex hormones or an endocrine stress response. In nature, this could mean female fish developing during a marine heatwave may have enhanced reproduction and produce higher quality offspring compared with females developing in a year of usual thermal conditions. However, male development during a heatwave would likely result in reduced reproductive output. Furthermore, the lack of reproduction from an average increase in temperature could lead to population decline. Our results demonstrate how the timing of exposure differentially influences females and males and how this translates to effects on reproduction and population sustainability in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K. Spinks
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Lucrezia C. Bonzi
- Red Sea Research CenterDivision of Biological and Environmental Sciences and EngineeringKing Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Timothy Ravasi
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Marine Climate Change UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityKunigami‐gunJapan
| | - Philip L. Munday
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Jennifer M. Donelson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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11
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Goehlich H, Sartoris L, Wagner KS, Wendling CC, Roth O. Pipefish Locally Adapted to Low Salinity in the Baltic Sea Retain Phenotypic Plasticity to Cope With Ancestral Salinity Levels. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.626442] [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
Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity facilitate the migration into new habitats and enable organisms to cope with a rapidly changing environment. In contrast to genetic adaptation that spans multiple generations as an evolutionary process, phenotypic plasticity allows acclimation within the life-time of an organism. Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are usually studied in isolation, however, only by including their interactive impact, we can understand acclimation and adaptation in nature. We aimed to explore the contribution of adaptation and plasticity in coping with an abiotic (salinity) and a biotic (Vibriobacteria) stressor using six different populations of the broad-nosed pipefishSyngnathus typhlethat originated from either high [14–17 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU)] or low (7–11 PSU) saline environments along the German coastline of the Baltic Sea. We exposed wild caught animals, to either high (15 PSU) or low (7 PSU) salinity, representing native and novel salinity conditions and allowed animals to mate. After male pregnancy, offspring was split and each half was exposed to one of the two salinities and infected withVibrio alginolyticusbacteria that were evolved at either of the two salinities in a fully reciprocal design. We investigated life-history traits of fathers and expression of 47 target genes in mothers and offspring. Pregnant males originating from high salinity exposed to low salinity were highly susceptible to opportunistic fungi infections resulting in decreased offspring size and number. In contrast, no signs of fungal infection were identified in fathers originating from low saline conditions suggesting that genetic adaptation has the potential to overcome the challenges encountered at low salinity. Offspring from parents with low saline origin survived better at low salinity suggesting genetic adaptation to low salinity. In addition, gene expression analyses of juveniles indicated patterns of local adaptation,trans-generational plasticity and developmental plasticity. In conclusion, our study suggests that pipefish are locally adapted to the low salinity in their environment, however, they are retaining phenotypic plasticity, which allows them to also cope with ancestral salinity levels and prevailing pathogens.
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Rutkowska J, Lagisz M, Bonduriansky R, Nakagawa S. Mapping the past, present and future research landscape of paternal effects. BMC Biol 2020; 18:183. [PMID: 33246472 PMCID: PMC7694421 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00892-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although in all sexually reproducing organisms an individual has a mother and a father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in mothers. Paternal effects have been far less frequently studied, until recently. In the last 5 years, research on environmentally induced paternal effects has grown rapidly in the number of publications and diversity of topics. Here, we provide an overview of this field using synthesis of evidence (systematic map) and influence (bibliometric analyses). RESULTS We find that motivations for studies into paternal effects are diverse. For example, from the ecological and evolutionary perspective, paternal effects are of interest as facilitators of response to environmental change and mediators of extended heredity. Medical researchers track how paternal pre-fertilization exposures to factors, such as diet or trauma, influence offspring health. Toxicologists look at the effects of toxins. We compare how these three research guilds design experiments in relation to objects of their studies: fathers, mothers and offspring. We highlight examples of research gaps, which, in turn, lead to future avenues of research. CONCLUSIONS The literature on paternal effects is large and disparate. Our study helps in fostering connections between areas of knowledge that develop in parallel, but which could benefit from the lateral transfer of concepts and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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13
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Parental investment and immune dynamics in sex-role reversed pipefishes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228974. [PMID: 32976488 PMCID: PMC7518610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care elevates reproductive success by allocating resources into the upbringing of the offspring. However, it also imposes strong costs for the care-giving parent and can foster sexual dimorphism. Trade-offs between the reproductive system and the immune system may result in differential immunological capacities between the care-providing and the non-care-providing parent. Usually, providing care is restricted to the female sex making it impossible to study a sex-independent influence of parental investment on sexual immune dimorphism. The decoupling of sex-dependent parental investment and their influences on the parental immunological capacity, however, is possible in syngnathids, which evolved the unique male pregnancy on a gradient ranging from a simple carrying of eggs on the trunk (Nerophinae, low paternal investment) to full internal pregnancy (Syngnathus, high paternal investment). In this study, we compared candidate gene expression between females and males of different gravity stages in three species of syngnathids (Syngnathus typhle, Syngnathus rostellatus and Nerophis ophidion) with different male pregnancy intensities to determine how parental investment influences sexual immune dimorphism. While our data failed to detect sexual immune dimorphism in the subset of candidate genes assessed, we show a parental care specific resource-allocation trade-off between investment into pregnancy and immune defense when parental care is provided.
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Whittington CM, Friesen CR. The evolution and physiology of male pregnancy in syngnathid fishes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1252-1272. [PMID: 32372478 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (Syngnathidae) are among the few vertebrates in which pregnant males incubate developing embryos. Syngnathids are popular in studies of sexual selection, sex-role reversal, and reproductive trade-offs, and are now emerging as valuable comparative models for the study of the biology and evolution of reproductive complexity. These fish offer the opportunity to examine the physiology, behavioural implications, and evolutionary origins of embryo incubation, independent of the female reproductive tract and female hormonal milieu. Such studies allow us to examine flexibility in regulatory systems, by determining whether the pathways underpinning female pregnancy are also co-opted in incubating males, or whether novel pathways have evolved in response to the common challenges imposed by incubating developing embryos and releasing live young. The Syngnathidae are also ideal for studies of the evolution of reproductive complexity, because they exhibit multiple parallel origins of complex reproductive phenotypes. Here we assay the taxonomic distribution of syngnathid parity mode, examine the selective pressures that may have led to the emergence of male pregnancy, describe the biology of syngnathid reproduction, and highlight pressing areas for future research. Experimental tests of a range of hypotheses, including many generated with genomic tools, are required to inform overarching theories about the fitness implications of pregnancy and the evolution of male pregnancy. Such information will be widely applicable to our understanding of fundamental reproductive and evolutionary processes in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M Whittington
- The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.,The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher R Friesen
- The University of Wollongong, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia.,Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
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15
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Evolution of male pregnancy associated with remodeling of canonical vertebrate immunity in seahorses and pipefishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:9431-9439. [PMID: 32284407 PMCID: PMC7196912 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916251117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among vertebrates, pregnancy has evolved more than 150 times independently. A fundamental problem for pregnancy to evolve is inadvertent rejection of the embryo when being recognized as foreign tissue by the vertebrate’s adaptive immune system. We show that the unique evolution of male pregnancy in pipefishes and seahorses coincided with a genomic modification of one arm of the adaptive immune system. Our findings indicate a trade-off between immunological tolerance and embryo rejection to accompanying the emergence of male pregnancy. That syngnathids survive in an ocean of microbes despite their drastically modified immune defense suggests an unexpected immunological flexibility. Our results may improve the understanding of immune-deficiency diseases and call for a reassessment of vertebrate immunity. A fundamental problem for the evolution of pregnancy, the most specialized form of parental investment among vertebrates, is the rejection of the nonself-embryo. Mammals achieve immunological tolerance by down-regulating both major histocompatibility complex pathways (MHC I and II). Although pregnancy has evolved multiple times independently among vertebrates, knowledge of associated immune system adjustments is restricted to mammals. All of them (except monotremata) display full internal pregnancy, making evolutionary reconstructions within the class mammalia meaningless. Here, we study the seahorse and pipefish family (syngnathids) that have evolved male pregnancy across a gradient from external oviparity to internal gestation. We assess how immunological tolerance is achieved by reconstruction of the immune gene repertoire in a comprehensive sample of 12 seahorse and pipefish genomes along the “male pregnancy” gradient together with expression patterns of key immune and pregnancy genes in reproductive tissues. We found that the evolution of pregnancy coincided with a modification of the adaptive immune system. Divergent genomic rearrangements of the MHC II pathway among fully pregnant species were identified in both genera of the syngnathids: The pipefishes (Syngnathus) displayed loss of several genes of the MHC II pathway while seahorses (Hippocampus) featured a highly divergent invariant chain (CD74). Our findings suggest that a trade-off between immunological tolerance and embryo rejection accompanied the evolution of unique male pregnancy. That pipefishes survive in an ocean of microbes without one arm of the adaptive immune defense suggests a high degree of immunological flexibility among vertebrates, which may advance our understanding of immune-deficiency diseases.
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16
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Metcalf CJE, Roth O, Graham AL. Why leveraging sex differences in immune trade-offs may illuminate the evolution of senescence. Funct Ecol 2020; 34:129-140. [PMID: 32063662 PMCID: PMC7006808 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The immune system affects senescence (declines in probabilities of survival or reproduction with age), by shaping late age vulnerability to chronic inflammatory diseases and infections. It is also a dynamic interactive system that must balance competing demands across the life course. Thus, immune system function remains an important frontier in understanding the evolution of senescence.Here, we review our expanding mechanistic understanding of immune function over the life course, in the context of theoretical predictions from life-history evolution. We are especially interested in stage- and sex-dependent costs and benefits of investment in the immune system, given differential life-history priorities of the life stages and sexes.We introduce the costs likely to govern immune allocation across the life course. We then discuss theoretical expectations for differences between the sexes and their likely consequences in terms of how the immune system is both modulated by and may modulate senescence, building on information from life-history theory, experimental immunology and demography.We argue that sex differences in immune function provide a potentially powerful probe of selection pressures on the immune system across the life course. In particular, differences in 'competing' and 'caring' between the sexes have evolved across the tree of life, providing repeated instances of divergent selection pressures on immune function occurring within the same overall bauplan.We conclude by detailing an agenda for future research, including development of theoretical predictions of the differences between the sexes under an array of existing models for sex differences in immunity, and empirical tests of such predictions across the tree of life. A free http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13458/suppinfo can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR, Marine Evolutionary EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Ocean ResearchKielGermany
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
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17
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Zhang B, Zhang H, Qin G, Liu Y, Han X, Yin J, Lin Q. TLR2 gene in seahorse brood pouch plays key functional roles in LPS-induced antibacterial responses. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2019; 42:1085-1089. [PMID: 31037728 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.13006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huixian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Geng Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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18
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Microbial embryonal colonization during pipefish male pregnancy. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3. [PMID: 30626884 PMCID: PMC6327025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While originally acquired from the environment, a fraction of the microbiota is transferred from parents to offspring. The immune system shapes the microbial colonization, while commensal microbes may boost host immune defences. Parental transfer of microbes in viviparous animals remains ambiguous, as the two transfer routes (transovarial vs. pregnancy) are intermingled within the maternal body. Pipefishes and seahorses (syngnathids) are ideally suited to disentangle transovarial microbial transfer from a contribution during pregnancy due to their maternal egg production and their unique male pregnancy. We assessed the persistency and the changes in the microbial communities of the maternal and paternal reproductive tracts over proceeding male pregnancy by sequencing microbial 16S rRNA genes of swabs from maternal gonads and brood pouches of non-pregnant and pregnant fathers. Applying parental immunological activation with heat-killed bacteria, we evaluated the impact of parental immunological status on microbial development. Our data indicate that maternal gonads and paternal brood pouches harbor distinct microbial communities, which could affect embryonal development in a sex-specific manner. Upon activation of the immune system, a shift of the microbial community was observed. The activation of the immune system induced the expansion of microbiota richness during late pregnancy, which corresponds to the time point of larval mouth opening, when initial microbial colonization must take place.
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19
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Metcalf CJE, Graham AL. Schedule and magnitude of reproductive investment under immune trade-offs explains sex differences in immunity. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4391. [PMID: 30348963 PMCID: PMC6197210 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06793-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in immunity are found in many species. Known immune mechanisms in birds and mammals suggest that pathogen detection may be amplified in females, whereas in males, pathogen killing is amplified. We show that these immunological profiles emerge as distinct peaks on a fitness landscape defined by sensitivity-specificity and infection-immunopathology immune tradeoffs. What selection pressures might drive males and females towards separate peaks? Surprisingly, modeling immune trade-offs alone results in a pattern of sex differences that is the reverse of what is observed. By integrating these trade-offs into a life-history framework, where the schedule and magnitude of reproductive investment differs between the sexes, we find that increased age-specific infection and mortality risks during parental investment can push females towards the peak that aligns with empirical observations. Overall, our model suggests enhanced pathogen detection (in females) versus enhanced pathogen killing (in males) is best explained if shared immune tradeoffs interact with sex-specific reproductive schedules and risks. We suggest ways to test this framework empirically. Females and males tend to emphasize different defenses against pathogens: pathogen detection and pathogen killing, respectively. Here, Metcalf and Graham show that these alternate strategies can be explained by immune trade-offs only because the sexes differ in reproductive life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jessica E Metcalf
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA. .,Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 0 8544, USA.
| | - Andrea L Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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20
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Cunha M, Berglund A, Mendes S, Monteiro N. The 'Woman in Red' effect: pipefish males curb pregnancies at the sight of an attractive female. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1335. [PMID: 30135166 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In an old Gene Wilder movie, an attractive woman dressed in red devastated a man's current relationship. We have found a similar 'Woman in Red' effect in pipefish, a group of fish where pregnancy occurs in males. We tested for the existence of pregnancy blocks in pregnant male black-striped pipefish (Syngnathus abaster). We allowed pregnant males to see females that were larger and even more attractive than their original high-quality mates and monitored the survival and growth of developing offspring. After exposure to these extremely attractive females, males produced smaller offspring in more heterogeneous broods and showed a higher rate of spontaneous offspring abortion. Although we did not observe a full pregnancy block, our results show that males are able to reduce investment in current broods when faced with prospects of a more successful future reproduction with a potentially better mate. This 'Woman in Red' life-history trade-off between present and future reproduction has similarities to the Bruce effect, and our study represents, to our knowledge, the first documentation of such a phenomenon outside mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cunha
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - A Berglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Mendes
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - N Monteiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal .,CEBIMED, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, rua Carlos da Maia 296, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal
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21
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Recent advances in vertebrate and invertebrate transgenerational immunity in the light of ecology and evolution. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:225-238. [PMID: 29915335 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental experience with parasites and pathogens can lead to increased offspring resistance to infection, through a process known as transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). Broadly defined, TGIP occurs across a wide range of taxa, and can be viewed as a type of phenotypic plasticity, with hosts responding to the pressures of relevant local infection risk by altering their offspring's immune defenses. There are ever increasing examples of both invertebrate and vertebrate TGIP, which go beyond classical examples of maternal antibody transfer. Here we critically summarize the current evidence for TGIP in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Mechanisms underlying TGIP remain elusive in many systems, but while it is unlikely that they are conserved across the range of organisms with TGIP, recent insight into epigenetic modulation may challenge this view. We place TGIP into a framework of evolutionary ecology, discussing costs and relevant environmental variation. We highlight how the ecology of species or populations should affect if, where, when, and how TGIP is realized. We propose that the field can progress by incorporating evolutionary ecology focused designs to the study of the so far well chronicled, but mostly descriptive TGIP, and how rapidly developing -omic methods can be employed to further understand TGIP across taxa.
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22
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Kent M, Bell AM. Changes in behavior and brain immediate early gene expression in male threespined sticklebacks as they become fathers. Horm Behav 2018; 97:102-111. [PMID: 29117505 PMCID: PMC5771839 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Motherhood is a period of intense behavioral and brain activity. However, we know less about the neural and molecular mechanisms associated with the demands of fatherhood. Here, we report the results of two experiments designed to track changes in behavior and brain activation associated with fatherhood in male threespined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species in which fathers are the sole providers of parental care. In experiment 1, we tested whether males' behavioral reactions to different social stimuli depends on parental status, i.e. whether they were providing parental care. Parental males visited their nest more in response to social stimuli compared to nonparental males. Rates of courtship behavior were high in non-parental males but low in parental males. In experiment 2, we used a quantitative in situ hybridization method to compare the expression of an immediate early gene (Egr-1) across the breeding cycle - from establishing a territory to caring for offspring. Egr-1 expression peaked when the activities associated with fatherhood were greatest (when they were providing care to fry), and then returned to baseline levels once offspring were independent. The medial dorsal telencephalon (basolateral amygdala), lateral part of dorsal telencephalon (hippocampus) and anterior tuberal nucleus (ventral medial hypothalamus) exhibited high levels of Egr-1 expression during the breeding cycle. These results help to define the neural circuitry associated with fatherhood in fishes, and are consistent with the hypothesis that fatherhood - like motherhood - is a period of intense behavioral and neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Kent
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States
| | - Alison M Bell
- School of Integrative Biology, Program in Neuroscience, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States.
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23
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Keller IS, Salzburger W, Roth O. Parental investment matters for maternal and offspring immune defense in the mouthbrooding cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:264. [PMID: 29262789 PMCID: PMC5738712 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1109-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental care, while increasing parental fitness through offspring survival, also bears cost to the care-giving parent. Consequentially, trade offs between parental care and other vitally important traits, such as the immune system seem evident. In co-occurring phases of parental care and immunological challenges negative consequences through a resource allocation trade off on both the parental and the offspring conditions can be predicted. While the immune system reflects parental stress conditions, parental immunological investments also boost offspring survival via the transfer of immunological substances (trans-generational immune priming). We investigated this relationship in the mouthbrooding East African cichlid Astotatilapia burtoni. Prior to mating, females were exposed to an immunological activation, while others remained immunologically naïve. Correspondingly, the immunological status of females was either examined directly after reproduction or after mouthbrooding had ceased. Offspring from both groups were exposed to immunological challenges to assess the extent of trans-generational immune priming. As proxy for immune status, cellular immunological activity and gene expression were determined. RESULTS Both reproducing and mouthbrooding females allocate their resources towards reproduction. While upon reproduction the innate immune system was impeded, mouthbrooding females showed an attenuation of inflammatory components. Juveniles from immune challenged mouthbrooding females showed downregulation of immune and life history candidate genes, implying a limitation of trans-generational plasticity when parents experience stress during the costly reproductive phase. CONCLUSION Our results provide evidence that both parental investment via mouthbrooding and the rise of the immunological activity upon an immune challenge are costly traits. If applied simultaneously, not only mothers seem to be impacted in their performance, but also offspring are impeded in their ability to react upon a potentially virulent pathogen exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel S. Keller
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Olivia Roth
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
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24
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Fogelson SB, Fast MD, Leary J, Camus AC. Pathologic features of mycobacteriosis in naturally infected Syngnathidae and novel transcriptome assembly in association with disease. JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES 2017; 40:1681-1694. [PMID: 28449243 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Syngnathidae (seahorses, seadragons and pipefish) suffer significant losses from non-tuberculous mycobacteria. However, they produce markedly different lesions in response to the disease compared to other teleost species, notably infrequent granuloma formation. This study evaluated 270 syngnathid fish, from which 92 were diagnosed with mycobacteriosis by histopathology, culture or both. Microscopic lesions variably consisted of random foci of coagulative necrosis in multiple organs, containing high numbers of free bacteria and large aggregates or sheets of macrophages with cytoplasm laden with acid-fast bacilli. Mycobacterial associated granulomas were identified in only six seahorses. Five fish had positive cultures with no observed microscopic changes. RNA-seq of the head kidney was performed to investigate the transcriptome of two infected and six non-infected lined seahorses Hippocampus erectus. Assembled and annotated putative transcripts serve to enrich the database for this species, as well as provide baseline data for understanding the pathogenesis of mycobacteriosis in seahorses. Putative components of the innate immune system (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, NOS, Toll-like receptor 1, MHC Class I, NF-κβ, transforming growth factor beta, MyD88) were identified in the RNA-seq data set. However, a homolog for a key component in the TH1 adaptive immune response, interferon-gamma, was not identified and may underlie the unique pathologic presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Fogelson
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - M D Fast
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - J Leary
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - A C Camus
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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25
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Wilson AB. MHC and adaptive immunity in teleost fishes. Immunogenetics 2017; 69:521-528. [DOI: 10.1007/s00251-017-1009-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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26
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Pregnant pipefish with a simple brooding surface loose less weight when carrying heavier eggs: evidence of compensation for low oocyte quality? Acta Ethol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-017-0268-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Poirier M, Listmann L, Roth O. Selection by higher-order effects of salinity and bacteria on early life-stages of Western Baltic spring-spawning herring. Evol Appl 2017; 10:603-615. [PMID: 28616067 PMCID: PMC5469169 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat stratification by abiotic and biotic factors initiates divergence of populations and leads to ecological speciation. In contrast to fully marine waters, the Baltic Sea is stratified by a salinity gradient that strongly affects fish physiology, distribution, diversity and virulence of important marine pathogens. Animals thus face the challenge to simultaneously adapt to the concurrent salinity and cope with the selection imposed by the changing pathogenic virulence. Western Baltic spring‐spawning herring (Clupea harengus) migrate to spawning grounds characterized by different salinities to which herring are supposedly adapted. We hypothesized that herring populations do not only have to cope with different salinity levels but that they are simultaneously exposed to higher‐order effects that accompany the shifts in salinity, that is induced pathogenicity of Vibrio bacteria in lower saline waters. To experimentally evaluate this, adults of two populations were caught in their spawning grounds and fully reciprocally crossed within and between populations. Larvae were reared at three salinity levels, representing the spawning ground salinity of each of the two populations, or Atlantic salinity conditions resembling the phylogenetic origin of Clupea harengus. In addition, larvae were exposed to a Vibrio spp. infection. Life‐history traits and gene expression analysis served as response variables. Herring seem adapted to Baltic Sea conditions and cope better with low saline waters. However, upon a bacterial infection, herring larvae suffer more when kept at lower salinities implying reduced resistance against Vibrio or higher Vibrio virulence. In the context of recent climate change with less saline marine waters in the Baltic Sea, such interactions may constitute key future stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Poirier
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Germany
| | | | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Germany
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28
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Roth O, Landis SH. Trans-generational plasticity in response to immune challenge is constrained by heat stress. Evol Appl 2017; 10:514-528. [PMID: 28515783 PMCID: PMC5427669 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Trans‐generational plasticity (TGP) is the adjustment of phenotypes to changing habitat conditions that persist longer than the individual lifetime. Fitness benefits (adaptive TGP) are expected upon matching parent–offspring environments. In a global change scenario, several performance‐related environmental factors are changing simultaneously. This lowers the predictability of offspring environmental conditions, potentially hampering the benefits of TGP. For the first time, we here explore how the combination of an abiotic and a biotic environmental factor in the parental generation plays out as trans‐generational effect in the offspring. We fully reciprocally exposed the parental generation of the pipefish Syngnathus typhle to an immune challenge and elevated temperatures simulating a naturally occurring heatwave. Upon mating and male pregnancy, offspring were kept in ambient or elevated temperature regimes combined with a heat‐killed bacterial epitope treatment. Differential gene expression (immune genes and DNA‐ and histone‐modification genes) suggests that the combined change of an abiotic and a biotic factor in the parental generation had interactive effects on offspring performance, the temperature effect dominated over the immune challenge impact. The benefits of certain parental environmental conditions on offspring performance did not sum up when abiotic and biotic factors were changed simultaneously supporting that available resources that can be allocated to phenotypic trans‐generational effects are limited. Temperature is the master regulator of trans‐generational phenotypic plasticity, which potentially implies a conflict in the allocation of resources towards several environmental factors. This asks for a reassessment of TGP as a short‐term option to buffer environmental variation in the light of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Germany
| | - Susanne H Landis
- GEOMAR Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Germany
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29
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Abstract
Host resistance to parasites is a rapidly evolving trait that can influence how hosts modify ecosystems. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks may develop if the ecosystem effects of host resistance influence selection on subsequent host generations. In a mesocosm experiment, using a recently diverged (<100 generations) pair of lake and stream three-spined sticklebacks, we tested how experimental exposure to a common fish parasite (Gyrodactylus spp.) affects interactions between hosts and their ecosystems in two environmental conditions (low and high nutrients). In both environments, we found that stream sticklebacks were more resistant to Gyrodactylus and had different gene expression profiles than lake sticklebacks. This differential infection led to contrasting effects of sticklebacks on a broad range of ecosystem properties, including zooplankton community structure and nutrient cycling. These ecosystem modifications affected the survival, body condition, and gene expression profiles of a subsequent fish generation. In particular, lake juvenile fish suffered increased mortality in ecosystems previously modified by lake adults, whereas stream fish showed decreased body condition in stream fish-modified ecosystems. Parasites reinforced selection against lake juveniles in lake fish-modified ecosystems, but only under oligotrophic conditions. Overall, our results highlight the overlapping timescales and the interplay of host-parasite and host-ecosystem interactions. We provide experimental evidence that parasites influence host-mediated effects on ecosystems and, thereby, change the likelihood and strength of eco-evolutionary feedbacks.
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Beemelmanns A, Roth O. Grandparental immune priming in the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:44. [PMID: 28173760 PMCID: PMC5297188 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0885-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phenotypic changes in response to environmental influences can persist from one generation into the next. In many systems parental parasite experience influences offspring immune responses, known as transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). TGIP in vertebrates is mainly maternal and short-term, supporting the adaptive immune system of the offspring during its maturation. However, if fathers and offspring have a close physical connection, evolution of additional paternal immune priming can be adaptive. Biparental TGIP may result in maximized immunological protection. Here, we investigate multigenerational biparental TGIP in the sex-role reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle by exposing grandparents to an immune challenge with heat-killed bacteria and assessing gene expression (44 target genes) of the F2-generation. Results Grandparental immune challenge induced gene expression of immune genes in one-week-old grandoffspring. Similarly, genes mediating epigenetic regulation including DNA-methylation and histone modifications were involved in grandparental immune priming. While grand-maternal impact was strong on genes of the complement component system, grand-paternal exposure changed expression patterns of genes mediating innate immune defense. Conclusion In a system with male pregnancy, grandparents influenced the immune system of their grandoffspring in a sex-specific manner, demonstrating multigenerational biparental TGIP. The involvement of epigenetic effects suggests that TGIP via the paternal line may not be limited to the pipefish system that displays male pregnancy. While the benefits and costs of grandparental TGIP depend on the temporal heterogeneity of environmental conditions, multigenerational TGIP may affect host-parasite coevolution by dampening the amplitude of Red Queen Dynamics. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0885-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Beemelmanns
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
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31
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The genome of the Gulf pipefish enables understanding of evolutionary innovations. Genome Biol 2016; 17:258. [PMID: 27993155 PMCID: PMC5168715 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1126-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evolutionary origins of derived morphologies ultimately stem from changes in protein structure, gene regulation, and gene content. A well-assembled, annotated reference genome is a central resource for pursuing these molecular phenomena underlying phenotypic evolution. We explored the genome of the Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli), which belongs to family Syngnathidae (pipefishes, seahorses, and seadragons). These fishes have dramatically derived bodies and a remarkable novelty among vertebrates, the male brood pouch. Results We produce a reference genome, condensed into chromosomes, for the Gulf pipefish. Gene losses and other changes have occurred in pipefish hox and dlx clusters and in the tbx and pitx gene families, candidate mechanisms for the evolution of syngnathid traits, including an elongated axis and the loss of ribs, pelvic fins, and teeth. We measure gene expression changes in pregnant versus non-pregnant brood pouch tissue and characterize the genomic organization of duplicated metalloprotease genes (patristacins) recruited into the function of this novel structure. Phylogenetic inference using ultraconserved sequences provides an alternative hypothesis for the relationship between orders Syngnathiformes and Scombriformes. Comparisons of chromosome structure among percomorphs show that chromosome number in a pipefish ancestor became reduced via chromosomal fusions. Conclusions The collected findings from this first syngnathid reference genome open a window into the genomic underpinnings of highly derived morphologies, demonstrating that de novo production of high quality and useful reference genomes is within reach of even small research groups. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1126-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Beemelmanns A, Roth O. Bacteria-type-specific biparental immune priming in the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6735-6757. [PMID: 27777744 PMCID: PMC5058542 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The transfer of acquired and specific immunity against previously encountered bacteria from mothers to offspring boosts the immune response of the next generation and supports the development of a successful pathogen defense. While most studies claim that the transfer of immunity is a maternal trait, in the sex-role-reversed pipefish Syngnathus typhle, fathers nurse the embryos over a placenta-like structure, which opens the door for additional paternal immune priming. We examined the potential and persistence of bacteria-type-specific parental immune priming in the pipefish S. typhle over maturation time using a fully reciprocal design with two different bacteria species (Vibrio spp. and Tenacibaculum maritimum). Our results suggest that S. typhle is able to specifically prime the next generation against prevalent local bacteria and to a limited extent even also against newly introduced bacteria species. Long-term protection was thereby maintained only against prevailing Vibrio bacteria. Maternal and paternal transgenerational immune priming can complement each other, as they affect different pathways of the offspring immune system and come with distinct degree of specificity. The differential regulation of DNA-methylation genes upon parental bacteria exposure in premature pipefish offspring indicates that epigenetic regulation processes are involved in transferring immune-related information across generations. The identified trade-offs between immune priming and reproduction determine TGIP as a costly trait, which might constrain the evolution of long-lasting TGIP, if parental and offspring generations do not share the same parasite assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Beemelmanns
- Helmholtz‐Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)Evolutionary Ecology of Marine FishesDüsternbrooker Weg 2024105KielGermany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Helmholtz‐Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)Evolutionary Ecology of Marine FishesDüsternbrooker Weg 2024105KielGermany
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33
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Beemelmanns A, Roth O. Biparental immune priming in the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:262-72. [PMID: 27477613 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The transfer of immunity from parents to offspring (trans-generational immune priming (TGIP)) boosts offspring immune defence and parasite resistance. TGIP is usually a maternal trait. However, if fathers have a physical connection to their offspring, and if offspring are born in the paternal parasitic environment, evolution of paternal TGIP can become adaptive. In Syngnathus typhle, a sex-role reversed pipefish with male pregnancy, both parents invest into offspring immune defence. To connect TGIP with parental investment, we need to know how parents share the task of TGIP, whether TGIP is asymmetrically distributed between the parents, and how the maternal and paternal effects interact in case of biparental TGIP. We experimentally investigated the strength and differences but also the costs of maternal and paternal contribution, and their interactive biparental influence on offspring immune defence throughout offspring maturation. To disentangle maternal and paternal influences, two different bacteria were used in a fully reciprocal design for parental and offspring exposure. In offspring, we measured gene expression of 29 immune genes, 15 genes associated with epigenetic regulation, immune cell activity and life-history traits. We identified asymmetric maternal and paternal immune priming with a dominating, long-lasting paternal effect. We could not detect an additive adaptive biparental TGIP impact. However, biparental TGIP harbours additive costs as shown in delayed sexual maturity. Epigenetic regulation may play a role both in maternal and paternal TGIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Beemelmanns
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D-24105 Kiel, Germany.
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34
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Brunner FS, Eizaguirre C. Can environmental change affect host/parasite-mediated speciation? ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:384-94. [PMID: 27210289 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parasitism can be a driver of species divergence and thereby significantly alter species formation processes. While we still need to better understand how parasite-mediated speciation functions, it is even less clear how this process is affected by environmental change. Both rapid and gradual changes of the environment can modify host immune responses, parasite virulence and the specificity of their interactions. They will thereby change host-parasite evolutionary trajectories and the potential for speciation in both hosts and parasites. Here, we summarise mechanisms of host-parasite interactions affecting speciation and subsequently consider their susceptibility to environmental changes. We mainly focus on the effects of temperature change and nutrient input to ecosystems as they are major environmental stressors. There is evidence for both disruptive and accelerating effects of those pressures on speciation that seem to be context-dependent. A prerequisite for parasite-driven host speciation is that parasites significantly alter the host's Darwinian fitness. This can rapidly lead to divergent selection and genetic adaptation; however, it is likely preceded by more short-term plastic and transgenerational effects. Here, we also consider how these first responses and their susceptibility to environmental changes could lead to alterations of the species formation process and may provide alternative pathways to speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska S Brunner
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
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35
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Paczolt KA, Martin WE, Ratterman NL, Jones AG. A low rate of multiple maternity for pregnant male northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 88:1614-1619. [PMID: 26865072 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellite parentage analysis was applied to 22 broods of the northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus for the first time. The majority of males mated singly, 23% of males mated with two females, and no males mated with more than two females. The arrangement of embryos within the brood pouch of multiply mated males reflects a previously undocumented fill pattern where full-sib groups are segregated within the pouch by both right and left sides as well as anterior and posterior ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Paczolt
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, U.S.A
| | - W E Martin
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, U.S.A
| | - N L Ratterman
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, U.S.A
| | - A G Jones
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, U.S.A
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36
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Otero-Ferrer F, Izquierdo M, Fazeli A, Holt WV. Embryonic developmental plasticity in the long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus reidi, Ginsburg 1933) in relation to parental preconception diet. Reprod Fertil Dev 2016; 28:1020-1028. [DOI: 10.1071/rd14169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that parental periconception nutrition in adult seahorses affects the development and growth of their offspring. We tested the hypothesis that because seahorse embryos develop inside the male’s brood pouch, manipulation of the male’s diet would affect offspring growth and development independently of the female’s diet. Adult males and females were fed separately with either wild-caught crustaceans or commercial aquarium diet for 1 month before conception to influence the periconception environment. Approximately 10 000 offspring were obtained from four different treatment groups (Male/Wild or Male/Commercial × Female/Wild or Female/Commercial). Weights, physical dimensions and fatty acid profiles of the newborns were determined. Offspring produced when the males receiving commercial diet were mated with wild-fed females were larger (P < 0.05) than those produced by wild-fed males. When both males and females were fed with commercial diet, their offspring were significantly smaller than those from the other treatment groups. When commercial diet-fed females were mated with wild-fed males, the offspring showed distortion of the snout : head length ratio. These results support the view that the preconception diet received by males and females differentially affects embryonic development.
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37
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Landis SH, Sundin J, Rosenqvist G, Poirier M, Jørgensen GØ, Roth O. Female pipefish can detect the immune status of their mates. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2004-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Whittington CM, Griffith OW, Qi W, Thompson MB, Wilson AB. Seahorse Brood Pouch Transcriptome Reveals Common Genes Associated with Vertebrate Pregnancy. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:3114-31. [PMID: 26330546 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viviparity (live birth) has evolved more than 150 times in vertebrates, and represents an excellent model system for studying the evolution of complex traits. There are at least 23 independent origins of viviparity in fishes, with syngnathid fishes (seahorses and pipefish) unique in exhibiting male pregnancy. Male seahorses and pipefish have evolved specialized brooding pouches that provide protection, gas exchange, osmoregulation, and limited nutrient provisioning to developing embryos. Pouch structures differ widely across the Syngnathidae, offering an ideal opportunity to study the evolution of reproductive complexity. However, the physiological and genetic changes facilitating male pregnancy are largely unknown. We used transcriptome profiling to examine pouch gene expression at successive gestational stages in a syngnathid with the most complex brood pouch morphology, the seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis. Using a unique time-calibrated RNA-seq data set including brood pouch at key stages of embryonic development, we identified transcriptional changes associated with brood pouch remodeling, nutrient and waste transport, gas exchange, osmoregulation, and immunological protection of developing embryos at conception, development and parturition. Key seahorse transcripts share homology with genes of reproductive function in pregnant mammals, reptiles, and other live-bearing fish, suggesting a common toolkit of genes regulating pregnancy in divergent evolutionary lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M Whittington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Oliver W Griffith
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Weihong Qi
- Functional Genomics Centre, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael B Thompson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anthony B Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Department of Biology, Brooklyn College The Graduate Center, City University of New York
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39
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Eggert H, Kurtz J, Diddens-de Buhr MF. Different effects of paternal trans-generational immune priming on survival and immunity in step and genetic offspring. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.2089. [PMID: 25355479 PMCID: PMC4240996 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal trans-generational immune priming, whereby fathers provide immune protection to offspring, has been demonstrated in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum exposed to the insect pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis. It is currently unclear how such protection is transferred, as in contrast to mothers, fathers do not directly provide offspring with a large amount of substances. In addition to sperm, male flour beetles transfer seminal fluids in a spermatophore to females during copulation. Depending on whether paternal trans-generational immune priming is mediated by sperm or seminal fluids, it is expected to either affect only the genetic offspring of a male, or also their step offspring that are sired by another male. We therefore conducted a double-mating experiment and found that only the genetic offspring of an immune primed male show enhanced survival upon bacterial challenge, while phenoloxidase activity, an important insect immune trait, and the expression of the immune receptor PGRP were increased in all offspring. This indicates that information leading to enhanced survival upon pathogen exposure is transferred via sperm, and thus potentially constitutes an epigenetic effect, whereas substances transferred with the seminal fluid could have an additional influence on offspring immune traits and immunological alertness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Eggert
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Maike F Diddens-de Buhr
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Hüfferstraße 1, Münster 48149, Germany
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40
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Paczolt KA, Jones AG. The effects of food limitation on life history tradeoffs in pregnant male gulf pipefish. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124147. [PMID: 25970284 PMCID: PMC4430282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Syngnathid fishes (pipefishes, seahorses and seadragons) are characterized by a unique mode of paternal care in which embryos develop on or in the male’s body, often within a structure known as a brood pouch. Evidence suggests that this pouch plays a role in mediating postcopulatory sexual selection and that males have some control over the events occurring within the pouch during the pregnancy. These observations lead to the prediction that males should invest differently in broods depending on the availability of food. Here, we use the Gulf pipefish to test this prediction by monitoring growth rate and offspring survivorship during the pregnancies of males under low- or high-food conditions. Our results show that pregnant males grow less rapidly on average than non-pregnant males, and pregnant males under low-food conditions grow less than pregnant males under high-food conditions. Offspring survivorship, on the other hand, does not differ between food treatments, suggesting that male Gulf pipefish sacrifice investment in somatic growth, and thus indirectly sacrifice future reproduction, in favor of current reproduction. However, a positive relationship between number of failed eggs and male growth rate in our low-food treatments suggests that undeveloped eggs reduce the pregnancy’s overall cost to the male compared to broods containing only viable offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Paczolt
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Adam G. Jones
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, United States of America
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41
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Goncalves IB, Mobley KB, Ahnesjö I, Sagebakken G, Jones AG, Kvarnemo C. Effects of mating order and male size on embryo survival in a pipefish. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ines Braga Goncalves
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Gothenburg; Box 463 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; Animal Behaviour; University of Zürich; Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Kenyon B. Mobley
- Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Biology; August-Thienemann Straβe 2 DE-24306 Plön Germany
| | - Ingrid Ahnesjö
- Department of Ecology and Genetics; Animal Ecology; Uppsala University; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Gry Sagebakken
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Gothenburg; Box 463 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
| | - Adam G. Jones
- Department of Biology; Texas A&M University; 3258 TAMU College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Gothenburg; Box 463 SE-40530 Göteborg Sweden
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42
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Sternberg ED, de Roode JC, Hunter MD. Trans-generational parasite protection associated with paternal diet. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:310-21. [PMID: 25251734 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12289] [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] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Multiple generations of hosts are often exposed to the same pathogens, favouring the evolution of trans-generational defences. Because females have more opportunities to transfer protective molecules to offspring, many studies have focused on maternally derived protection. However, males of many species can transfer compounds along with sperm, including chemicals that could provide protection. Here, we assess maternally and paternally derived protection in a monarch butterfly-protozoan parasite system where parasite resistance is heavily influenced by secondary plant chemicals, known as cardenolides, present in the larval diet of milkweed plants. We reared monarch butterflies on medicinal and non-medicinal milkweed species and then measured resistance of their offspring to infection. We also measured cardenolide content in adult monarchs reared on the two species, and in the eggs that they produced. We found that offspring were more resistant to infection when their fathers were reared on medicinal milkweed, while maternal diet had less of an effect. We also found that eggs contained the highest levels of cardenolides when both parents were reared on the medicinal species. Moreover, females reared on non-medicinal milkweed produced eggs with significantly higher levels of cardenolides if they mated with males reared on the medicinal milkweed species. However, we found an equivocal relationship between the cardenolides present in eggs and parasite resistance in the offspring. Our results demonstrate that males reared on medicinal plants can transfer protection to their offspring, but the exact mechanism remains unresolved. This suggests that paternal protection from parasitism might be important, particularly when there are environmental sources of parasite resistance and when males transfer spermatophores during mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanore D Sternberg
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, 111 Merkle Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jacobus C de Roode
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 2053 Natural Sciences Building, 830 North University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA
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Kaufmann J, Lenz TL, Milinski M, Eizaguirre C. Experimental parasite infection reveals costs and benefits of paternal effects. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:1409-17. [PMID: 25168056 PMCID: PMC4282062 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Forces shaping an individual's phenotype are complex and include transgenerational effects. Despite low investment into reproduction, a father's environment and phenotype can shape its offspring's phenotype. Whether and when such paternal effects are adaptive, however, remains elusive. Using three-spined sticklebacks in controlled infection experiments, we show that sperm deficiencies in exposed males compared to their unexposed brothers functionally translated into reduced reproductive success in sperm competition trials. In non-competitive fertilisations, offspring of exposed males suffered significant costs of reduced hatching success and survival but they reached a higher body condition than their counterparts from unexposed fathers after experimental infection. Interestingly, those benefits of paternal infection did not result from increased resistance but from increased tolerance to the parasite. Altogether, these results demonstrate that parasite resistance and tolerance are shaped by processes involving both genetic and non-genetic inheritance and suggest a context-dependent adaptive value of paternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshka Kaufmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, 24306, Germany
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44
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Roth O, Sundin J, Berglund A, Rosenqvist G, Wegner KM. Male mate choice relies on major histocompatibility complex class I in a sex-role-reversed pipefish. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:929-38. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- O. Roth
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes; GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel; Kiel Germany
| | - J. Sundin
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC); Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - A. Berglund
- Department of Animal Ecology; Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC); Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - G. Rosenqvist
- Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Trondheim Norway
| | - K. M. Wegner
- Coastal Ecology; Alfred Wegener Institute-Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research; List Germany
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46
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Abstract
The transfer of immunity from mother to offspring is widespread in animals. The father's contribution to this is usually negligible. However, in a sex-role reversed pipefish where fathers do the mothering, fathers make an important immune priming contribution, too.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cristina Keightley
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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