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Benowitz-Fredericks ZM, Will AP, Pete SN, Whelan S, Kitaysky AS. Corticosterone release in very young siblicidal seabird chicks (Rissa tridactyla) is sensitive to environmental variability and responds rapidly and robustly to external challenges. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 355:114545. [PMID: 38701975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
In birds, patterns of development of the adrenocortical response to stressors vary among individuals, types of stressors, and species. Since there are benefits and costs of exposure to elevated glucocorticoids, this variation is presumably a product of selection such that animals modulate glucocorticoid secretion in contexts where doing so increases their fitness. In this study, we evaluated hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in first-hatched free-living seabird nestlings that engage in intense sibling competition and facultative siblicide (black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla). We sampled 5 day old chicks (of the ∼45 day nestling period), a critical early age when food availability drives establishment of important parent-offspring and intra-brood dynamics. We experimentally supplemented parents with food ("supplemented") and measured chick baseline corticosterone secretion and capacity to rapidly increase corticosterone in response to an acute challenge (handling and 15 min of restraint in a bag). We also used topical administration of corticosterone to evaluate the ability of chicks to downregulate physiologically relevant corticosterone levels on a short time scale (minutes). We found that 5 day old chicks are not hypo-responsive but release corticosterone in proportion to the magnitude of the challenge, showing differences in baseline between parental feeding treatments (supplemented vs non-supplemented), moderate increases in response to handling, and a larger response to restraint (comparable to adults) that also differed between chicks from supplemented and control nests. Topical application of exogenous corticosterone increased circulating levels nearly to restraint-induced levels and induced downregulation of HPA responsiveness to the acute challenge of handling. Parental supplemental feeding did not affect absorbance/clearance or negative feedback. Thus, while endogenous secretion of corticosterone in young chicks is sensitive to environmental context, other aspects of the HPA function, such as rapid negative feedback and/or the ability to clear acute elevations in corticosterone, are not. We conclude that 5 day old kittiwake chicks are capable of robust adrenocortical responses to novel challenges, and are sensitive to parental food availability, which may be transduced behaviorally, nutritionally, or via maternal effects. Questions remain about the function of such rapid, large acute stress-induced increases in corticosterone in very young chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A P Will
- World Wildlife Fund, US Arctic Program, United States; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, United States
| | - S N Pete
- Bucknell University, Department of Biology, 1 Dent Drive, Lewisburg, PA, United States
| | - S Whelan
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, United States
| | - A S Kitaysky
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, United States
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2
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Voirin CJ, Tsunekage T, Liu Y, Alexy KF, Levin II. Brood size is associated with apparent telomere lengthening in nestling barn swallows. Oecologia 2023; 202:29-40. [PMID: 37087699 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05375-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Early life for animals is often a time of rapid growth and development. In a resource-limited environment, life history theory predicts that there must be trade-offs between resource sinks in ways that optimize future survival and reproductive success. Telomeres have emerged as putative indicators of these early life trade-offs, but there are conflicting accounts as to how developmental traits and conditions impact telomere length and dynamics. For 2 years, we studied the nestlings of a breeding population of barn swallows from day 6 to day 12 of life, measuring various ontogenetic factors to understand to what extent they explain variation in telomere length and dynamics. We unexpectedly found that telomeres lengthened between the two sampling points. Nestlings in large broods had shorter telomeres, but surprisingly, individuals that grew faster from day 6 to day 12 had longer telomeres and more telomere lengthening. Nestlings with higher mass relative to their nestmates on d6 had shorter telomeres, suggesting that the relatively fast growth barn swallows experience early in development is more costly than the relatively slower growth later in development. These effects were only found in the first year of study. Telomere lengthening may be due to the initiation of new hematopoietic cell lines during development or the expression of telomerase early in life. Favorable early life conditions and high parental investment could allow for more growth with little to no cost to telomere length or dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshi Tsunekage
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Yujie Liu
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Kate F Alexy
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
| | - Iris I Levin
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, 43022, USA
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3
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Pepke ML, Kvalnes T, Ranke PS, Araya‐Ajoy YG, Wright J, Sæther B, Jensen H, Ringsby TH. Causes and consequences of variation in early-life telomere length in a bird metapopulation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9144. [PMID: 35923948 PMCID: PMC9339764 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions during early-life development can have lasting effects shaping individual heterogeneity in fitness and fitness-related traits. The length of telomeres, the DNA sequences protecting chromosome ends, may be affected by early-life conditions, and telomere length (TL) has been associated with individual performance within some wild animal populations. Thus, knowledge of the mechanisms that generate variation in TL, and the relationship between TL and fitness, is important in understanding the role of telomeres in ecology and life-history evolution. Here, we investigate how environmental conditions and morphological traits are associated with early-life blood TL and if TL predicts natal dispersal probability or components of fitness in 2746 wild house sparrow (Passer domesticus) nestlings from two populations sampled across 20 years (1994-2013). We retrieved weather data and we monitored population fluctuations, individual survival, and reproductive output using field observations and genetic pedigrees. We found a negative effect of population density on TL, but only in one of the populations. There was a curvilinear association between TL and the maximum daily North Atlantic Oscillation index during incubation, suggesting that there are optimal weather conditions that result in the longest TL. Dispersers tended to have shorter telomeres than non-dispersers. TL did not predict survival, but we found a tendency for individuals with short telomeres to have higher annual reproductive success. Our study showed how early-life TL is shaped by effects of growth, weather conditions, and population density, supporting that environmental stressors negatively affect TL in wild populations. In addition, shorter telomeres may be associated with a faster pace-of-life, as individuals with higher dispersal rates and annual reproduction tended to have shorter early-life TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Le Pepke
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Peter Sjolte Ranke
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Yimen G. Araya‐Ajoy
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jonathan Wright
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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Lin J, Epel E. Stress and telomere shortening: Insights from cellular mechanisms. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 73:101507. [PMID: 34736994 PMCID: PMC8920518 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Short telomeres confer risk of degenerative diseases. Chronic psychological stress can lead to disease through many pathways, and research from in vitro studies to human longitudinal studies has pointed to stress-induced telomere damage as an important pathway. However, there has not been a comprehensive model to describe how changes in stress physiology and neuroendocrine pathways can lead to changes in telomere biology. Critically short telomeres or the collapse of the telomere structure caused by displacement of telomere binding protein complex shelterin elicit a DNA damage response and lead to senescence or apoptosis. In this narrative review, we summarize the key roles glucocorticoids, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria, and inflammation play in mediating the relationship between psychological stress and telomere maintenance. We emphasis that these mediators are interconnected and reinforce each other in positive feedback loops. Telomere length has not been studied across the lifespan yet, but the initial setting point at birth appears to be the most influential point, as it sets the lifetime trajectory, and is influenced by stress. We describe two types of intergenerational stress effects on telomeres - prenatal stress effects on telomeres during fetal development, and 'telotype transmission" -the directly inherited transmission of short telomeres from parental germline. It is clear that the initial simplistic view of telomere length as a mitotic clock has evolved into a far more complex picture of both transgenerational telomere influences, and of interconnected molecular and cellular pathways and networks, as hallmarks of aging where telomere maintenance is a key player interacting with mitochondria. Further mechanistic investigations testing this comprehensive model of stress mediators shaping telomere biology and the telomere-mitochondrial nexus will lead to better understanding from cell to human lifespan aging, and could lead to anti-aging interventions.
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Zane L, Ensminger DC, Vázquez-Medina JP. Short-term elevations in glucocorticoids do not alter telomere lengths: A systematic review and meta-analysis of non-primate vertebrate studies. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257370. [PMID: 34597314 PMCID: PMC8486123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The neuroendocrine stress response allows vertebrates to cope with stressors via the activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which ultimately results in the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs). Glucocorticoids have pleiotropic effects on behavior and physiology, and might influence telomere length dynamics. During a stress event, GCs mobilize energy towards survival mechanisms rather than to telomere maintenance. Additionally, reactive oxygen species produced in response to increased GC levels can damage telomeres, also leading to telomere shortening. In our systematic review and meta-analysis, we tested whether GC levels impact telomere length and if this relationship differs among time frame, life history stage, or stressor type. We hypothesized that elevated GC levels are linked to a decrease in telomere length. Methods We conducted a literature search for studies investigating the relationship between telomere length and GCs in non-human vertebrates using four search engines: Web of Science, Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus, last searched on September 27th, 2020. This review identified 31 studies examining the relationship between GCs and telomere length. We pooled the data using Fisher’s Z for 15 of these studies. All quantitative studies underwent a risk of bias assessment. This systematic review study was registered in the Open Science Framework Registry (https://osf.io/rqve6). Results The pooled effect size from fifteen studies and 1066 study organisms shows no relationship between GCs and telomere length (Fisher’s Z = 0.1042, 95% CI = 0.0235; 0.1836). Our meta-analysis synthesizes results from 15 different taxa from the mammalian, avian, amphibian groups. While these results support some previous findings, other studies have found a direct relationship between GCs and telomere dynamics, suggesting underlying mechanisms or concepts that were not taken into account in our analysis. The risk of bias assessment revealed an overall low risk of bias with occasional instances of bias from missing outcome data or bias in the reported result. Conclusion We highlight the need for more targeted experiments to understand how conditions, such as experimental timeframes, stressor(s), and stressor magnitudes can drive a relationship between the neuroendocrine stress response and telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Zane
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David C. Ensminger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, United States of America
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Gómez J, Morrissey CA, Cabezas S, Marchant TA, Clark RG. Phenotypic differences among wild passerine nestlings in relation to early-life rearing environment. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Subtle changes in stress physiology during critical developmental stages have been linked to long-term fitness; however, the biological processes and phenotypic responses to early-life rearing environments, such as anthropogenic land use conditions, have not been fully evaluated in insectivorous birds. We manipulated Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) brood sizes at sites with contrasting agricultural land use to assess phenotypic changes in body condition and genetic and physiological biomarkers of stress during the sensitive nestling growth phase. We predicted that nestling swallows raised on cropland-dominated sites, especially those in enlarged broods, would have lower body condition, shorter telomeres, and higher feather corticosterone than nestlings raised in smaller broods at grassland sites. Body condition was highest among nestlings raised in reduced broods but was unrelated to land use. Telomere lengths tended to be shorter in nestlings from enlarged broods and at cropland sites. Corticosterone was not related to any factor. Locally abundant insect populations associated with wetlands may have dampened the effects and (or) parent swallows assumed higher costs of reproduction rather than passing these costs to nestlings. Results suggest that food or other environmental stressors could reduce fledgling survival via telomere shortening; a hypothesis that requires further investigation due to its potential importance to population viability in multiple declining aerial insectivore species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christy A. Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Sonia Cabezas
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Tracy A. Marchant
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Robert G. Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada
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7
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Exogenous corticosterone and melanin-based coloration explain variation in juvenile dispersal behaviour in the barn owl (Tyto alba). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256038. [PMID: 34492014 PMCID: PMC8423310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal affects many processes such as population dynamics. So far, most studies have examined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that determine the distance between the place of birth and of first breeding. In contrast, few researchers followed the first steps of dispersal soon after fledging. To study this gap, we radio-tracked 95 barn owl nestlings (Tyto alba) to locate their diurnal roost sites from the fledging stage until December. This was used to test whether the age of nest departure, post-fledging movements and dispersal distance were related to melanin-based coloration, which is correlated to fitness-related traits, as well as to corticosterone, a hormone that mediates a number of life history trade-offs and the physiological and behavioural responses to stressful situations. We found that the artificial administration of corticosterone delayed the age when juveniles left their parental home-range in females but not in males. During the first few months after fledging, longer dispersal distances were reached by females compared to males, by individuals marked with larger black feather spots compared to individuals with smaller spots, by larger individuals and by those experimentally treated with corticosterone. We conclude that the onset and magnitude of dispersal is sensitive to the stress hormone corticosterone, melanin-based coloration and body size.
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8
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Jones BC, Nguyen LT, DuVal EH. Testing the developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis in a tropical passerine: Dampened corticosterone response and faster negative feedback in nestling lance-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia lanceolata). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113639. [PMID: 33017588 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
When vertebrates are exposed to stressors, the subsequent acute increase in glucocorticoids by the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis triggers a suite of adaptive responses, including mobilization of stored energy and repression of non-essential processes. However, chronic exposure to high concentrations of glucocorticoids can lead to metabolic dysregulation, impaired immune function, and cognitive decline. In developing young, this hormonal stress response shows considerable variation. Generally, the physiological stress response of young of precocial species is comparable to that of adults, whereas offspring of altricial species exhibit an attenuated response compared to adults. The developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis proposes that the dampened stress response in dependent offspring is an adaptive response to avoid the negative effects of elevated glucocorticoids, particularly in altricial species where young lack the ability to mitigate stressful stimuli.We aimed to test the developmental hypothesis in a tropical avian species, the lance-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata). We predicted that nestlings of this altricial species should have a dampened corticosterone response, in both magnitude and duration, compared to that of adults. We also predicted that recently fledged hatch-year birds would display a response intermediate to that of adults and nestlings. We quantified circulating corticosterone levels in adults, recently fledged hatch-year birds, and 11-day-old nestlings using a standardized capture and restraint protocol. Nestlings showed a lower maximal corticosterone response and faster negative feedback compared to adults. Further, five post-fledging hatch-year birds showed a feedback response intermediate to those of nestlings and adults. However, we caution against generalizing about fledgling responses beyond this study due to the small sample (n = 5). Interestingly, lance-tailed manakin nestlings appear to return to baseline concentrations faster than nestlings of temperate species. These results support the developmental hypothesis of the HPA axis explaining variation in stress response. This study is the first to assess the development of the hormonal stress response in nestlings of a tropical bird, which is of interest because of our still-developing understanding of how tropical and temperate species differ physiologically. Finally, findings here underscore the importance of validating and adjusting sampling protocols that quantify nestling stress responses, as sampling timelines identified for adults may underestimate the magnitude of the nestling stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Carlton Jones
- Florida State University Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States; Bennington College, Science and Mathematics, 1 College Dr., Bennington, VT 05201, United States.
| | - Leslie T Nguyen
- Florida State University Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States
| | - Emily H DuVal
- Florida State University Department of Biological Science, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, United States
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Lemaître JF, Carbillet J, Rey B, Palme R, Froy H, Wilbourn RV, Underwood SL, Cheynel L, Gaillard JM, Hewison AJM, Verheyden H, Débias F, Duhayer J, Régis C, Pardonnet S, Pellerin M, Nussey DH, Gilot-Fromont E. Short-term telomere dynamics is associated with glucocorticoid levels in wild populations of roe deer. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 252:110836. [PMID: 33144154 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
While evidence that telomere length is associated with health and mortality in humans and birds is accumulating, a large body of research is currently seeking to identify factors that modulate telomere dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that high levels of glucocorticoids in individuals under environmental stress should accelerate telomere shortening in two wild populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in different ecological contexts. From two consecutive annual sampling sessions, we found that individuals with faster rates of telomere shortening had higher concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, suggesting a functional link between glucocorticoid levels and telomere attrition rate. This relationship was consistent for both sexes and populations. This finding paves the way for further studies of the fitness consequences of exposure to environmental stressors in wild vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Jeffrey Carbillet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France; Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK; Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah L Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Louise Cheynel
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary, and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - A J Mark Hewison
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Hélène Verheyden
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - François Débias
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Corinne Régis
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France; Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
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10
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Grunst ML, Raap T, Grunst AS, Pinxten R, Parenteau C, Angelier F, Eens M. Early-life exposure to artificial light at night elevates physiological stress in free-living songbirds ☆. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113895. [PMID: 31926393 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt adaptive patterns of physiology and behavior that promote high fitness, resulting in physiological stress and elevation of steroid glucocorticoids (corticosterone, CORT in birds). Elevated CORT may have particularly profound effects early in life, with the potential for enduring effects that persist into adulthood. Research on the consequences of early-life exposure to ALAN remains limited, especially outside of the laboratory, and whether light exposure affects CORT concentrations in wild nestling birds particularly remains to be elucidated. We used an experimental setup to test the hypothesis that ALAN elevates CORT concentrations in developing free-living birds, by exposing nestling great tits (Parus major) to ALAN inside nest boxes. We measured CORT in feathers grown over the timeframe of the experiment (7 nights), such that CORT concentrations represent an integrative metric of hormone release over the period of nocturnal light exposure, and of development. We also assessed the relationships between feather CORT concentrations, body condition, nestling size rank and fledging success. In addition, we evaluated the relationship between feather CORT concentrations and telomere length. Nestlings exposed to ALAN had higher feather CORT concentrations than control nestlings, and nestlings in poorer body condition and smaller brood members also had higher CORT. On the other hand, telomere length, fledging success, and recruitment rate were not significantly associated with light exposure or feather CORT concentrations. Results indicate that exposure to ALAN elevates CORT concentrations in nestlings, which may reflect physiological stress. In addition, the organizational effects of CORT are known to be substantial. Thus, despite the lack of an effect on telomere length and survivorship, elevated CORT concentrations in nestlings exposed to ALAN may have subsequent impacts on later-life fitness and stress sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Raap
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Andrea S Grunst
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Didactica Research Group, University of Antwerp, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Majer AD, Fasanello VJ, Tindle K, Frenz BJ, Ziur AD, Fischer CP, Fletcher KL, Seecof OM, Gronsky S, Vassallo BG, Reed WL, Paitz RT, Stier A, Haussmann MF. Is there an oxidative cost of acute stress? Characterization, implication of glucocorticoids and modulation by prior stress experience. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191698. [PMID: 31718494 PMCID: PMC6892047 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute rises in glucocorticoid hormones allow individuals to adaptively respond to environmental challenges but may also have negative consequences, including oxidative stress. While the effects of chronic glucocorticoid exposure on oxidative stress have been well characterized, those of acute stress or glucocorticoid exposure have mostly been overlooked. We examined the relationship between acute stress exposure, glucocorticoids and oxidative stress in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). We (i) characterized the pattern of oxidative stress during an acute stressor in two phenotypically distinct breeds; (ii) determined whether corticosterone ingestion, in the absence of acute stress, increased oxidative stress, which we call glucocorticoid-induced oxidative stress (GiOS); and (iii) explored how prior experience to stressful events affected GiOS. Both breeds exhibited an increase in oxidative stress in response to an acute stressor. Importantly, in the absence of acute stress, ingesting corticosterone caused an acute rise in plasma corticosterone and oxidative stress. Lastly, birds exposed to no previous acute stress or numerous stressful events had high levels of GiOS in response to acute stress, while birds with moderate prior exposure did not. Together, these findings suggest that an acute stress response results in GiOS, but prior experience to stressors may modulate that oxidative cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana D Majer
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Vince J Fasanello
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Kailey Tindle
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Brian J Frenz
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Alexis D Ziur
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Chelsea P Fischer
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Kelsey L Fletcher
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Olivia M Seecof
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Sarah Gronsky
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Brian G Vassallo
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Wendy L Reed
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Ryan T Paitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA
| | - Antoine Stier
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mark F Haussmann
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
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