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LaDage LD, McCormick GL, Robbins TR, Longwell AS, Langkilde T. The effects of early-life and intergenerational stress on the brain. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231356. [PMID: 38018110 PMCID: PMC10685117 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress experienced during ontogeny can have profound effects on the adult phenotype. However, stress can also be experienced intergenerationally, where an offspring's phenotype can be moulded by stress experienced by the parents. Although early-life and intergenerational stress can alter anatomy, physiology, and behaviour, nothing is known about how these stress contexts interact to affect the neural phenotype. Here, we examined how early-life and intergenerational stress affect the brain in eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus). Some lizard populations co-occur with predatory fire ants, and stress from fire ant attacks exerts intergenerational physiological and behavioural changes in lizards. However, it is unclear if intergenerational stress, or the interaction between intergenerational and early-life stress, modulates the brain. To test this, we captured gravid females from fire ant invaded and uninvaded populations, and subjected offspring to three early-life stress treatments: (1) fire ant attack, (2) corticosterone, or (3) a control. Corticosterone and fire ant attack decreased some aspects of the neural phenotype while population of origin and the interaction of early-life stress and population had no effects on the brain. These results suggest that early-life stressors may better predict adult brain variation than intergenerational stress in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara D. LaDage
- Division of Mathematics & Natural Sciences, Penn State Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Dr., Altoona, PA 16601, USA
| | - Gail L. McCormick
- Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Travis R. Robbins
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Anna S. Longwell
- Division of Mathematics & Natural Sciences, Penn State Altoona, 3000 Ivyside Dr., Altoona, PA 16601, USA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Eberly College of Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Xia J, Deng C, Zheng X, Huang Y, Elvidge CK, Fu S. Differential effects of parental and developmental temperatures on larval thermal adaptation in oviparous and viviparous model fish species. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103695. [PMID: 37659344 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103695] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity has been identified as a major mechanism of response to changing temperatures. Parental effects are potentially important drivers of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, while developmental plasticity also plays a key role in generating phenotypic variation. However, little is known of the interaction between parental effects and developmental plasticity on the thermal phenotypes of fishes with different reproductive modes (i.e. oviparous vs. viviparous). To understand the contributions of inter- and intra-generational plasticity of thermal phenotypes (preferred temperature, avoidance temperatures, critical thermal thresholds) in fishes with different reproductive modes, we carried out a factorial experiment in which both breeding parents and offspring were exposed to lower (22 °C) or higher (28 °C) temperatures, using zebrafish (Danio rerio) and guppies (Poecilia reticulata) as representative oviparous and viviparous species. We found that offspring thermal preference and avoidance of both species were significantly influenced by parental effects and developmental plasticity, with higher thermal preference and avoidance consistent with higher background (parental) temperature treatments. However, parental effects were only found to impose significant effect on the thermal tolerances of guppies. The findings suggest that phenotypic plasticity, both within and across generations, may be an important mechanism to adapt to rapid climate changes, and that future temperature fluctuations may impose more profound effects on viviparous fish species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jigang Xia
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China; Fish Ecology and Conservation Research Center, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Chuke Deng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China; Fish Ecology and Conservation Research Center, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Xueli Zheng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
| | - Chris K Elvidge
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 5B6
| | - Shijian Fu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology and Behavior, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Animal Biology, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China; Fish Ecology and Conservation Research Center, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China
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Guan QS, Arusha KS, Caramihai N, Stukal I, Bauer CM. Fostered offspring develop hyper-reactive endocrine stress responses in a plural-breeding rodent, Octodon degus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 336:114259. [PMID: 36878393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114259] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Long-term parental separation can lead to altered behavioral and physical development in human children. Rodent models are popular for studying parent-child separation, and several studies have found that maternal separation leads to chronic changes in the endocrine stress response. However, while human children are generally raised by multiple caregivers, most rodent studies utilize solitary breeding species. Therefore, we used degus (Octodon degus) as a model for studying human parental separation, as these rodents practice plural breeding and communal care. In this study, we cross-fostered degu litters at different ages (post-natal day [PND] 2, 8, and 14) to test the hypotheses that fostering affects offspring stress hormone levels in both the short- and long-term and that these impacts differ depending on the age at which offspring are fostered. We found that fostering had long-term effects, as fostered offspring had higher stress-induced cortisol levels and weaker cortisol negative feedback than non-fostered offspring at weaning age (PND28). We also found that the timing of fostering mattered, as degus fostered at PND8 had higher baseline cortisol levels the day after fostering, while degus fostered at PND2 had higher stress-induced cortisol levels at weaning. These data suggest that long-term cross-fostering has enduring impacts on the endocrine stress response in degus, therefore making them a useful model organism for investigating impacts of parental separation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaja S Arusha
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | | | - Ilana Stukal
- Department of Biology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA
| | - Carolyn M Bauer
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA; Department of Biology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA.
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Palacios MG, Bronikowski AM, Amer A, Gangloff EJ. Transgenerational effects of maternal corticosterone across early life in a viviparous snake. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 331:114162. [PMID: 36356645 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114162] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are central mediators of vertebrate responses to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. Among the sources of variation in circulating GCs are transgenerational effects mediated by mothers. Here we studied potential maternal effects mediated by GCs on offspring phenotype in a live-bearing reptile, the western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans). We evaluated the association between baseline corticosterone (CORT) levels during gestation (i.e., preparturition) in field-captured mothers and 1) reproductive success and offspring sex ratios, 2) birth phenotypic traits of offspring born under common-garden laboratory conditions, and 3) neonate (age 3 months) and juvenile (age 12 months) traits of offspring raised under two thermal regimes ('warm' and 'cool') during their first year of life. Reproductive success and offspring sex ratios were not associated with preparturition maternal CORT, but pregnant snakes with higher CORT levels gave birth to smaller, lighter offspring, which tended to grow faster to age three months. Neonate baseline CORT varied with preparturition maternal CORT in a sex-specific manner (positive trend for females, negative for males). Maternal CORT effects on offspring phenotype were no longer detectable in juveniles at age one year. Instead, juvenile phenotypes were most influenced by rearing environment, with offspring raised under the cool regime showing higher baseline CORT and slower growth than those raised under warmer conditions. Our findings support the notion that offspring phenotype might be continuously adjusted in response to environmental cues -both pre- and post-natal- and that the strength of maternal CORT effects declines as offspring develop and experience unique environmental challenges. Our results contribute to a growing literature on transgenerational effects of hormones and help to fill a gap in our knowledge of these effects in ectothermic amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Palacios
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Centro Para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Blvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Ali Amer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
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Mbiydzenyuy NE, Hemmings SMJ, Qulu L. Prenatal maternal stress and offspring aggressive behavior: Intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:977416. [PMID: 36212196 PMCID: PMC9539686 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though studies have shown that prenatal maternal stress is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis, the association between prenatal maternal stress and fetal glucocorticoid exposure is complex and most likely dependent on unidentified and poorly understood variables including nature and timing of prenatal insults. The precise mechanisms in which prenatal maternal stress influence neuroendocrine signaling between the maternal-placental-fetal interface are still unclear. The aim of this review article is to bring comprehensive basic concepts about prenatal maternal stress and mechanisms of transmission of maternal stress to the fetus. This review covers recent studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring aggressive behavior, as well as the possible pathways for the “transmission” of maternal stress to the fetus: (1) maternal-fetal HPA axis dysregulation; (2) intrauterine environment disruption due to variations in uterine artery flow; (3) epigenetic modifications of genes implicated in aggressive behavior. Here, we present evidence for the phenomenon of intergenerational and transgenerational transmission, to better understands the mechanism(s) of transmission from parent to offspring. We discuss studies showing associations between maternal stress and alterations in offspring taking note of neuroendocrine, brain architecture and epigenetic changes that may suggest risk for aggressive behavior. We highlight animal and human studies that focus on intergenerational transmission following exposure to stress from a biological mechanistic point of view, and maternal stress-induced epigenetic modifications that have potential to impact on aggressive behavior in later generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy
- Department of Basic Science, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Ngala Elvis Mbiydzenyuy,
| | - Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lihle Qulu
- Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Science Research Institute, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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MacLeod KJ, Langkilde T, Venable CP, Ensminger DC, Sheriff MJ. The influence of maternal glucocorticoids on offspring phenotype in high- and low-risk environments. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:1330-1338. [PMID: 34949960 PMCID: PMC8691550 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated maternal glucocorticoid levels during gestation can lead to phenotypic changes in offspring via maternal effects. Although such effects have traditionally been considered maladaptive, maternally derived glucocorticoids may adaptively prepare offspring for their future environment depending upon the correlation between maternal and offspring environments. Nevertheless, relatively few studies test the effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure across multiple environments. We tested the potential for ecologically relevant increases in maternal glucocorticoids in the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) to induce adaptive phenotypic changes in offspring exposed to high or low densities of an invasive fire ant predator. Maternal treatment had limited effects on offspring morphology and behavior at hatching, but by 10 days of age, we found maternal treatment interacted with offspring environment to alter anti-predator behaviors. We did not detect differences in early-life survival based on maternal treatment or offspring environment. Opposing selection on anti-predator behaviors from historic and novel invasive predators may confound the potential of maternal glucocorticoids to adaptively influence offspring behavior. Our test of the phenotypic outcomes of transgenerational glucocorticoid effects across risk environments provides important insight into the context-specific nature of this phenomenon and the importance of understanding both current and historic evolutionary pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Cameron P Venable
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David C Ensminger
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA, 95192, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA
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