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Ndunguru SF, Reda GK, Csernus B, Knop R, Gulyás G, Szabó C, Czeglédi L, Lendvai ÁZ. Embryonic methionine triggers post-natal developmental programming in Japanese quail. J Comp Physiol B 2024; 194:179-189. [PMID: 38520538 PMCID: PMC11070397 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-024-01542-8] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic development is one of the most sensitive and critical stages when maternal effects may influence the offspring's phenotype. In birds and other oviparous species, embryonic development is confined to the eggs, therefore females must deposit resources into the eggs to prepare the offspring for the prevailing post-natal conditions. However, the mechanisms of such phenotypic adjustments remain poorly understood. We simulated a maternal nutritional transfer by injecting 1 mg of L-methionine solution into Japanese quail eggs before the onset of incubation. The increase in early methionine concentration in eggs activated the insulin/insulin-like signalling and mechanistic target of rapamycin (IIS/mTOR) signalling pathways and affected post-natal developmental trajectories. Chicks from methionine-supplemented eggs had higher expression of liver IGF1 and mTOR genes at hatching but were similar in size, and the phenotypic effects of increased growth became apparent only a week later and remained up to three weeks. Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and expression of ribosomal protein serine 6 kinase 1 (RPS6K1), the mTOR downstream effector, were elevated only three weeks after hatching. These results show that specific nutritional cues may have phenotypic programming effects by sequentially activating specific nutrient-sensing pathways and achieving transgenerational phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawadi F Ndunguru
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
| | - Gebrehaweria K Reda
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Brigitta Csernus
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Renáta Knop
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Gulyás
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Csaba Szabó
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Levente Czeglédi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
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2
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Walsh MR, Christian A, Feder M, Korte M, Tran K. Are parental condition transfer effects more widespread than is currently appreciated? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246094. [PMID: 38449326 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246094] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
It has long been recognized that the environment experienced by parents can influence the traits of offspring (i.e. 'parental effects'). Much research has explored whether mothers respond to predictable shifts in environmental signals by modifying offspring phenotypes to best match future conditions. Many organisms experience conditions that theory predicts should favor the evolution of such 'anticipatory parental effects', but such predictions have received limited empirical support. 'Condition transfer effects' are an alternative to anticipatory effects that occur when the environment experienced by parents during development influences offspring fitness. Condition transfer effects occur when parents that experience high-quality conditions produce offspring that exhibit higher fitness irrespective of the environmental conditions in the offspring generation. Condition transfer effects are not driven by external signals but are instead a byproduct of past environmental quality. They are also likely adaptive but have received far less attention than anticipatory effects. Here, we review the generality of condition transfer effects and show that they are much more widespread than is currently appreciated. Condition transfer effects are observed across taxa and are commonly associated with experimental manipulations of resource conditions experienced by parents. Our Review calls for increased research into condition transfer effects when considering the role of parental effects in ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Walsh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Anne Christian
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Mikaela Feder
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Meghan Korte
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Kevin Tran
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
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3
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Vitikainen EIK, Meniri M, Marshall HH, Thompson FJ, Businge R, Mwanguhya F, Kyabulima S, Mwesige K, Ahabonya S, Sanderson JL, Kalema-Zikusoka G, Hoffman JI, Wells D, Lewis G, Walker SL, Nichols HJ, Blount JD, Cant MA. The social formation of fitness: lifetime consequences of prenatal nutrition and postnatal care in a wild mammal population. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220309. [PMID: 37381858 PMCID: PMC10291432 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Research in medicine and evolutionary biology suggests that the sequencing of parental investment has a crucial impact on offspring life history and health. Here, we take advantage of the synchronous birth system of wild banded mongooses to test experimentally the lifetime consequences to offspring of receiving extra investment prenatally versus postnatally. We provided extra food to half of the breeding females in each group during pregnancy, leaving the other half as matched controls. This manipulation resulted in two categories of experimental offspring in synchronously born litters: (i) 'prenatal boost' offspring whose mothers had been fed during pregnancy, and (ii) 'postnatal boost' offspring whose mothers were not fed during pregnancy but who received extra alloparental care in the postnatal period. Prenatal boost offspring lived substantially longer as adults, but postnatal boost offspring had higher lifetime reproductive success (LRS) and higher glucocorticoid levels across the lifespan. Both types of experimental offspring had higher LRS than offspring from unmanipulated litters. We found no difference between the two experimental categories of offspring in adult weight, age at first reproduction, oxidative stress or telomere lengths. These findings are rare experimental evidence that prenatal and postnatal investments have distinct effects in moulding individual life history and fitness in wild mammals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. I. K. Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 Finland
| | - M. Meniri
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - H. H. Marshall
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Roehampton, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 5PJ, UK
| | - F. J. Thompson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - R. Businge
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - F. Mwanguhya
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - S. Kyabulima
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - K. Mwesige
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - S. Ahabonya
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - J. L. Sanderson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - G. Kalema-Zikusoka
- Conservation Through Public Health, PO Box 75298, Uringi Crescent Rd, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - J. I. Hoffman
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33619, Germany
| | - D. Wells
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Konsequenz 45, 33619, Germany
| | - G. Lewis
- Department of Biosciences, Wallace Building, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - S. L. Walker
- Chester Zoo Endocrine Laboratory, Endocrinology, Science Centre, Caughall Road, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - H. J. Nichols
- Department of Biosciences, Wallace Building, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - J. D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - M. A. Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO Box 66 Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
- German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Sauve D, Charmantier A, Hatch SA, Friesen VL. Environmental conditions variably affect growth across the breeding season in a subarctic seabird. Oecologia 2021; 198:307-318. [PMID: 34657179 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05063-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Predicting the impacts of changing environments on phenotypes in wild populations remains a challenge. Growth, a trait that frequently influences fitness, is difficult to study as it is influenced by many environmental variables. To address this, we used a sliding window approach to determine the time windows when sea-surface and air temperatures have the potential to affect growth of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) on a colony in the Northeast Pacific. We examined environmental drivers influencing nestling growth using data from a long-term (21-year) study, that food supplements a portion of the colony. The associations between kittiwake growth and climatic conditions in our study indicated that warmer environmental conditions can both positively and negatively impact nestling growth parameters depending on hatching order. We found that first-hatched nestlings had a heavier maximum mass under warm air temperatures and cold sea conditions. Warmer air temperatures negatively affected the second-hatched nestling in a brood. However, when air temperatures were warm, warmer sea-surface temperatures predicted heavy, fast-growing second-hatched nestlings in contrast to what we observed for first-hatched nestlings. Food supplementation alleviated the temperature effects, and competition among nestlings influenced how strongly a variable affected growth. We identified windows that might indicate specific biological pathways through which environmental variation affected growth directly or indirectly. Overall, our windows suggest that nestlings in shared nests will be most affected by warming conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Sauve
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Anne Charmantier
- CEFE UMR 5175, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université Paul-Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, 12850 Mountain Place, Anchorage, AK, 99516, USA
| | - Vicki L Friesen
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
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Mentesana L, Andersson MN, Casagrande S, Goymann W, Isaksson C, Hau M. Natural variation in yolk fatty acids, but not androgens, predicts offspring fitness in a wild bird. Front Zool 2021; 18:38. [PMID: 34353328 PMCID: PMC8340462 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In egg-laying animals, mothers can influence the developmental environment and thus the phenotype of their offspring by secreting various substances into the egg yolk. In birds, recent studies have demonstrated that different yolk substances can interactively affect offspring phenotype, but the implications of such effects for offspring fitness and phenotype in natural populations have remained unclear. We measured natural variation in the content of 31 yolk components known to shape offspring phenotypes including steroid hormones, antioxidants and fatty acids in eggs of free-living great tits (Parus major) during two breeding seasons. We tested for relationships between yolk component groupings and offspring fitness and phenotypes. RESULTS Variation in hatchling and fledgling numbers was primarily explained by yolk fatty acids (including saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids) - but not by androgen hormones and carotenoids, components previously considered to be major determinants of offspring phenotype. Fatty acids were also better predictors of variation in nestling oxidative status and size than androgens and carotenoids. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that fatty acids are important yolk substances that contribute to shaping offspring fitness and phenotype in free-living populations. Since polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot be produced de novo by the mother, but have to be obtained from the diet, these findings highlight potential mechanisms (e.g., weather, habitat quality, foraging ability) through which environmental variation may shape maternal effects and consequences for offspring. Our study represents an important first step towards unraveling interactive effects of multiple yolk substances on offspring fitness and phenotypes in free-living populations. It provides the basis for future experiments that will establish the pathways by which yolk components, singly and/or interactively, mediate maternal effects in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mentesana
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Martin N Andersson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stefania Casagrande
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Caroline Isaksson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str., 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.,University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
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6
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Ebensperger LA, Gómez C, Aspillaga-Cid A, León C, Ramírez-Estrada J, Correa LA, Vera DC, Abades S, Hayes LD. Socially unstable conditions experienced during development prime female Octodon degus to shape the phenotype of their own offspring. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105011. [PMID: 34130042 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Because residents and immigrants from group living species may experience fitness costs associated with permanent changes in group membership, we examined the hypothesis that females experiencing socially unstable or socially stable conditions during development compensate these costs by shaping the phenotype of their own offspring differently. Groups of adult females experiencing either socially stable or unstable conditions in the early social environment were assigned to either socially stable or unstable conditions in the social environment as adults. We quantified affiliative and agonistic interactions among the females during pregnancy and lactation of the focal female, maternal and allomaternal care, hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) acute stress response, and early offspring growth. Social instability during breeding enhanced agonistic interactions among adult females, and offspring that experienced socially unstable conditions exhibited enhanced offspring care, regardless of adult environments. Neither social behavior, offspring care, acute stress physiology, nor early growth was influenced by early or adult social stability conditions. These findings imply that socially unstable conditions prime developing females to shape the phenotype of their offspring to prevent negative effects of socially unstable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Ebensperger
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Celeste Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonia Aspillaga-Cid
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cecilia León
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Ramírez-Estrada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loreto A Correa
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela C Vera
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Abades
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 37403, USA
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7
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Explaining discrepancies in the study of maternal effects: the role of context and embryo. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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8
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García‐Campa J, Müller W, González‐Braojos S, García‐Juárez E, Morales J. Dietary carotenoid supplementation facilitates egg laying in a wild passerine. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:4968-4978. [PMID: 32551074 PMCID: PMC7297774 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During egg laying, females face a trade-off between self-maintenance and investment into current reproduction, since providing eggs with resources is energetically demanding, in particular if females lay one egg per day. However, the costs of egg laying not only relate to energetic requirements, but also depend on the availability of specific resources that are vital for egg production and embryonic development. One of these compounds are carotenoids, pigments with immuno-stimulatory properties, which are crucial during embryonic development. In this study, we explore how carotenoid availability alleviates this trade-off and facilitates egg laying in a small bird species, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Blue tits have among the largest clutch size of all European passerines and they usually lay one egg per day, although laying interruptions are frequent. We performed a lutein supplementation experiment and measured potential consequences for egg laying capacity and egg quality. We found that lutein-supplemented females had less laying interruptions and thus completed their clutch faster than control females. No effects of treatment were found on the onset of egg laying or clutch size. Experimentally enhanced carotenoid availability did not elevate yolk carotenoid levels or egg mass, but negatively affected eggshell thickness. Our results provide hence evidence on the limiting role of carotenoids during egg laying. However, the benefits of laying faster following lutein supplementation were counterbalanced by a lower accumulation of calcium in the eggshell. Thus, even though single components may constrain egg laying, it is the combined availability of a range of different resources which ultimately determines egg quality and thus embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge García‐Campa
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of BiologyBehavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology GroupUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Sonia González‐Braojos
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Emilio García‐Juárez
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyNational Museum of Natural Sciences – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
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9
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Morosinotto C, Thomson RL, Korpimäki E, Mateo R, Ruuskanen S. Maternal food supplementation and perceived predation risk modify egg composition and eggshell traits but not offspring condition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201954. [PMID: 31548290 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201954] [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: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mothers may vary resource allocation to eggs and embryos, which may affect offspring fitness and prepare them for future environmental conditions. The effects of food availability and predation risk on reproduction have been extensively studied, yet their simultaneous impacts on reproductive investment and offspring early life conditions are still unclear. We experimentally manipulated these key environmental elements using a 2×2 full factorial design in wild, free-living pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), and measured egg composition, eggshell traits and offspring condition. Eggs laid in food-supplemented nests had larger yolks and thicker shells independently of predation risk, while eggs laid in nests exposed to predator cues had lower levels of immunoglobulins, independent of food supplementation. In nests without predator cues, shell biliverdin content was higher in eggs laid in food-supplemented nests. Incubation was 1 day shorter in food-supplemented nests and shorter incubation periods were associated with higher hatching success, but there were no direct effects of maternal treatment on hatching success. To investigate the impact of maternal treatment (via egg composition) on the offspring, we performed full brood cross-fostering after hatching to unmanipulated nests. Maternal treatment did not significantly affect body mass and immunoglobulin levels of offspring. Our results suggest that although prenatal maternal cues affected egg composition, these egg-mediated effects may not have detectable consequences for offspring growth or immune capacity. Unpredictable environmental stressors may thus affect parental investment in the eggs, but parental care may level off costs and benefits of differential maternal egg allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Morosinotto
- Novia University of Applied Sciences, Bioeconomy Research Team, Raseborgsvägen 9, Ekenäs, 10600, Finland .,Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Robert L Thomson
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Erkki Korpimäki
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
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10
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van der Mescht L, Khokhlova IS, Surkova EN, Warburton EM, Krasnov BR. Reproductive performance in generalist haematophagous ectoparasites: maternal environment, rearing conditions or both? Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2087-2096. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06353-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Groothuis TGG, Hsu BY, Kumar N, Tschirren B. Revisiting mechanisms and functions of prenatal hormone-mediated maternal effects using avian species as a model. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180115. [PMID: 30966885 PMCID: PMC6460091 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects can adaptively modulate offspring developmental trajectories in variable but predictable environments. Hormone synthesis is sensitive to environmental factors, and maternal hormones are thus a powerful mechanism to transfer environmental cues to the next generation. Birds have become a key model for the study of hormone-mediated maternal effects because the embryo develops outside the mother's body, facilitating the measurement and manipulation of prenatal hormone exposure. At the same time, birds are excellent models for the integration of both proximate and ultimate approaches, which is key to a better understanding of the evolution of hormone-mediated maternal effects. Over the past two decades, a surge of studies on hormone-mediated maternal effects has revealed an increasing number of discrepancies. In this review, we discuss the role of the environment, genetic factors and social interactions in causing these discrepancies and provide a framework to resolve them. We also explore the largely neglected role of the embryo in modulating the maternal signal, as well as costs and benefits of hormone transfer and expression for the different family members. We conclude by highlighting fruitful avenues for future research that have opened up thanks to new theoretical insights and technical advances in the field. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton G. G. Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bin-Yan Hsu
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Neeraj Kumar
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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12
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Thomson CE, Hadfield JD. No evidence for sibling or parent-offspring coadaptation in a wild population of blue tits, despite high power. Evolution 2018; 73:28-41. [PMID: 30417945 PMCID: PMC6587764 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Parent and offspring behaviors are expected to act as both the agents and targets of selection. This may generate parent-offspring coadaptation in which parent and offspring behaviors become genetically correlated in a way that increases inclusive fitness. Cross-fostering has been used to study parent-offspring coadaptation, with the prediction that offspring raised by non-relatives, or parents raising non-relatives, should suffer fitness costs. Using long-term data from more than 400 partially crossed broods of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we show that there is no difference in mass or survival between crossed and non-crossed chicks. However, previous studies for which the evidence for parent-offspring coadaptation is strongest compare chicks from fully crossed broods with those from non-crossed broods. When parent-offspring coadaptation acts at the level of the brood then partial cross-fostering experiments are not expected to show evidence of coadaptation. To test this, we performed an additional experiment (163 broods) in which clutches were either fully crossed, non-crossed, or partially crossed. In agreement with the long-term data, there was no evidence for parent-offspring coadaptation on offspring fitness despite high power. In addition there was no evidence of effects on parental fitness, nor evidence of sibling coadaptation, although the power of these tests was more modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Thomson
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
| | - Jarrod D Hadfield
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
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13
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Martyka R, Śliwińska EB, Martyka M, Cichoń M, Tryjanowski P. The effect of pre-laying maternal immunization on offspring growth and immunity differs across experimentally altered postnatal rearing conditions in a wild songbird. Front Zool 2018; 15:25. [PMID: 29946341 PMCID: PMC6006776 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal antibody transfer is an immune-mediated maternal effect by which females can shape postnatal offspring resistance to pathogens and parasites. Maternal antibodies passed on to offspring provide primary protection to neonates against diverse pathogenic antigens, but they may also affect offspring growth and influence the development of an offspring’s own immune response. The effects of maternal antibodies on offspring performance commonly require that the disease environment experienced by a mother prior to breeding matches the environment encountered by her offspring after hatching/birth. However, other circumstances, like postnatal rearing conditions that affect offspring food availability, may also determine the effects of maternal antibodies on offspring growth and immunity. To date, knowledge about how prenatal immune-mediated maternal effects interact with various postnatal rearing conditions to affect offspring development and phenotype in wild bird population remains elusive. Here we experimentally studied the interactive effects of pre-laying maternal immunization with a bacterial antigen (lipopolysaccharide) and post-hatching rearing conditions, altered by brood size manipulation, on offspring growth and humoral immunity of wild great tits (Parus major). Results We found that maternal immunization and brood size manipulation interactively affected the growth and specific humoral immune response of avian offspring. Among nestlings reared in enlarged broods, only those that originated from immunized mothers grew better and were heavier at fledging stage compared to those that originated from non-immunized mothers. In contrast, no such effects were observed among nestlings reared in non-manipulated (control) broods. Moreover, offspring of immunized females had a stronger humoral immune response to lipopolysaccharide during postnatal development than offspring of non-immunized females, but only when the nestling was reared in control broods. Conclusions This study demonstrates that offspring development and their ability to cope with pathogens after hatching are driven by mutual influences of pathogen-induced prenatal maternal effects and post-hatching rearing conditions. Our findings suggest that immune-mediated maternal effects may have context-dependent influences on offspring growth and immune function, related to the postnatal environmental conditions experienced by the progeny. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-018-0272-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Martyka
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa B Śliwińska
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Martyka
- 1Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- 2Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Tryjanowski
- 3Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
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14
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Wu YQ, Qu YF, Wang XJ, Gao JF, Ji X. Does the oviparity-viviparity transition alter the partitioning of yolk in embryonic snakes? BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:235. [PMID: 29187161 PMCID: PMC5707827 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1083-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The oviparity-viviparity transition is a major evolutionary event, likely altering the reproductive process of the organisms involved. Residual yolk, a portion of yolk remaining unutilized at hatching or birth as parental investment in care, has been investigated in many oviparous amniotes but remained largely unknown in viviparous species. Here, we used data from 20 (12 oviparous and 8 viviparous) species of snakes to see if the oviparity-viviparity transition alters the partitioning of yolk in embryonic snakes. We used ANCOVA to test whether offspring size, mass and components at hatching or birth differed between the sexes in each species. We used both ordinary least squares and phylogenetic generalized least squares regressions to test whether relationships between selected pairs of offspring components were significant. We used phylogenetic ANOVA to test whether offspring components differed between oviparous and viviparous species and, more specifically, the hypothesis that viviparous snakes invest more in the yolk as parental investment in embryogenesis to produce more well developed offspring that are larger in linear size. Results In none of the 20 species was sex a significant source of variation in any offspring component examined. Newborn viviparous snakes on average contained proportionally more water and, after accounting for body dry mass, had larger carcasses but smaller residual yolks than did newly hatched oviparous snakes. The rates at which carcass dry mass (CDM) and fat body dry mass (FDM) increased with residual yolk dry mass (YDM) did not differ between newborn oviparous and viviparous snakes. Neither CDM nor FDM differed between newborn oviparous and viviparous snakes after accounting for YDM. Conclusions Our results are not consistent with the hypothesis that the partitioning of yolk between embryonic and post-embryonic stages differs between snakes that differ in parity mode, but instead show that the partitioning of yolk in embryonic snakes is species-specific or phylogenetically related. We conclude that the oviparity-viviparity transition does not alter yolk partitioning in embryonic snakes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1083-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qing Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xue-Ji Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gao
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310036, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
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15
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Bonduriansky R, Crean AJ. What are parental condition‐transfer effects and how can they be detected? Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Australia Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Angela J. Crean
- Animal Reproduction Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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16
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Ihle KE, Hutter P, Tschirren B. Increased prenatal maternal investment reduces inbreeding depression in offspring. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2017.1347. [PMID: 28794224 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression refers to the reduction of fitness that results from matings between relatives. Evidence for reduced fitness in inbred individuals is widespread, but the strength of inbreeding depression varies widely both within and among taxa. Environmental conditions can mediate this variation in the strength of inbreeding depression, with environmental stress exacerbating the negative consequences of inbreeding. Parents can modify the environment experienced by offspring, and have thus the potential to mitigate the negative consequences of inbreeding. While such parental effects have recently been demonstrated during the postnatal period, the role of prenatal parental effects in influencing the expression of inbreeding depression remains unexplored. To address this gap, we performed matings between full-sibs or unrelated individuals in replicated lines of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) experimentally selected for high and low maternal egg provisioning. We show that in the low maternal investment lines hatching success was strongly reduced when parents were related. In the high maternal investment lines, however, this negative effect of inbreeding on hatching success was absent, demonstrating that prenatal maternal provisioning can alleviate the negative fitness consequences of inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Ihle
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pascale Hutter
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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17
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Wang Y, Li S, Zeng Z, Liang L, Du W. Maternal food availability affects offspring performance and survival in a viviparous lizard. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Shu‐Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Zhi‐Gao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
| | - Liang Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Wei‐Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
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18
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19
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Raveh S, Vogt D, Kölliker M. Maternal programming of offspring in relation to food availability in an insect (Forficula auricularia). Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2015.2936. [PMID: 27053749 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal effects can induce adjustments in offspring phenotype to the environment experienced by the mother. Of particular interest is if mothers can programme their offspring to cope best under matching environmental conditions, but the evidence for such anticipatory maternal effects (AME) is limited. In this study, we manipulated experimentally the food availability experienced by mothers and their offspring in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia). Offspring produced by females that had access to high or low food quantities were cross-fostered to foster mothers experiencing matched or mismatched environments. Offspring experiencing food availability matching the one of their mothers had an increased survival to adulthood compared with offspring experiencing mismatched conditions. Females experiencing high food laid larger clutches. This clutch-size adjustment statistically explained the matching effect when offspring experienced high food, but not when experiencing low food conditions. There were no effects of matching on offspring growth and developmental rate. Overall, our study demonstrates that AME occurs in relation to food availability enhancing offspring survival to adulthood under matching food conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Raveh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dominik Vogt
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Kölliker
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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20
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Bowers EK, Bowden RM, Thompson CF, Sakaluk SK. Elevated corticosterone during egg production elicits increased maternal investment and promotes nestling growth in a wild songbird. Horm Behav 2016; 83:6-13. [PMID: 27189763 PMCID: PMC4915999 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids circulating in breeding birds during egg production accumulate within eggs, and may provide a potent form of maternal effect on offspring phenotype. However, whether these steroids affect offspring development remains unclear. Here, we employed a non-invasive technique that experimentally elevated the maternal transfer of corticosterone to eggs in a wild population of house wrens. Feeding corticosterone-injected mealworms to free-living females prior to and during egg production increased the number of eggs that females produced and increased corticosterone concentrations in egg yolks. This treatment also resulted in an increase in the amount of yolk allocated to eggs. Offspring hatching from these eggs begged for food at a higher rate than control offspring and eventually attained increased prefledging body condition, a trait predictive of their probability of recruitment as breeding adults in the study population. Our results indicate that an increase in maternal glucocorticoids within the physiological range can enhance maternal investment and offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA.
| | - Rachel M Bowden
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - Charles F Thompson
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
| | - Scott K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA
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21
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Zizzari ZV, van Straalen NM, Ellers J. Transgenerational effects of nutrition are different for sons and daughters. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1317-27. [PMID: 27018780 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Food shortage is an important selective factor shaping animal life-history trajectories. Yet, despite its role, many aspects of the interaction between parental and offspring food environments remain unclear. In this study, we measured developmental plasticity in response to food availability over two generations and tested the relative contribution of paternal and maternal food availability to the performance of offspring reared under matched and mismatched food environments. We applied a cross-generational split-brood design using the springtail Orchesella cincta, which is found in the litter layer of temperate forests. The results show adverse effects of food limitation on several life-history traits and reproductive performance of both parental sexes. Food conditions of both parents contributed to the offspring phenotypic variation, providing evidence for transgenerational effects of diet. Parental diet influenced sons' age at maturity and daughters' weight at maturity. Specifically, being born to food-restricted parents allowed offspring to alleviate the adverse effects of food limitation, without reducing their performance under well-fed conditions. Thus, parents raised on a poor diet primed their offspring for a more efficient resource use. However, a mismatch between maternal and offspring food environments generated sex-specific adverse effects: female offspring born to well-fed mothers showed a decreased flexibility to deal with low-food conditions. Notably, these maternal effects of food availability were not observed in the sons. Finally, we found that the relationship between age and size at maturity differed between males and females and showed that offspring life-history strategies in O. cincta are primed differently by the parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z V Zizzari
- Department of Ecological Science - Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - N M van Straalen
- Department of Ecological Science - Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Ellers
- Department of Ecological Science - Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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22
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Hsu BY, Dijkstra C, Darras VM, de Vries B, Groothuis TGG. Maternal adjustment or constraint: differential effects of food availability on maternal deposition of macro-nutrients, steroids and thyroid hormones in rock pigeon eggs. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:397-411. [PMID: 26843926 PMCID: PMC4729257 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In oviparous species like birds, eggs provide the direct environment in which embryos are developing. Mothers may adjust different egg components in different ways in reaction to environmental cues either to adjust offspring development or because of constraints. In this study, we investigated the effects of food quality and quantity before and during egg laying on three different aspects of egg quality: macro‐nutrients (egg and yolk mass), androgens (testosterone and androstenedione), and thyroid hormones (3,5,3′‐triiodothyronine, T3 and l‐thyroxine, T4), using the rock pigeon (Columba livia). As expected, egg and yolk mass were significantly reduced for the eggs laid under the poor‐food condition, indicating a maternal trade‐off between offspring and self in allocating important resources. We did not find any significant change in yolk testosterone or their within‐clutch pattern over the laying sequence. This is consistent with the fact that, in contrast with nutrients, these hormones are not costly to produce, but does not support the hypothesis that they play a role in adjusting brood size to food conditions. In contrast, we found that T3 levels were higher in the egg yolks under the poor‐food condition whereas the total T4 content was lower. This change could be related to the fact that iodine, the critical constituent of thyroid hormones, might be a limiting factor in the production of this hormone. Given the knowledge that food restriction usually lead to reduction of circulating T3 levels, our results suggested that avian mothers can independently regulate its concentrations in their eggs from their own circulation. The study demonstrates that environmentally induced maternal effects via the egg can be a result of a combination of constrained resources and unconstrained signals and that thyroid hormones might be an interesting case of both. Therefore, this hormone and the interplay of different maternal effects on the offspring phenotype deserve much more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin-Yan Hsu
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Cor Dijkstra
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Veerle M Darras
- Comparative Endocrinology Section of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Bonnie de Vries
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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23
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Groothuis TGG, Taborsky B. Introducing biological realism into the study of developmental plasticity in behaviour. Front Zool 2015; 12 Suppl 1:S6. [PMID: 26816523 PMCID: PMC4722348 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing attention for integrating mechanistic and functional approaches to the study of (behavioural) development. As environments are mostly unstable, it is now often assumed that genetic parental information is in many cases not sufficient for offspring to become optimally adapted to the environment and that early environmental cues, either indirectly via the parents or from direct experience, are necessary to prepare them for a specific environment later in life. To study whether these early developmental processes are adaptive and through which mechanism, not only the early environmental cues but also how they impinge on the later-life environmental context has therefore to be taken into account when measuring the animal's performance. We first discuss at the conceptual level six ways in which interactions between influences of different time windows during development may act (consolidation, cumulative information gathering and priming, compensation, buffering, matching and mismatching, context dependent trait expression). In addition we discuss how different environmental factors during the same time window may interact in shaping the phenotype during development. Next we discuss the pros and cons of several experimental designs for testing these interaction effects, highlighting the necessity for full, reciprocal designs and the importance of adjusting the nature and time of manipulation to the animal's adaptive capacity. We then review support for the interaction effects from both theoretical models and animal experiments in different taxa. This demonstrates indeed the existence of interactions at multiple levels, including different environmental factors, different time windows and between generations. As a consequence, development is a life-long, environment-dependent process and therefore manipulating only the early environment without taking interaction effects with other and later environmental influences into account may lead to wrong conclusions and may also explain inconsistent results in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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24
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Muriel J, Salmón P, Nunez-Buiza A, de Salas F, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Puerta M, Gil D. Context-dependent effects of yolk androgens on nestling growth and immune function in a multibrooded passerine. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1476-88. [PMID: 26079258 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Female birds may adjust their offspring phenotype to the specific requirements of the environment by differential allocation of physiologically active substances into yolks, such as androgens. Yolk androgens have been shown to accelerate embryonic development, growth rate and competitive ability of nestlings, but they can also entail immunological costs. The balance between costs and benefits of androgen allocation is expected to depend on nestling environment. We tested this hypothesis in a multibrooded passerine, the spotless starling, Sturnus unicolor. We experimentally manipulated yolk androgen levels using a between-brood design and evaluated its effects on nestling development, survival and immune function. Both in first and replacement broods, the embryonic development period was shorter for androgen-treated chicks than controls, but there were no differences in second broods. In replacement broods, androgen-treated chicks were heavier and larger than those hatched from control eggs, but this effect was not observed in the other breeding attempts. Androgen exposure reduced survival with respect to controls only in second broods. Regarding immune function, we detected nonsignificant trends for androgen treatment to activate two important components of innate and adaptive immunity (IL-6 and Ig-A levels, respectively). Similarly, androgen-treated chicks showed greater lymphocyte proliferation than controls in the first brood and an opposite trend in the second brood. Our results indicate that yolk androgen effects on nestling development and immunity depend on the environmental conditions of each breeding attempt. Variation in maternal androgen allocation to eggs could be explained as the result of context-dependent optimal strategies to maximize offspring fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Muriel
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Salmón
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A Nunez-Buiza
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - F de Salas
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - L Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - M Puerta
- Departamento de Fisiología Animal II, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - D Gil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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25
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Bowers EK, Bowden RM, Sakaluk SK, Thompson CF. Immune activation generates corticosterone-mediated terminal reproductive investment in a wild bird. Am Nat 2015; 185:769-83. [PMID: 25996862 DOI: 10.1086/681017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite classical expectations of a trade-off between immune activity and reproduction, an emergent view suggests that individuals experiencing activation of their immune system actually increase reproductive effort and allocation to offspring as a form of terminal investment in response to reduced survival probability. However, the components and mechanisms of increased parental investment following immunostimulation are currently unknown. We hypothesize that increased glucocorticoid production following immunostimulation modulates the increase in reproductive effort that constitutes terminal investment. We activated the immune system of breeding female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) with an immunogen and cross-fostered the eggs that they subsequently produced to separate prenatal and postnatal components of maternal investment. Cross-fostering revealed an increase in both pre- and postnatal allocation from immunostimulated females, which was confirmed by quantification of egg constituents and maternal provisioning behavior. The increase in maternal provisioning was mediated, at least in part, by increased corticosterone in these females. Offspring immune responsiveness was also enhanced through transgenerational immune priming via the egg. Thus, our results indicate that maternal immunostimulation induces transgenerational effects on offspring through both pre- and postnatal parental effects and support an important role for corticosterone in mediating parental investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Keith Bowers
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790
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26
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Warner DA, Buckelew AM, Pearson PR, Dhawan A. The effect of prey availability on offspring survival depends on maternal food resources. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biology; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham AL 35209 USA
| | - Andrew M. Buckelew
- Department of Biology; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham AL 35209 USA
| | - Phillip R. Pearson
- Department of Biology; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham AL 35209 USA
| | - Agam Dhawan
- Department of Biology; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham AL 35209 USA
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27
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Giordano M, Costantini D, Pick JL, Tschirren B. Female oxidative status, egg antioxidant protection and eggshell pigmentation: a supplemental feeding experiment in great tits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1893-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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