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Duerwachter MA, Lewis EL, French SS, Husak JF. Sex-specific effects of immune challenges on green anole lizard metabolism. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:264-271. [PMID: 38213098 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Immune responses can increase survival, but they can also incur a variety of costs that may lead to phenotypic trade-offs. The nature of trade-offs between immune activity and other components of the phenotype can vary and depend on the type and magnitude of immune challenge, as well as the energetic costs of simultaneously expressing other traits. There may also be sex-specific differences in both immune activity and trade-offs, particularly with regard to energy expenditure that might differ between males and females during the breeding season. Females are generally expected to invest less in nonspecific immune responses compared to males due to differences in the allocation of resources to reproduction, which may lead to sex differences in the metabolic costs of immunity. We tested for sex-specific differences in metabolic costs of different types of immune challenges in Anolis carolinensis lizards, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and wounding. We also tested for differences in immune prioritization by measuring bacterial killing ability (BKA). We predicted males would show a greater increase in metabolism after immune challenges, with combined immune challenges eliciting the greatest response. Furthermore, we predicted that metabolic costs would result in decreased BKA. LPS injection increased the resting metabolic rate (RMR) of males but not females. Wounding did not affect RMR of either sex. However, there was an inverse relationship between BKA and wound healing in LPS-injected lizards, suggesting dynamic tradeoffs among metabolism and components of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin L Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | | | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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2
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Madelaire CB, Gomes FR. Relationships between hormone levels, metabolism and immune response in toads from a semi-arid region. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 338:114263. [PMID: 36931441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones (e.g. androgens [AN] and corticosterone [CORT]) modulate complex physiological functions such as reproduction, energy mobilization, metabolism, and immunity. Fluctuations in environmental resource availability along with other factors, such as parasitism, can interact with the effects of these steroids, modifying aspects of immunocompetence and its metabolic costs. To understand these possible interactions, we studied AN and CORT, immune response [swelling response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) injection and bacterial killing ability (BKA)], parasite load, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and rates of oxygen consumption after PHA injection, in two different phases of the annual cycle of a toad (Rhinella jimi) from a highly seasonal environment (Brazilian semi-arid, Caatinga). We observed increased rates of O2 consumption after both PHA and the control (saline) injection, indicating a metabolic response to adverse stimuli but not the immune challenge. Toads showing higher RMR and VO2 after the adverse stimuli (PHA/saline injection) had lower field AN and CORT plasma levels, suggesting these hormones might mediate a metabolic energy conservation strategy both at baseline levels and after adverse stimuli. Parasite load seem to impose an energetic constrain to the metabolic response to PHA and saline injection. Also, individuals showing higher PHA swelling response had higher field CORT plasma levels (particularly when males are breeding) which opposes the idea of a possible trade-off between reproductive activity and other physiological traits and indicate the immunoenhancing effects CORT elevated at physiological levels. BKA did not show a seasonal variation or correlation with body condition nor hormone levels, indicating that the immune surveillance mediated by the complement remains constant despite other ecological and physiological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla B Madelaire
- Biodiversity and Conservation Genetics, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA, 92027, United States.
| | - Fernando R Gomes
- University of São Paulo, Institute of Biosciences, Trav. 14 da Rua do Matão, 321, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
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3
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Duran F, Boretto JM, Becker LA, Ibargüengoytía NR. Effects of an immune challenge on the thermal preferences of adult and newborn Liolaemus lizards from Patagonia, Argentina. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2023; 95:e20201923. [PMID: 37018837 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320201923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Body temperature has relevant effects on the immune response. Here, we characterized the thermal biology and health condition of the viviparous lizard Liolaemus kingii from Patagonia (Argentina), by studying field body temperatures, presence of injuries or ectoparasites, body condition (BC), and individual immune response capacity with the phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin-swelling assay. In addition, we analyzed the effects of injections of a bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) on the preferred temperature (Tp) and BC of adult males and newborns. The PHA treatment caused detectable thickening at 2 and 20 hours post-assay in males, indicating a significant immune response related to an increase in cellular activity. LPS-challenged lizards thermoregulated accurately and at stable body temperatures within the 50% interquartile of Tp (Tset) over the 72-hour period while the control group showed a more variable and lower Tp. Exposure to LPS negatively affected the BC of newborns, whereas it did not affect the BC of adult males. LPS challenges, used as a proxy of pathogen exposures to study lizard behavioral thermoregulation, constitute a practical approach to assess the immunological constraints lizards from high-latitude regions may face due to global warming and anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Duran
- Laboratorio de Eco-fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Jorgelina M Boretto
- Laboratorio de Eco-fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Leandro A Becker
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus-CONICET), 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Nora R Ibargüengoytía
- Laboratorio de Eco-fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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4
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Marks JR, Beatty AE, Husak JF, Schwartz TS, Lailvaux SP. Sprint training interacts with body mass to affect hepatic insulin-like growth factor expression in female green anoles (Anolis carolinensis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 327:114067. [PMID: 35640679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114067] [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: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Locomotor performance is a key predictor of fitness in many animal species. As such, locomotion integrates the output of a number of morphological, physiological, and molecular levels of organization, yet relatively little is known regarding the major molecular pathways that bolster locomotor performance. One potentially relevant pathway is the insulin and insulin-like signaling (IIS) network, a significant regulator of physiological processes such as reproduction, growth, and metabolism. Two primary hormones of this network, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) are important mediators of these processes and, consequently, of life-history strategies. We sprint-trained green anole (Anolis carolinensis) females to test the responsiveness of IGF1 and IGF2 hepatic gene expression to exercise training. We also tested how sprint training would affect glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (EEF2). The former is a crucial enzyme for glycolytic function in a cell, and the latter is necessary for protein synthesis. Resistance exercise forces animals to increase investment of resources towards skeletal muscle growth. Because IGF1 and IGF2 are important hormones for growth, and GAPDH and EEF2 are crucial for proper cellular function, we hypothesized that these four genes would be affected by sprint training. We found that sprint training affects IGF and EEF2 expression, such that larger sprint-trained lizards express hepatic IGF1, IGF2, and EEF2 to a lesser extent than similarly sized untrained lizards. These results demonstrate that the IIS, and pathways connected to it, can react in a size-dependent manner and are implicated in the exercise response in reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie R Marks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148, USA.
| | - Abby E Beatty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Bldg, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Tonia S Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Bldg, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Simon P Lailvaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
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5
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Wittman TN, Carlson TA, Robinson CD, Bhave RS, Cox RM. Experimental removal of nematode parasites increases growth, sprint speed, and mating success in brown anole lizards. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:852-866. [PMID: 35871281 PMCID: PMC9796785 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasites interact with nearly all free-living organisms and can impose substantial fitness costs by reducing host survival, mating success, and fecundity. Parasites may also indirectly affect host fitness by reducing growth and performance. However, experimentally characterizing these costs of parasitism is challenging in the wild because common antiparasite drug formulations require repeated dosing that is difficult to implement in free-living populations, and because the extended-release formulations that are commercially available for livestock and pets are not suitable for smaller animals. To address these challenges, we developed a method for the long-term removal of nematode parasites from brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) using an extended-release formulation of the antiparasite drug ivermectin. This treatment eliminated two common nematode parasites in captive adult males and dramatically reduced the prevalence and intensity of infection by these parasites in wild adult males and females. Experimental parasite removal significantly increased the sprint speed of captive adult males, the mating success of wild adult males, and the growth of wild juveniles of both sexes. Although parasite removal did not have any effect on survival in wild anoles, parasites may influence fitness directly through reduced mating success and indirectly through reduced growth and performance. Our method of long-term parasite manipulation via an extended-release formulation of ivermectin should be readily adaptable to many other small vertebrates, facilitating experimental tests of the extent to which parasites affect host phenotypes, fitness, and eco-evolutionary dynamics in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler N. Wittman
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | - Torun A. Carlson
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Rachana S. Bhave
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | - Robert M. Cox
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
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6
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Doherty TS, Geary WL, Jolly CJ, Macdonald KJ, Miritis V, Watchorn DJ, Cherry MJ, Conner LM, González TM, Legge SM, Ritchie EG, Stawski C, Dickman CR. Fire as a driver and mediator of predator-prey interactions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1539-1558. [PMID: 35320881 PMCID: PMC9546118 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Both fire and predators have strong influences on the population dynamics and behaviour of animals, and the effects of predators may either be strengthened or weakened by fire. However, knowledge of how fire drives or mediates predator–prey interactions is fragmented and has not been synthesised. Here, we review and synthesise knowledge of how fire influences predator and prey behaviour and interactions. We develop a conceptual model based on predator–prey theory and empirical examples to address four key questions: (i) how and why do predators respond to fire; (ii) how and why does prey vulnerability change post‐fire; (iii) what mechanisms do prey use to reduce predation risk post‐fire; and (iv) what are the outcomes of predator–fire interactions for prey populations? We then discuss these findings in the context of wildlife conservation and ecosystem management before outlining priorities for future research. Fire‐induced changes in vegetation structure, resource availability, and animal behaviour influence predator–prey encounter rates, the amount of time prey are vulnerable during an encounter, and the conditional probability of prey death given an encounter. How a predator responds to fire depends on fire characteristics (e.g. season, severity), their hunting behaviour (ambush or pursuit predator), movement behaviour, territoriality, and intra‐guild dynamics. Prey species that rely on habitat structure for avoiding predation often experience increased predation rates and lower survival in recently burnt areas. By contrast, some prey species benefit from the opening up of habitat after fire because it makes it easier to detect predators and to modify their behaviour appropriately. Reduced prey body condition after fire can increase predation risk either through impaired ability to escape predators, or increased need to forage in risky areas due to being energetically stressed. To reduce risk of predation in the post‐fire environment, prey may change their habitat use, increase sheltering behaviour, change their movement behaviour, or use camouflage through cryptic colouring and background matching. Field experiments and population viability modelling show instances where fire either amplifies or does not amplify the impacts of predators on prey populations, and vice versa. In some instances, intense and sustained post‐fire predation may lead to local extinctions of prey populations. Human disruption of fire regimes is impacting faunal communities, with consequences for predator and prey behaviour and population dynamics. Key areas for future research include: capturing data continuously before, during and after fires; teasing out the relative importance of changes in visibility and shelter availability in different contexts; documenting changes in acoustic and olfactory cues for both predators and prey; addressing taxonomic and geographic biases in the literature; and predicting and testing how changes in fire‐regime characteristics reshape predator–prey interactions. Understanding and managing the consequences for predator–prey communities will be critical for effective ecosystem management and species conservation in this era of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - William L Geary
- Biodiversity Strategy and Knowledge Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Chris J Jolly
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Gungalman Drive, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia.,School of Natural Sciences, G17, Macquarie University, 205B Culloden Road, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Kristina J Macdonald
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Vivianna Miritis
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Darcy J Watchorn
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, MSC 218, Kingsville, TX, 78363, U.S.A
| | - L Mike Conner
- The Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA, 39870, U.S.A
| | - Tania Marisol González
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje y Modelación de Ecosistemas ECOLMOD, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 421, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | - Sarah M Legge
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Level 5 Goddard Building, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences (Burwood Campus), Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Clare Stawski
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway.,School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Chris R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Heydon-Laurence Building A08, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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7
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Husak JF, Lailvaux SP. Conserved and convergent mechanisms underlying performance-life-history trade-offs. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274252. [PMID: 35119073 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic trade-offs are inevitable in nature, but the mechanisms driving them are poorly understood. Movement and oxygen are essential to all animals, and as such, the common ancestor to all living animals passed on mechanisms to acquire oxygen and contract muscle, sometimes at the expense of other activities or expression of traits. Nevertheless, convergent pathways have also evolved to deal with critical trade-offs that are necessary to survive ubiquitous environmental challenges. We discuss how whole-animal performance traits, such as locomotion, are important to fitness, yet costly, resulting in trade-offs with other aspects of the phenotype via specific conserved and convergent mechanistic pathways across all animals. Specifically, we discuss conserved pathways involved in muscle structure and signaling, insulin/insulin-like signaling, sirtuins, mitochondria and hypoxia-inducible factors, as well as convergent pathways involved in energy regulation, development, reproductive investment and energy storage. The details of these mechanisms are only known from a few model systems, and more comparative studies are needed. We make two main recommendations as a framework for future studies of animal form and function. First, studies of performance should consider the broader life-history context of the organism, and vice versa, as performance expression can require a large portion of acquired resources. Second, studies of life histories or mechanistic pathways that measure performance should do so in meaningful and standardized ways. Understanding proximate mechanisms of phenotypic trade-offs will not only better explain the phenotypes of the organisms we study, but also allow predictions about phenotypic variation at the evolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Simon P Lailvaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
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8
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González-Morales JC, Rivera-Rea J, Moreno-Rueda G, Bastiaans E, Castro-López M, Fajardo V. Fast and dark: The case of Mezquite lizards at extreme altitude. J Therm Biol 2021; 102:103115. [PMID: 34863479 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sprint speed is a major performance trait in animal fitness involved in escaping from predators, obtaining food, and defending territory. Biotic and abiotic factors may influence sprint speed in lizards. Temperature decreases at higher altitude. Therefore, lizards at high elevations may require longer basking times to reach optimal body temperatures, increasing their vulnerability to predation and decreasing their time for other activities such as foraging or reproduction. Here, we tested whether the maximum sprint speed of a lizard that shows conservative thermal ecology varied along an altitudinal gradient comprising low (2500 m), middle (3400 m) and high-altitude (4300 m) populations. We also tested whether sprint speed was related to dorsal reflectance at different ecologically relevant temperatures. Given that the lizard Sceloporus grammicus shows conservative thermal ecology with altitude, we expected that overall average sprint speed would not vary with altitude. However, given that darker lizards heat up quicker, we expected that darker lizards would be faster than lighter lizards. Our results suggest that S. grammicus at high altitude are faster and darker at 30 °C, while lizards from low and middle altitude are faster and lighter in color at 20 °C than high altitude lizards. Also, our results suggest a positive relationship between sprint speed and dorsal skin reflectance at 10 and 20 °C. Sprint speed was also affected by snout-vent length, leg length, and leg thickness at 10 °C. These results suggest that, even though predation pressure is lower at extreme altitudes, other factors such as vegetation cover or foraging mode have influenced sprint speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos González-Morales
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km 1.5 Carretera Tlaxcala-Puebla S/N, AP 262, Tlaxcala, Mexico; Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México
| | - Jimena Rivera-Rea
- Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México; Posgrado en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México, Instituto Literario No. 100, Colonia Centro, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50000, Mexico
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva S/N, E-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Bastiaans
- Biology Department, State University of New York College at Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA
| | - Meily Castro-López
- Universidad del Istmo, Campus Juchitán, Carretera Transísmica Juchitán-La ventosa Km. 14, La ventosa, Oaxaca, AP 70102, México
| | - Víctor Fajardo
- Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México.
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9
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Wan L, Liu Z, Wang T, Yang M, Li J, Sun H, Niu C, Zhao W, Jin Y. Camouflage versus running performance as strategies against predation in a lizard inhabiting different habitats. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17409-17416. [PMID: 34938517 PMCID: PMC8668757 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Running speed and camouflage are associated with the foraging and anti-predator abilities of animals. The toad-headed lizard, Phrynocephalus versicolor, has evolved a darker dorsal color in melanistic habitats and maintained a lighter color in adjacent, non-melanistic habitats. We test the hypothesis that lizards have weaker running speed on well-matching backgrounds than on less matching backgrounds. We used lizard models to compare the predation pressure, while the running speed of dark and light lizards were compared in field tunnels using a video recording method. Our results indicated that both the dark lizards in melanistic Heishankou (HSK) and the light lizards in non-melanistic Guazhou (GZ) face lower predation pressure than potential color-background unmatched lizards. The light lizards have a potentially higher running speed than darker lizards in melanistic habitats, which implies that substrate color matching populations with benefits of camouflage might have lower anti-predation pressure, and the costs of investment in melanin production may reduce running capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixia Wan
- College of Life SciencesNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Zhenxia Liu
- College of Life SciencesNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
- College of Life SciencesChina Jiliang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Tao Wang
- College of life sciences and medicineZhejiang Sci‐Tech UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Minglu Yang
- College of Life SciencesNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Jiasheng Li
- College of Life SciencesChina Jiliang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Hui Sun
- College of Life SciencesChina Jiliang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Chenkai Niu
- College of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Wei Zhao
- College of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Yuanting Jin
- College of Life SciencesChina Jiliang UniversityHangzhouChina
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10
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Hudson SB, Virgin EE, Kepas ME, French SS. Energy expenditure across immune challenge severities in a lizard: consequences for innate immunity, locomotor performance and oxidative status. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271845. [PMID: 34402514 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Reptiles, like other vertebrates, rely on immunity to defend themselves from infection. The energetic cost of an immune response is liable to scale with infection severity, prompting constraints on other self-maintenance traits if immune prioritization exceeds energy budget. In this study, adult male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) were injected with saline (control) or high (20 µg g-1 body mass) or low (10 µg g-1 body mass) concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate bacterial infections of discrete severities. The costs and consequences of the immune response were assessed through comparisons of change in resting metabolic rate (RMR), energy metabolites (glucose, glycerol, triglycerides), innate immunity (bactericidal ability), sprint speed and oxidative status (antioxidant capacity, reactive oxygen metabolites). High-LPS lizards had the lowest glucose levels and greatest sprint reductions, while their RMR and bactericidal ability were similar to those of control lizards. Low-LPS lizards had elevated RMR and bactericidal ability, but glucose levels and sprint speed changes between those of high-LPS and control lizards. Levels of glycerol, triglycerides, reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant capacity did not differ by treatment. Taken together, energy expenditure for the immune response varies in a non-linear fashion with challenge severity, posing consequences for performance and self-maintenance processes in a reptile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA
| | - Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA
| | - Megen E Kepas
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5205, USA
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11
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Venesky MD, Laskey CA. Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis reduces salamander capacity to mount a cell-mediated immune response. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 337:273-281. [PMID: 34102032 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate immune system is a costly defense system that is responsible for preventing and eliminating parasites and pathogens. Theory predicts that hosts experience tradeoffs associated with immune deployment and other physiological functions. Although empirical evidence for immune-physiology tradeoffs are well documented in the literature, fewer studies have examined tradeoffs within the immune system in wild vertebrates. We explored the topic of concomitant immune challenges in amphibians by exposing salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) to a fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (hereafter "Bd") and then to phytohemagglutinin (hereafter "PHA"). We measured Bd infection using quantitative PCR and used measurements of the tail thickness at the PHA injection site as an estimate of skin swelling. We tested whether Bd reduced the salamander's capacity to mount an immune response towards PHA or whether Bd would stimulate immune activity and thereby increase the response towards PHA. Salamanders that were infected with Bd had a reduced skin-swelling when injected with PHA compared to noninfected salamanders, a result that is consistent with the hypothesis that Bd-infected salamanders have lower immunocompetence than noninfected salamanders. We also found that PHA-induced swelling response was negatively associated with Bd infection abundance (i.e., the infection burden of all exposed salamanders, including those that were exposed but not infected), indicating that salamanders with a higher infection abundance had the lowest swelling response to PHA. Our results suggest that individuals of P. cinereus might experience an energetic tradeoff between successfully fighting off Bd and mounting an immune response towards PHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Venesky
- Department of Biology, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Corey A Laskey
- Department of Biology, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Lopes PC, French SS, Woodhams DC, Binning SA. Sickness behaviors across vertebrate taxa: proximate and ultimate mechanisms. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:260576. [PMID: 33942101 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.225847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is nothing like a pandemic to get the world thinking about how infectious diseases affect individual behavior. In this respect, sick animals can behave in ways that are dramatically different from healthy animals: altered social interactions and changes to patterns of eating and drinking are all hallmarks of sickness. As a result, behavioral changes associated with inflammatory responses (i.e. sickness behaviors) have important implications for disease spread by affecting contacts with others and with common resources, including water and/or sleeping sites. In this Review, we summarize the behavioral modifications, including changes to thermoregulatory behaviors, known to occur in vertebrates during infection, with an emphasis on non-mammalian taxa, which have historically received less attention. We then outline and discuss our current understanding of the changes in physiology associated with the production of these behaviors and highlight areas where more research is needed, including an exploration of individual and sex differences in the acute phase response and a greater understanding of the ecophysiological implications of sickness behaviors for disease at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology and The Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Douglas C Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Sandra A Binning
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7
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13
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Hudson SB, Virgin EE, Brodie ED, French SS. Recovery from discrete wound severities in side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana): implications for energy budget, locomotor performance, and oxidative stress. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:531-543. [PMID: 33582858 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Wounding events (predation attempts, competitive combat) result in injuries and/or infections that induce integrated immune responses for the recovery process. Despite the survival benefits of immunity in this context, the costs incurred may require investment to be diverted from traits contributing to immediate and/or future survival, such as locomotor performance and oxidative status. Yet, whether trait constraints manifest likely depends on wound severity and the implications for energy budget. For this study, food intake, body mass, sprint speed, and oxidative indices (reactive oxygen metabolites, antioxidant capacity) were monitored in male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) healing from cutaneous wounds of discrete sizes (control, small, large). Results indicate that larger wounds induced faster healing, reduced food consumption, and led to greater oxidative stress over time. Granted wounding did not differentially affect body mass or sprint speed overall, small-wounded lizards with greater wound area healed had faster sprint speeds while large-wounded lizards with greater wound area healed had slower sprint speeds. During recovery from either wound severity, however, healing and sprint performance did not correspond with food consumption, body mass loss, nor oxidative status. These findings provide support that energy budget, locomotor performance, and oxidative status of a reptile are linked to wound recovery to an extent, albeit dependent on wound severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5205, USA. .,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322‑5205, USA.
| | - Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322‑5205, USA
| | - Edmund D Brodie
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5205, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-5205, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322‑5205, USA
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14
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Husak JF, Rohlf CM, Lailvaux SP. Immune activation affects whole-organism performance in male but not female green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis). J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:895-905. [PMID: 33900433 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Immune responses are intuitively beneficial, but they can incur a variety of costs, many of which are poorly understood. The nature and extent of trade-offs between immune activity and other components of the integrated phenotype can vary, and depend on the type of immune challenge, as well as the energetic costs of simultaneously expressing other traits. There may also be sex differences in both immune activity and immunity-induced trade-offs, particularly in the case of trade-offs involving functional traits such as whole-organism performance capacities that might be of different fitness value to males and females. We tested the response of three performance traits (sprinting, endurance, and biting) to two different immune challenges (LPS injection and wound healing) in both male and female Anolis carolinensis lizards. We found clear differences in how male and female performance capacities were affected by immune activation. LPS injection and wound healing had interactive effects on all three performance traits in males, but immune activation did not affect female performance. We also found that the degree of wound healing exhibited complex interactive effects involving sex and type of immune activation that varied depending on the performance trait in question. These results demonstrate that male and female green anoles experience different consequences of immune responses, and also that the type and extent of that activation can drive trait-specific performance trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 55105, USA.
| | - Christine M Rohlf
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 55105, USA
| | - Simon P Lailvaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, 70148, USA
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15
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Wang AZ, Husak JF. Endurance and sprint training affect immune function differently in green anole lizards ( Anolis carolinensis). J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb232132. [PMID: 32917817 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Limited resources must be partitioned among traits that enhance fitness. Although survival-related traits often trade off with reproduction, survival-related traits themselves may trade off with each other under energy limitations. Whole-organism performance and the immune system both enhance survival, yet are costly, but it is unclear how the two might trade off with each other under energy-limited conditions. Resources can be allocated to very different types of performance (e.g. aerobic endurance versus anaerobic sprinting), just as they can be allocated to different components of the immune system (e.g. innate versus acquired) to maximize survival. We forced allocation to different performance traits in green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) using specialized exercise training, to determine how different components of the immune system would be impacted by shifts in energy use. We measured immunocompetence in endurance-trained, sprint-trained and untrained control lizards by evaluating swelling response to phytohemagglutinin (cell-mediated immunity), antibody response to sheep red blood cells (acquired humoral immunity) and wound healing (integrated immunity). Endurance-trained lizards had reduced cell-mediated immunity, whereas sprint-trained lizards had reduced rates of wound healing. The acquired immune response was not affected by either type of training. Because each immune measure responded differently to the different types of training, our results do not support the hypothesis that simple energy limitation determines overall investment in immunity. Instead, different components of the immune system appear to be affected in ways specific to how energy is invested in performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Z Wang
- Department of Biology, University of St Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
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16
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Comas M, Moreno-Rueda G. Immune challenge does not impair short-distance escape speed in a newt. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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17
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Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Ortega J, Cuervo JJ, López P, Salvador A, Martín J. Male rock lizards may compensate reproductive costs of an immune challenge affecting sexual signals. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sexual signals can be evolutionarily stable if they are condition dependent or costly to the signaler. One of these costs may be the trade-off between maintaining the immune system and the elaboration of ornaments. Experimental immune challenges in captivity show a reduction in the expression of sexual signals, but it is not clear whether these detrimental effects are important in nature and, more importantly, whether they have reproductive consequences. We designed a field experiment to challenge the immune system of wild male Carpetan rock lizards, Iberolacerta cyreni, with a bacterial antigen (lipopolysaccharide). The immune challenge decreased relative reflectance of ultraviolet structural and melanin-dependent sexual coloration in the throat and the lateral ocelli, whereas the carotenoid-dependent dorsal green coloration was not affected. Immune activation also decreased proportions of ergosterol and cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol in femoral secretions. These results support a trade-off between the immune system and both visual and chemical sexual ornaments. Moreover, the reproductive success of males, estimated with DNA microsatellites, depended on the expression of some color and chemical traits. However, the immune challenge did not cause overall differences in reproductive success, although it increased with body size/age in control but not in challenged males. This suggests the use of alternative reproductive strategies (e.g., forced matings) in challenged males, particularly in smaller ones. These males might consider that their survival probabilities are low and increase reproductive effort as a form of terminal investment in spite of their “low-quality” sexual signals and potential survival costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Javier Cuervo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo Salvador
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Ibargüengoytía NR, Kubisch E, Cabezas-Cartes F, Fernández JB, Duran F, Piantoni C, Medina MS, Sinervo B. Effects of Acute and Chronic Environmental Disturbances on Lizards of Patagonia. NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES OF PATAGONIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42752-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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19
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Lailvaux SP, Cespedes AM, Weber WD, Husak JF. Sprint speed is unaffected by dietary manipulation in trained male Anolis carolinensis lizards. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 333:164-170. [PMID: 31867872 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Performance traits are energetically costly, and their expression and use can drive trade-offs with other energetically costly life-history traits. However, different performance traits incur distinct costs and may be sensitive to both resource limitation and to the types of resources that are accrued. Protein is likely to be especially important for supporting burst performance traits such as sprint speed, but the effect of varying diet composition on sprint training in lizards, an emerging model system for exercise training, is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the response to sprint training is sensitive to both the type and amount of resources in Anolis carolinensis. We also measured bite force across all treatments as a control whole-organism performance trait that should be unaffected by locomotor training. Both mass and bite force are reduced by dietary restriction over the course of 9 weeks of sprint training, but sprint speed is unaffected by either training or dietary restriction relative to controls. Furthermore, protein supplementation does not rescue a decline in either mass or bite force in trained, diet-restricted males. These results contrast with those for endurance training, and suggest that sprint speed is more canalized than either endurance or bite force in green anoles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Lailvaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Ann M Cespedes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - William D Weber
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota
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20
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Adamo SA, McMillan LE. Listening to your gut: immune challenge to the gut sensitizes body wall nociception in the caterpillar Manduca sexta. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190278. [PMID: 31544611 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune-nociceptor connections are found in animals across phyla. Local inflammation and/or damage results in increased nociceptive sensitivity of the affected area. However, in mammals, immune responses far from peripheral nociceptors, such as immune responses in the gut, produce a general increase in peripheral nociceptive sensitivity. This phenomenon has not, to our knowledge, been found in other animal groups. We found that consuming heat-killed pathogens reduced the tactile force needed to induce a defensive strike in the caterpillar Manduca sexta. This increase in the nociceptive sensitivity of the body wall is probably part of the reconfiguration of behaviour and physiology that occurs during an immune response (e.g. sickness behaviour). This increase may help enhance anti-predator behaviour as molecular resources are shifted towards the immune system. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley A Adamo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H4R2
| | - Laura E McMillan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H4R2
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21
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Integrating time progression in ecoimmunology studies: beyond immune response intensity. Curr Zool 2019; 65:205-212. [PMID: 30936910 PMCID: PMC6430971 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat alterations in agroecosystems may damage amphibian immune capacity. As agroecosystem extension is increasing worldwide, broader-context knowledge on the effects of agroecosystem stressful conditions on amphibian immune capacity is crucial for understanding and management of amphibian global declines. However, most studies on ecoimmunology assume synchronal among-group immune-response peaks, and focus on immune response after standardized time lapses, neglecting its progression. Herein, I compared inflamatory response short-term progression of agroecosystem and natural-habitat female and male natterjack toads Epidalea calamita, by measuring swelling response, once per hour, 6 h following an artificial immune challenge with innocuous antigen phytohemagglutinin. I also compared maximum magnitude of swelling response, irrespective of the moment when it was reached. Habitat differences arose only 3 h after challenge, when natural-habitat toads showed greater swelling response. Maximum magnitude of swelling response was similar in toads from both habitats. However, agroecosystem toads showed a delayed swelling response as compared with natural-habitat conspecifics, probably as a consequence of agroecosystem stressful conditions. Such a delay suggests a weaker immune capacity, and consequently impaired anti-pathogen performance. Regarding sex, swelling response magnitude did not differ between males and females. Female swelling response peaked earlier, but that of males was more sustained in time, which contradicts general across-taxa findings that males show impaired immune response. Interestingly, results suggest that measuring swelling response only after some standardized period following stimulation may be a simplistic approach and produce unrealistic results. Consequently, studies on ecoimmunology should implement swelling response progression in order to produce unbiased science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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22
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Wang AZ, Husak JF, Lovern M. Leptin ameliorates the immunity, but not reproduction, trade-off with endurance in lizards. J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:261-269. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01202-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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23
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DURAN FERNANDO, BORETTO JORGELINAM, FERNÁNDEZ JIMENAB, MOLINA MORAIBÁÑEZ, MEDINA MARLINS, IBARGÜENGOYTÍA NORAR. Impact of immunological state on eco-physiological variables in one of the southernmost lizards in the world. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 91:e20190055. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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24
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Moore MP, Lis C, Martin RA. Immune deployment increases larval vulnerability to predators and inhibits adult life-history traits in a dragonfly. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1365-1376. [PMID: 29927003 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
While deploying immune defences early in ontogeny can trade-off with the production and maintenance of other important traits across the entire life cycle, it remains largely unexplored how features of the environment shape the magnitude or presence of these lifetime costs. Greater predation risk during the juvenile stage may particularly influence such costs by (1) magnifying the survival costs that arise from any handicap of juvenile avoidance traits and/or (2) intensifying allocation trade-offs with important adult traits. Here, we tested for predator-dependent costs of immune deployment within and across life stages using the dragonfly, Pachydiplax longipennis. We first examined how larval immune deployment affected two traits associated with larval vulnerability to predators: escape distance and foraging under predation risk. Larvae that were induced to mount an immune response had shorter escape distances but lower foraging activity in the presence of predator cues. We also induced immune responses in larvae and reared them through emergence in mesocosms that differed in the presence of large predatory dragonfly larvae (Aeshnidae spp.). Immune-challenged larvae had later emergence overall and lower survival in pools with predators. Immune-challenged males were also smaller at emergence and developed less sexually selected melanin wing coloration, but these effects were independent of predator treatment. Overall, these results highlight how mounting an immune defence early in ontogeny can have substantial ecological and physiological costs that manifest both within and across life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Moore
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Ryan A Martin
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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25
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Iglesias-Carrasco M, Head ML, Cabido C. Effect of an immune challenge on the anti-predator response of the green Iberian frog (Pelophylax perezi): the influence of urban habitats. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Department of Evolutionay Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC). José Madrid, Spain
- Department of Herpetology, Aranzadi Science Society. Zorroagagaina, Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics. Australian National University. Research School of Biology, Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601. Canberra, Australia
| | - Carlos Cabido
- Department of Herpetology, Aranzadi Science Society. Zorroagagaina, Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
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26
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Álvarez-Ruiz L, Megía-Palma R, Reguera S, Ruiz S, Zamora-Camacho FJ, Figuerola J, Moreno-Rueda G. Opposed elevational variation in prevalence and intensity of endoparasites and their vectors in a lizard. Curr Zool 2018; 64:197-204. [PMID: 30402060 PMCID: PMC5905508 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the causes of parasite geographic distribution is relevant to understand ecological and evolutionary processes that affect host populations as well as for species conservation. Temperature is one of the most important environmental variables affecting parasite distribution, as raising temperatures positively affect development, reproduction, and rate of transmission of both endo- and ectoparasites. In this context, it is generally accepted that, in mountains, parasite abundance decreases with elevation. However, empirical evidence on this topic is limited. In the present study, we analyzed the elevational variation of hemoparasites and ectoparasites of a lizard, Psammodromus algirus, along a 2,200-m elevational gradient in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). As predicted, ectoparasite (mites, ticks, mosquitoes, and sandflies) abundance decreased with elevation. However, hemoparasite prevalence and intensity in the lizard augmented with altitude, showing a pattern contrary to their vectors (mites). We suggest that tolerance to hemoparasites may increase with elevation as a consequence of lizards at high altitudes taking advantage of increased body condition and food availability, and reduced oxidative stress. Moreover, lizards could have been selected for higher resistance against hemoparasites at lowlands (where higher rates of replication are expected), thus reducing hemoparasite prevalence and load. Our findings imply that, in a scenario of climate warming, populations of lizards at high elevation may face increased abundance of ectoparasites, accompanied with strong negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Álvarez-Ruiz
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CSIC, Ctra. Náquera Km. 4.5, Moncada, Valencia, E-46113, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, c/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, E-28006, Spain
| | - Senda Reguera
- Unit of Ethology and Animal Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary, University CEU Cardenal Herrera, Alfara del Patriarca, (Valencia), E-46113, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Servicio de Control de Mosquitos, Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Huelva, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Francisco J Zamora-Camacho
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, E-28006, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain
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27
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Lailvaux SP, Husak JF. Predicting Life-History Trade-Offs with Whole-Organism Performance. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:325-332. [PMID: 28859417 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
SYNOPSIS Whole-organism performance traits are key intermediaries between the organism and the environment. Because performance traits are energetically costly to both build and maintain, performance will compete with other life-history traits over a limited pool of acquired energetic resources at any given time, potentially leading to trade-offs in performance expression. Although these trade-offs can have important implications for organismal fitness we currently lack a conceptual framework for predicting both where trade-offs might be expected, and which traits may be especially prone to trade-offs with other fitness-related life-history traits. We propose such a framework based on an estimate of the energetic requirements of locomotion in vertebrates, the ecological cost of transport. By analyzing existing data on mammalian energetic budgets and life-history, we found that species with higher costs of locomotion also tended to be those with "slow" life histories that invest relatively less in current reproduction than "fast" life-history species. We discuss the potential implications of ectothermy for masking such relationships, and how this framework might be expanded upon in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Lailvaux
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
| | - Jerry F Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105, USA
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Zamora-Camacho FJ. Locomotor performance in a running toad: roles of morphology, sex and agrosystem versus natural habitat. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Maia-Carneiro T, Motta-Tavares T, Ávila RW, Rocha CFD. Helminth infections in a pair of sympatric congeneric lizard species. Parasitol Res 2017; 117:89-96. [PMID: 29128926 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5672-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed parameters of parasitism by helminths in a pair of sympatric congeneric lizard species (Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus). Differences in their supracommunities (richness, composition, and abundance) and the influence of helminthic loads on minimum flight initiation distances and body temperatures were evaluated. We reported new findings of Piratuba digiticauda infecting T. hispidus and Oochoristica bresslaui infecting T. semitaeniatus. Parapharyngodon alvarengai was the most abundant helminth in both host species. Tropidurus hispidus individuals hosted a higher abundance and richness of helminths than T. semitaeniatus, with females of the former having larger helminthic loads than males. Dissimilarities between host species may be attributed to differences in their utilization of niche dimensions (time, food, and structural and thermal space), the occurrence of morphological differences that result in differential exposure to the sources and agents of infection, and/or differential immunological functions. Our data suggests that infection by P. alvarengai led to some limitations in locomotor performance of T. hispidus resulting in decreased minimum flight initiation distance as infection rates increased. Individuals opted for a prolonged period of immobility to avoid capture. There was a negative relationship between helminthic loads and body temperatures in T. semitaeniatus, possibly due to decreased activity and thermoregulation rates, and increased use of shelters by lizards with high infection levels to avoid predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Maia-Carneiro
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil.
| | - Tatiana Motta-Tavares
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Robson Waldemar Ávila
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Rua Coronel Antônio Luiz 1161, Crato, Ceará, 63100-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos F D Rocha
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
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Llanos-Garrido A, Díaz JA, Pérez-Rodríguez A, Arriero E. Variation in male ornaments in two lizard populations with contrasting parasite loads. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Llanos-Garrido
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - J. A. Díaz
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - A. Pérez-Rodríguez
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - E. Arriero
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology; Faculty of Biology; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Madrid Spain
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Husak JF, Roy JC, Lovern MB. Exercise training reveals trade-offs among endurance performance and immune function, but not growth, in juvenile lizards. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:1497-1502. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Acquired energetic resources allocated to a particular trait cannot then be re-allocated to a different trait. This often results in a trade-off between survival and reproduction for the adults of many species, but such a trade-off may be manifested differently in juveniles not yet capable of reproduction. Whereas adults may allocate resources to current and/or future reproduction, juveniles can only allocate to future reproduction. Thus, juveniles should allocate resources toward traits that increase survival and their chances of future reproductive success. We manipulated allocation of resources to performance, via endurance exercise training, to examine trade-offs among endurance capacity, immune function, and growth in juvenile green anole lizards. We trained male and female captive anoles on a treadmill for eight weeks, with increasing intensity, and compared traits to those of untrained individuals. Our results show that training enhanced endurance capacity equally in both sexes, but immune function was suppressed only in females. Training had no effect on growth, but males had higher growth rates than females. Previous work showed that trained adults have enhanced growth, so juvenile growth is either insensitive to stimulation with exercise, or they are already growing at maximal rates. Our results add to a growing literature that locomotor performance is an important part of life-history trade-offs that are sex- and age-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry F. Husak
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Jordan C. Roy
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
| | - Matthew B. Lovern
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
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Bonneaud C, Wilson RS, Seebacher F. Immune-Challenged Fish Up-Regulate Their Metabolic Scope to Support Locomotion. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166028. [PMID: 27851769 PMCID: PMC5113038 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Energy-based trade-offs occur when investment in one fitness-related trait diverts energy away from other traits. The extent to which such trade-offs are shaped by limits on the rate of conversion of energy ingested in food (e.g. carbohydrates) into chemical energy (ATP) by oxidative metabolism rather than by the amount of food ingested in the first place is, however, unclear. Here we tested whether the ATP required for mounting an immune response will lead to a trade-off with ATP available for physical activity in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). To this end, we challenged fish either with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli or with Sheep Red Blood Cells (SRBC), and measured oxygen consumption at rest and during swimming at maximum speed 24h, 48h and 7 days post-challenge in order to estimate metabolic rates. Relative to saline-injected controls, only LPS-injected fish showed a significantly greater resting metabolic rate two days post-challenge and significantly higher maximal metabolic rates two and seven days post-challenge. This resulted in a significantly greater metabolic scope two days post-challenge, with LPS-fish transiently overcompensating by increasing maximal ATP production more than would be required for swimming in the absence of an immune challenge. LPS-challenged fish therefore increased their production of ATP to compensate physiologically for the energetic requirements of immune functioning. This response would avoid ATP shortages and allow fish to engage in an aerobically-challenging activity (swimming) even when simultaneously mounting an immune response. Nevertheless, relative to controls, both LPS- and SRBC-fish displayed reduced body mass gain one week post-injection, and LPS-fish actually lost mass. The concomitant increase in metabolic scope and reduced body mass gain of LPS-challenged fish indicates that immune-associated trade-offs are not likely to be shaped by limited oxidative metabolic capacities, but may instead result from limitations in the acquisition, assimilation or efficient use of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Bonneaud
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Station d’Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS, USR 2936, 09200 Moulis, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Robbie S. Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Frank Seebacher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Reguera S, Moreno-Rueda G. Elevational variation in body-temperature response to immune challenge in a lizard. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1972. [PMID: 27168981 PMCID: PMC4860334 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunocompetence benefits animal fitness by combating pathogens, but also entails some costs. One of its main components is fever, which in ectotherms involves two main types of costs: energy expenditure and predation risk. Whenever those costs of fever outweigh its benefits, ectotherms are expected not to develop fever, or even to show hypothermia, reducing costs of thermoregulation and diverting the energy saved to other components of the immune system. Environmental thermal quality, and therefore the thermoregulation cost/benefit balance, varies geographically. Hence, we hypothesize that, in alpine habitats, immune-challenged ectotherms should show no thermal response, given that (1) hypothermia would be very costly, as the temporal window for reproduction is extremely small, and (2) fever would have a prohibitive cost, as heat acquisition is limited in such habitat. However, in temperate habitats, immune-challenged ectotherms might show a febrile response, due to lower cost/benefit balance as a consequence of a more suitable thermal environment. We tested this hypothesis in Psammodromus algirus lizards from Sierra Nevada (SE Spain), by testing body temperature preferred by alpine and non-alpine lizards, before and after activating their immune system with a typical innocuous pyrogen. Surprisingly, non-alpine lizards responded to immune challenge by decreasing preferential body-temperature, presumably allowing them to save energy and reduce exposure to predators. On the contrary, as predicted, immune-challenged alpine lizards maintained their body-temperature preferences. These results match with increased costs of no thermoregulation with elevation, due to the reduced window of time for reproduction in alpine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States; Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Senda Reguera
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada , Granada , Spain
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