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Davoodi P, Ghaderi-Zefrehei M, Dolatabady MM, Razmkabir M, Kianpour S, Esfahani EN, Smith J. In silico investigation of uncoupling protein function in avian genomes. Front Vet Sci 2023; 9:1085112. [PMID: 36744229 PMCID: PMC9893418 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1085112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are involved in lipid metabolism and belong to a family of mitochondrial anionic transporters. In poultry, only one UCP homologue has been identified and experimentally shown to be associated with growth, feed conversion ratio, and abdominal fat according to its predominant expression in bird muscles. In endotherm birds, cell metabolic efficiency can be tuned by the rate of mitochondrial coupling. Thus, avUCP may be a key contributor to controlling metabolic rate during particular environmental changes. Methods This study aimed to perform a set of in-silico investigations primarily focused on the structural, biological, and biomimetic functions of avUCP. Thereby, using in silico genome analyses among 8 avian species (chicken, turkey, swallow, manakin, sparrow, wagtail, pigeon, and mallard) and a series of bioinformatic approaches, we provide phylogenetic inference and comparative genomics of avUCPs and investigate whether sequence variation can alter coding sequence characteristics, the protein structure, and its biological features. Complementarily, a combination of literature mining and prediction approaches was also applied to predict the gene networks of avUCP to identify genes, pathways, and biological crosstalk associated with avUCP function. Results The results showed the evolutionary alteration of UCP proteins in different avian species. Uncoupling proteins in avian species are highly conserved trans membrane proteins as seen by sequence alignment, physio-chemical parameters, and predicted protein structures. Taken together, avUCP has the potential to be considered a functional marker for the identification of cell metabolic state, thermogenesis, and oxidative stress caused by cold, heat, fasting, transfer, and other chemical stimuli stresses in birds. It can also be deduced that avUCP, in migrant or domestic birds, may increase heat stress resistance by reducing fatty acid transport/b-oxidation and thermoregulation alongside antioxidant defense mechanisms. The predicted gene network for avUCP highlighted a cluster of 21 genes involved in response to stress and 28 genes related to lipid metabolism and the proton buffering system. Finally, among 11 enriched pathways, crosstalk of 5 signaling pathways including MAPK, adipocytokine, mTOR, insulin, ErbB, and GnRH was predicted, indicating a possible combination of positive or negative feedback among pathways to regulate avUCP functions. Discussion Genetic selection for fast-growing commercial poultry has unintentionally increased susceptibility to many kinds of oxidative stress, and so avUCP could be considered as a potential candidate gene for balancing energy expenditure and reactive oxygen species production, especially in breeding programs. In conclusion, avUCP can be introduced as a pleiotropic gene that requires the contribution of regulatory genes, hormones, pathways, and genetic crosstalk to allow its finely-tuned function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peymaneh Davoodi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Ghaderi-Zefrehei
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran,*Correspondence: Mostafa Ghaderi-Zefrehei ✉ ; ✉
| | | | - Mohammad Razmkabir
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Somayeh Kianpour
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Jacqueline Smith
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Jacqueline Smith ✉
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Marton A, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Bókony V, Pap PL, Pătraș L, Pénzes J, Bărbos L, Fülöp A, Osváth G, Ducatez S, Giraudeau M. Oxidative physiology is weakly associated with pigmentation in birds. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9177. [PMID: 35979521 PMCID: PMC9366753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic link between avian oxidative physiology and plumage coloration has attracted considerable attention in past decades. Hence, multiple proximal hypotheses were proposed to explain how oxidative state might covary with the production of melanin and carotenoid pigments. Some hypotheses underscore that these pigments (or their precursors, e.g., glutathione) have antioxidant capacities or function as molecules storing the toxic excess of intracellular compounds, while others highlight that these pigments can act as pro-oxidants under specific conditions. Most studies addressing these associations are at the intraspecific level, while phylogenetic comparative studies are still scarce, though needed to assess the generality of these associations. Here, we tested whether plumage and bare part coloration were related to oxidative physiology at an interspecific level by measuring five oxidative physiology markers (three nonenzymatic antioxidants and two markers of lipid peroxidative damage) in 1387 individuals of 104 European bird species sampled during the breeding season, and by scoring plumage eumelanin, pheomelanin, and carotenoid content for each sex and species. Only the plasma level of reactive oxygen metabolites was related to melanin coloration, being positively associated with eumelanin score and negatively with pheomelanin score. Thus, our results do not support the role of antioxidant glutathione in driving variation in melanin synthesis across species. Furthermore, the carotenoid scores of feathers and bare parts were unrelated to the measured oxidative physiology parameters, further suggesting that the marked differences in pigmentation across birds does not influence their oxidative state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Marton
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Institute of Aquatic EcologyCentre for Ecological ResearchDebrecenHungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupPlant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research NetworkBudapestHungary
| | - Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Laura Pătraș
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Janka Pénzes
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Lőrinc Bărbos
- Milvus Group Bird and Nature Protection AssociationTârgu MureșRomania
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Gergely Osváth
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Museum of ZoologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Simon Ducatez
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) – UMR 241 EIO (UPF, IRD, Ifremer, ILM)TahitiFrench Polynesia
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS – La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
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3
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Mookkan M, Muniyandi K, Palaniyandi S. Carotenoid composition in wild-caught spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) broodstocks: effects on gonad development. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2022; 48:991-1009. [PMID: 35790621 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-022-01099-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The carotenoid reserves of broodstocks have a considerable impact on reproductive performance, maturity, fecundity, spawning, and yolk-sac larvae quality. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the most effective strategy for enriching broodstock in artificial breeding programs by examining changes in the carotenoid profile of wild-caught spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) broodstocks during the reproductive season. The predominant carotenoids such as fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, lutein, and β-carotenoids were examined in muscle, liver, and gonad (testis and ovary) samples from both the genders. The results revealed that total carotenoid levels differed significantly (p < 0.05) among tissues during sexual maturation. The muscle fucoxanthin levels increased gradually (0.014 ± 0 .01 < 0.017 ± 0.00 < 0.019 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) during testicular maturation and were comparatively higher than that of the liver and testis. The astaxanthin content of the ovary was relatively low and increased with ovarian maturation (2.013 ± 0.18 < 6.106 ± 0.28 < 8.871 ± 0.73 mg/100 g). The scat's mature ovary (9.446 ± 0.53 mg/100 g) had a higher concentration of lutein in comparison with testis (0.821 ± 0.07 mg/100 g). In the testis, the highest concentration of β-carotene could be observed during the mature stage (1.765 ± 0.08 mg/100 g). In female scat, the β-carotene content of muscle showed an inverse relationship with maturation indicated by a gradual decrease from immature stage. Finally, it is proposed that carotenoids are preferentially mobilized and conserved in the gonads, which are indispensable to improve gonadal development and the productive potential of S. argus, a leading candidate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhavi Mookkan
- PG & Research Department of Zoology, Ethiraj College for Women (Autonomous), Affiliated to University of Madras, Chennai, 600 008, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Kailasam Muniyandi
- Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Fish Culture Division, Santhome High Road, R.A.Puram, Chennai, 600 028, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Stalin Palaniyandi
- Department of Zoology, Erode Arts and Science College, Affiliated to Bharathiar University, Rangampalayam, Erode, 638 009, Tamil Nadu, India
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Oxidative stress and the differential expression of traits associated with mating effort in humans. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ecological effects on female bill colour explain plastic sexual dichromatism in a mutually-ornamented bird. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14970. [PMID: 34294752 PMCID: PMC8298529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93897-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in ornamentation are common and, in species with conventional sex roles, are generally thought of as stable, due to stronger sexual selection on males. Yet, especially in gregarious species, ornaments can also have non-sexual social functions, raising the possibility that observed sex differences in ornamentation are plastic. For example, females may invest in costly ornamentation more plastically, to protect body and reproductive ability in more adverse ecological conditions. We tested this hypothesis with experimental work on the mutually-ornamented common waxbill (Estrilda astrild), supplementing their diets either with pigmentary (lutein, a carotenoid) or non-pigmentary (vitamin E) antioxidants, or alleviating winter cold temperature. We found that both lutein and vitamin E supplementation increased red bill colour saturation in females, reaching the same mean saturation as males, which supports the hypothesis that female bill colour is more sensitive to environmental or physiological conditions. The effect of vitamin E, a non-pigment antioxidant, suggests that carotenoids were released from their antioxidant functions. Alleviating winter cold did not increase bill colour saturation in either sex, but increased the stability of female bill colour over time, suggesting that female investment in bill colour is sensitive to cold-mediated stress. Together, results show that waxbill bill sexual dichromatism is not stable. Instead, sexual dichromatism can be modulated, and even disappear completely, due to ecology-mediated plastic adjustments in female bill colour.
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Mouginot P, Uhl G, Toshkova N, Beaulieu M. Differential oxidative costs of locomotory and genital damage in an orb-weaving spider. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb219758. [PMID: 32978319 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.219758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In animals that regularly experience tissue loss, physiological responses may have evolved to overcome the related costs. Changes in oxidative status may reflect such self-maintenance mechanisms. Here, we investigated how markers of oxidative status vary in female orb-weaving spiders (Larinia jeskovi) by mimicking two distinct types of tissue loss they may naturally encounter: damage to their locomotory system and damage to their external genital structure (scapus), as inflicted by males during copulation (external female genital mutilation). Damage to the locomotory system resulted in a significant shift in oxidative status, reflecting investment in self-maintenance. In contrast, the loss of the scapus did not result in quantitative changes of oxidative markers. This lack of a physiological response suggests negligible physiological costs of genital mutilation for female spiders. However, not being able to remate with other males might be costly for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierick Mouginot
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Gabriele Uhl
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Nia Toshkova
- National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Michaël Beaulieu
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
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Ruiz‐Guzmán G, Cordero‐Molina S, Krams I, Contreras‐Garduño J. Interactions between oxidative stress and attractiveness to mates and individual mate choice in the beetle
Tenebrio molitor. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ruiz‐Guzmán
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
| | - Sagrario Cordero‐Molina
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology Faculty of Biology University of Latvia Rīga Latvia
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre Rīga Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras‐Garduño
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
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8
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Remot F, Ronget V, Froy H, Rey B, Gaillard JM, Nussey DH, Lemaître JF. No sex differences in adult telomere length across vertebrates: a meta-analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200548. [PMID: 33391781 PMCID: PMC7735339 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, females live on average longer than males. In humans, women have consistently longer telomeres than men, and this has led to speculation that sex differences in telomere length (TL) could play a role in sex differences in longevity. To address the generality and drivers of patterns of sex differences in TL across vertebrates, we performed meta-analyses across 51 species. We tested two main evolutionary hypotheses proposed to explain sex differences in TL, namely the heterogametic sex disadvantage and the sexual selection hypotheses. We found no support for consistent sex differences in TL between males and females among mammal, bird, fish and reptile species. This absence of sex differences in TL across different classes of vertebrates does not support the heterogametic sex disadvantage hypothesis. Likewise, the absence of any negative effect of sexual size dimorphism on male TL suggests that sexual selection is not likely to mediate the magnitude of sex differences in TL across vertebrates. Finally, the comparative analyses we conducted did not detect any association between sex differences in TL and sex differences in longevity, which does not support the idea that sex differences in TL could explain the observed sex differences in longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florentin Remot
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Victor Ronget
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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9
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Morris J, Darolti I, van der Bijl W, Mank JE. High-resolution characterization of male ornamentation and re-evaluation of sex linkage in guppies. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201677. [PMID: 33081622 PMCID: PMC7661287 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Coloration plays a key role in the ecology of many species, influencing how an organism interacts with its environment, other species and conspecifics. Guppies are sexually dimorphic, with males displaying sexually selected coloration resulting from female preference. Previous work has suggested that much of guppy colour pattern variation is Y-linked. However, it remains unclear how many individual colour patterns are Y-linked in natural populations as much of the previous work has focused on phenotypes either not found in the wild, or aggregate measures such as total colour area. Moreover, ornaments have traditionally been identified and delineated by hand, and computational methods now make it possible to extract pixels and identify ornaments with automated methods, reducing the potential for human bias. Here we developed a pipeline for semi-automated ornament identification and high-resolution image analysis of male guppy colour patterns and applied it to a multigenerational pedigree. Our results show that loci controlling the presence or the absence of individual male ornaments in our population are not predominantly Y-linked. However, we find that ornaments of similar colour are not independent of each other, and modifier loci that affect whole animal coloration appear to be at least partially Y-linked. Considering these results, Y-linkage of individual ornaments may not be important in driving colour changes in natural populations of guppies, or in expansions of the non-recombining Y region, while Y-linked modifier loci that affect aggregate traits may well play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Morris
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Iulia Darolti
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wouter van der Bijl
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Judith E. Mank
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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10
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Antioxidant asymmetry and acclimation temperature independently reflect fight outcome in male crickets. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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11
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Ziegelbecker A, Remele K, Pfeifhofer HW, Sefc KM. Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2020; 848:3683-3698. [PMID: 34720169 PMCID: PMC8549929 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04354-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The famously diverse body coloration of cichlid fish serves communicative functions in mating and social interactions including competition for resources. Here, we examined the effects of a color pattern trait-the width of a yellow bar on a black body-on territorial competition in males and females of a color variant ("Ikola") of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Tropheus. First, measuring integumentary carotenoid concentrations in the yellow and black body regions, we established that wider yellow bars require more carotenoids allocated to body coloration. However, we also detected high carotenoid concentrations in the black body regions (> 100 µg/g fresh skin), raising questions about the function of non-displayed integumentary carotenoids. Behavioral experiments showed that fish with wider bars were quicker to explore an unfamiliar area of the tank. In experiments including presentations of fish dummies, the bar width of 'territorial' dummies had no effect on the latency time which test fish took to intrude into the dummies' territories. However, male test fish performed fewer aggressive acts against wide-barred than against narrow-barred dummy competitors. Our results suggest that intimidation by wide bars as well as correlations between bar width and explorative behavior may contribute to mediating success in territorial Tropheus "Ikola".
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus Remele
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Schubertstraße 51, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Kristina M. Sefc
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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12
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Mészáros B, Jordán L, Bajer K, Martín J, Török J, Molnár O. Relationship between oxidative stress and sexual coloration of lizards depends on thermal habitat. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2019; 106:55. [PMID: 31612286 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1649-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual signals serve as an honest indicator of individual quality, reflecting either developmental and/or maintenance costs. A possible underlying physiological mechanism is oxidative stress, which could mediate energy trade-offs between sexual signals and other quality traits. In ectotherms, thermal performance acts as a key indicator of individual quality and influence signal intensity. We investigated how oxidative state is reflected in visual signals of lizards from different thermal habitats. According to our hypothesis, efficient thermoregulation requires different strategies in different thermal environments. In a habitat with predictable temperature changes, animals are less exposed to suboptimal temperature ranges and selection will, therefore, be stronger on the maximum oxidative damage at optimal body temperature. Contrarily, in a habitat with rather stochastic thermal shifts, individuals are often constricted by suboptimal thermal conditions, and oxidative damage can be limiting on a wide temperature range. We used Iberolacerta cyreni and Psammodromus algirus inhabiting stochastic and predictable thermal environments respectively. We examined two aspects of oxidative stress: the level of reactive oxygen metabolites at the preferred temperature (maximal ROM) and the temperature range in which animals produce at least 80% of the maximum level of reactive oxygen metabolites (effective ROM range). In I. cyreni, we found that duller coloration was related to a wider effective ROM range, while expression of coloration in P. algirus was negatively correlated with the maximal ROM. Our results suggest that different thermal constraints affect different aspects of oxidative damage which can indicate individual quality and are, therefore, represented in sexual ornaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boglárka Mészáros
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| | - Lilla Jordán
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Katalin Bajer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.,Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Molnár
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
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13
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Hill GE, Hood WR, Ge Z, Grinter R, Greening C, Johnson JD, Park NR, Taylor HA, Andreasen VA, Powers MJ, Justyn NM, Parry HA, Kavazis AN, Zhang Y. Plumage redness signals mitochondrial function in the house finch. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191354. [PMID: 31551059 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid coloration is widely recognized as a signal of individual condition in various animals, but despite decades of study, the mechanisms that link carotenoid coloration to condition remain unresolved. Most birds with red feathers convert yellow dietary carotenoids to red carotenoids in an oxidation process requiring the gene encoding the putative cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2J19. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the process of carotenoid oxidation and feather pigmentation is functionally linked to mitochondrial performance. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed high levels of red ketolated carotenoids associated with the hepatic mitochondria of moulting wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and upon fractionation, we found the highest concentration of ketolated carotenoids in the inner mitochondrial membrane. We further found that the redness of growing feathers was positively related to the performance of liver mitochondria. Structural modelling of CYP2J19 supports a direct role of this protein in carotenoid ketolation that may be functionally linked to cellular respiration. These observations suggest that feather coloration serves as a signal of core functionality through inexorable links to cellular respiration in the mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Ge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rhys Grinter
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Noel R Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Halie A Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Nicholas M Justyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,School of Health Studies, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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14
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Javůrková VG, Enbody ED, Kreisinger J, Chmel K, Mrázek J, Karubian J. Plumage iridescence is associated with distinct feather microbiota in a tropical passerine. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12921. [PMID: 31501471 PMCID: PMC6733896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49220-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds present a stunning diversity of plumage colors that have long fascinated evolutionary ecologists. Although plumage coloration is often linked to sexual selection, it may impact a number of physiological processes, including microbial resistance. At present, the degree to which differences between pigment-based vs. structural plumage coloration may affect the feather microbiota remains unanswered. Using quantitative PCR and DGGE profiling, we investigated feather microbial load, diversity and community structure among two allopatric subspecies of White-shouldered Fairywren, Malurus alboscapulatus that vary in expression of melanin-based vs. structural plumage coloration. We found that microbial load tended to be lower and feather microbial diversity was significantly higher in the plumage of black iridescent males, compared to black matte females and brown individuals. Moreover, black iridescent males had distinct feather microbial communities compared to black matte females and brown individuals. We suggest that distinctive nanostructure properties of iridescent male feathers or different investment in preening influence feather microbiota community composition and load. This study is the first to point to structural plumage coloration as a factor that may significantly regulate feather microbiota. Future work might explore fitness consequences and the role of microorganisms in the evolution of avian sexual dichromatism, with particular reference to iridescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Suchdol, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Erik D Enbody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kryštof Chmel
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Mrázek
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 160 00, Prague-Krč, Czech Republic
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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15
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McLean CA, Lutz A, Rankin KJ, Elliott A, Moussalli A, Stuart-Fox D. Red carotenoids and associated gene expression explain colour variation in frillneck lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191172. [PMID: 31311479 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary ecology is that red-orange ornamental colours reliably signal individual quality owing to limited dietary availability of carotenoids and metabolic costs associated with their production, such as the bioconversion of dietary yellow carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids. However, in ectothermic vertebrates, these colours can also be produced by self-synthesized pteridine pigments. As a consequence, the relative ratio of pigment types and their biochemical and genetic basis have implications for the costs and information content of colour signals; yet they remain poorly known in most taxonomic groups. We tested whether red- and yellow-frilled populations of the frillneck lizard, Chlamydosaurus kingii, differ in the ratio of different biochemical classes of carotenoid and pteridine pigments, and examined associated differences in gene expression. We found that, unlike other squamate reptiles, red hues derive from a higher proportion of ketocarotenoids relative to both dietary yellow carotenoids and to pteridines. Whereas red frill skin showed higher expression of several genes associated with carotenoid metabolism, yellow frill skin showed higher expression of genes associated with steroid hormones. Based on the different mechanisms underlying red and yellow signals, we hypothesize that frill colour conveys different information in the two populations. More generally, the data expand our knowledge of the genetic and biochemical basis of colour signals in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire A McLean
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Adrian Lutz
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Metabolomics Australia, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Katrina J Rankin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Adam Elliott
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Adnan Moussalli
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Devi Stuart-Fox
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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16
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Lemaître JF, Cheynel L, Douhard F, Bourgoin G, Débias F, Ferté H, Gilot-Fromont E, Pardonnet S, Pellerin M, Rey B, Vanpé C, Hewison AJM, Gaillard JM. The influence of early-life allocation to antlers on male performance during adulthood: Evidence from contrasted populations of a large herbivore. J Anim Ecol 2019; 87:921-932. [PMID: 29931770 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
To secure mating opportunities, males often develop and maintain conspicuous traits that are involved in intrasexual and/or intersexual competition. While current models of sexual selection rely on the assumption that producing such traits is costly, quantifying the cost of allocating to secondary sexual traits remains challenging. According to the principle of allocation, high energy allocation to growth or sexual traits in males should lead to reduced energy allocation to the maintenance of cellular and physiological functions, potentially causing them to age faster, with impaired survival. We evaluated the short-term and delayed consequences of energy allocation to antlers early in life in two contrasted populations of roe deer, Capreolus capreolus. Although most males mate successfully for the first time in their fourth year, antlers are grown annually from the first year of life onwards. We tested the prediction that a high level of allocation to antler growth during the first two years of life should lead to lower body mass, antler size and survival during the early and late prime stages, as well as to reduced longevity overall. Growing and carrying long antlers during the first years of life was not associated with any detectable cost in the late prime stage. The positive association between antler growth in early life and adult body mass instead supports that fawn antler acts as an honest signal of phenotypic quality in roe deer. For a given body mass, yearling males growing longer antlers displayed impaired performance during their late prime. We also found a trend for a short-term survival cost of allocation to relative antler length during the second year of life. Yearling males that grow long antlers relative to their mass might display a fast life-history tactic. We argue that differential allocation to secondary sexual traits generates a diversity of individual trajectories that should impact population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Louise Cheynel
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Frédéric Douhard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.,GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, INPT, INP-ENVT, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Gilles Bourgoin
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.,VetAgro Sup, Université de Lyon, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - François Débias
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hubert Ferté
- EA 4688 "VECPAR," UFR Pharmacie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.,VetAgro Sup, Université de Lyon, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maryline Pellerin
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Cervidés-Sanglier, Bar-le-Duc, France
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Cécile Vanpé
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France.,Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Prédateurs - Animaux déprédateurs, Villeneuve de Rivière, France
| | | | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1 CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
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17
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Martínez-Lendech N, Osorio-Beristain M, Franco B, Pedraza-Reyes M, Obregón A, Contreras-Garduño J. Does juvenile hormone prompt oxidative stress in male damselflies? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.194530. [PMID: 30718372 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.194530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In invertebrates, it has recently been reported that secondary sexual characteristics (SSCs) reflect the antioxidant defense of their bearers, but it is not known what physiological link maintains the honesty of those signals. Here, we used the damselfly Hetaerina americana to test whether juvenile hormone plays such a role. First, we analyzed whether oxidative damage is a real threat in natural damselfly populations by examining the accumulation of oxidized guanines as a function of age in males. Then, we injected paraquat (a pro-oxidant agent) and added the juvenile hormone analog methoprene (JHa) to the experimental group and the JHa vehicle (acetone) to the control group, to determine whether JHa increases the levels of pro-oxidants and antioxidants. We found that DNA oxidation increased with age, and that levels of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide dismutase, but not catalase or glutathione, were elevated in the JHa group compared with the control group. We propose that juvenile hormone is a mediator of the relationship between SSCs and antioxidant capacity and, based on the literature, we know that JHa suppresses the immune response. We therefore suggest that juvenile hormone is a molecular mediator of the general health of males, which is reflected in their SSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma Martínez-Lendech
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Avenida Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Marcela Osorio-Beristain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Avenida Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Bernardo Franco
- Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exacatas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Lascuráin de Retana 5, Col. Centro C.P. 36000 Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Mario Pedraza-Reyes
- Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exacatas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Lascuráin de Retana 5, Col. Centro C.P. 36000 Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Armando Obregón
- Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exacatas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Lascuráin de Retana 5, Col. Centro C.P. 36000 Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, UNAM, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
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18
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Todd EV, Liu H, Lamm MS, Thomas JT, Rutherford K, Thompson KC, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Female Mimicry by Sneaker Males Has a Transcriptomic Signature in Both the Brain and the Gonad in a Sex-Changing Fish. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:225-241. [PMID: 29136184 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity represents an elegant adaptive response of individuals to a change in their environment. Bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum) exhibit astonishing sexual plasticity, including female-to-male sex change and discrete male morphs that differ strikingly in behavior, morphology, and gonadal investment. Using RNA-seq transcriptome profiling, we examined the genes and physiological pathways underlying flexible behavioral and gonadal differences among female, dominant (bourgeois) male, and female-mimic (sneaker) male blueheads. For the first time in any organism, we find that female mimicry by sneaker males has a transcriptional signature in both the brain and the gonad. Sneaker males shared striking similarity in neural gene expression with females, supporting the idea that males with alternative reproductive phenotypes have "female-like brains." Sneaker males also overexpressed neuroplasticity genes, suggesting that their opportunistic reproductive strategy requires a heightened capacity for neuroplasticity. Bourgeois males overexpressed genes associated with socio-sexual behaviors (e.g., isotocin), but also neuroprotective genes and biomarkers of oxidative stress and aging, indicating a hitherto unexplored cost to these males of attaining the reproductively privileged position at the top of the social hierarchy. Our novel comparison of testicular transcriptomes in a fish with male sexual polymorphism associates greater gonadal investment by sneaker males with overexpression of genes involved in cell proliferation and sperm quality control. We propose that morphological female-mimicry by sneaker male teleosts entails pervasive downregulation of androgenesis genes, consistent with low androgen production in males lacking well-developed secondary sexual characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica V Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Melissa S Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Jodi T Thomas
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kelly C Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - John R Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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19
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Social rank, color morph, and social network metrics predict oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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20
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Arai E, Hasegawa M, Wakamatsu K, Ito S. Males with More Pheomelanin Have a Lower Oxidative Balance in Asian Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica gutturalis). Zoolog Sci 2018; 35:505-513. [DOI: 10.2108/zs170204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
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21
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Harris RL, Boulet M, Grogan KE, Drea CM. Costs of injury for scent signalling in a strepsirrhine primate. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9882. [PMID: 29959333 PMCID: PMC6026195 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27322-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Honesty is crucial in animal communication when signallers are conveying information about their condition. Condition dependence implies a cost to signal production; yet, evidence of such cost is scarce. We examined the effects of naturally occurring injury on the quality and salience of olfactory signals in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Over a decade, we collected genital secretions from 23 (13 male, 10 female) adults across 34 unique injuries, owing primarily to intra-group fights. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we tested for differences in the chemical composition of secretions across pre-injury, injury and recovery, in animals that did and did not receive antibiotics. Lemur genital secretions were significantly dampened and altered during injury, with patterns of change varying by sex, season and antibiotics. Using behavioural bioassays (excluding odorants from antibiotic-treated animals), we showed that male 'recipients' discriminated injury status based on scent alone, directing more competitive counter marking towards odorants from injured vs. uninjured male 'signallers.' That injured animals could not maintain their normal signatures provides rare evidence of the energetic cost to signal production. That conspecifics detected olfactory-encoded 'weakness' suggests added behavioural costs: By influencing the likelihood of intra- or inter-sexual conflict, condition-dependent signals could have important implications for socio-reproductive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Harris
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Marylène Boulet
- Department of Biology, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Grogan
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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22
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Sepp T, Desaivre S, Lendvai AZ, Németh J, McGraw KJ, Giraudeau M. Feather corticosterone levels are not correlated with health or plumage coloration in juvenile house finches. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tuul Sepp
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Steve Desaivre
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Adam Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - József Németh
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Egyetem, Hungary
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
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23
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Weaver RJ, Koch RE, Hill GE. What maintains signal honesty in animal colour displays used in mate choice? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0343. [PMID: 28533460 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many of the colour displays of animals are proposed to have evolved in response to female mate choice for honest signals of quality, but such honest signalling requires mechanisms to prevent cheating. The most widely accepted and cited mechanisms for ensuring signal honesty are based on the costly signalling hypothesis, which posits that costs associated with ornamentation prevent low-quality males from being highly ornamented. Alternatively, by the index hypothesis, honesty can be achieved via cost-free mechanisms if ornament production is causally linked to core physiological pathways. In this essay, we review how a costly signalling framework has shaped empirical research in mate choice for colourful male ornaments and emphasize that alternative interpretations are plausible under an index signalling framework. We discuss the challenges in both empirically testing and distinguishing between the two hypotheses, noting that they need not be mutually exclusive. Finally, we advocate for a comprehensive approach to studies of colour signals that includes the explicit consideration of cost-free mechanisms for honesty.This article is part of the themed issue 'Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rebecca E Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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24
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Martínez‐Lendech N, Golab MJ, Osorio‐Beristain M, Contreras‐Garduño J. Sexual signals reveal males’ oxidative stress defences: Testing this hypothesis in an invertebrate. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Norma Martínez‐Lendech
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y ConservaciónUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
| | - Maria J. Golab
- Institute of Nature ConservationPolish Academy of Sciences Krakow Poland
| | - Marcela Osorio‐Beristain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y ConservaciónUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca Mexico
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25
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Weaver RJ, Santos ESA, Tucker AM, Wilson AE, Hill GE. Carotenoid metabolism strengthens the link between feather coloration and individual quality. Nat Commun 2018; 9:73. [PMID: 29311592 PMCID: PMC5758789 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Thirty years of research has made carotenoid coloration a textbook example of an honest signal of individual quality, but tests of this idea are surprisingly inconsistent. Here, to investigate sources of this heterogeneity, we perform meta-analyses of published studies on the relationship between carotenoid-based feather coloration and measures of individual quality. To create color displays, animals use either carotenoids unchanged from dietary components or carotenoids that they biochemically convert before deposition. We hypothesize that converted carotenoids better reflect individual quality because of the physiological links between cellular function and carotenoid metabolism. We show that feather coloration is an honest signal of some, but not all, measures of quality. Where these relationships exist, we show that converted, but not dietary, carotenoid coloration drives the relationship. Our results have broad implications for understanding the evolutionary role of carotenoid coloration and the physiological mechanisms that maintain signal honesty of animal ornamental traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Eduardo S A Santos
- BECO do Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Anna M Tucker
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, 3301 SFWS Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Alan E Wilson
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, 203 Swingle Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
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26
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Geary DC. Evolution of Human Sex-Specific Cognitive Vulnerabilities. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1086/694934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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27
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Pritsos KL, Perez CR, Muthumalage T, Dean KM, Cacela D, Hanson-Dorr K, Cunningham F, Bursian SJ, Link JE, Shriner S, Horak K, Pritsos CA. Dietary intake of Deepwater Horizon oil-injected live food fish by double-crested cormorants resulted in oxidative stress. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2017; 146:62-67. [PMID: 28688517 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.06.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill released 134 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico making it the largest oil spill in US history and exposing fish, birds, and marine mammals throughout the Gulf of Mexico to its toxicity. Fish eating waterbirds such as the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) were exposed to the oil both by direct contact with the oil and orally through preening and the ingestion of contaminated fish. This study investigated the effects of orally ingestedMC252 oil-contaminated live fish food by double-crested cormorants on oxidative stress. Total, reduced, and oxidized glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation were assessed in the liver tissues of control and treated cormorants. The results suggest that ingestion of the oil-contaminated fish resulted in significant increase in oxidative stress in the liver tissues of these birds. The oil-induced increase in oxidative stress could have detrimental impacts on the bird's life-history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Pritsos
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | - Cristina R Perez
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | - Thivanka Muthumalage
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
| | | | | | - Katie Hanson-Dorr
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, MS, United States
| | - Fred Cunningham
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, MS, United States
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Jane E Link
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Susan Shriner
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Katherine Horak
- US Department of Agriculture, APHIS/Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Chris A Pritsos
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, United States.
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Cooper-Mullin C, McWilliams SR. The role of the antioxidant system during intense endurance exercise: lessons from migrating birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:3684-3695. [PMID: 27903627 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.123992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
During migration, birds substantially increase their metabolic rate and burn fats as fuel and yet somehow avoid succumbing to overwhelming oxidative damage. The physiological means by which vertebrates such as migrating birds can counteract an increased production of reactive species (RS) are rather limited: they can upregulate their endogenous antioxidant system and/or consume dietary antioxidants (prophylactically or therapeutically). Thus, birds can alter different components of their antioxidant system to respond to the demands of long-duration flights, but much remains to be discovered about the complexities of RS production and antioxidant protection throughout migration. Here, we use bird migration as an example to discuss how RS are produced during endurance exercise and how the complex antioxidant system can protect against cellular damage caused by RS. Understanding how a bird's antioxidant system responds during migration can lend insights into how antioxidants protect birds during other life-history stages when metabolic rate may be high, and how antioxidants protect other vertebrates from oxidative damage during endurance exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Cooper-Mullin
- The Department of Natural Resources Science, The University of Rhode Island, 105 Coastal Institute, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- The Department of Natural Resources Science, The University of Rhode Island, 105 Coastal Institute, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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29
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Crommenacker J, Hammers M, Woude J, Louter M, Santema P, Richardson DS, Komdeur J. Oxidative status and fitness components in the Seychelles warbler. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janske Crommenacker
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Hammers
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Jildou Woude
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Marina Louter
- School of Biological Sciences Flinders University G.P.O. Box 2100 Adelaide 5001 Australia
| | - Peter Santema
- Department of Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Eberhard‐Gwinner‐Strasse 7 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - David S. Richardson
- Nature Seychelles PO Box 1310, Victoria Mahé Republic of Seychelles
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural & Physiological Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
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30
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Messina S, Eens M, Casasole G, AbdElgawad H, Asard H, Pinxten R, Costantini D. Experimental inhibition of a key cellular antioxidant affects vocal communication. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Messina
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Giulia Casasole
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Hamada AbdElgawad
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
- Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of Beni‐Suef Beni‐Suef62511 Egypt
| | - Han Asard
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
- Faculty of Social Sciences Antwerp School of Education University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - David Costantini
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
- UMR 7221 Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 7 rue Cuvier 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France
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31
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Friesen CR, Wilson MR, Rollings N, Sudyka J, Whittington CM, Giraudeau M, Olsson M. Conditional Handicaps in Exuberant Lizards: Bright Color in Aggressive Males Is Correlated with High Levels of Free Radicals. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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32
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Cantarero A, López-Arrabé J, Palma A, Moreno J. Oxidative status in nestlings shows different associations with parental carotenoid-based plumage ornaments depending on parental sex and year: a study of rock sparrowsPetronia petronia. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1260059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jimena López-Arrabé
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Palma
- Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – CSIC, Dpto Ecología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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33
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Setchell JM. Sexual Selection and the differences between the sexes in Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S105-29. [PMID: 26808101 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has become a major focus in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. It is also a popular research topic in primatology. I use studies of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a classic example of extravagant armaments and ornaments in animals, to exemplify how a long-term, multidisciplinary approach that integrates field observations with laboratory methods can contribute to on-going theoretical debates in the field of sexual selection. I begin with a brief summary of the main concepts of sexual selection theory and the differences between the sexes. I then introduce mandrills and the study population and review mandrill life history, the ontogeny of sex differences, and maternal effects. Next, I focus on male-male competition and female choice, followed by the less well-studied questions of female-female competition and male choice. This review shows how different reproductive priorities lead to very different life histories and divergent adaptations in males and females. It demonstrates how broadening traditional perspectives on sexual selection beyond the ostentatious results of intense sexual selection on males leads to an understanding of more subtle and cryptic forms of competition and choice in both sexes and opens many productive avenues in the study of primate reproductive strategies. These include the potential for studies of postcopulatory selection, female intrasexual competition, and male choice. These studies of mandrills provide comparison and, I hope, inspiration for studies of both other polygynandrous species and species with mating systems less traditionally associated with sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Behaviour Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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34
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The Tangled Evolutionary Legacies of Range Expansion and Hybridization. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:677-688. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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35
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Urvik J, Meitern R, Rattiste K, Saks L, Hõrak P, Sepp T. Variation in the Markers of Nutritional and Oxidative State in a Long-Lived Seabird: Associations with Age and Longevity. Physiol Biochem Zool 2016; 89:417-40. [PMID: 27617362 DOI: 10.1086/688180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Age-related declines in life-history traits have been widely observed in free-living animals. Several theories link senescence to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to measure several widely used markers of oxidative and nutritional state in a long-lived seabird, the common gull (Larus canus), in order to assess the suitability of these markers for describing deterioration in physiological condition associated with chronological age and survival. Associations with longevity and individual consistency of these parameters over the years (repeatability) were also assessed. Senescence in fitness parameters was observed during the study period: in females, laying date and clutch mass were related to bird age in a curvilinear manner, with middle-aged birds breeding earlier and laying heavier eggs. The only parameter associated with aging processes was glutathione concentration in erythrocytes, which was lower in female birds with longer life spans. Of indexes of nutritional state, plasma triglyceride concentration showed a between-individual increase with age, suggesting selective mortality of birds with low levels. Additionally, total plasma protein levels of individual males increased with age. The mostly negative results of this study hint that the commonly used parameters of physiological condition and oxidative state used in this study do not adequately reflect an individual's long-term health condition. Alternatively, it is possible that in common gulls, senescence occurs in reproductive mechanisms but not in mechanisms responsible for maintaining an organism's redox balance, consistent with the idea that different aspects of an organism's physiological condition age at different rates. Significant interannual repeatability was detected in three plasma constituents-carotenoids, uric acid, and total protein-all of which can possibly be linked to variation in dietary habits.
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36
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37
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Eens M. Honest Signaling and Oxidative Stress: The Special Case of Avian Acoustic Communication. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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38
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Opposing effects of oxidative challenge and carotenoids on antioxidant status and condition-dependent sexual signalling. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23546. [PMID: 27000655 PMCID: PMC4802301 DOI: 10.1038/srep23546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several recent hypotheses consider oxidative stress to be a primary constraint ensuring honesty of condition-dependent carotenoid-based signalling. The key testable difference between these hypotheses is the assumed importance of carotenoids for redox homeostasis, with carotenoids being either antioxidant, pro-oxidant or unimportant. We tested the role of carotenoids in redox balance and sexual signalling by exposing adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to oxidative challenge (diquat dibromide) and manipulating carotenoid intake. As the current controversy over the importance of carotenoids as antioxidants could stem from the hydrophilic basis of commonly-used antioxidant assays, we used the novel measure of in vivo lipophilic antioxidant capacity. Oxidative challenge reduced beak pigmentation but elicited an increase in antioxidant capacity suggesting resource reallocation from signalling to redox homeostasis. Carotenoids counteracted the effect of oxidative challenge on lipophilic (but not hydrophilic) antioxidant capacity, thereby supporting carotenoid antioxidant function in vivo. This is inconsistent with hypotheses proposing that signalling honesty is maintained through either ROS-induced carotenoid degradation or the pro-oxidant effect of high levels of carotenoid-cleavage products acting as a physiological handicap. Our data further suggest that assessment of lipophilic antioxidant capacity is necessary to fully understand the role of redox processes in ecology and evolution.
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39
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McNeil GV, Friesen CN, Gray SM, Aldredge A, Chapman LJ. Male colour variation in a eurytopic African cichlid: the role of diet and hypoxia. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Georgia V. McNeil
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Caitlin N. Friesen
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Suzanne M. Gray
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Amalia Aldredge
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Lauren J. Chapman
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
- Wildlife Conservation Society; 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx NY 10460 USA
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40
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Chargé R, Wedell N, Lindstedt C, Hämäläinen L, Övermark E, Mappes J. Variation in male fertility in a polymorphic moth, Parasemia plantaginis. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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41
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Buchanan KL, Mariette MM, Crino OL. Stress and sexual traits: why are there no clear relationships? A comment on Moore et al. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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42
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Dijkstra PD, Pierotti ME, Seehausen O, Metcalfe NB. Metabolism, oxidative stress and territorial behaviour in a female colour polymorphic cichlid fish. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2028-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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43
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Gibson AB, Garratt M, Brooks RC. Experimental evidence that litter size imposes an oxidative challenge to offspring. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:3911-8. [PMID: 26519509 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.116327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The post-natal environment in which young develop can substantially impact development, adult phenotype and fitness. In wild mice, competition among litter-mates affects development rate and adult behaviour. We manipulated post-natal litter size in a cross-fostering design to investigate the effects of enlarged and reduced litter sizes on sexual signalling, oxidative stress and the links between them. Oxidative stress causes somatic damage that can limit reproductive success and lifespan, and is predicted to mediate investment in life-history traits, including sexual signals. We predicted that litter enlargement would cause an increase in potential oxidative stress, inhibit growth and reduce sexual signalling in male mice. Males reared in enlarged litters were smaller at weaning and, despite rapid growth immediately after weaning, remained smaller at 10 weeks of age than those reared in smaller litters. Females from enlarged litters were consistently smaller throughout post-weaning development and showed no increase in growth rate compared with females from reduced litters. In enlarged litters, protein thiol concentration was lower at weaning in the liver and kidneys, with this trend continuing at 10 weeks of age in the kidneys only. Aconitase enzyme activity was also lower in mice from enlarged litters at weaning and 10 weeks of age in the kidneys. Male mice from enlarged litters scent marked more frequently and had larger preputial glands than those from reduced litters, indicating greater sexual signalling investment irrespective of this increased oxidative challenge. The results of this study are the first to reveal oxidative costs of developmental stress in small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa B Gibson
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Garratt
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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44
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Baldo S, Mennill DJ, Guindre-Parker S, Gilchrist HG, Love OP. The Oxidative Cost of Acoustic Signals: Examining Steroid Versus Aerobic Activity Hypotheses in a Wild Bird. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Baldo
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
| | - Daniel J. Mennill
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
| | | | - Hugh Grant Gilchrist
- National Wildlife Research Centre; Environment Canada; Carleton University; Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; University of Windsor; Windsor ON Canada
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45
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Georgiev AV, Muehlenbein MP, Prall SP, Emery Thompson M, Maestripieri D. Male quality, dominance rank, and mating success in free-ranging rhesus macaques. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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46
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Lailvaux SP, Husak JF. The life history of whole-organism performance. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2015; 89:285-318. [PMID: 25510077 DOI: 10.1086/678567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
For almost 40 years, studies of whole-organism performance have formed a cornerstone of evolutionary physiology. Although its utility as a heuristic guide is beyond question, and we have learned much about morphological evolution from its application, the ecomorphological paradigm has frequently been applied to performance evolution in ways that range from unsatisfactory to inappropriate. More importantly, the standard ecomorphological paradigm does not account for tradeoffs among performance and other traits, nor between performance traits that are mediated by resource allocation. A revised paradigm that includes such tradeoffs, and the possible ways that performance and fitness-enhancing traits might affect each other, could potentially revivify the study of phenotypic evolution and make important inroads into understanding the relationships between morphology and performance and between performance and Darwinian fitness. We describe such a paradigm, and discuss the various ways that performance and key life-history traits might interact with and affect each other. We emphasize both the proximate mechanisms potentially linking such traits, and the likely ultimate factors driving those linkages, as well as the evolutionary implications for the overall, multivariate phenotype. Finally, we highlight several research directions that will shed light on the evolution and ecology of whole-organism performance and related life-history traits.
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47
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Zaid E, Eens M. Carotenoids, birdsong and oxidative status: administration of dietary lutein is associated with an increase in song rate and circulating antioxidants (albumin and cholesterol) and a decrease in oxidative damage. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115899. [PMID: 25549336 PMCID: PMC4280127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the appealing hypothesis that carotenoid-based colouration signals oxidative status, evidence supporting the antioxidant function of these pigments is scarce. Recent studies have shown that lutein, the most common carotenoid used by birds, can enhance the expression of non-visual traits, such as birdsong. Nevertheless, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study we hypothesized that male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) fed extra lutein increase their song rate as a consequence of an improved oxidative status. Although birdsong may be especially sensitive to the redox status, this has, to the best of our knowledge, never been tested. Together with the determination of circulating oxidative damage (ROMs, reactive oxygen metabolites), we quantified uric acid, albumin, total proteins, cholesterol, and testosterone, which are physiological parameters potentially sensitive to oxidation and/or related to both carotenoid functions and birdsong expression. We found that the birds fed extra lutein sang more frequently than control birds and showed an increase of albumin and cholesterol together with a decrease of oxidative damage. Moreover, we could show that song rate was associated with high levels of albumin and cholesterol and low levels of oxidative damage, independently from testosterone levels. Our study shows for the first time that song rate honestly signals the oxidative status of males and that dietary lutein is associated with the circulation of albumin and cholesterol in birds, providing a novel insight to the theoretical framework related to the honest signalling of carotenoid-based traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
- Institute for Education and Information Sciences, Research Unit Didactica, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erika Zaid
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
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48
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Arnold KE, Herborn KA, Adam A, Alexander L. Individual variation in the oxidative costs of personality traits. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine A. Herborn
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine School of Life Sciences College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Aileen Adam
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine School of Life Sciences College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
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49
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Losdat S, Helfenstein F, Blount JD, Richner H. Resistance to oxidative stress shows low heritability and high common environmental variance in a wild bird. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:1990-2000. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Losdat
- School of Biological Sciences; Zoology Building; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen UK
- Evolutionary Ecology Lab; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - F. Helfenstein
- Evolutionary Ecology Lab; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Institute of Biology; University of Neuchâtel; Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - J. D. Blount
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation; College of Life & Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Penryn UK
| | - H. Richner
- Evolutionary Ecology Lab; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
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50
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Almiñana C, Caballero I, Heath PR, Maleki-Dizaji S, Parrilla I, Cuello C, Gil MA, Vazquez JL, Vazquez JM, Roca J, Martinez EA, Holt WV, Fazeli A. The battle of the sexes starts in the oviduct: modulation of oviductal transcriptome by X and Y-bearing spermatozoa. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:293. [PMID: 24886317 PMCID: PMC4035082 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex allocation of offspring in mammals is usually considered as a matter of chance, being dependent on whether an X- or a Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoon reaches the oocyte first. Here we investigated the alternative possibility, namely that the oviducts can recognise X- and Y- spermatozoa, and may thus be able to bias the offspring sex ratio. RESULTS By introducing X- or Y-sperm populations into the two separate oviducts of single female pigs using bilateral laparoscopic insemination we found that the spermatozoa did indeed elicit sex-specific transcriptomic responses. Microarray analysis revealed that 501 were consistently altered (P-value < 0.05) in the oviduct in the presence of Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa compared to the presence of X-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa. From these 501 transcripts, 271 transcripts (54.1%) were down-regulated and 230 transcripts (45.9%) were up-regulated when the Y- chromosome-bearing spermatozoa was present in the oviduct. Our data showed that local immune responses specific to each sperm type were elicited within the oviduct. In addition, either type of spermatozoa elicits sex-specific signal transduction signalling by oviductal cells. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that the oviduct functions as a biological sensor that screens the spermatozoon, and then responds by modifying the oviductal environment. We hypothesize that there might exist a gender biasing mechanism controlled by the female.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alireza Fazeli
- Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, Department of Human metabolism, The University of Sheffield, Level 4, The Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield S10 2SF, UK.
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