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Depeux C, Branger A, Paulhac H, Pigeault R, Beltran-Bech S. Deleterious effects of Wolbachia on life history and physiological traits of common pill woodlice. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 207:108187. [PMID: 39243881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Most of eukaryotic organisms live in close interaction with micro-organisms called symbionts. Symbiotic interactions underpin the evolution of biological complexity, the health of organisms and, ultimately, the proper functioning of ecosystems. While some symbionts confer adaptive benefits on their host (mutualistic symbionts) and others clearly induce costs (parasitic symbionts), a number of micro-organisms are difficult to classify because they have been described as conferring both benefits and costs on their host. This is particularly true of the most widespread animal endosymbiont, Wolbachia pipientis. In this study, we investigated the influence of Wolbachia infection on a broad spectrum of ecological and physiological parameters of one of its native hosts, Armadillidium vulgare. The aim was to gain as complete a picture as possible of the influence of this endosymbiont on its host. Our results showed that the presence of Wolbachia resulted in a decrease in individual reproductive success and survival. Host immune cells density decreased and β-galactosidase activity (ageing biomarker) increased with the presence of Wolbachia, suggesting a negative impact of this endosymbiont on woodlice health. While previous studies have shown that Wolbachia can have a positive impact on the immunocompetence of A. vulgare, here we shed more light on the costs of infection. Our results illustrate the complex dynamics that exist between Wolbachia and its arthropod host and therefore offer valuable insights into the intricate interplay of symbiotic relationships in ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Depeux
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions EBI, UMR CNRS 7267, 3, rue Jacques Fort, TSA 51106 86073 POITIERS Cedex 9, France
| | - Angèle Branger
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions EBI, UMR CNRS 7267, 3, rue Jacques Fort, TSA 51106 86073 POITIERS Cedex 9, France
| | - Hélène Paulhac
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions EBI, UMR CNRS 7267, 3, rue Jacques Fort, TSA 51106 86073 POITIERS Cedex 9, France
| | - Romain Pigeault
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions EBI, UMR CNRS 7267, 3, rue Jacques Fort, TSA 51106 86073 POITIERS Cedex 9, France
| | - Sophie Beltran-Bech
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions EBI, UMR CNRS 7267, 3, rue Jacques Fort, TSA 51106 86073 POITIERS Cedex 9, France.
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2
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Reid R, Capilla-Lasheras P, Haddou Y, Boonekamp J, Dominoni DM. The impact of urbanization on health depends on the health metric, life stage and level of urbanization: a global meta-analysis on avian species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240617. [PMID: 39016598 PMCID: PMC11253839 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressors associated with urban habitats have been linked to poor wildlife health but whether a general negative relationship between urbanization and animal health can be affirmed is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of avian literature to test whether health biomarkers differed on average between urban and non-urban environments, and whether there are systematic differences across species, biomarkers, life stages and species traits. Our dataset included 644 effect sizes derived from 112 articles published between 1989 and 2022, on 51 bird species. First, we showed that there was no clear impact of urbanization on health when we categorized the sampling locations as urban or non-urban. However, we did find a small negative effect of urbanization on health when this dichotomous variable was replaced by a quantitative variable representing the degree of urbanization at each location. Second, we showed that the effect of urbanization on avian health was dependent on the type of health biomarker measured as well as the individual life stage, with young individuals being more negatively affected. Our comprehensive analysis calls for future studies to disentangle specific urban-related drivers of health that might be obscured in categorical urban versus non-urban comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Reid
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Yacob Haddou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jelle Boonekamp
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Davide M. Dominoni
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
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3
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Gómez‐Blanco D, Tobler M, Hasselquist D. Why and when should organisms elongate their telomeres? Elaborations on the 'excess resources elongation' and 'last resort elongation' hypotheses. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10825. [PMID: 38099139 PMCID: PMC10719541 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length and telomere shortening are thought to be critical cellular attributes and processes that are related to an individual's life span and fitness. The general pattern across most taxa is that after birth telomere length gradually decreases with age. Telomere protection and restoration mechanisms are usually assumed to reduce the rate of shortening or at most keep telomere length constant. However, here we have compiled a list of 26 articles showing that there is an increasing number of studies reporting apparent elongation of telomeres (i.e., a net increase in TL from timet to timet+1) often in a considerable proportion of the individuals studied. Moreover, the few studies which have studied telomere elongation in detail show that increases in telomere length are unlikely to be due to measurement error alone. In this article, we argue that episodes of telomere elongation deserve more attention as they could reflect individual strategies to optimise life histories and maximise fitness, which may not be reflected in the overall telomere dynamics patterns. We propose that patterns of telomere (net) elongation may be partly determined by other factors than those causing telomere shortening, and therefore deserve analyses specifically targeted to investigate the occurrence of telomere elongation. We elaborate on two ecological hypotheses that have been proposed to explain patterns of telomere elongation (the 'excess resources elongation' and the 'last resort elongation' hypothesis) and we discuss the current evidence for (or against) these hypotheses and propose ways to test them.
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4
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Salmón P, López-Idiáquez D, Capilla-Lasheras P, Pérez-Tris J, Isaksson C, Watson H. Urbanisation impacts plumage colouration in a songbird across Europe: Evidence from a correlational, experimental and meta-analytical approach. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1924-1936. [PMID: 37574652 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Urbanisation is accelerating across the globe, transforming landscapes, presenting organisms with novel challenges, shaping phenotypes and impacting fitness. Urban individuals are claimed to have duller carotenoid-based colouration, compared to their non-urban counterparts, the so-called 'urban dullness' phenomenon. However, at the intraspecific level, this generalisation is surprisingly inconsistent and often based on comparisons of single urban/non-urban populations or studies from a limited geographical area. Here, we combine correlational, experimental and meta-analytical data on a common songbird, the great tit Parus major, to investigate carotenoid-based plumage colouration in urban and forest populations across Europe. We find that, as predicted, urban individuals are paler than forest individuals, although there are large population-specific differences in the magnitude of the urban-forest contrast in colouration. Using one focal region (Malmö, Sweden), we reveal population-specific processes behind plumage colouration differences, which are unlikely to be the result of genetic or early-life conditions, but instead a consequence of environmental factors acting after fledging. Finally, our meta-analysis indicates that the urban dullness phenomenon is well established in the literature, for great tits, with consistent changes in carotenoid-based plumage traits, particularly carotenoid chroma, in response to anthropogenic disturbances. Overall, our results provide evidence for uniformity in the 'urban dullness' phenomenon but also highlight that the magnitude of the effect on colouration depends on local urban characteristics. Future long-term replicated studies, covering a wider range of species and feeding guilds, will be essential to further our understanding of the eco-evolutionary implications of this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David López-Idiáquez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Evolution and Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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5
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Brodin A, Watson H. Feather corticosterone reveals that urban great tits experience lower corticosterone exposure than forest individuals during dominance-rank establishment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad033. [PMID: 37256103 PMCID: PMC10225983 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Although the consequences of urbanization for the physiological health of animals are the focus of much active research, an overlooked aspect is how physiology could be indirectly modulated by the urban environment via changes in intraspecific behavioural interactions, particularly among gregarious species. Both urbanization and the establishment, as well as maintenance, of hierarchical rank position are processes that could incur physiological stress. Measurements of glucocorticoids (GCs) in relation to urbanization, however, have yielded inconsistent results. In most cases, GCs have been measured in blood, offering only a 'snapshot' of an animal's current physiological state. Because circulating GCs are incorporated into growing feathers or hair, measurements of feather/hair GCs offer a longer term measure of stress exposure reflecting the whole period of feather/hair growth. During two calendar years, we collected tail feathers from 188 urban and forest great tits (P. major) across multiple sampling sites and analysed corticosterone (CORT-the main GC in birds) levels, reflecting CORT exposure during the extended period in late summer and early autumn when great tits moult and winter flocks are formed. Urban individuals exhibited consistently lower feather CORT (fCORT) levels than forest birds indicating lower overall exposure to CORT during this period. The lower fCORT levels in urban individuals could represent an adaptation to cope with the more challenging urban environment, physiological constraints on stress axis function or a trade-off between the ability to respond to stressors and predation risk during moult. Despite the expectation that CORT responses to urbanization are highly context-dependent, the spatial consistency of our results and agreement with a multi-population study of fCORT in European blackbirds (Turdus merula) suggests a generalization of the effect of urbanization on CORT exposure during post-breeding moult (i.e. not site- or species-specific).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Brodin
- Department of Biology, Naturvetarvägen 6A, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hannah Watson
- Department of Biology, Naturvetarvägen 6A, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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6
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Longitudinal telomere dynamics within natural lifespans of a wild bird. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4272. [PMID: 36922555 PMCID: PMC10017829 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31435-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, the nucleotide sequences that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, shorten with each cell division and telomere loss may be influenced by environmental factors. Telomere length (TL) decreases with age in several species, but little is known about the sources of genetic and environmental variation in the change in TL (∆TL) in wild animals. In this study, we tracked changes in TL throughout the natural lifespan (from a few months to almost 9 years) of free-living house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in two different island populations. TL was measured in nestlings and subsequently up to four times during their lifetime. TL generally decreased with age (senescence), but we also observed instances of telomere lengthening within individuals. We found some evidence for selective disappearance of individuals with shorter telomeres through life. Early-life TL positively predicted later-life TL, but the within-individual repeatability in TL was low (9.2%). Using genetic pedigrees, we found a moderate heritability of ∆TL (h2 = 0.21), which was higher than the heritabilities of early-life TL (h2 = 0.14) and later-life TL measurements (h2 = 0.15). Cohort effects explained considerable proportions of variation in early-life TL (60%), later-life TL (53%), and ∆TL (37%), which suggests persistent impacts of the early-life environment on lifelong telomere dynamics. Individual changes in TL were independent of early-life TL. Finally, there was weak evidence for population differences in ∆TL that may be linked to ecological differences in habitat types. Combined, our results show that individual telomere biology is highly dynamic and influenced by both genetic and environmental variation in natural conditions.
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7
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Jensen JK, Ziegler AK, Isaxon C, Jiménez-Gallardo L, Garcia Domínguez S, Nilsson JÅ, Rissler J, Isaksson C. Quantifying the influence of urban biotic and abiotic environmental factors on great tit nestling physiology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160225. [PMID: 36400300 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160225] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is a long history of avian studies investigating the impacts of urbanization. While differences in several life-history traits have been documented, either between urban and rural populations or across generalized urbanization gradients, a detailed understanding of which specific environmental variables cause these phenotypic differences is still lacking. Here, we quantified several local environmental variables coupled to urbanization (air pollution, tree composition, ambient temperature, and artificial light at night [ALAN]) within territories of breeding great tits (Parus major). We linked the environmental variables to physiological measures of the nestlings (circulating fatty acid composition [FA], antioxidant capacity and an oxidative damage marker [malondialdehyde; MDA]), to garner a mechanistic understanding of the impact of urbanization. We found that the antioxidant capacity of nestlings decreased with higher numbers of oak trees and levels of PM2.5 (airborne particulate matter with a diameter < 2.5 μm). Furthermore, the ratio of ω6:ω3 polyunsaturated FAs, important for immune function, was positively correlated with PM2.5 concentration, while being negatively associated with ambient temperature and number of non-native trees in the territory. Body mass and wing length both increased with the number of local oak trees. We also show, through a principal component analysis, that while the environmental variables fall into an urbanization gradient, this gradient is insufficient to explain the observed physiological responses. Therefore, accounting for individual environmental variables in parallel, and thus allowing for interactions between these, is crucial to fully understand the urban ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Kjellberg Jensen
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC), Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | - Christina Isaxon
- NanoLund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lucía Jiménez-Gallardo
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Jenny Rissler
- NanoLund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Bioeconomy and Health, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Lund, Sweden
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8
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Nwaogu CJ, Amar A, Nebel C, Isaksson C, Hegemann A, Sumasgutner P. Innate immune function and antioxidant capacity of nestlings of an African raptor covary with the level of urbanisation around breeding territories. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:124-141. [PMID: 36353782 PMCID: PMC10107107 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Urban areas provide breeding habitats for many species. However, animals raised in urban environments face challenges such as altered food availability and quality, pollution and pathogen assemblages. These challenges can affect physiological processes such as immune function and antioxidant defences which are important for fitness. Here, we explore how levels of urbanisation influence innate immune function, immune response to a mimicked bacterial infection and antioxidant capacity of nestling Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus in South Africa. We also explore the effect of timing of breeding and rainfall on physiology since both can influence the environmental condition under which nestlings are raised. Finally, because urbanisation can influence immune function indirectly, we use path analyses to explore direct and indirect associations between urbanisation, immune function and oxidative stress. We obtained measures of innate immunity (haptoglobin, lysis, agglutination, bactericidal capacity), indices of antioxidant capacity (total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (tAOX) and total glutathione from nestlings from 2015 to 2019. In addition, in 2018 and 2019, we mimicked a bacterial infection by injecting nestlings with lipopolysaccharide and quantified their immune response. Increased urban cover was associated with an increase in lysis and a decrease in tAOX, but not with any of the other physiological parameters. Furthermore, except for agglutination, no physiological parameters were associated with the timing of breeding. Lysis and bactericidal capacity, however, varied consistently with the annual rainfall pattern. Immune response to a mimicked a bacterial infection decreased with urban cover but not with the timing of breeding nor rainfall. Our path analyses suggested indirect associations between urban cover and some immune indices via tAOX but not via the timing of breeding. Our results show that early-life development in an urban environment is associated with variation in immune and antioxidant functions. The direct association between urbanisation and antioxidant capacity and their impact on immune function is likely an important factor mediating the impact of urbanisation on urban-dwelling animals. Future studies should explore how these results are linked to fitness and whether the responses are adaptive for urban-dwelling species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chima Josiah Nwaogu
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Austria.,Department of Behavioural & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Ujvari B, Raven N, Madsen T, Klaassen M, Dujon AM, Schultz AG, Nunney L, Lemaître J, Giraudeau M, Thomas F. Telomeres, the loop tying cancer to organismal life-histories. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6273-6285. [PMID: 35510763 PMCID: PMC9790343 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in telomere and cancer evolutionary ecology demonstrate a very complex relationship between the need of tissue repair and controlling the emergence of abnormally proliferating cells. The trade-off is balanced by natural and sexual selection and mediated via both intrinsic and environmental factors. Here, we explore the effects of telomere-cancer dynamics on life history traits and strategies as well as on the cumulative effects of genetic and environmental factors. We show that telomere-cancer dynamics constitute an incredibly complex and multifaceted process. From research to date, it appears that the relationship between telomere length and cancer risk is likely nonlinear with good evidence that both (too) long and (too) short telomeres can be associated with increased cancer risk. The ability and propensity of organisms to respond to the interplay of telomere dynamics and oncogenic processes, depends on the combination of its tissue environments, life history strategies, environmental challenges (i.e., extreme climatic conditions), pressure by predators and pollution, as well as its evolutionary history. Consequently, precise interpretation of telomere-cancer dynamics requires integrative and multidisciplinary approaches. Finally, incorporating information on telomere dynamics and the expression of tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes could potentially provide the synergistic overview that could lay the foundations to study telomere-cancer dynamics at ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Nynke Raven
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Thomas Madsen
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Antoine M. Dujon
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Aaron G. Schultz
- Centre for Integrative EcologySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Leonard Nunney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal BiologyUniversity of California, RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jean‐François Lemaître
- Université de LyonLyonFrance,Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité Lyon 1CNRSUMR5558VilleurbanneFrance
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES)MIVEGECUnité Mixte de RecherchesIRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance,LIENSsUMR 7266 CNRS‐La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES)MIVEGECUnité Mixte de RecherchesIRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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10
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Atema E, van Noordwijk AJ, Verhulst S. Telomere dynamics in relation to experimentally increased locomotion costs and fitness in great tits. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6208-6215. [PMID: 34478576 PMCID: PMC9786264 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that telomere length (TL) and dynamics can be interpreted as proxy for 'life stress' experienced by individuals stems largely from correlational studies. We tested for effects of an experimental increase of workload on telomere dynamics by equipping male great tits (Parus major) with a 0.9 g backpack for a full year. In addition, we analysed associations between natural life-history variation, TL and TL dynamics. Carrying 5% extra weight for a year did not significantly accelerate telomere attrition. This agrees with our earlier finding that this experiment did not affect survival or future reproduction. Apparently, great tit males were able to compensate behaviourally or physiologically for the increase in locomotion costs we imposed. We found no cross-sectional association between reproductive success and TL, but individuals with higher reproductive success (number of recruits) lost fewer telomere base pairs in the subsequent year. We used the TRF method to measure TL, which method yields a TL distribution for each sample, and the association between reproductive success and telomere loss was more pronounced in the higher percentiles of the telomere distribution, in agreement with the higher impact of ageing on longer telomeres within individuals. Individuals with longer telomeres and less telomere shortening were more likely to survive to the next breeding season, but these patterns did not reach statistical significance. Whether successful individuals are characterized by losing fewer or more base pairs from their telomeres varies between species, and we discuss aspects of ecology and social organisation that may explain this variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els Atema
- GELIFESUniversity of GroningenGroningenthe Netherlands,Netherlands Institute of EcologyWageningenthe Netherlands
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11
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Remot F, Ronget V, Froy H, Rey B, Gaillard JM, Nussey DH, Lemaitre JF. Decline in telomere length with increasing age across nonhuman vertebrates: A meta-analysis. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5917-5932. [PMID: 34437736 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The prediction that telomere length (TL) shortens with increasing age is a major element in considering the role of telomeres as a key player in evolution. While telomere attrition is found in humans both in vitro and in vivo, the increasing number of studies reporting diverse age-specific patterns of TL challenges the hypothesis of a universal decline of TL with increasing age. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between TL and age across 175 estimates encompassing 98 species of vertebrates. We found that, on average, TL does decline with increasing age during adulthood. However, this decline was weak and variable across vertebrate classes, and we also found evidence for a publication bias that might weaken our current evidence of decreasing TL with increasing age. We found no evidence for a faster decline in TL with increasing age when considering the juvenile stage (from birth to age at first reproduction) compared to the adult stage. Heterogeneity in TL ageing rates was explained by the method used to measure telomeres: detectable TL declines with increasing age were found only among studies using TRF with in-gel hybridisation and qFISH methods, but not in studies using qPCR and Southern blot-based TRF methods. While we confirmed that TL declines with increasing age in most adult vertebrates, our results identify an influence of telomere measurement methodology, which highlights the need to examine more thoroughly the effect of the method of measurement on TL estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florentin Remot
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Victor Ronget
- Unité Eco-anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jean-François Lemaitre
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
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12
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Kärkkäinen T, Briga M, Laaksonen T, Stier A. Within-individual repeatability in telomere length: A meta-analysis in nonmammalian vertebrates. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6339-6359. [PMID: 34455645 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length is increasingly used as a biomarker of long-term somatic state and future survival prospects. While most studies have overlooked this aspect, biological interpretations based on a given telomere length will benefit from considering the level of within-individual repeatability of telomere length through time. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis on 74 longitudinal studies in nonmammalian vertebrates, with the aim to establish the current pattern of within-individual repeatability in telomere length and to identify the methodological (e.g., qPCR/TRF) and biological factors (e.g., age class, phylogeny) that may affect it. While the median within-individual repeatability of telomere length was moderate to high (R = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.05-0.95; N = 82), marked heterogeneity between studies was evident. Measurement method affected the repeatability estimate strongly, with TRF-based studies exhibiting high repeatability (R = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.34-0.96; N = 25), while repeatability of qPCR-based studies was markedly lower and more variable (R = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.04-0.82; N = 57). While phylogeny explained some variance in repeatability, phylogenetic signal was not significant (λ = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.00-0.83). None of the biological factors investigated here significantly explained variation in the repeatability of telomere length, being potentially obscured by methodological differences. Our meta-analysis highlights the high variability in within-individual repeatability estimates between studies and the need to put more effort into separating technical and biological explanations. This is important to better understand to what extent biological factors can affect the repeatability of telomere length and thus the interpretation of telomere length data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Briga
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Toni Laaksonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Antoine Stier
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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13
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Marasco V, Smith S, Angelier F. How does early-life adversity shape telomere dynamics during adulthood? Problems and paradigms. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100184. [PMID: 35122449 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although early-life adversity has been associated with negative consequences during adulthood, growing evidence shows that such adversity can also lead to subsequent stress resilience and positive fitness outcomes. Telomere dynamics are relevant in this context because of the link with developmental conditions and longevity. However, few studies have assessed whether the effects of early-life adversity on developmental telomere dynamics may relate to adult telomere dynamics. We propose that the potential links between early-life adversity and adult telomere dynamics could be driven by developmental constraints (the Constraint hypothesis), by the nature/severity of developmental adversity (the Resilience hypothesis), or by developmental-mediated changes in individual life-history strategies (the Pace of Life hypothesis). We discuss these non-mutually exclusive hypotheses, explore future research directions, and propose specific studies to test these hypotheses. Our article aims to expand our understanding of the evolutionary role of developmental conditions on adult telomere dynamics, stress resilience and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steve Smith
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (LRU), UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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14
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Does the Urban Environment Act as a Filter on the Individual Quality of Birds? BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic divergences of birds are common between urban and natural habitats and can result from different selective pressures between habitats or maladaptation to the city. No uniform patterns were observed, especially concerning markers of bird health, such as, for example, telomere length. Telomeres are involved in maintaining genome integrity and naturally shorten with age, but environmental stressors can accelerate their attrition. Thus, telomere length can be an indicator of individual quality. Some studies showed that urban breeders had longer telomeres than forest individuals. Two hypotheses can explain this result: (1) urban breeders are younger than forests breeders, and (2) cities act as a filter on individuals and only high-quality birds can successfully reproduce. In this context, we compared the age category (molting pattern) and morphological and physiological characteristics of urban and forest Great Tits before and during breeding. No differences in age or body condition were observed. However, urban breeders were smaller and had shorter telomeres than birds captured in winter. Urban birds had longer telomeres than forest birds, only in winter. These results highlight that urban habitats potentially favor smaller birds. However, the decrease in telomere length between winter and reproduction only in the city suggest a higher cost of reproduction in the city compared to the forest.
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15
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Gómez J, Morrissey CA, Cabezas S, Marchant TA, Clark RG. Phenotypic differences among wild passerine nestlings in relation to early-life rearing environment. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Subtle changes in stress physiology during critical developmental stages have been linked to long-term fitness; however, the biological processes and phenotypic responses to early-life rearing environments, such as anthropogenic land use conditions, have not been fully evaluated in insectivorous birds. We manipulated Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) brood sizes at sites with contrasting agricultural land use to assess phenotypic changes in body condition and genetic and physiological biomarkers of stress during the sensitive nestling growth phase. We predicted that nestling swallows raised on cropland-dominated sites, especially those in enlarged broods, would have lower body condition, shorter telomeres, and higher feather corticosterone than nestlings raised in smaller broods at grassland sites. Body condition was highest among nestlings raised in reduced broods but was unrelated to land use. Telomere lengths tended to be shorter in nestlings from enlarged broods and at cropland sites. Corticosterone was not related to any factor. Locally abundant insect populations associated with wetlands may have dampened the effects and (or) parent swallows assumed higher costs of reproduction rather than passing these costs to nestlings. Results suggest that food or other environmental stressors could reduce fledgling survival via telomere shortening; a hypothesis that requires further investigation due to its potential importance to population viability in multiple declining aerial insectivore species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christy A. Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Sonia Cabezas
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Tracy A. Marchant
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Robert G. Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada
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16
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Catto S, Sumasgutner P, Amar A, Thomson RL, Cunningham SJ. Pulses of anthropogenic food availability appear to benefit parents, but compromise nestling growth in urban red-winged starlings. Oecologia 2021; 197:565-576. [PMID: 34536140 PMCID: PMC8585795 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05033-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The provision of anthropogenic food undoubtedly influences urban bird fitness. However, the nature of the impact is unclear, with both benefits and costs of urban diets documented. Moreover, the influence of short-term fluctuations in food availability, linked to urban weekday/weekend cycles of human presence, is largely unknown. We explored whether breeding red-winged starlings Onychognathus morio in Cape Town, South Africa, altered foraging and provisioning behaviour between days with high human presence (HHP) and days with low human presence (LHP)—i.e. weekdays versus weekends and vacation days. We investigated the relationship between starling diet, adult body mass and nestling development. Breeding adults consumed and provisioned the same quantity of food, but a significantly greater proportion of anthropogenic food on HHP compared to LHP days. Adults apparently benefited from the anthropogenic diet, experiencing significantly greater mass gain on HHP days. However, nestlings experienced a cost, with the number of HHP days during the nestling period associated negatively with nestling size. Adults may, therefore, benefit from the high calorie content of anthropogenic food, while nestlings may be negatively affected by nutrient limitation. The quantity of food available in urban environments may, therefore, benefit adult survival, while its quality imposes a cost to nestling growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Catto
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa. .,Konrad Lorenz Research Center, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, 4645, Austria.
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Susan J Cunningham
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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17
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Cain KE, Griffith SC, Kruuk LEB. Sex and morph differences in age-dependent trait changes in a polymorphic songbird. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1691-1703. [PMID: 34528324 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence of important variation in how animals age, in particular in how the expression of traits changes with age among different species and populations. However, less is known about variation within populations, which may include variation in ageing patterns between different types of individuals (e.g. sexes or distinct polymorphisms) and between different types of traits (e.g. general traits versus those used in social signalling contexts). We used 6 years of longitudinal data to examine age-related changes in trait expression in a captive population of Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae), a socially monogamous songbird with genetically determined colour morphs that differ in behaviour and physiology. We contrasted ageing patterns of different types of traits (social signalling vs. size-related) in both sexes and in two colour morphs, using a mixed model approach to account for both within- and between-individual effects. We found pronounced sex differences in how social signalling traits change with age, showing a quadratic pattern in males, but not changing with age in females. In contrast, we observed no sex-specific ageing patterns in size traits. We also found subtle morph differences in how size-related traits changed with age, with black morphs stable or increasing with age while red morphs showing a decline with age. Finally, we found an interesting sex by morph interaction in one important social signal (headband width). These results highlight the importance of using within-individual approaches to understand ageing patterns across types of individuals (sex, morph, etc.) and the need for further research on the ageing patterns of traits that may experience different selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristal E Cain
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,School of Biological Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Loeske E B Kruuk
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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18
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Wemer L, Hegemann A, Isaksson C, Nebel C, Kleindorfer S, Gamauf A, Adrion M, Sumasgutner P. Reduced ectoparasite load, body mass and blood haemolysis in Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) along an urban-rural gradient. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:42. [PMID: 34491450 PMCID: PMC8423637 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01745-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation is proceeding at an alarming rate which forces wildlife to either retreat from urban areas or cope with novel stressors linked to human presence and activities. For example, urban stressors like anthropogenic noise, artificial light at night and chemical pollution can have severe impacts on the physiology of wildlife (and humans), in particular the immune system and antioxidant defences. These physiological systems are important to combat and reduce the severity of parasitic infections, which are common among wild animals. One question that then arises is whether urban-dwelling animals, whose immune and antioxidant system are already challenged by the urban stressors, are more susceptible to parasitic infections. To assess this, we studied nestlings of Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in Vienna, Austria, during 2015 and 2017. We measured biomarkers of innate immune function, oxidative stress and body mass index and ectoparasite infection intensity in 143 nestlings (from 56 nests) along an urban gradient. Nestlings in more urbanised areas had overall fewer ectoparasites, lower haemolysis (complement activity) and lower body mass index compared to nestlings in less urbanised areas. None of the other immune or oxidative stress markers were associated with the urban gradient. Despite some non-significant results, our data still suggest that kestrel nestlings experience some level of reduced physiological health, perhaps as a consequence of exposure to more urban stressors or altered prey availability in inner-city districts even though they had an overall lower ectoparasite burden in these heavily urbanised areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Wemer
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5001, Australia
| | | | - Marius Adrion
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,NABU E.V, Head office, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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19
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Fitzpatrick LJ, Olsson M, Pauliny A, While GM, Wapstra E. Individual telomere dynamics and their links to life history in a viviparous lizard. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210271. [PMID: 34034513 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging patterns suggest telomere dynamics and life history are fundamentally linked in endotherms through life-history traits that mediate the processes underlying telomere attrition. Unlike endotherms, ectotherms maintain the ability to lengthen somatic telomeres throughout life and the link between life-history strategies and ectotherm telomere dynamics is unknown. In a well-characterized model system (Niveoscincus ocellatus), we used long-term longitudinal data to study telomere dynamics across climatically divergent populations. We found longer telomeres in individuals from the cool highlands than those from the warm lowlands at birth and as adults. The key determinant of adult telomere length across populations was telomere length at birth, with population-specific effects of age and growth on adult telomere length. The reproductive effort had no proximate effect on telomere length in either population. Maternal factors influenced telomere length at birth in the warm lowlands but not the cool highlands. Our results demonstrate that life-history traits can have pervasive and context-dependent effects on telomere dynamics in ectotherms both within and between populations. We argue that these telomere dynamics may reflect the populations' different life histories, with the slow-growing cool highland population investing more into telomere lengthening compared to the earlier-maturing warm lowland population.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Fitzpatrick
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - M Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - A Pauliny
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - G M While
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - E Wapstra
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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20
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Salmón P, Jacobs A, Ahrén D, Biard C, Dingemanse NJ, Dominoni DM, Helm B, Lundberg M, Senar JC, Sprau P, Visser ME, Isaksson C. Continent-wide genomic signatures of adaptation to urbanisation in a songbird across Europe. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2983. [PMID: 34016968 PMCID: PMC8137928 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanisation is increasing worldwide, and there is now ample evidence of phenotypic changes in wild organisms in response to this novel environment. Yet, the genetic changes and genomic architecture underlying these adaptations are poorly understood. Here, we genotype 192 great tits (Parus major) from nine European cities, each paired with an adjacent rural site, to address this major knowledge gap in our understanding of wildlife urban adaptation. We find that a combination of polygenic allele frequency shifts and recurrent selective sweeps are associated with the adaptation of great tits to urban environments. While haplotypes under selection are rarely shared across urban populations, selective sweeps occur within the same genes, mostly linked to neural function and development. Collectively, we show that urban adaptation in a widespread songbird occurs through unique and shared selective sweeps in a core-set of behaviour-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Arne Jacobs
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dag Ahrén
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Clotilde Biard
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, iEES Paris, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Niels J Dingemanse
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Davide M Dominoni
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- GELIFES - Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Philipp Sprau
- Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, Netherlands
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21
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Koubová J, Pangrácová M, Jankásek M, Lukšan O, Jehlík T, Brabcová J, Jedlička P, Křivánek J, Čapková Frydrychová R, Hanus R. Long-lived termite kings and queens activate telomerase in somatic organs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210511. [PMID: 33878922 PMCID: PMC8059557 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Kings and queens of termites, like queens of other advanced eusocial insects, are endowed with admirable longevity, which dramatically exceeds the life expectancies of their non-reproducing nest-mates and related solitary insects. In the quest to find the mechanisms underlying the longevity of termite reproductives, we focused on somatic maintenance mediated by telomerase. This ribonucleoprotein is well established for pro-longevity functions in vertebrates, thanks primarily to its ability of telomere extension. However, its participation in lifespan regulation of insects, including the eusocial taxa, remains understudied. Here, we report a conspicuous increase of telomerase abundance and catalytic activity in the somatic organs of primary and secondary reproductives of the termite Prorhinotermes simplex and confirm a similar pattern in two other termite species. These observations stand in contrast with the telomerase downregulation characteristic for most adult somatic tissues in vertebrates and also in solitary insects and non-reproducing castes of termites. At the same time, we did not observe caste-specific differences in telomere lengths that might explain the differential longevity of termite castes. We conclude that although the telomerase activation in termite reproductives is in line with the broadly assumed association between telomerase and longevity, its direct phenotypic impact remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Koubová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Pangrácová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Jankásek
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Lukšan
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jehlík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Brabcová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Jedlička
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křivánek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Hanus
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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22
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Telomere lengths correlate with fitness but assortative mating by telomeres confers no benefit to fledgling recruitment. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5463. [PMID: 33750872 PMCID: PMC7943796 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Assortative mating by telomere lengths has been observed in several bird species, and in some cases may increase fitness of individuals. Here we examined the relationship between telomere lengths of Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) mates, long-lived colonial seabirds with high annual divorce rates. We tested the hypothesis that interactions between maternal and paternal telomere lengths affect offspring and parental survival. We found that relative telomere lengths (RTL) were strongly positively correlated between members of a breeding pair. In addition, RTL of both parents interacted to predict fledgling recruitment, although fledglings with two very long-RTL parents performed only averagely. Telomere lengths also predicted adult survival: birds with long telomeres were more likely to survive, but birds whose mate had long telomeres were less likely to survive. Thus, having long telomeres benefits survival, while choosing a mate with long telomeres benefits reproductive output while penalizing survival. These patterns demonstrate that while a breeder's RTL predicts offspring quality, assortative mating by RTL does not enhance fitness, and a trade-off between different components of fitness may govern patterns of assortative mating by telomere length. They also illustrate how testing the adaptive value of only one parent’s telomere length on either survival or reproductive success alone may provide equivocal results.
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23
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Watson H, Powell D, Salmón P, Jacobs A, Isaksson C. Urbanization is associated with modifications in DNA methylation in a small passerine bird. Evol Appl 2021; 14:85-98. [PMID: 33519958 PMCID: PMC7819559 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization represents a fierce driver of phenotypic change, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying observed phenotypic patterns are poorly understood. Epigenetic changes are expected to facilitate more rapid adaption to changing or novel environments, such as our towns and cities, compared with slow changes in gene sequence. A comparison of liver and blood tissue from great tits Parus major originating from an urban and a forest site demonstrated that urbanization is associated with variation in genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation. Combining reduced representation bisulphite sequencing with transcriptome data, we revealed habitat differences in DNA methylation patterns that suggest a regulated and coordinated response to the urban environment. In the liver, genomic sites that were differentially methylated between urban- and forest-dwelling birds were over-represented in regulatory regions of the genome and more likely to occur in expressed genes. DNA methylation levels were also inversely correlated with gene expression at transcription start sites. Furthermore, differentially methylated CpG sites, in liver, were over-represented in pathways involved in (i) steroid biosynthesis, (ii) superoxide metabolism, (iii) secondary alcohol metabolism, (iv) chylomicron remodelling, (v) cholesterol transport, (vi) reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolic process and (vii) epithelial cell proliferation. This corresponds with earlier studies identifying diet and exposure to ROS as two of the main drivers of divergence between organisms in urban and nonurban environments. Conversely, in blood, sites that were differentially methylated between urban- and forest-dwelling birds were under-represented in regulatory regions, more likely to occur in nonexpressed genes and not over-represented in specific biological pathways. It remains to be determined whether diverging patterns of DNA methylation represent adaptive evolutionary responses and whether the conclusions can be more widely attributed to urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Watson
- Evolutionary Ecology, Biology DepartmentLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Daniel Powell
- Evolutionary Ecology, Biology DepartmentLund UniversityLundSweden
- Global Change Ecology, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringUniversity of the Sunshine CoastSippy DownsQLDAustralia
| | - Pablo Salmón
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Arne Jacobs
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Department of Natural ResourcesCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
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24
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Tschirren B, Romero-Haro AÁ, Zahn S, Criscuolo F. Sex-specific effects of experimental ectoparasite infestation on telomere length in great tit nestlings. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:584-589. [PMID: 33226680 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length is a biomarker of biological ageing and lifespan in various vertebrate taxa. Evidence is accumulating that telomeres shorten more rapidly when an individual is exposed to environmental stressors. Parasites are potent selective agents that can cause physiological stress directly or indirectly through the activation of the host's immune system. Yet to date, empirical evidence for a role of parasites in telomere dynamics in natural populations is limited. Here, we show experimentally that exposure to ectoparasitic hen fleas (Ceratophyllus gallinae) during growth results in shorter telomeres in female, but not male, great tit (Parus major) nestlings. Females had longer telomeres than males when growing up in experimentally deparasitized nests but, likely because of the sex-specific effects of ectoparasitism on telomere length, this sexual dimorphism was absent in birds growing up in experimentally infested nests. Our results provide the first experimental evidence for a role of ectoparasitism in telomere dynamics in a natural vertebrate population, and suggest that the costs of infection manifest in sex-specific ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Sandrine Zahn
- CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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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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26
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Burraco P, Comas M, Reguera S, Zamora-Camacho FJ, Moreno-Rueda G. Telomere length mirrors age structure along a 2200-m altitudinal gradient in a Mediterranean lizard. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 247:110741. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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27
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Urbanization is associated with differences in age class structure in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01039-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Ineson KM, O’Shea TJ, Kilpatrick CW, Parise KL, Foster JT. Ambiguities in using telomere length for age determination in two North American bat species. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe age of an animal, determined by time (chronological age) as well as genetic and environmental factors (biological age), influences the likelihood of mortality and reproduction and thus the animal’s contribution to population growth. For many long-lived species, such as bats, a lack of external and morphological indicators has made determining age a challenge, leading researchers to examine genetic markers of age for application to demographic studies. One widely studied biomarker of age is telomere length, which has been related both to chronological and biological age across taxa, but only recently has begun to be studied in bats. We assessed telomere length from the DNA of known-age and minimum known-age individuals of two bat species using a quantitative PCR assay. We determined that telomere length was quadratically related to chronological age in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), although it had little predictive power for accurate age determination of unknown-age individuals. The relationship was different in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), where telomere length instead was correlated with biological age, apparently due to infection and wing damage associated with white-nose syndrome. Furthermore, we showed that wing biopsies currently are a better tissue source for studying telomere length in bats than guano and buccal swabs; the results from the latter group were more variable and potentially influenced by storage time. Refinement of collection and assessment methods for different non-lethally collected tissues will be important for longitudinal sampling to better understand telomere dynamics in these long-lived species. Although further work is needed to develop a biomarker capable of determining chronological age in bats, our results suggest that biological age, as reflected in telomere length, may be influenced by extrinsic stressors such as disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Ineson
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Thomas J O’Shea
- United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Katy L Parise
- Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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29
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Abstract
Stress exposure can leave long-term footprints within the organism, like in telomeres (TLs), protective chromosome caps that shorten during cell replication and following exposure to stressors. Short TLs are considered to indicate lower fitness prospects, but why TLs shorten under stressful conditions is not understood. Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) increase upon stress exposure and are thought to promote TL shortening by increasing oxidative damage. However, evidence that GCs are pro-oxidants and oxidative stress is causally linked to TL attrition is mixed . Based on new biochemical findings, we propose the metabolic telomere attrition hypothesis: during times of substantially increased energy demands, TLs are shortened as part of the transition into an organismal 'emergency state', which prioritizes immediate survival functions over processes with longer-term benefits. TL attrition during energy shortages could serve multiple roles including amplified signalling of cellular energy debt to re-direct critical resources to immediately important processes. This new view of TL shortening as a strategy to resolve major energetic trade-offs can improve our understanding of TL dynamics. We suggest that TLs are master regulators of cell homeostasis and propose future research avenues to understand the interactions between energy homeostasis, metabolic regulators and TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- 1 Research Group Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , 82319 Seewiesen , Germany
| | - Michaela Hau
- 1 Research Group Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , 82319 Seewiesen , Germany.,2 Department of Biology, University of Konstanz , D-78457 Konstanz , Germany
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30
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Eastwood JR, Hall ML, Teunissen N, Kingma SA, Hidalgo Aranzamendi N, Fan M, Roast M, Verhulst S, Peters A. Early-life telomere length predicts lifespan and lifetime reproductive success in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:1127-1137. [PMID: 30592345 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Poor conditions during early development can initiate trade-offs that favour current survival at the expense of somatic maintenance and subsequently, future reproduction. However, the mechanisms that link early and late life-history are largely unknown. Recently it has been suggested that telomeres, the nucleoprotein structures at the terminal end of chromosomes, could link early-life conditions to lifespan and fitness. In wild purple-crowned fairy-wrens, we combined measurements of nestling telomere length (TL) with detailed life-history data to investigate whether early-life TL predicts fitness prospects. Our study differs from previous studies in the completeness of our fitness estimates in a highly philopatric population. The association between TL and survival was age-dependent with early-life TL having a positive effect on lifespan only among individuals that survived their first year. Early-life TL was not associated with the probability or age of gaining a breeding position. Interestingly, early-life TL was positively related to breeding duration, contribution to population growth and lifetime reproductive success because of their association with lifespan. Thus, early-life TL, which reflects growth, accumulated early-life stress and inherited TL, predicted fitness in birds that reached adulthood but not noticeably among fledglings. These findings suggest that a lack of investment in somatic maintenance during development particularly affects late life performance. This study demonstrates that factors in early-life are related to fitness prospects through lifespan, and suggests that the study of telomeres may provide insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms linking early- and late-life performance and trade-offs across a lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Eastwood
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle L Hall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Niki Teunissen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marie Fan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Roast
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany
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31
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Fitzpatrick LJ, Olsson M, Parsley LM, Pauliny A, Pinfold TL, Pirtle T, While GM, Wapstra E. Temperature and telomeres: thermal treatment influences telomere dynamics through a complex interplay of cellular processes in a cold-climate skink. Oecologia 2019; 191:767-776. [PMID: 31620874 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomere dynamics vary fundamentally between endothermic populations and species as a result of differences in life history, yet we know little about these patterns in ectotherms. In ectotherms, the relationships between climate, metabolism and life history suggest that telomere attrition should be higher at relatively high environmental temperatures compared to relatively low environmental temperatures, but these effects may vary between populations due to local adaptation. To address this hypothesis, we sampled reactive oxygen species (ROS) and telomere length of lizards from warm lowland and cool highland populations of a climatically widespread lizard species that we exposed to hot or cold basking treatments. The hot treatment increased relative telomere length compared to the cold treatment independent of climatic origin or ROS levels. Lizards from the cool highland region had lower ROS levels than those from the warm lowland region. Within the highland lizards, ROS increased more in the cold basking treatment than the hot basking treatment. These results are in the opposite direction to those predicted, suggesting that the relationships between temperature, metabolism, ROS and telomere dynamics are not straightforward. Future work incorporating detailed understanding of the thermal reaction norms of these and other linked traits is needed to fully understand these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Fitzpatrick
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
| | - M Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - L M Parsley
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - A Pauliny
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - T L Pinfold
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - T Pirtle
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - G M While
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - E Wapstra
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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32
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Impact of continuous predator threat on telomere dynamics in parent and nestling pied flycatchers. Oecologia 2019; 191:757-766. [PMID: 31612326 PMCID: PMC6853860 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04529-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In addition to direct mortality, predators can have indirect effects on prey populations by affecting prey behaviour or physiology. For example, predator presence can increase stress hormone levels, which can have physiological costs. Stress exposure accelerates the shortening of telomeres (i.e. the protective caps of chromosomes) and shorter telomeres have been linked to increased mortality risk. However, the effect of perceived predation risk on telomeres is not known. We investigated the effects of continuous predator threat (nesting Eurasian pygmy owl Glaucidium passerinum) on telomere dynamics of both adult and partially cross-fostered nestling pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in the wild. Females nesting at owl-inhabited sites showed impaired telomere maintenance between incubation and chick rearing compared to controls, and both males and females ended up with shorter telomeres at owl-inhabited sites in the end of chick rearing. On the contrary, both original and cross-fostered chicks reared in owl sites had consistently longer telomeres during growth than chicks reared at control sites. Thus, predation risk may cause a long-term cost in terms of telomeres for parents but not for their offspring. Predators may therefore affect telomere dynamics of their preys, which could have implications for their ageing rate and consequently for population dynamics.
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33
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McLennan D, Recknagel H, Elmer KR, Monaghan P. Distinct telomere differences within a reproductively bimodal common lizard population. Funct Ecol 2019; 33:1917-1927. [PMID: 31762528 PMCID: PMC6853248 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Different strategies of reproductive mode, either oviparity (egg-laying) or viviparity (live-bearing), will be associated with a range of other life-history differences that are expected to affect patterns of ageing and longevity. It is usually difficult to compare the effects of alternative reproductive modes because of evolutionary and ecological divergence. However, the very rare exemplars of reproductive bimodality, in which different modes exist within a single species, offer an opportunity for robust and controlled comparisons.One trait of interest that could be associated with life history, ageing and longevity is the length of the telomeres, which form protective caps at the chromosome ends and are generally considered a good indicator of cellular health. The shortening of these telomeres has been linked to stressful conditions; therefore, it is possible that differing reproductive costs will influence patterns of telomere loss. This is important because a number of studies have linked a shorter telomere length to reduced survival.Here, we have studied maternal and offspring telomere dynamics in the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). Our study has focused on a population where oviparous and viviparous individuals co-occur in the same habitat and occasionally interbreed to form admixed individuals.While viviparity confers many advantages for offspring, it might also incur substantial costs for the mother, for example require more energy. Therefore, we predicted that viviparous mothers would have relatively shorter telomeres than oviparous mothers, with admixed mothers having intermediate telomere lengths. There is thought to be a heritable component to telomere length; therefore, we also hypothesized that offspring would follow the same pattern as the mothers.Contrary to our predictions, the viviparous mothers and offspring had the longest telomeres, and the oviparous mothers and offspring had the shortest telomeres. The differing telomere lengths may have evolved as an effect of the life-history divergence between the reproductive modes, for example due to the increased growth rate that viviparous individuals may undergo to reach a similar size at reproduction. A free http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13408/suppinfo can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl McLennan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Department of Fish Ecology and EvolutionEAWAGKastanienbaumSwitzerland
| | - Hans Recknagel
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Kathryn R. Elmer
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
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34
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Watson H, Salmón P, Isaksson C. Dynamic changes in DNA methylation during embryonic and postnatal development of an altricial wild bird. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9580-9585. [PMID: 31534676 PMCID: PMC6745840 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation could shape phenotypic responses to environmental cues and underlie developmental plasticity. Environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation during development can give rise to stable phenotypic traits and thus affect fitness. In the laboratory, it has been shown that the vertebrate methylome undergoes dynamic reprogramming during development, creating a critical window for environmentally induced epigenetic modifications. Studies of DNA methylation in the wild are lacking, yet are essential for understanding how genes and the environment interact to affect phenotypic development and ultimately fitness. Furthermore, our knowledge of the establishment of methylation patterns during development in birds is limited. We quantified genome-wide DNA methylation at various stages of embryonic and postnatal development in an altricial passerine bird, the great tit Parus major. While, there was no change in global DNA methylation in embryonic tissue during the second half of embryonic development, a twofold increase in DNA methylation in blood occurred between 6 and 15 days posthatch. Though not directly comparable, DNA methylation levels were higher in the blood of nestlings compared with embryonic tissue at any stage of prenatal development. This provides the first evidence that DNA methylation undergoes global change during development in a wild bird, supporting the hypothesis that methylation mediates phenotypic development. Furthermore, the plasticity of DNA methylation demonstrated during late postnatal development, in the present study, suggests a wide window during which DNA methylation could be sensitive to environmental influences. This is particularly important for our understanding of the mechanisms by which early-life conditions influence later-life performance. While, we found no evidence for differences in genome-wide methylation in relation to habitat of origin, environmental variation is likely to be an important driver of variation in methylation at specific loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Watson
- Evolutionary Ecology, Biology DepartmentLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Pablo Salmón
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
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35
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Salmón P, Watson H, Nord A, Isaksson C. Effects of the Urban Environment on Oxidative Stress in Early Life: Insights from a Cross-fostering Experiment. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:986-994. [PMID: 30052952 PMCID: PMC6204991 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As urban areas expand rapidly worldwide, wildlife is exposed to a wide range of novel environmental stressors, such as increased air pollution and artificial light at night. Birds in highly polluted and/or urbanized habitats have been found to have increased antioxidant protection, which is likely important to avoid accumulation of oxidative damage, which can have negative fitness consequences. Yet, the current knowledge about the ontogeny of antioxidant protection in urban areas is limited; i.e., is the capacity to up-regulate the antioxidant defences already established during pre-natal development, or does it manifest itself during post-natal development? We cross-fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings within and between urban and rural habitats, to determine if oxidative stress (measured as non-enzymatic total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and plasma lipid peroxidation) is affected by habitat of origin and/or by habitat of rearing. The results demonstrate that being reared in the urban environment triggers an increase in SOD (an intracellular, enzymatic antioxidant) independent of natal habitat. Oxidative damage increased with hatching date in urban-reared nestlings, but there was little seasonal change in rural-reared nestlings. Total antioxidant capacity was neither affected by habitat of rearing or habitat of origin, but we observed a decline with hatching date in both rearing habitats. Taken together, our results support the growing evidence that the urban environment induces a direct plastic adjustment in antioxidant protection, but that up-regulation is not sufficient to avoid increased oxidative damage in late-hatched broods. Future studies should explore the underlying causes for this effect in late-hatched broods and whether it has any negative long-term implications, both at the individual- and the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Hannah Watson
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Andreas Nord
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Caroline Isaksson
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
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36
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Ouyang JQ, Isaksson C, Schmidt C, Hutton P, Bonier F, Dominoni D. A New Framework for Urban Ecology: An Integration of Proximate and Ultimate Responses to Anthropogenic Change. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:915-928. [PMID: 30376106 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As urban areas continue to grow, understanding how species respond and adapt to urban habitats is becoming increasingly important. Knowledge of the mechanisms behind observed phenotypic changes of urban-dwelling animals will enable us to better evaluate the impact of urbanization on current and future generations of wildlife and predict how animals respond to novel environments. Recently, urban ecology has emerged not only as a means of understanding organismal adaptation but also as a framework for exploring mechanisms mediating evolutionary phenomena. Here, we have identified four important research topics that will advance the field of urban ecology and shed light on the proximate and ultimate causes of the phenotypic differences commonly seen among species and populations that vary in their responses to urbanization. First, we address the ecological and socio-economic factors that characterize cities, how they might interact with each other, and how they affect urban species. Second, we ask which are the proximate mechanisms underlying the emergence over time of novel traits in urban organisms, focusing on developmental effects. Third, we emphasize the importance of understanding the ultimate causations that link phenotypic shifts to function. This question highlights the need to quantify the strength and direction of selection that urban individuals are exposed to, and whether the phenotypic shifts associated with life in the city are adaptive. Lastly, we stress the need to translate how individual-level responses scale up to population dynamics. Understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of variation among populations and species in their responses to urbanization will unravel species resilience to environmental perturbation, which will facilitate predictive models for sustainability and development of green cities that maintain or even increase urban biodiversity and wildlife health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | | | - Chloé Schmidt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Pierce Hutton
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Frances Bonier
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Davide Dominoni
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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37
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Pineda-Pampliega J, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Díez-Fernández A, Faivre B, Figuerola J, Verhulst S. Urban blackbirds have shorter telomeres. Biol Lett 2019; 14:rsbl.2018.0083. [PMID: 29563283 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0083] [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] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization, one of the most extreme human-induced environmental changes, represents a major challenge for many organisms. Anthropogenic habitats can have opposing effects on different fitness components, for example, by decreasing starvation risk but also health status. Assessment of the net fitness effect of anthropogenic habitats is therefore difficult. Telomere length is associated with phenotypic quality and mortality rate in many species, and the rate of telomere shortening is considered an integrative measure of the 'life stress' experienced by an individual. This makes telomere length a promising candidate for examining the effects of urbanization on the health status of individuals. We investigated whether telomere length differed between urban and forest-dwelling common blackbirds (Turdus merula). Using the terminal restriction fragment assay, we analysed telomere length in yearlings and older adults from five population dyads (urban versus forest) across Europe. In both age classes, urban blackbirds had significantly shorter telomeres (547 bp) than blackbirds in natural habitats, indicating lower health status in urban blackbirds. We propose several potential hypotheses to explain our results. Our findings show that even successful city dwellers such as blackbirds pay a price for living in these anthropogenic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands .,Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Pineda-Pampliega
- Departament of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa.,Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - José I Aguirre
- Departament of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS 6282, Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands
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Atema E, Mulder E, van Noordwijk AJ, Verhulst S. Ultralong telomeres shorten with age in nestling great tits but are static in adults and mask attrition of short telomeres. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:648-658. [PMID: 30672119 PMCID: PMC6849772 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is increasingly being used as a biomarker of senescence, but measuring telomeres remains a challenge. Within tissue samples, TL varies between cells and chromosomes. Class I telomeres are (presumably static) interstitial telomeric sequences, while terminal telomeres have been divided in shorter (Class II) telomeres and ultralong (Class III) telomeres, and the presence of the latter varies strongly between species. Class II telomeres typically shorten with age, but little is known of Class III telomere dynamics. Using multiple experimental approaches, we show great tits to have ultralong telomeres, and we investigated age effects on Class II and III telomeres using a longitudinal approach (our method excludes Class I telomeres). In adults, TL averaged over the whole distribution did not significantly change with age. However, more detailed analyses showed that Class II TL did shorten with age, and, as in other species, the longest Class II telomeres within individuals shortened more quickly with age. In contrast, Class III TL did not shorten with age within individual adults. Surprisingly, we found the opposite pattern in nestlings: Class III TL shortened significantly with age, while the age effect on Class II TL was close to zero. Thus, Class III TL may provide information on developmental history, while Class II TL provides information on telomere dynamics in adulthood. These findings have practical implications for telomere studies and raise the interesting question of what causes variation in TL dynamics between chromosomes within individuals and how this is related to development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Els Atema
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ellis Mulder
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arie J van Noordwijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Apfelbeck B, Haussmann MF, Boner W, Flinks H, Griffiths K, Illera JC, Mortega KG, Sisson Z, Smiddy P, Helm B. Divergent patterns of telomere shortening in tropical compared to temperate stonechats. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:511-521. [PMID: 30680132 PMCID: PMC6342124 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres have emerged as important biomarkers of health and senescence as they predict chances of survival in various species. Tropical birds live in more benign environments with lower extrinsic mortality and higher juvenile and adult survival than temperate birds. Therefore, telomere biology may play a more important role in tropical compared to temperate birds. We measured mean telomere length of male stonechats (Saxicola spp.) at four age classes from tropical African and temperate European breeding regions. Tropical and temperate stonechats had similarly long telomeres as nestlings. However, while in tropical stonechats pre-breeding first-years had longer telomeres than nestlings, in temperate stonechats pre-breeding first-years had shorter telomeres than nestlings. During their first breeding season, telomere length was again similar between tropical and temperate stonechats. These patterns may indicate differential survival of high-quality juveniles in tropical environments. Alternatively, more favorable environmental conditions, that is, extended parental care, may enable tropical juveniles to minimize telomere shortening. As suggested by previous studies, our results imply that variation in life history and life span may be reflected in different patterns of telomere shortening rather than telomere length. Our data provide first evidence that distinct selective pressures in tropical and temperate environments may be reflected in diverging patterns of telomere loss in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Apfelbeck
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences WeihenstephanTechnische Universität MünchenFreisingGermany
| | | | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | | | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Juan Carlos Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO‐CSIC‐PA), Oviedo UniversityMieresSpain
| | - Kim G. Mortega
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology, Max‐Planck‐Institut für OrnithologieRadolfzellGermany
- Museum für Naturkunde—Leibniz‐Institut für Evolutions‐und BiodiversitätsforschungBerlinGermany
| | - Zachary Sisson
- Department of BiologyBucknell UniversityLewisburgPennsylvania
| | - Patrick Smiddy
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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Gott A, Andrews C, Larriva Hormigos M, Spencer K, Bateson M, Nettle D. Chronological age, biological age, and individual variation in the stress response in the European starling: a follow-up study. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5842. [PMID: 30370189 PMCID: PMC6202956 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of the avian stress response declines with age. A recently published study of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) found that a marker of biological age predicted the strength of the stress response even in individuals of the same chronological age. Specifically, birds that had experienced greater developmental telomere attrition (DTA) showed a lower peak corticosterone (CORT) response to an acute stressor, and more rapid recovery of CORT levels towards baseline. Here, we performed a follow-up study using the same capture-handling-restraint stressor in a separate cohort of starlings that had been subjected to a developmental manipulation of food availability and begging effort. We measured the CORT response at two different age points (4 and 18 months). Our data suggest a decline in the strength of the CORT response with chronological age: peak CORT was lower at the second age point, and there was relatively more reduction in CORT between 15 and 30 min. Individual consistency between the two age points was low, but there were modest familial effects on baseline and peak CORT. The manipulation of begging effort affected the stress response (specifically, the reduction in CORT between 15 and 30 min) in an age-dependent manner. However, we did not replicate the associations with DTA observed in the earlier study. We meta-analysed the data from the present and the earlier study combined, and found some support for the conclusions of the earlier paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Gott
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Clare Andrews
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Karen Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Daniel Nettle
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution & Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Dorado-Correa AM, Zollinger SA, Heidinger B, Brumm H. Timing matters: traffic noise accelerates telomere loss rate differently across developmental stages. Front Zool 2018; 15:29. [PMID: 30181761 PMCID: PMC6112141 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0275-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Noise pollution is one of the leading environmental health risks for humans, linked to a myriad of stress-related health problems. Yet little is known about the long-term effects of noise on the health and fitness of wildlife. We experimentally investigated the direct and cross-generational effects of traffic noise on telomeres; a measure of cellular ageing that is predictive of disease and longevity in humans and other organisms. We exposed zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) to three different treatment groups: 1) parents were exposed to traffic noise before and during breeding, together with their nestling young, 2) fledged juveniles but not their parents were exposed to traffic noise, and 3) control group birds were never exposed to traffic noise. Results Although there was no significant effect of traffic noise exposure at early (pre-fledging) stages of offspring telomere length or loss rate, traffic noise exposure accelerated telomere loss in older (post-fledging) juveniles. Conclusions The age-dependent differences found in this study in telomere loss could occur if parents buffer younger offspring against the detrimental effects of noise exposure and/or if younger offspring are less sensitive to noise exposure. Telomere length during early life has been shown to be positively related to lifespan and the observed noise-induced increase of telomere attrition rate could reduce the fitness of the affected birds and potentially alter the population dynamics of birds in noise polluted areas. Our data highlight the need to consider the developmental stage of an organism to better understand the ecological consequences of anthropogenic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Dorado-Correa
- 1Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - S A Zollinger
- 1Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - B Heidinger
- 2North Dakota State University, Stevens Hall 225, Dept 2715, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050 USA
| | - H Brumm
- 1Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Str. 11, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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McLennan D, Armstrong JD, Stewart DC, Mckelvey S, Boner W, Monaghan P, Metcalfe NB. Telomere elongation during early development is independent of environmental temperatures in Atlantic salmon. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.178616. [PMID: 29636409 PMCID: PMC6031317 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.178616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence from endothermic vertebrates that telomeres, which cap the ends of chromosomes and play an important role in chromosome protection, decline in length during postnatal life and are a useful indicator of physiological state and expected lifespan. However, much less is currently known about telomere dynamics in ectothermic vertebrates, which are likely to differ from that of endotherms, at least in part due to the sensitivity of ectotherm physiology to environmental temperature. We report here on an experiment in which Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were reared through the embryonic and larval stages of development, and under differing temperatures, in order to examine the effects of environmental temperature during early life on telomere dynamics, oxidative DNA damage and cellular proliferation. Telomere length significantly increased between the embryonic and larval stages of development. Contrary to our expectations, variation in telomere length at the end of the larval stage was unrelated to either cell proliferation rate or the relative level of oxidative DNA damage, and did not vary between the temperature treatments. This study suggests that salmon are able to restore the length of their telomeres during early development, which may possibly help to buffer potentially harmful environmental effects experienced in early life. Summary: The authors show that, in salmon, telomeres significantly lengthen between the embryonic and larval stages of development, and that this is not influenced by environmental temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl McLennan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - John D Armstrong
- Marine Scotland-Science, Freshwater Laboratory, Faskally, Pitlochry, PH16 5LB, UK
| | - David C Stewart
- Marine Scotland-Science, Freshwater Laboratory, Faskally, Pitlochry, PH16 5LB, UK
| | - Simon Mckelvey
- Cromarty Firth Fishery Trust, CKD Galbraith, Reay House, 17 Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness, IV2 3HF
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Neil B Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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Salmón P, Nilsson JF, Watson H, Bensch S, Isaksson C. Selective disappearance of great tits with short telomeres in urban areas. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1349. [PMID: 28878065 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban environments pose novel challenges, as well as opportunities, for urban-dwelling wildlife. Although differences have been reported in several phenotypic traits (e.g. morphology, physiology and behaviour) between urban and rural populations, it is poorly understood whether this affects individual fitness. Telomere dynamics are posited as one possible mechanism underlying senescence and mortality. It was recently shown that telomere shortening is accelerated when growing up in an urban, compared with a rural, environment. However, the implications of accelerated telomere attrition for fitness are still unclear. Here, we examine the relationship between telomere length (TL) and survival in a bird common to urban and rural environments, and during both early and later life. The results reveal that TL is a strong predictor of post-fledging survival and recruitment in both habitats but, crucially, selective disappearance of individuals with short telomeres early in life is more pronounced in the urban environment, resulting in a longer average TL among the adult population. However, following recruitment, we found no difference in the relationship between TL and survival between the urban and rural environments. This indicates that the urban environment has negative effects in early life, while during later life the benefits could potentially outweigh the costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Johan F Nilsson
- Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Hannah Watson
- Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- MEMEG, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 223 62, Sweden
| | - Caroline Isaksson
- Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 223 62, Sweden
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McLennan D, Armstrong JD, Stewart DC, McKelvey S, Boner W, Monaghan P, Metcalfe NB. Links between parental life histories of wild salmon and the telomere lengths of their offspring. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:804-814. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Darryl McLennan
- Institute of Biodiversity; Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | | | | | - Simon McKelvey
- Cromarty Firth Fishery Trust; CKD Galbraith; Inverness UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity; Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity; Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity; Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; University of Glasgow; Glasgow UK
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45
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