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Messina S, Costantini D, Eens M. Impacts of rising temperatures and water acidification on the oxidative status and immune system of aquatic ectothermic vertebrates: A meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161580. [PMID: 36646226 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Species persistence in the Anthropocene is dramatically threatened by global climate change. Large emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from human activities are driving increases in mean temperature, intensity of heatwaves, and acidification of oceans and freshwater bodies. Ectotherms are particularly sensitive to CO2-induced stressors, because the rate of their metabolic reactions, as well as their immunological performance, are affected by environmental temperatures and water pH. We reviewed and performed a meta-analysis of 56 studies, involving 1259 effect sizes, that compared oxidative status or immune function metrics between 42 species of ectothermic vertebrates exposed to long-term increased temperatures or water acidification (≥48 h), and those exposed to control parameters resembling natural conditions. We found that CO2-induced stressors enhance levels of molecular oxidative damages in ectotherms, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes was upregulated only at higher temperatures, possibly due to an increased rate of biochemical reactions dependent on the higher ambient temperature. Differently, both temperature and water acidification showed weak impacts on immune function, indicating different direction (increase or decrease) of responses among immune traits. Further, we found that the intensity of temperature treatments (Δ°C) and their duration, enhance the physiological response of ectotherms, pointing to stronger effects of prolonged extreme warming events (i.e., heatwaves) on the oxidative status. Finally, adult individuals showed weaker antioxidant enzymatic responses to an increase in water temperature compared to early life stages, suggesting lower acclimation capacity. Antarctic species showed weaker antioxidant response compared to temperate and tropical species, but level of uncertainty in the antioxidant enzymatic response of Antarctic species was high, thus pairwise comparisons were statistically non-significant. Overall, the results of this meta-analysis indicate that the regulation of oxidative status might be one key mechanism underlying thermal plasticity in aquatic ectothermic vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Messina
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Tuscia University, Largo dell'Università s.n.c., 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - David Costantini
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Tuscia University, Largo dell'Università s.n.c., 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, UMR 7221, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS - 7 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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2
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Salmón P, Dawson NJ, Millet C, Selman C, Monaghan P. Mitochondrial function declines with age within individuals but is not linked to the pattern of growth or mortality risk in zebra finch. Aging Cell 2023:e13822. [PMID: 36938671 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered a highly conserved hallmark of ageing. However, most of the studies in both model and non-model organisms are cross-sectional in design; therefore, little is known, at the individual level, on how mitochondrial function changes with age, its link to early developmental conditions or its relationship with survival. Here we manipulated the postnatal growth in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) via dietary modification that induced accelerated growth without changing adult body size. In the same individuals, we examined blood cells mitochondrial functioning (mainly erythrocytes) when they were young (ca. 36 weeks) and again in mid-aged (ca. 91 weeks) adulthood. Mitochondrial function was strongly influenced by age but not by postnatal growth conditions. Across all groups, within individual ROUTINE respiration, OXPHOS and OXPHOS coupling efficiency significantly declined with age, while LEAK respiration increased. However, we found no link between mitochondrial function and the probability of survival into relatively old age (ca. 4 years). Our results suggest that the association between accelerated growth and reduced longevity, evident in this as in other species, is not attributable to age-related changes in any of the measured mitochondrial function traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Neal J Dawson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Caroline Millet
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Colin Selman
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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3
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Young RC, Westneat DF, Vangorder-Braid J, Sirman AE, Siller SJ, Kittilson J, Ghimire A, Heidinger BJ. Stressors interact across generations to influence offspring telomeres and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220868. [PMID: 36069016 PMCID: PMC9449473 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental stress often has long-term consequences for offspring. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and how they are shaped by conditions offspring subsequently experience are poorly understood. Telomeres, which often shorten in response to stress and predict longevity, may contribute to, and/or reflect these cross-generational effects. Traditionally, parental stress is expected to have negative effects on offspring telomeres, but experimental studies in captive animals suggest that these effects may depend on the subsequent conditions that offspring experience. Yet, the degree to which parental stress influences and interacts with stress experienced by offspring to affect offspring telomeres and survival in free-living organisms is unknown. To assess this, we experimentally manipulated the stress exposure of free-living parent and offspring house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We found a weak, initial, negative effect of parental stress on offspring telomeres, but this effect was no longer evident at the end of post-natal development. Instead, the effects of parental stress depended on the natural sources of stress that offspring experienced during post-natal development whereby some outcomes were improved under more stressful rearing conditions. Thus, the effects of parental stress on offspring telomeres and survival are context-dependent and may involve compensatory mechanisms of potential benefit under some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | | | | | - Aubrey E. Sirman
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Stefanie J. Siller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kittilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Anuj Ghimire
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Britt J. Heidinger
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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4
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Salmón P, Millet C, Selman C, Monaghan P, Dawson NJ. Tissue-specific reductions in mitochondrial efficiency and increased ROS release rates during ageing in zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. GeroScience 2022; 45:265-276. [PMID: 35986126 PMCID: PMC9886749 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00624-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage have long been suggested as critically important mechanisms underlying the ageing process in animals. However, conflicting data exist on whether this involves increased production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) during ageing. We employed high-resolution respirometry and fluorometry on flight muscle (pectoralis major) and liver mitochondria to simultaneously examine mitochondrial function and ROS (H2O2) release rates in young (3 months) and old (4 years) zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Respiratory capacities for oxidative phosphorylation did not differ between the two age groups in either tissue. Respiratory control ratios (RCR) of liver mitochondria also did not differ between the age classes. However, RCR in muscle mitochondria was 55% lower in old relative to young birds, suggesting that muscle mitochondria in older individuals are less efficient. Interestingly, this observed reduction in muscle RCR was driven almost entirely by higher mitochondrial LEAK-state respiration. Maximum mitochondrial ROS release rates were found to be greater in both flight muscle (1.3-fold) and the liver (1.9-fold) of old birds. However, while maximum ROS (H2O2) release rates from mitochondria increased with age across both liver and muscle tissues, the liver demonstrated a proportionally greater age-related increase in ROS release than muscle. This difference in age-related increases in ROS release rates between muscle and liver tissues may be due to increased mitochondrial leakiness in the muscle, but not the liver, of older birds. This suggests that age-related changes in cellular function seem to occur in a tissue-specific manner in zebra finches, with flight muscle exhibiting signs of minimising age-related increase in ROS release, potentially to reduce damage to this crucial tissue in older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Caroline Millet
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Colin Selman
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Neal J. Dawson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
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5
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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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6
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Effort-motivated behavior resolves paradoxes in appetitive conditioning. Behav Processes 2021; 193:104525. [PMID: 34601051 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Motivated behavior has long been studied by psychologists, ethologists, and neuroscientists. To date, many scientists agree with the view that cue and reward attraction is the product of a dopamine-dependent unconscious process called incentive salience or "wanting". This process allows the influence of multiple factors such as hunger and odors on motivational attraction. In some cases, however, the resulting motivated behavior differs from what the incentive salience hypothesis would predict. I argue that seeking behavior under reward uncertainty illustrates this situation: Organisms do not just "want" (appetite-based attraction) cues that are inconsistent or associated with reward occasionally, they "hope" that those cues will consistently predict reward procurement in the ongoing trial. Said otherwise, they become motivated to invest time and energy to find consistent cue-reward associations despite no guarantee of success (effort-based attraction). A multi-test comparison of performance between individuals trained under uncertainty and certainty reveals behavioral paradoxes suggesting that the concept of incentive salience cannot fully account for responding to inconsistent cues. A mathematical model explains how appetite-based and effort-based attractions might combine their effects.
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7
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Andrews C, Zuidersma E, Verhulst S, Nettle D, Bateson M. Exposure to food insecurity increases energy storage and reduces somatic maintenance in European starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:211099. [PMID: 34540262 PMCID: PMC8441118 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Birds exposed to food insecurity-defined as temporally variable access to food-respond adaptively by storing more energy. To do this, they may reduce energy allocation to other functions such as somatic maintenance and repair. To investigate this trade-off, we exposed juvenile European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris, n = 69) to 19 weeks of either uninterrupted food availability or a regime where food was unpredictably unavailable for a 5-h period on 5 days each week. Our measures of energy storage were mass and fat scores. Our measures of somatic maintenance were the growth rate of a plucked feather, and erythrocyte telomere length (TL), measured by analysis of the terminal restriction fragment. The insecure birds were heavier than the controls, by an amount that varied over time. They also had higher fat scores. We found no evidence that they consumed more food overall, though our food consumption data were incomplete. Plucked feathers regrew more slowly in the insecure birds. TL was reduced in the insecure birds, specifically, in the longer percentiles of the within-individual TL distribution. We conclude that increased energy storage in response to food insecurity is achieved at the expense of investment in somatic maintenance and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Andrews
- Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Erica Zuidersma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Nettle
- Newcastle University Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
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8
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Marasco V, Boner W, Griffiths K, Heidinger B, Monaghan P. Repeated exposure to challenging environmental conditions influences telomere dynamics across adult life as predicted by changes in mortality risk. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21743. [PMID: 34192361 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100556r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The effects of stress exposure are likely to vary depending on life-stage and stressor. While it has been postulated that mild stress exposure may have beneficial effects, the duration of such effects and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. While the long-term effects of early-life stress are relatively well studied, we know much less about the effects of exposure in adulthood since the early- and adult-life environments are often similar. We previously reported that repeated experimental exposure to a relatively mild stressor in female zebra finches, first experienced in young adulthood, initially had no effect on mortality risk, reduced mortality in middle age, but the apparently beneficial effects disappeared in old age. We show here that this is underpinned by differences between the control and stress-exposed group in the pattern of telomere change, with stress-exposed birds showing reduced telomere loss in middle adulthood. We thereby provide novel experimental evidence that telomere dynamics play a key role linking stress resilience and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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9
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Messina S, Edwards DP, Marasco V, Canoine V, Cosset CCP, Tomassi S, Benedick S, Eens M, Costantini D. Glucocorticoids link forest type to local abundance in tropical birds. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Messina
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - David P. Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV) University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Wien Austria
| | - Cindy C. P. Cosset
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Suzanne Tomassi
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Suzan Benedick
- School of Sustainable Agriculture Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA) Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS Paris France
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10
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Spagopoulou F, Teplitsky C, Lind MI, Chantepie S, Gustafsson L, Maklakov AA. Silver-spoon upbringing improves early-life fitness but promotes reproductive ageing in a wild bird. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:994-1002. [PMID: 32239642 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Early-life conditions can have long-lasting effects and organisms that experience a poor start in life are often expected to age at a faster rate. Alternatively, individuals raised in high-quality environments can overinvest in early-reproduction resulting in rapid ageing. Here we use a long-term experimental manipulation of early-life conditions in a natural population of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), to show that females raised in a low-competition environment (artificially reduced broods) have higher early-life reproduction but lower late-life reproduction than females raised in high-competition environment (artificially increased broods). Reproductive success of high-competition females peaked in late-life, when low-competition females were already in steep reproductive decline and suffered from a higher mortality rate. Our results demonstrate that 'silver-spoon' natal conditions increase female early-life performance at the cost of faster reproductive ageing and increased late-life mortality. These findings demonstrate experimentally that natal environment shapes individual variation in reproductive and actuarial ageing in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Spagopoulou
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Céline Teplitsky
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Martin I Lind
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stéphane Chantepie
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alexei A Maklakov
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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11
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Kroeger SB, Blumstein DT, Armitage KB, Reid JM, Martin JGA. Older mothers produce more successful daughters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:4809-4814. [PMID: 32071200 PMCID: PMC7060700 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1908551117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Annual reproductive success and senescence patterns vary substantially among individuals in the wild. However, it is still seldom considered that senescence may not only affect an individual but also affect age-specific reproductive success in its offspring, generating transgenerational reproductive senescence. We used long-term data from wild yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) living in two different elevational environments to quantify age-specific reproductive success of daughters born to mothers differing in age. Contrary to prediction, daughters born to older mothers had greater annual reproductive success on average than daughters born to younger mothers, and this translated into greater lifetime reproductive success. However, in the favorable lower elevation environment, daughters born to older mothers also had greater age-specific decreases in annual reproductive success. In the harsher higher elevation environment on the other hand, daughters born to older mothers tended to die before reaching ages at which such senescent decreases could be observed. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating environment-specific transgenerational parent age effects on adult offspring age-specific life-history traits to fully understand the substantial variation observed in senescence patterns in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja B Kroeger
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom;
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 7031 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606
- The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224
| | - Kenneth B Armitage
- The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7534
| | - Jane M Reid
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, Gløshaugen, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Julien G A Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
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12
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Li X, Yang T, Sun Z. Hormesis in Health and Chronic Diseases. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2019; 30:944-958. [PMID: 31521464 PMCID: PMC6875627 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. Hormesis, the paradoxical beneficial effects of low-dose stressors, can be better defined as the biphasic dose-effect or time-effect relationship for any substance. Here we review hormesis-like phenomena in the context of chronic diseases for many substances, including lifestyle factors and endocrine factors. Intermittent or pulsatile exposure can generate opposite effects compared with continuous exposure. An initial exposure can elicit an adaptive stress response with long-lasting protection against subsequent exposures. Early-life stress can increase resilience in later life and lack of stress can lead to vulnerability. Many stressors are naturally occurring and are required for healthy growth or homeostasis, which exemplifies how 'illness is the doorway to health'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tingting Yang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zheng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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13
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Marasco V, Boner W, Griffiths K, Heidinger B, Monaghan P. Intergenerational effects on offspring telomere length: interactions among maternal age, stress exposure and offspring sex. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191845. [PMID: 31575358 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Offspring produced by older parents often have reduced longevity, termed the Lansing effect. Because adults usually have similar-aged mates, it is difficult to separate effects of maternal and paternal age, and environmental circumstances are also likely to influence offspring outcomes. The mechanisms underlying the Lansing effect are poorly understood. Variation in telomere length and loss, particularly in early life, is linked to longevity in many vertebrates, and therefore changes in offspring telomere dynamics could be very important in this context. We examined the effect of maternal age and environment on offspring telomere length in zebra finches. We kept mothers under either control (ad libitum food) or more challenging (unpredictable food) circumstances and experimentally minimized paternal age and mate choice effects. Irrespective of the maternal environment, there was a substantial negative effect of maternal age on offspring telomere length, evident in longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons (average of 39% shorter). Furthermore, in young mothers, sons reared by challenged mothers had significantly shorter telomere lengths than sons reared by control mothers. This effect disappeared when the mothers were old, and was absent in daughters. These findings highlight the importance of telomere dynamics as inter-generational mediators of the evolutionary processes determining optimal age-specific reproductive effort and sex allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraβe 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.,Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Stevens Hall, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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14
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Tilgar V. Repeated stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis alters offspring phenotype of a wild passerine. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.200659. [PMID: 31053648 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged stress can have long-lasting effects on an individual's physiology and growth. However, the impact of chronically elevated glucocorticoids on the expression of early antipredator responses is still poorly documented. In this study, I simulated the effect of repeated acute stress on offspring phenotype in free-living pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) by administering adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to nestlings for 6 days. The results showed that frequent induction of stress responses by ACTH injections, independent of parental care, adversely affected offspring final body size, wing length and baseline corticosterone levels. Nestling behavioural activity did not differ between ACTH- and saline-treated groups during exposure to control sounds, whereas behavioural activity during exposure to alarm calls was reduced in manipulated offspring only. I conclude that prolonged physiological stress may have short-term benefits to nest-bound offspring, such as more effective antipredator behaviour, but at the expense of negative effects on body size and developmental speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vallo Tilgar
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
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15
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Eckardt W, Stoinski TS, Rosenbaum S, Santymire R. Social and ecological factors alter stress physiology of Virunga mountain gorillas ( Gorilla beringei beringei). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5248-5259. [PMID: 31110676 PMCID: PMC6509442 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5115] [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: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in a rapidly changing environment can alter stress physiology at the population level, with negative impacts on health, reproductive rates, and mortality that may ultimately result in species decline. Small, isolated animal populations where genetic diversity is low are at particular risks, such as endangered Virunga mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Along with climate change-associated environmental shifts that are affecting the entire population, subpopulations of the Virunga gorillas have recently experienced extreme changes in their social environment. As the growing population moves closer to the forest's carrying capacity, the gorillas are coping with rising population density, increased frequencies of interactions between social units, and changing habitat use (e.g., more overlapping home ranges and routine ranging at higher elevations). Using noninvasive monitoring of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) on 115 habituated Virunga gorillas, we investigated how social and ecological variation are related to baseline FGM levels, to better understand the adaptive capacity of mountain gorillas and monitor potential physiological indicators of population decline risks. Generalized linear mixed models revealed elevated mean monthly baseline FGM levels in months with higher rainfall and higher mean maximum and minimum temperature, suggesting that Virunga gorillas might be sensitive to predicted warming and rainfall trends involving longer, warmer dry seasons and more concentrated and extreme rainfall occurrences. Exclusive use of smaller home range areas was linked to elevated baseline FGM levels, which may reflect reduced feeding efficiency and increased travel efforts to actively avoid neighboring groups. The potential for additive effects of stress-inducing factors could have short- and long-term impacts on the reproduction, health, and ultimately survival of the Virunga gorilla population. The ongoing effects of environmental changes and population dynamics must be closely monitored and used to develop effective long-term conservation strategies that can help address these risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Departmet of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinois
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyLincoln Park ZooChicagoIllinois
| | - Rachel Santymire
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyLincoln Park ZooChicagoIllinois
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16
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Huber N, Marasco V, Painer J, Vetter SG, Göritz F, Kaczensky P, Walzer C. Leukocyte Coping Capacity: An Integrative Parameter for Wildlife Welfare Within Conservation Interventions. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:105. [PMID: 31032265 PMCID: PMC6470256 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife management, conservation interventions and wildlife research programs often involve capture, manipulation and transport of wild animals. Widespread empirical evidence across various vertebrate taxa shows that handling wildlife generally induces a severe stress response resulting in increased stress levels. The inability of individuals to appropriately respond to rapidly changing environmental conditions during and after manipulations may have deleterious and long-lasting implications on animal welfare. Therefore, mitigating stress responses in the frame of conservation interventions is a key animal welfare factor. However, we have a poor understanding of the metrics to adequately assess and monitor the dynamic physiological changes that animals undergo when subjected to stressful procedures in wild or captive conditions. A growing number of studies provide good evidence for reciprocal interactions between immune processes and stress. Here, we review the existing literature on a relatively new technique-Leukocyte Coping Capacity (LCC), a proxy for stress quantifying oxygen radical production by leukocytes. We discuss the strength and weaknesses of this immunological approach to evaluate stress, the individual capacity to cope with stress and the resulting potential implications for animal welfare. Additionally we present new data on LCC in captive roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) under long-time anesthesia and free-ranging Asiatic wild asses (Kulan; Equus hemionus kulan) were LCC was used to assess stress levels in animals captured for a reintroduction project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaus Huber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Valeria Marasco
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Johanna Painer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian G. Vetter
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frank Göritz
- Department of Reproduction Management, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Chris Walzer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, United States
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17
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Marasco V, Boner W, Griffiths K, Heidinger B, Monaghan P. Environmental conditions shape the temporal pattern of investment in reproduction and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2442. [PMID: 29298939 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between environmental stress exposure and ageing is likely to vary with stressor severity, life-history stage and the time scale over which effects are measured. Such factors could influence whether stress exposure accelerates or slows the ageing process, but their interactions have not previously been experimentally investigated. We found that experimental exposure of zebra finches to mildly challenging environmental circumstances from young to old adulthood, which increased exposure to stress hormones, reduced breeding performance during early adulthood, but had positive effects when individuals were bred in old adulthood. This difference was not due to selective mortality, because the effects were evident within individuals, and no evidence of habituation in the response to the stressor was found. The more stressful environment had no effects on survival during young or old adulthood, but substantially improved survival during middle age. Changes in the effects at different ages could be due to the duration and nature of the challenging exposure, or to variation in coping capacity or strategy with age. These results show that living under challenging environmental circumstances can influence ageing trajectories in terms of both reproductive performance and longevity. Our results provide experimental support for the emerging idea that stress exposure needs to be optimized rather than minimized to obtain the best health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Winnie Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kate Griffiths
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Britt Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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18
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Exposure to Pb impairs breeding success and is associated with longer lifespan in urban European blackbirds. Sci Rep 2019; 9:486. [PMID: 30679484 PMCID: PMC6345771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although several factors have been highlighted to explain the influence of urbanization on bird fitness and survival, the role of persistent toxicants such as lead (Pb), which is typically present in urban areas worldwide, has seldom been studied despite the ecological importance of such a widespread stressor. Studying free-living European blackbirds (Turdus merula) in city parks, we tested the hypothesis that low-dose chronic exposure to Pb could shape the life-history traits of urban birds. The feather concentrations of Pb and cadmium were typical of urban areas and low-to-moderate contamination of sites. Although the lifetime breeding success of females decreased with increasing exposure to Pb, the lifespan and survival probabilities of blackbirds increased with Pb contamination regardless of gender. Breeding effort-dependent patterns in the relationship between lifespan and Pb levels were highlighted. No significant relationships were detected between cadmium and life-history traits. The results suggest a possible trade-off between self-maintenance and reproduction, with the most affected birds redirecting allocations towards their own survival, which is consistent with the “stress hormone hypothesis”. These findings suggest that Pb pollution in urban environments may shape avian ecological features and be one of the drivers of wildlife responses to urbanization and that some urban areas may function as ecological traps driven by pollutants.
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19
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Jain-Schlaepfer S. Life's not a cinch for a stressed finch, or is it? CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy007. [PMID: 29479434 PMCID: PMC5806395 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Jain-Schlaepfer
- College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Dr, Douglas, QLD 4811, Australia
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