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Titon Junior B, Barsotti AMG, Titon SCM, Vaz RI, de Figueiredo AC, Vasconcelos-Teixeira R, Navas CA, Gomes FR. Baseline and stress-induced steroid plasma levels and immune function vary annually and are associated with vocal activity in male toads (Rhinella icterica). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 354:114517. [PMID: 38615755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Theoretical models predict that elevated androgen and glucocorticoid levels in males during the reproductive season promote immunosuppression. However, some studies report decreased stress response during this season. This study investigated annual variation in plasma corticosterone and testosterone levels, plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in free-living male toads (Rhinella icterica). Toads were sampled in the field (baseline) and 1 h-post restraint over five months, and we considered the occurrence of vocal activity. Baseline corticosterone, testosterone, and BKA showed higher values during the reproductive period, specifically in calling male toads. The NLR was similar throughout the year, but higher values were observed in calling toads. Moreover, baseline NLR and BKA were positively correlated with both testosterone and corticosterone, suggesting higher steroid levels during reproduction are associated with enhanced cellular and humoral immunity. Despite fluctuation of baseline values, post-restraint corticosterone levels remained uniform over the year, indicating that toads reached similar maximum values throughout the year. Testosterone levels decreased following restraint before one specific reproductive period but increased in response to restraint during and after this period. Meanwhile, BKA decreased due to restraint only after the reproductive period, indicating immune protection and resilience to immunosuppression by stressors associated with steroid hormones during reproduction. Our results show that baseline and stress-induced hormonal and immune regulation varies throughout the year and are associated with vocal activity in R. icterica males, indicating a possible compromise between steroids and immune function in anuran males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braz Titon Junior
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
| | | | | | - Renata Ibelli Vaz
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Aymam Cobo de Figueiredo
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | | | - Carlos A Navas
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
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2
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Carbajal A, Lawrence MJ, Gilmour KM, Lopez-Bejar M, Cooke SJ. Evaluation of the effects of exogenous cortisol manipulation and the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on the exploratory tendency of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2023; 49:1187-1198. [PMID: 37819483 PMCID: PMC10757703 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In teleost fishes, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis leads to an elevation of circulating cortisol levels as a primary stress response. While acute elevation of cortisol is generally beneficial, long-term elevation, a common characteristic of chronic stress, may lead to detrimental effects on health and physiological performance in fishes. Some stress-mediated behavioural shifts, such as variation along the shy-boldness axis in fish, may influence individual fitness. The present study evaluated the role of cortisol and its mechanisms of action in the exploratory behaviour of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Fish were implanted with cocoa butter alone (sham treatment), or cocoa butter containing cortisol, or cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486. A control (untreated) group was also used. Animals were held for 48 h following treatment and then were subjected to a Z-maze trial to characterize the exploratory behaviour. Cortisol treatment had no measurable effect on the exploratory behaviour of bluegill sunfish. Despite presenting a higher probability of refuge emergence, fish treated with cortisol combined with RU486 behaved similarly to cortisol-treated and control groups. While these results suggest that cortisol may not be involved in the mechanisms controlling boldness, the influence of cortisol elevation across longer time periods plus validation in different contexts will be necessary to confirm this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaïs Carbajal
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, UniversitatAutònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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3
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Magierecka A, Cooper B, Sloman KA, Metcalfe NB. Unpredictability of maternal environment shapes offspring behaviour without affecting stress-induced cortisol in an annual vertebrate. Horm Behav 2023; 154:105396. [PMID: 37399780 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of females to stressful conditions during pregnancy or oogenesis has a profound effect on the phenotype of their offspring. For example, offspring behavioural phenotype may show altered patterns in terms of the consistency of behavioural patterns and their average level of performance. Maternal stress can also affect the development of the stress axis in offspring leading to alterations in their physiological stress response. However, the majority of evidence comes from studies utilising acute stressors or exogenous glucocorticoids, and little is known about the effect of chronic maternal stress, particularly in the context of stress lasting throughout entire reproductive lifespan. To bridge this knowledge gap, we exposed female sticklebacks to stressful and unpredictable environmental conditions throughout the breeding season. We quantified the activity, sheltering and anxiety-like behaviour of offspring from three successive clutches of these females, and calculated Intra-class Correlation Coefficients for these behaviours in siblings and half-siblings. We also exposed offspring to an acute stressor and measured their peak cortisol levels. An unpredictable maternal environment had no modifying effect on inter-clutch acute stress responsivity, but resulted in diversification of offspring behaviour, indicated by an increased between-individual variability within families. This may represent a bet-hedging strategy, whereby females produce offspring differing in behavioural phenotype, to increase the chance that some of these offspring will be better at coping with the anticipated conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Magierecka
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK.
| | - Ben Cooper
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Katherine A Sloman
- Institute for Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, University of the West of Scotland, Lanarkshire, UK
| | - Neil B Metcalfe
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK
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4
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Mahr K, Anzengruber M, Hellerschmid A, Slezacek J, Hoi H, Subbiahdoss G, Gabor F, Lendvai ÁZ. Biocompatible polymeric microparticles serve as novel and reliable vehicles for exogenous hormone manipulations in passerines. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 336:114234. [PMID: 36791824 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The administration of exogenous hormones emerged as an essential tool for field studies in endocrinology. However, working with wild animals remains challenging, because under field conditions not every available method meets the necessary requirements. Achieving a sustained elevation in hormone levels, while simultaneously minimising handling time and invasiveness of the procedure is a difficult task in field endocrinology. Facing this challenge, we have investigated the suitability of biocompatible polymeric microparticles, a novel method for drug-administration, as a tool to manipulate hormones in small songbirds. We chose the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as target hormone, because it receives great interest from the research community due to its important role in shaping life-history traits. Moreover, its short half-life and hydrophilic properties imply a major challenge in finding a suitable method to achieve a sustained, systemic long-term release. To study the release kinetics, we injected either IGF-1 loaded polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles or dispersion medium (control group) in the skin pocket of the interscapular region of captive bearded reedlings (Panurus biarmicus). We collected blood samples for 7 consecutive days plus an additional sampling period after two weeks and complemented these with an in vitro experiment. Our results show that in vitro, PLGA microparticles allowed a stable IGF-1 release for more than 15 days, following a burst release at the beginning of the measurement. In vivo, the initial burst was followed by a drop to still elevated levels in circulating IGF-1 until the effect vanished by 16 days post-treatment. This study is the first to describe the use of PLGA-microparticles as a novel tool for exogenous hormone administration in a small passerine. We suggest that this method is highly suitable to achieve the systemic long-term release of hydrophilic hormones with short half-life and reduces overall handling time, as it requires only one subcutaneous injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Mahr
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Maria Anzengruber
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Hellerschmid
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Slezacek
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Hoi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guruprakash Subbiahdoss
- Institute of Biologically Inspired Materials, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Gabor
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
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Gomes FR, Madelaire CB, Moretti EH, Titon SCM, Assis VR. Immunoendocrinology and Ecoimmunology in Brazilian Anurans. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1654-1670. [PMID: 35411921 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews several aspects of immunoendocrinology and ecoimmunology in Brazilian species of anurans under investigation for more than a decade, including (1) patterns of annual covariation of circulating steroids, calling behavior and innate immunity, (2) endocrine and immune correlates of calling performance, (3) behavioral and physiological correlates of parasite load, (4) thermal sensitivity of immune function, and (5) endocrine and immunomodulation by experimental exposure to acute and chronic stressors, as well as to endocrine manipulations and simulated infections. Integrated results have shown an immunoprotective role of increased steroid plasma levels during reproductive activity in calling males. Moreover, a higher helminth parasite load is associated with changes in several behavioral and physiological traits under field conditions. We also found anuran innate immunity is generally characterized by eurythermy, with maximal performance observed in temperatures close to normal and fever thermal preferendum. Moreover, the aerobic scope of innate immune response is decreased at fever thermal preferendum. Experimental exposure to stressors results in increased corticosterone plasma levels and immune redistribution, with an impact on immune function depending on the duration of the stress exposure. Interestingly, the fate of immunomodulation by chronic stressors also depends in part on individual body condition. Acute treatment with corticosterone generally enhances immune function, while prolonged exposure results in immunosuppression. Still, the results of hormonal treatment are complex and depend on the dose, duration of treatment, and the immune variable considered. Finally, simulated infection results in complex modulation of the expression of cytokines, increased immune function, activation of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Interrenal axis, and decreased activity of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal axis, as well as reduced melatonin plasma levels, suggesting that anurans have a functional Immune-Pineal axis, homologous to that previously described for mammals. These integrated and complementary approaches have contributed to a better understanding of physiological mechanisms and processes, as well as ecological and evolutionary implications of anuran immunoendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Carla Bonetti Madelaire
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brasil.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Eduardo Hermógenes Moretti
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 1730, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brasil
| | - Stefanny Christie Monteiro Titon
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Vania Regina Assis
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, 101, São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brasil
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Vitousek MN, Houtz JL, Pipkin MA, Chang van Oordt DA, Hallinger KK, Uehling JJ, Zimmer C, Taff CC. Natural and experimental cold exposure in adulthood increase the sensitivity to future stressors in a free‐living songbird. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Jennifer L. Houtz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Monique A. Pipkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - David A. Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Kelly K. Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
- Department of Biology Albion College Albion MI USA
| | - Jennifer J. Uehling
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC Université Sorbonne Paris Nord UR Villetaneuse France
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA
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7
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Brandl HB, Pruessner JC, Farine DR. The social transmission of stress in animal collectives. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212158. [PMID: 35538776 PMCID: PMC9091854 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The stress systems are powerful mediators between the organism's systemic dynamic equilibrium and changes in its environment beyond the level of anticipated fluctuations. Over- or under-activation of the stress systems' responses can impact an animal's health, survival and reproductive success. While physiological stress responses and their influence on behaviour and performance are well understood at the individual level, it remains largely unknown whether-and how-stressed individuals can affect the stress systems of other group members, and consequently their collective behaviour. Stressed individuals could directly signal the presence of a stressor (e.g. via an alarm call or pheromones), or an acute or chronic activation of the stress systems could be perceived by others (as an indirect cue) and spread via social contagion. Such social transmission of stress responses could then amplify the effects of stressors by impacting social interactions, social dynamics and the collective performance of groups. As the neuroendocrine pathways of the stress response are highly conserved among vertebrates, transmission of physiological stress states could be more widespread among non-human animals than previously thought. We therefore suggest that identifying the extent to which stress transmission modulates animal collectives represents an important research avenue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B. Brandl
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jens C. Pruessner
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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8
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Jelena M, Anssi L, Katja R. Context dependent variation in corticosterone and phenotypic divergence of Rana arvalis populations along an acidification gradient. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:11. [PMID: 35123416 PMCID: PMC8818180 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01967-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Physiological processes, as immediate responses to the environment, are important mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and can influence evolution at ecological time scales. In stressful environments, physiological stress responses of individuals are initiated and integrated via the release of hormones, such as corticosterone (CORT). In vertebrates, CORT influences energy metabolism and resource allocation to multiple fitness traits (e.g. growth and morphology) and can be an important mediator of rapid adaptation to environmental stress, such as acidification. The moor frog, Rana arvalis, shows adaptive divergence in larval life-histories and predator defense traits along an acidification gradient in Sweden. Here we take a first step to understanding the role of CORT in this adaptive divergence. We conducted a fully factorial laboratory experiment and reared tadpoles from three populations (one acidic, one neutral and one intermediate pH origin) in two pH treatments (Acid versus Neutral pH) from hatching to metamorphosis. We tested how the populations differ in tadpole CORT profiles and how CORT is associated with tadpole life-history and morphological traits. Results We found clear differences among the populations in CORT profiles across different developmental stages, but only weak effects of pH treatment on CORT. Tadpoles from the acid origin population had, on average, lower CORT levels than tadpoles from the neutral origin population, and the intermediate pH origin population had intermediate CORT levels. Overall, tadpoles with higher CORT levels developed faster and had shorter and shallower tails, as well as shallower tail muscles. Conclusions Our common garden results indicate among population divergence in CORT levels, likely reflecting acidification mediated divergent selection on tadpole physiology, concomitant to selection on larval life-histories and morphology. However, CORT levels were highly environmental context dependent. Jointly these results indicate a potential role for CORT as a mediator of multi-trait divergence along environmental stress gradients in natural populations. At the same time, the population level differences and high context dependency in CORT levels suggest that snapshot assessment of CORT in nature may not be reliable bioindicators of stress. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01967-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mausbach Jelena
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland. .,Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Laurila Anssi
- Animal Ecology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Räsänen Katja
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland. .,Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9C, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland.
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9
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Cassettari BO, Madelaire CB, Gomes FR. Elevated corticosterone levels are associated with increased immunocompetence in male toads, both when calling and under experimental conditions. Horm Behav 2022; 137:105083. [PMID: 34773784 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Circulating androgens can influence immune responses and sexual traits in male vertebrates. However, in the last 20 years, glucocorticoids have also been implicated as a possible source of variation in male sexual traits and immunocompetence. In this context, we studied the relations between male vocal mating display, immunity, androgens, and glucocorticoids in the explosive breeding toad Rhinella granulosa. In the field, males with high calling effort display either high- or low-corticosterone (CORT) plasma levels, but only males with both high calling effort and high CORT plasma levels showed high bacterial killing ability (BKA), suggesting that the acute CORT elevation can be immunostimulatory. CORT treatments increased BKA in laboratory experiments, confirming the functional relationship observed in the field. However, toads treated with a low dose of CORT increased BKA for 10 h after the treatment, while toads that received a high dose increased BKA for only 1 h after the treatment. These results indicate that different CORT doses can result in temporal differences in the immune response. We did not find any relationship between calling effort, immune response (BKA and PHA swelling response), and testosterone plasma levels in the field, or any effects of testosterone treatment on immunocompetence. Our results suggest a complex relationship between calling effort and immunity, mediated by CORT plasma levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Oliveira Cassettari
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, n° 321, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Carla Bonetti Madelaire
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, n° 321, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, trav. 14, n° 321, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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10
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MacLeod KJ, Langkilde T, Heppner JJ, Howey CAF, Sprayberry K, Tylan C, Sheriff MJ. Compensating for a stressful pregnancy? Glucocorticoid treatment during gravidity reduces metabolic rate in female fence lizards post-parturition. Horm Behav 2021; 136:105072. [PMID: 34628291 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction is a critical part of an animal's life history, but one which incurs significant costs to survival and future reproductive potential. These physiological consequences are likely to be influenced by context - for example, if an individual is subject to environmental stressors, physiological and behavioral changes associated with reproduction may be altered. Glucocorticoids, hormones produced as part of the physiological response to stressors, may alter how reproduction affects female physiology and behavior, and therefore the outcomes of reproductive trade-offs. Glucocorticoids prioritize immediate survival over reproduction, for example through changes in immune function, metabolic rate, and foraging, which may reduce energy expenditure or increase energy gain. However, we previously found that female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) experiencing elevated glucocorticoid levels during gestation were nevertheless able to maintain reproductive output and body condition. Here we investigate compensatory mechanisms by which eastern fence lizard females may maintain reproduction under experimental increases in a glucocorticoid, corticosterone (CORT). We found that, although CORT-treated females had similar immune function and behavior, they had reduced metabolic rates 3-5 days post-parturition compared to control females. Given that CORT-treated females spent a similar time basking and had equal food intake compared to control females, we suggest that the reduced metabolic rate is a mechanism by which CORT-treated females maintain their energy balance and reduce the energetic costs of gestation during periods of stress. This study suggests that physiological responses to reproduction may be context-dependent and could act to minimize costs of reproduction in situations where CORT is elevated (such as during periods of environmental stress).
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Affiliation(s)
- K J MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund 223 62, Sweden.
| | - T Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - J J Heppner
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - C A F Howey
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, University of Scranton, Loyola Science Center, Scranton, PA 18510, USA
| | - K Sprayberry
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - C Tylan
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - M J Sheriff
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
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11
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Long C, Tordiffe A, Sauther M, Cuozzo F, Millette J, Ganswindt A, Scheun J. Seasonal drivers of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in an African strepsirrhine primate, the thick-tailed greater galago ( Otolemur crassicaudatus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab081. [PMID: 34707874 PMCID: PMC8543700 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As global non-human primate populations show dramatic declines due to climate change, land transformation and other anthropogenic stressors, it has become imperative to study physiological responses to environmental change in order to understand primate adaptability and enhance species conservation strategies. We examined the effects of seasonality on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations of free-ranging male and female thick-tailed greater galagos (Otolemur crassicaudatus) in an Afromontane habitat. To do so, we established an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for monitoring fGCM concentrations in the species using a biological validation. Following this, faecal samples were collected each month over the course of a year from free-ranging males and females situated in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Limpopo, South Africa. Multivariate analyses revealed lactation period was a driver of fGCM levels, whereas sex and food availability mostly influenced seasonal fGCM concentrations in the total population. Thus far, the results of this study show that drivers of fGCM levels, an indication of increased adrenocortical activity, in O. crassicaudatus are numerous and complex within the natural environment. The species may be adapted to such conditions and an extreme change to any one component may result in elevated fGCM levels. This increases our understanding of strepsirrhine primate physiology and offers initial insights into species adaptability to a challenging environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Channen Long
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
- National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Adrian Tordiffe
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Michelle Sauther
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Frank Cuozzo
- Lajuma Research Centre, Louis Trichardt (Makhado), 0920, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - James Millette
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Juan Scheun
- National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
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12
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MacLeod KJ, Kohl KD, Trevelline BK, Langkilde T. Context-dependent effects of glucocorticoids on the lizard gut microbiome. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:185-196. [PMID: 34661319 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate gut microbiota (bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities of the gastrointestinal tract) can have profound effects on the physiological processes of their hosts. Although relatively stable, changes in microbiome structure and composition occur due to changes in the environment, including exposure to stressors and associated increases in glucocorticoid hormones. Although a growing number of studies have linked stressor exposure to microbiome changes, few studies have experimentally explored the specific influence of glucocorticoids on the microbiome in wild animals, or across ecologically important processes (e.g., reproductive stages). Here we tested the response of the gut microbiota of adult female Sceloporus undulatus across gestation to ecologically relevant elevations of a stress-relevant glucocorticoid hormone (CORT) in order to determine (i) how experimentally elevated CORT influenced microbiome characteristics, and (ii) whether this relationship was dependent on reproductive context (i.e., whether females were gravid or not, and, in those that were gravid, gestational stage). We show that the effects of CORT on gut microbiota are complex and depend on both gestational state and stage. CORT treatment altered microbial community membership and resulted in an increase in microbiome diversity in late-gestation females, and microbial community membership varied according to treatment. In nongravid females, CORT treatment decreased interindividual variation in microbial communities, but this effect was not observed in late-gestation females. Our results highlight the need for a more holistic understanding of the downstream physiological effects of glucocorticoids, as well as the importance of context (here, gestational state and stage) in interpreting stress effects in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J MacLeod
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kevin D Kohl
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian K Trevelline
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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13
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Birnie-Gauvin K, Larsen MH, Peiman KS, Midwood JD, Wilson ADM, Cooke SJ, Aarestrup K. No Evidence for Long-Term Carryover Effects in a Wild Salmonid Fish. Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 94:319-329. [PMID: 34283699 DOI: 10.1086/716000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEarly-life experiences can shape life histories and population dynamics of wild animals. To examine whether stressful stimuli experienced in early life resulted in carryover effects in later life stages, we conducted several experimental manipulations and then monitored wild fish with passive integrated transponder tags during juvenile out-migration and adult return migration. In total, 3,217 juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) were subjected to one of six manipulations: chase to exhaustion, thermal challenge, food deprivation, low-concentration cortisol injection, high-concentration cortisol injection, and sham injection, plus a control group. Cortisol and food deprivation treatments were previously shown to have short-term effects on juveniles, such as lower survival to out-migration and changes in migration timing. However, it remained unknown whether any of the six manipulations had effects that carried over into the adult phase. We therefore investigated whether these extrinsic manipulations, as well as intrinsic factors (size and condition), affected probability of return as adults and time spent at sea. Of the 1,273 fish that out-migrated, 146 returned as adults. We failed to detect any effect of treatments on return rates, while high-concentration cortisol weakly affected time spent at sea in one tagging event. We also found that juvenile condition was positively correlated to likelihood of adult return in only one tagging event. Overall, our findings did not identify either intrinsic factors or extrinsic stressful early-life experiences that have strong effects on fish that survive to adulthood. This suggests that some species may be more resilient than others to stressful stimuli encountered early in life.
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14
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Vullioud P, Mendonça R, Glauser G, Bennett N, Zöttl M, Katlein N, Leal R, Fuerst R, Clutton-Brock T. Increases in glucocorticoids are sufficient but not necessary to increase cooperative burrowing in Damaraland mole-rats. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105034. [PMID: 34320418 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105034] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite widespread interest in the evolution of cooperative behaviour, the physiological mechanisms shaping their expression remain elusive. We tested the hypothesis that glucocorticoid (GC) hormones affect cooperative behaviour using captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis), a cooperatively breeding mammal. Within groups, individuals routinely contribute to public goods that include foraging tunnels, which provide all group members access to the tubers of desert plants they feed on, communal food stores and nests. We found that experimental increases in glucocorticoid concentration (GCc) in non-breeding female helpers led them to be active for longer and to burrow more while active, raising their daily contributions to burrowing, but not food carrying or nest building. However, experimentally induced increases in burrowing did not lead to elevated GCc in helpers of both sexes. These results suggest that heightened GCc may stimulate some cooperative behaviours that are energetically demanding (a characteristic shared by many types of cooperative activities across species) but that the cooperative behaviours affected by GCc can also be regulated by other mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nigel Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Nathan Katlein
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Rita Leal
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Romain Fuerst
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
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15
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16
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Spence AR, French SS, Hopkins GR, Durso AM, Hudson SB, Smith GD, Neuman‐Lee LA. Long‐term monitoring of two snake species reveals immune–endocrine interactions and the importance of ecological context. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 333:744-755. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Austin R. Spence
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut USA
| | - Susannah S. French
- Department of Biology, Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | | | - Andrew M. Durso
- Department of Biological Sciences Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers Florida USA
| | - Spencer B. Hudson
- Department of Biology, Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | - Geoffrey D. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences Dixie State University St. George Utah USA
| | - Lorin A. Neuman‐Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas USA
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17
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Taborsky B, English S, Fawcett TW, Kuijper B, Leimar O, McNamara JM, Ruuskanen S, Sandi C. Towards an Evolutionary Theory of Stress Responses. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:39-48. [PMID: 33032863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
All organisms have a stress response system to cope with environmental threats, yet its precise form varies hugely within and across individuals, populations, and species. While the physiological mechanisms are increasingly understood, how stress responses have evolved remains elusive. Here, we show that important insights can be gained from models that incorporate physiological mechanisms within an evolutionary optimality analysis (the 'evo-mecho' approach). Our approach reveals environmental predictability and physiological constraints as key factors shaping stress response evolution, generating testable predictions about variation across species and contexts. We call for an integrated research programme combining theory, experimental evolution, and comparative analysis to advance scientific understanding of how this core physiological system has evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tim W Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK; Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Schoenle LA, Zimmer C, Miller ET, Vitousek MN. Does variation in glucocorticoid concentrations predict fitness? A phylogenetic meta-analysis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113611. [PMID: 32950580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) are central mediators of metabolism and the response to challenges. Because circulating GC levels increase in response to challenges, within-population variation in GCs could reflect among-individual variation in condition or experience. At the same time, individual variation in GC regulation could have causal effects on energetic balance or stress coping capacity in ways that influence fitness. Although a number of studies in vertebrates have tested whether variation in GCs among individuals predicts components of fitness, it is not clear whether there are consistent patterns across taxa. Here we present the first phylogenetic meta-analysis testing whether variation in GCs is associated with survival and reproductive success across vertebrates. At the same time, we introduce and test predictions about a potentially important mediator of GC-fitness relationships: life history context. We suggest that strong context-dependence in the fitness benefit of maintaining elevated GCs could obscure consistent patterns between GCs and fitness across taxa. Meta-analyses revealed that baseline and stress-induced GCs were consistently negatively correlated with reproductive success. This relationship did not differ depending on life history context. In contrast, the relationships between GCs and survival were highly context dependent, differing according to life history strategy. Both baseline and stress-induced GCs were more strongly negatively associated with survival in longer-lived populations and species. Stress-induced GCs were also more positively associated with survival in organisms that engage in relatively more valuable reproductive attempts. Fecal GCs did not correlate with survival or reproductive success. We also found that experimental increases in GCs reduced both survival and reproductive success; however, evidence of publication bias and the small sample size suggest that more data is required to confirm this conclusion. Overall, these results support the prediction that GC-fitness relationships can be strongly context dependent, and suggest that incorporating life history may be particularly important for understanding GC-survival relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Schoenle
- Office of Undergraduate Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
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19
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Fischer D, Marrotte RR, Chin EH, Coulson S, Burness G. Maternal glucocorticoid levels during incubation predict breeding success, but not reproductive investment, in a free-ranging bird. Biol Open 2020; 9:9/10/bio045898. [PMID: 33077551 PMCID: PMC7595688 DOI: 10.1242/bio.045898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hormone corticosterone (CORT) has been hypothesized to be linked with fitness, but the directionality of the relationship is unclear. The ‘CORT-fitness hypothesis’ proposes that high levels of CORT arise from challenging environmental conditions, resulting in lower reproductive success (a negative relationship). In contrast, the CORT-adaptation hypothesis suggests that, during energetically demanding periods, CORT will mediate physiological or behavioral changes that result in increased reproductive investment and success (a positive relationship). During two breeding seasons, we experimentally manipulated circulating CORT levels in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) prior to egg laying, and measured subsequent reproductive effort, breeding success, and maternal survival. When females were recaptured during egg incubation and again during the nestling stage, the CORT levels were similar among individuals in each treatment group, and maternal treatment had no effect on indices of fitness. By considering variation among females, we found support for the CORT-adaptation hypothesis; there was a significant positive relationship between CORT levels during incubation and hatching and fledging success. During the nestling stage CORT levels were unrelated to any measure of investment or success. Within the environmental context of our study, relationships between maternal glucocorticoid levels and indices of fitness vary across reproductive stages. Summary: Levels of the stress biomarker corticosterone predict breeding success in female tree swallows. However, correlations between hormone levels and fitness differ between life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Fischer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Robby R Marrotte
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Eunice H Chin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Smolly Coulson
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
| | - Gary Burness
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9L 0G2
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20
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Zhang VY, Williams CT, Palme R, Buck CL. Glucocorticoids and activity in free-living arctic ground squirrels: Interrelationships between weather, body condition, and reproduction. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104818. [PMID: 32698015 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic relationship between glucocorticoids and behavior are not well understood in wild mammals. We investigated how weather, body condition, and reproduction interact to affect cortisol levels and activity patterns in a free-living population of arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii). As a proxy for foraging and escape behaviors, collar-mounted accelerometers and light loggers were used to measure above-ground activity levels and the amount of time squirrels spent below the surface, respectively. Fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) were quantified to assess glucocorticoid secretion in squirrels. Male and female squirrels differed in above-ground activity levels and time spent below-ground across the active season, with males being most active during mating and females most active during lactation. We also found that female, but not male, squirrels exhibited seasonal variation in FCM levels, with concentrations highest during mid-lactation and lowest after the lactation period. In female squirrels, the seasonal relationships between breeding stage, activity, and FCM levels were also consistent with changes in maternal investment and the preparative role that glucocorticoids are hypothesized to play in energy mobilization. Body condition was not associated with FCM levels in squirrels. As predicted, deteriorating weather also influenced FCM levels and activity patterns in squirrels. FCM concentrations were affected by an interaction between temperature and wind speed when seasonal temperatures were lowest. In addition, above-ground activity, but not time spent below-ground, positively correlated with FCM levels. These results suggest that, although ground squirrels avoid inclement weather by remaining below-ground, activation of the stress axis may stimulate foraging activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Y Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Cory T Williams
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
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21
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Liu R, Shi J, Liu D, Dong S, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Guo D. Effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid concentration and vigilance in a free-ranging population of Przewalski's gazelle. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa027. [PMID: 32274069 PMCID: PMC7125043 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Elevated glucocorticoid (GC) concentration and increased vigilance are two common responses to predation risk in mammals. Chronic high-level GC concentration and vigilance occur at the expense of other life maintenance and reproduction activities, reflecting a trade-off between individual survival and future fecundity. Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is a group-living ungulate endemic to the high-altitude Qinghai Lake region of China. Group-size effect on gazelle vigilance has been examined, yet little is known about how their GC concentration is affected by group size or reproductive status. In this study, we examined the effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations and individual vigilance during different stages of the reproduction cycle (i.e. non-breeding, lambing and rutting) in free-ranging adult female Przewalski's gazelles. Group size did not influence FGMs significantly, but mean vigilance duration increased with group size. The gazelles' FGMs and vigilance peaked in lambing season. FGMs showed no difference between rutting season and non-reproductive season, but vigilance was lowest in the rutting season. FGMs correlated with vigilance frequency and vigilance duration. Antipredator responses of female Przewalski's gazelles appear to change with reproductive status but not with group size in free-ranging females. Management measures should be taken in the lambing season to minimize stress on mother gazelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoshuang Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jianbin Shi
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dingzhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Administration Bureau of Mount Qilian National Park (Qinghai), Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Administration, Xichuannan Road, Chengxi District, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Yonglin Wu
- Wildlife Conservation Department, Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Administration, Xichuannan Road, Chengxi District, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Dongsheng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidian District, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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22
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Harris BN. Stress hypothesis overload: 131 hypotheses exploring the role of stress in tradeoffs, transitions, and health. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113355. [PMID: 31830473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stress is ubiquitous and thus, not surprisingly, many hypotheses and models have been created to better study the role stress plays in life. Stress spans fields and is found in the literature of biology, psychology, psychophysiology, sociology, economics, and medicine, just to name a few. Stress, and the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal/interrenal (HPA/I) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), are involved in a multitude of behaviors and physiological processes, including life-history and ecological tradeoffs, developmental transitions, health, and survival. The goal of this review is to highlight and summarize the large number of available hypotheses and models, to aid in comparative and interdisciplinary thinking, and to increase reproducibility by a) discouraging hypothesizing after results are known (HARKing) and b) encouraging a priori hypothesis testing. For this review I collected 214 published hypotheses or models dealing broadly with stress. In the main paper, I summarized and categorized 131 of those hypotheses and models which made direct connections among stress and/or HPA/I and SNS, tradeoffs, transitions, and health. Of those 131, the majority made predictions about reproduction (n = 43), the transition from health to disease (n = 38), development (n = 23), and stress coping (n = 18). Additional hypotheses were classified as stage-spanning or models (n = 37). The additional 83 hypotheses found during searches were tangentially related, or pertained to immune function or oxidative stress, and these are listed separately. Many of the hypotheses share underlying rationale and suggest similar, if not identical, predictions, and are thus not mutually exclusive; some hypotheses spanned classification categories. Some of the hypotheses have been tested multiple times, whereas others have only been examined a few times. It is the hope that multi-disciplinary stress researchers will begin to harmonize their naming of hypotheses in the literature so as to build a clearer picture of how stress impacts various outcomes across fields. The paper concludes with some considerations and recommendations for robust testing of stress hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna N Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.
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23
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Vinterstare J, Hulthén K, Nilsson PA, Nilsson Sköld H, Brönmark C. Experimental manipulation of perceived predation risk and cortisol generates contrasting trait trajectories in plastic crucian carp. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb213611. [PMID: 31974218 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.213611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Most animals constitute potential prey and must respond appropriately to predator-mediated stress in order to survive. Numerous prey also adaptively tailor their response to the prevailing level of risk and stress imposed by their natural enemies, i.e. they adopt an inducible defence strategy. Predator exposure may activate the stress axis, and drive the expression of anti-predator traits that facilitate survival in a high-risk environment (the predation-stress hypothesis). Here, we quantified two key morphological anti-predator traits, body morphology and coloration, in crucian carp reared in the presence or absence of a predator (pike) in addition to experimental manipulation of physiological stress via implants containing either cortisol or a cortisol inhibitor. We found that predator-exposed fish expressed a deeper-bodied phenotype and darker body coloration as compared with non-exposed individuals. Skin analyses revealed that an increase in the amount of melanophores caused the dramatic colour change in predator-exposed fish. Increased melanization is costly, and the darker body coloration may act as an inducible defence against predation, via a conspicuous signal of the morphological defence or by crypsis towards dark environments and a nocturnal lifestyle. By contrast, the phenotype of individuals carrying cortisol implants did not mirror the phenotype of predator-exposed fish but instead exhibited opposite trajectories of trait change: a shallow-bodied morphology with a lighter body coloration as compared with sham-treated fish. The cortisol inhibitor did not influence the phenotype of fish i.e. neither body depth nor body coloration differed between this group and predator-exposed fish with a sham implant. However, our results illuminate a potential link between stress physiology and morphological defence expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerker Vinterstare
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Hulthén
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - P Anders Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden
| | | | - Christer Brönmark
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Ecology Unit, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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van Kesteren F, Delehanty B, Westrick SE, Palme R, Boonstra R, Lane JE, Boutin S, McAdam AG, Dantzer B. Experimental Increases in Glucocorticoids Alter Function of the HPA Axis in Wild Red Squirrels without Negatively Impacting Survival and Reproduction. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 92:445-458. [PMID: 31365306 DOI: 10.1086/705121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Hormones such as glucocorticoids (colloquially referred to as "stress hormones") have important effects on animal behavior and life-history traits, yet most of this understanding has come through correlative studies. While experimental studies offer the ability to assign causality, there are important methodological concerns that are often not considered when manipulating hormones, including glucocorticoids, in wild animals. In this study, we examined how experimental elevations of cortisol concentrations in wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) affected their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and life-history traits, including body mass, litter survival, and adult survival. The effects of exogenous cortisol on plasma cortisol concentrations depended on the time between treatment consumption and blood sampling. In the first 9 h after consumption of exogenous cortisol, individuals had significantly higher true baseline plasma cortisol concentrations, but adrenal gland function was impaired as indicated by their dampened response to capture and handling and to injections of adrenocorticotropic hormone compared to controls. Approximately 24 h after consumption of exogenous cortisol, individuals had much lower plasma cortisol concentrations than controls, but adrenal function was restored. Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations were also significantly reduced in squirrels treated with cortisol. Despite these profound shifts in the functionality of the HPA axis, squirrel body mass, offspring survival, and adult survival were unaffected by experimental increases in cortisol concentrations. Our results highlight that even short-term experimental increases in glucocorticoids can affect adrenal gland functioning and CBG concentrations but without other side effects.
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Bonier F, Cox RM. Do hormone manipulations reduce fitness? A meta-analytic test of the Optimal Endocrine Phenotype Hypothesis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 500:110640. [PMID: 31715223 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Endocrine traits (e.g., circulating hormone concentrations, receptor expression) can vary considerably among individuals within populations. Here, we develop two evolutionary hypotheses to explain this variation. Under the Optimal Endocrine Phenotype Hypothesis, adaptive plastic responses to environmental variation generate individual variation in endocrine traits and allow individuals to express near-optimal endocrine phenotypes. In contrast, under the Ongoing Selection Hypothesis, individual variation in endocrine traits reflects varying adaptive value, with some individuals expressing suboptimal phenotypes that are selected against. These two hypotheses generate distinct predictions for the effects of hormone manipulations on fitness. Under the Optimal Endocrine Phenotype Hypothesis, all hormone manipulations should incur fitness costs, whereas under the Ongoing Selection Hypothesis, manipulating endocrine phenotypes toward a putative optimum should increase fitness. Using a meta-analysis of findings from experimental field studies that involved manipulation of circulating glucocorticoids or androgens and measurement of fitness effects, we test and find some support for the Optimal Endocrine Phenotype Hypothesis. On average, fitness was reduced across 97 estimates of the effects of experimental hormone manipulations on fitness. However, the fitness effects of glucocorticoid manipulations varied with the sex of the individuals being studied. Fitness was more uniformly reduced by glucocorticoid manipulations in males and when both sexes were considered together. In females, effects on fitness varied from highly positive to highly negative. The effects of androgen manipulations varied across males and females, and depending upon whether fitness was estimated using measures of reproductive success or survival. Reproductive success was consistently decreased by androgen manipulation in females, but was increased almost as often as it was decreased across experiments in males. When survival was estimated as a component of fitness, it was fairly uniformly compromised by exogenous androgens in males. This variation in fitness effects of hormone manipulations across sexes and fitness metrics is consistent with the expectation that hormones differentially regulate life-history investment and that optimal endocrine phenotypes differ between males and females. Overall, our meta-analysis provides some support for the Optimal Endocrine Phenotype Hypothesis, but we await direct tests of the Ongoing Selection Hypothesis to determine the degree to which individual variation in endocrine traits continues to be shaped by natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Bonier
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
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26
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Humphrey EA, Crespi E, Travis J. Under pressure: Short‐ and long‐term response to predation varies in two populations of a live‐bearing fish. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eve A. Humphrey
- Department of Biological Science Florida State University Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Erica Crespi
- School of Biological Sciences Washington State University Pullman WA USA
| | - Joseph Travis
- Department of Biological Science Florida State University Tallahassee FL USA
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27
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Lawrence MJ, Eliason EJ, Zolderdo AJ, Lapointe D, Best C, Gilmour KM, Cooke SJ. Cortisol modulates metabolism and energy mobilization in wild-caught pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2019; 45:1813-1828. [PMID: 31300974 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00680-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acute elevation of cortisol via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis aids the fish in dealing with a stressor. However, chronic elevation of cortisol has detrimental effects and has been studied extensively in lab settings. However, data pertaining to wild teleosts are lacking. Here, we characterized the metabolic consequences of prolonged cortisol elevation (96 h) in wild-caught pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus). Pumpkinseed were implanted with cocoa butter alone (sham) or containing cortisol (25 mg kg-1 body weight), and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, tissue samples were collected, whole-body ammonia excretion was determined, and whole-organism metabolism was assessed using intermittent flow respirometry. Cortisol-treated pumpkinseed exhibited the highest plasma cortisol concentration at 24 h post-implantation, with levels decreasing over the subsequent time points although remaining higher than in sham-treated fish. Cortisol-treated fish exhibited higher standard and maximal metabolic rates than sham-treated fish, but the effect of cortisol treatment on aerobic scope was negligible. Indices of energy synthesis/mobilization, including blood glucose concentrations, hepatosomatic index, hepatic glycogen concentrations, and ammonia excretion rates, were higher in cortisol-treated fish compared with controls. Our work suggests that although aerobic scope was not diminished by prolonged elevation of cortisol levels, higher metabolic expenditures may be of detriment to the animal's performance in the longer term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Erika J Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93117, USA
| | - Aaron J Zolderdo
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Queen's University Biological Station, Queen's University, Elgin, ON, K0G 1E0, Canada
| | - Dominique Lapointe
- St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cornwall, ON, K6H 4Z1, Canada
| | - Carol Best
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Kathleen M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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28
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Differential antipredatory responses in the tuco-tuco (Ctenomys talarum) in relation to endogenous and exogenous changes in glucocorticoids. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 206:33-44. [PMID: 31784830 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01384-8] [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: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids participate in the behavioral and physiological responses generated under stressful circumstances coming from different sources-physical and/or psychological. In mammals, the increases of these hormones are mediated by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This response occurs after exposure to novel and unpredictable situations that lead to the loss of homeostasis, for example, a direct encounter with predators or their cues. However, the relationship between the physiological and behavioral responses is still a complex issue in vertebrates. We evaluate the effects of an experimental manipulation of glucocorticoid levels on the generation of the behavioral and physiological response to stress by predation in the subterranean rodent C. talarum. We found that when tuco-tucos encountered predator cues-fur odor, and largely, immobilization-they responded physiologically by secreting cortisol. This response was accompanied by an associated behavioral response. However, when the increase in plasma cortisol originated exogenously by the injection of cortisol, a behavioral response was not observed. Finally, inhibition of glucocorticoids' synthesis was effective in weakening the behavioral effects produced by immobilization. In conclusion, in tuco-tucos, predator cues act as stress factors that trigger differential increases in plasma cortisol and a behavioral response associated with the appearance of anxiety states.
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Lawrence MJ, Godin JGJ, Zolderdo AJ, Cooke SJ. Chronic Plasma Cortisol Elevation Does Not Promote Riskier Behavior in a Teleost Fish: A Test of the Behavioral Resiliency Hypothesis. Integr Org Biol 2019; 1:obz009. [PMID: 33791525 PMCID: PMC7671160 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Stressed fish have been shown to have higher predator-induced mortality than unstressed conspecifics, suggesting a role for the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis in modifying risk-taking behaviors. Yet, there is also evidence of behavioral resiliency in the face of chronic stressors. Here, we tested the behavioral resiliency hypothesis, which posits that animals can maintain consistent behavioral phenotypes in the face of significant physiological challenges. We determined whether chronic plasma cortisol elevation promotes risk-taking behaviors in a model teleost fish, the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). Experimental fish were implanted with cocoa butter either as a sham or with cortisol. At 48 h post-implantation, the behavior of individual focal fish was tested in an experimental arena comprising of a simulated physical refuge, an open zone containing a constrained conspecific shoal, and a compartment containing either a model of a northern pike (Esox lucius) paired with corresponding pike olfactory cues in lake water or no pike model (control) paired with sham lake water cues only. The fish were assayed individually for their refuge utilization, shoaling tendency, and general activity. Neither cortisol treatment nor predation-risk treatment influenced any of these behaviors. This suggests that sunfish, in the context of our experiment, were behaviorally resilient to the physiological effects of chronic plasma cortisol elevation and in the face of an apparent threat of predation. Our results thus provide support for the behavioral resiliency hypothesis in fish under both physiological and ecological stressors. We posit that behavioral resiliency is an evolutionary adaptation ensuring appropriate responses to environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6.,Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Jean-Guy J Godin
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Aaron J Zolderdo
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6.,Queen's University Biological Station, Queen's University, Elgin, Ontario, Canada K0G 1E0
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
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30
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MacLeod KJ, McCormick GL, Langkilde T. Glucocorticoids do not influence a secondary sexual trait or its behavioral expression in eastern fence lizards. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5229. [PMID: 30914721 PMCID: PMC6435798 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41596-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Secondary sexual traits and associated behaviors can be influenced by environmental factors such as exposure to stressors. Such effects may be mediated by the physiological stress response, which is typified by the release of glucocorticoid hormones. The effects of glucocorticoids on sexual traits such as plumage and display coloration have most commonly been studied in isolation rather than in conjunction with other pertinent aspects of signalling, such as behavior and habitat use, though these have substantial potential to alter signal perception. Here we test the effects of corticosterone (CORT), a common glucocorticoid, on a secondary sexual trait (badge coloration) in male eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus), and behaviors associated with its expression. We show that neither baseline nor experimentally manipulated CORT levels were associated with badge coloration. Further, elevation of CORT levels in the field did not alter signalling or associated territorial behaviors. There was a trend for CORT-treatment to influence perch height selection, which may influence signal perception. We suggest that future studies investigating the effects of environmental stressors and associated physiological changes on secondary sexual traits should consider behaviors and ecology relevant to signal perception in order to best understand the influence of stressors in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - G L McCormick
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - T Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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31
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Lawrence MJ, Zolderdo AJ, Godin JGJ, Mandelman JW, Gilmour KM, Cooke SJ. Cortisol does not increase risk of mortality to predation in juvenile bluegill sunfish: A manipulative experimental field study. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:253-261. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Aaron J. Zolderdo
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | | | - John W. Mandelman
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium; Boston Massachusetts
| | | | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
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32
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Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Ryan TA, Winkler DW, Vitousek MN. On again, off again: Acute stress response and negative feedback together predict resilience to experimental challenges. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Daniel R. Ardia
- Department of Biology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Maren N. Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Lab of Ornithology Cornell University Ithaca New York
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33
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Casagrande S, Hau M. Enzymatic antioxidants but not baseline glucocorticoids mediate the reproduction-survival trade-off in a wild bird. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.2141. [PMID: 30487312 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The trade-off between reproductive investment and survival is central to life-history theory, but the relative importance and the complex interactions among the physiological mechanisms mediating it are still debated. Here we experimentally tested whether baseline glucocorticoid hormones, the redox system or their interaction mediate reproductive investment-survival trade-offs in wild great tits (Parus major). We increased the workload of parental males by clipping three feathers on each wing, and 5 days later determined effects on baseline corticosterone concentrations (Cort), redox state (reactive oxygen metabolites, protein carbonyls, glutathione peroxidase [GPx], total non-enzymatic antioxidants), body mass, body condition, reproductive success and survival. Feather-clipping did not affect fledgling numbers, chick body condition, nest provisioning rates or survival compared with controls. However, feather-clipped males lost mass and increased both Cort and GPx concentrations. Within feather-clipped individuals, GPx increases were positively associated with reproductive investment (i.e. male nest provisioning). Furthermore, within all individuals, males that increased GPx suffered reduced survival rates. Baseline Cort increases were related to mass loss but not to redox state, nest provisioning or male survival. Our findings provide experimental evidence that changes in the redox system are associated with the trade-off between reproductive investment and survival, while baseline Cort may support this trade-off indirectly through a link with body condition. These results also emphasize that plastic changes in individuals, rather than static levels of physiological signals, may mediate life-history trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Department of Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Starnberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Hau
- Department of Evolutionary Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Starnberg, Germany
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34
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MacLeod KJ, Sheriff MJ, Ensminger DC, Owen DAS, Langkilde T. Survival and reproductive costs of repeated acute glucocorticoid elevations in a captive, wild animal. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 268:1-6. [PMID: 30016628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Organisms are continuously encountering both predictable and unpredictable ecological stressors within their environment. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (stress) axis is a fundamental process allowing animals to cope with and respond to such encounters. A main consequence of HPA axis activation is the release of glucocorticoid hormones. Although short-term glucocorticoid elevations lead to changes in physiological and behavioral processes that are often adaptive, our understanding of fitness consequences of repeated acute elevations in glucocorticoid hormones over a longer time period is largely lacking. This is of particular current importance as animals are facing a significant increase in exposure to stressors including those associated with human-induced rapid environmental change. Here, we test fitness-relevant consequences of repeated exposure to glucocorticoids in the absence of natural challenges, by treating wild-caught gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) with a daily transdermal dose of a glucocorticoid hormone until laying. This treatment causes an increase in plasma glucocorticoids that mimics the natural response lizards have when they encounter a stressor in the wild, without confounding effects associated with the encounter itself. This treatment reduced females' reproductive success (hatching success) and survival. Further, glucocorticoid-induced reductions in reproductive success were greater when females had experienced higher temperatures the previous winter. This demonstrates the potential significant consequences of repeated exposure to acute elevations in glucocorticoid hormones. Additionally, the costs of repeated glucocorticoid elevation may be further exaggerated by an individual's previous experience, such as the potential compounding effects of winter warming increasing animals' vulnerability to increased glucocorticoid levels during spring breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J MacLeod
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - M J Sheriff
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - D C Ensminger
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - D A S Owen
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - T Langkilde
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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35
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Tucker EK, Suski CD, Philipp MA, Jeffrey JD, Hasler CT. Glucocorticoid and behavioral variation in relation to carbon dioxide avoidance across two experiments in freshwater teleost fishes. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1842-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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36
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Lawrence MJ, Godin JGJ, Cooke SJ. Does experimental cortisol elevation mediate risk-taking and antipredator behaviour in a wild teleost fish? Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 226:75-82. [PMID: 30099116 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis is centrally implicated in stressor mitigation in teleost fishes. Sustained HPI axis activation can be detrimental to the physiological functioning of an organism and can result in fitness-related trade-offs. Predator-induced mortality is known to be higher in stressed fish than in unstressed conspecifics, suggesting a role for the HPI axis in mediating fish behaviour. However, the underlying specific mechanism(s) for this phenomenon is(are) unknown. The purpose of the current study was to address how the HPI axis influences risk-taking, and antipredator behaviours in a wild teleost, the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). Here, individual juvenile pumpkinseed were implanted either with cocoa butter as a sham control or with a biologically-relevant concentration of cortisol. Forty-eight hours post-implantation, fish were assessed for behavioural metrics associated with boldness and risk taking in three sequential behavioural tests: (i) a predation-risk test, (ii) an exploration tendency test, and (iii) a shoaling tendency test, with test order randomized among different trials. Cortisol treatment had no influence on antipredator, exploratory, or shoaling behaviours. However, post-attack swimming duration (in predation-risk test) and exploratory activity (in Z-maze exploration test) were significantly affected by body mass. Collectively, our results indicate that cortisol may not have a role in mediating sociability, boldness, and risk-taking behaviours in pumpkinseed sunfish, at least under the current laboratory conditions. However, cortisol may nonetheless play a role in mediating predator-prey interactions in fishes in more natural environmental settings that were not considered here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Jean-Guy J Godin
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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37
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Human R, Henry M, Jacobs WJ, Thomas KGF. Elevated Cortisol Leaves Working Memory Unaffected in Both Men and Women. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:299. [PMID: 30087603 PMCID: PMC6066520 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (as might occur, for example, when the organism encounters a threat to allostatic balance) leads to the release of cortisol into the bloodstream and, ultimately, to altered neural functioning in particular brain regions (e.g., the prefrontal cortex (PFC)). Although previous studies suggest that exposure to acute psychosocial stress (and hence, presumably, elevation of circulating cortisol levels) enhances male performance on PFC-based working memory (WM) tasks, few studies have adequately investigated female performance on WM tasks under conditions of elevated cortisol. Hence, we compared associations between elevated (relative to baseline) levels of circulating cortisol and n-back performance in a South African sample (38 women in the late luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, 38 men). On Day 1, participants completed practice n-back tasks. On Day 2, some completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), whereas others experienced a relaxation period, before completing 1-back and 3-back tasks. We measured self-reported anxiety and salivary cortisol at baseline, post-manipulation and end of session. We reconstituted group assignment so that all women with elevated cortisol were in one group (EC-Women; n = 17), all men with elevated cortisol were in another (EC-Men; n = 19), all women without elevated cortisol were in a third (NoEC-Women; n = 21), and all men without elevated cortisol were in a fourth (NoEC-Men; n = 19) group. Analyses suggested this reconstitution was effective: in EC, but not NoEC, groups cortisol levels rose significantly from baseline to post-manipulation. Analyses of n-back data detected significant relations to task load (i.e., better performance on 1-back than on 3-back tasks), but no significant relations to sex, performance accuracy/speed, or cortisol variation. The data patterns are inconsistent with reports describing sex differences in effects of stress on WM performance. We speculate that cross-study methodological differences account for these inconsistencies, and, particularly, that between-study variation in the magnitude of baseline cortisol levels might affect outcomes. For instance, diurnal cortisol rhythms of South African samples might have flatter curves, and lower baseline values, than predominantly Caucasian samples from the United States and western Europe due to greater prenatal and lifetime stress, more socioeconomic disadvantage and faster ancestral life history (LH) strategies. We describe ways to disconfirm this hypothesis, and urge further cross-national research exploring these possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Human
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Michelle Henry
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.,Academic Development Programme, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - W Jake Jacobs
- Anxiety Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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38
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Dayger CA, LeMaster MP, Lutterschmidt DI. Physiological correlates of reproductive decisions: Relationships among body condition, reproductive status, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in a reptile. Horm Behav 2018; 100:1-11. [PMID: 29452075 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
When opportunities to feed and reproduce are limited, females are often unable to recover sufficient energy stores to reproduce in consecutive years. Body condition has been used as a proxy for recent reproductive history in such species. We previously found that glucocorticoid responses to capture stress vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), a species with limited seasonal breeding opportunities. Because variation in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein in the brain could explain these differences, we first assessed GR protein content in females in different body conditions. To investigate if body condition during the spring mating season accurately reflects recent reproductive history, we measured glucocorticoid responses to stress in females with different body conditions, assessed their mating behavior and brought mated females to our lab to determine which females would give birth during the summer (i.e., were parturient). Female red-sided garter snakes reproduce biennially, and therefore mated females that did not give birth were deemed non-parturient. In this study, glucocorticoid stress responses and mating behavior did not vary with body condition, nor was body condition related to brain GR or reproductive condition (parturient vs non-parturient). Only unreceptive females showed a significant stress-induced increase in glucocorticoids, suggesting that reduced stress responsiveness is associated with receptivity. Parturient females mated faster (were more proceptive) than non-parturient females. These data suggest that HPA axis activity modulates receptivity, while proceptivity is related primarily to reproductive condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Dayger
- Dept. of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10(th) Ave, Portland, OR 97201, United States.
| | - Michael P LeMaster
- Dept. of Biology, Western Oregon University, 345 N. Monmouth Ave, Monmouth, OR 97361, United States.
| | - Deborah I Lutterschmidt
- Dept. of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10(th) Ave, Portland, OR 97201, United States.
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LAWRENCE MJ, ELIASON EJ, BROWNSCOMBE JW, GILMOUR KM, MANDELMAN JW, GUTOWSKY LF, COOKE SJ. Influence of supraphysiological cortisol manipulation on predator avoidance behaviors and physiological responses to a predation threat in a wild marine teleost fish. Integr Zool 2018; 13:206-218. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. LAWRENCE
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Erika J. ELIASON
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology; University of California; Santa Barbara California USA
| | | | | | - John W. MANDELMAN
- School for the Environment; University of New England; Biddeford Maine USA
- John H. Prescott Marine Laboratory; New England Aquarium; Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Lee F.G. GUTOWSKY
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Steven J. COOKE
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology; Carleton University; Ottawa Ontario Canada
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Vágási CI, Pătraș L, Pap PL, Vincze O, Mureșan C, Németh J, Lendvai ÁZ. Experimental increase in baseline corticosterone level reduces oxidative damage and enhances innate immune response. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192701. [PMID: 29432437 PMCID: PMC5809056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are significant regulators of homeostasis. The physiological effects of GCs critically depend on the time of exposure (short vs. long) as well as on their circulating levels (baseline vs. stress-induced). Previous experiments, in which chronic and high elevation of GC levels was induced, indicate that GCs impair both the activity of the immune system and the oxidative balance. Nonetheless, our knowledge on how mildly elevated GC levels, a situation much more common in nature, might influence homeostasis is limited. Therefore, we studied whether an increase in GC level within the baseline range suppresses or enhances condition (body mass, hematocrit and coccidian infestation) and physiological state (humoral innate immune system activity and oxidative balance). We implanted captive house sparrows Passer domesticus with either 60 days release corticosterone (CORT) or control pellets. CORT-treated birds had elevated baseline CORT levels one week after the implantation, but following this CORT returned to its pre-treatment level and the experimental groups had similar CORT levels one and two months following the implantation. The mass of tail feathers grown during the initial phase of treatment was smaller in treated than in control birds. CORT implantation had a transient negative effect on body mass and hematocrit, but both of these traits resumed the pre-treatment values by one month post-treatment. CORT treatment lowered oxidative damage to lipids (malondialdehyde) and enhanced constitutive innate immunity at one week and one month post-implantation. Our findings suggest that a relatively short-term (i.e. few days) elevation of baseline CORT might have a positive and stimulatory effect on animal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (CIV); (ÁZL)
| | - Laura Pătraș
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Cosmin Mureșan
- Emergency Hospital, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - József Németh
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ádám Z. Lendvai
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (CIV); (ÁZL)
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Birnie-Gauvin K, Peiman KS, Larsen MH, Aarestrup K, Gilmour KM, Cooke SJ. Comparison of vegetable shortening and cocoa butter as vehicles for cortisol manipulation in Salmo trutta. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:229-236. [PMID: 29194613 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates that vegetable shortening and cocoa butter are two effective vehicles for intraperitoneal cortisol implants in juvenile teleosts, specifically brown trout Salmo trutta, residing in north temperate freshwater environments. Each vehicle showed a different pattern of cortisol elevation. Vegetable shortening was found to be a more suitable vehicle for long-term cortisol elevation [elevated at 3, 6 and 9 days post treatment (dpt)], while cocoa butter may be better suited for short-term cortisol elevation (only elevated at 3 dpt). Additionally, plasma cortisol levels were higher with cortisol-vegetable shortening than with cortisol-cocoa butter implants. Plasma glucose levels were elevated 6 and 9 dpt for fishes injected with cortisol-vegetable shortening, but did not change relative to controls and shams in cortisol-cocoa butter fishes. In conclusion, vegetable shortening and cocoa butter are both viable techniques for cortisol manipulation in fishes in temperate climates, providing researchers with different options depending on study objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Birnie-Gauvin
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - K S Peiman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - M H Larsen
- Danish Centre for Wild Salmon, Brusgårdsvej 15, 8960 Randers, Denmark
| | - K Aarestrup
- DTU AQUA, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Freshwater Fisheries and Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - K M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - S J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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McCormley MC, Champagne CD, Deyarmin JS, Stephan AP, Crocker DE, Houser DS, Khudyakov JI. Repeated adrenocorticotropic hormone administration alters adrenal and thyroid hormones in free-ranging elephant seals. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy040. [PMID: 30034809 PMCID: PMC6048993 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the physiological response of marine mammals to anthropogenic stressors can inform marine ecosystem conservation strategies. Stress stimulates the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and synthesis of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones, which increase energy substrate availability while suppressing energy-intensive processes. Exposure to repeated stressors can potentially affect an animal's ability to respond to and recover from subsequent challenges. To mimic repeated activation of the HPA axis by environmental stressors (or challenges), we administered adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to free-ranging juvenile northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris; n = 7) once daily for 4 days. ACTH administration induced significant elevation in circulating cortisol and aldosterone levels. The cortisol responses did not vary in magnitude between the first ACTH administration on Day 1 and the last administration on Day 4. In contrast, aldosterone levels remained elevated above baseline for at least 24 h after each ACTH injection, and responses were greater on Day 4 than Day 1. Total triiodothyronine (tT3) levels were decreased on Day 4 relative to Day 1, while reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) concentrations increased relative to baseline on Days 1 and 4 in response to ACTH, indicating a suppression of thyroid hormone production. There was no effect of ACTH on the sex steroid dehydroepiandrosterone. These data suggest that elephant seals are able to mount adrenal responses to multiple ACTH administrations. However, repeated ACTH administration resulted in facilitation of aldosterone secretion and suppression of tT3, which may impact osmoregulation and metabolism, respectively. We propose that aldosterone and tT3 are informative additional indicators of repeated stress in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C McCormley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
| | - Cory D Champagne
- Conservation and Biological Research Program, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jared S Deyarmin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
| | - Alicia P Stephan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Biology Department, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Dorian S Houser
- Conservation and Biological Research Program, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jane I Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USA
- Conservation and Biological Research Program, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
- Corresponding author: Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave. Stockton, CA 95211, USA.
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Gervasi SS, Burkett-Cadena N, Burgan SC, Schrey AW, Hassan HK, Unnasch TR, Martin LB. Host stress hormones alter vector feeding preferences, success, and productivity. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1278. [PMID: 27512147 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress hormones might represent a key link between individual-level infection outcome, population-level parasite transmission, and zoonotic disease risk. Although the effects of stress on immunity are well known, stress hormones could also affect host-vector interactions via modification of host behaviours or vector-feeding patterns and subsequent reproductive success. Here, we experimentally manipulated songbird stress hormones and examined subsequent feeding preferences, feeding success, and productivity of mosquito vectors in addition to defensive behaviours of hosts. Despite being more defensive, birds with elevated stress hormone concentrations were approximately twice as likely to be fed on by mosquitoes compared to control birds. Moreover, stress hormones altered the relationship between the timing of laying and clutch size in blood-fed mosquitoes. Our results suggest that host stress could affect the transmission dynamics of vector-borne parasites via multiple pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S Gervasi
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Nathan Burkett-Cadena
- Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida, Vero Beach, FL 32962, USA
| | - Sarah C Burgan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Aaron W Schrey
- Biology Department, Armstrong State University, Savannah, GA 31419, USA
| | - Hassan K Hassan
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Thomas R Unnasch
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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Henderson LJ, Evans NP, Heidinger BJ, Herborn KA, Arnold KE. Do glucocorticoids predict fitness? Linking environmental conditions, corticosterone and reproductive success in the blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170875. [PMID: 29134087 PMCID: PMC5666270 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids, including corticosterone (CORT), have been suggested to provide a physiological link between ecological conditions and fitness. Specifically, CORT, which is elevated in response to harsh conditions, is predicted to be correlated with reduced fitness. Yet, empirical studies show that CORT can be non-significantly, positively and negatively linked with fitness. Divergent environmental conditions between years or study systems may influence whether CORT is linked to fitness. To test this, we monitored free-living blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) during breeding over 3 years. We quantified foraging conditions during brood rearing, and examined whether they were correlated with parental baseline CORT and reproductive success. We then tested whether CORT predicted fitness. Elevated parental CORT was associated with lower temperatures, greater rainfall and lower territory-scale oak density. Whereas asynchrony with the caterpillar food peak was correlated with reduced nestling mass and fledging success, but not parental CORT. Only low temperatures were associated with both reduced nestling mass and elevated parental CORT. Despite this, parents with elevated CORT had lighter offspring in all years. Contrarily, in 2009 parental CORT was positively correlated with the number fledged. The absence of a direct link between the foraging conditions that reduce nestling quality and elevate parental CORT suggests that parental CORT may provide a holistic measure of conditions where parents are working harder to meet the demands of developing young. As the positive correlation between parental CORT and fledging success differed between years, this suggests that contrasting conditions between years can influence correlations between parental CORT and fitness. Ultimately, as CORT concentrations are intrinsically variable and linked to the prevalent conditions, studies that incorporate environmental harshness will improve our understanding of evolutionary endocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. J. Henderson
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, IoN, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - N. P. Evans
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - B. J. Heidinger
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
| | - K. A. Herborn
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, IoN, Newcastle University, Henry Wellcome Building, Framlington Place, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - K. E. Arnold
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Environment Department, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
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Madelaire CB, Sokolova I, Gomes FR. Seasonal Patterns of Variation in Steroid Plasma Levels and Immune Parameters in Anurans from Brazilian Semiarid Area. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 90:415-433. [PMID: 28398155 DOI: 10.1086/691202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Elevated androgens and glucocorticoids displayed by males during the reproductive season have been proposed to mediate a possible trade-off between reproduction and immunocompetence. Anurans living in arid and semiarid environments display a strong seasonal reproduction, which could accentuate the variation in physiological, immunological, and behavioral parameters. We studied covariation between steroid plasma levels, morphometric variables associated with body condition and immunity, leukocyte profile, parasite load, and response to an immunological challenge across different phases of the annual life-history cycle of three anuran species from a Brazilian semiarid area. Our results showed a seasonal pattern of covariation among leukocyte parameters, kidney mass, and steroid plasma levels, with higher values measured during the reproductive season, particularly when males were sampled during calling activity. Moreover, these anurans showed a stronger response to an immunological challenge during the reproductive period. The immunosuppression during the dry period was particularly evident for the species that aestivate, indicating that the availability of energetic resources might be an important factor determining seasonal variation in inflammatory response. Intensity of the helminth infection was associated with eosinophil count but showed a more complex pattern with regard to androgens levels. These data emphasize that variations in the intensity of helminth infection might be more closely related to specific aspects of the immune response than to the general seasonal patterns of variation in steroid plasma levels, total circulating leukocytes, and inflammatory response.
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Algera DA, Brownscombe JW, Gilmour KM, Lawrence MJ, Zolderdo AJ, Cooke SJ. Cortisol treatment affects locomotor activity and swimming behaviour of male smallmouth bass engaged in paternal care: A field study using acceleration biologgers. Physiol Behav 2017; 181:59-68. [PMID: 28866027 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Paternal care, where the male provides sole care for the developing brood, is a common form of reproductive investment among teleost fish and ubiquitous in the Centrarchidae family. Throughout the parental care period, nesting males expend energy in a variety of swimming behaviours, including routine and burst swimming, vigilantly monitoring the nest area and protecting the brood from predators. Parental care is an energetically demanding period, which is presumably made even more difficult if fish are exposed to additional challenges such as those arising from human disturbance, resulting in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis (i.e., elevation of cortisol). To study this situation, we examined the effects of experimental manipulation of the stress hormone cortisol on locomotor activity and behaviour of nest guarding male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). We exogenously elevated circulating cortisol levels (via intracoelomic implants) and attached tri-axial accelerometers to wild smallmouth bass for three days. During the recovery period (i.e., ≤4h post-release), cortisol-treated fish exhibited significantly reduced locomotor activity and performed significantly less burst and routine swimming relative to control fish, indicating cortisol uptake was rapid, as were the associated behavioural responses. Post-recovery (i.e., >4h post-release), fish with high cortisol exhibited lower locomotor activity and reduced routine swimming relative to controls. Fish were less active and reduced routine and burst swimming at night compared to daylight hours, an effect independent of cortisol treatment. Collectively, our results suggest that cortisol treatment (as a proxy for anthropogenic disturbance and stress) contributed to altered behaviour, and consequently cortisol-treated males decreased parental investment in their brood, which could have potential fitness implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk A Algera
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Jacob W Brownscombe
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen M Gilmour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael J Lawrence
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron J Zolderdo
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Noreikiene K, Öst M, Seltmann M, Boner W, Monaghan P, Jaatinen K. Nest cover and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites are linked to hatching success and telomere length in breeding Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima). CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Habitat-associated crypsis may affect perceived predation vulnerability, selecting for different predator avoidance strategies. Glucocorticoids could mediate the adjustment of escape responses to the extent of crypsis, introducing an overlooked source of variation in glucocorticoid–fitness relationships. However, prolonged exposure to elevated glucocorticoids may be costly, leading to accelerated telomere loss and, consequently, senescence. Here, we examined how nest cover and immunoreactive faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels are linked to hatching success and telomere length in breeding female Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima (L., 1758)). We hypothesized that the degree of nest crypsis, reflecting differences in perceived predation risk, would moderate the relationship between reproductive success and fGCM levels. We also expected that telomere length would be shorter in birds with higher glucocorticoid concentration. Results showed that individuals with high fGCM levels had higher hatching success in nests with low cover, while low fGCM levels were more successful in well-concealed nests. We found that shorter telomeres were associated with high fGCM in nesting sites offering little cover and with low fGCM in well-concealed ones. This study provides the first evidence of habitat-dependent moderation of the relationships between stress physiology, telomere length and hatching success.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Noreikiene
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - M. Öst
- Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Artillerigatan 6, FI-20520 Turku, Finland; Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, FI-10600 Ekenäs, Finland
| | - M.W. Seltmann
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
| | - W. Boner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - P. Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - K. Jaatinen
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900 Hanko, Finland
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Voituron Y, Josserand R, Le Galliard JF, Haussy C, Roussel D, Romestaing C, Meylan S. Chronic stress, energy transduction, and free-radical production in a reptile. Oecologia 2017; 185:195-203. [PMID: 28836018 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3933-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress hormones, such as corticosterone, play a crucial role in orchestrating physiological reaction patterns shaping adapted responses to stressful environments. Concepts aiming at predicting individual and population responses to environmental stress typically consider that stress hormones and their effects on metabolic rate provide appropriate proxies for the energy budget. However, uncoupling between the biochemical processes of respiration, ATP production, and free-radical production in mitochondria may play a fundamental role in the stress response and associated life histories. In this study, we aim at dissecting sub-cellular mechanisms that link these three processes by investigating both whole-organism metabolism, liver mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation processes (O2 consumption and ATP production) and ROS emission in Zootoca vivipara individuals exposed 21 days to corticosterone relative to a placebo. Corticosterone enhancement had no effect on mitochondrial activity and efficiency. In parallel, the corticosterone treatment increased liver mass and mitochondrial protein content suggesting a higher liver ATP production. We also found a negative correlation between mitochondrial ROS emission and plasma corticosterone level. These results provide a proximal explanation for enhanced survival after chronic exposure to corticosterone in this species. Importantly, none of these modifications affected resting whole-body metabolic rate. Oxygen consumption, ATP, and ROS emission were thus independently affected in responses to corticosterone increase suggesting that concepts and models aiming at linking environmental stress and individual responses may misestimate energy allocation possibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Voituron
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (U.M.R. CNRS 5023), Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Université de Lyon, Bd du 11 novembre 1918, Bât. Darwin C, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
| | - Rémy Josserand
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences, de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris)-UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage cc237, quai Saint Bernard, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences, de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris)-UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage cc237, quai Saint Bernard, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), UMS 3194, 78 rue du château, 77140, Saint-Pierre-Lès-Nemours, France
| | - Claudy Haussy
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences, de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris)-UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage cc237, quai Saint Bernard, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Damien Roussel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (U.M.R. CNRS 5023), Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Université de Lyon, Bd du 11 novembre 1918, Bât. Darwin C, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Caroline Romestaing
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (U.M.R. CNRS 5023), Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Université de Lyon, Bd du 11 novembre 1918, Bât. Darwin C, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences, de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris)-UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage cc237, quai Saint Bernard, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
- ESPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne Paris IV, 10 rue Molitor, 75016, Paris, France
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Peiman KS, Birnie-Gauvin K, Midwood JD, Larsen MH, Wilson ADM, Aarestrup K, Cooke SJ. If and when: intrinsic differences and environmental stressors influence migration in brown trout (Salmo trutta). Oecologia 2017; 184:375-384. [PMID: 28488214 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3873-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Partial migration is a common phenomenon, yet the causes of individual differences in migratory propensity are not well understood. We examined factors that potentially influence timing of migration and migratory propensity in a wild population of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) by combining experimental manipulations with passive integrated transponder telemetry. Individuals were subjected to one of six manipulations: three designed to mimic natural stressors (temperature increase, food deprivation, and chase by a simulated predator), an injection of exogenous cortisol designed to mimic an extreme physiological challenge, a sham injection, and a control group. By measuring length and mass of 923 individuals prior to manipulation and by monitoring tagged individuals as they left the stream months later, we assessed whether pre-existing differences influenced migratory tendency and timing of migration, and whether our manipulations affected growth, condition, and timing of migration. We found that pre-existing differences predicted migration, with smaller individuals and individuals in poor condition having a higher propensity to migrate. Exogenous cortisol manipulation had the largest negative effect on growth and condition, and resulted in an earlier migration date. Additionally, low-growth individuals within the temperature and food deprivation treatments migrated earlier. By demonstrating that both pre-existing differences in organism state and additional stressors can affect whether and when individuals migrate, we highlight the importance of understanding individual differences in partial migration. These effects may carry over to influence migration success and affect the evolutionary dynamics of sub-populations experiencing different levels of stress, which is particularly relevant in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S Peiman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Kim Birnie-Gauvin
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Midwood
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Martin H Larsen
- DTU AQUA, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Freshwater Fisheries Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark.,Danish Centre for Wild Salmon, Brusgårdsvej 15, 8960, Randers, Denmark
| | - Alexander D M Wilson
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Kim Aarestrup
- DTU AQUA, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Freshwater Fisheries Ecology, Technical University of Denmark, Vejlsøvej 39, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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Mandiki SNM, Milla S, Robles SN, Kestemont P. Corticosteroids deeply depress the in vitro steroidogenic capacity of Eurasian perch ovary at the end of the reproductive cycle. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 245:44-54. [PMID: 28185934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Corticosteroids play positive or negative role in the reproductive mechanisms of many fish species but the physiological contexts relating to such biphasic actions are not well defined. In the present study we investigated to what extent corticosteroids (cortisol-Co, 11-deoxycorticosterone-DOC) hormones may interfere with the steroidogenic capacity of Eurasian perch ovarian tissues, and we tested whether the negative effects of corticosteroids may be mitigated by potential stimulating endocrine factors, namely insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or thyroid hormones (Triidothyronine-T3, thyroxine-T4). Ovarian tissues from six maturing fish at late vitellogenesis developmental stage (LVO) or at the start of the final meiotic oocyte maturation (FMO) were incubated during 6h in Cortland medium containing various endocrine compounds. Both corticosteroids drastically suppressed aromatase activity (AA) and sex-steroid production, namely 17-β estradiol (E2), 17α-20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) and testosterone (T). HCG significantly prevented the suppression of both AA and sex-steroid production by low and high cortisol doses, but a lesser AA protection was observed in the case of DOC. The protection of DHP and T productions by HCG from the negative effects by the two corticosteroids was higher at FMO than at LVO stage. IGF or thyroid hormone treatments were lesser effective or ineffective in mitigating the suppression of AA or sex-steroid production by cortisol. The results suggest that an increase in cortisol or DOC such as after mild or high stress intensity may inhibit drastically the ovarian steroidogenic capacity whatever the final oocyte maturation stage in percid fish by hampering AA and sex-steroid production. That inhibition may be partly mitigated by gonadotropins but not IGF nor thyroid hormones, especially at final meiotic oocyte maturation stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N M Mandiki
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium.
| | - S Milla
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - S Nkogo Robles
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - P Kestemont
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
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