1
|
Tomotani BM, Strauß AFT, Kishkinev D, van de Haar H, Helm B. Circadian clock period length is not consistently linked to chronotype in a wild songbird. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39256897 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Circadian clock properties vary between individuals and relate to variation in entrained timing in captivity. How this variation translates into behavioural differences in natural settings, however, is poorly understood. Here, we tested in great tits whether variation in the free-running period length (tau) under constant dim light (LL) was linked to the phase angle of the entrained rhythm ("chronotype") in captivity and in the wild, as recently indicated in our study species. We also assessed links between tau and the timing of first activity onset and offset under LL relative to the last experienced light-dark (LD) cycle. We kept 66 great tits, caught in two winters, in LL for 14 days and subsequently released them with a radio transmitter back to the wild, where their activity and body temperature rhythms were tracked for 1 to 22 days. For a subset of birds, chronotype was also recorded in the lab before release. Neither wild nor lab chronotypes were related to tau. We also found no correlation between lab and wild chronotypes. However, the first onset in LL had a positive relationship with tau, but only in males. Our results demonstrate that links between tau and phase of entrainment, postulated on theoretical grounds, may not consistently hold under natural conditions, possibly due to strong masking. This calls for more holistic research on how the many components of the circadian system interact with the environment to shape timing in the wild. Wild birds showed chronotypes in the field that were unlinked to their circadian period length tau measured in captivity. In males only, the first onset of activity after exposure to constant dim light did correlate with tau. Our study emphasises the need to investigate clocks in the real world, including a need to better understand masking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M Tomotani
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, AB, The Netherlands
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Aurelia F T Strauß
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, AB, The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Huib van de Haar
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, AB, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Helm
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barratt A, Turbill C. Nightly reductions in body temperature and effect of transmitter attachment method in free-living welcome swallows (Hirundoneoxena). J Therm Biol 2024; 120:103792. [PMID: 38403496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Small birds and mammals face similar energetic challenges, yet use of torpor to conserve energy while resting is considered less common among birds, especially within the most specious order Passeriformes. We conducted the first study to record the natural thermoregulatory physiology of any species from the family Hirundinidae, which we predicted would use torpor because of their specialised foraging by aerial pursuit of flying insects, that are less active during cold or windy weather. We used temperature telemetry on wild-living welcome swallows (Hirundo neoxena, 13 to 17 g) and found that skin temperature declined during nightly resting by an average by 5 °C, from daytime minima of 41.0 ± 0.8 °C to nightly minima of 36.3 ± 0.8 °C, and by a maximum of 8 °C to a minimum recorded skin temperature of 32.0 °C. The extent of reduction in skin temperature was greater on cold nights and following windy daytime (foraging) periods. Further, we found that transmitters glued directly to the skin between feather tracts (i.e., an apterium) provided a less variable and probably also more accurate reflection of body temperature than transmitters applied over closely trimmed feathers. A moderate decrease in skin temperature, equivalent to shallow torpor, would provide energy savings during rest. Yet, deeper torpor was not observed, despite a period of extreme rainfall that presumedly decreased foraging success. Further studies are needed to understand the resting thermoregulatory energetics of swallows under different environmental conditions. We advocate the importance of measuring thermal biology in wild-living birds to increase our knowledge of the physiology and ecological importance of torpor among passerine birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Barratt
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia.
| | - Christopher Turbill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury campus, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Andreasson F, Rostedt E, Nord A. Measuring body temperature in birds - the effects of sensor type and placement on estimated temperature and metabolic rate. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246321. [PMID: 37969087 PMCID: PMC10753514 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Several methods are routinely used to measure avian body temperature, but different methods vary in invasiveness. This may cause stress-induced increases in temperature and/or metabolic rate and, hence, overestimation of both parameters. Choosing an adequate temperature measurement method is therefore key to accurately characterizing an animal's thermal and metabolic phenotype. Using great tits (Parus major) and four common methods with different levels of invasiveness (intraperitoneal, cloacal, subcutaneous, cutaneous), we evaluated the preciseness of body temperature measurements and effects on resting metabolic rate (RMR) over a 40°C range of ambient temperatures. None of the methods caused overestimation or underestimation of RMR compared with un-instrumented birds, and body or skin temperature estimates did not differ between methods in thermoneutrality. However, skin temperature was lower compared with all other methods below thermoneutrality. These results provide empirical guidance for future research that aims to measure body temperature and metabolic rate in small bird models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Andreasson
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Elin Rostedt
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Diehl JN, Alton LA, White CR, Peters A. Thermoregulatory strategies of songbird nestlings reveal limited capacity for cooling and high risk of dehydration. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103707. [PMID: 37778091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
How the accelerating pace of global warming will affect animal populations depends on the effects of increasing temperature across the life cycle. Developing young are sensitive to environmental challenges, often with life-long consequences, but the risks of climate warming during this period are insufficiently understood. This may be due to limited insight into physiological sensitivity and the temperatures that represent a thermal challenge for young. Here we examined the physiological and behavioural effects of increasing temperatures by measuring metabolic rate, water loss, and heat dissipation behaviours between 25-45 °C in nestlings of a small free-living songbird of temperate SE-Australia, the superb fairy-wren. We found a high and relatively narrow thermoneutral zone from 33.1 to 42.3 °C, with metabolic rate increasing and all nestlings panting above this range. Evaporative water loss sharply increased above 33.5 °C; at the same temperature, nestlings changed their posture (extended their wings) to facilitate passive heat loss. However, at all temperatures measured, water loss was insufficient to dissipate metabolically produced heat, indicating poor cooling capabilities, which persisted even when individuals were panting. While nestlings are relatively tolerant to higher temperatures, with no evidence for hyperthermia at temperatures below 42 °C, they are at a high risk of dehydration even at lower temperatures, with limited ability to mitigate this. Thus, climate warming is likely to elevate the risk dehydration, which is concerning, since it is accompanied by drier conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna N Diehl
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Lesley A Alton
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Craig R White
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lennon RJ, Ronanki S, Hegemann A. Immune challenge reduces daily activity period in free-living birds for three weeks. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230794. [PMID: 37583320 PMCID: PMC10427819 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-lethal infections are common in free-living animals and the associated sickness behaviours can impact crucial life-history trade-offs. However, little is known about the duration and extent of such sickness behaviours in free-living animals, and consequently how they affect life-history decisions. Here, free-living Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula, were immune-challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic a bacterial infection and their behaviour was monitored for up to 48 days using accelerometers. As expected, immune-challenged birds were less active than controls within the first 24 h. Unexpectedly, this reduced activity remained detectable for 20 days, before both groups returned to similar activity levels. Furthermore, activity was positively correlated with a pre-experimental index of complement activity, but only in immune-challenged birds, suggesting that sickness behaviours are modulated by constitutive immune function. Differences in daily activity levels stemmed from immune-challenged birds resting earlier at dusk than control birds, while activity levels between groups were similar during core daytime hours. Overall, activity was reduced by 19% in immune-challenged birds and they were on average almost 1 h less active per day for 20 days. This unexpected longevity in sickness behaviour may have severe implications during energy-intense annual-cycle stages (e.g. breeding, migration, winter). Thus, our data help to understand the consequences of non-lethal infections on free-living animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosie J. Lennon
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Shivani Ronanki
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Morelle K, Barasona JA, Bosch J, Heine G, Daim A, Arnold J, Bauch T, Kosowska A, Cadenas-Fernández E, Aviles MM, Zuñiga D, Wikelski M, Vizcaino-Sanchez JM, Safi K. Accelerometer-based detection of African swine fever infection in wild boar. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231396. [PMID: 37644835 PMCID: PMC10465979 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious wildlife diseases that circulate at the interface with domestic animals pose significant threats worldwide and require early detection and warning. Although animal tracking technologies are used to discern behavioural changes, they are rarely used to monitor wildlife diseases. Common disease-induced behavioural changes include reduced activity and lethargy ('sickness behaviour'). Here, we investigated whether accelerometer sensors could detect the onset of African swine fever (ASF), a viral infection that induces high mortality in suids for which no vaccine is currently available. Taking advantage of an experiment designed to test an oral ASF vaccine, we equipped 12 wild boars with an accelerometer tag and quantified how ASF affects their activity pattern and behavioural fingerprint, using overall dynamic body acceleration. Wild boars showed a daily reduction in activity of 10-20% from the healthy to the viremia phase. Using change point statistics and comparing healthy individuals living in semi-free and free-ranging conditions, we show how the onset of disease-induced sickness can be detected and how such early detection could work in natural settings. Timely detection of infection in animals is crucial for disease surveillance and control, and accelerometer technology on sentinel animals provides a viable complementary tool to existing disease management approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Morelle
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jose Angel Barasona
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Bosch
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Georg Heine
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Andreas Daim
- Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Janosch Arnold
- Agricultural Centre Baden-Württemberg, Wildlife Research Unit, Aulendorf, Germany
| | - Toralf Bauch
- Agricultural Centre Baden-Württemberg, Wildlife Research Unit, Aulendorf, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Kosowska
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Estefanía Cadenas-Fernández
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Daniel Zuñiga
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jose Manuel Vizcaino-Sanchez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Center, Department of Animal Health, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Radolfzell, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Doucette LI, Duncan RP, Osborne WS, Evans M, Georges A, Gruber B, Sarre SD. Climate warming drives a temperate-zone lizard to its upper thermal limits, restricting activity, and increasing energetic costs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9603. [PMID: 37311881 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35087-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lizards are considered vulnerable to climate change because many operate near their thermal maxima. Exposure to higher temperatures could reduce activity of these animals by forcing them to shelter in thermal refugia for prolonged periods to avoid exceeding lethal limits. While rising temperatures should reduce activity in tropical species, the situation is less clear for temperate-zone species where activity can be constrained by both low and high temperatures. Here, we measure the effects of natural variation in environmental temperatures on activity in a temperate grassland lizard and show that it is operating near its upper thermal limit in summer even when sheltering in thermal refuges. As air temperatures increased above 32 °C, lizard activity declined markedly as individuals sought refuge in cool microhabitats while still incurring substantial metabolic costs. We estimate that warming over the last two decades has required these lizards to increase their energy intake up to 40% to offset metabolic losses caused by rising temperatures. Our results show that recent increases in temperature are sufficient to exceed the thermal and metabolic limits of temperate-zone grassland lizards. Extended periods of high temperatures could place natural populations of ectotherms under significantly increased environmental stress and contribute to population declines and extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa I Doucette
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 136 Exhibition Street, Kentville, NS, B4N 4ES, Canada.
| | - Richard P Duncan
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - William S Osborne
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Murray Evans
- Conservation Research, Environment and Planning Directorate, ACT Government, Mitchell, ACT, 2911, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Stephen D Sarre
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dekelaita DJ, Epps CW, German DW, Powers JG, Gonzales BJ, Abella-Vu RK, Darby NW, Hughson DL, Stewart KM. Animal movement and associated infectious disease risk in a metapopulation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:220390. [PMID: 36756067 PMCID: PMC9890124 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Animal movements among habitat patches or populations are important for maintaining long-term genetic and demographic viability, but connectivity may also facilitate disease spread and persistence. Understanding factors that influence animal movements is critical to understanding potential transmission risk and persistence of communicable disease in spatially structured systems. We evaluated effects of sex, age and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae infection status at capture on intermountain movements and seasonal movement rates observed in desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) using global positioning system collar data from 135 individuals (27 males, 108 females) in 14 populations between 2013 and 2018, following a pneumonia outbreak linked to the pathogen M. ovipneumoniae in the Mojave Desert, California, USA. Based on logistic regression analysis, intermountain movements were influenced by sex, age and most notably, infection status at capture: males, older animals and uninfected individuals were most likely to make such movements. Based on multiple linear regression analysis, females that tested positive for M. ovipneumoniae at capture also had lower mean daily movement rates that were further influenced by season. Our study provides empirical evidence of a pathogenic infection decreasing an individual's future mobility, presumably limiting that pathogen's ability to spread, and ultimately influencing transmission risk within a spatially structured system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniella J. Dekelaita
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - David W. German
- Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Program, CaliforniaDepartment of Fish and Wildlife, Bishop, CA 93514, USA
| | - Jenny G. Powers
- Biological Resources Division, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
| | - Ben J. Gonzales
- Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-4503, USA
| | - Regina K. Abella-Vu
- Wildlife Branch, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1812 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, USA
| | - Neal W. Darby
- Mojave National Preserve, National Park Service, 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311, USA
| | - Debra L. Hughson
- Mojave National Preserve, National Park Service, 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311, USA
| | - Kelley M. Stewart
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0186, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Boratyński Z, Mousseau TA, Møller AP. Individual quality and phenology mediate the effect of radioactive contamination on body temperature in Chernobyl barn swallows. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9039-9048. [PMID: 34257943 PMCID: PMC8258232 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors, such as radioactive contaminants released from the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi accidents, deteriorate ecological and evolutionary processes, as evidence for damaging effects of radioactive contamination on wildlife is accumulating. Yet little is known about physiological traits of animals inhabiting contaminated areas, and how those are affected by individual quality and phenology. We investigated variation in body temperature of wild barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, exposed to radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine and Belarus. We tested whether exposure to variable levels of radioactive contamination modified core body temperature of birds, and whether individual and phenological characteristics modulated radiosensitivity of body temperature. We showed that barn swallow body temperature varied with exposure to environmental radioactive contamination and that individual characteristics and phenology affected radioactive exposure. Increased radiosensitivity and up-regulation of body temperature were detected in birds of low body condition, high risk of capture, and in animals captured late during the day but early during the season. These results highlight the complex ways that the body temperature of a wild bird is impacted by exposure to increased radioactive contamination in natural habitats. By impacting body temperature, increased radioactive contamination may compromise energetic balance, jeopardize responsiveness to global warming, and increase risk of overheating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO/InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Timothy A. Mousseau
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of South CarolinaColumbiaSCUSA
- SURA/LASSO/NASAISS Utilization and Life Sciences DivisionKennedy Space CenterCape CanaveralFLUSA
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological EngineeringCollege of Life SciencesBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Ecologie Systematique EvolutionCNRSAgroParisTechUniversite Paris‐SaclayOrsayFrance
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Health monitoring in birds using bio-loggers and whole blood transcriptomics. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10815. [PMID: 34031452 PMCID: PMC8144624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90212-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring and early detection of emerging infectious diseases in wild animals is of crucial global importance, yet reliable ways to measure immune status and responses are lacking for animals in the wild. Here we assess the usefulness of bio-loggers for detecting disease outbreaks in free-living birds and confirm detailed responses using leukocyte composition and large-scale transcriptomics. We simulated natural infections by viral and bacterial pathogens in captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), an important natural vector for avian influenza virus. We show that body temperature, heart rate and leukocyte composition change reliably during an acute phase immune response. Using genome-wide gene expression profiling of whole blood across time points we confirm that immunostimulants activate pathogen-specific gene regulatory networks. By reporting immune response related changes in physiological and behavioural traits that can be studied in free-ranging populations, we provide baseline information with importance to the global monitoring of zoonotic diseases.
Collapse
|
11
|
Hamilton DG, Jones ME, Cameron EZ, Kerlin DH, McCallum H, Storfer A, Hohenlohe PA, Hamede RK. Infectious disease and sickness behaviour: tumour progression affects interaction patterns and social network structure in wild Tasmanian devils. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202454. [PMID: 33290679 PMCID: PMC7739934 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases, including transmissible cancers, can have a broad range of impacts on host behaviour, particularly in the latter stages of disease progression. However, the difficulty of early diagnoses makes the study of behavioural influences of disease in wild animals a challenging task. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are affected by a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), in which tumours are externally visible as they progress. Using telemetry and mark-recapture datasets, we quantify the impacts of cancer progression on the behaviour of wild devils by assessing how interaction patterns within the social network of a population change with increasing tumour load. The progression of DFTD negatively influences devils' likelihood of interaction within their network. Infected devils were more active within their network late in the mating season, a pattern with repercussions for DFTD transmission. Our study provides a rare opportunity to quantify and understand the behavioural feedbacks of disease in wildlife and how they may affect transmission and population dynamics in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David G. Hamilton
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia,e-mail:
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Elissa Z. Cameron
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia,School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Douglas H. Kerlin
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Hamish McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, USA
| | | | - Rodrigo K. Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia,CANECEV, Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer (CREEC), Montpellier 34090, France,e-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Becker DJ, Albery GF, Kessler MK, Lunn TJ, Falvo CA, Czirják GÁ, Martin LB, Plowright RK. Macroimmunology: The drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defence. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:972-995. [PMID: 31856309 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales. Identifying the most important spatial drivers of immunity could help pre-empt infectious disease risks, especially in the context of how large-scale factors such as urbanization affect defence by changing environmental conditions. We provide a synthesis of how to apply macroecological approaches to the study of ecoimmunology (i.e. macroimmunology). We first review spatial factors that could generate spatial variation in defence, highlighting the need for large-scale studies that can differentiate competing environmental predictors of immunity and detailing contexts where this approach might be favoured over small-scale experimental studies. We next conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of spatial studies and to classify them according to taxa, immune measures, spatial replication and extent, and statistical methods. We review 210 ecoimmunology studies sampling multiple host populations. We show that whereas spatial approaches are relatively common, spatial replication is generally low and unlikely to provide sufficient environmental variation or power to differentiate competing spatial hypotheses. We also highlight statistical biases in macroimmunology, in that few studies characterize and account for spatial dependence statistically, potentially affecting inferences for the relationships between environmental conditions and immune defence. We use these findings to describe tools from geostatistics and spatial modelling that can improve inference about the associations between environmental and immunological variation. In particular, we emphasize exploratory tools that can guide spatial sampling and highlight the need for greater use of mixed-effects models that account for spatial variability while also allowing researchers to account for both individual- and habitat-level covariates. We finally discuss future research priorities for macroimmunology, including focusing on latitudinal gradients, range expansions and urbanization as being especially amenable to large-scale spatial approaches. Methodologically, we highlight critical opportunities posed by assessing spatial variation in host tolerance, using metagenomics to quantify spatial variation in parasite pressure, coupling large-scale field studies with small-scale field experiments and longitudinal approaches, and applying statistical tools from macroecology and meta-analysis to identify generalizable spatial patterns. Such work will facilitate scaling ecoimmunology from individual- to habitat-level insights about the drivers of immune defence and help predict where environmental change may most alter infectious disease risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tamika J Lunn
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caylee A Falvo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Maury C, Serota M, Williams T. Plasticity in diurnal activity and temporal phenotype during parental care in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
14
|
|
15
|
Jerem P, Jenni-Eiermann S, McKeegan D, McCafferty DJ, Nager RG. Eye region surface temperature dynamics during acute stress relate to baseline glucocorticoids independently of environmental conditions. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112627. [PMID: 31348931 PMCID: PMC6739691 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Reactions to acute stressors are critical for survival. Yet, the challenges of assessing underlying physiological processes in the field limit our understanding of how variation in the acute stress response relates to fitness in free-living animals. Glucocorticoid secretion during acute stress can be measured from blood plasma concentrations, but each blood sample can only provide information for one point in time. Also, the number of samples that can be extracted from an individual in the field is usually limited to avoid compromising welfare. This restricts capacity for repeated assessment, and therefore temporal resolution of findings within- and between-acute stress responses - both of which are important for determining links between acute stress and fitness. Acute stress induces additional body surface temperature changes that can be measured non-invasively, and at high frequencies using thermal imaging, offering opportunities to overcome these limitations. But, this method's usefulness in the field depends on the extent that environmental conditions affect the body surface temperature response, which remains poorly understood. We assessed the relative importance of individual physiology (baseline glucocorticoid concentrations) and environmental conditions (air temperature and relative humidity) in determining the eye region surface temperature (Teye) response to acute stress, in wild blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) during trapping, handling and blood sampling. When controlling for between-individual baseline variation, Teye initially dropped rapidly below, and then recovered above baseline, before declining more slowly until the end of the test, 160 s after trap closure. One measure of the amplitude of this response - the size of the initial drop in Teye - was dependent on environmental conditions, but not baseline corticosterone. Whereas, two properties defining response dynamics - the timing of the initial drop, and the slope of the subsequent recovery - were related to baseline corticosterone concentrations, independently of environmental conditions. This suggests inferring the acute stress response using thermal imaging of Teye will be practical under fluctuating environmental conditions in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jerem
- Department of Evolution, Behaviour and Environment, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK.
| | | | - Dorothy McKeegan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dominic J McCafferty
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ruedi G Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Serota MW, Williams TD. Adjustment of total activity as a response to handicapping European starlings during parental care. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
17
|
Vaziri GJ, Johny MM, Caragea PC, Adelman JS. Social context affects thermoregulation but not activity level during avian immune response. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Grace J Vaziri
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, IA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Manju M Johny
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, IA, USA
| | | | - James S Adelman
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, IA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hegemann A, Alcalde Abril P, Sjöberg S, Muheim R, Alerstam T, Nilsson JÅ, Hasselquist D. A mimicked bacterial infection prolongs stopover duration in songbirds-but more pronounced in short- than long-distance migrants. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1698-1708. [PMID: 30101481 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Migration usually consists of intermittent travel and stopovers, the latter being crucially important for individuals to recover and refuel to successfully complete migration. Quantifying how sickness behaviours influence stopovers is crucial for our understanding of migration ecology and how diseases spread. However, little is known about infections in songbirds, which constitute the majority of avian migrants. We experimentally immune-challenged autumn migrating passerines (both short- and long-distance migrating species) with a simulated bacterial infection. Using an automated radiotelemetry system in the stopover area, we subsequently quantified stopover duration, "bush-level" activity patterns (0.1-30 m) and landscape movements (30-6,000 m). We show that compared to controls, immune-challenged birds prolonged their stopover duration by on average 1.2 days in long-distance and 2.9 days in short-distance migrants, respectively (100%-126% longer than controls, respectively). During the prolonged stopover, the immune-challenged birds kept a high "bush-level" activity (which was unexpected) but reduced their local movements, independent of migration strategy. Baseline immune function, but not blood parasite infections prior to the immune challenge, had a prolonging effect on stopover duration, particularly in long-distance migrants. We conclude that a mimicked bacterial infection does not cause lethargy, per se, but restricts landscape movements and prolongs stopover duration, and that this behavioural response also depends on the status of baseline immune function and migration strategy. This adds a new level to the understanding of how acute inflammation affect migration behaviour and hence the ecology and evolution of migration. Accounting for these effects of bacterial infections will also enable us to fine-tune and apply optimal migration theory. Finally, it will help us predicting how migrating animals may respond to increased pathogen pressure caused by global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Sissel Sjöberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, København Ø, Denmark
| | - Rachel Muheim
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
GUT PARASITE LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERITY OF RESPONSE TO IMMUNE CHALLENGE IN A WILD SONGBIRD. J Wildl Dis 2018; 55:64-73. [PMID: 29999463 DOI: 10.7589/2017-07-176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Life history trade-offs have been posited to shape wild animals' immune responses against microparasites (e.g., bacteria, viruses). However, coinfection with gut helminths may bias immune phenotypes away from inflammatory responses and could be another mechanism underlying variation in immune responses. We examined how the magnitude of a common and costly response to microparasites, the acute phase response (APR), varied with helminth coinfection at both the individual and the population levels in Song Sparrows ( Melospiza melodia). The APR includes fever and sickness behaviors, like lethargy and anorexia, and provides a whole-organism metric of immune activation. We combined data on fever and lethargy in response to an immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide) with postmortem data assessing helminth burdens and data on malarial parasite infection from blood samples in sparrows from two populations: southern California and western Washington, US. We predicted that birds with higher helminth burdens would express less severe APRs, at both the individual and population levels. Furthermore, we predicted that these reduced immune responses would diminish resistance against malarial parasites and would thus be associated with higher prevalences of such parasites. Previously, Song Sparrows from Washington have been shown to mount less severe APRs than those from California. In our study, Washington birds also exhibited higher helminth burdens and a higher prevalence of one type of avian malarial parasite. Because of low variation in helminth burdens in California (median=0, range=0-3), we tested within-population relationships only in birds from Washington, where the severity of fever and lethargy correlated negatively with helminth burden. These results suggested that helminth coinfection could help mediate immune responsiveness in wild songbirds.
Collapse
|
20
|
Jerem P, Jenni-Eiermann S, Herborn K, McKeegan D, McCafferty DJ, Nager RG. Eye region surface temperature reflects both energy reserves and circulating glucocorticoids in a wild bird. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1907. [PMID: 29382942 PMCID: PMC5789886 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Body temperature of endotherms shows substantial within- and between-individual variation, but the sources of this variation are not fully understood in wild animals. Variation in body temperature can indicate how individuals cope with their environment via metabolic or stress-induced effects, both of which may relate to depletion of energy reserves. Body condition can reflect heat production through changes to metabolic rate made to protect energy reserves. Additionally, changes in metabolic processes may be mediated by stress-related glucocorticoid secretion, which is associated with altered blood-flow patterns that affect regional body temperatures. Accordingly, both body condition and glucocorticoid secretion should relate to body temperature. We used thermal imaging, a novel non-invasive method of temperature measurement, to investigate relationships between body condition, glucocorticoid secretion and body surface temperature in wild blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Individuals with lower body condition had lower eye-region surface temperature in both non-breeding and breeding seasons. Eye-region surface temperature was also negatively correlated with baseline circulating glucocorticoid levels in non-breeding birds. Our results demonstrate that body surface temperature can integrate multiple aspects of physiological state. Consequently, remotely-measured body surface temperature could be used to assess such aspects of physiological state non-invasively in free-living animals at multiple life history stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jerem
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | | | - Katherine Herborn
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Institute of Neurobiology, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Dorothy McKeegan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dominic J McCafferty
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ruedi G Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
MacColl E, Vanesky K, Buck JA, Dudek BM, Eagles-Smith CA, Heath JA, Herring G, Vennum C, Downs CJ. Correlates of immune defenses in golden eagle nestlings. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2017; 327:243-253. [PMID: 29356454 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
An individual's investment in constitutive immune defenses depends on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We examined how Leucocytozoon parasite presence, body condition (scaled mass), heterophil-to-lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, sex, and age affected immune defenses in golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nestlings from three regions: California, Oregon, and Idaho. We quantified hemolytic-complement activity and bacterial killing ability, two measures of constitutive immunity. Body condition and age did not affect immune defenses. However, eagles with lower H:L ratios had lower complement activity, corroborating other findings that animals in better condition sometimes invest less in constitutive immunity. In addition, eagles with Leucocytozoon infections had higher concentrations of circulating complement proteins but not elevated opsonizing proteins for all microbes, and eagles from Oregon had significantly higher constitutive immunity than those from California or Idaho. We posit that Oregon eagles might have elevated immune defenses because they are exposed to more endoparasites than eagles from California or Idaho, and our results confirmed that the OR region has the highest rate of Leucocytozoon infections. Our study examined immune function in a free-living, long-lived raptor species, whereas most avian ecoimmunological research focuses on passerines. Thus, our research informs a broad perspective regarding the evolutionary and environmental pressures on immune function in birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kris Vanesky
- Academy for the Environment, University of Nevada Reno, NV, USA
| | - Jeremy A Buck
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Benjamin M Dudek
- Department of Biological Sciences and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
| | - Julie A Heath
- Department of Biological Sciences and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Garth Herring
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
| | - Chris Vennum
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bio-logging, new technologies to study conservation physiology on the move: a case study on annual survival of Himalayan vultures. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:531-542. [PMID: 28612235 PMCID: PMC5522509 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1180-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Bio-logging, the on-animal deployment of miniaturised electronic data recorders, allows for the study of location, body position, and physiology of individuals throughout their ontogeny. For terrestrial animals, 1 Hz GPS-position, 3D-body acceleration, and ambient temperature provide standard data to link to the physiology of life histories. Environmental context is added at ever finer scales using remote sensing earth observation data. Here we showcase the use of such bio-logging approaches in a conservation physiology study on endangered Himalayan vultures (Gyps himalayensis). We determine environmental, behavioural, and physiological causes of survival in immature birds that roam from wintering sites in India, Bhutan, and Nepal towards summer areas in Tibet and Mongolia. Five of 18 immature griffons died during one year. Individuals that died had failed to migrate sufficiently far northward (>1500 km) in spring. Individuals likely died if they flew against headwinds from the north or were less able to find thermal updrafts. Surviving individuals migrated to cold and dry areas with low population density. We highlight flight experience, long distance movements, and remote places with low human population as factors critical for the survival of Himalayan vultures. High-resolution bio-logging studies can advance conservation management by pinpointing where and why migratory animals have problems and die.
Collapse
|
23
|
Evans JK, Buchanan KL, Griffith SC, Klasing KC, Addison B. Ecoimmunology and microbial ecology: Contributions to avian behavior, physiology, and life history. Horm Behav 2017; 88:112-121. [PMID: 28065710 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria have had a fundamental impact on vertebrate evolution not only by affecting the evolution of the immune system, but also generating complex interactions with behavior and physiology. Advances in molecular techniques have started to reveal the intricate ways in which bacteria and vertebrates have coevolved. Here, we focus on birds as an example system for understanding the fundamental impact bacteria have had on the evolution of avian immune defenses, behavior, physiology, reproduction and life histories. The avian egg has multiple characteristics that have evolved to enable effective defense against pathogenic attack. Microbial risk of pathogenic infection is hypothesized to vary with life stage, with early life risk being maximal at either hatching or fledging. For adult birds, microbial infection risk is also proposed to vary with habitat and life stage, with molt inducing a period of increased vulnerability. Bacteria not only play an important role in shaping the immune system as well as trade-offs with other physiological systems, but also for determining digestive efficiency and nutrient uptake. The relevance of avian microbiomes for avian ecology, physiology and behavior is highly topical and will likely impact on our understanding of avian welfare, conservation, captive breeding as well as for our understanding of the nature of host-microbe coevolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Evans
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2122, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 2122, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kirk C Klasing
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - BriAnne Addison
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lisovski S, Hoye BJ, Klaassen M. Geographic variation in seasonality and its influence on the dynamics of an infectious disease. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simeon Lisovski
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin Univ. Victoria Geelong Australia
- Dept of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Univ. of California One Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - Bethany J. Hoye
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin Univ. Victoria Geelong Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin Univ. Victoria Geelong Australia
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Affiliation(s)
- Silke Bauer
- Dept of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Inst. CH‐6204 Sempach Switzerland
- Dept of Animal Ecology Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) PO Box 50, NL‐6700 AB Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University VIC‐3220 Geelong Australia
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Dept of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Inst. CH‐6204 Sempach Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sköld-Chiriac S, Nord A, Tobler M, Nilsson JÅ, Hasselquist D. Body temperature changes during simulated bacterial infection in a songbird: fever at night and hypothermia during the day. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:2961-9. [PMID: 26232416 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.122150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although fever (a closely regulated increase in body temperature in response to infection) typically is beneficial, it is energetically costly and may induce detrimentally high body temperatures. This can increase the susceptibility to energetic bottlenecks and risks of overheating in some organisms. Accordingly, it could be particularly interesting to study fever in small birds, which have comparatively high metabolic rates and high, variable body temperatures. We therefore investigated two aspects of fever and other sickness behaviours (circadian variation, dose dependence) in a small songbird, the zebra finch. We injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at the beginning of either the day or the night, and subsequently monitored body temperature, body mass change and food intake for the duration of the response. We found pronounced circadian variation in the body temperature response to LPS injection, manifested by (dose-dependent) hypothermia during the day but fever at night. This resulted in body temperature during the peak response being relatively similar during the day and night. Day-to-night differences might be explained in the context of circadian variation in body temperature: songbirds have a high daytime body temperature that is augmented by substantial heat production peaks during activity. This might require a trade-off between the benefit of fever and the risk of overheating. In contrast, at night, when body temperature is typically lower and less variable, fever can be used to mitigate infection. We suggest that the change in body temperature during infection in small songbirds is context dependent and regulated to promote survival according to individual demands at the time of infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Sköld-Chiriac
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Michael Tobler
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Dennis Hasselquist
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund SE-223 62, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Greives TJ, Kingma SA, Kranstauber B, Mortega K, Wikelski M, Oers K, Mateman AC, Ferguson GA, Beltrami G, Hau M. Costs of sleeping in: circadian rhythms influence cuckoldry risk in a songbird. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. Greives
- Department of Biological Sciences North Dakota State University 1340 Bolley Drive Fargo ND 58102 USA
| | - Sjouke A. Kingma
- School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich Research Park Norwich NR4 7TJ UK
- Behavioural Ecology and Self‐organization group Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies University of Groningen Nijenborgh 7 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
| | - Kim Mortega
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | - Kees Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) PO Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Nethesrlands
| | - A. Christa Mateman
- Department of Animal Ecology Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) PO Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Nethesrlands
| | - Glen A. Ferguson
- National Bioenergy Center National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden CO 80401 USA
| | - Giulia Beltrami
- Dipartimento di Biologia ed Evoluzione Università di Ferrara Corso Ercole I d'Este, 32 44100 Ferrara Italy
| | - Michaela Hau
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätstraße 10 78457 Konstanz Germany
- Evolutionary Physiology Group Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Eberhard‐Gwinner‐Strasse 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Disease is a ubiquitous and powerful evolutionary force. Hosts have evolved behavioural and physiological responses to disease that are associated with increased survival. Behavioural modifications, known as 'sickness behaviours', frequently involve symptoms such as lethargy, somnolence and anorexia. Current research has demonstrated that the social environment is a potent modulator of these behaviours: when conflicting social opportunities arise, animals can decrease or entirely forgo experiencing sickness symptoms. Here, I review how different social contexts, such as the presence of mates, caring for offspring, competing for territories or maintaining social status, affect the expression of sickness behaviours. Exploiting the circumstances that promote this behavioural plasticity will provide new insights into the evolutionary ecology of social behaviours. A deeper understanding of when and how this modulation takes place may lead to better tools to treat symptoms of infection and be relevant for the development of more efficient disease control programmes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia C Lopes
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Moyers S, Kosarski K, Adelman J, Hawley D. Interactions between social behaviour and the acute phase immune response in house finches. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In social organisms, immune-mediated behavioural changes (sickness behaviours) can both influence and respond to social dynamics. We tested whether social status in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) modulates the acute phase response or aggressive interactions with flockmates. We treated subordinate or dominant finches within captive flocks with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate an acute phase response (APR), and quantified mass loss, activity, foraging behaviours, and agonistic interactions. Subordinate finches lost more mass than dominants in response to LPS, but social status did not influence the expression of sickness behaviours (activity and foraging) upon LPS injection. LPS-injected subordinate birds experienced reduced aggression from mid-ranking but not dominant flockmates, indicating status-mediated effects of sickness behaviour on agonistic interactions. Our results suggest that social status in house finches influences one component of the APR (mass loss) and can interact with the APR to modulate intraspecific agonistic interactions in ways likely relevant for disease transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sahnzi C. Moyers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Derring Hall Room 2125, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
| | - Kara B. Kosarski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Derring Hall Room 2125, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
| | - James S. Adelman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Derring Hall Room 2125, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Dana M. Hawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Derring Hall Room 2125, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Adelman JS, Moyers SC, Hawley DM. Using remote biomonitoring to understand heterogeneity in immune-responses and disease-dynamics in small, free-living animals. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:377-86. [PMID: 24951502 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity of parasites and pathogens, behavioral and physiological responses to infection vary widely across individuals. Although such variation can have pronounced effects on population-level processes, including the transmission of infectious disease, the study of individual responses to infection in free-living animals remains a challenge. To fully understand the causes and consequences of heterogeneous responses to infection, research in ecoimmunology and disease-ecology must incorporate minimally invasive techniques to track individual animals in natural settings. Here, we review how several technologies, collectively termed remote biomonitoring, enable the collection of data on behavioral and physiological responses to infection in small, free-living animals. Specifically, we focus on the use of radiotelemetry and radio-frequency identification to study fever, sickness-behaviors (including lethargy and anorexia), and rates of inter-individual contact in the wild, all of which vary widely across individuals and impact the spread of pathogens within populations. In addition, we highlight future avenues for field studies of these topics using emerging technologies such as global positioning system tracking and tri-axial accelerometry. Through the use of such remote biomonitoring techniques, researchers can gain valuable insights into why responses to infection vary so widely and how this variation impacts the spread and evolution of infectious diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S Adelman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Derring Hall, Room 4020A (MC 0406), 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Sahnzi C Moyers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Derring Hall, Room 4020A (MC 0406), 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Dana M Hawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Derring Hall, Room 4020A (MC 0406), 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Downs CJ, Adelman JS, Demas GE. Mechanisms and methods in ecoimmunology: integrating within-organism and between-organism processes. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:340-52. [PMID: 24944113 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecoimmunology utilizes techniques from traditionally laboratory-based disciplines--for example, immunology, genomics, proteomics, neuroendocrinology, and cell biology--to reveal how the immune systems of wild organisms both shape and respond to ecological and evolutionary pressures. Immunological phenotypes are embedded within a mechanistic pathway leading from genotype through physiology to shape higher-order biological phenomena. As such, "mechanisms" in ecoimmunology can refer to both the within-host processes that shape immunological phenotypes, or it can refer the ways in which different immunological phenotypes alter between-organism processes at ecological and evolutionary scales. The mechanistic questions ecoimmunologists can ask, both within-organisms and between-organisms, however, often have been limited by techniques that do not easily transfer to wild, non-model systems. Thus, a major focus in ecoimmunology has been developing and refining the available toolkit. Recently, this toolkit has been expanding at an unprecedented rate, bringing new challenges to choosing techniques and standardizing protocols across studies. By confronting these challenges, we will be able to enhance ecoimmunological inquiries into the physiological basis of life-history trade-offs; the development of low-cost biomarkers for susceptibility to disease; and the investigation of the ecophysiological underpinnings of disease ecology, behavior, and the coevolution of host-parasite systems. The technical advances in, and crossover technologies from, disciplines associated with ecoimmunology and how these advances can help us understand the mechanistic basis of immunological variability in wild species were the focus of the symposium, Methods and Mechanisms in Ecoimmunology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C J Downs
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - J S Adelman
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - G E Demas
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Nord A, Sköld-Chiriac S, Hasselquist D, Nilsson JÅ. A tradeoff between perceived predation risk and energy conservation revealed by an immune challenge experiment. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nord
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Dept of Biology; Ecology Building, Lund Univ.; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Sandra Sköld-Chiriac
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Dept of Biology; Ecology Building, Lund Univ.; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
- MEMEG, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, Ecology Building, Lund Univ.; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Dennis Hasselquist
- MEMEG, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, Ecology Building, Lund Univ.; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Dept of Biology; Ecology Building, Lund Univ.; SE-223 62 Lund Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Sköld-Chiriac S, Nord A, Nilsson JÅ, Hasselquist D. Physiological and Behavioral Responses to an Acute-Phase Response in Zebra Finches: Immediate and Short-Term Effects. Physiol Biochem Zool 2014; 87:288-98. [DOI: 10.1086/674789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
34
|
Dominoni DM, Carmona-Wagner EO, Hofmann M, Kranstauber B, Partecke J. Individual-based measurements of light intensity provide new insights into the effects of artificial light at night on daily rhythms of urban-dwelling songbirds. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:681-92. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Davide M. Dominoni
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz Germany
| | | | - Michaela Hofmann
- Department of Biology; Ludwig-Maximilians University; Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 Munich Germany
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz Germany
| | - Jesko Partecke
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Steiger SS, Valcu M, Spoelstra K, Helm B, Wikelski M, Kempenaers B. When the sun never sets: diverse activity rhythms under continuous daylight in free-living arctic-breeding birds. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131016. [PMID: 23782884 PMCID: PMC3712422 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks are centrally involved in the regulation of daily behavioural and physiological processes. These clocks are synchronized to the 24 h day by external cues (Zeitgeber), the most important of which is the light–dark cycle. In polar environments, however, the strength of the Zeitgeber is greatly reduced around the summer and winter solstices (continuous daylight or continuous darkness). How animals time their behaviour under such conditions has rarely been studied in the wild. Using a radio-telemetry-based system, we investigated daily activity rhythms under continuous daylight in Barrow, Alaska, throughout the breeding season in four bird species that differ in mating system and parental behaviour. We found substantial diversity in daily activity rhythms depending on species, sex and breeding stage. Individuals exhibited either robust, entrained 24 h activity cycles, were continuously active (arrhythmic) or showed ‘free-running’ activity cycles. In semipalmated sandpipers, a shorebird with biparental incubation, we show that the free-running rhythm is synchronized between pair mates. The diversity of diel time-keeping under continuous daylight emphasizes the plasticity of the circadian system, and the importance of the social and life-history context. Our results support the idea that circadian behaviour can be adaptively modified to enable species-specific time-keeping under polar conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silke S Steiger
- Department Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hegemann A, Matson KD, Versteegh MA, Villegas A, Tieleman BI. Immune response to an endotoxin challenge involves multiple immune parameters and is consistent among the annual-cycle stages of a free-living temperate zone bird. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:2573-80. [PMID: 23531817 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.083147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Trade-offs between immune function and other physiological and behavioural processes are central in ecoimmunology, but one important problem is how to distinguish a reallocation of resources away from the immune system from a reallocation or redistribution within the immune system. While variation in baseline values of individual immune parameters is well established, studies in wild animals on multiple parameters during an immune response are lacking. It also remains to be tested whether and how immune responses correlate with baseline values that vary, for example, over the course of an annual cycle. We studied immunological responses to an endotoxin challenge in skylarks (Alauda arvensis), a partial migrant bird breeding in temperate zones. We compared birds injected with the endotoxin LPS with un-injected controls, characterizing immunological responses with leukocyte profiles, titres of lytic enzymes and natural antibodies, and concentrations of haptoglobin and heat shock proteins. We did this in five annual-cycle stages to test whether the response varied throughout the year. The endotoxin challenge affected six of 10 measured parameters. Lysis titres and proportions of heterophils increased; haptoglobin concentrations and proportions of lymphocytes, basophils and eosinophils decreased. The variable effects on different immune components demonstrate the complexity of an immune response. We found no evidence that the response differed between annual-cycle stages. The response was independent of baseline measures taken directly upon capture in the field, indicating that birds were facing no immunological ceiling when mounting an immune response. Values of five parameters collected under field conditions were significantly related to values taken under standardized laboratory conditions. We conclude that multiple parts of the immune system are modulated during an immunological response and that responses are not re-organized throughout the annual cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arne Hegemann
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Adelman JS, Kirkpatrick L, Grodio JL, Hawley DM. House finch populations differ in early inflammatory signaling and pathogen tolerance at the peak of Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection. Am Nat 2013; 181:674-89. [PMID: 23594550 DOI: 10.1086/670024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Host individuals and populations often vary in their responses to infection, with direct consequences for pathogen spread and evolution. While considerable work has focused on the mechanisms underlying differences in resistance-the ability to kill pathogens-we know little about the mechanisms underlying tolerance-the ability to minimize fitness losses per unit pathogen. Here, we examine patterns and mechanisms of tolerance between two populations of house finches (Haemorhous [formerly Carpodacus] mexicanus) with different histories with the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). After infection in a common environment, we assessed two metrics of pathology, mass loss and eye lesion severity, as proxies for fitness. We calculated tolerance using two methods, one based on pathology and pathogen load at the peak of infection (point tolerance) and the other based on the integrals of these metrics over time (range tolerance). Alabama birds, which have a significantly longer history of exposure to MG, showed more pronounced point tolerance than Arizona birds, while range tolerance did not differ between populations. Alabama birds also displayed lower inflammatory cytokine signaling and lower fever early in infection. These results suggest that differences in inflammatory processes, which can significantly damage host tissues, may contribute to variation in tolerance among house finch individuals and populations. Such variation can affect pathogen spread and evolution in ways not predictable by resistance alone and sheds light on the costs and benefits of inflammation in wild animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S Adelman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Nebel S, Buehler DM, MacMillan A, Guglielmo CG. Flight performance of western sandpipers Calidris mauri remains uncompromised when mounting an acute phase immune response. J Exp Biol 2013; 216:2752-9. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.083204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Migratory birds have been implicated in the spread of some zoonotic diseases, but how well infected individuals can fly remains poorly understood. We used western sandpipers Calidris mauri to experimentally test whether flight is affected when long-distance migrants are mounting an immune response and whether migrants maintain immune defences during a flight in a wind tunnel. We measured five indicators of innate immunity in ‘flown-healthy’ birds (flying in a wind tunnel without mounting an immune response),’flown-sick’ birds (flying while mounting an acute phase response, which is part of induced innate immunity), and a non-flying control group. Voluntary flight duration did not differ between ‘flown-healthy’ and ‘flown-sick’ birds, indicating that mounting an acute phase response to simulated infection did not hamper an individual’s ability to fly for up to three hours. However, in comparison to ‘not flown’ birds bacterial killing ability of plasma was significantly reduced after flight in ‘flown-sick’ birds. In ‘flown-healthy’ birds, voluntary flight duration was positively correlated with bacterial killing ability and baseline haptoglobin concentration of the blood plasma measured 1 - 3 weeks before experimental flights, suggesting that high quality birds had strong immune systems and greater flight capacity. Our findings indicate that flight performance is not diminished by prior immune challenge, but that flight while mounting an acute phase response negatively affects other aspects of immune function. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the transmission of avian diseases, as they suggest that birds can still migrate while fighting an infection.
Collapse
|
39
|
Ashley NT, Weil ZM, Nelson RJ. Inflammation: Mechanisms, Costs, and Natural Variation. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2012. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-040212-092530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Ashley
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101;
| | - Zachary M. Weil
- Department of Neuroscience, Wexner College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210; ,
| | - Randy J. Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Wexner College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210; ,
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Nord A, Chiriac S, Hasselquist D, Nilsson JÅ. Endotoxin injection attenuates rest-phase hypothermia in wintering great tits through the onset of fever. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology; Section for Evolutionary Ecology; Lund University; Ecology Building; SE-223 62; Lund; Sweden
| | | | - Dennis Hasselquist
- Department of Biology, MEMEG, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group; Lund University; Ecology Building; SE-223 62; Lund; Sweden
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Department of Biology; Section for Evolutionary Ecology; Lund University; Ecology Building; SE-223 62; Lund; Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Owen JC, Nakamura A, Coon CA, Martin LB. The effect of exogenous corticosterone on West Nile virus infection in Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). Vet Res 2012; 43:34. [PMID: 22520572 PMCID: PMC3372427 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-43-34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between stress and disease is thought to be unambiguous: chronic stress induces immunosuppression, which likely increases the risk of infection. However, this link has not been firmly established in wild animals, particularly whether stress hormones affect host responses to zoonotic pathogens, which can be transmitted to domesticated animal, wildlife and human populations. Due to the dynamic effects of stress hormones on immune functions, stress hormones may make hosts better or poorer amplifying hosts for a pathogen contingent on context and the host species evaluated. Using an important zoonotic pathogen, West Nile virus (WNV) and a competent host, the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), we tested the effects of exogenous corticosterone on response to WNV infection. Corticosterone was administered at levels that individuals enduring chronic stressors (i.e., long-term inclement weather, food shortage, anthropogenic pollution) might experience in the wild. Corticosterone greatly impacted mortality: half of the corticosterone-implanted cardinals died between five - 11 days post-inoculation whereas only one of nine empty-implanted (control) birds died. No differences were found in viral titer between corticosterone- and empty-implanted birds. However, cardinals that survived infections had significantly higher average body temperatures during peak infection than individuals that died. In sum, this study indicates that elevated corticosterone could affect the survival of WNV-infected wild birds, suggesting that populations may be disproportionately at-risk to disease in stressful environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Owen
- 13 Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Lazerte SE, Kramer DL. Using thermosensitive radiotelemetry to document rest and activity in a semifossorial rodent. WILDLIFE SOC B 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
43
|
Marais M, Maloney SK, Gray DA. The development of endotoxin tolerance, and the role of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function and glucocorticoids in Pekin ducks. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:3378-85. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.056499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Endotoxin tolerance represents a state of abated immunological responsiveness to pyrogens, which, in mammals, leads to the decline or abolition of the fever response. The development of endotoxin tolerance in birds is not well understood; consequently, the impact of repeated pathogenic exposure on the avian febrile response, and thus on the ability of birds to fight recurrent infection, is not known. We determined the effect of repeated injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the febrile response of Pekin ducks. We gave ducks five injections of LPS, spaced 1, 4 or 10 days apart, and recorded their core body temperature with abdominally implanted temperature data loggers. Once we established that Pekin ducks developed endotoxin tolerance, we investigated the effect of repeated injections of LPS on the central and peripheral segments of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in an attempt to elucidate the role of glucocorticoids in the modulation of the febrile response during the tolerant period. When our ducks became tolerant to LPS, they had significantly higher basal levels of plasma corticosterone (CORT, the principal glucocorticoid in birds), and their HPA response to treatment with LPS was blunted. We propose that the augmented levels of basal plasma CORT resulted from sensitized HPA function, and this, in turn, contributed to the development of endotoxin tolerance. Regulation of the circulating level of CORT might be a possible target for the re-establishment of appropriate immune responses in birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manette Marais
- School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
| | - Shane K. Maloney
- Physiology, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular, and Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David A. Gray
- School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Martin LB, Kidd L, Liebl AL, Coon CAC. Captivity induces hyper-inflammation in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). J Exp Biol 2011; 214:2579-85. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.057216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Some species thrive in captivity but others exhibit extensive psychological and physiological deficits, which can be a challenge to animal husbandry and conservation as well as wild immunology. Here, we investigated whether captivity duration impacted the regulation of a key innate immune response, inflammation, of a common wild bird species, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Inflammation is one of the most commonly induced and fast-acting immune responses animals mount upon exposure to a parasite. However, attenuation and resolution of inflammatory responses are partly coordinated by glucocorticoid hormones, hormones that can be disregulated in captivity. Here, we tested whether captivity duration alters corticosterone regulation and hence the inflammatory response by comparing the following responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; a Gram-negative bacteria component that induces inflammation) of birds caught wild and injected immediately versus those held for 2 or 4 weeks in standard conditions: (1) the magnitude of leukocyte immune gene expression [the cytokines, interleukin 1β and interleukin 6, and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)], (2) the rate of clearance of endotoxin, and (3) the release of corticosterone (CORT) in response to endotoxin (LPS). We predicted that captivity duration would increase baseline CORT and thus suppress gene expression and endotoxin clearance rate. However, our predictions were not supported: TLR4 expression increased with time in captivity irrespective of LPS, and cytokine expression to LPS was stronger the longer birds remained captive. Baseline CORT was not affected by captivity duration, but CORT release post-LPS occurred only in wild birds. Lastly, sparrows held captive for 4 weeks maintained significantly higher levels of circulating endotoxin than other groups, perhaps due to leakage of microbes from the gut, but exogenous LPS did not increase circulating levels over the time scale samples were collected. Altogether, captivity appears to have induced a hyper-inflammatory state in house sparrows, perhaps due to disregulation of glucocorticoids, natural microflora or both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B. Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Laura Kidd
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Andrea L. Liebl
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Courtney A. C. Coon
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Coon CAC, Warne RW, Martin LB. Acute-phase responses vary with pathogen identity in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2011; 300:R1418-25. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00187.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pathogens may induce different immune responses in hosts contingent on pathogen characteristics, host characteristics, or interactions between the two. We investigated whether the broadly effective acute-phase response (APR), a whole body immune response that occurs in response to constitutive immune receptor activation and includes fever, secretion of immune peptides, and sickness behaviors such as anorexia and lethargy, varies with pathogen identity in the house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ). Birds were challenged with a subcutaneous injection of either a glucan at 0.7 mg/kg (to simulate fungal infection), a synthetic double-stranded RNA at 25 mg/kg (to simulate viral infection), or LPS at 1 mg/kg (to simulate a gram-negative bacterial infection), and then body mass, core body temperature changes, sickness behaviors, and secretion of an acute-phase protein, haptoglobin, were compared. Despite using what are moderate-to-high pyrogen doses for other vertebrates, only house sparrows challenged with LPS showed measurable APRs. Febrile, behavioral, and physiological responses to fungal and viral mimetics had minimal effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A. C. Coon
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, Florida; and
| | - Robin W. Warne
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Lynn B. Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, Florida; and
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Demas GE, Zysling DA, Beechler BR, Muehlenbein MP, French SS. Beyond phytohaemagglutinin: assessing vertebrate immune function across ecological contexts. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:710-30. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01813.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
|
47
|
Marais M, Maloney SK, Gray DA. Ambient temperature modulates the magnitude of LPS-induced fevers in Pekin ducks. J Therm Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2010.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
48
|
Hawley DM, Altizer SM. Disease ecology meets ecological immunology: understanding the links between organismal immunity and infection dynamics in natural populations. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01753.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana M. Hawley
- Department of Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Sonia M. Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Affiliation(s)
- Raoul K. Boughton
- Avian Ecology, Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, Florida, USA
| | - Gerrit Joop
- Institute of Integrative Biology,
Experimental Ecology, ETH Zürich, CH‐8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sophie A.O. Armitage
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, D‐48149 Münster, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Adelman JS, Bentley GE, Wingfield JC, Martin LB, Hau M. Population differences in fever and sickness behaviors in a wild passerine: a role for cytokines. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:4099-109. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.049528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Immune responses benefit hosts by clearing pathogens, but they also incur physiological costs and tissue damage. While wild animals differ in how they balance these costs and benefits, the physiological mechanisms underlying such differential investment in immunity remain unknown. Uncovering these mechanisms is crucial to determining how and where selection acts to shape immunological defense. Among free-living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in western North America, sickness-induced lethargy and fever are more pronounced in Southern California than in Washington and Alaska. We brought song sparrows from two populations (Southern California and Washington) into captivity to determine whether these differences persist in a common environment and what physiological signals facilitate such differences. As in free-living sparrows, captive California birds exhibited more pronounced fever and lethargy than Washington birds in response to lipopolysaccharide, a non-pathogenic antigen that mimics bacterial infection. After treatment, the two populations showed similar reductions in luteinizing hormone levels, food intake and body mass, although treated birds from California lost more breast muscle tissue than treated birds from Washington. Moreover, California birds displayed higher bioactivity of interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and marginally higher levels of corticosterone, a steroid hormone involved in stress, metabolism and regulating inflammatory responses. Our results show that immunological differences between these populations cannot be explained by immediate environment alone and may reflect genetic, maternal or early-life effects. Additionally, they suggest that cytokines play a role in shaping immunological variation among wild vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S. Adelman
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - George E. Bentley
- University of California at Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Bldg #3140, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
| | - John C. Wingfield
- University of California at Davis, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Lynn B. Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, 4202 East Fowler Ave., SCA110, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Michaela Hau
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| |
Collapse
|