1
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Monaghan P. Linking telomere dynamics to evolution, life history and environmental change: perspectives, predictions and problems. Biogerontology 2024; 25:301-311. [PMID: 38252370 PMCID: PMC10998769 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-023-10081-8] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
This perspectives paper considers the value of studying telomere biology outside of a biomedical context. I provide illustrative examples of the kinds of questions that evolutionary ecologists have addressed in studies of telomere dynamics in non-model species, primarily metazoan animals, and what this can contribute to our understanding of their evolution, life histories and health. I also discuss why the predicted relationships between telomere dynamics and life history traits, based on the detailed cellular studies in humans and model organisms, are not always found in studies in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pat Monaghan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, Graham Kerr Building University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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2
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Palacios-Marquez JJ, Guevara-Fiore P. Parasitism in viviparous vertebrates: an overview. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:53. [PMID: 38100003 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08083-z] [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: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The reproductive mode of viviparity has independently evolved in various animal taxa. It refers to the condition in which the embryos or young develop inside the female's body during gestation, providing advantages such as protection, nutrition, and improved survival chances. However, parasites and diseases can be an evolutionary force that limit the host's resources, leading to physiological, morphological, and behavioral changes that impose additional costs on both the pregnant female and her offspring. This review integrates the primary literature published between 1980 and 2021 on the parasitism of viviparous hosts. We describe aspects such as reproductive investment in females, offspring sex ratios, lactation investment in mammals, alterations in birth intervals, current reproductive investment, variations between environments, immune system activity in response to immunological challenges, and other factors that can influence the interaction between viviparous females and parasites. Maintaining pregnancy incurs costs in managing the mother's resources and regulating the immune system's responses to the offspring, while simultaneously maintaining an adequate defense against parasites and pathogens. Parasites can significantly influence this reproductive mode: parasitized females adjust their investment in survival and reproduction based on their life history, environmental factors, and the diversity of encountered parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Palacios-Marquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edificio Bio-1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, 72580, Puebla, CP, Mexico
| | - Palestina Guevara-Fiore
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edificio Bio-1, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Jardines de San Manuel, 72580, Puebla, CP, Mexico.
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3
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Zhu P, Liu W, Zhang X, Li M, Liu G, Yu Y, Li Z, Li X, Du J, Wang X, Grueter CC, Li M, Zhou X. Correlated evolution of social organization and lifespan in mammals. Nat Commun 2023; 14:372. [PMID: 36720880 PMCID: PMC9889386 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Discerning the relationship between sociality and longevity would permit a deeper understanding of how animal life history evolved. Here, we perform a phylogenetic comparative analysis of ~1000 mammalian species on three states of social organization (solitary, pair-living, and group-living) and longevity. We show that group-living species generally live longer than solitary species, and that the transition rate from a short-lived state to a long-lived state is higher in group-living than non-group-living species, altogether supporting the correlated evolution of social organization and longevity. The comparative brain transcriptomes of 94 mammalian species identify 31 genes, hormones and immunity-related pathways broadly involved in the association between social organization and longevity. Further selection features reveal twenty overlapping pathways under selection for both social organization and longevity. These results underscore a molecular basis for the influence of the social organization on longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingfen Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Weiqiang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Meng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Gaoming Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yang Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zihao Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuanjing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Juan Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Cyril C Grueter
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.,International Center of Biodiversity and Primate Conservation, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, 671003, China
| | - Ming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Xuming Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Beijing, 100101, China.
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4
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Carbillet J, Hollain M, Rey B, Palme R, Pellerin M, Regis C, Geffré A, Duhayer J, Pardonnet S, Debias F, Merlet J, Lemaître JF, Verheyden H, Gilot-Fromont E. Age and spatio-temporal variations in food resources modulate stress-immunity relationships in three populations of wild roe deer. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 330:114141. [PMID: 36272446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Living in variable and unpredictable environments, organisms face recurrent stressful situations. The endocrine stress response, which includes the secretion of glucocorticoids, helps organisms to cope with these perturbations. Although short-term elevations of glucocorticoid levels are often associated with immediate beneficial consequences for individuals, long-term glucocorticoid elevation can compromise key physiological functions such as immunity. While laboratory works highlighted the immunosuppressive effect of long-term elevated glucocorticoids, it remains largely unknown, especially in wild animals, whether this relationship is modulated by individual and environmental characteristics. In this study, we explored the co-variation between integrated cortisol levels, assessed non-invasively using faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs), and 12 constitutive indices of innate, inflammatory, and adaptive immune functions, in wild roe deer living in three populations with previously known contrasting environmental conditions. Using longitudinal data on 564 individuals, we further investigated whether age and spatio-temporal variations in the quantity and quality of food resources modulate the relationship between FCMs and immunity. Negative covariation with glucocorticoids was evident only for innate and inflammatory markers of immunity, while adaptive immunity appeared to be positively or not linked to glucocorticoids. In addition, the negative covariations were generally stronger in individuals facing harsh environmental constraints and in old individuals. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of measuring multiple immune markers of immunity in individuals from contrasted environments to unravel the complex relationships between glucocorticoids and immunity in wild animals. Our results also help explain conflicting results found in the literature and could improve our understanding of the link between elevated glucocorticoid levels and disease spread, and its consequences on population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Carbillet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, 31326, France; LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, 31320, France; Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, 69280, France; Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu 51014, Estonia.
| | - Marine Hollain
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France; Office Français de la biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, Chateauvillain 52210, France
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Maryline Pellerin
- Office Français de la biodiversité, Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui Scientifique, Service Conservation et Gestion Durable des Espèces Exploitées, Chateauvillain 52210, France
| | - Corinne Regis
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
| | - Anne Geffré
- Equipe de Biologie médicale-Histologie, CREFRE, Inserm-UPS-ENVT, Toulouse 31000, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
| | - François Debias
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
| | - Joël Merlet
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, 31326, France; LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, 31320, France
| | | | - Hélène Verheyden
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CEFS, Castanet Tolosan, 31326, France; LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, 31320, France
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, 69280, France; Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, UMR CNRS 5558, Villeurbanne Cedex 69100, France
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5
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Bichet C, Régis C, Gilot‐Fromont E, Cohas A. Variations in immune parameters with age in a wild rodent population and links with survival. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9094. [PMID: 35845372 PMCID: PMC9273568 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent findings suggest that immune functions do not unidirectionally deteriorate with age but that a potentially adaptive remodeling, where functions of the immune system get downregulated while others get upregulated with age could also occur. Scarce in wild populations, longitudinal studies are yet necessary to properly understand the patterns and consequences of age variations of the immune system in the wild. Meanwhile, it is challenging to understand if the observed variations in immune parameters with age are due to changes at the within-individual level or to selective (dis)appearance of individuals with peculiar immune phenotypes. Thanks to a long-term and longitudinal monitoring of a wild Alpine marmot population, we aimed to understand within- and between-individual variation in the immune phenotype with age, in order to improve our knowledge about the occurrence and the evolutionary consequences of such age variations in the wild. To do so, we recorded the age-specific leukocyte concentration and leukocyte profile in repeatedly sampled dominant individuals. We then tested whether the potential changes with age were attributable to within-individual variations and/or selective (dis)appearance. Finally, we investigated if the leukocyte concentration and profiles were correlated to the probability of death at a given age. The leukocyte concentration was stable with age, but the relative number of lymphocytes decreased, while the relative number of neutrophils increased, over the course of an individual's life. Moreover, between individuals of the same age, individuals with fewer lymphocytes but more neutrophils were more likely to die. Therefore, selective disappearance seems to play a role in the age variations of the immune parameters in this population. Further investigations linking age variations in immune phenotype to individual fitness are needed to understand whether remodeling of the immune system with age could or could not be adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coraline Bichet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCNRS‐La Rochelle UniversitéVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
- Institut für Vogelforschung "Vogelwarte Helgoland" (Institute of Avian Research)WilhelmshavenGermany
- UMR‐CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1VilleurbanneFrance
| | - Corinne Régis
- UMR‐CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1VilleurbanneFrance
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot‐Fromont
- UMR‐CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1VilleurbanneFrance
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro SupMarcy‐l'EtoileFrance
| | - Aurélie Cohas
- UMR‐CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie ÉvolutiveUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1VilleurbanneFrance
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)ParisFrance
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6
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Manlove KR, Roug A, Sinclair K, Ricci LE, Hersey KR, Martinez C, Martinez MA, Mower K, Ortega T, Rominger E, Ruhl C, Tatman N, Taylor J. Bighorn sheep show similar in-host responses to the same pathogen strain in two contrasting environments. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9109. [PMID: 35866023 PMCID: PMC9288933 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological context-the biotic and abiotic environment, along with its influence on population mixing dynamics and individual susceptibility-is thought to have major bearing on epidemic outcomes. However, direct comparisons of wildlife disease events in contrasting ecological contexts are often confounded by concurrent differences in host genetics, exposure histories, or pathogen strains. Here, we compare disease dynamics of a Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae spillover event that affected bighorn sheep populations in two contrasting ecological contexts. One event occurred on the herd's home range near the Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico, while the other occurred in a captive facility at Hardware Ranch in Utah. While data collection regimens varied, general patterns of antibody signal strength and symptom emergence were conserved between the two sites. Symptoms appeared in the captive setting an average of 12.9 days postexposure, average time to seroconversion was 24.9 days, and clinical signs peaked at approximately 36 days postinfection. These patterns were consistent with serological testing and subsequent declines in symptom intensity in the free-ranging herd. At the captive site, older animals exhibited more severe declines in body condition and loin thickness, higher symptom burdens, and slower antibody response to the pathogen than younger animals. Younger animals were more likely than older animals to clear infection by the time of sampling at both sites. The patterns presented here suggest that environment may not be a major determinant of epidemiological outcomes in the bighorn sheep-M. ovipneumoniae system, elevating the possibility that host- or pathogen-factors may be responsible for observed variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia R. Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Annette Roug
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of PretoriaOnderstepoortSouth Africa
| | - Kylie Sinclair
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Lauren E. Ricci
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Kent R. Hersey
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | | | | | - Kerry Mower
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Talisa Ortega
- Taos Pueblo Division of Natural ResourcesTaosNew MexicoUSA
| | - Eric Rominger
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Caitlin Ruhl
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Nicole Tatman
- New Mexico Department of Game and FishSanta FeNew MexicoUSA
| | - Jace Taylor
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- US Fish and Wildlife ServiceWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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7
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Lemaître J, Rey B, Gaillard J, Régis C, Gilot‐Fromont E, Débias F, Duhayer J, Pardonnet S, Pellerin M, Haghani A, Zoller JA, Li CZ, Horvath S. DNA methylation as a tool to explore ageing in wild roe deer populations. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:1002-1015. [PMID: 34665921 PMCID: PMC9297961 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation-based biomarkers of ageing (epigenetic clocks) promise to lead to new insights into evolutionary biology of ageing. Relatively little is known about how the natural environment affects epigenetic ageing effects in wild species. In this study, we took advantage of a unique long-term (>40 years) longitudinal monitoring of individual roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) living in two wild populations (Chizé and Trois-Fontaines, France) facing different ecological contexts, to investigate the relationship between chronological age and levels of DNA methylation (DNAm). We generated novel DNA methylation data from n = 94 blood samples, from which we extracted leucocyte DNA, using a custom methylation array (HorvathMammalMethylChip40). We present three DNA methylation-based estimators of age (DNAm or epigenetic age), which were trained in males, females, and both sexes combined. We investigated how sex differences influenced the relationship between DNAm age and chronological age using sex-specific epigenetic clocks. Our results highlight that old females may display a lower degree of biological ageing than males. Further, we identify the main sites of epigenetic alteration that have distinct ageing patterns between the two sexes. These findings open the door to promising avenues of research at the crossroads of evolutionary biology and biogerontology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐François Lemaître
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Jean‐Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Corinne Régis
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Emmanuelle Gilot‐Fromont
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
- Université de LyonVetAgro SupMarcy‐l'EtoileFrance
| | - François Débias
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie EvolutiveUMR5558Université de LyonUniversité Lyon 1CNRSVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Maryline Pellerin
- Direction de la Recherche et de l'Appui ScientifiqueOffice Français de la BiodiversitéUnité Ongulés SauvagesGapFrance
| | - Amin Haghani
- Human GeneticsDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos Angeles CaliforniaUSA
| | - Joseph A. Zoller
- Department of BiostatisticsFielding School of Public HealthUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Caesar Z. Li
- Department of BiostatisticsFielding School of Public HealthUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Human GeneticsDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos Angeles CaliforniaUSA
- Department of BiostatisticsFielding School of Public HealthUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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8
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Corripio-Miyar Y, Hayward A, Lemon H, Sweeny AR, Bal X, Kenyon F, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Nussey DH, McNeilly TN. Functionally distinct T-helper cell phenotypes predict resistance to different types of parasites in a wild mammal. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3197. [PMID: 35210503 PMCID: PMC8873199 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07149-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive immune system is critical to an effective response to infection in vertebrates, with T-helper (Th) cells pivotal in orchestrating these responses. In natural populations where co-infections are the norm, different Th responses are likely to play an important role in maintaining host health and fitness, a relationship which remains poorly understood in wild animals. In this study, we characterised variation in functionally distinct Th responses in a wild population of Soay sheep by enumerating cells expressing Th-subset specific transcription factors and quantifying Th-associated cytokines. We tested the prediction that raised Th1 and Th2 responses should predict reduced apicomplexan and helminth parasite burdens, respectively. All measures of Th-associated cytokine production increased with age, while Th17- and regulatory Th-associated cytokine production increased more rapidly with age in males than females. Independent of age, sex, and each other, IL-4 and Gata3 negatively predicted gastro-intestinal nematode faecal egg count, while IFN-γ negatively predicted coccidian faecal oocyst count. Our results provide important support from outside the laboratory that Th1 and Th2 responses predict resistance to different kinds of parasites, and illustrate how harnessing specific reagents and tools from laboratory immunology will illuminate our understanding of host-parasite interactions in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Corripio-Miyar
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK.
| | - Adam Hayward
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Hannah Lemon
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Amy R Sweeny
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Xavier Bal
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Fiona Kenyon
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
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9
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Torfs JRR, Eens M, Laméris DW, Staes N. Respiratory Disease Risk of Zoo-Housed Bonobos Is Associated with Sex and Betweenness Centrality in the Proximity Network. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3597. [PMID: 34944372 PMCID: PMC8698162 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases can be considered a threat to animal welfare and are commonly spread through both direct and indirect social interactions with conspecifics. This is especially true for species with complex social lives, like primates. While several studies have investigated the impact of sociality on disease risk in primates, only a handful have focused on respiratory disease, despite it being a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both wild and captive populations and thus an important threat to primate welfare. Therefore, we examined the role of social-network position on the occurrence of respiratory disease symptoms during one winter season in a relatively large group of 20 zoo-housed bonobos with managed fission-fusion dynamics. We found that within the proximity network, symptoms were more likely to occur in individuals with higher betweenness centrality, which are individuals that form bridges between different parts of the network. Symptoms were also more likely to occur in males than in females, independent of their social-network position. Taken together, these results highlight a combined role of close proximity and sex in increased risk of attracting respiratory disease, two factors that can be taken into account for further welfare management of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas R. R. Torfs
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
| | - Daan W. Laméris
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicky Staes
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
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10
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Roast MJ, Hidalgo Aranzamendi N, Teunissen N, Fan M, Verhulst S, Peters A. No Evidence for Constitutive Innate Immune Senescence in a Longitudinal Study of a Wild Bird. Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 95:54-65. [PMID: 34870562 DOI: 10.1086/717937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAging is associated with declines in physiological performance; declining immune defenses particularly could have consequences for age-related fitness and survival. In aging vertebrates, adaptive (memory-based) immune responses typically become impaired, innate (nonspecific) responses undergo lesser declines, and inflammation increases. Longitudinal studies of immune functions in wild animals are rare, yet they are needed to understand immunosenescence under evolutionarily relevant conditions. Using longitudinal data from a tropical passerine (Malurus coronatus) population, we investigate how population trends emerge from within-individual changes and between-individual heterogeneity (e.g., selective disappearance) in immune status. We quantified constitutive immune indexes (haptoglobin [inflammation associated], natural antibodies, complement [lytic] activity, and heterophil-lymphocyte ratio; n=505-631) in individuals sampled one to seven times over 5 yr. Unexpectedly, longitudinal analyses showed no age-related change within individuals in any immune index, despite sufficient power to detect within-individual change. Between individuals, we found age-related declines in natural antibodies and increases in heterophil-lymphocyte ratios. However, selective disappearance could not adequately explain between-individual age effects, and longitudinal models could not explain our data better than cross-sectional analyses. The lack of clear within-individual immunosenescence is itself notable. Persistent levels of haptoglobin, complement activity, and natural antibodies into old age suggests that these immune components are maintained, potentially with adaptive significance.
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11
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Reichert S, Berger V, Dos Santos DJF, Lahdenperä M, Nyein UK, Htut W, Lummaa V. Age related variation of health markers in Asian elephants. Exp Gerontol 2021; 157:111629. [PMID: 34800624 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although senescence is often observed in the wild, its underlying mechanistic causes can rarely be studied alongside its consequences, because data on health, molecular and physiological measures of senescence are rare. Documenting how different age-related changes in health accelerate ageing at a mechanistic level is key if we are to better understand the ageing process. Nevertheless, very few studies, particularly on natural populations of long-lived animals, have investigated age-related variation in biological markers of health and sex differences therein. Using blood samples collected from semi-captive Asian elephants, we show that pronounced differences in haematology, blood chemistry, immune, and liver functions among age classes are also evident under natural conditions in this extremely long-lived mammal. We provide strong support that overall health declined with age, with progressive declines in immune and liver functions similarly in both males and females. These changes parallel those mainly observed to-date in humans and laboratory mammals, and suggest a certain ubiquity in the ageing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Reichert
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Vérane Berger
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | | | - Mirkka Lahdenperä
- Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - U Kyaw Nyein
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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12
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Hasselquist D, Tobler M. The Accumulating Costs Hypothesis—to Better Understand Delayed “Hidden” Costs of Seemingly Mild Disease and Other Moderate Stressors. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.685057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild diseases and moderate stressors are seemingly harmless and are therefore often assumed to have negligible impact on Darwinian fitness. Here we argue that the effects of “benign” parasites and other moderate stressors may have a greater impact on lifespan and other fitness traits than generally thought. We outline the “accumulating costs” hypothesis which proposes that moderate strains on the body caused by mild diseases and other moderate stressors that occur throughout life will result in small irreversible “somatic lesions” that initially are invisible (i.e., induce “hidden” costs). However, over time these somatic lesions accumulate until their summed effect reaches a critical point when cell senescence and malfunction begin to affect organ functionality and lead to the onset of degenerative diseases and aging. We briefly discuss three potential mechanisms through which the effects of moderate strains (e.g., mild diseases) could accumulate: Accelerated telomere shortening, loss of repetitious cell compartments and other uncorrected DNA damage in the genome. We suggest that telomere shortening may be a key candidate for further research with respect to the accumulating costs hypothesis. Telomeres can acquire lesions from moderate strains without immediate negative effects, lesions can be accumulated over time and lead to a critically short telomere length, which may eventually cause severe somatic malfunctioning, including aging. If effects of mild diseases, benign parasites and moderate stressors accrued throughout life can have severe delayed consequences, this might contribute to our understanding of life history strategies and trade-offs, and have important implications for medicine, including consideration of treatment therapies for mild (chronic) infections such as malaria.
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13
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Bourgoin G, Portanier E, Poirel MT, Itty C, Duhayer J, Benabed S, Cockenpot A, Callait-Cardinal MP, Garel M. Reproductive females and young mouflon ( Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp.) in poor body condition are the main spreaders of gastrointestinal parasites. Parasitology 2021; 148:809-818. [PMID: 33593470 PMCID: PMC11010168 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Several individual, environmental and parasitic factors can influence the impacts of parasites on host's fitness and on host's ability to transmit these parasites to new hosts. Identifying these factors and the individuals who play a greater role in parasite transmission is of main concern for the development of parasite control strategies. In the present study, we aimed to describe the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites and to identify the individual factors influencing the faecal spreading of parasites in a free-ranging population of Mediterranean mouflon. From the analysis of 433 faecal samples, we found Eimeria spp. and gastrointestinal strongyles (GIS) were the most common parasites (>94%). The faecal oocyst counts of Eimeria spp. were the highest during the first years of life. It was 1.6 times higher in females than in males and 2.5 times higher in individuals in poor than in good body condition. Similarly, the faecal egg count of GIS was higher in females and decreased with age, but only in males. Finally, reproductive females had GIS faecal egg count values 2.6 times higher than non-reproductive females. Management strategies of parasites should thus primarily focus on reproductive females and young individuals in poor body condition as they represent the main contamination source of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Bourgoin
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elodie Portanier
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marie-Thérèse Poirel
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christian Itty
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, F-38610Gières, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Slimania Benabed
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anne Cockenpot
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Marie-Pierre Callait-Cardinal
- Laboratoire de parasitologie vétérinaire, Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup – Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, F-69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, F-69622Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, F-38610Gières, France
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14
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Ferreira SCM, Veiga MM, Hofer H, East ML, Czirják GÁ. Noninvasively measured immune responses reflect current parasite infections in a wild carnivore and are linked to longevity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7685-7699. [PMID: 34188844 PMCID: PMC8216923 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Host immune defenses are important components of host-parasite interactions that affect the outcome of infection and may have fitness consequences for hosts when increased allocation of resources to immune responses undermines other essential life processes. Research on host-parasite interactions in large free-ranging wild mammals is currently hampered by a lack of verified noninvasive assays. We successfully adapted existing assays to measure innate and adaptive immune responses produced by the gastrointestinal mucosa in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) feces, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), to quantify fecal immunoglobulins (total IgA, total IgG) and total fecal O-linked oligosaccharides (mucin). We investigated the effect of infection load by an energetically costly hookworm (Ancylostoma), parasite richness, host age, sex, year of sampling, and clan membership on immune responses and asked whether high investment in immune responses during early life affects longevity in individually known spotted hyenas in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Fecal concentrations of IgA, IgG, and mucin increased with Ancylostoma egg load and were higher in juveniles than in adults. Females had higher mucin concentrations than males. Juvenile females had higher IgG concentrations than juvenile males, whereas adult females had lower IgG concentrations than adult males. High IgA concentrations during the first year of life were linked to reduced longevity after controlling for age at sampling and Ancylostoma egg load. Our study demonstrates that the use of noninvasive methods can increase knowledge on the complex relationship between gastrointestinal parasites and host local immune responses in wild large mammals and reveal fitness-relevant effects of these responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana C. M. Ferreira
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Present address:
Division of Computational Systems BiologyCentre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems ScienceViennaAustria
| | - Miguel M. Veiga
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of Veterinary MedicineFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and PharmacyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Marion L. East
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Gábor Á. Czirják
- Department of Wildlife DiseasesLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
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15
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Negrey JD, Behringer V, Langergraber KE, Deschner T. Urinary neopterin of wild chimpanzees indicates that cell-mediated immune activity varies by age, sex, and female reproductive status. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9298. [PMID: 33927233 PMCID: PMC8085242 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of free-living animal populations is necessary to understand life history trade-offs associated with immune investment. To investigate the role of life history strategies in shaping proinflammatory cell-mediated immune function, we analyzed age, sex, and reproductive status as predictors of urinary neopterin in 70 sexually mature chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. In the absence of clinical signs of acute infectious disease, neopterin levels significantly increased with age in both male and female chimpanzees, as observed in humans and several other vertebrate species. Furthermore, males exhibited higher neopterin levels than females across adulthood. Finally, females with full sexual swellings, pregnant females, and post-reproductive females, the oldest individuals in our sample, exhibited higher neopterin levels than lactating females and cycling females without full swellings. Variation in females' neopterin levels by reproductive status is consistent with post-ovulatory and pregnancy-related immune patterns documented in humans. Together, our results provide evidence of ample variation in chimpanzee immune activity corresponding to biodemographic and physiological variation. Future studies comparing immune activity across ecological conditions and social systems are essential for understanding the life histories of primates and other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D Negrey
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Verena Behringer
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kevin E Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
- Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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16
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Kroeger SB, Blumstein DT, Martin JGA. How social behaviour and life-history traits change with age and in the year prior to death in female yellow-bellied marmots. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190745. [PMID: 33678024 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in natural populations are essential to understand the evolutionary ecology of senescence and terminal allocation. While there are an increasing number of studies investigating late-life variation in different life-history traits of wild populations, little is known about these patterns in social behaviour. We used long-term individual based data on yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to quantify how affiliative social behaviours and different life-history traits vary with age and in the last year of life, and how patterns compare between the two. We found that some social behaviours and all life-history traits varied with age, whereas terminal last year of life effects were only observed in life-history traits. Our results imply that affiliative social behaviours do not act as a mechanism to adjust allocation among traits when close to death, and highlight the importance of adopting an integrative approach, studying late-life variation and senescence across multiple different traits, to allow the identification of potential trade-offs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ageing and sociality: why, when and how does sociality change ageing patterns?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja B Kroeger
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Klæbuveien 153, Trondheim 7031, Norway
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.,The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Julien G A Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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17
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Gillespie A, Yirsaw A, Kim S, Wilson K, McLaughlin J, Madigan M, Loonie K, Britton E, Zhang F, Damani-Yokota P, Gunasekaran KP, Telfer J, Baldwin CL. Gene characterization and expression of the γδ T cell co-receptor WC1 in sheep. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 116:103911. [PMID: 33137393 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sheep are known to express the hybrid co-receptor/pattern recognition receptor WC1 on their γδ T cells but details of the ovine WC1 multigenic array and gene expression were unknown. Annotation of the sheep genome assembly (Oar_rambouillet_v1.0) yielded 15 complete and 42 partial WC1 genes predicted to code for six different protein structures. RT-PCR amplification of the most distal scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR) domain known as a1, which serves as the gene signature, from genomic and cDNA templates verified the majority of annotated genes. As for cattle and goats, sheep a1 domain sequences included WC1.1 and WC1.2 types. A unique ovine gene, WC1-16, had multiple SRCR a-pattern domains in tandem similar to one found in goats. Intracytoplasmic domains of WC1 transcripts had splice variants that may affect signal transduction. The larger number of WC1 genes in sheep and differences in structures and splice variants relative to cattle could have implications in expression patterns and engagement of γδ T cells by pathogens or vaccine constructs.
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MESH Headings
- Alternative Splicing
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Cattle
- Female
- Gene Expression
- Genome/genetics
- Goats
- Membrane Glycoproteins/classification
- Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics
- Membrane Glycoproteins/metabolism
- Phylogeny
- Protein Isoforms/genetics
- Protein Isoforms/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/classification
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/metabolism
- Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Sheep/genetics
- Sheep/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Gillespie
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Al Yirsaw
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Sookyung Kim
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Katherine Wilson
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Julie McLaughlin
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Mackenzie Madigan
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Kathleen Loonie
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Emily Britton
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Fengqiu Zhang
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Payal Damani-Yokota
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Karthick P Gunasekaran
- College of Information and Computer Sciences, 140 Governors Drive, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Janice Telfer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA
| | - Cynthia L Baldwin
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, 661 N. Pleasant St, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003-9264, USA.
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18
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Elyahu Y, Monsonego A. Thymus involution sets the clock of the aging T-cell landscape: Implications for declined immunity and tissue repair. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 65:101231. [PMID: 33248315 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aging is generally characterized as a gradual increase in tissue damage, which is associated with senescence and chronic systemic inflammation and is evident in a variety of age-related diseases. The extent to which such tissue damage is a result of a gradual decline in immune regulation, which consequently compromises the capacity of the body to repair damages, has not been fully explored. Whereas CD4 T lymphocytes play a critical role in the orchestration of immunity, thymus involution initiates gradual changes in the CD4 T-cell landscape, which may significantly compromise tissue repair. In this review, we describe the lifespan accumulation of specific dysregulated CD4 T-cell subsets and their coevolution with systemic inflammation in the process of declined immunity and tissue repair capacity with age. Then, we discuss the process of thymus involution-which appears to be most pronounced around puberty-as a possible driver of the aging T-cell landscape. Finally, we identify individualized T cell-based early diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehezqel Elyahu
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Zlotowski Neuroscience Center and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Alon Monsonego
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Zlotowski Neuroscience Center and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
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19
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Evans MN, Guerrero-Sanchez S, Kille P, Müller CT, Bakar MSA, Goossens B. Physiological implications of life at the forest interface of oil palm agriculture: blood profiles of wild Malay civets ( Viverra tangalunga). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa127. [PMID: 33408869 PMCID: PMC7772617 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural development is a major threat to global biodiversity, and effective conservation actions are crucial. Physiological repercussions of life alongside human-modified landscapes can undermine adaptable species' health and population viability; however, baseline data are lacking for many wildlife species. We assessed the physiological status of a generalist carnivore, the Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga), persisting within an extensively human-modified system in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We characterized hematology and serum biochemistry panels from civets sampled across a mosaic landscape comprising tropical forest fragments and oil palm plantations. Intra-population variation in certain blood parameters were explained by expected biological drivers such as sex, age category and sampling season. Furthermore, we determined several erythrocyte measures, immune cell counts and dietary biochemistry markers significantly varied with proximity to oil palm plantation boundaries. These findings were supported by a case study, whereby blood profiles of GPS collared male civets were contrasted based on their exclusive use of forests or use of oil palm plantations. These data provide robust and valuable first insights into this species' physiological status and suggest agricultural landscapes are impacting the persisting population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan N Evans
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88100, Malaysia
| | - Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88100, Malaysia
| | - Peter Kille
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | | | | | - Benoit Goossens
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
- Danau Girang Field Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88100, Malaysia
- Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3BA, UK
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20
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Sorci G, Léchenault-Bergerot C, Faivre B. Age reduces resistance and tolerance in malaria-infected mice. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 88:104698. [PMID: 33370596 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Once infected, hosts can rely on two strategies to cope with parasites: fight them (resist the infection) or minimize the damage they induce (tolerate the infection). While there is evidence that aging reduces resistance, how tolerance varies as hosts become old has been barely studied. Here, we used a rodent malaria parasite (Plasmodium yoelii) to investigate whether 2- and 12-month old house mice differ in their capacity to resist and tolerate the infection. We found that 12-month old mice harbored higher parasitemia, showing that age reduces resistance to malaria. Infection-induced deterioration of host health was assessed using red blood cell and body mass loss. Using both traits, the rate of decline in host health, as parasitemia increased, was more pronounced in 12- than in 2-month old mice, showing that age is also associated with impaired tolerance to malaria. Overall, resistance and tolerance positively covaried; however, this was only due to the age effect, since, within age classes, the two traits were not correlated. These results show that senescing individuals might be both more susceptible to infectious diseases and less able to cope with the damage that infection induces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sorci
- Biogéosciences, CNRS UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
| | | | - Bruno Faivre
- Biogéosciences, CNRS UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
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21
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Power ML, Power S, Bertelsen MF, Jones G, Teeling EC. Wing: A suitable nonlethal tissue type for repeatable and rapid telomere length estimates in bats. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 21:421-432. [PMID: 33049101 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are used increasingly in ecology and evolution as biomarkers for ageing and environmental stress, and are typically measured from DNA extracted from nonlethally sampled blood. However, obtaining blood is not always possible in field conditions and only limited amounts can be taken from small mammals, such as bats, which moreover lack nucleated red blood cells and hence yield relatively low amounts of DNA. As telomere length can vary within species according to age and tissue, it is important to determine which tissues serve best as a representation of the organism as a whole. Here, we investigated whether wing tissue biopsies, a rapid and relatively noninvasive tissue collection method, could serve as a proxy for other tissues when measuring relative telomere length (rTL) in the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Telomeres were measured from blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver lung, muscle and wing, and multiple wing biopsies were taken from the same individuals to determine intra-individual repeatability of rTL measured by using qPCR. Wing rTL correlated with rTL estimates from most tissues apart from blood. Blood rTL was not significantly correlated with rTL from any other tissue. Blood and muscle rTLs were significantly longer compared with other tissues, while lung displayed the shortest rTLs. Individual repeatability of rTL measures from wing tissue was high (>70%). Here we show the relationships between tissue telomere dynamics for the first time in a bat, and our results provide support for the use of wing tissue for rTL measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Power
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sarahjane Power
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emma C Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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22
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Charbonnel N, Galan M, Tatard C, Loiseau A, Diagne C, Dalecky A, Parrinello H, Rialle S, Severac D, Brouat C. Differential immune gene expression associated with contemporary range expansion in two invasive rodents in Senegal. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18257. [PMID: 33106535 PMCID: PMC7589499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75060-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions are major anthropogenic changes associated with threats to biodiversity and health. However, what determines the successful establishment and spread of introduced populations remains unclear. Here, we explore several hypotheses linking invasion success and immune phenotype traits, including those based on the evolution of increased competitive ability concept. We compared gene expression profiles between anciently and recently established populations of two major invading species, the house mouse Mus musculus domesticus and the black rat Rattus rattus, in Senegal (West Africa). Transcriptome analyses identified differential expression between anciently and recently established populations for 364 mouse genes and 83 rat genes. All immune-related genes displaying differential expression along the mouse invasion route were overexpressed at three of the four recently invaded sites studied. Complement activation pathway genes were overrepresented among these genes. By contrast, no particular immunological process was found to be overrepresented among the differentially expressed genes of black rat. Changes in transcriptome profiles were thus observed along invasion routes, but with different specific patterns between the two invasive species. These changes may be driven by increases in infection risks at sites recently invaded by the house mouse, and by stochastic events associated with colonization history for the black rat. These results constitute a first step toward the identification of immune eco-evolutionary processes potentially involved in the invasion success of these two rodent species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Charbonnel
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Maxime Galan
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline Tatard
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anne Loiseau
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Diagne
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Départment de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Fann, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Hugues Parrinello
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, c/o Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Stephanie Rialle
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, c/o Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Dany Severac
- MGX-Montpellier GenomiX, c/o Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Carine Brouat
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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23
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Phillips SR, Goldberg TL, Muller MN, Machanda ZP, Otali E, Friant S, Carag J, Langergraber KE, Mitani JC, Wroblewski EE, Wrangham RW, Thompson ME. Faecal parasites increase with age but not reproductive effort in wild female chimpanzees. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190614. [PMID: 32951547 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Energy investment in reproduction is predicted to trade off against other necessary physiological functions like immunity, but it is unclear to what extent this impacts fitness in long-lived species. Among mammals, female primates, and especially apes, exhibit extensive periods of investment in each offspring. During this time, energy diverted to gestation and lactation is hypothesized to incur short and long-term deficits in maternal immunity and lead to accelerated ageing. We examined the relationship between reproduction and immunity, as measured by faecal parasite counts, in wild female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of Kibale National Park, Uganda. While we observed higher parasite shedding (counts of eggs, cysts and larvae) in pregnant chimpanzees relative to cycling females, parasites rapidly decreased during early lactation, the most energetically taxing phase of the reproductive cycle. Additionally, while our results indicate that parasite shedding increases with age, females with higher fertility for their age had lower faecal parasite counts. Such findings support the hypothesis that the relatively conservative rate of female reproduction in chimpanzees may be protective against the negative effects of reproductive effort on health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - T L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - M N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Z P Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - E Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - S Friant
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - J Carag
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - K E Langergraber
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - J C Mitani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - E E Wroblewski
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - R W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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24
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van Lieshout SHJ, Badás EP, Mason MWT, Newman C, Buesching CD, Macdonald DW, Dugdale HL. Social effects on age-related and sex-specific immune cell profiles in a wild mammal. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200234. [PMID: 32673548 PMCID: PMC7423055 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence for age-related changes in innate and adaptive immune responses is increasing in wild populations. Such changes have been linked to fitness, and knowledge of the factors driving immune response variation is important for understanding the evolution of immunity. Age-related changes in immune profiles may be owing to factors such as immune system development, sex-specific behaviour and responses to environmental conditions. Social environments may also contribute to variation in immunological responses, for example, through transmission of pathogens and stress arising from resource and mate competition. Yet, the impact of the social environment on age-related changes in immune cell profiles is currently understudied in the wild. Here, we tested the relationship between leukocyte cell composition (proportion of neutrophils and lymphocytes [innate and adaptive immunity, respectively] that were lymphocytes) and age, sex and group size in a wild population of European badgers (Meles meles). We found that the proportion of lymphocytes in early life was greater in males in smaller groups compared to larger groups, but with a faster age-related decline in smaller groups. By contrast, the proportion of lymphocytes in females was not significantly related to age or group size. Our results provide evidence of sex-specific age-related changes in immune cell profiles in a wild mammal, which are influenced by the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sil H J van Lieshout
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Elisa P Badás
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael W T Mason
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Christina D Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Lynsdale CL, Mon NO, Franco Dos Santos DJ, Aung HH, Nyein UK, Htut W, Childs D, Lummaa V. Demographic and reproductive associations with nematode infection in a long-lived mammal. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9214. [PMID: 32513991 PMCID: PMC7280280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66075-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection by macroparasites, such as nematodes, varies within vertebrate host systems; elevated infection is commonly observed in juveniles and males, and, for females, with different reproductive states. However, while such patterns are widely recognized in short-lived model systems, how they apply to long-lived hosts is comparatively understudied. Here, we investigated how infection varies with host age, sex, and female reproduction in a semi-captive population of individually marked Asian elephants Elephas maximus. We carried out 1,977 faecal egg counts (FECs) across five years to estimate nematode loads for 324 hosts. Infection patterns followed an established age-infection curve, whereby calves (5 years) exhibited the highest FECs and adults (45 years) the lowest. However, males and females had similar FECs across their long lifespan, despite distinct differences in life-history strategy and clear sexual dimorphism. Additionally, although mothers invest two years in pregnancy and a further three to five years into lactation, nematode load did not vary with four different measures of female reproduction. Our results provide a much-needed insight into the host-parasite dynamics of a long-lived host; determining host-specific associations with infection in such systems is important for broadening our knowledge of parasite ecology and provides practical applications for wildlife medicine and management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nay Oo Mon
- Department of Animal Science, University of Veterinary Science, Yezin, Myanmar
| | | | - Htoo Htoo Aung
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - U Kyaw Nyein
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Dylan Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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26
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DE LA PeÑa E, MartÍn J, Barja I, PÉrez-Caballero R, Acosta I, Carranza J. Immune challenge of mating effort: steroid hormone profile, dark ventral patch and parasite burden in relation to intrasexual competition in male Iberian red deer. Integr Zool 2020; 15:262-275. [PMID: 31912636 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone secretion may regulate the reproductive effort and the development of sexual traits, but it may also involve costs at the immunological and metabolic levels. However, the evidence for this trade-off in wild populations is scarce. Cortisol also plays an important role in mediating the reproductive and immune functions. In this study, we analyzed whether the endoparasite burden relates to hormonal levels (fecal testosterone and cortisol metabolites) and/or morphological sexual traits (size of the dark ventral patch, a trait that indicates reproductive effort in males) in male Iberian red deer. For this purpose, we sampled male red deer harvested during hunting actions in 2 types of populations in south western Spain that differed in structure, affecting the level of male-male competition for mates. We used coprological analyses to estimate the parasite burden mainly of gastrointestinal and bronchopulmonary nematodes and of protozoa, and assessed testosterone and cortisol metabolite levels from fecal pellets. We found a positive relationship of host parasitation with both testosterone levels and the size of the dark ventral patch, but these relationships depended on the intensity of male-male competition in the population, being only found under the high-competition scenario. These results are discussed under the hypothesis of the testosterone immunocompetence handicap, suggesting a cost at the immunological level, and, therefore, higher susceptibility to parasite infection in males that make a greater reproductive effort. However, this effect seems to be modulated by the social environment (male-male competition) that might lead to different optima in testosterone production and sexual trait development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva DE LA PeÑa
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - José MartÍn
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences (Spanish Research Council, CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Department of Biology, Zoology Unit, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Biodiversity and Global Change Research Centre, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl PÉrez-Caballero
- Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Unit, Animal Health Department, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.,Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Isabel Acosta
- Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Unit, Animal Health Department, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan Carranza
- Wildlife Research Unit, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
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27
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Rynkiewicz EC, Clerc M, Babayan SA, Pedersen AB. Variation in Local and Systemic Pro-Inflammatory Immune Markers of Wild Wood Mice after Anthelmintic Treatment. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1190-1202. [PMID: 31368489 PMCID: PMC6863754 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system represents a host's main defense against infection to parasites and pathogens. In the wild, a host's response to immune challenges can vary due to physiological condition, demography (age, sex), and coinfection by other parasites or pathogens. These sources of variation, which are intrinsic to natural populations, can significantly impact the strength and type of immune responses elicited after parasite exposure and infection. Importantly, but often neglected, a host's immune response can also vary within the individual, across tissues and between local and systemic scales. Consequently, how a host responds at each scale may impact its susceptibility to concurrent and subsequent infections. Here we analyzed how characteristics of hosts and their parasite infections drive variation in the pro-inflammatory immune response in wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) at both the local and systemic scale by experimentally manipulating within-host parasite communities through anthelmintic drug treatment. We measured concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produced in vitro in response to a panel of toll-like receptor agonists at the local (mesenteric lymph nodes [MLNs]) and systemic (spleen) scales of individuals naturally infected with two gastrointestinal parasites, the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and the protozoan Eimeria hungaryensis. Anthelmintic-treated mice had a 20-fold lower worm burden compared to control mice, as well as a four-fold higher intensity of the non-drug targeted parasite E. hungaryensis. Anthelmintic treatment differentially impacted levels of TNF-α expression in males and females at the systemic and local scales, with treated males producing higher, and treated females lower, levels of TNF-α, compared to control mice. Also, TNF-α was affected by host age, at the local scale, with MLN cells of young, treated mice producing higher levels of TNF-α than those of old, treated mice. Using complementary, but distinct, measures of inflammation measured across within-host scales allowed us to better assess the wood mouse immune response to changes in parasite infection dynamics after anthelmintic treatment. This same approach could be used to understand helminth infections and responses to parasite control measures in other systems in order to gain a broader view of how variation impacts the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Rynkiewicz
- Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, New York, NY 10001, USA
| | - Melanie Clerc
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Amy B Pedersen
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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28
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Metcalf CJE, Roth O, Graham AL. Why leveraging sex differences in immune trade-offs may illuminate the evolution of senescence. Funct Ecol 2020; 34:129-140. [PMID: 32063662 PMCID: PMC7006808 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The immune system affects senescence (declines in probabilities of survival or reproduction with age), by shaping late age vulnerability to chronic inflammatory diseases and infections. It is also a dynamic interactive system that must balance competing demands across the life course. Thus, immune system function remains an important frontier in understanding the evolution of senescence.Here, we review our expanding mechanistic understanding of immune function over the life course, in the context of theoretical predictions from life-history evolution. We are especially interested in stage- and sex-dependent costs and benefits of investment in the immune system, given differential life-history priorities of the life stages and sexes.We introduce the costs likely to govern immune allocation across the life course. We then discuss theoretical expectations for differences between the sexes and their likely consequences in terms of how the immune system is both modulated by and may modulate senescence, building on information from life-history theory, experimental immunology and demography.We argue that sex differences in immune function provide a potentially powerful probe of selection pressures on the immune system across the life course. In particular, differences in 'competing' and 'caring' between the sexes have evolved across the tree of life, providing repeated instances of divergent selection pressures on immune function occurring within the same overall bauplan.We conclude by detailing an agenda for future research, including development of theoretical predictions of the differences between the sexes under an array of existing models for sex differences in immunity, and empirical tests of such predictions across the tree of life. A free http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13458/suppinfo can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR, Marine Evolutionary EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Ocean ResearchKielGermany
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
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29
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Giraudeau M, Heidinger B, Bonneaud C, Sepp T. Telomere shortening as a mechanism of long-term cost of infectious diseases in natural animal populations. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190190. [PMID: 31113307 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens are potent selective forces that can reduce the fitness of their hosts. While studies of the short-term energetic costs of infections are accumulating, the long-term costs have only just started to be investigated. Such delayed costs may, at least in part, be mediated by telomere erosion. This hypothesis is supported by experimental investigations conducted on laboratory animals which show that infection accelerates telomere erosion in immune cells. However, the generalizability of such findings to natural animal populations and to humans remains debatable. First, laboratory animals typically display long telomeres relative to their wild counterparts. Second, unlike humans and most wild animals, laboratory small-bodied mammals are capable of telomerase-based telomere maintenance throughout life. Third, the effect of infections on telomere shortening and ageing has only been studied using single pathogen infections, yet hosts are often simultaneously confronted with a range of pathogens in the wild. Thus, the cost of an infection in terms of telomere-shortening-related ageing in natural animal populations is likely to be strongly underestimated. Here, we discuss how investigations into the links between infection, immune response and tissue ageing are now required to improve our understanding of the long-term impact of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Britt Heidinger
- 2 Biological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University , Fargo , USA
| | - Camille Bonneaud
- 3 Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter , Penryn , UK
| | - Tuul Sepp
- 4 Department of Zoology, University of Tartu , Tartu , Estonia
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30
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Peters A, Delhey K, Nakagawa S, Aulsebrook A, Verhulst S. Immunosenescence in wild animals: meta‐analysis and outlook. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1709-1722. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. 3800 Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. 3800 Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Anne Aulsebrook
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Vic. 3800 Australia
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. 3010 Australia
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen 9747 AGGroningen The Netherlands
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31
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Renaud LA, Blanchet FG, Cohen AA, Pelletier F. Causes and short-term consequences of variation in milk composition in wild sheep. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:857-869. [PMID: 30883718 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists seek to understand the fitness consequences of variation in physiological markers, under the hypothesis that physiological state is linked to variability in individual condition and life history. Thus, ecologists are often interested in estimating correlations between entire suites of correlated traits, or biomarkers, but sample size limitations often do not allow us to do this properly when large numbers of traits or biomarkers are considered. Latent variables are a powerful tool to overcome this complexity. Recent statistical advances have enabled a new class of multivariate models-multivariate hierarchical modelling (MHM) with latent variables-which allow to statistically estimate unstructured covariances/correlations among traits with reduced constraints on the number of degrees of freedom to account in the model. It is thus possible to highlight correlated structures in potentially very large numbers of traits. Here, we apply MHM to evaluate the relative importance of individual differences and environmental effects on milk composition and identify the drivers of this variation. We ask whether variation in bighorn sheep milk affects offspring fitness. We evaluate whether mothers show repeatable individual differences in the concentrations of 11 markers of milk composition, and we investigate the relative importance of annual variability, maternal identity and morphological traits in structuring milk composition. We then use variance estimates to investigate how a subset of repeatable milk markers influence lamb summer survival. Repeatability of milk markers ranged from 0.05 to 0.64 after accounting for year-to-year variations. Milk composition was weakly but significantly associated with maternal mass in June and September, summer mass gain and winter mass loss. Variation explained by year-to-year fluctuations ranged from 0.07 to 0.91 suggesting a strong influence of environmental variability on milk composition. Milk composition did not affect lamb survival to weaning. Using joint models in ecological, physiological or behavioural contexts has the major advantage of decomposing a (co)variance/correlation matrix while being estimated with fewer parameters than in a "traditional" mixed-effects model. The joint models presented here complement a growing list of tools to analyse correlations at different hierarchical levels separately and may thus represent a partial solution to the conundrum of physiological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limoilou-Amelie Renaud
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Alan A Cohen
- Department of Family Medicine, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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32
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Clerc M, Babayan SA, Fenton A, Pedersen AB. Age affects antibody levels and anthelmintic treatment efficacy in a wild rodent. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 8:240-247. [PMID: 30923672 PMCID: PMC6423487 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The role of the host immune system in determining parasite burdens and mediating within-host parasite interactions has traditionally been studied in highly controlled laboratory conditions. This does, however, not reflect the diversity of individuals living in nature, which is often characterised by significant variation in host demography, such as host age, sex, and infection history. Whilst studies using wild hosts and parasites are beginning to give insights into the complex relationships between immunity, parasites and host demography, the cause-and-effect relationships often remain unknown due to a lack of high resolution, longitudinal data. We investigated the infection dynamics of two interacting gastrointestinal parasites of wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and the coccidian Eimeria hungaryensis, in order to assess the links between infection, coinfection, and the immunological dynamics of two antibodies (IgG1 and IgA). In an anthelmintic treatment experiment, mice were given a single oral dose of an anthelmintic treatment, or control dose, and then subsequently followed longitudinally over a period of 7–15 days to measure parasite burdens and antibody levels. Anthelmintic treatment successfully reduced burdens of H. polygyrus, but had no significant impact on E. hungaryensis. Treatment efficacy was driven by host age, with adult mice showing stronger reductions in burdens compared to younger mice. We also found that the relationship between H. polygyrus-specific IgG1 and nematode burden changed from positive in young mice to negative in adult mice. Our results highlight that a key host demographic factor like age could account for large parts of the variation in nematode burden and nematode-specific antibody levels observed in a naturally infected host population, possibly due to different immune responses in young vs. old animals. Given the variable success in community-wide de-worming programmes in animals and humans, accounting for the age-structure of a population could increase overall efficacy. Anthelmintic treatment reveals strong force of infection for H. polygyrus in wild wood mice. Anthelmintic treatment is more successful in younger compared to older mice. Relationship between IgG1 and H. polygyrus burden reverts with host age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Clerc
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK.,MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen´s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh UK, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Amy B Pedersen
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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Becker DJ, Schultz EM, Atwell JW, Ketterson ED. Urban residency and leukocyte profiles in a traditionally migratory songbird. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2019-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Many animals are shifting migrations in response to human activities. In particular, human-induced changes to climate and habitat (e.g., urbanization) likely facilitate animals becoming year-round residents. Because migration can be energetically expensive, shifts to sedentary behavior could minimize energetic demands incurred and any immunosuppressive effects. Residency in urban habitats could also provide abundant resources and allow sedentary animals to invest more in immunity. However, urban habitats could also expose sedentary animals to novel stressors that counter such benefits. To examine how recent shifts to residency affects physiology in ways that may shape infectious disease dynamics, we analyzed leukocyte profiles of two dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) populations from southern California: the Laguna Mountain population, in which birds breed in high-elevation forests and migrate altitudinally, and the urban University of California San Diego population, which was likely established by overwintering migrants in the 1980s and has since become non-migratory. Over a two-year study of each population’s breeding season, we found no difference in the ratios of heterophils to lymphocytes between populations. However, urban residents had more leukocytes than birds from the altitudinal migrant population. A multivariate analysis suggested urban residents had fewer monocytes, but effect sizes were small. These results suggest no differences in energy demands or stressors between urban resident and altitudinal migrant populations during their breeding season. However, urban residency may confer immunological benefits through anthropogenic resources, which could have important consequences for disease dynamics..
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Melatonin enhances responsiveness to Dichelobacter nodosus vaccine in sheep and increases peripheral blood CD4 T lymphocytes and IgG-expressing B lymphocytes. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2018; 206:1-8. [PMID: 30502907 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The immunomodulatory functions mediated by melatonin support its use as vaccine adjuvant. Previously, we have demonstrated that melatonin enhances antibody responses in sheep vaccinated against Dichelobacter nodosus. Here, we analyze the effect of melatonin on T and B lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of sheep vaccinated against D. nodosus. We also compare the use of melatonin in implants and in injections. Melatonin administration either as implants or by injection produced higher antibody titers against A1 and C serotypes compared to those animals that received only the vaccine. These results support the use of melatonin as an adjuvant in vaccination against D. nodosus. Firstly, melatonin induces higher antibody titer than the vaccine alone, secondly, melatonin increase IgG+ B lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocytes in vaccinated sheep. These results suggest that melatonin enhances T CD4 cell activation and subsequently secondary humoral immune responses. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism underlining the immunomodulatory role of melatonin in the context of vaccination.
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35
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Antibodies and coinfection drive variation in nematode burdens in wild mice. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:785-792. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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36
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Whiting JR, Magalhaes IS, Singkam AR, Robertson S, D'Agostino D, Bradley JE, MacColl ADC. A genetics-based approach confirms immune associations with life history across multiple populations of an aquatic vertebrate (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3174-3191. [PMID: 29924437 PMCID: PMC6221044 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how wild immune variation covaries with other traits can reveal how costs and trade‐offs shape immune evolution in the wild. Divergent life history strategies may increase or alleviate immune costs, helping shape immune variation in a consistent, testable way. Contrasting hypotheses suggest that shorter life histories may alleviate costs by offsetting them against increased mortality, or increase the effect of costs if immune responses are traded off against development or reproduction. We investigated the evolutionary relationship between life history and immune responses within an island radiation of three‐spined stickleback, with discrete populations of varying life histories and parasitism. We sampled two short‐lived, two long‐lived and an anadromous population using qPCR to quantify current immune profile and RAD‐seq data to study the distribution of immune variants within our assay genes and across the genome. Short‐lived populations exhibited significantly increased expression of all assay genes, which was accompanied by a strong association with population‐level variation in local alleles and divergence in a gene that may be involved in complement pathways. In addition, divergence around the eda gene in anadromous fish is likely associated with increased inflammation. A wider analysis of 15 populations across the island revealed that immune genes across the genome show evidence of having diverged alongside life history strategies. Parasitism and reproductive investment were also important sources of variation for expression, highlighting the caution required when assaying immune responses in the wild. These results provide strong, gene‐based support for current hypotheses linking life history and immune variation across multiple populations of a vertebrate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Whiting
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.,School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK
| | - Isabel S Magalhaes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Whitelands College, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Abdul R Singkam
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.,Pendidikan Biologi JPMIPA FKIP, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, Indonesia
| | - Shaun Robertson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Daniele D'Agostino
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Janette E Bradley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andrew D C MacColl
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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37
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Abolins S, Lazarou L, Weldon L, Hughes L, King EC, Drescher P, Pocock MJO, Hafalla JCR, Riley EM, Viney M. The ecology of immune state in a wild mammal, Mus musculus domesticus. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2003538. [PMID: 29652925 PMCID: PMC5919074 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune state of wild animals is largely unknown. Knowing this and what affects it is important in understanding how infection and disease affects wild animals. The immune state of wild animals is also important in understanding the biology of their pathogens, which is directly relevant to explaining pathogen spillover among species, including to humans. The paucity of knowledge about wild animals' immune state is in stark contrast to our exquisitely detailed understanding of the immunobiology of laboratory animals. Making an immune response is costly, and many factors (such as age, sex, infection status, and body condition) have individually been shown to constrain or promote immune responses. But, whether or not these factors affect immune responses and immune state in wild animals, their relative importance, and how they interact (or do not) are unknown. Here, we have investigated the immune ecology of wild house mice-the same species as the laboratory mouse-as an example of a wild mammal, characterising their adaptive humoral, adaptive cellular, and innate immune state. Firstly, we show how immune variation is structured among mouse populations, finding that there can be extensive immune discordance among neighbouring populations. Secondly, we identify the principal factors that underlie the immunological differences among mice, showing that body condition promotes and age constrains individuals' immune state, while factors such as microparasite infection and season are comparatively unimportant. By applying a multifactorial analysis to an immune system-wide analysis, our results bring a new and unified understanding of the immunobiology of a wild mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Abolins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Lazarou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Weldon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth C. King
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Drescher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Julius C. R. Hafalla
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor M. Riley
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Viney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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38
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Long-term implications of feed energy source in different genetic types of reproductive rabbit females. II. Immunologic status. Animal 2017; 12:1877-1885. [PMID: 29224577 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731117003299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic selection and nutrition management have played a central role in the development of commercial rabbitry industry over the last few decades, being able to affect productive and immunological traits of the animals. However, the implication of different energy sources in animals from diverse genetic lines achieving such evolutionary success remains still unknown. Therefore, in this work, 203 female rabbits housed and bred in the same conditions were used from their first artificial insemination until their fifth weaning. The animals belonged to three different genetic types diverging greatly on breeding goals (H line, hyper-prolific (n=66); LP line, robust (n=67) and R line, selected for growth rate (n=67), and were assigned to two experimental diets, promoting major differences in energy source (cereal starch or animal fat)). The aims of this work were to: (1) characterize and describe blood leucocyte populations of three lines of rabbit does in different physiological stages during their reproductive period: first artificial insemination, first weaning, second parturition and fifth weaning; and (2) study the possible influence of two different experimental diets on the leucocyte populations in peripheral blood. Flow cytometry analyses were performed on blood samples taken from females at each different sampling stade. Lymphocyte populations at both weanings were characterized by significantly lower counts of total, CD5+ and CD8+ lymphocytes (-19.8, -21.7 and -44.6%; P<0.05), and higher counts of monocytes and granulocytes (+49.2 and +26.2%; P<0.05) than in the other stages. Females had higher blood counts of lymphocytes B, CD8+ and CD25+ and lower counts of CD4+ at first than at fifth weaning (+55.6, +85.8, +57.5, -14.5%; P<0.05). G/L ratio was higher at both weanings (P<0.05), and CD4+/CD8+ ratio increased progressively from the 1AI to the 5 W (P<0.001). Regarding the effect of genetic type in blood leucocyte counts, LP animals presented the highest counts for total, B, CD5+ and CD8+ lymphocytes (+16.7, +31.8, +24.5 and +38.7; P<0.05), but R rabbits showed the highest counts for monocytes and granulocytes (+25.3 and +27.6; P<0.05). The type of diet given during the reproductive life did not affect the leucocyte population counts. These results indicate that there are detectable variations in the leucocyte profile depending on the reproductive stage of the animal (parturition, weaning or none of them). Moreover, foundation for reproductive longevity criteria allows animals to be more capable of adapting to the challenges of the reproductive cycle from an immunological viewpoint.
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39
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Cheynel L, Lemaître JF, Gaillard JM, Rey B, Bourgoin G, Ferté H, Jégo M, Débias F, Pellerin M, Jacob L, Gilot-Fromont E. Immunosenescence patterns differ between populations but not between sexes in a long-lived mammal. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13700. [PMID: 29057949 PMCID: PMC5651810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13686-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals, physiological mechanisms underlying reproductive and actuarial senescence remain poorly understood. Immunosenescence, the decline in the ability to display an efficient immune response with increasing age, is likely to influence both reproductive and actuarial senescence through increased risk of disease. Evidence for such a link has been reported from laboratory animal models but has been poorly investigated in the wild, where variation in resource acquisitions usually drives life-history trade-offs. We investigated immunosenescence patterns over 7 years in both sexes of two contrasting roe deer populations (Capreolus capreolus). We first measured twelve immune markers to obtain a thorough identification of innate and adaptive components of immunity and assessed, from the same individuals, the age-dependent variation observed in parasitic infections. Although the level of innate traits was maintained at old age, the functional innate immune traits declined with increasing age in one of two populations. In both populations, the production of inflammatory markers increased with advancing age. Finally, the adaptive response declined in late adulthood. The increasing parasite burden with age we reported suggests the effective existence of immunosenescence. Age-specific patterns differed between populations but not between sexes, which indicate that habitat quality could shape age-dependent immune phenotype in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Cheynel
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - J-F Lemaître
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - J-M Gaillard
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - B Rey
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - G Bourgoin
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - H Ferté
- EA 4688 "VECPAR", UFR Pharmacie, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - M Jégo
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - F Débias
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - M Pellerin
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Centre National de Recherches Appliquées sur les Cervidés-Sanglier, Bar-le-Duc, France
| | - L Jacob
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - E Gilot-Fromont
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1; CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
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40
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Watson RL, Bird EJ, Underwood S, Wilbourn RV, Fairlie J, Watt K, Salvo-Chirnside E, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, McNeilly TN, Froy H, Nussey DH. Sex differences in leucocyte telomere length in a free-living mammal. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3230-3240. [PMID: 28027420 PMCID: PMC5484296 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that average telomere length reflects previous stress and predicts subsequent survival across vertebrate species. In humans, leucocyte telomere length (LTL) is consistently shorter during adulthood in males than in females, although the causes of this sex difference and its generality to other mammals remain unknown. Here, we measured LTL in a cross‐sectional sample of free‐living Soay sheep and found shorter telomeres in males than in females in later adulthood (>3 years of age), but not in early life. This observation was not related to sex differences in growth or parasite burden, but we did find evidence for reduced LTL associated with increased horn growth in early life in males. Variation in LTL was independent of variation in the proportions of different leucocyte cell types, which are known to differ in telomere length. Our results provide the first evidence of sex differences in LTL from a wild mammal, but longitudinal studies are now required to determine whether telomere attrition rates or selective disappearance are responsible for these observed differences. see also the Perspective by Dantzer and Garratt
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Watson
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Ellen J Bird
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah Underwood
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Rachael V Wilbourn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jennifer Fairlie
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Kathryn Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Eliane Salvo-Chirnside
- SynthSys, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Waddington Building, Max Bourne Crescent, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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41
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Garnier R, Cheung CK, Watt KA, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Graham AL. Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:175-183. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Christopher K. Cheung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
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42
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Watson RL, McNeilly TN, Watt KA, Pemberton JM, Pilkington JG, Waterfall M, Hopper PRT, Cooney D, Zamoyska R, Nussey DH. Cellular and humoral immunity in a wild mammal: Variation with age & sex and association with overwinter survival. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8695-8705. [PMID: 28035261 PMCID: PMC5192870 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune defenses are expected to be crucial for survival under the considerable parasite pressures experienced by wild animals. However, our understanding of the association between immunity and fitness in nature remains limited due to both the complexity of the vertebrate immune system and the often‐limited availability of immune reagents in nonmodel organisms. Here, we use methods and reagents developed by veterinary researchers for domestic ungulates on blood samples collected from a wild Soay sheep population, to evaluate an unusually broad panel of immune parameters. Our evaluation included different innate and acquired immune cell types as well as nematode parasite‐specific antibodies of different isotypes. We test how these markers correlate with one another, how they vary with age‐group and sex, and, crucially, whether they predict overwinter survival either within or among demographic groups. We found anticipated patterns of variation in markers with age, associated with immune development, and once these age trends were accounted for, correlations among our 11 immune markers were generally weak. We found that females had higher proportions of naïve T cells and gamma–delta T cells than males, independent of age, while our other markers did not differ between sexes. Only one of our 11 markers predicted overwinter survival: sheep with higher plasma levels of anti‐nematode IgG antibodies were significantly more likely to survive the subsequent high mortality winter, independent of age, sex, or weight. This supports a previous finding from this study system using a different set of samples and shows that circulating antibody levels against ecologically relevant parasites in natural systems represent an important parameter of immune function and may be under strong natural selection. Our data provide rare insights into patterns of variation among age‐ and sex groups in different T‐cell subsets and antibody levels in the wild, and suggest that certain types of immune response—notably those likely to be repeatable within individuals and linked to resistance to ecologically relevant parasites—may be most informative for research into the links between immunity and fitness under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Watson
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | | | - Kathryn A Watt
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Martin Waterfall
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Phoebe R T Hopper
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Daniel Cooney
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Rose Zamoyska
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- School of Biological Sciences Institutes of Evolutionary Biology & Immunology and Infection Research University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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43
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Beirne C, Waring L, McDonald RA, Delahay R, Young A. Age-related declines in immune response in a wild mammal are unrelated to immune cell telomere length. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152949. [PMID: 26888036 PMCID: PMC4810837 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Senescence has been hypothesized to arise in part from age-related declines in immune performance, but the patterns and drivers of within-individual age-related changes in immunity remain virtually unexplored in natural populations. Here, using a long-term epidemiological study of wild European badgers (Meles meles), we (i) present evidence of a within-individual age-related decline in the response of a key immune-signalling cytokine, interferon-gamma (IFNγ), to ex vivo lymphocyte stimulation, and (ii) investigate three putative drivers of individual variation in the rate of this decline (sex, disease and immune cell telomere length; ICTL). That the within-individual rate of age-related decline markedly exceeded that at the population level suggests that individuals with weaker IFNγ responses are selectively lost from this population. IFNγ responses appeared to decrease with the progression of bovine tuberculosis infection (independent of age) and were weaker among males than females. However, neither sex nor disease influenced the rate of age-related decline in IFNγ response. Similarly, while ICTL also declines with age, variation in ICTL predicted neither among- nor within-individual variation in IFNγ response. Our findings provide evidence of within-individual age-related declines in immune performance in a wild mammal and highlight the likely complexity of the mechanisms that generate them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Beirne
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Laura Waring
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire GL10 3UJ, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Richard Delahay
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire GL10 3UJ, UK
| | - Andrew Young
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
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Cornet S, Brouat C, Diagne C, Charbonnel N. Eco-immunology and bioinvasion: revisiting the evolution of increased competitive ability hypotheses. Evol Appl 2016; 9:952-62. [PMID: 27606004 PMCID: PMC4999526 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunity is at the core of major theories related to invasion biology. Among them, the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) and EICA‐refined hypotheses have been used as a reference work. They postulate that the release from pathogens often experienced during invasion should favour a reallocation of resources from (costly) immune defences to beneficial life‐history traits associated with invasive potential. We review studies documenting immune changes during animal invasions. We describe the designs and approaches that have been applied and discuss some reasons that prevent drawing generalized conclusions regarding EICA hypotheses. We detail why a better assessment of invasion history and immune costs, including immunopathologies and parasite communities, could improve our understanding of the relationships between immunity and invasion success. Finally, we propose new perspectives to revisit the EICA hypotheses. We first emphasize the neutral and adaptive mechanisms involved in immune changes, as well as timing of the later. Such investigation will help decipher whether immune changes are a consequence of pre‐adaptation, or the result of postintroduction adaptations to invasion front conditions. We next bring attention to new avenues of research that remain unexplored, namely age‐dependent immunity and gut microbiota, potential key factors underlying adaptation to invasion front environment and modulating invasion success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Cornet
- Centre de Biologie Pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR INRA/IRD/CIRAD/Montpellier SupAgro) IRD Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Carine Brouat
- Centre de Biologie Pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR INRA/IRD/CIRAD/Montpellier SupAgro) IRD Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Christophe Diagne
- Centre de Biologie Pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR INRA/IRD/CIRAD/Montpellier SupAgro) IRD Montferrier-sur-Lez France; Centre de Biologie Pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR INRA/IRD/CIRAD/Montpellier SupAgro) IRD Campus de Bel-Air, Dakar Sénégal; Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques Université Chiekh Anta Diop Fann, Dakar Sénégal
| | - Nathalie Charbonnel
- Centre de Biologie Pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR INRA/IRD/CIRAD/Montpellier SupAgro) INRA Montferrier-sur-Lez France
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Wang F, Shen X, Li S, Chen L, Wang Y, Qin J, Zhou G, Peng Y, Feng X, Li R, Liang C. Splenocytes derived from young WT mice prevent AD progression in APPswe/PSENldE9 transgenic mice. Oncotarget 2016; 6:20851-62. [PMID: 26317549 PMCID: PMC4673234 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence contributes to pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the elderly. In this study, we explored the effects of young wild type (WT) splenocytes (ySCs) on Alzheimer's disease by transplanting ySCs into APPswe/PSENldE9 transgenic mice. Young WT splenocytes not only prevented AD, but also improved the spatial learning and memory of APPswe/PSENldE9 transgenic mice. Young WT splenocytes enhanced Aβ clearance, decreased astrogliosis and increased systemic growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) levels. Splenocytes derived from old AD mouse promoted AD. There was an increased number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) among old AD splenocytes. We suggest that alterations of GDF11 and Tregs are involved in AD progression and that rejuvenation of the immune system is a potential therapeutic strategy in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xueyan Shen
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Shuping Li
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.,Department of Radiology, PLA No. 455 Hospital, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yanru Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Jie Qin
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Guomin Zhou
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yuwen Peng
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyuan Feng
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ruixi Li
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Chunmin Liang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
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46
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Rödel HG, Zapka M, Stefanski V, Holst D. Reproductive effort alters immune parameters measured post‐partum in European rabbits under semi‐natural conditions. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko G. Rödel
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée E.A. 4443 (LEEC) Université Paris 13 Sorbonne Paris Cité F‐93430 Villetaneuse France
- Department of Animal Physiology University of Bayreuth D‐95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Manuela Zapka
- Department of Animal Physiology University of Bayreuth D‐95440 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Volker Stefanski
- Institute of Animal Science University of Hohenheim D‐70599 Stuttgart Germany
| | - Dietrich Holst
- Department of Animal Physiology University of Bayreuth D‐95440 Bayreuth Germany
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Brown GP, Shine R. Maternal body size influences offspring immune configuration in an oviparous snake. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160041. [PMID: 27069670 PMCID: PMC4821281 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Like most ectothermic vertebrates, keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii) do not exhibit parental care. Thus, offspring must possess an immune system capable of dealing with challenges such as pathogens, without assistance from an attendant parent. We know very little about immune system characteristics of neonatal reptiles, including the magnitude of heritability and other maternal influences. To identify sources of variation in circulating white blood cell (WBC) concentrations and differentials, we examined blood smears from 246 hatchling snakes and their field-caught mothers. WBC concentrations were lower in hatchlings than in adults, and hatchlings had more basophils and fewer azurophils than adults. A hatchling keelback's WBC differential was also influenced by its sex and body size. Although hatchling WBC measures exhibited negligible heritability, they were strongly influenced by maternal body size and parasite infection (but not by maternal body condition, relative clutch mass or time in captivity). Larger mothers produced offspring with more azurophils and fewer lymphocytes. The mechanisms and consequences of WBC variation are currently unknown, but if these maternal effects enhance offspring fitness, the impact of maternal body size on reproductive success may be greater than expected simply from allometric increases in the numbers and sizes of progeny.
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48
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Vitamin D status predicts reproductive fitness in a wild sheep population. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18986. [PMID: 26757805 PMCID: PMC4725927 DOI: 10.1038/srep18986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the development of many human diseases, and with poor reproductive performance in laboratory rodents. We currently have no idea how natural selection directly acts on variation in vitamin D metabolism due to a total lack of studies in wild animals. Here, we measured serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in female Soay sheep that were part of a long-term field study on St Kilda. We found that total 25(OH)D was strongly influenced by age, and that light coloured sheep had higher 25(OH)D3 (but not 25(OH)D2) concentrations than dark sheep. The coat colour polymorphism in Soay sheep is controlled by a single locus, suggesting vitamin D status is heritable in this population. We also observed a very strong relationship between total 25(OH)D concentrations in summer and a ewe’s fecundity the following spring. This resulted in a positive association between total 25(OH)D and the number of lambs produced that survived their first year of life, an important component of female reproductive fitness. Our study provides the first insight into naturally-occurring variation in vitamin D metabolites, and offers the first evidence that vitamin D status is both heritable and under natural selection in the wild.
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49
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Watt KA, Nussey DH, Maclellan R, Pilkington JG, McNeilly TN. Fecal antibody levels as a noninvasive method for measuring immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes in ecological studies. Ecol Evol 2015; 6:56-67. [PMID: 26811774 PMCID: PMC4716500 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Among‐individual variation in antibody‐associated immunity to gastrointestinal nematode parasites (GIN) is known be associated with life‐history traits and vital rates in wild vertebrate systems. To date, measurement of levels of antibodies against GIN antigens in natural populations has exclusively been based on invasive blood sampling techniques. Previous work in laboratory rodents and ruminant livestock suggests that antibody measures from feces may provide a viable noninvasive approach. We measured total and anti‐GIN antibodies of different isotypes (immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA and IgE) from paired samples of plasma and feces from free‐living Soay sheep of different ages and sexes. We tested the correlations among these measures as well as their associations with body mass and Strongyle nematode fecal egg counts (FEC). Significant positive correlations were present among plasma and fecal anti‐GIN antibody levels for IgG and IgA. Generally, correlations between total antibody levels in plasma and feces were weaker and not significant. No significant relationships were found between any antibody measures and body mass; however, fecal anti‐GIN antibody levels were significantly negatively correlated with FEC. Our data clearly demonstrate the feasibility of measuring anti‐GIN antibodies from fecal samples collected in natural populations. Although associations of fecal antibody levels with their plasma counterparts and FEC were relatively weak, the presence of significant correlations in the predicted direction in a relatively small and heterogeneous sample suggests fecal antibody measures could be a useful, noninvasive addition to current eco‐immunological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Watt
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology and Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh West Mains Road Edinburgh UK
| | - Daniel H Nussey
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology and Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh West Mains Road Edinburgh UK
| | - Rachel Maclellan
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology and Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh West Mains Road Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G Pilkington
- Institutes of Evolutionary Biology and Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh West Mains Road Edinburgh UK
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Moredun Research Institute Pentlands Science Park Bush Loan Midlothian UK
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Hämäläinen A, Raharivololona B, Ravoniarimbinina P, Kraus C. Host sex and age influence endoparasite burdens in the gray mouse lemur. Front Zool 2015; 12:25. [PMID: 26435728 PMCID: PMC4591582 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-015-0118-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immunosenescence (deteriorating immune function at old age) affects humans and laboratory animals, but little is known about immunosenescence in natural populations despite its potential importance for population and disease dynamics and individual fitness. Although life histories and immune system profiles often differ between the sexes, sex-specific effects of aging on health are rarely studied in the wild. Life history theory predicts that due to their shorter lifespan and higher investment into reproduction at the expense of immune defences, males might experience accelerated immunosenescence. We tested this hypothesis by examining sex-specific age trajectories of endoparasite burden (helminth prevalence and morphotype richness measured via fecal egg counts), an indicator of overall health, in wild gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). To account for potential interactions between seasonality and host sex or age we examined the predictors of parasite burdens separately for the dry and rainy season. Results Contrary to the prediction of immunosenescence, parasite prevalence and morphotype richness decreased at old age in the dry season, indicating acquired immunity by older animals. This pattern was primarily caused by within-individual decline in parasite loads rather than the earlier mortality of highly parasitized individuals. With the exception of an increasing cestode prevalence in males from yearlings to prime age in the rainy season, no evidence was found of male-biased ageing in parasite resistance. Besides this sex*age interaction, host age was uncorrelated with rainy season parasite loads. Seasonality did not affect the overall parasite loads but seasonal patterns were found in the predictors of parasite prevalence and morphotype richness. Conclusions These results provide rare information about the age-related patterns of health in a wild vertebrate population and suggest improvement rather than senescence in the ability to resist helminth infections at old age. Overall, males appear not to suffer from earlier immunosenescence relative to females. This may partially reflect the earlier mortality of males, which can render senescence difficult to detect. While helminth infections are not strongly associated with survival in wild gray mouse lemurs, parasite load may, however, reflect overall good phenotypic quality of long-lived individuals, and is a potential correlate of fitness. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-015-0118-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Current address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Brigitte Raharivololona
- Department of Paleontology and Biological Anthropology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Cornelia Kraus
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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