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Hawley L, Smalling KL, Glaberman S. Critical review of the phytohemagglutinin assay for assessing amphibian immunity. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad090. [PMID: 38090122 PMCID: PMC10714196 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are a major driver of the global amphibian decline. In addition, many factors, including genetics, stress, pollution, and climate change can influence the response to pathogens. Therefore, it is important to be able to evaluate amphibian immunity in the laboratory and in the field. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) assay is an inexpensive and relatively non-invasive tool that has been used extensively to assess immunocompetence, especially in birds, and more recently in amphibians. However, there is substantial variation in experimental methodology among amphibian PHA studies in terms of species and life stages, PHA doses and injection sites, and use of experimental controls. Here, we compile and compare all known PHA studies in amphibians to identify knowledge gaps and develop best practices for future work. We found that research has only been conducted on a limited number of species, which may not reflect the diversity of amphibians. There is also a lack of validation studies in most species, so that doses and timing of PHA injection and subsequent swelling measurements may not effectively evaluate immunocompetence. Based on these and other findings, we put forward a set of recommendations to make future PHA studies more consistent and improve the ability to utilize this assay in wild populations, where immune surveillance is greatly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Hawley
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- New Jersey Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Scott Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Zambrano-Fernández S, Aragón P. Long-term sex-dependent inflammatory response of adult frogs to ammonium exposure during the larval stage. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 307:136202. [PMID: 36037957 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Among others, the global change involves a worldwide increase in cropland area, with the concomitant rise in nitrogenous fertilizer supplementation and species range alterations, including parasites and pathogens. As most animals rely on their immune systems against these infectious agents, studying the potential effects of nitrogenous compounds on animal immune response is vital to understand their susceptibility to infections under these altered circumstances. Being subjected to an alarming process of global declines, amphibians are the object of particular attention, given their sensitivity to these compounds, especially to ammonium. Moreover, whereas adults can actively avoid polluted patches, larvae are confined within their waterbodies, thus exposed to contaminants in it. In this work, we test whether chronic exposure to a sublethal dose of ammonium during the larval stage of Pelophylax perezi frogs, released from all contamination after metamorphosis, leads to impaired inflammatory response to phytohemagglutinin in adults. We also test whether such a response differs between agrosystem individuals as compared with conspecifics from natural habitats. We found negative carryover effects of chronic exposure of larvae to ammonium on adult inflammatory response, which could imply a greater susceptibility to pathogens and parasites. However, this damage is only true for males, which, according to the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, could be a consequence of a testosterone-triggered impairment of male immune function. In disagreement with our prediction, however, we detected no differences in the inflammatory response of agrosystem frogs to phytohemagglutinin as compared with natural habitat conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 2804, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Pedro Aragón
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 2804, Madrid, Spain
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Troïanowski M, Mondy N, Dumet A, Arcanjo C, Lengagne T. Effects of traffic noise on tree frog stress levels, immunity, and color signaling. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:1132-1140. [PMID: 28074559 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
During the last decade, many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of noise pollution on acoustic communication. Surprisingly, although it is known that noise exposure strongly influences health in humans, studies on wildlife remain scarce. In order to gain insight into the consequences of traffic noise exposure, we experimentally manipulated traffic noise exposure as well as the endocrine status of animals to investigate physiological and phenotypic consequences of noise pollution in an anuran species. We showed that noise exposure increased stress hormone level and induced an immunosuppressive effect. In addition, both traffic noise exposure and stress hormone application negatively impacted H. arborea vocal sac coloration. Moreover, our results suggest profound changes in sexual selection processes because the best quality males with initial attractive vocal sac coloration were the most impacted by noise. Hence, our study suggests that the recent increases in anthropogenic noise worldwide might affect a broader range of animal species than previously thought, because of alteration of visual signals and immunity. Generalizing these results to other taxa is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in an increasingly noisy world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Troïanowski
- UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon; ENTPE, CNRS, Université Lyon1, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nathalie Mondy
- UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon; ENTPE, CNRS, Université Lyon1, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Adeline Dumet
- UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon; ENTPE, CNRS, Université Lyon1, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Caroline Arcanjo
- UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon; ENTPE, CNRS, Université Lyon1, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université de Lyon; ENTPE, CNRS, Université Lyon1, 6 Rue Raphaël Dubois, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
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Zhang Z, Jin C, Qu K, Caviedes-Vidal E. Immune responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin displays species but not sex differences in three anuran species. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3181. [PMID: 28480133 PMCID: PMC5419208 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced skin swelling response is widely used as a rough surrogate of integrative cell-mediated and innate immunity across multiple vertebrate taxa due to its simplification and feasibility. However, little is known whether there are sex and interspecific differences of immune responsiveness to PHA in ectotherms, especially for anurans. Therefore, we studied sex and species differences of PHA response in three anurans, Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans), Dark-spotted frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) and Mongolian toads (Pseudepidalea raddei), captured in northern regions of Anhui Province (China). Footpad thickness was measured prior to (0 h) and after (6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h) a PHA injection and normalized against saline injection in the opposite footpad. Body mass was recorded at the beginning (0 h) and end of each assay (72 h). Results showed effects of PHA assay, sex and taxa on body mass. Relative maximum swelling response (PHAmax) ranged from 18.58–29.75%, 9.77 to 20.56% and 21.97 to 31.78% and its occurrence over time was apparent 10.6–19.72 h , 7.74–14.01 h and 17.39–23.94 h postinjection for Asiatic toads, Dark-spotted frogs and Mongolian toads, respectively. Finally, the magnitude or timing of PHAmax in Dark-spotted frogs was significantly thinner and faster than in Mongolian toads, and Asiatic toads had an in-between value, not different from the other two species. The magnitude of PHAmax was significantly positively correlated with the timing of PHAmax considering individuals altogether, but not when analyzed within species. Our results indicate that male and female anuran species respond similarly to PHA antigen stimulation, but the magnitude and timing of PHAmax is species-specific. Briefly, we provide new evidence for the suitability of PHA assay in non-model anuran species with different body sizes, and exhort the need to further investigate the nature of PHA assay at the hematological and histological levels in order to extend its application in ecoimmunological studies of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenchen Jin
- College of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Kangshan Qu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Enrique Caviedes-Vidal
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, and Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina.,Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
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Immune challenges and visual signalling in tree frogs. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:21. [PMID: 28271177 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1436-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In animals, mate-choice is often based on sexual signals that carry information and help the receiver make the best choice to improve the receiver's fitness. Orange visual sexual signals have been hypothesised to carry immune information because they are often due to carotenoid pigments which are also involved in immunity response. Although many studies have focused on the direct relationships between coloration and immunocompetence, few studies have simultaneously studied immunocompetent response and coloration variation after an immune challenge. We tested this hypothesis on starved and ad libitum-fed males of the European tree frog Hyla arborea. Our results show that male coloration is not a reliable indicator of its immune response capacity in this species. However, after an immune challenge induced by a PHA (Phaseolus vulgaris phytohaemagglutinin) injection, starved males presented a significant coloration loss and this alteration was related to the immune response intensity. Taken together, these results suggest that the brighter (lighter) coloration may be used as a cue by female to exclude males with a recent immune challenge, due to diseases or parasites for example.
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Murillo-Rincón AP, Laurila A, Orizaola G. Compensating for delayed hatching reduces offspring immune response and increases life-history costs. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P. Murillo-Rincón
- Animal Ecology, Dept of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala Univ.; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
- Zoological Inst.; Christian Albrechts Univ. of Kiel; Kiel Germany
| | - Anssi Laurila
- Animal Ecology, Dept of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala Univ.; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Germán Orizaola
- Animal Ecology, Dept of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre; Uppsala Univ.; Norbyvägen 18D SE-75236 Uppsala Sweden
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Bílková B, Vinklerová J, Vinkler M. The relationship between health and cell-mediated immunity measured in ecology: Phytohaemagglutinin skin-swelling test mirrors blood cellular composition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 323:767-777. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Bílková
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Vinklerová
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Czech Republic
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Desprat JL, Lengagne T, Dumet A, Desouhant E, Mondy N. Immunocompetence handicap hypothesis in tree frog: trade-off between sexual signals and immunity? Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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