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Amer A, Spears S, Vaughn PL, Colwell C, Livingston EH, McQueen W, Schill A, Reichard DG, Gangloff EJ, Brock KM. Physiological phenotypes differ among color morphs in introduced common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). Integr Zool 2024; 19:505-523. [PMID: 37884464 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12775] [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] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Many species exhibit color polymorphisms which have distinct physiological and behavioral characteristics. However, the consistency of morph trait covariation patterns across species, time, and ecological contexts remains unclear. This trait covariation is especially relevant in the context of invasion biology and urban adaptation. Specifically, physiological traits pertaining to energy maintenance are crucial to fitness, given their immediate ties to individual reproduction, growth, and population establishment. We investigated the physiological traits of Podarcis muralis, a versatile color polymorphic species that thrives in urban environments (including invasive populations in Ohio, USA). We measured five physiological traits (plasma corticosterone and triglycerides, hematocrit, body condition, and field body temperature), which compose an integrated multivariate phenotype. We then tested variation among co-occurring color morphs in the context of establishment in an urban environment. We found that the traits describing physiological status and strategy shifted across the active season in a morph-dependent manner-the white and yellow morphs exhibited clearly different multivariate physiological phenotypes, characterized primarily by differences in plasma corticosterone. This suggests that morphs have different strategies in physiological regulation, the flexibility of which is crucial to urban adaptation. The white-yellow morph exhibited an intermediate phenotype, suggesting an intermediary energy maintenance strategy. Orange morphs also exhibited distinct phenotypes, but the low prevalence of this morph in our study populations precludes clear interpretation. Our work provides insight into how differences among stable polymorphisms exist across axes of the phenotype and how this variation may aid in establishment within novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Amer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Sierra Spears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Princeton L Vaughn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Cece Colwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Ethan H Livingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Wyatt McQueen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna Schill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Dustin G Reichard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, USA
| | - Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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2
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Moeller KT, Brashears JA, Davies S, Demare G, Smith GD, Brusch Iv GA, Simpson RK, DeNardo DF. Corticosterone and immune responses to dehydration in squamate reptiles. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246257. [PMID: 37955054 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Many environments present some degree of seasonal water limitations; organisms that live in such environments must be adapted to survive periods without permanent water access. Often this involves the ability to tolerate dehydration, which can have adverse physiological effects and is typically considered a physiological stressor. While having many functions, the hormone corticosterone (CORT) is often released in response to stressors, yet increasing plasma CORT while dehydrated could be considered maladaptive, especially for species that experience predictable bouts of dehydration and have related coping mechanisms. Elevating CORT could reduce immunocompetence and have other negative physiological effects. Thus, such species likely have CORT and immune responses adapted to experiencing seasonal droughts. We evaluated how dehydration affects CORT and immune function in eight squamate species that naturally experience varied water limitation. We tested whether hydric state affected plasma CORT concentrations and aspects of immunocompetence (lysis, agglutination, bacterial killing ability and white blood cell counts) differently among species based on how seasonally water limited they are and whether this is constrained by phylogeny. The species represented four familial pairs, with one species of each pair inhabiting environments with frequent access to water and one naturally experiencing extended periods (>30 days) with no access to standing water. The effects of dehydration on CORT and immunity varied among species. Increases in CORT were generally not associated with reduced immunocompetence, indicating CORT and immunity might be decoupled in some species. Interspecies variations in responses to dehydration were more clearly grouped by phylogeny than by habitat type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla T Moeller
- School of Life Sciences , Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Brashears
- Natural Sciences Department, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, NY 11101, USA
| | - Scott Davies
- Department of Biological Sciences, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, USA
| | - Guillaume Demare
- Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Geoffrey D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Utah Tech University, St George, UT 84770, USA
| | - George A Brusch Iv
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA 92096, USA
| | - Richard K Simpson
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Region, 245 Eglinton Ave East, Suite 410, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4P 3J1
| | - Dale F DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences , Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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Dezetter M, Le Galliard JF, Leroux-Coyau M, Brischoux F, Angelier F, Lourdais O. Two stressors are worse than one: combined heatwave and drought affect hydration state and glucocorticoid levels in a temperate ectotherm. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274818. [PMID: 35319758 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Heatwaves and droughts are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. These extreme weather events often occur simultaneously and may alter organismal physiology, yet their combined impacts remain largely unknown. Here, we experimentally investigated physiological responses of a temperate ectotherm, the asp viper (Vipera aspis), to a simulated heatwave and drought. We applied a two-by-two factorial design by manipulating the daily temperature cycle (control vs. heatwave) and the water availability (water available vs. water-deprived) over a month followed by exposure to standard thermal conditions with ad libium access to water. Simulated heatwave and water deprivation additively increased mass loss, while water deprivation led to greater plasma osmolality (dehydration). Mass gain from drinking after the treatment period was higher in vipers from the heatwave and water-deprived group suggesting that thirst was synergistically influenced by thermal and water constraints. Heatwave conditions and water deprivation also additively increased baseline corticosterone levels but did not influence basal metabolic rates and plasma markers of oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that a short-term exposure to combined heatwave and drought can exacerbate physiological stress through additive effects, and interactively impact behavioral responses to dehydration. Considering combined effects of temperature and water availability is thus crucial to assess organismal responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Dezetter
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France.,Ecole normale supérieure, PSL University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 11 chemin de Busseau, 77140 Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Mathieu Leroux-Coyau
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fréderic Angelier
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'étude biologique de Chizé, UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, , 79360, Villiers en Bois, France.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
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Ashley EA, Davis AK, Terrell VK, Lake C, Carden C, Head L, Choe R, Maerz JC. Effects of Salinity on Hatchling Diamond-Backed Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Growth, Behavior, and Stress Physiology. HERPETOLOGICA 2021; 77:45-55. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-20-00028.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Ashley
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Andrew K. Davis
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Vanessa K. Terrell
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Connor Lake
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Cady Carden
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lauren Head
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Rebacca Choe
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - John C. Maerz
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Challenges of a novel range: Water balance, stress, and immunity in an invasive toad. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 253:110870. [PMID: 33321177 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Species introduced by human activities can alter the normal functioning of ecosystems promoting negative impacts on native biodiversity, as they can rapidly expand their population size, demonstrating phenotypic plasticity and possible adaptive capacity to novel environments. Twenty years ago, the guttural toad, Sclerophrys gutturalis, was introduced to a peri-urban area of Cape Town, with cooler and drier climatic characteristics than its native source population, Durban, South Africa. Our goal was to understand the phenotypic changes, in terms of physiology and immunity, of populations in native and novel environments. We evaluated body index (BI), field hydration level, plasma corticosterone levels (CORT), proportion of neutrophils: lymphocytes (N: L), plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA), and hematocrit (HTC) in the field, and after standardized stressors (dehydration and movement restriction) in males from the native and invasive populations. Toads from the invasive population presented lower BI and tended to show a lower field hydration state, which is consistent with living in the drier environmental conditions of Cape Town. Additionally, invasive toads also showed higher BKA and N:L ratio under field conditions. After exposure to stressors, invasive animals presented higher BKA than the natives. Individuals from both populations showed increased CORT after dehydration, an intense stressor for these animals. The highest BKA and N:L ratio in the field and after submission to stressors in the laboratory shows that the invasive population has a phenotype that might increase their fitness, leading to adaptive responses in the novel environment and, thus, favoring successful dispersion and population increase.
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Brusch GA, DeNardo DF, Lourdais O. Reproductive state and water deprivation increase plasma corticosterone in a capital breeder. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113375. [PMID: 31874136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentrations fluctuate in response to homeostatic demands. CORT is widely recognized as an important hormone related to energy balance. However, far less attention has been given to the potential role of CORT in regulating salt and water balance or responding to osmotic imbalances. We examined the effects of reproductive and hydric states on CORT levels in breeding Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni), a species with substantial energetic and hydric costs associated with egg development. Using a 2 × 2 experimental design, we examined how reproduction and water deprivation, both separately and combined, impact CORT levels and how these changes correlate with hydration (plasma osmolality) and energy levels (blood glucose). We found that reproduction leads to increased CORT levels, as does dehydration induced by water deprivation. The combined impact of reproduction and water deprivation led to the largest increases in CORT levels. Additionally, we found significant positive relationships among CORT levels, plasma osmolality, and blood glucose. Our results provide evidence that both reproductive activity and increased plasma osmolality can lead to increased plasma CORT in an ectotherm, which could be explained by either CORT having a role as a mineralocorticoid or CORT being elevated as part of a stress response to resource imbalances.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Brusch
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; Centre d'Etudies Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France.
| | - Dale F DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'Etudies Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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Solak HM, Yanchukov A, Çolak F, Matur F, Sözen M, Ayanoğlu İC, Winternitz JC. Altitudinal Effects on Innate Immune Response of a Subterranean Rodent. Zoolog Sci 2020; 37:31-41. [PMID: 32068372 DOI: 10.2108/zs190067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune defense is costly to maintain and deploy, and the optimal investment into immune defense depends on risk of infection. Altitude is a natural environmental factor that is predicted to affect parasite abundance, with lower parasite abundance predicted at higher altitudes due to stronger environmental stressors, which reduce parasite transmission. Using high and low altitude populations of the Turkish blind mole-rat (TBMR) Nannospalax xanthodon, we tested for effects of altitude on constitutive innate immune defense. Field studies were performed with 32 wild animals in 2017 and 2018 from two low- and one high-altitude localities in the Central Taurus Mountains, at respective altitudes of 1010 m, 1115 m, and 2900 m above sea level. We first compared innate standing immune defense as measured by the bacteria-killing ability of blood serum. We then measured corticosterone stress hormone levels, as stressful conditions may affect immune response. Finally, we compared prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites of field-captured TBMR. We found that the bacteria-killing ability of serum is greater in the mole-rat samples from high altitude. There was no significant difference in stress (corticosterone) levels between altitude categories. Coccidian prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in 2017 than 2018 samples, but there was no significant difference in prevalence, abundance, or intensity between altitudes, or between sexes. Small sample sizes may have reduced power to detect true differences; nevertheless, this study provides support that greater standing innate immunity in high altitude animals may reflect greater investment into constitutive defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halil Mert Solak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Alexey Yanchukov
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Faruk Çolak
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Ferhat Matur
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylül University, Tınaztepe Campus, 35390, Buca, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Sözen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Bülent Ecevit University, Farabi Campus, 67100, İncivez, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - İhsan Cihan Ayanoğlu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Jamie C Winternitz
- Department of Animal Behavior, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany,
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Brusch GA, Christian K, Brown GP, Shine R, DeNardo DF. Dehydration enhances innate immunity in a semiaquatic snake from the wet‐dry tropics. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:245-252. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Keith Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
- Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Dale F. DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona
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9
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Barsotti AMG, Titon Junior B, Titon SCM, Gomes FR. Dehydration as a stressor in toads (Rhinella ornata
). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 331:168-174. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Braz Titon Junior
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
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