Influence of vitamin E and carcass feeding supplementation on fecal glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites in male black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes)

Santymire, Rachel M.; Lavin, Shana R.; Branvold‐Faber, Heather; Kreeger, Julie S.; Che‐Castaldo, Judy; Rafacz, Michelle L.; Marinari, Paul E.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0241085

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This could be related to establishing and defending territories around females. Increasing GC production during the breeding season has been observed previously in FCC males via FGM analysis ( Santymire et al ., 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…In the wild, male HCC did increase in the breeding season. Santymire et al (2020) observed an increase in FGMs during the breeding season in FCC males, so perhaps we would have observed a similar result in the HCC.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…For instance, during the breeding season the males may be establishing territories since they are a polygynous species ( Wingfield and Sapolsky, 2003 ; Livieri and Anderson, 2012 ). Santymire et al . (2020 ) measured FGM in male black-footed ferrets before, during and after the breeding season and observed a significant increase in FGMs during the breeding season ( Santymire et al ., 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Santymire et al . (2020 ) measured FGM in male black-footed ferrets before, during and after the breeding season and observed a significant increase in FGMs during the breeding season ( Santymire et al ., 2020 ). In general, increases in cortisol may reflect allostatic adjustments to different energy requirements ( Sapolsky et al ., 2000 ; Romero et al ., 2009 ), which would be especially true during the breeding season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) stress physiology

Santymire

Ali

Marinari

et al. 2021

Conservation Physiology

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The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was driven to near extinction due to habitat loss and an introduced disease, sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis). After 35 years of breeding in ex situ facilities, the black-footed ferret has been experiencing infertility with seminal traits declining in males and only about a third of breeding-aged females are whelping. Our goal was to use hair cortisol analysis to determine if the ex situ population was experiencing chronic stress that was affecting reproduction by comparing captive ferrets to wild individuals. Our specific objectives were to (i) compare hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) between age classes (juveniles versus adults), (ii) compare the HCCs of in situ and across different ex situ facilities and (iii) determine the relationship between HCCs and reproductive success. Overall, wild juveniles had higher HCC than wild adults. Our generalized linear mixed model determined that the parameters that best predict HCC for adults were the interactions among sex, in situ versus ex situ facilities and season. During both seasons, wild females had higher HCCs compared to the ex situ females. During the breeding season, male HCCs across breeding facilities varied and males at the breeding facility with the largest ferret habitats had HCCs similar to wild males. At one breeding facility, HCC was higher in males that sired compared to those that did not sire. In conclusion, ex situ ferrets do not have higher HCC than wild individuals when controlling for season and ex situ habitat size, and ex situ males with higher HCC tended to sire. This suggests that HCC may be metabolically driven and/or that low HCC may be an indication of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis dysregulation and warrants further investigation both for laboratory validation and biological relevance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) stress physiology

Santymire

Ali

Marinari

et al. 2021

Conservation Physiology

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“…Ex situ BFFs now exhibit increasing physiological evidence of inbreeding depression, including poor sperm quality (teratospermia) in males and low whelping success in females (Santymire et al, 2014(Santymire et al, , 2019Wisely et al, 2002Wisely et al, , 2008. While such problems may be due to their genetic history (Lawrence et al, 2017), dietary changes (Santymire et al, 2020), or stress (Santymire et al, 2021), conservation managers have reported that males specifically experience strong variation in reproductive success dependent on rearing environment: wild-born progeny descended from ex situ males exhibit significantly improved seminal traits (Rachel Santymire, pers. comm.).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic changes to gene pathways linked to male fertility in ex situ black‐footed ferrets

Tennenbaum,

Bortner,

Lynch

et al. 2024

Evolutionary Applications

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Environmental variation can influence the reproductive success of species managed under human care and in the wild, yet the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely mysterious. Molecular mechanisms such as epigenetic modifiers are important in mediating the timing and progression of reproduction in humans and model organisms, but few studies have linked epigenetic variation to reproductive fitness in wildlife. Here, we investigated epigenetic variation in black‐footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), an endangered North American mammal reliant on ex situ management for survival and persistence in the wild. Despite similar levels of genetic diversity in human‐managed and wild‐born populations, individuals in ex situ facilities exhibit reproductive problems, such as poor sperm quality. Differences across these settings suggest that an environmentally driven decline in reproductive capacity may be occurring in this species. We examined the role of DNA methylation, one well‐studied epigenetic modifier, in this emergent condition. We leveraged blood, testes, and semen samples from male black‐footed ferrets bred in ex situ facilities and found tissue‐type specificity in DNA methylation across the genome, although 1360 Gene Ontology terms associated with male average litter size shared functions across tissues. We then constructed gene networks of differentially methylated genomic sites associated with three different reproductive phenotypes to explore the putative biological impact of variation in DNA methylation. Sperm gene networks associated with average litter size and sperm count were functionally enriched for candidate genes involved in reproduction, development, and its regulation through transcriptional repression. We propose that DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating these reproductive phenotypes, thereby impacting the fertility of male ex situ individuals. Our results provide information into how DNA methylation may function in the alteration of reproductive pathways and phenotypes in artificial environments. These findings provide early insights to conservation hurdles faced in the protection of this rare species.

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The ART of bringing extinction to a freeze – History and future of species conservation, exemplified by rhinos

et al. 2021

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Influence of vitamin E and carcass feeding supplementation on fecal glucocorticoid and androgen metabolites in male black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes)

Cited by 5 publications

References 51 publications

Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) stress physiology

Using hair cortisol analysis to understand the biological factors that affect black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) stress physiology

Epigenetic changes to gene pathways linked to male fertility in ex situ black‐footed ferrets

The ART of bringing extinction to a freeze – History and future of species conservation, exemplified by rhinos

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