Physiological stress links parasites to carotenoid-based colour signals

Mougeot, François; Martínez‐Padilla, Jesús; Bortolotti, Gary R.; Webster, Lucy M.I.; Piertney, Stuart B.

doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01926.x

Cited by 80 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(116 reference statements)

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“…Bourgeon et al, 2014;Carbajal et al, 2014;Sepp et al, 2014) but these are in the minority. Concentrations of CORT in feathers have been shown to vary in response to life history events (Bortolotti et al, 2008;Crossin et al, 2013), sibling competition (Yosef et al, 2013), health status (Harriman et al, 2014;Meitern et al, 2013;Mougeot et al, 2010;Sild et al, 2014), overwinter survival (Koren et al, 2012), food limitation , reproductive investment (Fairhurst et al, 2012a;Kouwenberg et al, 2013), and with environmental conditions (Carrete et al, 2013;Fairhurst et al, 2011;Fairhurst et al, 2012b;Legagneux et al, 2013). Feather CORT concentrations have also been shown to be related to problem solving and learning (Bókony et al, 2014), and to feather pigmentation (Fairhurst et al, 2014;Kennedy et al, 2013;Lendvai et al, 2013;Martínez-Padilla et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration

Strong

Pereira

Shore

et al. 2015

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Article (refereed) -postprintStrong, Rebecca J.; Pereira, M. Gloria; Shore, Richard F.; Henrys, Peter A.; Pottinger, Tom G. 2015. Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration.Contact CEH NORA team at noraceh@ceh.ac.ukThe NERC and CEH trademarks and logos ('the Trademarks') are registered trademarks of NERC in the UK and other countries, and may not be used without the prior written consent of the Trademark owner. feather CORT content and condition were observed in only tawny owl and kestrel. In sparrowhawks, feather CORT concentration was found to be positively related to the hepatic concentrations of five metals (Cd, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo) and the metalloid As. There was also a negative relationship between measures of condition and total hepatic metal concentration in males. The results suggest that some factors affecting CORT uptake by feathers remain to be resolved but feather CORT content from archived specimens has the potential to provide a simple effects biomarker for exposure to environmental contaminants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration

Strong

Pereira

Shore

et al. 2015

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…Carotenoid levels may interact with hormone levels, such as glucocorticoids or testosterone, which may in turn affect APR response. For example, increased testosterone leads to increased blood carotenoid levels in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) (Blas et al, 2006), while elevated corticosterone leads to decreased carotenoid levels in red grouse (Lagopus lagopus) (Mougeot et al, 2010). A further possibility is the interaction of carotenoids with gap-junctional communication (Stahl and Sies, 1998), which in turn could affect the severity of the APR through reduced signalling, leading to an attenuated inflammation response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carotenoids buffer the acute phase response on fever, sickness behavior, and rapid bill color change in zebra finches

George

Schneider

McGraw

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Carotenoids are finite resources that animals can allocate to selfmaintenance, attractiveness or reproduction. Here we test how carotenoids affect the acute phase response (APR), an intense rapid systemic response characterized by fever, sickness behavior and production of acute phase proteins, which serves to reduce pathogen persistence. We conducted a 2×2 factorial design experiment in captive adult male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to determine the effects of carotenoid supplementation on the intensity of the APR. We measured changes in feeding rate, activity level and body temperature of the birds. We found that, relative to unsupplemented controls, carotenoidsupplemented birds exhibited less severe reductions in feeding and activity, smaller increases in body temperature and lower circulating levels of haptoglobin (an acute phase protein) 24 h after inducing an APR. Among supplemented individuals, those with higher blood carotenoid levels exhibited a lower reduction in activity rate after 24 h. Forty-eight hours after APR induction, birds exhibited a significant decrease in plasma carotenoid levels and a decrease in bill hue, with less reduction in hue in carotenoid-supplemented individuals. These results demonstrate that carotenoids can alleviate several important behavioral and physiological effects of an APR and that bill color can change rapidly following induction of the costly APR immune defense. In particular, immune activation may have caused birds to preferentially draw down carotenoids from the bloodstream, ostensibly for use in health. Rapid bill color changes over a 48-h period support growing evidence that bills may serve as short-term signals of health and condition.

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“…However, to date, few studies have related measures of integrated stress responses, such as feather corticosterone levels (hereafter CORTf) to parasite abundance, levels of sexual ornamentation or mate quality (e.g. Bortolotti et al 2009a, b;Mougeot et al 2010;Lendvai et al 2013;Fairhurst et al 2014;Harriman et al 2014). Even fewer studies have considered corticosterone levels variation in female birds, and how it relates to parasites, ornamentation and mate quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mougeot et al 2010;Harriman et al 2014;Sild et al 2014). Moreover, greater than needed or prolonged production of corticosterone may result in chronic stress and have detrimental effects, such as immunosuppression and reduced parasite resistance (Romero 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, greater than needed or prolonged production of corticosterone may result in chronic stress and have detrimental effects, such as immunosuppression and reduced parasite resistance (Romero 2004). Corticosterone has been proposed as a link between parasite infections and ornament expression levels (Mougeot et al 2010). More recently, mate choice was also shown to influence corticosterone levels: females that lose out in the competition for the best available males will socially bond with a less attractive male and may, as a result, have increased corticosterone levels .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parasites, mate attractiveness and female feather corticosterone levels in a socially monogamous bird

Mougeot

Lendvai

Martínez‐Padilla

et al. 2015

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Stress is ubiquitous in the life of animals and a key determinant of their well-being and fitness. By quantifying levels of feather corticosterone in growing feathers (CORTf), we measured integrated stress responses in a monogamous game bird, the red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. We investigated the effects of parasites and social mate choice on female CORTf levels during pairing, and tested the hypothesis that females with more parasites and paired with less attractive males have higher CORTf. We experimentally reduced nematode parasite abundance during pairing in females and investigated the effect of treatment on CORTf, while also considering the social mate's phenotype (male comb size, as a proxy of sexual attractiveness). The treatment was effective at contrasting parasite loads between control and dosed females, but had no apparent effect on CORTf. In experimental females, reinfection rate after a month positively correlated with CORTf. We found no evidence of assortative mating based on size, condition or ornament size, but females paired with more attractive males (displaying bigger combs) had lower CORTf during pairing. Females for which parasite load was reduced had lower CORTf than control females at all levels of male attractiveness. Social mate choice therefore appears to be an important determinant of female integrated stress responses, which may in turn modulate reinfection rate and parasitism risk. An influence of male attractiveness on female stress may be part of an adaptive response allowing females to adjust reproductive investment to their achieved social mate choice. Significance statementMate choice is often constrained by the availability of potential mates and not all females socially pair with their preferred partner. We show here that in females of a socially monogamous bird, corticosterone levels in feathers (indicative of integrated stress responses) increase with parasite infection levels but decrease with the attractiveness of the social mate. These results contribute to a better understanding of how females may adjust their reproductive investment according to their achieved mate choice.

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Physiological stress links parasites to carotenoid-based colour signals

Cited by 80 publications

References 42 publications

Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration

Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration

Carotenoids buffer the acute phase response on fever, sickness behavior, and rapid bill color change in zebra finches

Parasites, mate attractiveness and female feather corticosterone levels in a socially monogamous bird

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