Seasonal and stress related changes in plasma gonadotropins, sex steroids, and corticosterone in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

Licht, Paul; McCreery, Brian R.; Barnes, Robert W.; Pang, Raymond Ka-Kay

doi:10.1016/0016-6480(83)90249-6

Cited by 303 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…We conducted steroid hormone extraction on whole tadpoles as described by Denver [42] and analysed whole-body CORT content by RIA as described by Licht and colleagues [43]. The anti-CORT serum was purchased from MP Biomedicals (Irvine, CA, USA).…”

Section: (H) Whole-body Corticosterone Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress hormones mediate predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles

2013

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Amphibian tadpoles display extensive anti-predator phenotypic plasticity, reducing locomotory activity and, with chronic predator exposure, developing relatively smaller trunks and larger tails. In many vertebrates, predator exposure alters activity of the neuroendocrine stress axis. We investigated predator-induced effects on stress hormone production and the mechanistic link to anti-predator defences in Rana sylvatica tadpoles. Whole-body corticosterone (CORT) content was positively correlated with predator biomass in natural ponds. Exposure to caged predators in mesocosms caused a reduction in CORT by 4 hours, but increased CORT after 4 days. Tadpoles chronically exposed to exogenous CORT developed larger tails relative to their trunks, matching morphological changes induced by predator chemical cue; this predator effect was blocked by the corticosteroid biosynthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Tadpole tail explants treated in vitro with CORT increased tissue weight, suggesting that CORT acts directly on the tail. Short-term treatment of tadpoles with CORT increased predation mortality, likely due to increased locomotory activity. However, long-term CORT treatment enhanced survivorship, likely due to induced morphology. Our findings support the hypothesis that tadpole physiological and behavioural/morphological responses to predation are causally interrelated. Tadpoles initially suppress CORT and behaviour to avoid capture, but increase CORT with longer exposure, inducing adaptive phenotypic changes.

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Section: (H) Whole-body Corticosterone Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress hormones mediate predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles

2013

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“…Corticosterone levels vary seasonally (Licht et al, 1983;Pancak and Taylor, 1983;Dupont et al, 1979;Jolivet-Jaudet and Ishii, 1985;Zerani and Gobbetti, 1993), are socially modulated (Burmeister and Wilczynski, 2000), and are thought to contribute to the regulation of male reproductive behaviors in both anurans (Marler and Ryan, 1996) and urodeles (reviewed in Moore and Rose, 2002, Moore et al, this issue). For example, in male rough-skinned newts (T. granulosa), corticosterone rapidly inhibits male clasping behavior.…”

Section: Steroid Hormones and Courtship Behavior In Male Amphibians: mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such rapid effects may be mediated by direct action of corticosterone on membrane receptors (Orchinik et al, 1991). Some of corticosterone's effects have also been attributed to an inhibition of the HPG axis, as high corticosterone is often associated with low androgen levels Licht et al, 1983;Marler and Ryan, 1996). However, just as for androgens, corticosterone's reported relationship to courtship, and to androgen levels, in more natural contexts is inconsistent.…”

Section: Steroid Hormones and Courtship Behavior In Male Amphibians: mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Female gonadal steroid levels are seasonally modulated (Licht et al, 1983;Pierantoni et al, 1984;Iela et al, 1986). In species with long breeding seasons, females may cycle through breeding (essentially ovulation) stages more than once, and gonadal steroids fluctuate over these cycles (Iela et al, 1986;Harvey et al, 1997;Medina et al, 2004;.…”

Section: Steroid Hormones and Courtship Behavior In Female Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Circulating plasma testosterone levels are as high in reproductive females as in males (although in males dihydrotestosterone is higher) and higher than estrogen levels in many anuran species (d 'Istria et al, 1974;Licht et al, 1983;Iela et al, 1986;Itoh and Ishii, 1990;Harvey et al, 1997;Wilczynski et al, 2003;Medina et al, 2004;. The behavioral relevance of this, if any, is unclear.…”

Section: Steroid Hormones and Courtship Behavior In Female Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Current research in amphibians: Studies integrating endocrinology, behavior, and neurobiology

Wilczynski

Lynch

O'Bryant

2005

Hormones and Behavior

107

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Amphibian behavioral endocrinology has focused on reproductive social behavior and communication in frogs and newts. Androgens and estrogens are critical for the expression of male and female behavior, respectively, and their effects are relatively clear. Corticosteroids have significant modulatory effects on the behavior of both sexes, as does the peptide neuromodulator arginine vasotocin in males, but their effects and interactions with gonadal steroids are often complex and difficult to understand. Recent work has shown that the gonadal hormones and social behavior are mutually reinforcing: engaging in social interactions increases hormone levels just as increasing hormone levels change behavior. The reciprocal interactions of hormones and behavior, as well as the complex interactions among gonadal steroids, adrenal steroids, and peptide hormones have implications for the maintenance and evolution of natural social behavior, and suggest that a deeper understanding of both endocrine mechanisms and social behavior would arise from field studies or other approaches that combine behavioral endocrinology with behavioral ecology.

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Hormonal induction of thumb pads and the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics of the Southeast Asian fanged frog,Rana blythii

1997

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The fanged frogs of Southeast Asia do not express most of the hormone‐dependent secondary sexual characteristics such as thumb pads that are common to other ranid frogs. At the same point in the evolutionary history of the group that these androgen‐mediated characteristics are lost, male parental care first evolves. This behavior is often correlated with low androgen levels. Prior work indicates that in one of the fanged frogs, Rana blythii, adult males have low androgen levels compared to North Temperate species of Rana. This leads to the question of whether these low androgen levels are related to the unusual male parental care and the lack of expression of the thumb pad and other hormone‐dependent secondary sexual characteristics in this species. We tested that hypothesis by examining the effects of exogenous dihydrotestosterone supplements on the expression of thumb pads in Rana blythii. Dihydrotestosterone injections appear to stimulate the expression of the thumb pad in R. blythii. These results support the hypothesis that low androgen levels are involved in the loss of the thumb pad in R. blythii. This work provides an example of how mapping characters on phylogenies can be a powerful approach for gaining insights into proximate physiological mechanisms of selection at the evolutionary level. J. Exp. Zool. 279:587–596, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Seasonal and stress related changes in plasma gonadotropins, sex steroids, and corticosterone in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

Cited by 303 publications

References 22 publications

Stress hormones mediate predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles

Stress hormones mediate predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibian tadpoles

Current research in amphibians: Studies integrating endocrinology, behavior, and neurobiology

Hormonal induction of thumb pads and the evolution of secondary sexual characteristics of the Southeast Asian fanged frog,Rana blythii

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