scholarly journals Long-term effects of manipulated natal brood size on metabolic rate in zebra finches

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Verhulst ◽  
Marie-Jeanne Holveck ◽  
Katharina Riebel
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Brood Size ◽  
Standard Metabolic Rate ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Rearing Conditions ◽  
Large Brood

Long-term effects of developmental conditions on health, longevity and other fitness components in humans are drawing increasing attention. In evolutionary ecology, such effects are of similar importance because of their role in the trade-off between quantity and quality of offspring. The central role of energy consumption is well documented for some long-term health effects in humans (e.g. obesity), but little is known of the long-term effects of rearing conditions on energy requirements later in life. We manipulated the rearing conditions in zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ) using brood size manipulation and cross-fostering. It has previously been shown in this species that being reared in a large brood has negative fitness consequences, and that such effects are stronger in daughters than in sons. We show that, independent of mass, standard metabolic rate of 1-year-old birds was higher when they had been reared in a large brood, and this is to our knowledge the first demonstration of such an effect. Furthermore, the brood size effect was stronger in daughters than in sons. This suggests that metabolic efficiency may play a role in mediating the long-term fitness consequences of rearing conditions.

scholarly journals Early nutrition and phenotypic development: ‘catch-up’ growth leads to elevated metabolic rate in adulthood

2008 ◽  
Vol 275 (1642) ◽  
pp. 1565-1570 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Criscuolo ◽  
Pat Monaghan ◽  
Lubna Nasir ◽  
Neil B Metcalfe
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Resting Metabolic Rate ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Growth Trajectories ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Early Nutrition ◽  
Adult Body Mass ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is responsible for up to 50% of total energy expenditure, and so should be under strong selection pressure, yet it shows extensive intraspecific variation and a low heritability. Environmental conditions during growth are thought to have long-term effects through ‘metabolic programming’. Here we investigate whether nutritional conditions early in life can alter RMR in adulthood, and whether this is due to growth acceleration or the change in diet quality that prompts it. We manipulated dietary protein levels during the main growth period of zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata ) such that an episode of poor nutrition occurred with and without growth acceleration. This produced different growth trajectories but a similar adult body mass. Only the diet that induced growth acceleration resulted in a significant (19%) elevation of RMR at adulthood, despite all the birds having been on the same diet after the first month. This is the first study to show that dietary-induced differences in growth trajectories can have a long-term effect on adult metabolic rate. It suggests that modification of metabolic efficiency may be one of the mechanisms mediating the observed long-term costs of accelerated growth, and indicates links between early nutrition and the metabolic syndrome.

scholarly journals Nestling telomere shortening, but not telomere length, reflects developmental stress and predicts survival in wild birds

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1785) ◽  
pp. 20133287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle J. Boonekamp ◽  
G. A. Mulder ◽  
H. Martijn Salomons ◽  
Cor Dijkstra ◽  
Simon Verhulst
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Brood Size ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Developmental Effects ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Developmental Conditions ◽  
Fledgling Mass

Developmental stressors often have long-term fitness consequences, but linking offspring traits to fitness prospects has remained a challenge. Telomere length predicts mortality in adult birds, and may provide a link between developmental conditions and fitness prospects. Here, we examine the effects of manipulated brood size on growth, telomere dynamics and post-fledging survival in free-living jackdaws. Nestlings in enlarged broods achieved lower mass and lost 21% more telomere repeats relative to nestlings in reduced broods, showing that developmental stress accelerates telomere shortening. Adult telomere length was positively correlated with their telomere length as nestling ( r = 0.83). Thus, an advantage of long telomeres in nestlings is carried through to adulthood. Nestling telomere shortening predicted post-fledging survival and recruitment independent of manipulation and fledgling mass. This effect was strong, with a threefold difference in recruitment probability over the telomere shortening range. By contrast, absolute telomere length was neither affected by brood size manipulation nor related to survival. We conclude that telomere loss, but not absolute telomere length, links developmental conditions to subsequent survival and suggest that telomere shortening may provide a key to unravelling the physiological causes of developmental effects on fitness.

scholarly journals The Cell Birth Marker BrdU Does Not Affect Recruitment of Subsequent Cell Divisions in the Adult Avian Brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anat Cattan ◽  
Amir Ayali ◽  
Anat Barnea
Keyword(s):  
Taeniopygia Guttata ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Avian Brain ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Neuronal Nucleus ◽  
Cell Divisions ◽  
Neuronal Recruitment ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Silver Grains

BrdU is commonly used to quantify neurogenesis but also causes mutation and has mitogenic, transcriptional, and translational effects. In mammalian studies, attention had been given to its dosage, but in birds such examination was not conducted. Our previous study suggested that BrdU might affect subsequent cell divisions and neuronal recruitment in the brain. Furthermore, this effect seemed to increase with time from treatment. Accordingly, we examined whether BrdU might alter neurogenesis in the adult avian brain. We compared recruitment of [3H]-thymidine+neurons in brains of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) when no BrdU was involved and when BrdU was given 1 or 3 months prior to [3H]-thymidine. In nidopallium caudale, HVC, and hippocampus, no differences were found between groups in densities and percentages of [3H]-thymidine+neurons. The number of silver grains per [3H]-thymidine+neuronal nucleus and their distribution were similar across groups. Additionally, time did not affect the results. The results indicate that the commonly used dosage of BrdU in birds has no long-term effects on subsequent cell divisions and neuronal recruitment. This conclusion is also important in neuronal replacement experiments, where BrdU and another cell birth marker are given, with relatively long intervals between them.

scholarly journals Long-term fasting decreases mitochondrial avian UCP-mediated oxygen consumption in hypometabolic king penguins

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (1) ◽  
pp. R92-R100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Rey ◽  
Lewis G. Halsey ◽  
Virginie Dolmazon ◽  
Jean-Louis Rouanet ◽  
Damien Roussel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Reduced Rate

In endotherms, regulation of the degree of mitochondrial coupling affects cell metabolic efficiency. Thus it may be a key contributor to minimizing metabolic rate during long periods of fasting. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether variation in mitochondrial avian uncoupling proteins (avUCP), as putative regulators of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, may contribute to the ability of king penguins ( Aptenodytes patagonicus) to withstand fasting for several weeks. After 20 days of fasting, king penguins showed a reduced rate of whole animal oxygen consumption (V̇o2; −33%) at rest, together with a reduced abundance of avUCP and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC1-α) mRNA in pectoralis muscle (−54%, −36%, respectively). These parameters were restored after the birds had been refed for 3 days. Furthermore, in recently fed, but not in fasted penguins, isolated muscle mitochondria showed a guanosine diphosphate-inhibited, fatty acid plus superoxide-activated respiration, indicating the presence of a functional UCP. It was calculated that variation in mitochondrial UCP-dependent respiration in vitro may contribute to nearly 20% of the difference in resting V̇o2 between fed or refed penguins and fasted penguins measured in vivo. These results suggest that the lowering of avUCP activity during periods of long-term energetic restriction may contribute to the reduction in metabolic rate and hence the ability of king penguins to face prolonged periods of fasting.

Does Brood Size Manipulation Affect Later Competitive Behaviour of Offspring?

Behaviour ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 134 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 161-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.H. De Kogel
Keyword(s):  
Brood Size ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Food Competition ◽  
The Other ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Competitive Behaviour

AbstractData from several field experiments support the existence of a trade-off between number and quality of offspring. However, long term effects of brood size on fitness related traits of offspring have been a relatively neglected area of research. In a laboratory experiment the effect of manipulated brood size on subsequent competitive ability of adult offspring was investigated. Zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, were reared in small or large broods and young were exchanged in such a way that natural siblings from different rearing conditions could be compared. Competitive behaviour was assessed in two different contexts: competition for food (both sexes tested) and competition for mates (only males tested). There was no significant difference between males from small and large broods in number of succesfull attacks (after which the other male moved away) during male-male aggressive interactions provoked by the presentation of a female in an adjacent cage. Nor did brood size affect latency to eat, time spent eating or success at displacing the other bird from the feeder during food competition tests. The results thus suggest consistently that later competitive ability of offspring is not affected by brood size in this species.

Physiological genetics of dietary restriction: uncoupling the body temperature and body weight responses

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (4) ◽  
pp. R1522-R1527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad A. Rikke ◽  
Thomas E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Dietary Restriction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Strain Variation ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Difficult Challenge

Numerous physiological and molecular changes accompany dietary restriction (DR), which has been a major impediment to elucidating the causal basis underlying DR's many health benefits. Two major metabolic responses to DR that potentially underlie many of these changes are the body temperature ( Tb) and body weight (BW) responses. These responses also represent an especially difficult challenge to uncouple during DR. We demonstrate in this study, using two recombinant inbred (RI) panels of mice (the LXS and LSXSS) that naturally occurring genetic variation serves as a powerful tool for modulating Tb and BW independently during DR. The correlation coefficient between the two responses was essentially zero, with R = −0.04 in the LXS and −0.03 in the LSXSS, the latter averaged across replicate cohorts. This study is also the first to report that there is highly significant ( P = 10−10) strain variation in the Tb response to DR in the LXS (51 strains tested), with strain means ranging from 2 to 4°C below normal. The results suggest that the strain variation in the Tb response to DR is largely due to differences in the rate of heat loss rather than heat production (i.e., metabolic rate). This variation can thus be used to assess the long-term effects of lower Tb independent of BW or metabolic rate, as well as independent of food intake and motor activity as previously shown. These results also suggest that murine genetic variation may be useful for uncoupling many more responses to DR.

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