scholarly journals Incubation temperature affects multiple measures of immunocompetence in young wood ducks ( Aix Sponsa )

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. DuRant ◽  
William A. Hopkins ◽  
Dana M. Hawley ◽  
Gary R. Hepp

Parental effects play a vital role in shaping offspring phenotype. In birds, incubation behaviour is a critical parental effect because it influences the early developmental environment and can therefore have lifelong consequences for offspring phenotype. Recent studies that manipulated incubation temperature found effects on hatchling body composition, condition and growth, suggesting that incubation temperature could also affect energetically costly physiological processes of young birds that are important to survival (e.g. immune responses). We artificially incubated wood duck ( Aix sponsa ) eggs at three biologically relevant temperatures. Following incubation, we used two immunoassays to measure acquired immune responses of ducklings. Ducklings incubated at the lowest temperature had reduced growth, body condition and responses to both of our immune challenges, compared with those from the higher temperatures. Our results show that incubation temperatures can be an important driver of phenotypic variation in avian populations.

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 20130950 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. DuRant ◽  
A. W. Carter ◽  
R. J. Denver ◽  
G. R. Hepp ◽  
W. A. Hopkins

Incubation temperature influences a suite of traits in avian offspring. However, the mechanisms underlying expression of these phenotypes are unknown. Given the importance of thyroid hormones in orchestrating developmental processes, we hypothesized that they may act as an upstream mechanism mediating the effects of temperature on hatchling phenotypic traits such as growth and thermoregulation. We found that plasma T 3 , but not T 4 concentrations, differed among newly hatched wood ducks ( Aix sponsa ) from different embryonic incubation temperatures. T 4 at hatching correlated with time spent hatching, and T 3 correlated with hatchling body condition, tarsus length, time spent hatching and incubation period. In addition, the T 3 : T 4 ratio differed among incubation temperatures at hatch. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that incubation temperature modulates plasma thyroid hormones which in turn influences multiple aspects of duckling phenotype.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 20160087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Nord ◽  
Jan-Åke Nilsson

Because incubation by birds is energetically costly, parents frequently trade off investment in incubation against self-maintenance. This can be manifested by a reduction in incubation temperature, which comes at high somatic costs for nestlings. The extent to which these costs constrain fitness is poorly understood. We incubated wild blue tit clutches at three biologically relevant temperatures and subsequently recorded winter survival and survival to the breeding season. Fledglings from the coldest treatment (35.0°C) survived less well than other fledglings, but the proportion of winter and breeding survivors did not differ significantly between treatments. However, survival probability in both seasons increased with body mass at fledging in birds from low and mid incubation temperatures, but decreased with fledging body mass in the high-temperature treatment. Mid-temperature nestlings were heavier as adults, weighing 7% more than low- and high-temperature survivors. Thus, high incubation temperature can be beneficial in the short term, but costs of accelerated embryonic development may equal those of protracted development in the long term. Such hidden consequences of faster development could maintain natural selection for average incubation temperature.


2011 ◽  
Vol 315A (5) ◽  
pp. 274-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittney Cole Hopkins ◽  
Sarah Elizabeth DuRant ◽  
Gary Richard Hepp ◽  
William Alexander Hopkins

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1068-1081
Author(s):  
Xi Liu ◽  
Dongwu Liu ◽  
Yangyang Shen ◽  
Mujie Huang ◽  
Lili Gao ◽  
...  

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to a family of metal-dependent endopeptidases which contain a series of conserved pro-peptide domains and catalytic domains. MMPs have been widely found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. MMPs are involved in regulating numerous physiological processes, pathological processes, and immune responses. In addition, MMPs play a key role in disease occurrence, including tumors, cardiovascular diseases, and other diseases. Compared with invertebrate MMPs, vertebrate MMPs have diverse subtypes and complex functions. Therefore, it is difficult to study the function of MMPs in vertebrates. However, it is relatively easy to study invertebrate MMPs because there are fewer subtypes of MMPs in invertebrates. In the present review, the structure and function of MMPs in invertebrates were summarized, which will provide a theoretical basis for investigating the regulatory mechanism of MMPs in invertebrates.


Weed Science ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 595-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Toai ◽  
D. L. Linscott

We studied the effects of temperature (5, 10, 20, and 30 C) on the phytotoxic activity of decaying quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.] leaves and rhizomes that were incubated in soils for 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seeds were grown for 96 h in water, water extracts of control soils, and water extracts of soil with quackgrass rhizomes or leaves. Dried quackgrass rhizomes and leaves contained water-soluble toxins that inhibited alfalfa seedling development and growth. There was a strong interaction between incubation time and temperature on the development of additional toxins by decomposing quackgrass. High incubation temperature (30 C) accelerated toxin formation and ultimate decay. Intermediate temperature (20 C) delayed toxin formation and decay. Low incubation temperatures (5 C and 10 C) prevented formation of additional toxin. In all extracts of quackgrass and soil that had been incubated for 6 weeks, normal alfalfa seedling number equaled that in water. However, seedling growth varied with incubation temperatures.Treatment of quackgrass with glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] in the greenhouse did not influence the toxicity of decaying quackgrass leaves. The highest toxic effect was noted after 1 week of decay on the soil surface.


Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izhar Hyder Qazi ◽  
Christiana Angel ◽  
Haoxuan Yang ◽  
Evangelos Zoidis ◽  
Bo Pan ◽  
...  

Selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral having many essential roles at the cellular and organismal levels in animal and human health. The biological effects of Se are mainly carried out by selenoproteins (encoded by 25 genes in humans and 24 in mice). As an essential component of selenoproteins, Se performs structural and enzymic roles; in the latter context it is well known for its catalytic and antioxidative functions. Studies involving different animal models have added great value to our understanding regarding the potential implications of Se and selenoproteins in mammalian fertility and reproduction. In this review, we highlight the implications of selenoproteins in male fertility and reproduction followed by the characteristic biological functions of Se and selenoproteins associated with overall male reproductive function. It is evident from observations of past studies (both animal and human) that Se is essentially required for spermatogenesis and male fertility, presumably because of its vital role in modulation of antioxidant defense mechanisms and other essential biological pathways and redox sensitive transcription factors. However, bearing in mind the evidences from mainstream literature, it is also advisable to perform more studies focusing on the elucidation of additional roles played by the peculiar and canonical selenoproteins i.e., glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) in the male reproductive functions. Nevertheless, search for the elucidation of additional putative mechanisms potentially modulated by other biologically relevant selenoproteins should also be included in the scope of future studies. However, as for the implication of Se in fertility and reproduction in men, though a few clinical trials explore the effects of Se supplementation on male fertility, due to inconsistencies in the recruitment of subjects and heterogeneity of designs, the comparison of such studies is still complicated and less clear. Therefore, further research focused on the roles of Se and selenoproteins is awaited for validating the evidences at hand and outlining any therapeutic schemes intended for improving male fertility. As such, new dimensions could be added to the subject of male fertility and Se supplementation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christon J. Hurst ◽  
William H. Benton ◽  
Kim A. McClellan

The long-term survival of three human enterovirus serotypes, Coxsackievirus B3, echovirus 7, and poliovirus 1 was examined in samples of surface freshwater collected from five sites of physically different character. These were an artificial lake created by damming a creek, a small groundwater outlet pond, both a large- and a medium-sized river, and a small suburban creek. Survival was studied at temperatures of −20, 1, and 22 °C. The average amount of viral inactivation was 6.50–7.0 log10 units over 8 weeks at 22 °C, 4–5 log10 units over 12 weeks at 1 °C, and 0.4–0.8 log10 units over 12 weeks at −20 °C. The effect of incubation temperature upon viral inactivation rate was statistically significant (p < 0.00001). As determined by pairing tests, survival was also significantly related to both viral serotype and water source at each of the three incubation temperatures (p ≤ 0.05). Efforts were made to determine whether the rate of viral inactivation observed at the different incubation temperatures was related to characteristics inherent to the water that was collected from the different locations. The characteristics examined included physical and chemical parameters, indigenous bacterial counts, and the amount of bacterial growth that the waters would support (measured as the maximum number of generations which seeded bacteria could undergo after being placed into either pasteurized or sterile-filtered water samples). Analysis of viral inactivation rate versus these characteristics revealed three apparent effectors of viral persistence. These were (i) hardness and conductivity, both of which strongly correlated with one another; (ii) turbidity and suspended solids content, both of which strongly correlated with one another; and (iii) the number of generations of bacterial growth that a sample was capable of supporting, which also correlated with hardness and conductivity.Key words: virus, survival, inactivation rate, water.


Author(s):  
Jesús García-Grajales ◽  
Juan Francisco Meraz ◽  
José Luis Arcos García ◽  
Eustacio Ramírez Méndez

The influence of nest incubation temperatures on the carapace shape and morphological traits of Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli 1761) hatchlings incubated in two hatcheries of Oaxaca, Mexico was evaluated. This study was carried out from October 2016 through May 2017. On each beach, there are community groups consisting of volunteers without association with universities, that protect and relocate the nests to increase hatching success. In each translocated nest, a data logger was placed in the centre of the egg mass. Hatchlings were collected as they emerged from each nest. The carapaces of the hatchlings were photographed and subjected to geometric morphometric analysis; later, hatchlings were weighed and their bodies were measured. The mean temperature of 12 nests in each hatchery were recorded, with no significant differences between hatcheries. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed an overlapping of the carapace shape under different duration of temperature. Temperature had a significant influence on hatchling morphology. Higher mean incubation temperatures produced hatchlings with low weight, smaller appendage; narrower carapace width and shorter flippers length. Lower mean incubation temperatures produced hatchlings that had greater weight, greater appendage width, wider carapace width and longer flipper length. Results indicate that the D. coriacea hatchlings incubated in hatcheries demonstrate morphology that varies in relation to nest incubation temperature in a similar way to hatchlings produced in natural environments.


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