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Franco-Belussi L, de Oliveira Júnior JG, Goldberg J, De Oliveira C, Fernandes CE, Provete DB. Multiple morphophysiological responses of a tropical frog to urbanization conform to the pace-of-life syndrome. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coad106. [PMID: 38293639 PMCID: PMC10823355 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The Pace-of-Life syndrome proposes that behavioural, physiological and immune characteristics vary along a slow-fast gradient. Urbanization poses several physiological challenges to organisms. However, little is known about how the health status of frogs is affected by urbanization in the Tropics, which have a faster and more recent urbanization than the northern hemisphere. Here, we analysed a suite of physiological variables that reflect whole organism health, reproduction, metabolic and circulatory physiology and leukocyte responses in Leptodactylus podicipinus. Specifically, we tested how leukocyte profile, erythrocyte morphometrics and germ cell density, as well as somatic indices and erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities differ throughout the adult life span between urban and rural populations. We used Phenotypic Trajectory Analysis to test the effect of age and site on each of the multivariate data sets; and a Generalised Linear Model to test the effect of site and age on nuclear abnormalities. Somatic indices, erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities, erythrocyte morphometrics and leukocyte profile differed between populations, but less so for germ cell density. We found a large effect of site on nuclear abnormalities, with urban frogs having twice as many abnormalities as rural frogs. Our results suggest that urban frogs have a faster pace of life, but the response of phenotypic compartments is not fully concerted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Franco-Belussi
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, 15054-000, Brazil
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79002970, Brazil
| | - José Gonçalves de Oliveira Júnior
- Graduate Program in Animal Biology, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Javier Goldberg
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal - CONICET; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Classius De Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Carlos E Fernandes
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79002970, Brazil
| | - Diogo B Provete
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79002970, Brazil
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg, Box 100, S 405 30, Sweden
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2
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Assis VR, Robert J, Titon SCM. Introduction to the special issue Amphibian immunity: stress, disease and ecoimmunology. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220117. [PMID: 37305915 PMCID: PMC10258669 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibian populations have been declining worldwide, with global climate changes and infectious diseases being among the primary causes of this scenario. Infectious diseases are among the primary drivers of amphibian declines, including ranavirosis and chytridiomycosis, which have gained more attention lately. While some amphibian populations are led to extinction, others are disease-resistant. Although the host's immune system plays a major role in disease resistance, little is known about the immune mechanisms underlying amphibian disease resistance and host-pathogen interactions. As ectotherms, amphibians are directly subjected to changes in temperature and rainfall, which modulate stress-related physiology, including immunity and pathogen physiology associated with diseases. In this sense, the contexts of stress, disease and ecoimmunology are essential for a better understanding of amphibian immunity. This issue brings details about the ontogeny of the amphibian immune system, including crucial aspects of innate and adaptive immunity and how ontogeny can influence amphibian disease resistance. In addition, the papers in the issue demonstrate an integrated view of the amphibian immune system associated with the influence of stress on immune-endocrine interactions. The collective body of research presented herein can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying disease outcomes in natural populations, particularly in the context of changing environmental conditions. These findings may ultimately enhance our ability to forecast effective conservation strategies for amphibian populations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Amphibian immunity: stress, disease and ecoimmunology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Regina Assis
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-900 São Paulo, Brazil
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612-9415, USA
| | - Jacques Robert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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3
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Sasser KT, Weber JN. A Call For More Ecologically And Evolutionarily Relevant Studies of Immune Costs. Evol Ecol 2023; 37:203-214. [PMID: 37608798 PMCID: PMC10443930 DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10213-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
What are the relative costs and benefits of mounting immune responses? Practitioners of ecoimmunology have grappled with this central question since the field's inception with the main tension being how to make tractable methodological choices that maintain the ecological relevance of induced and measured immune costs. Here, we point out two methodological approaches that we feel are underrepresented in the field, describe risks associated with neglecting these methods, and suggest modern techniques that maximize both the diversity and ecological relevance of collected data. First, it is commonly assumed that frequently used and experimentally convenient immune stimulants will induce ecologically relevant immune responses in study organisms. This can be a dangerous assumption. Even if a stimulant's general immune response properties are well characterized, it is critical to also measure the type and scale of immune responses induced by live pathogens. Second, patterns of immune defenses evolve like other traits, thus a comparative approach is essential to understand what forces shape immune variation. Finally, we describe modern genetic and immunological approaches that will soon become essential tools for ecoimmunologists, and present case studies that exemplify the utility of our recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristofer Trey Sasser
- University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA. Current address: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- 430 Lincoln Dr, Birge Hall, Madison WI, 53706
| | - Jesse N Weber
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- 430 Lincoln Dr, Birge Hall, Madison WI, 53706
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4
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Simonis MC, Hartzler LK, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS, Rúa MA. Long‐term exposure to an invasive fungal pathogen decreases
Eptesicus fuscus
body mass with increasing latitude. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Lynn K. Hartzler
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Michael R. Scafini
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Megan A. Rúa
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
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5
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Viola MF, Gerardo Herrera M L, da Cruz-Neto AP. The acute phase response in bats (Carollia perspicillata) varies with time and dose of the immune challenge. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286160. [PMID: 36448935 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The acute phase response (APR) is a core component of the innate immune response and represents the first line of immune defense used in response to infections. Although several studies with vertebrates reported fever, a decrease in food intake and body mass, and an increase in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and total white blood cell count after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inoculation, there was great variability in the magnitude of these responses. Some of these differences might reflect, to some extent, differences in the time of endotoxin inoculation (during active or rest periods) and dose. Therefore, our study tested the interplay between LPS dose and time of injection on selected physiological (fever and increase in total white blood cell count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio) and behavioral (food intake) components of the APR using a Neotropical fruit-eating bat (Carollia perspicillata) as a model organism. We predicted that LPS would trigger a dose- and time-dependent response in APR components. APR components were assessed in rest and active periods after injection of three doses of LPS (5, 10 and 15 mg kg-1 LPS). The results indicate a more robust decrease in food intake at higher doses during the active period, while increased neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was more robust during the active period regardless of dose. Furthermore, the skin temperature increase lasted longer at higher doses regardless of the timing of injections. Our study offers important insights into the dependence of time as well as the LPS dosage effect in the APR of bats, and how they deal with the magnitude of infections at different times of day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus F Viola
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Animal (LaFA), Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - L Gerardo Herrera M
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional, Autónoma de México, 48980 San Patricio, Jalisco, México
| | - Ariovaldo P da Cruz-Neto
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Animal (LaFA), Departamento de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Gass J, Voyles J. When Defenses Fail: Atelopus zeteki Skin Secretions Increase Growth of the Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1595-1605. [PMID: 35640912 PMCID: PMC9801971 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To combat the threat of emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, ecoimmunologists seek to understand the complex interactions among pathogens, their hosts, and their shared environments. The cutaneous fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has led to the decline of innumerable amphibian species, including the Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki). Given that Bd can evade or dampen the acquired immune responses of some amphibians, nonspecific immune defenses are thought to be especially important for amphibian defenses against Bd. In particular, skin secretions constitute a vital component of amphibian innate immunity against skin infections, but their role in protecting A. zeteki from Bd is unknown. We investigated the importance of this innate immune component by reducing the skin secretions from A. zeteki and evaluating their effectiveness against Bd in vitro and in vivo. Following exposure to Bd in a controlled inoculation experiment, we compared key disease characteristics (e.g., changes in body condition, prevalence, pathogen loads, and survival) among groups of frogs that had their skin secretions reduced and control frogs that maintained their skin secretions. Surprisingly, we found that the skin secretions collected from A. zeteki increased Bd growth in vitro. This finding was further supported by infection and survival patterns in the in vivo experiment where frogs with reduced skin secretions tended to have lower pathogen loads and survive longer compared to frogs that maintained their secretions. These results suggest that the skin secretions of A. zeteki are not only ineffective at inhibiting Bd but may enhance Bd growth, possibly leading to greater severity of disease and higher mortality in this highly vulnerable species. These results differ from those of previous studies in other amphibian host species that suggest that skin secretions are a key defense in protecting amphibians from developing severe chytridiomycosis. Therefore, we suggest that the importance of immune components cannot be generalized across all amphibian species or over time. Moreover, the finding that skin secretions may be enhancing Bd growth emphasizes the importance of investigating these immune components in detail, especially for species that are a conservation priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Gass
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada at Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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7
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Meza Cerda MI, Gray R, Thomson PC, Butcher L, Simpson K, Cameron A, Marcus AD, Higgins DP. Developing Immune Profiles of Endangered Australian Sea Lion ( Neophoca cinerea) Pups Within the Context of Endemic Hookworm ( Uncinaria sanguinis) Infection. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:824584. [PMID: 35529837 PMCID: PMC9069138 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.824584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a top predator, the endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is a sentinel of ecosystem change, where population trends can reflect broader shifts in the marine environment. The population of this endemic pinniped was historically diminished by commercial sealing, and recovery has been slowed by fishery interactions, disease and, potentially, pollutants. Hookworm infects 100% of neonatal pups and has been identified as a contributor to population decline. Here, a multivariable approach using traditional serological and novel molecular tools such as qPCR and ddPCR was used to examine immune phenotypes of developing Australian sea lion pups infected with the endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) from two South Australian colonies. Results show changing immunophenotypes throughout the patent period of infection represented by pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6), IgG and acute-phase proteins. Although cytokines may prove useful as markers of resistance, in this study, IL-6 is determined to be an early biomarker of inflammation in Australian sea lion pups, excluding the alternative hypothesis. Additionally, immunological differences between animals from high- and low-intensity hookworm seasons, as well as ivermectin-treated animals, indicate hookworm infection modulation of the host immune response, as evidenced by a lower IL-6 mRNA expression in the non-treated groups. This study of the Australian sea lion is an example of an ecoimmunological approach to disease investigation, which can be applied to evaluate the impact of environmental and anthropogenic factors on susceptibility to infectious diseases in free-ranging species
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Ignacia Meza Cerda
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachael Gray
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter C Thomson
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Loreena Butcher
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kelly Simpson
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abby Cameron
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alan D Marcus
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Damien P Higgins
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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8
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Claunch NM, Downs CJ, Schoenle LA, Oakey SJ, Ely T, Romagosa C, Briggs CW. Snap-freezing in the Field: Effect of Sample Holding Time on Performance of Bactericidal Assays. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1693-1699. [PMID: 35294024 PMCID: PMC9801962 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative analyses in biology rely on the quality of available data. Methodological differences among studies may introduce variation in results that obscure patterns. In the field of eco-immunology, functional immune assays such as antimicrobial capacity assays are widely used for among-species applications. Sample storage time and animal handling time can influence assay results in some species, but how sample holding time prior to freezing influences assay results is unknown. Sample holding time can vary widely in field studies on wild animals, prompting the need to understand the implications of such variation on assay results. We investigated the hypothesis that sample holding time prior to freezing influences assay results in six species (Leiocephalus carinatus, Iguana iguana, Loxodonta africana, Ceratotherium simum, Columba livia, and Buteo swainsoni) by comparing antibacterial capacity of serum with varying processing times prior to snap-freezing. Blood was collected once from each individual and aliquots were placed on ice and assigned different holding times (0, 30, 60, 180, and 240 min), after which each sample was centrifuged, then serum was separated and snap-frozen on dry ice and stored at -80ºC for 60 days prior to assaying. For each aliquot, we conducted antibacterial capacity assays with serial dilutions of serum inoculated with E. coli and extracted the dilution at 50% antibacterial capacity for analysis. We found a decrease in antibacterial capacity with increased holding time in one of the six species tested (B. swainsoni), driven in part by complete loss of antibacterial capacity in some individuals at the 240-min time point. While the majority of species' antibacterial capacity were not affected, our results demonstrate the need to conduct pilot assays spanning the anticipated variation in sample holding times to develop appropriate field protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Laura A Schoenle
- Office of Undergraduate Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Samantha J Oakey
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Teresa Ely
- Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Christina Romagosa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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9
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Reitmayer CM, Pathak AK, Harrington LC, Brindley MA, Cator LJ, Murdock CC. Sex, age, and parental harmonic convergence behavior affect the immune performance of Aedes aegypti offspring. Commun Biol 2021; 4:723. [PMID: 34117363 PMCID: PMC8196008 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02236-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmonic convergence is a potential cue, female mosquitoes use to choose male mates. However, very little is known about the benefits this choice confers to offspring performance. Using Aedes aegypti (an important vector of human disease), we investigated whether offspring of converging parental pairs showed differences in immune competence compared to offspring derived from non-converging parental pairs. Here we show that harmonic convergence, along with several other interacting factors (sex, age, reproductive, and physiological status), significantly shaped offspring immune responses (melanization and response to a bacterial challenge). Harmonic convergence had a stronger effect on the immune response of male offspring than on female offspring. Further, female offspring from converging parental pairs disseminated dengue virus more quickly than offspring derived from non-converging parental pairs. Our results provide insight into a wide range of selective pressures shaping mosquito immune function and could have important implications for disease transmission and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Reitmayer
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Tropical and Global Emerging Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Surrey, UK
| | - Ashutosh K Pathak
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Tropical and Global Emerging Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Laura C Harrington
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Northeast Center for Excellence for Vector-borne Disease Research, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Melinda A Brindley
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Lauren J Cator
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Courtney C Murdock
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Center for Tropical and Global Emerging Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Northeast Center for Excellence for Vector-borne Disease Research, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Riverbasin Center, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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10
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Behringer V, Deimel C, Stevens JMG, Kreyer M, Lee SM, Hohmann G, Fruth B, Heistermann M. Cell-Mediated Immune Ontogeny Is Affected by Sex but Not Environmental Context in a Long-Lived Primate Species. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.629094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecoimmunology conceptualizes the role of immunity in shaping life history in a natural context. Within ecoimmunology, macroimmunology is a framework that explains the effects of habitat and spatial differences on variation in immune phenotypes across populations. Within these frameworks, immune ontogeny—the development of the immune system across an individual life span—has received little attention. Here, we investigated how immune ontogeny from birth until adulthood is affected by age, sex, and developmental environment in a long-lived primate species, the bonobo. We found a progressive, significant decline of urinary neopterin levels, a marker for the cell-mediated immune response, from birth until 5 years of age in both sexes. The overall pattern of age-related neopterin changes was sex-specific, with males having higher urinary neopterin levels than females in the first 3 years of life, and females having higher levels than males between 6 and 8 years. Environmental condition (zoo-housed vs. wild) did not influence neopterin levels, nor did age-related changes in neopterin levels differ between environments. Our data suggest that the post-natal development of cell-mediated immune ontogeny is sex-specific but does not show plasticity in response to environmental conditions in this long-lived primate species. This indicates that cell-mediated immune ontogeny in the bonobo follows a stereotypic and maybe a genetically determined pattern that is not affected by environmental differences in pathogen exposure and energy availability, but that sex is an important, yet often overlooked factor shaping patterns of immune ontogeny. Investigating the causes and consequences of variation in immunity throughout life is critical for our understanding of life-history evolution and strategies, mechanisms of sexual selection, and population dynamics with respect to pathogen susceptibility. A general description of sex-specific immune ontogeny as done here is a crucial step in this direction, particularly when it is considered in the context of a species’ ecology and evolutionary history.
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11
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Behera M, Ghorai SM, De S, Kaur H. Understanding eco-immunology of bacterial zoonoses and alternative therapeutics toward "One Health". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONE HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.14202/ijoh.2021.104-115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The current review identifies key bacterial zoonoses, the understanding of comparative immunology, evolutionary trade-offs between emerging bacterial pathogens and their dynamics on both arms of immunity. The several gaps in the literature limit our understanding of spread of prominent bacterial zoonotic diseases and the host-pathogen interactions that may change in response to environmental and social factors. Gaining a more comprehensive understanding of how anthropogenic activities affects the spread of emerging zoonotic diseases, is essential for predicting and mitigating future disease emergence through fine-tuning of surveillance and control measures with respect to different pathogens. This review highlights the urgent need to increase understanding of the comparative immunity of animal reservoirs, design of vaccines according to the homology in host-pathogen interactions, and the alternative strategies to counter the risk of bacterial pathogenic spillover to humans with eventual spread of zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Behera
- Animal Biotechnology Center, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India; Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Sachinandan De
- Animal Biotechnology Center, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
| | - Hardeep Kaur
- Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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12
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Titon SCM, Assis VR. Introduction to the special issue: Ecoimmunology in ectotherms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 333:697-705. [PMID: 33450144 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanny C M Titon
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Fisiologia Evolutiva, Rua do Matão, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vania R Assis
- Laboratório de Comportamento e Fisiologia Evolutiva, Rua do Matão, Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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13
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Ohmer MEB, Costantini D, Czirják GÁ, Downs CJ, Ferguson LV, Flies A, Franklin CE, Kayigwe AN, Knutie S, Richards-Zawacki CL, Cramp RL. Applied ecoimmunology: using immunological tools to improve conservation efforts in a changing world. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab074. [PMID: 34512994 PMCID: PMC8422949 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecoimmunology is a rapidly developing field that explores how the environment shapes immune function, which in turn influences host-parasite relationships and disease outcomes. Host immune defence is a key fitness determinant because it underlies the capacity of animals to resist or tolerate potential infections. Importantly, immune function can be suppressed, depressed, reconfigured or stimulated by exposure to rapidly changing environmental drivers like temperature, pollutants and food availability. Thus, hosts may experience trade-offs resulting from altered investment in immune function under environmental stressors. As such, approaches in ecoimmunology can provide powerful tools to assist in the conservation of wildlife. Here, we provide case studies that explore the diverse ways that ecoimmunology can inform and advance conservation efforts, from understanding how Galapagos finches will fare with introduced parasites, to using methods from human oncology to design vaccines against a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. In addition, we discuss the future of ecoimmunology and present 10 questions that can help guide this emerging field to better inform conservation decisions and biodiversity protection. From better linking changes in immune function to disease outcomes under different environmental conditions, to understanding how individual variation contributes to disease dynamics in wild populations, there is immense potential for ecoimmunology to inform the conservation of imperilled hosts in the face of new and re-emerging pathogens, in addition to improving the detection and management of emerging potential zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel E B Ohmer
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 57 Rue Cuvier, CP32, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Laura V Ferguson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Andy Flies
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Craig E Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ahab N Kayigwe
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Sarah Knutie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
| | | | - Rebecca L Cramp
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Corresponding author: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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14
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Becker DJ, Downs CJ, Martin LB. Multi-Scale Drivers of Immunological Variation and Consequences for Infectious Disease Dynamics. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1129-1137. [PMID: 31559436 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system is the primary barrier to parasite infection, replication, and transmission following exposure, and variation in immunity can accordingly manifest in heterogeneity in traits that govern population-level infectious disease dynamics. While much work in ecoimmunology has focused on individual-level determinants of host immune defense (e.g., reproductive status and body condition), an ongoing challenge remains to understand the broader evolutionary and ecological contexts of this variation (e.g., phylogenetic relatedness and landscape heterogeneity) and to connect these differences into epidemiological frameworks. Ultimately, such efforts could illuminate general principles about the drivers of host defense and improve predictions and control of infectious disease. Here, we highlight recent work that synthesizes the complex drivers of immunological variation across biological scales of organization and scales these within-host differences to population-level infection outcomes. Such studies note the limitations involved in making species-level comparisons of immune phenotypes, stress the importance of spatial scale for immunology research, showcase several statistical tools for translating within-host data into epidemiological parameters, and provide theoretical frameworks for linking within- and between-host scales of infection processes. Building from these studies, we highlight several promising avenues for continued work, including the application of machine learning tools and phylogenetically controlled meta-analyses to immunology data and quantifying the joint spatial and temporal dependencies in immune defense using range expansions as model systems. We also emphasize the use of organismal traits (e.g., host tolerance, competence, and resistance) as a way to interlink various scales of analysis. Such continued collaboration and disciplinary cross-talk among ecoimmunology, disease ecology, and mathematical modeling will facilitate an improved understanding of the multi-scale drivers and consequences of variation in host defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Cynthia J Downs
- Department of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 13323, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
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15
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Becker DJ, Albery GF, Kessler MK, Lunn TJ, Falvo CA, Czirják GÁ, Martin LB, Plowright RK. Macroimmunology: The drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defence. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:972-995. [PMID: 31856309 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales. Identifying the most important spatial drivers of immunity could help pre-empt infectious disease risks, especially in the context of how large-scale factors such as urbanization affect defence by changing environmental conditions. We provide a synthesis of how to apply macroecological approaches to the study of ecoimmunology (i.e. macroimmunology). We first review spatial factors that could generate spatial variation in defence, highlighting the need for large-scale studies that can differentiate competing environmental predictors of immunity and detailing contexts where this approach might be favoured over small-scale experimental studies. We next conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of spatial studies and to classify them according to taxa, immune measures, spatial replication and extent, and statistical methods. We review 210 ecoimmunology studies sampling multiple host populations. We show that whereas spatial approaches are relatively common, spatial replication is generally low and unlikely to provide sufficient environmental variation or power to differentiate competing spatial hypotheses. We also highlight statistical biases in macroimmunology, in that few studies characterize and account for spatial dependence statistically, potentially affecting inferences for the relationships between environmental conditions and immune defence. We use these findings to describe tools from geostatistics and spatial modelling that can improve inference about the associations between environmental and immunological variation. In particular, we emphasize exploratory tools that can guide spatial sampling and highlight the need for greater use of mixed-effects models that account for spatial variability while also allowing researchers to account for both individual- and habitat-level covariates. We finally discuss future research priorities for macroimmunology, including focusing on latitudinal gradients, range expansions and urbanization as being especially amenable to large-scale spatial approaches. Methodologically, we highlight critical opportunities posed by assessing spatial variation in host tolerance, using metagenomics to quantify spatial variation in parasite pressure, coupling large-scale field studies with small-scale field experiments and longitudinal approaches, and applying statistical tools from macroecology and meta-analysis to identify generalizable spatial patterns. Such work will facilitate scaling ecoimmunology from individual- to habitat-level insights about the drivers of immune defence and help predict where environmental change may most alter infectious disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tamika J Lunn
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caylee A Falvo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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