1
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Figuerola J, la Puente JMD, Díez-Fernández A, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Faivre B, Ibañez-Alamo JD. Urbanization correlates with the prevalence and richness of blood parasites in Eurasian Blackbirds (Turdus merula). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171303. [PMID: 38423334 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization is increasing worldwide, producing severe environmental impacts. Biodiversity is affected by the expansion of cities, with many species being unable to cope with the different human-induced stressors present in these landscapes. However, this knowledge is mainly based on research from taxa such as plants or vertebrates, while other organisms like protozoa have been less studied in this context. The impact of urbanization on the transmission of vector-borne pathogens in wildlife is still unclear despite its relevance for animal and human health. Here, we investigated whether cities are associated with changes in the prevalence and richness of lineages of three vector-borne protozoans (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) from multiple urban and forest areas in Europe. Our results show important species-specific differences between these two habitat types. We found a significant lower prevalence of Leucocytozoon in urban birds compared to forest birds, but no differences for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Furthermore, the richness of parasite lineages in European cities was higher for Plasmodium but lower for Leucocytozoon than in forests. We also found one Plasmodium lineage exclusively from cities while another of Leucocytozoon was only found in forests suggesting a certain level of habitat specialization for these protozoan vectors. Overall, our findings show that cities provide contrasting opportunities for the transmission of different vector-borne pathogens and generate new scenarios for the interactions between hosts, vectors and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS 6282, Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
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2
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Jones TM, Llamas AP, Phillips JN. Phenotypic signatures of urbanization? Resident, but not migratory, songbird eye size varies with urban-associated light pollution levels. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6635-6646. [PMID: 37728032 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization now exposes large portions of the earth to sources of anthropogenic disturbance, driving rapid environmental change and producing novel environments. Changes in selective pressures as a result of urbanization are often associated with phenotypic divergence; however, the generality of phenotypic change remains unclear. In this study, we examined whether morphological phenotypes in two residential species (Carolina Wren [Thryothorus ludovicianus] and Northern Cardinal [Cardinalis cardinalis]) and two migratory species (Painted Bunting [Passerina ciris], and White-eyed Vireo [Vireo griseus]), differed between urban core and edge habitats in San Antonio, Texas, USA. More specifically, we examined whether urbanization, associated sensory pollution (light and noise) and brightness (open, bright areas cause by anthropogenic land use) influenced measures of avian body (mass and frame size) and lateral eye size. We found no differences in body size between urban core and edge habitats for all species except the Painted Bunting, in which core-urban individuals were smaller. Rather than a direct effect of urbanization, this was due to differences in age structure between habitats, with urban-core areas consisting of higher proportions of younger buntings which are, on average, smaller than older birds. Residential birds inhabiting urban-core areas had smaller eyes compared to their urban-edge counterparts, resulting from a negative association between eye size and light pollution and brightness across study sites; notably, we found no such association in the two migratory species. Our findings demonstrate how urbanization may indirectly influence phenotypes by altering population demographics and highlight the importance of accounting for age when assessing factors driving phenotypic change. We also provide some of the first evidence that birds may adapt to urban environments through changes in their eye morphology, demonstrating the need for future research into relationships among eye size, ambient light microenvironment use, and disassembly of avian communities as a result of urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M Jones
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Alfredo P Llamas
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer N Phillips
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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3
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Le Clercq LS, Kotzé A, Grobler JP, Dalton DL. Biological clocks as age estimation markers in animals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1972-2011. [PMID: 37356823 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Various biological attributes associated with individual fitness in animals change predictably over the lifespan of an organism. Therefore, the study of animal ecology and the work of conservationists frequently relies upon the ability to assign animals to functionally relevant age classes to model population fitness. Several approaches have been applied to determining individual age and, while these methods have proved useful, they are not without limitations and often lack standardisation or are only applicable to specific species. For these reasons, scientists have explored the potential use of biological clocks towards creating a universal age-determination method. Two biological clocks, tooth layer annulation and otolith layering have found universal appeal. Both methods are highly invasive and most appropriate for post-mortem age-at-death estimation. More recently, attributes of cellular ageing previously explored in humans have been adapted to studying ageing in animals for the use of less-invasive molecular methods for determining age. Here, we review two such methods, assessment of methylation and telomere length, describing (i) what they are, (ii) how they change with age, and providing (iii) a summary and meta-analysis of studies that have explored their utility in animal age determination. We found that both attributes have been studied across multiple vertebrate classes, however, telomere studies were used before methylation studies and telomere length has been modelled in nearly twice as many studies. Telomere length studies included in the review often related changes to stress responses and illustrated that telomere length is sensitive to environmental and social stressors and, in the absence of repair mechanisms such as telomerase or alternative lengthening modes, lacks the ability to recover. Methylation studies, however, while also detecting sensitivity to stressors and toxins, illustrated the ability to recover from such stresses after a period of accelerated ageing, likely due to constitutive expression or reactivation of repair enzymes such as DNA methyl transferases. We also found that both studied attributes have parentally heritable features, but the mode of inheritance differs among taxa and may relate to heterogamy. Our meta-analysis included more than 40 species in common for methylation and telomere length, although both analyses included at least 60 age-estimation models. We found that methylation outperforms telomere length in terms of predictive power evidenced from effect sizes (more than double that observed for telomeres) and smaller prediction intervals. Both methods produced age correlation models using similar sample sizes and were able to classify individuals into young, middle, or old age classes with high accuracy. Our review and meta-analysis illustrate that both methods are well suited to studying age in animals and do not suffer significantly from variation due to differences in the lifespan of the species, genome size, karyotype, or tissue type but rather that quantitative method, patterns of inheritance, and environmental factors should be the main considerations. Thus, provided that complex factors affecting the measured trait can be accounted for, both methylation and telomere length are promising targets to develop as biomarkers for age determination in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Stéphane Le Clercq
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Kotzé
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 754, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - J Paul Grobler
- Department of Genetics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Desiré Lee Dalton
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA, UK
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4
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Saulnier A, Bleu J, Boos A, Millet M, Zahn S, Ronot P, El Masoudi I, Rojas ER, Uhlrich P, Del Nero M, Massemin S. Inter-annual variation of physiological traits between urban and forest great tits. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 279:111385. [PMID: 36740170 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111385] [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: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is characterized by rapid environmental changes such as an increase in building surface, in pollution, or a decrease in invertebrate abundance. For many bird species, morphological and physiological differences have been observed between urban and rural individuals that seem to reflect a negative impact of urban life on the health and fitness of individuals. Studies on passerine birds also showed important differences between populations and species in their responses to the urban environment. We propose to test physiological differences between urban and forest individuals over 3 years to understand whether the observed patterns are constant or subject to variations across years. For this purpose, we assessed the health parameters of adults and fledgling of great tits, Parus major, living in an urban and in a forest site in the Eurometropole of Strasbourg, for three years. Bird health was estimated with morphological parameters (body condition and size) and also with physiological parameters (oxidative status and telomere length). Our results showed lower body condition of urban fledglings regardless of the year, but no site effects on telomere length. On the contrary, for adult breeders, urban individuals had longer telomeres than forest ones except for one year which coincide with bad weather conditions during reproduction where no difference was detected. Urban birds also had higher antioxidant capacity whatever the years. These results suggest that cities act as a filter in which only good quality individuals survive and achieve successful reproduction regardless of year, whereas in the forest the selection occurs only during harsh weather years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Saulnier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Josefa Bleu
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Anne Boos
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Maurice Millet
- ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ICPEES 7515, F-67087 Strasbourg Cedex 3, France
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Pascale Ronot
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Islah El Masoudi
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Emilio R Rojas
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; Wildstat, 43 rue de la Hoube, 67280 Urmatt, France
| | - Pierre Uhlrich
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Mirella Del Nero
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
| | - Sylvie Massemin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 23 rue du Loess, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; ZAEU, Maison Interuniversitaire des Sciences de l'Homme - Alsace (MISHA), 5, allée du Général Rouvillois, CS 50008, 67083 Strasbourg cedex, France
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5
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Deviche P, Sweazea K, Angelier F. Past and future: Urbanization and the avian endocrine system. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 332:114159. [PMID: 36368439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Urban environments are evolutionarily novel and differ from natural environments in many respects including food and/or water availability, predation, noise, light, air quality, pathogens, biodiversity, and temperature. The success of organisms in urban environments requires physiological plasticity and adjustments that have been described extensively, including in birds residing in geographically and climatically diverse regions. These studies have revealed a few relatively consistent differences between urban and non-urban conspecifics. For example, seasonally breeding urban birds often develop their reproductive system earlier than non-urban birds, perhaps in response to more abundant trophic resources. In most instances, however, analyses of existing data indicate no general pattern distinguishing urban and non-urban birds. It is, for instance, often hypothesized that urban environments are stressful, yet the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis does not differ consistently between urban and non-urban birds. A similar conclusion is reached by comparing blood indices of metabolism. The origin of these disparities remains poorly understood, partly because many studies are correlative rather than aiming at establishing causality, which effectively limits our ability to formulate specific hypotheses regarding the impacts of urbanization on wildlife. We suggest that future research will benefit from prioritizing mechanistic approaches to identify environmental factors that shape the phenotypic responses of organisms to urbanization and the neuroendocrine and metabolic bases of these responses. Further, it will be critical to elucidate whether factors affect these responses (a) cumulatively or synergistically; and (b) differentially as a function of age, sex, reproductive status, season, and mobility within the urban environment. Research to date has used various taxa that differ greatly not only phylogenetically, but also with regard to ecological requirements, social systems, propensity to consume anthropogenic food, and behavioral responses to human presence. Researchers may instead benefit from standardizing approaches to examine a small number of representative models with wide geographic distribution and that occupy diverse urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Deviche
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Karen Sweazea
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS - La Rochelle Universite, Villiers en Bois, France
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6
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Jiménez-Peñuela J, Ferraguti M, Martínez-De La Puente J, Soriguer RC, Figuerola J. Oxidative status in relation to blood parasite infections in house sparrows living along an urbanization gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120712. [PMID: 36423890 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are exposed to a wide range of substances - internal and external - which act like reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative damage accurs when the balance between ROS and antioxidant defenses is altered. Urbanization and parasite infection are both important sources of ROS with different harmful effects on wildlife health, but the potential synergies between both factors are poorly known. Here, we analyse the oxidative stress of wild juvenile male house sparrows (Passer domesticus) along an urbanization gradient in relation to the infection status by three common blood parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) and bird body condition. We analysed samples from 688 birds captured at 45 localities from southern Spain grouped into triplets including an urban, a rural and a natural habitat, with 15 localities per habitat type. We measured i) thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels as indicator of the oxidative damage to lipids, and the activity of three antioxidant enzymes ii) glutathione peroxidase (GPx), iii) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and iv) glutathione reductase (GR) as indicators of bird's antioxidant capacity. Birds infected with Haemoproteus and urban birds showed significantly and marginally higher levels of TBARS than uninfected and rural birds, respectively. The relationship between TBARS and body condition is different regarding the infection status (significative) and habitat (marginally significant) being negative for Haemoproteus infected and urban birds but positive for uninfected and non-urban birds. The antioxidant activity was significantly lower in Plasmodium infected birds but marginally higher in Leucocytozoon infected birds than in uninfected ones. Individuals with higher body condition had higher GPx and SOD activity in relation to a lower GR activity. Overall, these results suggest that blood parasites infections and urbanization affect the oxidative status of wild birds and highlight the role of bird's body condition on the regulation of the oxidative stress status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Jiménez-Peñuela
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), C\Américo Vespucio, 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain.
| | - Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Josué Martínez-De La Puente
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | - Ramón C Soriguer
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), C\Américo Vespucio, 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain; CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain.
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), C\Américo Vespucio, 26, Seville, E-41092, Spain; CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain.
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7
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Nwaogu CJ, Amar A, Nebel C, Isaksson C, Hegemann A, Sumasgutner P. Innate immune function and antioxidant capacity of nestlings of an African raptor covary with the level of urbanisation around breeding territories. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:124-141. [PMID: 36353782 PMCID: PMC10107107 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Urban areas provide breeding habitats for many species. However, animals raised in urban environments face challenges such as altered food availability and quality, pollution and pathogen assemblages. These challenges can affect physiological processes such as immune function and antioxidant defences which are important for fitness. Here, we explore how levels of urbanisation influence innate immune function, immune response to a mimicked bacterial infection and antioxidant capacity of nestling Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus in South Africa. We also explore the effect of timing of breeding and rainfall on physiology since both can influence the environmental condition under which nestlings are raised. Finally, because urbanisation can influence immune function indirectly, we use path analyses to explore direct and indirect associations between urbanisation, immune function and oxidative stress. We obtained measures of innate immunity (haptoglobin, lysis, agglutination, bactericidal capacity), indices of antioxidant capacity (total non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (tAOX) and total glutathione from nestlings from 2015 to 2019. In addition, in 2018 and 2019, we mimicked a bacterial infection by injecting nestlings with lipopolysaccharide and quantified their immune response. Increased urban cover was associated with an increase in lysis and a decrease in tAOX, but not with any of the other physiological parameters. Furthermore, except for agglutination, no physiological parameters were associated with the timing of breeding. Lysis and bactericidal capacity, however, varied consistently with the annual rainfall pattern. Immune response to a mimicked a bacterial infection decreased with urban cover but not with the timing of breeding nor rainfall. Our path analyses suggested indirect associations between urban cover and some immune indices via tAOX but not via the timing of breeding. Our results show that early-life development in an urban environment is associated with variation in immune and antioxidant functions. The direct association between urbanisation and antioxidant capacity and their impact on immune function is likely an important factor mediating the impact of urbanisation on urban-dwelling animals. Future studies should explore how these results are linked to fitness and whether the responses are adaptive for urban-dwelling species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chima Josiah Nwaogu
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau/Almtal, Austria.,Department of Behavioural & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Reichard M, Giannetti K, Ferreira T, Maouche A, Vrtílek M, Polačik M, Blažek R, Ferreira MG. Lifespan and telomere length variation across populations of wild-derived African killifish. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5979-5992. [PMID: 34826177 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres and telomerase prevent the continuous erosion of chromosome-ends caused by lifelong cell division. Shortened telomeres are associated with age-related pathologies. While short telomere length is positively correlated with increased lethality at the individual level, in comparisons across species short telomeres are associated with long (and not short) lifespans. Here, we tested this contradiction between individual and evolutionary patterns in telomere length using African annual killifish. We analysed lifespan and telomere length in a set of captive strains derived from well-defined wild populations of Nothobranchius furzeri and its sister species, N. kadleci, from sites along a strong gradient of aridity which ultimately determines maximum natural lifespan. Overall, males were shorter-lived than females, and also had shorter telomeres. Male lifespan (measured in controlled laboratory conditions) was positively associated with the amount of annual rainfall in the site of strain origin. However, fish from wetter climates had shorter telomeres. In addition, individual fish which grew largest over the juvenile period possessed shorter telomeres at the onset of adulthood. This demonstrates that individual condition and environmentally-driven selection indeed modulate the relationship between telomere length and lifespan in opposite directions, validating the existence of inverse trends within a single taxon. Intraindividual heterogeneity of telomere length (capable to detect very short telomeres) was not associated with mean telomere length, suggesting that the shortest telomeres are controlled by regulatory pathways other than those that determine mean telomere length. The substantial variation in telomere length between strains from different environments identifies killifish as a powerful system in understanding the adaptive value of telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Reichard
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.,Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Ahmed Maouche
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), UMR7284 U1081 Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Milan Vrtílek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Polačik
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miguel Godinho Ferreira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.,Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), UMR7284 U1081 Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
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9
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Kärkkäinen T, Laaksonen T, Burgess M, Cantarero A, Martínez‐Padilla J, Potti J, Moreno J, Thomson RL, Tilgar V, Stier A. Population differences in the length and early-life dynamics of telomeres among European pied flycatchers. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5966-5978. [PMID: 34875134 PMCID: PMC9788103 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length and shortening rate are increasingly being used as biomarkers for long-term costs in ecological and evolutionary studies because of their relationships with survival and fitness. Both early-life conditions and growth, and later-life stressors can create variation in telomere shortening rate. Studies on between-population telomere length and dynamics are scarce, despite the expectation that populations exposed to varying environmental constraints would present divergent telomere length patterns. The pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a passerine bird breeding across Eurasia (from Spain to western Siberia) and migrating through the Iberian Peninsula to spend the nonbreeding period in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, different populations show marked differences in migration distance. We studied the large-scale variation of telomere length and early-life dynamics in the pied flycatcher by comparing six European populations across a north-south gradient (Finland, Estonia, England and Spain) predicting a negative effect of migration distance on adult telomere length, and of nestling growth on nestling telomere dynamics. There were clear population differences in telomere length, with English birds from midlatitudes having the longest telomeres. Telomere length did not thus show consistent latitudinal variation and was not linearly linked to differences in migration distance. Early-life telomere shortening rate tended to vary between populations. Fast growth was associated with shorter telomeres in the early life, but faster nestling growth affected telomeres more negatively in northern than southern populations. While the sources of between-population differences in telomere-related biology remain to be more intensively studied, our study illustrates the need to expand telomere studies at the between-population level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Malcolm Burgess
- RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceSandyUK,Centre for Research in Animal BehaviourUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Alejandro Cantarero
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland,Department of Evolutionary EcologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Jesús Martínez‐Padilla
- Department of Biological Conservation and Ecosystem RestorationPyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC)JacaSpain
| | - Jaime Potti
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyEstación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC)SevilleSpain
| | - Juan Moreno
- Department of Evolutionary EcologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa,FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Vallo Tilgar
- Department of ZoologyInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesUniversity of TartuTartuEstonia
| | - Antoine Stier
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland,Univ LyonUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1CNRSENTPEUMR 5023 LEHNAVilleurbanneFrance
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10
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Salmón P, Burraco P. Telomeres and anthropogenic disturbances in wildlife: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6018-6039. [PMID: 35080073 PMCID: PMC9790527 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Human-driven environmental changes are affecting wildlife across the globe. These challenges do not influence species or populations to the same extent and therefore a comprehensive evaluation of organismal health is needed to determine their ultimate impact. Evidence suggests that telomeres (the terminal chromosomal regions) are sensitive to environmental conditions and have been posited as a surrogate for animal health and fitness. Evaluation of their use in an applied ecological context is still scarce. Here, using information from molecular and occupational biomedical studies, we aim to provide ecologists and evolutionary biologists with an accessible synthesis of the links between human disturbances and telomere length. In addition, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on studies measuring telomere length in wild/wild-derived animals facing anthropogenic disturbances. Despite the relatively small number of studies to date, our meta-analysis revealed a significant small negative association between disturbances and telomere length (-0.092 [-0.153, -0.031]; n = 28; k = 159). Yet, our systematic review suggests that the use of telomeres as a biomarker to understand the anthropogenic impact on wildlife is limited. We propose some research avenues that will help to broadly evaluate their suitability: (i) further causal studies on the link between human disturbances and telomeres; (ii) investigating the organismal implications, in terms of fitness and performance, of a given telomere length in anthropogenically disturbed scenarios; and (iii) better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of telomere dynamics. Future studies in these facets will help to ultimately determine their role as markers of health and fitness in wildlife facing anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salmón
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK,Department of Plant Biology and EcologyFaculty of Science and TechnologyUniversity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)LeioaSpain
| | - Pablo Burraco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative MedicineUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
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11
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Figuerola J, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Ruíz-López MJ, Llorente F, Ruiz S, Hoefer A, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Peñuela JJ, García-Ruiz O, Herrero L, Soriguer RC, Delgado RF, Sánchez-Seco MP, la Puente JMD, Vázquez A. A One Health view of the West Nile virus outbreak in Andalusia (Spain) in 2020. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2570-2578. [PMID: 36214518 PMCID: PMC9621199 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2134055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reports of West Nile virus (WNV) associated disease in humans were scarce in Spain until summer 2020, when 77 cases were reported, eight fatal. Most cases occurred next to the Guadalquivir River in the Sevillian villages of Puebla del Río and Coria del Río. Detection of WNV disease in humans was preceded by a large increase in the abundance of Culex perexiguus in the neighbourhood of the villages where most human cases occurred. The first WNV infected mosquitoes were captured approximately one month before the detection of the first human cases. Overall, 33 positive pools of Cx. perexiguus and one pool of Culex pipiens were found. Serology of wild birds confirmed WNV circulation inside the affected villages, that transmission to humans also occurred in urban settings and suggests that virus circulation was geographically more widespread than disease cases in humans or horses may indicate. A high prevalence of antibodies was detected in blackbirds (Turdus merula) suggesting that this species played an important role in the amplification of WNV in urban areas. Culex perexiguus was the main vector of WNV among birds in natural and agricultural areas, while its role in urban areas needs to be investigated in more detail. Culex pipiens may have played some role as bridge vector of WNV between birds and humans once the enzootic transmission cycle driven by Cx. perexiguus occurred inside the villages. Surveillance of virus in mosquitoes has the potential to detect WNV well in advance of the first human cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - María José Ruíz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Servicio de Control de Mosquitos de la Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Ctra. Hospital Infanta Elena s/n, 21007 Huelva, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Andreas Hoefer
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,European Public Health Microbiology Training Programme (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | | | - Olaya García-Ruiz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Laura Herrero
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Ramón C Soriguer
- Estación Biológica de Doñana - CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández Delgado
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130, Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Mari Paz Sánchez-Seco
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Ana Vázquez
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Majadahonda, Spain.,CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Spain
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12
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Young RC, Westneat DF, Vangorder-Braid J, Sirman AE, Siller SJ, Kittilson J, Ghimire A, Heidinger BJ. Stressors interact across generations to influence offspring telomeres and survival. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220868. [PMID: 36069016 PMCID: PMC9449473 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental stress often has long-term consequences for offspring. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and how they are shaped by conditions offspring subsequently experience are poorly understood. Telomeres, which often shorten in response to stress and predict longevity, may contribute to, and/or reflect these cross-generational effects. Traditionally, parental stress is expected to have negative effects on offspring telomeres, but experimental studies in captive animals suggest that these effects may depend on the subsequent conditions that offspring experience. Yet, the degree to which parental stress influences and interacts with stress experienced by offspring to affect offspring telomeres and survival in free-living organisms is unknown. To assess this, we experimentally manipulated the stress exposure of free-living parent and offspring house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We found a weak, initial, negative effect of parental stress on offspring telomeres, but this effect was no longer evident at the end of post-natal development. Instead, the effects of parental stress depended on the natural sources of stress that offspring experienced during post-natal development whereby some outcomes were improved under more stressful rearing conditions. Thus, the effects of parental stress on offspring telomeres and survival are context-dependent and may involve compensatory mechanisms of potential benefit under some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | | | | | - Aubrey E. Sirman
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Stefanie J. Siller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kittilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Anuj Ghimire
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Britt J. Heidinger
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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13
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Hansen E, Skotnes T, Bustnes JO, Helander B, Eulaers I, Sun J, Covaci A, Bårdsen BJ, Zahn S, Criscuolo F, Bourgeon S. Telomere length in relation to persistent organic pollutant exposure in white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nestlings from Sweden sampled in 1995-2013. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 208:112712. [PMID: 35016866 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres are used as biomarkers of vertebrate health because of the link between their length, lifespan, and survival. Exposure to environmental stressors appears to alter telomere dynamics, but little is known about telomere length and persistent organic pollutant (POP) exposure in wildlife. The white-tailed eagle (WTE; Haliaeetus albicilla) is an avian top predator that accumulates high levels of POPs and may subsequently suffer adverse health effects. Here we study the Baltic WTE population that is well documented to have been exposed to large contaminant burdens, thereby making it a promising candidate species for analyzing pollutant-mediated effects on telomeres. We investigated telomere lengths in WTE nestlings (n = 168) over 19 years and examined legacy POP concentrations (organochlorines and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in whole blood and serum as potential drivers of differences in telomere length. Although we detected significant year-to-year variations in telomere lengths among the WTE nestlings, telomere lengths did not correlate with any of the investigated POP concentrations of several classes. Given that telomere lengths did not associate with POP contamination in the Baltic WTE nestlings, we propose that other environmental and biological factors, which likely fluctuate on a year-to-year basis, could be more important drivers of telomere lengths in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Hansen
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Tove Skotnes
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Björn Helander
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Box 50007, SE-10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jiachen Sun
- School of Environment, Jinan University, West Huangpu Avenue 601, 510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Framsenteret, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Francois Criscuolo
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- UiT - the Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens Veg 18, NO-9019 Tromsø, Norway
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14
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Does the Urban Environment Act as a Filter on the Individual Quality of Birds? BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic divergences of birds are common between urban and natural habitats and can result from different selective pressures between habitats or maladaptation to the city. No uniform patterns were observed, especially concerning markers of bird health, such as, for example, telomere length. Telomeres are involved in maintaining genome integrity and naturally shorten with age, but environmental stressors can accelerate their attrition. Thus, telomere length can be an indicator of individual quality. Some studies showed that urban breeders had longer telomeres than forest individuals. Two hypotheses can explain this result: (1) urban breeders are younger than forests breeders, and (2) cities act as a filter on individuals and only high-quality birds can successfully reproduce. In this context, we compared the age category (molting pattern) and morphological and physiological characteristics of urban and forest Great Tits before and during breeding. No differences in age or body condition were observed. However, urban breeders were smaller and had shorter telomeres than birds captured in winter. Urban birds had longer telomeres than forest birds, only in winter. These results highlight that urban habitats potentially favor smaller birds. However, the decrease in telomere length between winter and reproduction only in the city suggest a higher cost of reproduction in the city compared to the forest.
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15
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Molbert N, Angelier F, Alliot F, Ribout C, Goutte A. Fish from urban rivers and with high pollutant levels have shorter telomeres. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200819. [PMID: 33465329 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental pressures, such as urbanization and exposure to pollutants may jeopardize survival of free-living animals. Yet, much remains to be known about physiological and ecological responses to currently-released pollutants, especially in wild vertebrate ectotherms. We tested the effect of urbanization and pollution (phthalates, organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides, polychlorobiphenyls, polybromodiphenylethers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and some of their metabolites) on telomere length, a suggested biomarker of life expectancy, in the European chub, Squalius cephalus, from urban and agricultural rivers of the Marne hydrographic network, France. We showed that telomere length was reduced in chub from urban rivers. Moreover, among the wide range of anthropogenic contaminants investigated, high levels of phthalate metabolites in liver were associated with shorter telomeres. This study suggests that urbanization and chemical pollution may compromise survival of wild fish, by accelerating telomere attrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noëlie Molbert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS, La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Fabrice Alliot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, 75005 Paris, France.,EPHE, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Cécile Ribout
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS, La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Aurélie Goutte
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR METIS, 75005 Paris, France.,EPHE, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
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16
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Remot F, Ronget V, Froy H, Rey B, Gaillard JM, Nussey DH, Lemaître JF. No sex differences in adult telomere length across vertebrates: a meta-analysis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200548. [PMID: 33391781 PMCID: PMC7735339 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, females live on average longer than males. In humans, women have consistently longer telomeres than men, and this has led to speculation that sex differences in telomere length (TL) could play a role in sex differences in longevity. To address the generality and drivers of patterns of sex differences in TL across vertebrates, we performed meta-analyses across 51 species. We tested two main evolutionary hypotheses proposed to explain sex differences in TL, namely the heterogametic sex disadvantage and the sexual selection hypotheses. We found no support for consistent sex differences in TL between males and females among mammal, bird, fish and reptile species. This absence of sex differences in TL across different classes of vertebrates does not support the heterogametic sex disadvantage hypothesis. Likewise, the absence of any negative effect of sexual size dimorphism on male TL suggests that sexual selection is not likely to mediate the magnitude of sex differences in TL across vertebrates. Finally, the comparative analyses we conducted did not detect any association between sex differences in TL and sex differences in longevity, which does not support the idea that sex differences in TL could explain the observed sex differences in longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florentin Remot
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Victor Ronget
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Hannah Froy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Benjamin Rey
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR5558, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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17
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Urbanization is associated with differences in age class structure in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Urban Ecosyst 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-020-01039-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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18
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Ineson KM, O’Shea TJ, Kilpatrick CW, Parise KL, Foster JT. Ambiguities in using telomere length for age determination in two North American bat species. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe age of an animal, determined by time (chronological age) as well as genetic and environmental factors (biological age), influences the likelihood of mortality and reproduction and thus the animal’s contribution to population growth. For many long-lived species, such as bats, a lack of external and morphological indicators has made determining age a challenge, leading researchers to examine genetic markers of age for application to demographic studies. One widely studied biomarker of age is telomere length, which has been related both to chronological and biological age across taxa, but only recently has begun to be studied in bats. We assessed telomere length from the DNA of known-age and minimum known-age individuals of two bat species using a quantitative PCR assay. We determined that telomere length was quadratically related to chronological age in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), although it had little predictive power for accurate age determination of unknown-age individuals. The relationship was different in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), where telomere length instead was correlated with biological age, apparently due to infection and wing damage associated with white-nose syndrome. Furthermore, we showed that wing biopsies currently are a better tissue source for studying telomere length in bats than guano and buccal swabs; the results from the latter group were more variable and potentially influenced by storage time. Refinement of collection and assessment methods for different non-lethally collected tissues will be important for longitudinal sampling to better understand telomere dynamics in these long-lived species. Although further work is needed to develop a biomarker capable of determining chronological age in bats, our results suggest that biological age, as reflected in telomere length, may be influenced by extrinsic stressors such as disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Ineson
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Thomas J O’Shea
- United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Katy L Parise
- Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen & Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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19
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Jimeno B, Gil D, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Díez-Fernández A, Faivre B, Tieleman BI, Figuerola J. Physiological stress does not increase with urbanization in European blackbirds: Evidence from hormonal, immunological and cellular indicators. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137332. [PMID: 32169634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization changes the landscape structure and ecological processes of natural habitats. While urban areas expose animal communities to novel challenges, they may also provide more stable environments in which environmental fluctuations are buffered. Species´ ecology and physiology may determine their capacity to cope with the city life. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying organismal responses to urbanization, and whether different physiological systems are equally affected by urban environments remain poorly understood. This severely limits our capacity to predict the impact of anthropogenic habitats on wild populations. In this study, we measured indicators of physiological stress at the endocrine, immune and cellular level (feather corticosterone levels, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and heat-shock proteins) in urban and non-urban European blackbirds (Turdus merula) across 10 European populations. Among the three variables, we found consistent differences in feather corticosterone, which was higher in non-urban habitats. This effect seems to be dependent on sex, being greater in males. In contrast, we found no significant differences between urban and non-urban habitats in the two other physiological indicators. The discrepancy between these different measurements of physiological stress highlights the importance of including multiple physiological variables to understand the impact of urbanization on species' physiology. Overall, our findings suggest that adult European blackbirds living in urban and non-urban habitats do not differ in terms of physiological stress at an organismal level. Furthermore, we found large differences among populations on the strength and direction of the urbanization effect, which illustrates the relevance of spatial replication when investigating urban-induced physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Diego Gil
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - José I Aguirre
- Departmento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Seville, Spain
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20
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Bitter fruits of hard labour: diet metabarcoding and telemetry reveal that urban songbirds travel further for lower-quality food. Oecologia 2020; 193:377-388. [PMID: 32533359 PMCID: PMC7320956 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04678-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Rapidly increasing urbanisation requires mitigation against associated losses of biodiversity and species abundance. In urban-breeding birds, altered food availability for nestlings is thought to reduce reproductive success compared to forest populations. To compensate for shortages of preferred foods, urban parents could increase their search effort for optimal diets or provision other foods. Here, we used telemetry and faecal metabarcoding on blue tits from one urban and one forest populations to compare parental effort and comprehensively describe nestling diet. Urban parents travelled on average 30% further than those in the forest, likely to offset limited availability of high-quality nestling food (i.e. caterpillars) in cities. Metabarcoding, based on a mean number of 30 identified taxa per faeces, revealed that the diets of urban chicks were nonetheless substantially shifted to include alternative foods. While in the forest caterpillars comprised 82 ± 11% of taxa provisioned to nestlings, in the city they constituted just 44 ± 10%. Pre-fledging chick mass as well as offspring numbers were lower in urban than in forest-reared broods. Thus, at least in our comparison of two sites, the hard labour of urban parents did not fully pay off, suggesting that improved habitat management is required to support urban-breeding birds.
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21
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Chatelain M, Drobniak SM, Szulkin M. The association between stressors and telomeres in non‐human vertebrates: a meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:381-398. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Chatelain
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
| | - Szymon M. Drobniak
- Institute of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 7 30‐387 Kraków Poland
- Ecology & Evolution Research Centre School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies University of Warsaw Banacha 2C 02‐097 Warszawa Poland
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22
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Abstract
Telomere shortening to a critical length can trigger aging and shorter life spans in mice and humans by a mechanism that involves induction of a persistent DNA damage response at chromosome ends and loss of cellular viability. However, whether telomere length is a universal determinant of species longevity is not known. To determine whether telomere shortening can be a single parameter to predict species longevities, here we measured in parallel the telomere length of a wide variety of species (birds and mammals) with very different life spans and body sizes, including mouse (Mus musculus), goat (Capra hircus), Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii), reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), and Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus). We found that the telomere shortening rate, but not the initial telomere length alone, is a powerful predictor of species life span. These results support the notion that critical telomere shortening and the consequent onset of telomeric DNA damage and cellular senescence are a general determinant of species life span.
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23
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Epigenetic inheritance of telomere length in wild birds. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007827. [PMID: 30763308 PMCID: PMC6375570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) predicts health and survival across taxa. Variation in TL between individuals is thought to be largely of genetic origin, but telomere inheritance is unusual, because zygotes already express a TL phenotype, the TL of the parental gametes. Offspring TL changes with paternal age in many species including humans, presumably through age-related TL changes in sperm, suggesting an epigenetic inheritance mechanism. However, present evidence is based on cross-sectional analyses, and age at reproduction is confounded with between-father variation in TL. Furthermore, the quantitative importance of epigenetic TL inheritance is unknown. Using longitudinal data of free-living jackdaws Corvus monedula, we show that erythrocyte TL of subsequent offspring decreases with parental age within individual fathers, but not mothers. By cross-fostering eggs, we confirmed the paternal age effect to be independent of paternal age dependent care. Epigenetic inheritance accounted for a minimum of 34% of the variance in offspring TL that was explained by paternal TL. This is a minimum estimate, because it ignores the epigenetic component in paternal TL variation and sperm TL heterogeneity within ejaculates. Our results indicate an important epigenetic component in the heritability of TL with potential consequences for offspring fitness prospects.
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24
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Bauch C, Boonekamp JJ, Korsten P, Mulder E, Verhulst S. Epigenetic inheritance of telomere length in wild birds. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007827. [PMID: 30763308 DOI: 10.1101/284208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) predicts health and survival across taxa. Variation in TL between individuals is thought to be largely of genetic origin, but telomere inheritance is unusual, because zygotes already express a TL phenotype, the TL of the parental gametes. Offspring TL changes with paternal age in many species including humans, presumably through age-related TL changes in sperm, suggesting an epigenetic inheritance mechanism. However, present evidence is based on cross-sectional analyses, and age at reproduction is confounded with between-father variation in TL. Furthermore, the quantitative importance of epigenetic TL inheritance is unknown. Using longitudinal data of free-living jackdaws Corvus monedula, we show that erythrocyte TL of subsequent offspring decreases with parental age within individual fathers, but not mothers. By cross-fostering eggs, we confirmed the paternal age effect to be independent of paternal age dependent care. Epigenetic inheritance accounted for a minimum of 34% of the variance in offspring TL that was explained by paternal TL. This is a minimum estimate, because it ignores the epigenetic component in paternal TL variation and sperm TL heterogeneity within ejaculates. Our results indicate an important epigenetic component in the heritability of TL with potential consequences for offspring fitness prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Bauch
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jelle J Boonekamp
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Korsten
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Ellis Mulder
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Exposure to Pb impairs breeding success and is associated with longer lifespan in urban European blackbirds. Sci Rep 2019; 9:486. [PMID: 30679484 PMCID: PMC6345771 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although several factors have been highlighted to explain the influence of urbanization on bird fitness and survival, the role of persistent toxicants such as lead (Pb), which is typically present in urban areas worldwide, has seldom been studied despite the ecological importance of such a widespread stressor. Studying free-living European blackbirds (Turdus merula) in city parks, we tested the hypothesis that low-dose chronic exposure to Pb could shape the life-history traits of urban birds. The feather concentrations of Pb and cadmium were typical of urban areas and low-to-moderate contamination of sites. Although the lifetime breeding success of females decreased with increasing exposure to Pb, the lifespan and survival probabilities of blackbirds increased with Pb contamination regardless of gender. Breeding effort-dependent patterns in the relationship between lifespan and Pb levels were highlighted. No significant relationships were detected between cadmium and life-history traits. The results suggest a possible trade-off between self-maintenance and reproduction, with the most affected birds redirecting allocations towards their own survival, which is consistent with the “stress hormone hypothesis”. These findings suggest that Pb pollution in urban environments may shape avian ecological features and be one of the drivers of wildlife responses to urbanization and that some urban areas may function as ecological traps driven by pollutants.
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