1
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McGraw KJ, de Souza Penha VA. Using point-of-care devices to examine covariation among blood nutritional-physiological parameters and their relationships with poxvirus infection, habitat urbanization, and male plumage coloration in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:440-449. [PMID: 38385786 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The development of inexpensive and portable point-of-care devices for measuring nutritional physiological parameters from blood (e.g., glucose, ketones) has accelerated our understanding and assessment of real-time variation in human health, but these have infrequently been tested or implemented in wild animals, especially in relation to other key biological or fitness-related traits. Here we used point-of-care devices to measure blood levels of glucose, ketones, uric acid, and triglycerides in free-ranging house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus)-a common songbird in North America that has been well-studied in the context of urbanization, nutrition, health, and sexual selection-during winter and examined (1) repeatability of these methods for evaluating blood levels in these wild passerines, (2) intercorrelations among these measurements within individuals, (3) how blood nutritional-physiology metrics related to a bird's body condition, habitat of origin (urban vs. suburban), poxvirus infection, and sex; and (4) if the expression of male sexually selected plumage coloration was linked to any of the nutritional-physiological metrics. All blood-nutritional parameters were repeatable. Also, there was significant positive covariation between concentrations of circulating triglycerides and glucose and triglycerides and uric acid. Urban finches had higher blood glucose concentrations than suburban finches, and pox-infected individuals had lower blood triglyceride concentrations than uninfected ones. Last, redder males had higher blood glucose, but lower uric acid levels. These results demonstrate that point-of-care devices can be useful, inexpensive ways of measuring real-time variation in the nutritional physiology of wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Victor Aguiar de Souza Penha
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Organismal and Evolutionary Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Koch RE, Okegbe C, Ramanathan C, Zhu X, Hare E, Toomey MB, Hill GE, Zhang Y. Captivity affects mitochondrial aerobic respiration and carotenoid metabolism in the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246980. [PMID: 38634224 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246980] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
In many species of animals, red carotenoid-based coloration is produced by metabolizing yellow dietary pigments, and this red ornamentation can be an honest signal of individual quality. However, the physiological basis for associations between organism function and the metabolism of red ornamental carotenoids from yellow dietary carotenoids remains uncertain. A recent hypothesis posits that carotenoid metabolism depends on mitochondrial performance, with diminished red coloration resulting from altered mitochondrial aerobic respiration. To test for an association between mitochondrial respiration and red carotenoids, we held wild-caught, molting male house finches in either small bird cages or large flight cages to create environmental challenges during the period when red ornamental coloration is produced. We predicted that small cages would present a less favorable environment than large flight cages and that captivity itself would decrease both mitochondrial performance and the abundance of red carotenoids compared with free-living birds. We found that captive-held birds circulated fewer red carotenoids, showed increased mitochondrial respiratory rates, and had lower complex II respiratory control ratios - a metric associated with mitochondrial efficiency - compared with free-living birds, though we did not detect a difference in the effects of small cages versus large cages. Among captive individuals, the birds that circulated the highest concentrations of red carotenoids had the highest mitochondrial respiratory control ratio for complex II substrate. These data support the hypothesis that the metabolism of red carotenoid pigments is linked to mitochondrial aerobic respiration in the house finch, but the mechanisms for this association remain to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Koch
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - Chidimma Okegbe
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | | | - Xinyu Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
| | - Ethan Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
| | - Matthew B Toomey
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36830, USA
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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3
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Iverson ENK. Conservation Mitonuclear Replacement: Facilitated mitochondrial adaptation for a changing world. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13642. [PMID: 38468713 PMCID: PMC10925831 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Most species will not be able to migrate fast enough to cope with climate change, nor evolve quickly enough with current levels of genetic variation. Exacerbating the problem are anthropogenic influences on adaptive potential, including the prevention of gene flow through habitat fragmentation and the erosion of genetic diversity in small, bottlenecked populations. Facilitated adaptation, or assisted evolution, offers a way to augment adaptive genetic variation via artificial selection, induced hybridization, or genetic engineering. One key source of genetic variation, particularly for climatic adaptation, are the core metabolic genes encoded by the mitochondrial genome. These genes influence environmental tolerance to heat, drought, and hypoxia, but must interact intimately and co-evolve with a suite of important nuclear genes. These coadapted mitonuclear genes form some of the important reproductive barriers between species. Mitochondrial genomes can and do introgress between species in an adaptive manner, and they may co-introgress with nuclear genes important for maintaining mitonuclear compatibility. Managers should consider the relevance of mitonuclear genetic variability in conservation decision-making, including as a tool for facilitating adaptation. I propose a novel technique dubbed Conservation Mitonuclear Replacement (CmNR), which entails replacing the core metabolic machinery of a threatened species-the mitochondrial genome and key nuclear loci-with those from a closely related species or a divergent population, which may be better-adapted to climatic changes or carry a lower genetic load. The most feasible route to CmNR is to combine CRISPR-based nuclear genetic editing with mitochondrial replacement and assisted reproductive technologies. This method preserves much of an organism's phenotype and could allow populations to persist in the wild when no other suitable conservation options exist. The technique could be particularly important on mountaintops, where rising temperatures threaten an alarming number of species with almost certain extinction in the next century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik N. K. Iverson
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
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4
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Crino OL, Head ML, Jennions MD, Noble DWA. Mitochondrial function and sexual selection: can physiology resolve the 'lek paradox'? J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb245569. [PMID: 38206324 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245569] [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] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Across many taxa, males use elaborate ornaments or complex displays to attract potential mates. Such sexually selected traits are thought to signal important aspects of male 'quality'. Female mating preferences based on sexual traits are thought to have evolved because choosy females gain direct benefits that enhance their lifetime reproductive success (e.g. greater access to food) and/or indirect benefits because high-quality males contribute genes that increase offspring fitness. However, it is difficult to explain the persistence of female preferences when males only provide genetic benefits, because female preferences should erode the heritable genetic variation in fitness that sexually selected traits signal. This 'paradox of the lek' has puzzled evolutionary biologists for decades, and inspired many hypotheses to explain how heritable variation in sexually selected traits is maintained. Here, we discuss how factors that affect mitochondrial function can maintain variation in sexually selected traits despite strong female preferences. We discuss how mitochondrial function can influence the expression of sexually selected traits, and we describe empirical studies that link the expression of sexually selected traits to mitochondrial function. We explain how mothers can affect mitochondrial function in their offspring by (a) influencing their developmental environment through maternal effects and (b) choosing a mate to increase the compatibility of mitochondrial and nuclear genes (i.e. the 'mitonuclear compatibility model of sexual selection'). Finally, we discuss how incorporating mitochondrial function into models of sexual selection might help to resolve the paradox of the lek, and we suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondi L Crino
- School of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Megan L Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre, 10 Marais Street, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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5
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Twomey E, Melo-Sampaio P, Schulte LM, Bossuyt F, Brown JL, Castroviejo-Fisher S. Multiple Routes to Color Convergence in a Radiation of Neotropical Poison Frogs. Syst Biol 2023; 72:1247-1261. [PMID: 37561391 PMCID: PMC10924724 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad051] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution is defined as the independent evolution of similar phenotypes in different lineages. Its existence underscores the importance of external selection pressures in evolutionary history, revealing how functionally similar adaptations can evolve in response to persistent ecological challenges through a diversity of evolutionary routes. However, many examples of convergence, particularly among closely related species, involve parallel changes in the same genes or developmental pathways, raising the possibility that homology at deeper mechanistic levels is an important facilitator of phenotypic convergence. Using the genus Ranitomeya, a young, color-diverse radiation of Neotropical poison frogs, we set out to 1) provide a phylogenetic framework for this group, 2) leverage this framework to determine if color phenotypes are convergent, and 3) to characterize the underlying coloration mechanisms to test whether color convergence occurred through the same or different physical mechanisms. We generated a phylogeny for Ranitomeya using ultraconserved elements and investigated the physical mechanisms underlying bright coloration, focusing on skin pigments. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we identified several instances of color convergence, involving several gains and losses of carotenoid and pterin pigments. We also found a compelling example of nonparallel convergence, where, in one lineage, red coloration evolved through the red pterin pigment drosopterin, and in another lineage through red ketocarotenoids. Additionally, in another lineage, "reddish" coloration evolved predominantly through structural color mechanisms. Our study demonstrates that, even within a radiation of closely related species, convergent evolution can occur through both parallel and nonparallel mechanisms, challenging the assumption that similar phenotypes among close relatives evolve through the same mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Paulo Melo-Sampaio
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, R. Gen. Herculano Gomes 41, Rio de Janeiro 20941-360, Brazil
| | - Lisa M Schulte
- Department of Wildlife/Zoo Animal Biology and Systematics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - Franky Bossuyt
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Jason L Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 125 Lincoln Dr., Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
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6
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Casagrande S, Dzialo M, Trost L, Malkoc K, Sadowska ET, Hau M, Pierce B, McWilliams S, Bauchinger U. Mitochondrial metabolism in blood more reliably predicts whole-animal energy needs compared to other tissues. iScience 2023; 26:108321. [PMID: 38025793 PMCID: PMC10679813 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding energy metabolism in free-ranging animals is crucial for ecological studies. In birds, red blood cells (RBCs) offer a minimally invasive method to estimate metabolic rate (MR). In this study with European starlings Sturnus vulgaris, we examined how RBC oxygen consumption relates to oxygen use in key tissues (brain, liver, heart, and pectoral muscle) and versus the whole organism measured at basal levels. The pectoral muscle accounted for 34%-42% of organismal MR, while the heart and liver, despite their high mass-specific metabolic rate, each contributed 2.5%-3.0% to organismal MR. Despite its low contribution to organismal MR (0.03%-0.04%), RBC MR best predicted organismal MR (r = 0.70). Oxygen consumption of the brain and pectoralis was also associated with whole-organism MR, unlike that of heart and liver. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the metabolism of a systemic tissue like blood is a superior proxy for organismal energy metabolism than that of other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Maciej Dzialo
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Lisa Trost
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department for Behavioral Neurobiology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Kasja Malkoc
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Evolutionary Physiology Group, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Barbara Pierce
- Sacred Heart University, Department of Biology, Fairfield, CT 06825, USA
| | - Scott McWilliams
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Natural Resources Science, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Ulf Bauchinger
- Jagiellonian University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Hill GE, Weaver RJ, Powers MJ. Carotenoid ornaments and the spandrels of physiology: a critique of theory to explain condition dependency. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2320-2332. [PMID: 37563787 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13008] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Even as numerous studies have documented that the red and yellow coloration resulting from the deposition of carotenoids serves as an honest signal of condition, the evolution of condition dependency is contentious. The resource trade-off hypothesis proposes that condition-dependent honest signalling relies on a trade-off of resources between ornamental display and body maintenance. By this model, condition dependency can evolve through selection for a re-allocation of resources to promote ornament expression. By contrast, the index hypothesis proposes that selection focuses mate choice on carotenoid coloration that is inherently condition dependent because production of such coloration is inexorably tied to vital cellular processes. These hypotheses for the origins of condition dependency make strongly contrasting and testable predictions about ornamental traits. To assess these two models, we review the mechanisms of production of carotenoids, patterns of condition dependency involving different classes of carotenoids, and patterns of behavioural responses to carotenoid coloration. We review evidence that traits can be condition dependent without the influence of sexual selection and that novel traits can show condition-dependent expression as soon as they appear in a population, without the possibility of sexual selection. We conclude by highlighting new opportunities for studying condition-dependent signalling made possible by genetic manipulation and expression of ornamental traits in synthetic biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, 120 W. Samford Avenue, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 2200 Osborne Drive, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Integrative Biology, 4575 SW Research Way, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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8
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McCoy DE, Shultz AJ, Dall JE, Dionne JA, Johnsen S. The carotenoid redshift: Physical basis and implications for visual signaling. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10408. [PMID: 37693937 PMCID: PMC10485323 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10408] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid pigments are the basis for much red, orange, and yellow coloration in nature and central to visual signaling. However, as pigment concentration increases, carotenoid signals not only darken and become more saturated but they also redshift; for example, orange pigments can look red at higher concentration. This occurs because light experiences exponential attenuation, and carotenoid-based signals have spectrally asymmetric reflectance in the visible range. Adding pigment disproportionately affects the high-absorbance regions of the reflectance spectra, which redshifts the perceived hue. This carotenoid redshift is substantial and perceivable by animal observers. In addition, beyond pigment concentration, anything that increases the path length of light through pigment causes this redshift (including optical nano- and microstructures). For example, male Ramphocelus tanagers appear redder than females, despite the same population and concentration of carotenoids, due to microstructures that enhance light-pigment interaction. This mechanism of carotenoid redshift has sensory and evolutionary consequences for honest signaling in that structures that redshift carotenoid ornaments may decrease signal honesty. More generally, nearly all colorful signals vary in hue, saturation, and brightness as light-pigment interactions change, due to spectrally asymmetrical reflectance within the visible range of the relevant species. Therefore, the three attributes of color need to be considered together in studies of honest visual signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota E. McCoy
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Hopkins Marine StationStanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Allison J. Shultz
- Ornithology DepartmentNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jacqueline E. Dall
- Ornithology DepartmentNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jennifer A. Dionne
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of RadiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sönke Johnsen
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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9
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Bandara S, von Lintig J. Aster la vista: Unraveling the biochemical basis of carotenoid homeostasis in the human retina. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200133. [PMID: 36127289 PMCID: PMC10044510 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200133] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids play pivotal roles in vision as light filters and precursor of chromophore. Many vertebrates also display the colorful pigments as ornaments in bare skin parts and feathers. Proteins involved in the transport and metabolism of these lipids have been identified including class B scavenger receptors and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. Recent research implicates members of the Aster protein family, also known as GRAM domain-containing (GRAMD), in carotenoid metabolism. These multi-domain proteins facilitate the intracellular movement of carotenoids from their site of cellular uptake by scavenger receptors to the site of their metabolic processing by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases. We provide a model how the coordinated interplay of these proteins and their differential expression establishes carotenoid distribution patterns and function in tissues, with particular emphasis on the human retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Johannes von Lintig
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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10
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Abstract
The discovery of a new enzyme required for production of red carotenoid pigments in vertebrates provides insights for how shared biochemical pathways may be the key to understanding honest signaling via plumage coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, 101 Life Sciences Building, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
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11
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Alonso-Alvarez C, Andrade P, Cantarero A, Morales J, Carneiro M. Relocation to avoid costs: A hypothesis on red carotenoid-based signals based on recent CYP2J19 gene expression data. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200037. [PMID: 36209392 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200037] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In many vertebrates, the enzymatic oxidation of dietary yellow carotenoids generates red keto-carotenoids giving color to ornaments. The oxidase CYP2J19 is here a key effector. Its purported intracellular location suggests a shared biochemical pathway between trait expression and cell functioning. This might guarantee the reliability of red colorations as individual quality signals independent of production costs. We hypothesize that the ornament type (feathers vs. bare parts) and production costs (probably CYP2J19 activity compromising vital functions) could have promoted tissue-specific gene relocation. We review current avian tissue-specific CYP2J19 expression data. Among the ten red-billed species showing CYP2J19 bill expression, only one showed strong hepatic expression. Moreover, a phylogenetically-controlled analysis of 25 red-colored species shows that those producing red bare parts are less likely to have strong hepatic CYP2J19 expression than species with only red plumages. Thus, both production costs and shared pathways might have contributed to the evolution of red signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Cantarero
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, National Museum of Natural Sciences - CSIC. C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
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12
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Fernández-Eslava B, Cantarero A, Alonso D, Alonso-Alvarez C. Wild common crossbills produce redder body feathers when their wings are clipped. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:47. [PMID: 37170309 PMCID: PMC10127331 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00150-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The animal signaling theory posits that conspicuous colorations exhibited by many animals have evolved as reliable signals of individual quality. Red carotenoid-based ornaments may depend on enzymatic transformations (oxidation) of dietary yellow carotenoids, which could occur in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Thus, carotenoid ketolation and cell respiration could share the same biochemical pathways. Accordingly, the level of trait expression (redness) would directly reveal the efficiency of individuals’ metabolism and, hence, the bearer quality in an unfalsifiable way. Different avian studies have described that the flying effort may induce oxidative stress. A redox metabolism modified during the flight could thus influence the carotenoid conversion rate and, ultimately, animal coloration. Here, we aimed to infer the link between red carotenoid-based ornament expression and flight metabolism by increasing flying effort in wild male common crossbills Loxia curvirostra (Linnaeus). In this order, 295 adult males were captured with mist nets in an Iberian population during winter. Approximately half of the birds were experimentally handicapped through wing feather clipping to increase their flying effort, the other half being used as a control group. To stimulate the plumage regrown of a small surface during a short time-lapse, we also plucked the rump feathers from all the birds.
Results
A fraction of the birds with fully grown rump feathers (34 individuals) could be recaptured during the subsequent weeks. We did not detect any significant bias in recovery rates and morphological variables in this reduced subsample. However, among recaptured birds, individuals with experimentally impaired flying capacity showed body mass loss, whereas controls showed a trend to increase their weight. Moreover, clipped males showed redder feathers in the newly regrown rump area compared to controls.
Conclusions
The results suggest that wing-clipped individuals could have endured higher energy expenditure as they lost body mass. Despite the small sample size, the difference in plumage redness between the two experimental groups would support the hypothesis that the flying metabolism may influence the redox enzymatic reactions required for converting yellow dietary carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids.
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 35937912 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ht76hdrjg] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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14
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 35937912 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6114863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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15
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Lindsay WR, Mendonça R, Slight MW, Prager M, Andersson MX, Mundy NI, Andersson S. Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase, CYP2J19, in the sexually dichromatic southern red bishop ( Euplectes orix). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220434. [PMID: 35937912 PMCID: PMC9346373 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intense red colours in birds are often owing to ketocarotenoids (KCs). In many land birds, KCs are oxidized from dietary yellow precursors, presumably by the avian carotenoid ketolase CYP2J19, the regulation and constraints of which have important implications for condition-dependence and honest signalling of carotenoid colour displays. We investigated hepatic CYP2J19 gene expression in the seasonally and sexually dichromatic southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in relation to season, sex, progression of the prenuptial moult, testis size, body condition, redness and circulating sex steroids. A coloration function of CYP2J19 is supported by a seasonal upregulation prior to and during the carotenoid-depositing stage of the male prenuptial moult. However, CYP2J19 expression was similarly high in females (which do not moult prenuptially), and remained high in males after moult, suggesting additional or alternative roles of hepatic CYP2J19 or its products, such as detoxification or antioxidant functions. In males, the CYP2J19 upregulation preceded and was unrelated to the rise in plasma testosterone, but was correlated with androstenedione, probably of adrenal origin and compatible with luteinizing hormone-induced and (in females) oestrogen-suppressed moult. Finally, contrary to ideas that carotenoid ketolation rate mediates honest signalling of male quality, CYP2J19 expression was not related to plumage redness or male body condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R. Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rute Mendonça
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathilda Waleij Slight
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Prager
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, University of Stockholm, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats X. Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas I. Mundy
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE-413 -90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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16
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Powers MJ, Baty JA, Dinga AM, Mao JH, Hill GE. Chemical manipulation of mitochondrial function affects metabolism of red carotenoids in a marine copepod (Tigriopus californicus). J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275691. [PMID: 35695335 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The shared-pathway hypothesis offers a cellular explanation for the connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and individual quality. Under this hypothesis, ketocarotenoid metabolism shares cellular pathways with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation such that red carotenoid-based coloration is inextricably linked mitochondrial function. To test this hypothesis, we exposed Tigriopus californicus copepods to a mitochondrially targeted protonophore, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), to induce proton leak in the inner mitochondrial membranes. We then measured whole-animal metabolic rate and ketocarotenoid accumulation. As observed in prior studies of vertebrates, we observed that DNP treatment of copepods significantly increased respiration and that DNP-treated copepods accumulated more ketocarotenoid than control animals. Moreover, we observed a relationship between ketocarotenoid concentration and metabolic rate, and this association was strongest in DNP-treated copepods. These data support the hypothesis that ketocarotenoid and mitochondrial metabolism are biochemically intertwined. Moreover, these results corroborate observations in vertebrates, perhaps suggesting a fundamental connection between ketocarotenoid pigmentation and mitochondrial function that should be explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - James A Baty
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Alexis M Dinga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - James H Mao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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17
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Niitepõld K, Parry HA, Harris NR, Appel AG, de Roode JC, Kavazis AN, Hood WR. Flying on empty: Reduced mitochondrial function and flight capacity in food-deprived monarch butterflies. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275693. [PMID: 35694960 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244431] [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: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial function is fundamental to organismal performance, health, and fitness - especially during energetically challenging events, such as migration. With this investigation, we evaluated mitochondrial sensitivity to ecologically relevant stressors. We focused on an iconic migrant, the North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), and examined the effects of two stressors: seven days of food deprivation, and infection by the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (known to reduce survival and flight performance). We measured whole-animal resting (RMR) and peak flight metabolic rate, and mitochondrial respiration of isolated mitochondria from the flight muscles. Food deprivation reduced mass-independent RMR and peak flight metabolic rate, whereas infection did not. Fed monarchs used mainly lipids in flight (respiratory quotient 0.73), but the respiratory quotient dropped in food-deprived individuals, possibly indicating switching to alternative energy sources, such as ketone bodies. Food deprivation decreased mitochondrial maximum oxygen consumption but not basal respiration, resulting in lower respiratory control ratio (RCR). Furthermore, food deprivation decreased mitochondrial complex III activity, but increased complex IV activity. Infection did not result in any changes in these mitochondrial variables. Mitochondrial maximum respiration rate correlated positively with mass-independent RMR and flight metabolic rate, suggesting a link between mitochondria and whole-animal performance. In conclusion, low food availability negatively affects mitochondrial function and flight performance, with potential implications on migration, fitness, and population dynamics. Although previous studies have reported poor flight performance in infected monarchs, we found no differences in physiological performance, suggesting that reduced flight capacity may be due to structural differences or low energy stores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjan Niitepõld
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,The Finnish Science Centre Heureka, 01300 Vantaa, Finland
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Natalie R Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Arthur G Appel
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | | | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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18
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Crino OL, Falk S, Katsis AC, Kraft FLOH, Buchanan KL. Mitochondria as the powerhouses of sexual selection: Testing mechanistic links between development, cellular respiration, and bird song. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105184. [PMID: 35596967 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The developmental environment can affect the expression of sexually selected traits in adulthood. The physiological mechanisms that modulate such effects remain a matter of intense debate. Here, we test the role of the developmental environment in shaping adult mitochondrial function and link mitochondrial function to expression of a sexually selected trait in males (bird song). We exposed male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to corticosterone (CORT) treatment during development. After males reached adulthood, we quantified mitochondrial function from whole red blood cells and measured baseline CORT and testosterone levels, body condition/composition, and song structure. CORT-treated males had mitochondria that were less efficient (FCRL/R) and used a lower proportion of maximum capacity (FCRR/ETS) than control males. Additionally, CORT-treated males had higher baseline levels of CORT as adults compared to control males. Using structural equation modelling, we found that the effects of CORT treatment during development on adult mitochondrial function were indirect and modulated by baseline CORT levels, which are programmed by CORT treatment during development. Developmental treatment also had an indirect effect on song peak frequency. Males treated with CORT during development sang songs with higher peak frequency than control males, but this effect was modulated through increased CORT levels and by a decrease in FCRR/ETS. CORT-treated males had smaller tarsi compared to control males; however, there were no associations between body size and measures of song frequency. Here, we provide the first evidence supporting links between the developmental environment, mitochondrial function, and the expression of a sexually selected trait (bird song).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondi L Crino
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Steph Falk
- School of Biological Science Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Institute of Immunology and Epigenetics, Max Planck Institute, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Andrew C Katsis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Fanny-Linn O H Kraft
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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19
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Justyn NM, Heine KB, Hood WR, Peteya JA, Vanthournout B, Debruyn G, Shawkey MD, Weaver RJ, Hill GE. A combination of red structural and pigmentary coloration in the eyespot of a copepod. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220169. [PMID: 35611618 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the specific mechanisms of colour production in biological systems are diverse, the mechanics of colour production are straightforward and universal. Colour is produced through the selective absorption of light by pigments, the scattering of light by nanostructures or a combination of both. When Tigriopus californicus copepods were fed a carotenoid-limited diet of yeast, their orange-red body coloration became faint, but their eyespots remained unexpectedly bright red. Raman spectroscopy indicated a clear signature of the red carotenoid pigment astaxanthin in eyespots; however, refractive index matching experiments showed that eyespot colour disappeared when placed in ethyl cinnamate, suggesting a structural origin for the red coloration. We used transmission electron microscopy to identify consecutive nanolayers of spherical air pockets that, when modelled as a single thin film layer, possess the correct periodicity to coherently scatter red light. We then performed microspectrophotometry to quantify eyespot coloration and confirmed a distinct colour difference between the eyespot and the body. The observed spectral reflectance from the eyespot matched the reflectance predicted from our models when considering the additional absorption by astaxanthin. Together, this evidence suggests the persistence of red eyespots in copepods is the result of a combination of structural and pigmentary coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Justyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Kyle B Heine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jennifer A Peteya
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Department of Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gerben Debruyn
- Department of Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Department of Biology, Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ryan J Weaver
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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20
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Alonso-Alvarez C, Fernández-Eslava B, Alonso D, Galicia D, Arizaga J. Bigger or long-winged male common crossbills exhibit redder carotenoid-based plumage coloration. Curr Zool 2022; 69:165-172. [PMID: 37091992 PMCID: PMC10120982 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Carotenoid-based ornaments are often considered reliable (honest) individual condition signals because their expression implies physiological costs unaffordable for low-quality animals (handicap signals). Recently, it has been suggested that efficient cell respiration is mandatory for producing red ketocarotenoids from dietary yellow carotenoids. This implies that red colorations should be entirely unfalsifiable and independent of expression costs (index signals). In a precedent study, male common crossbills Loxia curvirostra showing a red plumage reported higher apparent survival than those showing yellowish-orange colors. The plumage redness in this species is due to ketocarotenoid accumulation in feathers. Here, we correlated the male plumage redness (a four-level visual score: yellow, patchy, orange and red) and the body morphology in more than 1000 adult crossbills captured in three Iberian localities to infer the mechanisms responsible for color evolution. A principal component analysis summarized morphometry of ten variables (beak, wing, tarsus length, etc.). The overall body size (PC1) and the length of flight feathers regarding body size (PC3) showed significant positive relationships with plumage redness. Plumage redness was barely correlated to bill shape measures suggesting no constraint in acquiring carotenoids from pine cones. However, large body sizes or proportionally long flying feathers could help carotenoid acquisition via social competition or increased foraging ranges. Proportionally longer flight feathers might also be associated with a specific cell respiration profile that would simultaneously favor flying capacities and enzymatic transformations needed for ketocarotenoid synthesis. Such a phenotypic profile would agree with the hypothesis of ketocarotenoid-based colors acting as individual quality index signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Edificio Pinar, Spain
| | - Blanca Fernández-Eslava
- Ecología Evolutiva,Universidad de Navarra. Facultad de Ciencias, C/ Irunlarrea, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Daniel Alonso
- Ornitología,Sociedad de Ciencias de Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina, Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - David Galicia
- Biología Ambiental, Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Ciencias, C/ Irunlarrea, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Juan Arizaga
- Ornitología, Sociedad de Ciencias de Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina, Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain
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21
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Molecular parallelism in signaling function across different sexually selected ornaments in a warbler. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2120482119. [PMID: 35165176 PMCID: PMC8872772 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120482119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Extravagant ornaments are thought to signal male quality to females choosing mates, but the evidence linking ornament size to male quality is controversial, particularly in cases in which females prefer different ornaments in different populations. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing and transcriptomics to determine the genetic basis of ornament size in two populations of a widespread warbler, the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). Within a single subspecies, females in a Wisconsin population prefer males with larger black masks as mates, while females in a New York population prefer males with larger yellow bibs. Despite being produced by different pigments in different patches on the body, the size of the ornament preferred by females in each population was linked to numerous genes that function in many of the same core aspects of male quality (e.g., immunity and oxidative balance). These relationships confirm recent hypotheses linking the signaling function of ornaments to male quality. Furthermore, the parallelism in signaling function provides the flexibility for different types of ornaments to be used as signals of similar aspects of male quality. This could facilitate switches in female preference for different ornaments, a potentially important step in the early stages of divergence among populations.
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22
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Robles-Bello SM, Vázquez-López M, Ramírez-Barrera SM, Terrones-Ramírez AK, Hernández-Baños BE. Drivers of phenotypic divergence in a Mesoamerican highland bird. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12901. [PMID: 35198262 PMCID: PMC8860067 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals derive their coloration from a variety of pigments as well as non-pigmentary structural features. One of the most widespread types of pigments are carotenoids, which are used by all invertebrate taxa and most vertebrate orders to generate red, pink, orange and yellow coloration. Despite their widespread use by diverse animal groups, animals obligately obtain carotenoid pigments from diet. Carotenoid-based coloration is therefore modulated by evolutionary and ecological processes that affect the acquisition and deposition of these pigments into tegumentary structures. The Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata) is a highland songbird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae) that is distributed from Mexican sierras through Central America up to western Panama. While female plumage throughout its entire range is predominantly yellow, males exhibit a noticeable split in ventral plumage color, which is bright orange on the West slope and the Tres Marias Islands and blood red in Eastern Mexico and Central America. We used Multiple Regression on Matrices (MRM) to evaluate the relative contributions of geographic distance, climate and genetic distance on color divergence and body differences between geographically disjunct populations. We found that differentiation in carotenoid plumage coloration was mainly explained by rainfall differences between disjunct populations, whereas body size differences was best explained by variation in the annual mean temperature and temperature of coldest quarter. These results indicate that climate is a strong driver of phenotypic divergence in Piranga bidentata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahid M. Robles-Bello
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Melisa Vázquez-López
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
| | - Sandra M. Ramírez-Barrera
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
| | - Alondra K. Terrones-Ramírez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
| | - Blanca E. Hernández-Baños
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
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23
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Lin Y, Patterson A, Jimenez AG, Elliott K. Altered Oxidative Status as a Cost of Reproduction in a Seabird with High Reproductive Costs. Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 95:35-53. [PMID: 34846992 DOI: 10.1086/717916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLife history theory posits that reproduction is constrained by a cost of reproduction such that any increase in breeding effort should reduce subsequent survival. Oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between the prooxidant reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense. If not thwarted, ROS can cause damage to DNA, lipids, and proteins, potentially increasing the rate of senescence and decreasing cellular function. Reproduction is often associated with higher metabolic rates, which could increase production of ROS and lead to oxidative damage if the animal does not increase antioxidant protection. Thus, oxidative stress could be one mechanism creating a cost of reproduction. In this study we explored how reproduction may affect oxidative status differently between male and female thick-billed murres during early and late breeding seasons over three consecutive years. We manipulated breeding efforts by removing an egg from the nest of some individuals, which forced females to relay, and by handicapping other individuals by clipping wings. We measured total antioxidant capacity (TAC), uric acid (UA) concentration, and malondialdehyde (MDA; an index of lipid oxidative damage) concentration in blood plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in red blood cells. Oxidative status was highly variable across years, and year was consistently the most important factor determining oxidative status; inconsistent results in previous field studies may be because reproductive oxidative stress occurs only in some years. Females had lower SOD and GPx and higher MDA and TAC than males immediately after egg laying, suggesting that the cost of egg laying required investment in cheaper nonenzymatic antioxidant defenses that had lower capacity for defending against lipid peroxidation. Delayed birds had lower UA and lower SOD, GPx, and CAT activity compared with control birds. In conclusion, when reproductive costs increase via higher energy costs or longer breeding seasons, the oxidative status of both male and female murres deteriorated as a result of reduced antioxidant defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimei Lin
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York
| | - Allison Patterson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Kyle Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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24
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Powers MJ, Martz LD, Burton RS, Hill GE, Weaver RJ. Evidence for hybrid breakdown in production of red carotenoids in the marine invertebrate Tigriopus californicus. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259371. [PMID: 34748608 PMCID: PMC8575244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine copepod, Tigriopus californicus, produces the red carotenoid pigment astaxanthin from yellow dietary precursors. This ‘bioconversion’ of yellow carotenoids to red is hypothesized to be linked to individual condition, possibly through shared metabolic pathways with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Experimental inter-population crosses of lab-reared T. californicus typically produces low-fitness hybrids is due in large part to the disruption of coadapted sets nuclear and mitochondrial genes within the parental populations. These hybrid incompatibilities can increase variability in life history traits and energy production among hybrid lines. Here, we tested if production of astaxanthin was compromised in hybrid copepods and if it was linked to mitochondrial metabolism and offspring development. We observed no clear mitonuclear dysfunction in hybrids fed a limited, carotenoid-deficient diet of nutritional yeast. However, when yellow carotenoids were restored to their diet, hybrid lines produced less astaxanthin than parental lines. We observed that lines fed a yeast diet produced less ATP and had slower offspring development compared to lines fed a more complete diet of algae, suggesting the yeast-only diet may have obscured effects of mitonuclear dysfunction. Astaxanthin production was not significantly associated with development among lines fed a yeast diet but was negatively related to development in early generation hybrids fed an algal diet. In lines fed yeast, astaxanthin was negatively related to ATP synthesis, but in lines fed algae, the relationship was reversed. Although the effects of the yeast diet may have obscured evidence of hybrid dysfunction, these results suggest that astaxanthin bioconversion may still be related to mitochondrial performance and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MJP); (LDM)
| | - Lucas D. Martz
- University of California, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MJP); (LDM)
| | - Ronald S. Burton
- University of California, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey E. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Weaver
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
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25
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Davis SN, Clarke JA. Estimating the distribution of carotenoid coloration in skin and integumentary structures of birds and extinct dinosaurs. Evolution 2021; 76:42-57. [PMID: 34719783 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are pigments responsible for most bright yellow, red, and orange hues in birds. Their distribution has been investigated in avian plumage, but the evolution of their expression in skin and other integumentary structures has not been approached in detail. Here, we investigate the expression of carotenoid-consistent coloration across tissue types in all extant, nonpasserine species (n = 4022) and archelosaur outgroups in a phylogenetic framework. We collect dietary data for a subset of birds and investigate how dietary carotenoid intake may relate to carotenoid expression in various tissues. We find that carotenoid-consistent expression in skin or nonplumage keratin has a 50% probability of being present in the most recent common ancestor of Archosauria. Skin expression has a similar probability at the base of the avian crown clade, but plumage expression is unambiguously absent in that ancestor and shows hundreds of independent gains within nonpasserine neognaths, consistent with previous studies. Although our data do not support a strict sequence of tissue expression in nonpasserine birds, we find support that expression of carotenoid-consistent color in nonplumage integument structures might evolve in a correlated manner and feathers are rarely the only region of expression. Taxa with diets high in carotenoid content also show expression in more body regions and tissue types. Our results may inform targeted assays for carotenoids in tissues other than feathers, and expectations of these pigments in nonavian dinosaurs. In extinct groups, bare-skin regions and the rhamphotheca, especially in species with diets rich in plants, may express these pigments, which are not expected in feathers or feather homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Davis
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | - Julia A Clarke
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
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26
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White TE, Locke A, Latty T. Heightened condition dependent expression of structural coloration in the faces, but not wings, of male and female flies. Curr Zool 2021; 68:600-607. [PMID: 36324536 PMCID: PMC9616059 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Structurally colored sexual signals are a conspicuous and widespread class of ornament used in mate choice, though the extent to which they encode information on the quality of their bearers is not fully resolved. Theory predicts that signaling traits under strong sexual selection as honest indicators should evolve to be more developmentally integrated and exaggerated than nonsexual traits, thereby leading to heightened condition dependence. Here, we test this prediction through examination of the sexually dimorphic faces and wings of the cursorial fly Lispe cana. Males and females possess structural UV-white and golden faces, respectively, and males present their faces and wings to females during close-range, ground-based courtship displays, thereby creating the opportunity for mutual inspection. Across a field-collected sample of individuals, we found that the appearance of the faces of both sexes scaled positively with individual condition, though along separate axes. Males in better condition expressed brighter faces as modeled according to conspecific flies, whereas condition scaled with facial saturation in females. We found no such relationships for their wing interference pattern nor abdomens, with the latter included as a nonsexual control. Our results suggest that the structurally colored faces, but not the iridescent wings, of male and female L. cana are reliable guides to individual quality and support the broader potential for structural colors as honest signals. They also highlight the potential for mutual mate choice in this system, while arguing for 1 of several alternate signaling roles for wing interferences patterns among the myriad taxa which bear them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Amy Locke
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
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27
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Fernández-Eslava B, Alonso D, Alonso-Alvarez C. An age-related decline in the expression of a red carotenoid-based ornament in wild birds. Evolution 2021; 75:3142-3153. [PMID: 34643274 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The past decades have provided valuable information on how animals age in the wild. However, examples of male reproductive senescence are scarce. In particular, few studies have described an age-related decline in the expression of conspicuous traits influencing mating success. Red ornaments could be good candidates to detect this decline because their expression may depend on the availability of pigments (carotenoids) related to oxidative stress, the latter frequently linked to senescence. Furthermore, it has been argued that efficient mitochondrial metabolism is key to express red carotenoid-based ornaments, and mitochondrial dysfunction is usually associated with senescence. We studied the age-linked expression of a red carotenoid-based trait: the yellow-to-red plumage coloration of male common crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). This coloration has recently been experimentally related to mitochondrial function. Here, we analyzed longitudinal plumage coloration data obtained throughout 28 years in free-living birds. We detected an initial increase in redness during the first 2 years of life and a subsequent decline. The relationship between color and age was unrelated to within-individual body mass variability. As far as we know, this is the first demonstration of an age-related ketocarotenoid-based color decrease detected by simultaneously testing within- and between-individual variability in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Fernández-Eslava
- Department of Environmental Biology, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - D Alonso
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Donostia-S. Sebastián, Spain
| | - C Alonso-Alvarez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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28
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Scheck D, Ryan TA, Houtz JL, Smee MR, Hendry TA, Vitousek MN. Plumage manipulation alters associations between behaviour, physiology, the internal microbiome and fitness. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Lind MA, Sepp T, Štšeglova K, Hõrak P. Antibiotic treatment increases yellowness of carotenoid feather coloration in male greenfinches (Chloris chloris). Sci Rep 2021; 11:13235. [PMID: 34168219 PMCID: PMC8225797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92598-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid plumage coloration is an important sexually selected trait in many bird species. However, the mechanisms ensuring the honesty of signals based on carotenoid pigments remain unclear. It has recently been suggested that intestinal integrity, which is affected by gut parasites and microbiota and influences nutrient absorption and acquisition, mediates the relationship between carotenoid ornamentation and individual quality. Here, we test whether carotenoid plumage coloration in greenfinches (Chloris chloris) is affected by the treatment of an antibiotic or an antiparasitic drug. We captured wild greenfinches (N = 71) and administered anticoccidial medication toltrazuril (TOLTRA) to one group, antibiotic metronidazole (METRO) to the second group to target trichomonosis, and the third group received no medication. In the METRO group, feathers grown during the experiment had significantly higher chroma of yellow parts, but there was no effect of TOLTRA on feather chroma. The results suggest that METRO increased the efficiency of carotenoid modification or deposition to the feathers rather than nutrient acquisition and/or freed energy resources that could be invested in coloration. Alternatively, though not measured, METRO might have affected microbial community and host physiology as microbial metabolites can modulate mitochondrial and immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari-Ann Lind
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Tuul Sepp
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kristiina Štšeglova
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Peeter Hõrak
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
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30
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Lopez KA, McDiarmid CS, Griffith SC, Lovette IJ, Hooper DM. Evaluating evidence of mitonuclear incompatibilities with the sex chromosomes in an avian hybrid zone. Evolution 2021; 75:1395-1414. [PMID: 33908624 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The exploration of hybrid zones and the intergenomic conflicts exposed through hybridization provide windows into the processes of divergence and speciation. Sex chromosomes and mitonuclear incompatibilities have strong associations with the genetics of hybrid dysfunction. In ZW sex-determining systems, maternal co-inheritance of the mitochondrial and W chromosomes immediately exposes incompatibilities between these maternal contributions of one species and the Z chromosome of another. We analyze mitochondrial and Z chromosome admixture in the long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda) of Australia, where hybridizing subspecies differ prominently in Z chromosome genotype and in bill color, yet the respective centers of geographic admixture for these two traits are offset by 350 km. We report two well-defined mitochondrial clades that diverged ∼0.5 million years ago. Mitochondrial contact is geographically co-located within a hybrid zone of Z chromosome admixture and is displaced from bill color admixture by nearly 400 km. Consistent with Haldane's rule expectations, hybrid zone females are significantly less likely than males to carry an admixed Z chromosome or have mismatched Z-mitochondrial genotypes. Furthermore, there are significantly fewer than expected mitonuclear mismatches in hybrid zone females and paternal backcross males. Results suggest a potential for mitonuclear/sex chromosome incompatibilities in the emergence of reproductive isolation in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsie A Lopez
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Callum S McDiarmid
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Irby J Lovette
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Daniel M Hooper
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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31
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Peneaux C, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Endler JA, Griffin AS. Eat yourself sexy: how selective macronutrient intake influences the expression of a visual signal in common mynas. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:237821. [PMID: 33758023 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.241349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Producing colored signals often requires consuming dietary carotenoid pigments. Evidence that food deprivation can reduce coloration, however, raises the question of whether other dietary nutrients contribute to signal coloration, and furthermore, whether individuals can voluntarily select food combinations to achieve optimal coloration. We created a two-way factorial design to manipulate macronutrient and carotenoid access in common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) and measured eye patch coloration as a function of the food combinations individuals selected. Mynas had access to either water or carotenoid-supplemented water and could either eat a standard captive diet or choose freely between three nutritionally defined pellets (protein, lipid or carbohydrate). Mynas supplemented with both carotenoids and macronutrient pellets had higher color scores than control birds. Male coloration tended to respond more to nutritional manipulation than females, with color scores improving in macronutrient- and carotenoid-supplemented individuals compared with controls. All mynas consuming carotenoids had higher levels of plasma carotenoids, but only males showed a significant increase by the end of the experiment. Dietary carotenoids and macronutrient intake consumed in combination tended to increase plasma carotenoid concentrations the most. These results demonstrate for the first time that consuming specific combinations of macronutrients along with carotenoids contributes to optimizing a colorful signal, and point to sex-specific nutritional strategies. Our findings improve our knowledge of how diet choices affect signal expression and, by extension, how nutritionally impoverished diets, such as those consumed by birds in cities, might affect sexual selection processes and, ultimately, population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Peneaux
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - John A Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Andrea S Griffin
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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32
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Powers MJ, Hill GE. A review and assessment of the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis for the maintenance of signal honesty in red ketocarotenoid-based coloration. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1811-1826. [PMID: 33940618 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab056] [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] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, scientists have noted connections between individual condition and carotenoid-based coloration in terrestrial and aquatic animals. Organisms that produce more vibrant carotenoid-based coloration tend to have better physiological performance and behavioral displays compared to less colorful members of the same species. Traditional explanations for this association between ornamental coloration and performance invoked the need for color displays to be costly, but evidence for such hypothesized costs is equivocal. An alternative explanation for the condition-dependence of carotenoid-based coloration, the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis, was developed in response. This hypothesis proposes that red ketocarotenoid-based coloration is tied to core cellular processes involving a shared pathway with mitochondrial energy metabolism, making the concentration of carotenoids an index of mitochondrial function. Since the presentation of this hypothesis, empirical tests of the mechanisms proposed therein have been conducted in many species. In this manuscript, we review the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis and the growing number of studies that have investigated a connection between carotenoid-based coloration and mitochondrial function. We also discuss future strategies for assessing the Shared-Pathway Hypothesis to more effectively disentangle evidence that may simultaneously support evidence of carotenoid-resource tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
| | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
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33
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McCoy DE, Shultz AJ, Vidoudez C, van der Heide E, Dall JE, Trauger SA, Haig D. Microstructures amplify carotenoid plumage signals in tanagers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8582. [PMID: 33883641 PMCID: PMC8060279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88106-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Brilliantly-colored birds are a model system for research into evolution and sexual selection. Red, orange, and yellow carotenoid-colored plumages have been considered honest signals of condition; however, sex differences in feather pigments and microstructures are not well understood. Here, we show that microstructures, rather than carotenoid pigments, seem to be a major driver of male-female color differences in the social, sexually-dimorphic tanager genus Ramphocelus. We comprehensively quantified feather (i) color (using spectrophotometry), (ii) pigments (using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)), and (iii) microstructures (using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical modeling). Males have significantly more saturated color patches than females. However, our exploratory analysis of pigments suggested that males and females have concordant carotenoid pigment profiles across all species (MCMCglmm model, female:male ratio = 0.95). Male, but not female, feathers have elaborate microstructures which amplify color appearance. Oblong, expanded feather barbs in males enhance color saturation (for the same amount of pigment) by increasing the transmission of optical power through the feather. Dihedral barbules (vertically-angled, strap-shaped barbules) in males reduce total reflectance to generate "super black" and "velvet red" plumage. Melanin in females explains some, but not all, of the male-female plumage differences. Our results suggest that a widely cited index of honesty, carotenoid pigments, cannot fully explain male appearance. We propose that males are selected to evolve amplifiers-in this case, microstructures that enhance appearance-that are not necessarily themselves linked to quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota E McCoy
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Allison J Shultz
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Informatics Group, Harvard University, 38 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Ornithology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Charles Vidoudez
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street (B2), Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Emma van der Heide
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jacqueline E Dall
- Ornithology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Sunia A Trauger
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street (B2), Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David Haig
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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34
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Zhang Y, Wong HS. Are mitochondria the main contributor of reactive oxygen species in cells? J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/5/jeb221606. [PMID: 33707189 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.221606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Physiologists often assume that mitochondria are the main producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Consequently, in biomedicine, mitochondria are considered as important targets for therapeutic treatments, and in evolutionary biology, they are considered as mediators of life-history tradeoffs. Surprisingly, data supporting such an assumption are lacking, at least partially due to the technical difficulties in accurately measuring the level of ROS produced by different subcellular compartments in intact cells. In this Commentary, we first review three potential reasons underlying the misassumption of mitochondrial dominance in the production of cellular ROS. We then introduce some other major sites/enzymes responsible for cellular ROS production. With the use of a recently developed cell-based assay, we further discuss the contribution of mitochondria to the total rate of ROS release in cell lines and primary cells of different species. In these cells, the contribution of mitochondria varies between cell types but mitochondria are never the main source of cellular ROS. This indicates that although mitochondria are one of the significant sources of cellular ROS, they are not necessarily the main contributor under normal conditions. Intriguingly, similar findings were also observed in cells under a variety of stressors, life-history strategies and pathological stages, in which the rates of cellular ROS production were significantly enhanced. Finally, we make recommendations for designing future studies. We hope this paper will encourage investigators to carefully consider non-mitochondrial sources of cellular ROS in their study systems or models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Hoi Shan Wong
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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35
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Zhang Y, Hill GE, Ge Z, Park NR, Taylor HA, Andreasen V, Tardy L, Kavazis AN, Bonneaud C, Hood WR. Effects of a Bacterial Infection on Mitochondrial Function and Oxidative Stress in a Songbird. Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 94:71-82. [PMID: 33399516 DOI: 10.1086/712639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAs a major physiological mechanism involved in cellular renewal and repair, immune function is vital to the body's capacity to support tissue maintenance and organismal survival. Because immune defenses can be energetically expensive, the activities of metabolically active organs, such as the liver, are predicted to increase during infection by most pathogens. However, some pathogens are immunosuppressive, which might reduce the metabolic capacities of select organs to suppress immune response. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a well-known immunosuppressive bacterium that infects domestic chickens and turkeys as well as songbirds. In the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), which is the primary host for MG among songbird species, MG infects both the respiratory system and the conjunctiva of the eye, causing conspicuous swelling. To study the effect of a systemic bacterial infection on cellular respiration and oxidative damage in the house finch, we measured mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative damage in the livers of house finches that were wild caught and either infected with MG, as indicated by genetic screening for the pathogen, or free of MG infection. We observed that MG-infected house finches showed significantly lower oxidative lipid and protein damage in liver tissue compared with their uninfected counterparts. Moreover, using complex II substrates, we documented a nonsignificant trend for lower state 3 respiration of liver mitochondria in MG-infected house finches compared with uninfected house finches (P=0.07). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that MG suppresses organ function in susceptible hosts.
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36
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Cantarero A, Andrade P, Carneiro M, Moreno-Borrallo A, Alonso-Alvarez C. Testing the carotenoid-based sexual signalling mechanism by altering CYP2J19 gene expression and colour in a bird species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201067. [PMID: 33171089 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ornaments can evolve to reveal individual quality when their production/maintenance costs make them reliable as 'signals' or if their expression level is intrinsically linked to condition by some unfalsifiable mechanism (indices). The latter has been mostly associated with traits constrained by body size. In red ketocarotenoid-based colorations, that link could, instead, be established with cell respiration at the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). The production mechanism could be independent of resource (yellow carotenoids) availability, thus discarding costs linked to allocation trade-offs. A gene coding for a ketolase enzyme (CYP2J19) responsible for converting dietary yellow carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids has recently been described. We treated male zebra finches with an antioxidant designed to penetrate the IMM (mitoTEMPO) and a thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) with known hypermetabolic effects. Among hormone controls, MitoTEMPO downregulated CYP2J19 in the bill (a red ketocarotenoid-based ornament), supporting the mitochondrial involvement in ketolase function. Both treatments interacted when increasing hormone dosage, indicating that mitochondria and thyroid metabolisms could simultaneously regulate coloration. Moreover, CYP2J19 expression was positively correlated to redness but also to yellow carotenoid levels in the blood. However, treatment effects were not annulated when controlling for blood carotenoid variability, which suggests that costs linked to resource availability could be minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland.,Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Adrián Moreno-Borrallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso-Alvarez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales - CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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37
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Kirschel ANG, Nwankwo EC, Pierce DK, Lukhele SM, Moysi M, Ogolowa BO, Hayes SC, Monadjem A, Brelsford A. CYP2J19 mediates carotenoid colour introgression across a natural avian hybrid zone. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4970-4984. [PMID: 33058329 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It has long been of interest to identify the phenotypic traits that mediate reproductive isolation between related species, and more recently, the genes that underpin them. Much work has focused on identifying genes associated with animal colour, with the candidate gene CYP2J19 identified in laboratory studies as the ketolase converting yellow dietary carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids in birds with red pigments. However, evidence that CYP2J19 explains variation between red and yellow feather coloration in wild populations of birds is lacking. Hybrid zones provide the opportunity to identify genes associated with specific traits. Here we investigate genomic regions associated with colour in red-fronted and yellow-fronted tinkerbirds across a hybrid zone in southern Africa. We sampled 85 individuals, measuring spectral reflectance of forecrown feathers and scoring colours from photographs, while testing for carotenoid presence with Raman spectroscopy. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify associations with carotenoid-based coloration, using double-digest RAD sequencing aligned to a short-read whole genome of a Pogoniulus tinkerbird. Admixture mapping using 104,933 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified a region of chromosome 8 that includes CYP2J19 as the only locus with more than two SNPs significantly associated with both crown hue and crown score, while Raman spectra provided evidence of ketocarotenoids in red feathers. Asymmetric backcrossing in the hybrid zone suggests that yellow-fronted females mate more often with red-fronted males than vice versa. Female red-fronted tinkerbirds mating assortatively with red-crowned males is consistent with the hypothesis that converted carotenoids are an honest signal of quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel C Nwankwo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Daniel K Pierce
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sifiso M Lukhele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Michaella Moysi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Bridget O Ogolowa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Sophia C Hayes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ara Monadjem
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini.,Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Alan Brelsford
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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38
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Stereochemistry of Astaxanthin Biosynthesis in the Marine Harpacticoid Copepod Tigriopus Californicus. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18100506. [PMID: 33028032 PMCID: PMC7600253 DOI: 10.3390/md18100506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus californicus has been recognized as a model organism for the study of marine pollutants. Furthermore, the nutritional profile of this copepod is of interest to the aquafeed industry. Part of this interest lies in the fact that Tigriopus produces astaxanthin, an essential carotenoid in salmonid aquaculture. Here, we study for the first time the stereochemistry of the astaxanthin produced by this copepod. We cultured T. californicus with different feeding sources and used chiral high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) to determine that T. californicus synthesizes pure 3S,3’S-astaxanthin. Using meso-zeaxanthin as feed, we found that the putative ketolase enzyme from T. californicus can work with β-rings with either 3R- or 3S-oriented hydroxyl groups. Despite this ability, experiments in the presence of hydroxylated and non-hydroxylated carotenoids suggest that T. californicus prefers to use the latter to produce 3S,3’S-astaxanthin. We suggest that the biochemical tools described in this work can be used to study the mechanistic aspects of the recently identified avian ketolase.
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Khalil S, Welklin JF, McGraw KJ, Boersma J, Schwabl H, Webster MS, Karubian J. Testosterone regulates CYP2J19-linked carotenoid signal expression in male red-backed fairywrens ( Malurus melanocephalus). Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201687. [PMID: 32933448 PMCID: PMC7542802 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid pigments produce most red, orange and yellow colours in vertebrates. This coloration can serve as an honest signal of quality that mediates social and mating interactions, but our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that control carotenoid signal production, including how different physiological pathways interact to shape and maintain these signals, remains incomplete. We investigated the role of testosterone in mediating gene expression associated with a red plumage sexual signal in red-backed fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus). In this species, males within a single population can flexibly produce either red/black nuptial plumage or female-like brown plumage. Combining correlational analyses with a field-based testosterone implant experiment and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we show that testosterone mediates expression of carotenoid-based plumage in part by regulating expression of CYP2J19, a ketolase gene associated with ketocarotenoid metabolism and pigmentation in birds. This is, to our knowledge, the first time that hormonal regulation of a specific genetic locus has been linked to carotenoid production in a natural context, revealing how endocrine mechanisms produce sexual signals that shape reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Khalil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Joseph F. Welklin
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kevin J. McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jordan Boersma
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Hubert Schwabl
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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40
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Cantarero A, Mateo R, Camarero PR, Alonso D, Fernandez‐Eslava B, Alonso‐Alvarez C. Testing the shared‐pathway hypothesis in the carotenoid‐based coloration of red crossbills. Evolution 2020; 74:2348-2364. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.14073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Cantarero
- Section of Ecology, Deparment of Biology University of Turku Turku 20014 Finland
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales ‐ CSIC C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 Madrid 28006 Spain
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC ‐ UCLM ‐ JCCM) Ronda de Toledo 12 Ciudad Real 13005 Spain
| | - Pablo R Camarero
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC ‐ UCLM ‐ JCCM) Ronda de Toledo 12 Ciudad Real 13005 Spain
| | - Daniel Alonso
- Department of Ornithology Aranzadi Sciences Society Zorroagagaina 11, E‐20014 Donostia‐San Sebastián Spain
| | - Blanca Fernandez‐Eslava
- Department of Ornithology Aranzadi Sciences Society Zorroagagaina 11, E‐20014 Donostia‐San Sebastián Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso‐Alvarez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales ‐ CSIC C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 Madrid 28006 Spain
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41
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Twomey E, Johnson JD, Castroviejo-Fisher S, Van Bocxlaer I. A ketocarotenoid-based colour polymorphism in the Sira poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis indicates novel gene interactions underlying aposematic signal variation. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2004-2015. [PMID: 32402099 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of red ketocarotenoids is an important component of coloration in many organisms, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In some organisms, ketocarotenoids are sequestered from the diet and can accumulate when enzymes responsible for carotenoid breakdown are disrupted. In other organisms, ketocarotenoids are formed endogenously from dietary precursors via oxidation reactions carried out by carotenoid ketolase enzymes. Here, we study the genetic basis of carotenoid coloration in an amphibian. We demonstrate that a red/yellow polymorphism in the dendrobatid poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis is due to the presence/absence of ketocarotenoids. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing of skins and livers, we found that a transcript encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP3A80) is expressed 3.4-fold higher in livers of red frogs versus yellow. As CYP3A enzymes are known carotenoid ketolases in other organisms, our results point to CYP3A80 as a strong candidate for a carotenoid ketolase in amphibians. Furthermore, in red frogs, the transcript encoding the carotenoid cleavage enzyme BCO2 is expressed at a low level or as a splice variant lacking key catalytic amino acids. This suggests that BCO2 function may be disrupted in red frogs, providing a mechanism whereby the accumulation of ketocarotenoids and their dietary precursors may be enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Santiago Castroviejo-Fisher
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ines Van Bocxlaer
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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42
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Harris S, Kervinen M, Lebigre C, Pike TW, Soulsbury CD. Full spectra coloration and condition-dependent signaling in a skin-based carotenoid sexual ornament. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Carotenoid-based traits commonly act as condition-dependent signals of quality to both males and females. Such colors are typically quantified using summary metrics (e.g., redness) derived by partitioning measured reflectance spectra into blocks. However, perceived coloration is a product of the whole spectrum. Recently, new methods have quantified a range of environmental factors and their impact on reflection data at narrow wavebands across the whole spectrum. Using this approach, we modeled the reflectance of red integumentary eye combs displayed by male black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) as a function of ornament size and variables related to male quality. We investigated the strength and direction of effect sizes of variables at each waveband. The strongest effect on the spectra came from eye comb size, with a negative effect in the red part of the spectrum and a positive effect in ultraviolet reflectance. Plasma carotenoid concentration and body mass were also related to reflectance variance in differing directions across the entire spectra. Comparisons of yearlings and adults showed that the effects were similar but stronger on adult reflectance spectra. These findings suggest that reflectance in different parts of the spectrum is indicative of differing components of quality. This method also allows a more accurate understanding of how biologically relevant variables may interact to produce perceived coloration and multicomponent signals and where the strongest biological effects are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Harris
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
| | - Matti Kervinen
- Finnish Wildlife Agency, Kiekkoti, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Christophe Lebigre
- IFREMER, Unité Sciences et Technologies Halieutiques, Centre Bretagne, Plouzané, France
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
| | - Carl D Soulsbury
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, UK
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43
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Minias P, Janiszewski T. Evolution of a conspicuous melanin-based ornament in gulls Laridae. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:682-693. [PMID: 32050039 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Melanin- and carotenoid-based ornaments often signal different aspects of individual quality or similar components of quality under different environmental conditions and, thus, they may become evolutionarily integrated into a composite sexual trait. On the other hand, functionally and developmentally different characters (e.g. coloration characters of different developmental origin) are more likely to evolve independently from each other than more similar traits. Here, we examined evolutionary correlations between the occurrence of a conspicuous melanin-based ornament (hood) and carotenoid-based bare-part ornaments within gull family. We also aimed to identify major ecological, life-history and biogeographical predictors of hood occurrence and reconstruct evolutionary history of this ornament. We found that hood occurrence was associated with red or dark coloration of unfeathered traits (bill and legs), whereas combinations of hood with yellow carotenoid-based coloration of integument were evolutionarily avoided. Also, hood occurrence correlated negatively with the occurrence of other melanin-based plumage character (mantle). Breeding latitude and habitat were identified as major predictors of hood occurrence in gulls, as hoods were recorded more frequently in low-latitude and inland (rather than marine) species. Finally, our analysis provided support for evolutionary lability in hood occurrence, with a dominance of transitions towards hood loss in the evolutionary history of gulls. The results of our study provide one of the first evidence for a correlated evolution of melanin- and carotenoid-based ornaments in an avian lineage, which supports evolutionary modularity of developmentally and functionally different coloration traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
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44
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Heine KB, Hood WR. Mitochondrial behaviour, morphology, and animal performance. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:730-737. [PMID: 32022456 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We have a limited understanding of the proximate mechanisms that are responsible for the development of variation in animal performance and life-history strategies. Provided that components of an organism's successful life history - for example, mate competition, gestation, lactation, etc. - are energetically demanding, increased energy production within mitochondria is likely the foundation from which organisms are able to perform these tasks. Mitochondrial behaviour (positioning within the cell and communication between mitochondria) and morphology affect variation in energy production at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Therefore, adaptations in mitochondrial behaviour and morphology that favour efficient energy production likely influence variation in animal performance. Previous work has linked greater proportions of inter-mitochondrial junctions and density of the inner mitochondrial membrane, among other traits, with increased energetic demand. Future research should focus on how inter-mitochondrial junctions and morphology of the inner mitochondrial membrane, in particular, influence animal performance in accordance with mitochondrial density, fission, and fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B Heine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, U.S.A
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, U.S.A
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45
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Powers MJ, Hill GE, Weaver RJ. An experimental test of mate choice for red carotenoid coloration in the marine copepod
Tigriopus californicus. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Geoffrey E. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Ryan J. Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas Austin TX USA
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46
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Hill GE, Hood WR, Ge Z, Grinter R, Greening C, Johnson JD, Park NR, Taylor HA, Andreasen VA, Powers MJ, Justyn NM, Parry HA, Kavazis AN, Zhang Y. Plumage redness signals mitochondrial function in the house finch. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191354. [PMID: 31551059 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoid coloration is widely recognized as a signal of individual condition in various animals, but despite decades of study, the mechanisms that link carotenoid coloration to condition remain unresolved. Most birds with red feathers convert yellow dietary carotenoids to red carotenoids in an oxidation process requiring the gene encoding the putative cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2J19. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the process of carotenoid oxidation and feather pigmentation is functionally linked to mitochondrial performance. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed high levels of red ketolated carotenoids associated with the hepatic mitochondria of moulting wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and upon fractionation, we found the highest concentration of ketolated carotenoids in the inner mitochondrial membrane. We further found that the redness of growing feathers was positively related to the performance of liver mitochondria. Structural modelling of CYP2J19 supports a direct role of this protein in carotenoid ketolation that may be functionally linked to cellular respiration. These observations suggest that feather coloration serves as a signal of core functionality through inexorable links to cellular respiration in the mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Ge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Rhys Grinter
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Noel R Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Halie A Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Powers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Nicholas M Justyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | | | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,School of Health Studies, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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