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RESEARCH PRODUCT
The effects of experimentally manipulated yolk androgens on growth and immune function of male and female nestling collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis
Toni LaaksonenBlandine DoligezSuvi RuuskanenLars GustafssonNatalia PitalaBarbara Tschirrensubject
medicine.medical_specialtyfood.ingredientmedicine.drug_classOffspringFicedula albicollisFledgeMaternal effectBiologyurologic and male genital diseasesAndrogenbiology.organism_classification10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesEndocrinologyfood1105 Ecology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsInternal medicineYolkmedicine570 Life sciences; biology590 Animals (Zoology)Animal Science and ZoologyAndrostenedione1103 Animal Science and ZoologyEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsTestosteronedescription
Hormone-mediated maternal effects may be an important mechanism for adjusting offspring phenotype to particular requirements of the environment. We manipulated the levels of testosterone and androstenedione in the yolk of collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis eggs to investigate the effects of pre-natal exposure to androgens on growth and immune function. Androgen treatment tended to reduce the growth of males, and enhance the growth of females, as indicated by significant interaction between sex and androgen treatment. Cellular immune function was not affected by androgen treatment or sex. Survival of nestlings until fledging was not related to androgen treatment. Our results indicate that in the collared flycatcher yolk androgens do not involve clear overall benefits during the nestling stage, and that growth-enhancing effects of increased yolk androgen levels on female nestlings are counterbalanced by detrimental effects on male nestlings.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-03-01 |