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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Inbreeding-related trade-offs in stress resistance in the ant Formica exsecta

Nick BosDimitri StuckiLiselotte SundströmDalial Freitak

subject

Free Radicalsmedia_common.quotation_subjectLongevityBiologyStress PhysiologicalInbreeding depressionAnimalsFormica exsectaInbreedingmedia_common2. Zero hungerEvolutionary BiologyGenetic diversityAntsEcologyHost (biology)StressorLongevitybiology.organism_classificationAgricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)Immunity InnateANTDietOxidative StressGene Expression RegulationInsect Proteinsta1181General Agricultural and Biological SciencesInbreeding

description

Inbred individuals and populations are predicted to suffer from inbreeding depression, especially in times of stress. Under natural conditions, organisms are exposed to more than one stressor at any one time, highlighting the importance of stress resistance traits. We studied how inbreeding- and immunity-related traits are correlated under different dietary conditions in the ant Formica exsecta . Its natural diet varies in the amount and nature of plant secondary compounds and the level of free radicals, all of which require detoxification to maintain organismal homeostasis. We found that inbreeding decreased general antibacterial activity under dietary stress, suggesting inbreeding-related physiological trade-offs.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2014-11-14Biology Letters
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0805