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The effects of experimentally manipulated yolk androgens on growth and immune function of male and female nestling collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis

Pitala, Natalia ; Ruuskanen, Suvi ; Laaksonen, Toni ; Doligez, Blandine ; Tschirren, Barbara LU and Gustafsson, Lars (2009) In Journal of Avian Biology 40(2). p.225-230
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Avian Biology
volume
40
issue
2
pages
225 - 230
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000264549500015
  • scopus:63449126623
ISSN
0908-8857
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-048X.2009.04452.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001)
id
be5c9b36-87ac-432f-a561-7ddef5db5064 (old id 1401491)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:35:06
date last changed
2022-04-05 02:02:28
@article{be5c9b36-87ac-432f-a561-7ddef5db5064,
  abstract     = {{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.}},
  author       = {{Pitala, Natalia and Ruuskanen, Suvi and Laaksonen, Toni and Doligez, Blandine and Tschirren, Barbara and Gustafsson, Lars}},
  issn         = {{0908-8857}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{225--230}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Avian Biology}},
  title        = {{The effects of experimentally manipulated yolk androgens on growth and immune function of male and female nestling collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2009.04452.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1600-048X.2009.04452.x}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}