Oxidative stress and information content of black and yellow plumage coloration: An experiment with greenfinches
(2010) In Journal of Experimental Biology 213(13). p.2225-2233- Abstract
- Carotenoid and melanin pigments in the plumage of birds are hypothesized to be sensitive to oxidative stress. We manipulated oxidative status of captive greenfinches (Carduelis chloris L.) by the administration of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), an intracellular antioxidant. Half of the birds in the treated group, as well as in the control group, also received dietary carotenoid (lutein) supplementation. BSO treatment reduced erythrocyte GSH levels and caused oxidative damage as indicated by the increased concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation. BSO treatment also reduced the brightness (i.e. increased blackness) of the tips of tail... (More)
- Carotenoid and melanin pigments in the plumage of birds are hypothesized to be sensitive to oxidative stress. We manipulated oxidative status of captive greenfinches (Carduelis chloris L.) by the administration of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), an intracellular antioxidant. Half of the birds in the treated group, as well as in the control group, also received dietary carotenoid (lutein) supplementation. BSO treatment reduced erythrocyte GSH levels and caused oxidative damage as indicated by the increased concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation. BSO treatment also reduced the brightness (i.e. increased blackness) of the tips of tail feathers grown during the experiment. These results show that a low systemic GSH level is required for development of eumelanin plumage coloration and that such a low GSH level is also potentially dangerous for the organism. Carotenoid supplementation increased plasma carotenoid levels and chroma of the yellow parts of the feathers grown during the experiment. However, carotenoid supplementation did not reduce plasma MDA levels. Manipulation of GSH did not affect plasma carotenoids or carotenoid-based plumage coloration. These findings argue against the antioxidant function of lutein in vivo and carotenoid signaling of antioxidant status. © 2010. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3359177
- author
- Hõrak, P. ; Sild, Elin LU ; Soomets, U. ; Sepp, T. and Kilk, K.
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Buthionine sulfoximine, Carduelis chloris, Carotenoids, Eumelanin, Glutathione, Malondialdehyde, Oxidative damage, Oxidative stress, Passerine, Plumage coloration
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 213
- issue
- 13
- pages
- 2225 - 2233
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:77953580596
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- DOI
- 10.1242/jeb.042085
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- 13
- id
- 2e822297-3ee7-4ba0-af0a-2339bbda24bb (old id 3359177)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:50:00
- date last changed
- 2022-03-20 00:25:54
@article{2e822297-3ee7-4ba0-af0a-2339bbda24bb,
abstract = {{Carotenoid and melanin pigments in the plumage of birds are hypothesized to be sensitive to oxidative stress. We manipulated oxidative status of captive greenfinches (Carduelis chloris L.) by the administration of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), an intracellular antioxidant. Half of the birds in the treated group, as well as in the control group, also received dietary carotenoid (lutein) supplementation. BSO treatment reduced erythrocyte GSH levels and caused oxidative damage as indicated by the increased concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation. BSO treatment also reduced the brightness (i.e. increased blackness) of the tips of tail feathers grown during the experiment. These results show that a low systemic GSH level is required for development of eumelanin plumage coloration and that such a low GSH level is also potentially dangerous for the organism. Carotenoid supplementation increased plasma carotenoid levels and chroma of the yellow parts of the feathers grown during the experiment. However, carotenoid supplementation did not reduce plasma MDA levels. Manipulation of GSH did not affect plasma carotenoids or carotenoid-based plumage coloration. These findings argue against the antioxidant function of lutein in vivo and carotenoid signaling of antioxidant status. © 2010. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.}},
author = {{Hõrak, P. and Sild, Elin and Soomets, U. and Sepp, T. and Kilk, K.}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
keywords = {{Buthionine sulfoximine; Carduelis chloris; Carotenoids; Eumelanin; Glutathione; Malondialdehyde; Oxidative damage; Oxidative stress; Passerine; Plumage coloration}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{13}},
pages = {{2225--2233}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{Oxidative stress and information content of black and yellow plumage coloration: An experiment with greenfinches}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042085}},
doi = {{10.1242/jeb.042085}},
volume = {{213}},
year = {{2010}},
}