Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation : haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks
(2024) In Royal Society Open Science 11(4).- Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we confirmed that dark morphs... (More)
There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we confirmed that dark morphs had a lower haemoparasite infection intensity than light morphs. However, we found no differences in telomere length associated with either the haemoparasite infection status or morph in adults, although males have longer telomeres than females. While differences in haemoparasite intensity between morphs are consistent with pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation in the black sparrowhawk, we found no evidence that telomere length was associated with haemoparasite infection. Further work is needed to investigate the implications of possible pleiotropic effects of plumage morph and their potential role in the maintenance of colour polymorphism in this species.
(Less)
- author
- Rodseth, Edmund ; Sumasgutner, Petra ; Tate, Gareth ; Nilsson, Johan F. LU ; Watson, Hannah LU ; Maritz, Michelle F. ; Ingle, Robert A. and Amar, Arjun
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-04-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Accipiter, haemoparasite, melanin, pleiotropy, polymorphism, telomere
- in
- Royal Society Open Science
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 4
- article number
- 230370
- publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85189871690
- pmid:38577209
- ISSN
- 2054-5703
- DOI
- 10.1098/rsos.230370
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 321d0a91-09de-4851-bf9a-e562cea4aabb
- date added to LUP
- 2024-04-24 14:29:13
- date last changed
- 2024-06-19 19:37:10
@article{321d0a91-09de-4851-bf9a-e562cea4aabb,
abstract = {{<p>There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we confirmed that dark morphs had a lower haemoparasite infection intensity than light morphs. However, we found no differences in telomere length associated with either the haemoparasite infection status or morph in adults, although males have longer telomeres than females. While differences in haemoparasite intensity between morphs are consistent with pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation in the black sparrowhawk, we found no evidence that telomere length was associated with haemoparasite infection. Further work is needed to investigate the implications of possible pleiotropic effects of plumage morph and their potential role in the maintenance of colour polymorphism in this species.</p>}},
author = {{Rodseth, Edmund and Sumasgutner, Petra and Tate, Gareth and Nilsson, Johan F. and Watson, Hannah and Maritz, Michelle F. and Ingle, Robert A. and Amar, Arjun}},
issn = {{2054-5703}},
keywords = {{Accipiter; haemoparasite; melanin; pleiotropy; polymorphism; telomere}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
number = {{4}},
publisher = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
series = {{Royal Society Open Science}},
title = {{Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation : haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230370}},
doi = {{10.1098/rsos.230370}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2024}},
}