Age, parasites, and condition affect humoral immune response in tropical pythons
(2006) In Behavioral Ecology 17(1). p.20-24- Abstract
- Mounting an immune response has been suggested to be physiologically costly because of metabolic requirements of immune cells specifically and upregulation of the immune system in general. We investigated such costs in free-living water pythons (Liasis fuscus), immunized with a harmless antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin. In the present study, we analyze the independent effects of age, blood parasite load, and body condition on the ability to mount a humoral immune response (level of antibody production to novel antigens). Python humoral immune response decreased with increasing body length/age, decreased with increasing blood parasite load, and decreased with declining body condition. The results suggest an energetic trade-off between... (More)
- Mounting an immune response has been suggested to be physiologically costly because of metabolic requirements of immune cells specifically and upregulation of the immune system in general. We investigated such costs in free-living water pythons (Liasis fuscus), immunized with a harmless antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin. In the present study, we analyze the independent effects of age, blood parasite load, and body condition on the ability to mount a humoral immune response (level of antibody production to novel antigens). Python humoral immune response decreased with increasing body length/age, decreased with increasing blood parasite load, and decreased with declining body condition. The results suggest an energetic trade-off between immunocompetence and other energetically costly processes. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/693915
- author
- Ujvari, Beata LU and Madsen, Thomas LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2006
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- humoral immune response, python, parasites, age, condition
- in
- Behavioral Ecology
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 20 - 24
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000233489900004
- scopus:28544441767
- ISSN
- 1045-2249
- DOI
- 10.1093/beheco/ari091
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a3690e36-4ff8-48da-8103-cbe76b28e1b8 (old id 693915)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:02:19
- date last changed
- 2022-02-20 02:50:59
@article{a3690e36-4ff8-48da-8103-cbe76b28e1b8,
abstract = {{Mounting an immune response has been suggested to be physiologically costly because of metabolic requirements of immune cells specifically and upregulation of the immune system in general. We investigated such costs in free-living water pythons (Liasis fuscus), immunized with a harmless antigen, keyhole limpet hemocyanin. In the present study, we analyze the independent effects of age, blood parasite load, and body condition on the ability to mount a humoral immune response (level of antibody production to novel antigens). Python humoral immune response decreased with increasing body length/age, decreased with increasing blood parasite load, and decreased with declining body condition. The results suggest an energetic trade-off between immunocompetence and other energetically costly processes.}},
author = {{Ujvari, Beata and Madsen, Thomas}},
issn = {{1045-2249}},
keywords = {{humoral immune response; python; parasites; age; condition}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{20--24}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Behavioral Ecology}},
title = {{Age, parasites, and condition affect humoral immune response in tropical pythons}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ari091}},
doi = {{10.1093/beheco/ari091}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2006}},
}