Enhanced yolk testosterone influences behavioral phenotype independent of sex in Japanese quail chicks Coturnix japonica

Daisley, Jonathan Niall; Bromundt, Vivien; Möstl, Erich; Kotrschal, Kurt

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.09.006

Cited by 125 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…One pathway that has often been suggested is that yolk androgens alter the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitarygonadal (HPG) axis, leading to changes in sex steroid production. This has indeed been shown, but the directions of these effects varied: a non-significant increase following yolk T injections in quail chicks (Daisley et al, 2005), a significant increase in spotless starling chicks (Müller et al, 2007), a decrease in chicks of the domestic chicken (Pfannkuche et al, 2011), while there were no effects in chicken embryos and adult house sparrows (Partecke and Schwabl, 2008) (see also Table 1). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Vergauwen

Groothuis

Eens

et al. 2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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a b s t r a c tIn the last two decades, maternally derived yolk androgens have been shown to significantly alter offspring development, and a number of these effects persist into adulthood. However, little is known about their underlying mechanisms. Mechanisms that have been suggested are changes in the endogenous androgen production post-hatching or changes in the sensitivity towards circulating androgens.We tested the effects of yolk testosterone on the plasma testosterone levels and the sensitivity to testosterone in 5 months old male canaries that hatched from eggs that were either injected with testosterone (yT-males) or with a control solution (yC-males). Changes in sensitivity were investigated via the behavioural response to an experimental elevation of the plasma testosterone levels. We performed the experiment in fall (low endogenous testosterone production), focusing on testosterone dependent response traits (aggression and song).Before implantation, there was a non-significant trend that the plasma testosterone levels were lower in yT-males than in yC-males. Elevating the plasma testosterone concentrations increased aggressiveness, song bout length and similarity of repeated song elements (=consistency), with the latter likely being a consequence of testosterone-driven song crystallization. However, these effects were not different among yT-or yC-males in any of the parameters. Thus, our findings render it unlikely that changes in the sensitivity to testosterone post-hatching would form the main underlying mechanism of hormonemediated maternal effects in birds. Further experiments are urgently needed in order to understand the nature of the phenotypic effects resulting from embryonic exposure to maternal yolk testosterone.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Vergauwen

Groothuis

Eens

et al. 2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…It is also interesting to speculate about the effect of heritable yolk androgen levels for trait evolution: In great tits, the evolution of personality, that is, consistent behavioral differences, known to affect fitness , could be affected by maternal effects. Yolk androgens affect behavior and personality traits (neophobia, aggression, habituation, for example, Daisley et al, 2005;Tobler and Sandell, 2007;Ruuskanen et al, 2012). In great tits, personality further shows a small maternal genetic component (van Oers et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritable variation in maternally derived yolk androgens, thyroid hormones and immune factors

et al. 2016

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Maternal reproductive investment can critically influence offspring phenotype, and thus these maternal effects are expected to be under strong natural selection. Knowledge on the extent of heritable variation in the physiological mechanisms underlying maternal effects is however limited. In birds, resource allocation to eggs is a key mechanism for mothers to affect their offspring and different components of the egg may or may not be independently adjusted. We studied the heritability of egg components and their genetic and phenotypic covariation in great tits (Parus major), using captive-bred full siblings of wild origin. Egg mass, testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A4) hormone concentrations showed moderate heritability, in agreement with earlier findings. Interestingly, yolk triiodothyronine hormone (T3), but not its precursor, thyroxine hormone (T4), concentration was heritable. An immune factor, albumen lysozyme, showed moderate heritability, but yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) did not. The genetic correlation estimates were moderate but statistically nonsignificant; a trend for a positive genetic correlation was found between A4 and egg mass, T and lysozyme and IgY and lysozyme, respectively. Interestingly, phenotypic correlations were found only between A4 and T, and T4 and T3, respectively. Given that these egg components are associated with fitness-related traits in the offspring (and mother), and that we show that some components are heritable, it opens the possibility that natural selection may shape the rate and direction of phenotypic change via egg composition.

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“…Previously published articles showed an increase in plasma testosterone levels in chicks hatched from androgen treated eggs compared to control chicks [35] or were not able to show a difference between testosterone and control chicks [11]. The latter study used fecal samples collected in social isolation to measure circulating testosterone levels which are assumed to reflect plasma levels of approximately 30 minutes before excretion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only a few studies so far investigated this. Daisley et al [11] treated eggs of Japanese quail with testosterone before incubation. The treatment induced behavioral changes in young chicks, but no significant difference was found in fecal testosterone levels three weeks after hatching.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining a pathway for hormone mediated maternal effects – Yolk testosterone affects androgen receptor expression and endogenous testosterone production in young chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Pfannkuche

Gahr

Weites

et al. 2011

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Enhanced yolk testosterone influences behavioral phenotype independent of sex in Japanese quail chicks Coturnix japonica

Cited by 125 publications

References 48 publications

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Heritable variation in maternally derived yolk androgens, thyroid hormones and immune factors

Examining a pathway for hormone mediated maternal effects – Yolk testosterone affects androgen receptor expression and endogenous testosterone production in young chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus)

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