Systems biology as a framework to understand the physiological and endocrine bases of behavior and its evolution—From concepts to a case study in birds

Fuxjager, Matthew J.; Ryder, Thomas B.; Moody, Nicole M.; Alfonso, Camilo; Balakrishnan, Christopher N.; Barske, Julia; Bosholn, Mariane; Boyle, W. Alice; Braun, Edward L.; Chiver, Ioana; Dakin, Roslyn; Day, Lainy B.; Driver, Robert J.; Fusani, Leonida; Horton, Brent M.; Kimball, Rebecca T.; Lipshutz, Sara E.; Mello, Claudio V.; Miller, Eliot T.; Webster, Michael S.; Wirthlin, Morgan; Wollman, Roy; Moore, Ignacio T.; Schlinger, Barney A.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105340

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The lack of consensus may stem from two issues. First, some studies solely focus on this hormone, but recent work suggests that phenotypic responses result from the interaction of multiple physiological systems (Cohen et al., 2012 ; Fuxjager et al., 2023 ; Martin et al., 2011 ; Ricklefs & Wikelski, 2002 ). Glucocorticoids (also referred as “integrators” in “physiological regulatory networks” by Cohen et al., 2012 ) have widespread effects and interact with other physiological systems, such as oxidative status and body condition (i.e., body mass relative to body size) among others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline glucocorticoids alone do not predict reproductive success across years, but in interaction with enzymatic antioxidants

Mentesana,

Casagrande,

Hau

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Glucocorticoids are known to adjust organismal functions, such as metabolism, in response to environmental conditions. Therefore, these hormones are thought to play a key role in regulating the metabolically demanding aspects of reproduction, especially in variable environments. However, support for the hypothesis that variation in glucocorticoid concentrations predicts reproductive success is decidedly mixed. Two explanations may account for this discrepancy: (i) Glucocorticoids might not act independently but could interact with other physiological traits, jointly influencing reproduction, and (ii) such an association could become apparent primarily in challenging environments when glucocorticoid concentrations increase. To address these two possibilities, we determined natural variation in circulating baseline glucocorticoid concentrations in parental great tits (Parus major) alongside two physiological systems known to be related with an individual's metabolism: oxidative status parameters (i.e., concentrations of pro‐oxidants, dietary, and enzymatic antioxidants) and body condition. These systems interact with glucocorticoids and can also influence reproductive success. We measured these variables in two breeding seasons that differed in environmental conditions. When accounting for the interaction of baseline glucocorticoids with other physiological traits, we found a positive relationship between baseline glucocorticoids and the number of fledglings in adult great tits. The strength of this relationship was more pronounced for those individuals who also had high concentrations of the enzymatic antioxidant glutathione peroxidase. When studied independently, glucocorticoids were not related to fitness proxies, even in the year with more challenging environmental conditions. Together, our study lend to support the hypothesis that glucocorticoids do not influence fitness alone, but in association with other physiological systems.

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