The tarnished silver spoon? Trade‐off between prenatal growth and telomere length in wild boar

Spießberger, Magdalena; Hoelzl, Franz; Smith, Steve; Vetter, Sebastian; Ruf, T.; Nowack, Julia

doi:10.1111/jeb.13954

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…It would be important in the future to investigate the specific pathways that were activated to maintain telomeres in NucCort‐birds. This approach would allow us to biochemically ‘visualise’ the mechanisms underlying the trade‐off between growth and telomere length that is often observed in vertebrates (Geiger et al, 2012; Monaghan & Ozanne, 2018; Spießberger et al, 2022; van de Crommenacker et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary nucleotides can prevent glucocorticoid‐induced telomere attrition in a fast‐growing wild vertebrate

Casagrande,

Loveland,

Oefele

et al. 2023

Molecular Ecology

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Telomeres are chromosome protectors that shorten during eukaryotic cell replication and in stressful conditions. Developing individuals are susceptible to telomere erosion when their growth is fast and resources are limited. This is critical because the rate of telomere attrition in early life is linked to health and life span of adults. The metabolic telomere attrition hypothesis (MeTA) suggests that telomere dynamics can respond to biochemical signals conveying information about the organism's energetic state. Among these signals are glucocorticoids, hormones that promote catabolic processes, potentially impairing costly telomere maintenance, and nucleotides, which activate anabolic pathways through the cellular enzyme target of rapamycin (TOR), thus preventing telomere attrition. During the energetically demanding growth phase, the regulation of telomeres in response to two contrasting signals – one promoting telomere maintenance and the other attrition – provides an ideal experimental setting to test the MeTA. We studied nestlings of a rapidly developing free‐living passerine, the great tit (Parus major), that either received glucocorticoids (Cort‐chicks), nucleotides (Nuc‐chicks) or a combination of both (NucCort‐chicks), comparing these with controls (Cnt‐chicks). As expected, Cort‐chicks showed telomere attrition, while NucCort‐ and Nuc‐chicks did not. NucCort‐chicks was the only group showing increased expression of a proxy for TOR activation (the gene TELO2), of mitochondrial enzymes linked to ATP production (cytochrome oxidase and ATP‐synthase) and a higher efficiency in aerobically producing ATP. NucCort‐chicks had also a higher expression of telomere maintenance genes (shelterin protein TERF2 and telomerase TERT) and of enzymatic antioxidant genes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). The findings show that nucleotide availability is crucial for preventing telomere erosion during fast growth in stressful environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary nucleotides can prevent glucocorticoid‐induced telomere attrition in a fast‐growing wild vertebrate

Casagrande,

Loveland,

Oefele

et al. 2023

Molecular Ecology

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“…The mean qPCR efficiency was calculated via the amplification plot method [ 54 ] which gives lower but more accurate estimates of efficiency than standard curve based methods [ 55 , 56 ]. For the non-VCN gene and telomere reactions, mean qPCR efficiencies were 91.0% and 78.6%, respectively.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food availability positively affects the survival and somatic maintenance of hibernating garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus)

Giroud,

Ragger,

Baille

et al. 2023

Front Zool

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Background Torpor is an energy saving strategy achieved by substantial reductions of metabolic rate and body temperature that enables animals to survive periods of low resource availability. During hibernation (multiday torpor), the frequency of periodic rewarming—characterised by high levels of oxidative stress—is associated with shortening of telomeres, a marker of somatic maintenance. Objectives In this study, we determined the impact of ambient temperature on feeding behaviour and telomere dynamics in hibernating garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus) over winter. This obligate hibernator prepares for hibernation by accumulating fat stores but can also feed during hibernation. Methodology Food intake, torpor pattern, changes in telomere length, and body mass change were assessed in animals housed at experimentally controlled temperatures of either 14 °C (i.e., a mild winter) or 3 °C (i.e., a cold winter) over 6 months. Results When hibernating at 14 °C, dormice experienced 1.7-fold more frequent and 2.4-fold longer inter-bout euthermia, and spent significantly less time torpid, compared to animals hibernating at 3 °C. Higher food intake enabled individuals to compensate for increased energetic costs when hibernating at milder temperatures (14 °C vs. 3 °C), to buffer body mass loss and thus increase winter survival. Interestingly, we observed a significant increase of telomere length over the entire hibernation period, irrespective of temperature treatment. Conclusion We conclude that higher temperatures during winter, if associated with sufficient food availability, can have a positive effect on the individual’s energy balance and somatic maintenance. These results suggest that winter food availability might be a crucial determinant for the survival of the garden dormouse in the context of ever-increasing environmental temperatures.

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“…The mean qPCR efficiency was calculated via the amplification plot method [ 76 ] which gives lower but more accurate estimates of efficiency than standard curve based methods [ 79 , 80 ]. The estimates were 76.9% and 86.7% for the non-VCN gene and telomere reactions, respectively.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large mammal telomere length variation across ecoregions

et al. 2022

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Background Telomere length provides a physiological proxy for accumulated stress in animals. While there is a growing consensus over how telomere dynamics and their patterns are linked to life history variation and individual experience, knowledge on the impact of exposure to different stressors at a large spatial scale on telomere length is still lacking. How exposure to different stressors at a regional scale interacts with individual differences in life history is also poorly understood. To better understand large-scale regional influences, we investigated telomere length variation in moose (Alces alces) distributed across three ecoregions. We analyzed 153 samples of 106 moose representing moose of both sexes and range of ages to measure relative telomere lengths (RTL) in white blood cells. Results We found that average RTL was significantly shorter in a northern (montane) and southern (sarmatic) ecoregion where moose experience chronic stress related to severe summer and winter temperatures as well as high anthropogenic land-use compared to the boreal region. Our study suggests that animals in the northern boreal forests, with relatively homogenous land use, are less disturbed by environmental and anthropogenic stressors. In contrast, animals in areas experiencing a higher rate of anthropogenic and environmental change experience increased stress. Conclusion Although animals can often adapt to predictable stressors, our data suggest that some environmental conditions, even though predictable and ubiquitous, can generate population level differences of long-term stress. By measuring RTL in moose for the first time, we provide valuable insights towards our current understanding of telomere biology in free-ranging wildlife in human-modified ecosystems.

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The tarnished silver spoon? Trade‐off between prenatal growth and telomere length in wild boar

Cited by 10 publications

References 89 publications

Dietary nucleotides can prevent glucocorticoid‐induced telomere attrition in a fast‐growing wild vertebrate

Dietary nucleotides can prevent glucocorticoid‐induced telomere attrition in a fast‐growing wild vertebrate

Food availability positively affects the survival and somatic maintenance of hibernating garden dormice (Eliomys quercinus)

Large mammal telomere length variation across ecoregions

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