Uncoupling clutch size, prolactin, and luteinizing hormone using experimental egg removal

Ryan, Calen P.; Dawson, Alistair; Sharp, P. J.; Williams, Tony

doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.02.005

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Egg stimuli are required for maintaining elevated PRL titers in other avian species (reviewed in Angelier et al, 2016;Buntin, 1996;Sockman et al, 2006), therefore one may have predicted that a greater number of eggs could have led to a greater PRL peak at the time of chick hatching. On the other hand, this result may not be surprising as PRL does not appear to influence egg laying or clutch size determination in zebra finches (Ryan et al, 2015(Ryan et al, , 2014 or American kestrels (Falco sparverius; Sockman et al, 2000). In addition, this relationship is observed in both sexes, so this phenomenon cannot be limited to the fact that only females lay eggs.…”

Section: Relationship Between Prl Parental Behavior and Reproductivmentioning

confidence: 80%

Prolactin is related to individual differences in parental behavior and reproductive success in a biparental passerine, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Smiley

Adkins‐Regan

2016

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Variation in parental care can lead to important fitness consequences. The endocrine system is known to regulate physiological and behavioral reproductive traits that are important contributors to lifetime reproductive success. However, the hormonal basis of variation in avian parental care is still not well understood. Plasma prolactin (PRL) concentrations are generally high during post-hatch parental care in birds, and may be a candidate mechanism that regulates variation in parental care and other reproductive success outcomes. Here we analyze the relationship between PRL, parental behavior (chick brooding and feeding) and reproductive success outcomes (clutch size, number of chicks hatched, and chick survival) for the first time in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Birds were given cabergoline, a dopamine agonist traditionally used to lower prolactin in mammals, or vehicle in their food. Cabergoline had no effect on prolactin concentrations, but across both groups we found that PRL is positively correlated with parental behavior, number of chicks hatched, and chick survival, but not clutch size. Results from this study will inform hypotheses and predictions for future manipulation studies which test for a causal role for PRL in parental traits.

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Section: Relationship Between Prl Parental Behavior and Reproductivmentioning

confidence: 80%

Prolactin is related to individual differences in parental behavior and reproductive success in a biparental passerine, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Smiley

Adkins‐Regan

2016

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…4A). Although this theory has been tested and supported by a few studies El Halawani et al, 1996;Crisostomo et al, 1998;Sockman et al, 2000;Ouyang et al, 2011;but see Williams, 2012;Ryan et al, 2014Ryan et al, , 2015, the influence of stressors on prolactin levels has not been integrated into this theory. To the best of our knowledge, the combined influence of stress on prolactin levels and laying effort has rarely been investigated (but see Rozenboim et al (2004)).…”

Section: Prolactin Stress and Clutch Size Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By linking environmental conditions, stress, prolactin regulation and breeding success, we will highlight the potential role of this hormone in mediating allostasis in parent birds. Finally, we will also review the potential role of prolactin in mediating other life history decisions such as clutch size (Sockman et al, 2006;Ryan et al, 2015) and the timing of molt (Dawson, 2006). By evaluating the influence of stressors on circulating prolactin levels during these stages, we will also raise new hypotheses regarding the potential of prolactin to regulate the orchestration of the annual cycle when environmental changes occur.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does prolactin mediate parental and life-history decisions in response to environmental conditions in birds? A review

Angelier

Wingfield

Tartu

et al. 2016

Hormones and Behavior

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This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". In vertebrates, adjustments of physiology and behavior to environmental changes are often mediated by central physiological mechanisms, and more specifically by hormonal mechanisms. As a consequence, these mechanisms are thought to orchestrate life-history decisions in wild vertebrates. For instance, investigating the hormonal regulation of parental behavior is relevant to evaluate how parents modulate their effort according to specific environmental conditions. Surprisingly and despite being classically known as the 'parental hormone', prolactin has been overlooked in birds relative to this context. Our aim is to review evidence that changes in prolactin levels can mediate, at least to some extent, the response of breeding birds to environmental conditions. To do so, we first examine current evidence and limits for the role of prolactin in mediating parental behavior in birds. Second, we emphasize the influence of environmental conditions and stressors on circulating prolactin levels. In addition, we review to what extent prolactin levels are a reliable predictor of breeding success in wild birds. By linking environmental conditions, prolactin regulation, parental behavior, and breeding success, we highlight the potential role of this hormone in mediating parental decisions in birds. Finally, we also review the potential role of prolactin in mediating other life history decisions such as clutch size, re-nesting, and the timing of molt. By evaluating the influence of stressors on circulating prolactin levels during these other life-history decisions, we also raise new hypotheses regarding the potential of the prolactin stress response to regulate the orchestration of the annual cycle when environmental changes occur. To sum up, we show in this review that prolactin regulation has a strong potential to allow ecological physiologists to better understand how individuals adjust their life-history decisions (clutch size, parental behavior, re-nesting, and onset of molt) according to the environmental conditions they encounter and we encourage further research on that topic.

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“…We found no differences in the largest ovarian follicle diameter between groups, as all birds had a distinct follicular hierarchy with large yolky follicles. PRL has been associated with the end of lay and ovulation in birds (Ryan et al, 2015;Sockman et al, 2000), but other studies show that PRL manipulation does not inhibit or delay laying rates or ovulation (Li et al, 2011;Opel and Proudman, 1984). In ovaries, FSH leads to the development of the follicular hierarchy and release of sex steroids, while LH stimulates ovulation and steroidogenesis (Johnson, 2015;Mishra et al, 2020).…”

Section: Effects On Gonads and Gonadal Gene Expressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, experiments in doves show that systemic and intracerebroventricular (icv) PRL injections, at levels akin to those circulating during parental care, maintain parental responses and reduce gonad size and LH plasma levels (Buntin et al, 1991Buntin and Tesch, 1985;Janik and Buntin, 1985). The evidence for an inhibitory effect of PRL on the HPG axis has been connected to its possible role in photorefractoriness (Dawson and Sharp, 1998), clutch size regulation (Ryan et al, 2015;Sockman et al, 2000) and parental care (Angelier et al, 2016;Buntin, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prolactin maintains parental responses and alters reproductive axis gene expression, but not courtship behaviors, in both sexes of a biparental bird

Farrar

Flores

Viernes

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Prolactin, a hormone involved in vertebrate parental care, is hypothesized to inhibit reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activity during parenting, thus maintaining investment in the current brood as opposed to new reproductive efforts. While prolactin underlies many parental behaviors in birds, its effects on other reproductive behaviors, such as courtship, remain unstudied. How prolactin affects neuropeptide and hormone receptor expression across the avian HPG axis also remains unknown. To address these questions, we administered ovine prolactin (oPRL) or a vehicle control to both sexes in experienced pairs of the biparental rock dove (Columba livia), after nest removal at the end of incubation. We found that oPRL promoted parental responses to novel chicks and stimulated crop growth compared to controls, consistent with other studies. However, we found that neither courtship behaviors, copulation rates nor pair maintenance differed with oPRL treatment. Across the HPG, we found oPRL had little effect on gene expression in hypothalamic nuclei, but increased expression of FSHB and hypothalamic hormone receptor genes in the pituitary. In the gonads, oPRL increased testes size and gonadotropin receptor expression, but did not affect ovarian state or small white follicle gene expression. However, the oviducts of oPRL-treated females were smaller and had lower estrogen receptor expression compared with controls. Our results highlight that some species, especially those that show multiple brooding, may be able to maintain mating behavior despite elevated prolactin. Thus, mechanisms may exist for prolactin to promote investment in parental care without concurrent inhibition of reproductive function or HPG axis activity.

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Uncoupling clutch size, prolactin, and luteinizing hormone using experimental egg removal

Cited by 6 publications

References 45 publications

Prolactin is related to individual differences in parental behavior and reproductive success in a biparental passerine, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Prolactin is related to individual differences in parental behavior and reproductive success in a biparental passerine, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Does prolactin mediate parental and life-history decisions in response to environmental conditions in birds? A review

Prolactin maintains parental responses and alters reproductive axis gene expression, but not courtship behaviors, in both sexes of a biparental bird

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