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129 results for “corticosterone”
Data from: Feather corticosterone is lower in translocated and historical populations of the endangered Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis)
<p>Identifying reliable bioindicators of population status is a central goal of conservation physiology. Physiological stress measures are often used as metrics of individual health and can assist in managing endangered species if linked to fitness traits. We analysed feather corticosterone, a cumulative physiological stress metric, of individuals from historical, translocated, and source populations of an endangered endemic Hawaiian bird, the Laysan duck (<em>Anas laysanensis</em>). We hypothesised that feather corticosterone would reflect the improved reproduction and survival rates observed in populations translocated to Midway and Kure Atolls from Laysan Island. We also predicted less physiological stress in historical Laysan birds collected before ecological conditions deteriorated and the population bottleneck. All hypotheses were supported: we found lower feather corticosterone in the translocated populations and historical samples than in those from recent Laysan samples. This suggests that current Laysan birds are experiencing greater physiological stress than historical Laysan and recently translocated birds. Our initial analysis suggests that feather corticosterone may be an indicator of population status and could be used as a non-invasive physiological monitoring tool for this species with further validation. Furthermore, these preliminary results, combined with published demographic data, suggest that current Laysan conditions may not be optimal for this species.</p>
Data for: Environment-dependent relationships between corticosterone and energy expenditure during reproduction: insights from seabirds in the context of climate change
<p>We studied the relationship between baseline levels of the steroid hormone corticosterone and daily energy expenditure (DEE) in the little auk (<em>Alle alle</em>), an Arctic sea bird that is experiencing mounting energetic challenges due to climate change. We specifically investigated the hypothesis that there might be environment-dependent relationships between baseline corticosterone, DEE, time activity budgets, diving behavior and fitness-related traits (chick provisioning rate, adult body condition). Furthermore, we also examined whether mercury (Hg) contamination might interfere with corticosterone production, and hence potentially the capacity to upregulate DEE. In addition, we performed a phylogenetically controlled analysis across breeding seabird species to assess the relationship between baseline corticosterone and DEE, which we estimated via <span>a model derived from a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis, </span><span>available within a <span>web-based app (‘Seabird FMR Calculator’, </span></span><span><a href="https://ruthedunn.shinyapps.io/seabird_fmr_calculator/"><span>https://ruthedunn.shinyapps.io/seabird_fmr_calculator/</span></a></span><span>) (Dunn et al. 2018). These datasets contain information on corticosterone levels, DEE, TABs and Hg in little auks, and the data used in our phylogenetically controlled analysis. Please see the READ me file for details.</span></p>
Supplementary material to "Exogenous corticosterone and melanin-based coloration explain variation in juvenile dispersal behaviour in the barn owl (Tyto alba)"
<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>Natal dispersal affects many processes such as population dynamics. So far, most studies have examined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that determine the distance between the place of birth and of first breeding. In contrast, few researchers followed the first steps of dispersal soon after fledging. To study this gap, we radio-tracked 95 barn owl nestlings (<em>Tyto alba</em>) to locate their diurnal roost sites from the fledging stage until December. This was used to test whether the age of nest departure, post-fledging movements and dispersal distance were related to melanin-based coloration, which is correlated to fitness-related traits, as well as to corticosterone, a hormone that mediates a number of life history trade-offs and the physiological and behavioural responses to stressful situations. We found that the artificial administration of corticosterone delayed the age when juveniles left their parental home-range in females but not in males. During the first few months after fledging, longer dispersal distances were reached by females compared to males, by individuals marked with larger black feather spots compared to individuals with smaller spots, by larger individuals and by those experimentally treated with corticosterone. We conclude that the onset and magnitude of dispersal is sensitive to the stress hormone corticosterone, melanin-based coloration and body size. </p>
Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) Maltese Islands' colony differences in feather corticosterone, bulk stable isotopes, mercury concentration, adult breeding success and foraging strategies
<p>All data and scripts uploaded and described here are related to the manuscript being submitted under the title: "<span lang="EN-GB">Feather corticosterone and stable isotopes explain fledging and adult breeding success in a burrow-nesting seabird, the Yelkouan shearwater <em>Puffinus yelkouan</em>", accepted for publication in Marine Biology (doi: 10.1007/s00227-025-04748-8).</span></p> <h2><strong><u>Adult Breeding success </u></strong></h2> <p>In the script “YESH_Malta_BreedingSuccess_DSR_Rmark.R” apparent breeding success and daily nest survival rates are estimated for yelkouan shearwater nests in Maltese colonies based on the nest log data found in “BreedingSuccessSummaryData.zip”.</p> <h2><strong><u>Nestling and fledgling feather growth, corticosterone, stable isotopes and mercury</u></strong></h2> <p>The R script “YESH_FeatherGrowth_CORT_SI_Hg_chicks_Malta_Script.R” was written to load, combine and analyse all the data related to measurements of nestling growth, feather corticosterone, bulk stable isotopes and mercury analysis. The folder “YESH_FeatherGrowth_CORT_SI_Hg_chicks_Malta_Data.zip” contains the files with these data as named and loaded in the script. The folder also contains the original outputs from the corticosterone measurements by plate, including standard curves, provided in the subfolder: “CORT_Output_by_plate”. Original outputs as sent from the LIENs laboratory for stable isotopes and mercury can be found in the subfolder “SI_Hg_Outputs”.</p> <h2><strong><u>Adult shearwater tracking data analysis</u></strong></h2> <p>The R script written to analyse gps-logger data is named: “YESH_RM_MJ_ChickRearPeriod_ForagingStrategies.R”</p> <p>Adult yelkouan shearwater gps-logger tracking data during the chick-rearing period from the two colonies compared, Majjistral (MJ) and Rdum tal-Madonna (RM): “YESH_Malta_RM_MJ_ChickRearPeriod.csv”.</p> <p>Apart from the consolidated form the tracking data from the chick-rearing period can be found on BirdLife International Seabird Tracking Database:</p> <p>2012, 2013 & 2014: <a href="https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/836">https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/836</a></p> <p><a href="https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/837">https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/837</a></p> <p><a href="https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/952">https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/952</a></p> <p>2019: <a href="https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/1935">https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/1935</a></p> <p>2021: https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/2223</p> <p>https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/2224</p> <p>2022: <a href="https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/1855">https://data.seabirdtracking.org/dataset/1855</a> </p> <p>“TRACKID_2012_2022_DIAGNOSTICSV3.csv” describes the completeness of tracks based on visual assessment and is loaded during the running of the script.</p> <p>Output shapefiles produced by running the script are provided in the folder: “YESH_RM_MJ_ShapefileOutputs_KDE.zip”.</p> <h2>Acknowledgements and Funding</h2> <p>We are grateful to the German Ornithologists’ Society through which all laboratory analysis was funded with funds from the Ursula Honig estate. Tracking was funded under EU-LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project (LIFE10NAT/MT/090), EU-LIFE Artina (LIFE17 NAT/HR/000594) and EU-LIFE PanPuffinus! (LIFE19 NAT/MT/000982), co-financed respectively by the Maltese Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change; Ministry of Education and Employment and Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights. All handling and sampling of shearwaters were carried out under permits from the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) and the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU). We thank all staff and volunteers of BirdLife Malta having taken part in fieldwork, and all members of the public who contact us for grounded shearwaters. We are grateful to Gaël Guillou of the platform “Analyses isotopiques” for running the stable isotope analyses and to Maud Brault-Favrou of the platform “Analyses élémentaires” for running Hg analyses, both at the LIENSs laboratory. Thanks are due to the CPER (Contrat de Projet Etat-Région) and the FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Régional) for funding the AMA and the IRMS of LIENSs. Contributor PB is an honorary member of the IUF (Institut Universitaire de France). </p>
Effects of exogenous elevation of corticosterone on immunity and the skin microbiome of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens): Data & R scripts
<p>The amphibian chytrid fungus, <em>Batrachochytrium</em> <em>salamandrivorans</em> (<em>Bsal</em>) threatens salamander biodiversity. The factors underlying <em>Bsal</em> susceptibility may include glucocorticoid hormones (GCs). The effects of GCs on immunity and disease susceptibility are well studied in mammals, but less is known in other groups, including salamanders. We used <em>Notophthalmus</em> <em>viridescens</em> (Eastern Newts) to test the hypothesis that GCs modulate salamander immunity. We first determined the dose required to elevate corticosterone (CORT; primary GC in amphibians) to physiologically relevant levels. We then measured immunity (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios, plasma bacterial killing ability [BKA], skin microbiome, splenocytes, melanomacrophage centers [MMCs]) and overall health in newts following treatment with CORT or an oil vehicle control. Treatments were repeated for a short (2 treatments over 5 days) or long (18 treatments over 26 days) time period. Contrary to our predictions, most immune and health parameters were similar for CORT and oil-treated newts. Surprisingly, differences in BKA, skin microbiome, and MMCs were observed between newts subjected to short and long-term treatments, regardless of treatment type (CORT, oil vehicle). Taken together, CORT does not appear to be a major factor contributing to immunity in Eastern Newts, although more studies examining additional immune factors are necessary.</p>
Data from: Feather corticosterone is lower in translocated and historical populations of the endangered Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis)
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Behavioural predictability in chickens in response to anxiogenic stimuli is influenced by maternal corticosterone levels during egg formation
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Artificial light at night alters activity, body mass and corticosterone level in a tropical anuran
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Effects of exogenous elevation of corticosterone on immunity and the skin microbiome of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens): Data & R scripts
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Corticosterone and immune responses to dehydration in squamate reptiles
<p class="MsoListParagraph">Many environments present some degree of seasonal water limitations; organisms that live in such environments must be adapted to survive periods without permanent water access. Often this involves the ability to tolerate dehydration, which can have adverse physiological effects and is typically considered a physiological stressor. While having many functions, the hormone corticosterone (CORT) is often released in response to stressors, yet increasing plasma CORT while dehydrated could be considered maladaptive, especially for species that experience predictable bouts of dehydration and have related coping mechanisms. Elevating CORT could reduce immunocompetence and have other negative physiological effects. Thus, such species likely have CORT and immune responses adapted to experiencing seasonal droughts. We evaluated how dehydration affects CORT and immune function in eight squamate species that naturally experience varied water limitation.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">We tested whether hydric state affected plasma CORT concentrations and aspects of immunocompetence (lysis, agglutination, bacterial killing ability, and white blood cell counts) differently among species based on how seasonally water limited they are and whether this is constrained by phylogeny. The species represented four familial pairs, with one species of each pair inhabiting environments with frequent access to water and one naturally experiencing extended periods (>30 days) with no access to standing water.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The effects of dehydration on CORT and immunity varied among species. Increases in CORT were generally not associated with reduced immunocompetence, indicating CORT and immunity might be decoupled in some species. Interspecies variations in responses to dehydration were more clearly grouped by phylogeny than habitat type.</p>
Data from: Avian offspring prenatal DNA methylation response to maternal corticosterone dosing during reproduction
<p>Avian embryos develop in an egg composition which reflects both maternal condition and the recent environment of their mother. In birds, yolk corticosterone (CORT) influences development by impacting pre- and postnatal growth, as well as nestling stress responses and development. One possible mechanism through which maternal CORT may affect offspring development is via changes to offspring DNA methylation. We sought to investigate this, for the first time in birds, by quantifying the impact of manipulations to maternal CORT on offspring DNA methylation. We non-invasively manipulated plasma CORT concentrations of egg-laying female zebra finches (<em>Taeniopygia </em><em>castanotis</em>) with an acute dose of CORT administered around the time of ovulation and collected their eggs. We then assessed DNA methylation in the resulting embryonic tissue and in their associated vitelline membrane blood vessels, during early development (5 days after lay), using two established methods - liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and methylation-sensitive amplification fragment length polymorphism (MS-AFLP). LC-MS analysis showed that global DNA methylation was lower in embryos from CORT-treated mothers, compared to control embryos. In contrast, blood vessel DNA from eggs from CORT-treated mothers showed global methylation increases, compared to control samples. There was a higher proportion of global DNA methylation in the embryonic DNA of second clutches, compared to first clutches. Locus-specific analyses using MS-AFLP did not reveal a treatment effect. Our results indicate that an acute elevation of maternal CORT around ovulation impacts DNA methylation patterns in their offspring. This could provide a mechanistic understanding of how a mother's experience can affect her offspring's phenotype.</p>
Feather corticosterone reveals developmental challenges in a long‐term study of juvenile northern spotted owls
<p>1. Corticosterone is a steroid hormone integral to a variety of physiological pathways and is strongly associated with the vertebrate stress–response. In avian species, circulating corticosterone is sequestered into developing feathers and is used as an indicator of energy allocation during feather growth and widely applied in conservation physiology.</p> <p>2. The northern spotted owl (<i>Strix occidentalis caurina</i>) is a federally threatened old–growth forest obligate of conservation concern endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. The effects of landscape characteristics and individual variation on early development in spotted owls remain unstudied despite long recognition of this knowledge gap and its potential importance to species conservation.</p> <p>3. We quantified corticosterone concentrations in 4,720 feathers from 1,056 juvenile spotted owls across seven study areas between 2001 and 2017. We used an information–theoretic approach to examine the environmental and individual factors related to feather corticosterone in juvenile spotted owls as an indicator of challenges during early development.</p> <p>4. Feather corticosterone was positively related to temperature and precipitation, and negatively related to juvenile mass at banding. We found strong support for an interaction between mass and precipitation, with greater amounts of precipitation being associated with higher levels of feather corticosterone in lighter juveniles. The temperature and precipitation metric with the strongest relationship with feather corticosterone occurred during the fledging period, suggesting that this period presents an energetic challenge for juvenile spotted owls. Greater juvenile mass decreased the effect of precipitation, suggesting that greater mass was important for juveniles to maintain homeostasis during fledgling.</p> <p>5. Feather corticosterone in juvenile spotted owls provided insights to the challenges faced during early development, adding to our understanding of spotted owl life history and potential for population recovery.</p>
Effects of acute and chronic corticosterone treatments in the American Bullfrog wound healing
<p>Glucocorticoid (GC) release is triggered by adverse stimuli that activate hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA/I) axis. Glucocorticoids may enhance or suppress immune functions depending on the level of elevation. In this study, we investigated the effects of transient and chronic increases of CORT on the wound healing of the American bullfrog. Frogs were submitted to a daily transdermal hormonal application that acutely elevated CORT plasma levels, or vehicle as a control. Other frogs were surgically implanted with a silastic tube filled with CORT that resulted in chronic elevation of CORT plasma levels or received empty implants as a control. A dermal biopsy was performed to create a wound and was photographed every 3 days. Individuals treated with transdermal CORT started healing faster than their control 32 days after the biopsy. Frogs that received CORT implants tended to heal slower than control subjects. Plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA) was not affected by treatment, which reinforces the constitutive nature of this innate immune trait. By the end of the experiment, frogs from the acute CORT treatment had smaller wounds compared to those receiving the CORT-filled implants, highlighting the differential effects of acute (immunoenhancing) and chronic (immunosuppressive) elevation of CORT plasma levels.</p>
Corticosterone treatment results in fat deposition and body mass maintenance without effects on feeding behaviour or immunity in female lizards (Tropidurus catalanensis)
<p>In different life history stages, animals must maintain homeostasis through predictable, unpredictable and/or challenging events. Glucocorticoids (GC), hormones released in response to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA/HPI) axis activation, promote various behavioural and physiological adjustments on a daily manner; and in order to restore balance, after facing stressors. When GC are elevated for an extended period and in high concentrations, characterizing a chronic exposure, it can lead to deleterious effects on animals’ physiology, such as accumulation of fat bodies, changes in feeding behaviour and suppression of immune function. We aim to elucidate the effects of chronic corticosterone exposure and body condition index (BI) in fat deposition, feeding behaviour and immune function in <em>Tropidurus catalanensis</em>’ females. Thirty animals were divided in three groups: 1. Control (no experimental procedure was performed); 2. Empty Implant (animals surgically received an empty silastic tube); and 3. CORT Implant (animals surgically received one silastic tube filled with CORT). Blood samples were collected throughout the experiment to assess CORT plasma levels, total and differential leukocyte count, bacterial killing ability (BKA), and hemagglutination titer. An immune challenge using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was conducted to measure innate and adaptive immune response. Feeding behaviour and fat bodies were also evaluated. After implantation, CORT treated animals maintained a stable body mass through weeks of captivity, while Control and Empty Implant groups displayed weight loss. In the CORT treated animals, there was also a positive relation between BI and fat bodies, and higher fat bodies deposition when compared to groups 1 and 2. No effects of CORT treatment were observed on immune response or feeding behaviour.</p>
Data from: breeding under pressure: corticosterone is associated with reproductive investment under fluctuating predation risk in a long-lived sea duck
<p>Phenotypic plasticity may enable individuals to cope with predictable and unpredictable environments during their life-cycle. In that context, studying glucocorticoids – corticosterone (CORT) in birds – is relevant because of their primary role in allostasis. Higher baseline CORT levels are classically associated with environmental constraints and lower fitness (the CORT-fitness hypothesis). However, in some environments, higher baseline CORT levels can promote reproduction, therefore being associated with higher fitness (the CORT-adaptation hypothesis). These two hypotheses have been tested in multiple systems, but rarely in a context of fluctuating predation threat.</p> <p>We <span>used a </span>long-term individual-based monitoring of baseline CORT levels in female common eiders <em>Somateria mollissima</em> (n<sub>CORT</sub> = 1537; n<sub>individual</sub> = 790; 2009-2022) to disentangle the context-dependent links between environmental conditions, CORT and fitness. Importantly, the study population has been facing a drastic increase in predation pressure over the past decades, linked to the recovery of the white-tailed eagle <em>Haliaeetus albicilla</em>. Additionally, eiders breed on open or forested islands, further affecting adult and nest predation risk. This system allowed us to disentangle the relative contributions of within- and among-individual variation in baseline CORT levels under predation.</p> <p>Supporting the CORT-adaptation hypothesis, baseline CORT levels were positively associated with reproductive investment (clutch size), age and hatching success. By partitioning within- and among-individual effects, we showed that at the individual level, CORT flexibly increased with clutch size and age. Females displaying higher CORT levels were more successful, suggesting a link between CORT and individual quality.</p> <p><span>At both the population and individual levels, baseline CORT levels decreased over the study period. This decrease was correlated with an increase in predation risk. Females had reduced baseline CORT when nesting under high eagle abundance or adult predation risk (within-individual effect). Interestingly, apparent plasticity towards adult predation risk was only observed on open islands, likely reflecting habitat-dependent strategies.</span></p> <p><span>Consistent with the CORT-adaptation hypothesis, we show that changes in predation regime not only correlate with changes in reproductive investment, but also with rapid plastic adjustment of glucocorticoid levels and therefore individual strategies to cope with predation risk. Given the correlative nature of our study, we encourage further experimental studies testing for a causal relationship between predation and corticosterone levels.</span></p>
Corticosterone and immune responses to dehydration in squamate reptiles
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Effects of acute and chronic corticosterone treatments in the American Bullfrog wound healing
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Data from: Short-term sleep loss alters cytokine gene expression in brain and peripheral tissues and increases plasma corticosterone of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
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Corticosterone-implanted chicks transmit stress to parents and neighbors in a colonial seabird
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Data from: Diel rhythmicity of activity and corticosterone metabolites in Arctic barnacle geese during breeding
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