Simone Meddle

Mechanisms associated with an advance in the timing of seasonal reproduction in an urban songbird

The colonization of urban environments by animals is often accompanied by earlier breeding and associated changes in seasonal schedules. Accelerated timing of seasonal reproduction in derived urban populations is a potential cause of evolutionary divergence from ancestral populations if differences in physiological processes that regulate reproductive timing become fixed over time. We compared reproductive development in free-living and captive male dark-eyed juncos deriving from a population that recently colonized a city (~35 years) and ceased migrating to that of conspecifics that live in sympatry with the urban population during winter and spring but migrate elsewhere to breed. We predicted that the earlier breeding sedentary urban birds would exhibit accelerated reproductive development along the hypothalamic-pituitary (HPG) axis as compared to migrants. We found that free-living sedentary urban and migrant juncos differed at the level of the pituitary when measured as baseline luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, but not in increased LH when challenged with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH). Among captives held in a common garden, and at the level of the gonad, we found that sedentary urban birds produced more testosterone in response to GnRH than migrants living in the same common environment, suggesting greater gonadal sensitivity in the derived urban population. Greater gonadal sensitivity could arise from greater upstream activation by LH or FSH or from reduced suppression of gonadal development by the adrenal axis. We compared abundance of gonadal transcripts for LH receptor (LHR), follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the common-garden, predicting either more abundant transcripts for LHR and FSHR or fewer transcripts for GR and MR in the earlier breeding sedentary urban breeders, as compared to the migrants. We found no difference in the expression of these genes. Together the data suggest that advanced timing of reproduction in a recently derived urban population is facilitated by earlier increase in upstream baseline activity of the HPG and earlier release from gonadal suppression by yet-to-be-discovered mechanisms. Evolutionarily, our results suggest that potential for gene flow between seasonally sympatric populations may be limited due to urban-induced advances in the timing of reproduction and resulting allochrony

Reduced levels of dopamine and altered metabolism in brains of HPRT knock-out rats: a new rodent model of Lesch-Nyhan Disease

Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND) is a severe neurological disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), an enzyme required for efficient recycling of purine nucleotides. Although this biochemical defect reconfigures purine metabolism and leads to elevated levels of the breakdown product urea, it remains unclear exactly how loss of HPRT activity disrupts brain function. As the rat is the preferred rodent experimental model for studying neurobiology and diseases of the brain, we used genetically-modified embryonic stem cells to generate an HPRT knock-out rat. Male HPRT-deficient rats were viable, fertile and displayed normal caged behaviour. However, metabolomic analysis revealed changes in brain biochemistry consistent with disruption of purine recycling and nucleotide metabolism. Broader changes in brain biochemistry were also indicated by increased levels of the core metabolite citrate and reduced levels of lipids and fatty acids. Targeted MS/MS analysis identified reduced levels of dopamine in the brains of HPRT-deficient animals, consistent with deficits noted previously in human LND patients and HPRT knock-out mice. The HPRT-deficient rat therefore provides a new experimental platform for future investigation of how HPRT activity and disruption of purine metabolism affects neural function and behaviour.

Social information changes stress hormone receptor expression in the songbird brain

ABSTRACT Social information is used by many vertebrate taxa to inform decision‐making, including resource‐mediated movements, yet the mechanisms whereby social information is integrated physiologically to affect such decisions remain unknown. Social information is known to influence the physiological response to food reduction in captive songbirds. Red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) that were food reduced for several days showed significant elevations in circulating corticosterone (a “stress” hormone often responsive to food limitation) only if their neighbors were similarly food restricted. Physiological responses to glucocorticoid hormones are enacted through two receptors that may be expressed differentially in target tissues. Therefore, we investigated the influence of social information on the expression of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA in captive red crossbill brains. Although the role of MR and GR in the response to social information may be highly complex, we specifically predicted social information from food‐restricted individuals would reduce MR and GR expression in two brain regions known to regulate hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) activity ‐ given that reduced receptor expression may lessen the efficacy of negative feedback and release inhibitory tone on the HPA. Our results support these predictions ‐ offering one potential mechanism whereby social cues could increase or sustain HPA‐activity during stress. The data further suggest different mechanisms by which metabolic stress versus social information influence HPA activity and behavioral outcomes. HighlightsAnimals use social information to inform decisions.Food‐restricted neighbors induce enhanced corticosterone release during food restriction.Mechanisms for how social information affects changes in behavior are unknown.We propose changes in HPA‐regulation via corticosterone receptors as one mechanism.Reduced receptor expression in key brain regions may sensitize HPA axis and underlie social effect.

Effects of a social cue on reproductive development and pre-alternate molt in seasonally breeding migrant and resident female songbirds (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

ABSTRACT To time reproduction optimally, birds have evolved diverse mechanisms by which they respond to environmental changes that help them anticipate and prepare for the breeding season. While residents initiate reproductive preparation and breed in the same geographic location, migrant birds simultaneously prepare for breeding and migration far from their breeding grounds. As a result, it is hypothesized that migrant and resident birds use environmental cues differently to prepare to breed and that there is adaptive specialization in mechanisms regulating reproductive preparation. Specifically, residents are expected to rely more on non-photic cues (e.g. food, temperature, social cues) than migrants. We tested this general prediction using a social cue manipulation. First, we compared the effects of subspecies-appropriate recorded male song on reproductive development in migrants and residents on a naturally increasing photoperiod. Second, we tested the sensitivity of migrant-specific life history events (fattening and pre-alternate molt) to song treatment. After 82u2005days, residents had higher luteinizing hormone and greater ovarian development than migrants, but song treatment had no effect on these metrics in either subspecies. Song advanced pre-alternate molt but had no effect on fattening in migrants. While our study does not support specialization in social cue use in migrants and residents, it is consistent with findings in the literature of specialization in photoperiodic response. It also demonstrates for the first time that social cues can influence molt in a migrant species. Additional findings from a pilot study looking at responses to a live male suggest it is important to test other kinds of social cues. Highlighted Article: Migrant and resident birds exhibit differences in reproductive development consistent with adaptive specialization in the use of photoperiodic cues, but not social cues, to regulate reproductive development.

Weathering the storm: Do arctic blizzards cause repeatable changes in stress physiology and body condition in breeding songbirds?

Highlights • Stress physiology was analyzed in response to multi-day snowstorms in 5u202fyears.• Baseline corticosterone was unaffected by snowstorms in all but two instances.• Stress-induced corticosterone were typically elevated during snowstorms.• Stress physiology was significantly different across a multiday storm in only one year.• Body condition tended to increase on the first day of the storm.