Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)?
The “live hard, die young” theory predicts the evolution of gender differences in immunocompetence, with males having a weaker immune system than females. To test this hypothesis in Carabus lefebvrei, total and basal phenoloxidase (PO) activities and lysozyme-like enzyme activity were compared among...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Invertebrate Survival Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://isj02.unimore.it/index.php/ISJ/article/view/383 |
| _version_ | 1818559978197221376 |
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| author | A Giglio P Brandmayr M Cammarata F Cavaliere M R Trapani P G Giulianini |
| author_facet | A Giglio P Brandmayr M Cammarata F Cavaliere M R Trapani P G Giulianini |
| author_sort | A Giglio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The “live hard, die young” theory predicts the evolution of gender differences in immunocompetence, with males having a weaker immune system than females. To test this
hypothesis in Carabus lefebvrei, total and basal phenoloxidase (PO) activities and lysozyme-like enzyme activity were compared among males and females of different reproductive status. The sexual dimorphism occurred only in reproductively active adults and for total and basal PO levels, while no significant differences were recorded between sexes in virgin adults. Differences were not recorded for lytic activity between sexes. Basal PO and lytic activities decreased in both males and females after mating, while the total PO value increased in males and decreased in females. Thus, resources seem to be invested to increase the humoral response in pre-reproductive phase forming a barrier against pathogens and preserving the fecundity and longevity of both sexes. Males preserve their survivorship in reproductive phase by increasing enzymatic levels in hemolymph to avoid fitness reduction due to the increased exposure to pathogen as result of mating. Females shift resources from PO and lytic activity to other physiological systems involved in reproduction in order to maximize their fitness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:32:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0be1cb25b8aa4f2f9fcc8d322320c67f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1824-307X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:32:33Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | University of Modena and Reggio Emilia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Invertebrate Survival Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-0be1cb25b8aa4f2f9fcc8d322320c67f2022-12-21T23:24:46ZengUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaInvertebrate Survival Journal1824-307X2016-03-01131Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)?A Giglio0P Brandmayr1M Cammarata2F Cavaliere3M R Trapani4P G Giulianini5Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Rende (CS), ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Rende (CS), ItalyDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Università della Calabria, Rende (CS), ItalyDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, ItalyThe “live hard, die young” theory predicts the evolution of gender differences in immunocompetence, with males having a weaker immune system than females. To test this hypothesis in Carabus lefebvrei, total and basal phenoloxidase (PO) activities and lysozyme-like enzyme activity were compared among males and females of different reproductive status. The sexual dimorphism occurred only in reproductively active adults and for total and basal PO levels, while no significant differences were recorded between sexes in virgin adults. Differences were not recorded for lytic activity between sexes. Basal PO and lytic activities decreased in both males and females after mating, while the total PO value increased in males and decreased in females. Thus, resources seem to be invested to increase the humoral response in pre-reproductive phase forming a barrier against pathogens and preserving the fecundity and longevity of both sexes. Males preserve their survivorship in reproductive phase by increasing enzymatic levels in hemolymph to avoid fitness reduction due to the increased exposure to pathogen as result of mating. Females shift resources from PO and lytic activity to other physiological systems involved in reproduction in order to maximize their fitness.https://isj02.unimore.it/index.php/ISJ/article/view/383ecological immunologylife historylytic activityphenoloxidasesexual dimorphism |
| spellingShingle | A Giglio P Brandmayr M Cammarata F Cavaliere M R Trapani P G Giulianini Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? Invertebrate Survival Journal ecological immunology life history lytic activity phenoloxidase sexual dimorphism |
| title | Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? |
| title_full | Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? |
| title_fullStr | Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? |
| title_short | Are immune responses gender-related in Carabus lefebvrei (Coleoptera: Carabidae)? |
| title_sort | are immune responses gender related in carabus lefebvrei coleoptera carabidae |
| topic | ecological immunology life history lytic activity phenoloxidase sexual dimorphism |
| url | https://isj02.unimore.it/index.php/ISJ/article/view/383 |
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