Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks
There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk...
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The Royal Society
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230370 |
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| author | Edmund Rodseth Petra Sumasgutner Gareth Tate Johan F. Nilsson Hannah Watson Michelle F. Maritz Robert A. Ingle Arjun Amar |
| author_facet | Edmund Rodseth Petra Sumasgutner Gareth Tate Johan F. Nilsson Hannah Watson Michelle F. Maritz Robert A. Ingle Arjun Amar |
| author_sort | Edmund Rodseth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we confirmed that dark morphs had a lower haemoparasite infection intensity than light morphs. However, we found no differences in telomere length associated with either the haemoparasite infection status or morph in adults, although males have longer telomeres than females. While differences in haemoparasite intensity between morphs are consistent with pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation in the black sparrowhawk, we found no evidence that telomere length was associated with haemoparasite infection. Further work is needed to investigate the implications of possible pleiotropic effects of plumage morph and their potential role in the maintenance of colour polymorphism in this species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:24:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-941990540fe546f3be2c58af4e82d33e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:24:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-941990540fe546f3be2c58af4e82d33e2024-04-03T05:12:19ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032024-04-0111410.1098/rsos.230370Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawksEdmund Rodseth0Petra Sumasgutner1Gareth Tate2Johan F. Nilsson3Hannah Watson4Michelle F. Maritz5Robert A. Ingle6Arjun Amar7Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaEvolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University , Lund, SwedenEvolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Lund University , Lund, SwedenDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South AfricaThere is increasing recognition of the potential pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation, particularly on immunity, with reports of variation in haemoparasite infection intensity and immune responses between the morphs of colour-polymorphic bird species. In a population of the black sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) in western South Africa, light morphs have a higher haemoparasite infection intensity, but no physiological effects of this are apparent. Here, we investigate the possible effects of haemoparasite infection on telomere length in this species and explore whether relative telomere length is associated with either plumage morph or sex. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, we confirmed that dark morphs had a lower haemoparasite infection intensity than light morphs. However, we found no differences in telomere length associated with either the haemoparasite infection status or morph in adults, although males have longer telomeres than females. While differences in haemoparasite intensity between morphs are consistent with pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation in the black sparrowhawk, we found no evidence that telomere length was associated with haemoparasite infection. Further work is needed to investigate the implications of possible pleiotropic effects of plumage morph and their potential role in the maintenance of colour polymorphism in this species.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230370polymorphismpleiotropyhaemoparasiteAccipitermelanintelomere |
| spellingShingle | Edmund Rodseth Petra Sumasgutner Gareth Tate Johan F. Nilsson Hannah Watson Michelle F. Maritz Robert A. Ingle Arjun Amar Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks Royal Society Open Science polymorphism pleiotropy haemoparasite Accipiter melanin telomere |
| title | Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| title_full | Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| title_fullStr | Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| title_short | Pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation: haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| title_sort | pleiotropic effects of melanin pigmentation haemoparasite infection intensity but not telomere length is associated with plumage morph in black sparrowhawks |
| topic | polymorphism pleiotropy haemoparasite Accipiter melanin telomere |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230370 |
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