Social dominance, but not parasite load, affects sperm quality and sperm redox status in house sparrows

© 2019. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd..

Sperm performance is an important component of male reproductive success. However, sperm production is costly and males need to optimize their investment in sperm quality versus the somatic traits involved in mating success, e.g. their social status. As oxidative stress affects both sperm performance and somatic functions, it has been hypothesized to mediate such a trade-off. According to the oxidation-based soma/germline trade-off hypothesis, dominant males should favour the antioxidant protection of their somatic tissues, and subordinate males should favour the antioxidant protection of their sperm. We tested this hypothesis by experimentally infecting wild-caught house sparrows Passer domesticus with Coccidia Isopora sp., an internal parasite known to deplete antioxidant resources. We predicted that (i) increased parasite load affects sperm oxidative status and sperm performance and that (ii) males with experimentally high parasite load adjust the antioxidant protection of their soma versus their sperm according to their social status. Despite a 5400% increase in parasite load, sperm performance and somatic and spermatic oxidative status remained unaffected, irrespective of male social status. Nevertheless, males increased their sperm performance over time, a pattern mirrored by an increase in the antioxidant protection of their sperm. Moreover, males at the lower end of the hierarchy always produced sperm of lower velocity, suggesting that they were constrained and privileged their soma over their germline. To conclude, high parasite loads do not necessarily affect sperm performance and oxidative status. In contrast, social hierarchy and the relative investment in soma versus sperm antioxidant protection are determinants of sperm performance.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2019

Erschienen:

2019

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:222

Enthalten in:

The Journal of experimental biology - 222(2019), Pt 17 vom: 10. Sept.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Losdat, Sylvain [VerfasserIn]
Rojas Mora, Alfonso [VerfasserIn]
Bellut, Caroline [VerfasserIn]
Chargé, Rémi [VerfasserIn]
Falchi, Valentina [VerfasserIn]
Glauser, Gaétan [VerfasserIn]
Vallat, Armelle [VerfasserIn]
Helfenstein, Fabrice [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Antioxidants
Coccidia
Journal Article
Oxidative stress
Passer domesticus
Reproductive success
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Soma/germline trade-off
Sperm competition

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 03.08.2020

Date Revised 03.08.2020

published: Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1242/jeb.200675

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM300494270