Trans-generational parasite protection associated with paternal diet
Eleanore D Sternberg1,2, Jacobus C de Roode1, Mark D Hunter3
1Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
The Journal of Animal Ecology
|September 25, 2014
Summary
Paternal diet, not maternal, significantly boosted monarch butterfly offspring resistance to parasites. This highlights potential paternal contributions to trans-generational immunity, especially with environmental chemical defenses.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Trans-generational defense evolution is influenced by host-pathogen interactions across generations.
- Maternal transfer of protective molecules is well-studied, but paternal contributions are less understood.
- Secondary plant metabolites, like cardenolides in milkweed, can mediate parasite resistance in insects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the roles of maternal and paternal diets in offspring parasite resistance in monarch butterflies.
- To assess the influence of cardenolides from milkweed on monarch butterfly parasite resistance.
- To determine the transfer of protective compounds from parents to offspring.
Main Methods:
- Monarch butterflies were reared on medicinal and non-medicinal milkweed species.
- Offspring resistance to a protozoan parasite was measured.
- Cardenolide content in adult monarchs and their eggs was quantified.
Main Results:
- Offspring parasite resistance was higher when fathers, but not mothers, were reared on medicinal milkweed.
- Egg cardenolide levels were highest when both parents consumed medicinal milkweed.
- Females mated with males on medicinal milkweed produced higher cardenolide eggs, irrespective of their own diet.
Conclusions:
- Paternal diet plays a significant role in offspring parasite resistance, mediated by milkweed-derived cardenolides.
- The exact mechanism of paternal protection requires further investigation.
- Paternal investment in offspring immunity may be crucial, particularly in environments with acquired resistance factors.
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