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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
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Immune Activation Reshapes Male Reproductive Investment and Induces Intergenerational Effects on Offspring.

Francesca Coll1, Jose C Noguera1

  • 1Grupo de Ecología Animal (GEA), Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain.

Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part A, Ecological and Integrative Physiology
|April 21, 2026
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Summary

Male immune activation reduced acoustic signals but not sperm quality in field crickets. However, offspring from immune-challenged males showed improved hatching success and altered behavior.

Keywords:
behaviorcarryover effectssexual traitsterminal investmenttrade‐offs

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Immune system activation poses physiological challenges to male reproduction.
  • Effects of immune activation on visual sexual signals are known, but impacts on acoustic signaling and sperm traits are less understood.
  • Sperm production and oxidative status are crucial for male fertility and offspring development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how immune activation affects male acoustic signaling, sperm traits, and subsequent offspring development and behavior in field crickets.
  • To determine if immune challenges impose uniform costs across pre- and post-copulatory reproductive traits.
  • To explore the link between male immunity and intergenerational behavioral variation.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental immune activation of male field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) using a non-pathogenic immune elicitor (nylon monofilament).
  • Measurement of male acoustic sexual signaling, sperm production, and sperm oxidative status (antioxidants, protein oxidative damage).
  • Assessment of egg hatching success and offspring nymphal behavior (locomotor activity, exploratory behavior).

Main Results:

  • Immune treatment decreased male investment in acoustic sexual signaling.
  • No significant effects were observed on sperm production or sperm oxidative status.
  • Eggs fertilized by immune-challenged males exhibited higher hatching success.
  • Offspring nymphs sired by immune-challenged males showed increased locomotor activity and exploratory behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Immune activation does not impose uniform costs on all male reproductive traits, suggesting strategic trade-offs.
  • Males may prioritize fertility over sexual attractiveness when facing immune challenges.
  • Immune-induced shifts in male investment can influence offspring behavioral phenotypes, linking immunity to intergenerational behavioral inheritance.