Journal Article

Differential expression and costs between maternally and paternally derived immune priming for offspring in an insect

Troussard, Jean-Philippe, Zanchi, Caroline, Moret, Yannick, Moreau, Jérôme, Martinaud, Guillaume

2011

Overview

1. When parasitized, both vertebrates and invertebrates can enhance the immune defence of their offspring, although this transfer of immunity is achieved by different mechanisms. In some insects, immune-challenged males can also initiate trans-generational immune priming (TGIP), but its expressions appear qualitatively different from the one induced by females similarly challenged. 2. The existence of male TGIP challenges the traditional view of the parental investment theory, which predicts that females should invest more into their progeny than males. However, sexual dimorphism in life-history strategies and the potential costs associated with TGIP may nevertheless lead to dissymmetric investment between males and females into the immune protection of the offspring. 3. Using the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, we show that after parental exposure to a bacterial-like infection, maternal and paternal TGIP are associated with the enhancement of different immune effectors and different fitness costs in the offspring. While all the offspring produced by challenged mothers had enhanced immune defence, only those from early reproductive episodes were immune primed by challenged fathers. 4. Despite the fact that males and females may share a common interest in providing their offspring with an immune protection from the current pathogenic threat, they seem to have evolved different strategies concerning this investment.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing,Blackwell Publishing Ltd,Blackwell,Wiley
• Subject: Adaptive immunology / Analysis of Variance / Animal and plant ecology / Animal ecology / Animal reproduction / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Beetles / Biodiversity and Ecology / Biological and medical sciences / cost of immunity / Ecology, environment / Environmental Sciences / enzymology / Escherichia coli / Evolutionary ecology / fathers / Female / Female animals / Females / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Gender / Gene expression / gene expression regulation / General aspects / growth & development / Hemocytes / host–parasite interaction / Immune system / Immunity / Immunology / insect / Insect larvae / Insecta / Insects / Invertebrates / Larva / Larva - enzymology / Larva - growth & development / Larva - immunology / Larva - microbiology / Larval development / Life history / Life Sciences / Lipopolysaccharides / Lipopolysaccharides - immunology / Male / Male animals / males / maternal and paternal effects / metabolism / microbiology / Microbiology and Parasitology / Monophenol Monooxygenase / Monophenol Monooxygenase - metabolism / mothers / Offspring / Oviposition / Parasitology / progeny / Pupa / Pupa - enzymology / Pupa - growth & development / Pupa - immunology / Pupa - microbiology / Pupae / Reproduction / Sex Factors / sexual dimorphism / Symbiosis / Tenebrio / Tenebrio - enzymology / Tenebrio - growth & development / Tenebrio - immunology / Tenebrio - microbiology / Tenebrio molitor / Time Factors / vertebrates