title: Differential expression and costs between maternally and paternally derived immune priming for offspring in an insect.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Équipe Écologie Évolutive, UMR CNRS 5561 Biogéosciences, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, F-21000 Dijon, France. caroline.zanchi@u-bourgogne.fr
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanchi
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Troussard
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinaud
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moret
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D011679:Pupa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D012098:Reproduction; D012737:Sex Factors; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase