title: Acute embryonic exposure to corticosterone alters physiology, behaviour and growth in nestlings of a wild passerine.
abstract: Maternally-derived glucocorticoids can modify the normal development of young animals. To date, little is known about maternal effects that are mediated by acute embryonic exposure to glucocorticoids. In birds, elevated maternal transmission of corticosterone (CORT) to egg albumen is mainly dependent on acute stress. In this study, we increased CORT levels in the egg albumen of a wild passerine, the great tit (Parus major), breeding in favourable deciduous and less suitable coniferous habitat. Subsequently we measured the somatic growth, baseline and acute glucocorticoid responses, immunity and behaviour of prenatally manipulated offspring with respect to control siblings. We found that prenatally CORT-exposed nestlings had lower baseline CORT levels, a more rapid decline in CORT during recovery from a standardized stressor, and a reduced heterophil/lymphocyte ratio compared with controls. Although stress-induced total CORT levels remained unchanged, free CORT levels were significantly lower and the levels of corticosteroid binding globulins (CBG) significantly higher in experimental offspring. Prenatally CORT-exposed offspring begged longer after hatching than controls. Stress-induced behavioural activity of fledglings did not differ between treatments, while its association with baseline CORT levels was significant in the control group only. The body mass and tarsus length of fledglings was positively affected by manipulation in unfavourable coniferous habitat only. We conclude that maternal effects related to elevated levels of albumen CORT modify diverse aspects of offspring phenotype and potentially increase offspring performance in resource poor environments. Moreover, our results indicate that maternal glucocorticoids may suppress the effect of hormones on behavioural responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: vallo.tilgar@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Vallo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tilgar
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: marko.magi@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mägi
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: marianne.pitk@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: jaanis.lodjak@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Jaanis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lodjak
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: kadri.moks@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Kadri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moks
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: raivo.mand@ut.ee.
authors.forename: Raivo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mänd
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism; D014156:Transcortin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014156:Transcortin; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: CBG; CORT injection; Glucocorticoids; H/L ratio; Maternal stress; Phenotype