Experimental inhibition of a key cellular antioxidant affects vocal communication

Messina, S., Eens, M., Casasole, G., AbdElgawad, H., Asard, H., Pinxten, R. and Costantini, D. (2017) Experimental inhibition of a key cellular antioxidant affects vocal communication. Functional Ecology, 31, pp. 1101-1110. (doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12825)

Abstract

1. There is substantial interest of evolutionary ecologists in the proximate mechanisms that modulate vocal communication. In recent times, there has been growing interest in the role of oxidative stress as a mediator of avian song expression. 2. Here, we tested whether the experimental inhibition of the synthesis of a key cellular antioxidant (glutathione) reduces song rate metrics of male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). We measured the effect of our treatment on total song rate and on its two components, undirected and nest-box-oriented song, outside the breeding season. 3. Treated males that did not own a nest-box (subordinate males likely to be of lower quality) suffered increased oxidative stress relative to untreated males, while treated males that owned a nest-box (dominant males likely to be of higher quality) did not. Treated non-owners also reduced their undirected song rate, whereas treated nest-box owners did not suffer any reduction in song rate. 4. Our results revealed that inhibition of a key cellular antioxidant results in decreased vocal communication in a social vertebrate, and that this effect is dependent on its social status (nest-box owner vs. non-owner). 5. This work provides support for the hypothesis that acoustic signals may honestly convey information about the individual oxidative status and capacity to regulate the oxidative balance. Our findings raise the possibility of hitherto unexplored impacts of oxidative stress on fitness traits in social species.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from FWO-Flanders to D.C., M.E. and R.P. were supported by the University of Antwerp and FWO-Flanders. S.M. was supported by a scholarship from the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Costantini, Dr David
• Authors: Messina, S., Eens, M., Casasole, G., AbdElgawad, H., Asard, H., Pinxten, R., and Costantini, D.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Functional Ecology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0269-8463
• ISSN (Online): 1365-2435
• Published Online: 06 February 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors and the British Ecological Society
• First Published: First published in Functional Ecology 31: 1101-1110
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy