Rapid thermal immune acclimation in common musk turtles (Sternotherus odoratus). Issue 3 (12th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goessling, Jeffrey M.; Ward, Chelsea; Mendonça, Mary T.
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental zoology. Volume 331:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 185
• Page End: 191
• Publication Date: 2019-01-12
• Subjects: acclimation -- bactericidal ability -- ecoimmunology -- ectotherm -- heterophil:lymphocyte ratio -- lipopolysaccharide -- phagocytosis -- reptile; Zoology -- Periodicals; Zoology; Animal Population Groups -- physiology; Zoology; Electronic journals; Periodical; Periodicals; 590
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.2252
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2471-5646

Abstract

Abstract: As infectious diseases in ectothermic vertebrates increasingly threaten wild populations, understanding how host immune systems are affected by the environment is key to understanding the process of infection. In this study, we investigated how temperature change and simulated bacterial infection (via lipopolysaccharide [LPS] injection) interacted to regulate innate immunity, as measured by bactericidal ability (BA), phagocytosis rate, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (HLR) in common musk turtles ( Sternotherus odoratus ). We found that LPS stimulated an acute immune response, as measured by an increase in BA, phagocytosis rate, and HLR. When exposed to a 5 or 10°C temperature change for 48 hr, turtles rapidly acclimated to the new temperature by adjusting their immune output. This acclimation was compensatory as seen by elevated rates of immune output in colder animals and decreased rates of immune output in warmer animals. These results indicate that while temperature change may be a constraint on some animals, S. odoratus have the ability to rapidly adjust immunity to match environmental thermal demand. This rapid ability to adjust immunity may be related to the broad geographic distribution of musk turtles. Future research should focus on how immune acclimation in ectotherms varies both intraspecifically and interspecifically across regional scales and geographic distributions. Highlights: When body temperatures were changed for 48 hr, turtles adjusted immune output as measured by the bactericidal ability and phagocytosis to compensate for the changed temperature. Lipopolysaccharide triggered a temperature‐dependent acute response. Abstract : Phagocytosis rate, as measured by proportion chemoluminescence change between pretreatment and posttreatment Sternotherus odoratus was negatively related to temperature in saline‐injected control turtles ( p = 0.039, R 2 = 0.217). There was not a significant relationship between phagocytosis rate change and temperature in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐injected animals ( p = 0.619), although LPS‐injected animals had significantly higher phagocytosis rates than saline‐injected animals.