Dataset Information

Characterization of trade-offs between immunity and reproduction in the coral species Astrangia poculata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Living organisms face ubiquitous pathogenic threats and have consequently evolved immune systems to protect against potential invaders. However, many components of the immune system are physiologically costly to maintain and engage, often drawing resources away from other organismal processes such as growth and reproduction. Evidence from a diversity of systems has demonstrated that organisms use complex resource allocation mechanisms to manage competing needs and optimize fitness. However, understanding of resource allocation patterns is limited across taxa. Cnidarians, which include ecologically important organisms like hard corals, have been historically understudied in the context of resource allocations. Improving understanding of resource allocation-associated trade-offs in cnidarians is critical for understanding future ecological dynamics in the face of rapid environmental change.

Methods

Here, we characterize trade-offs between constitutive immunity and reproduction in the facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata. Male colonies underwent ex situ spawning and sperm density was quantified. We then examined the effects of variable symbiont density and energetic budget on physiological traits, including immune activity and reproductive investment. Furthermore, we tested for potential trade-offs between immune activity and reproductive investment.

Results

We found limited associations between energetic budget and immune metrics; melanin production was significantly positively associated with carbohydrate concentration. However, we failed to document any associations between immunity and reproductive output which would be indicative of trade-offs, possibly due to experimental limitations. Our results provide a preliminary framework for future studies investigating immune trade-offs in cnidarians.

SUBMITTER: Villafranca N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10702360 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Characterization of trade-offs between immunity and reproduction in the coral species <i>Astrangia poculata</i>.

Villafranca Natalie N Changsut Isabella I Diaz de Villegas Sofia S Womack Haley H Fuess Lauren E LE

PeerJ 20231204

<h4>Background</h4>Living organisms face ubiquitous pathogenic threats and have consequently evolved immune systems to protect against potential invaders. However, many components of the immune system are physiologically costly to maintain and engage, often drawing resources away from other organismal processes such as growth and reproduction. Evidence from a diversity of systems has demonstrated that organisms use complex resource allocation mechanisms to manage competing needs and optimize fit ...[more]

PMID: 38077420

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