Experimental Evidence for Genetic Heritability of Maternal Hormone Transfer to Offspring

In many animal species, embryos are exposed to maternal hormones that affect their development. Maternal hormone transfer varies with environmental conditions of the mother and is often interpreted as being shaped by natural selection to adjust the offspring to prevailing environmental conditions. S...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American naturalist 2011-06, Vol.177 (6), p.824-834
Main Authors: Okuliarova, Monika, Groothuis, Ton G. G., Škrobánek, Peter, Zeman, Michal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Androgens
Androstenedione - analysis
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Birds
Correlation analysis
Coturnix - genetics
Coturnix - metabolism
Coturnix japonica
Egg masses
Egg yolk
Egg Yolk - metabolism
Eggs
Environmental conditions
Estradiol - analysis
Evolutionary genetics
Female
Female animals
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Genetic Variation
Genetics
Heritability
Hormones
Mothers
Ovum - metabolism
Plasma
Selection, Genetic
Testosterone
Testosterone - analysis
Testosterone - blood
Testosterone - metabolism
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Summary:In many animal species, embryos are exposed to maternal hormones that affect their development. Maternal hormone transfer varies with environmental conditions of the mother and is often interpreted as being shaped by natural selection to adjust the offspring to prevailing environmental conditions. Such hormone transfer requires genetic variability, which has not yet been experimentally demonstrated. Our study reports direct evidence for additive genetic variance of maternal androgens through a bidirectional selection on yolk testosterone (T) levels in Japanese quail. Lines selected for high egg T (HET) and low egg T (LET) concentration differed in yolk levels of this androgen, resulting in high realized heritability ( ). Correlated responses to selection on other gonadal hormones indicated that selection specifically targeted biologically active androgens. Eggs of HET quail contained higher androstenedione and lower estradiol concentrations than did those of LET quail, with no line differences in yolk progesterone concentration. Plasma T concentrations in adult females were not affected by selection, seriously challenging the hypothesis that transfer of maternal hormones to offspring is constrained by hormone levels in a mother’s circulation. Our results suggest that transfer of maternal T represents an indirect genetic effect that has important consequences for the evolution of traits in offspring.
ISSN:0003-0147
1537-5323
DOI:10.1086/659996