TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal corticosterone increases thermal sensitivity of heart rate in lizard embryos

AU - Owen, Dustin A. S.

AU - Sheriff, Michael J.

AU - Heppner, Jennifer J.

AU - Gerke, Hannah

AU - Ensminger, David C.

AU - MacLeod, Kirsty J.

AU - Langkilde, Tracy

PY - 2019/1/31

Y1 - 2019/1/31

N2 - While it is well established that maternal stress hormones, such as corticosterone (CORT), can induce transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, few studies have addressed the influence of maternal CORT on pre-natal life stages. We tested the hypothesis that experimentally increased CORT levels of gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) would alter within-egg embryonic phenotype, particularly heart rates. We found that embryos from CORT-treated mothers had heart rates that increased faster with increasing temperature, resulting in higher heart rates at developmentally relevant temperatures but similar heart rates at maintenance relevant temperatures, compared with embryos of control mothers. Thus, maternal CORT appears to alter the physiology of pre-natal offspring. This may speed development and decrease the amount of time spent in eggs, the most vulnerable stage of life.

AB - While it is well established that maternal stress hormones, such as corticosterone (CORT), can induce transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, few studies have addressed the influence of maternal CORT on pre-natal life stages. We tested the hypothesis that experimentally increased CORT levels of gravid female eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) would alter within-egg embryonic phenotype, particularly heart rates. We found that embryos from CORT-treated mothers had heart rates that increased faster with increasing temperature, resulting in higher heart rates at developmentally relevant temperatures but similar heart rates at maintenance relevant temperatures, compared with embryos of control mothers. Thus, maternal CORT appears to alter the physiology of pre-natal offspring. This may speed development and decrease the amount of time spent in eggs, the most vulnerable stage of life.

KW - embryo

KW - heart rate

KW - lizard

KW - maternal effect

KW - corticosterone

KW - temperature

U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0718

DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0718

M3 - Article

VL - 15

JO - Biology letters

JF - Biology letters

SN - 1744-9561

IS - 1

ER -