Incubation temperature affects the immune function of hatchling soft-shelled turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis.

ABSTRACT: Identifying how developmental temperature affects the immune system is critical for understanding how ectothermic animals defend against pathogens and their fitness in the changing world. However, reptiles have received little attention regarding this issue. We incubated eggs at three ecologically relevant temperatures to determine how incubation temperature affects the immune function of hatchling soft-shelled turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis. When exposed to bacterial infections, hatchlings from 24 °C had lower cumulative mortalities (55%, therefore, higher immunocompetence) than those from 28 °C (85%) or 32 °C (100%). Consistent with higher immunocompetence, hatchlings from low incubation temperature had higher IgM, IgD, and CD3γ expressions than their counterparts from the other two higher

SUBMITTER: Dang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4450580 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature