Prenatal androgen exposure modulates cellular and humoral immune function of black-headed gull chicks

Avian eggs contain considerable amounts of maternal yolk androgens, which have been shown to beneficially influence the physiology and behaviour of the chick. As androgens may suppress immune functions, they may also entail costs for the chick. This is particularly relevant for colonial species, suc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Main Authors: Müller, Wendt, Groothuis, Ton G.G, Kasprzik, Alice, Dijkstra, Cor, Alatalo, Rauno V, Siitari, Heli
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2005
Subjects:
Research Article
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559883
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16191605
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3178
Description
Summary:Avian eggs contain considerable amounts of maternal yolk androgens, which have been shown to beneficially influence the physiology and behaviour of the chick. As androgens may suppress immune functions, they may also entail costs for the chick. This is particularly relevant for colonial species, such as the black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus), in which the aggregation of large numbers of birds during the breeding season enhances the risk of infectious diseases for the hatching chick.

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