A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Immunocompetence and its costs during development: an experimental study in blue tit nestlings
Authors: Brommer JE
Publisher: ROYAL SOC
Publication year: 2004
Journal:: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Journal name in source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Journal acronym: P ROY SOC B-BIOL SCI
Volume: 271
First page : S110
Last page: S113
Number of pages: 4
ISSN: 0962-8452
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2003.0103
Abstract
The allocation into T-cell-mediated immunocompetence was experimentally increased in 68 out of 139 nestlings by supplementary feeding methionine to half of the nestlings in 15 blue tit nests. Methionine-supplemented nestlings had an increased T-cell-mediated immunocompetence, but a reduced growth compared with control siblings. Nestlings that had low initial weights and nestlings that were supplemented with methionine had an increased mortality risk. The investment that nestling blue tits make in immunocompetence appears to be tightly controlled by survival costs paid through a trade-off between immunocompetence and growth.
The allocation into T-cell-mediated immunocompetence was experimentally increased in 68 out of 139 nestlings by supplementary feeding methionine to half of the nestlings in 15 blue tit nests. Methionine-supplemented nestlings had an increased T-cell-mediated immunocompetence, but a reduced growth compared with control siblings. Nestlings that had low initial weights and nestlings that were supplemented with methionine had an increased mortality risk. The investment that nestling blue tits make in immunocompetence appears to be tightly controlled by survival costs paid through a trade-off between immunocompetence and growth.
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