Back to Search
Start Over
Predation risk causes oxidative damage in prey.
- Source :
-
Biology letters [Biol Lett] 2013 Jun 12; Vol. 9 (4), pp. 20130350. Date of Electronic Publication: 2013 Jun 12 (Print Publication: 2013). - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- While there is increasing interest in non-consumptive effects of predators on prey, physiological effects are understudied. While physiological stress responses play a crucial role in preparing escape responses, the increased metabolic rates and shunting of energy away from other body functions, including antioxidant defence, may generate costs in terms of increased oxidative stress. Here, we test whether predation risk increases oxidative damage in Enallagma cyathigerum damselfly larvae. Under predation risk, larvae showed higher lipid peroxidation, which was associated with lower levels of superoxide dismutase, a major antioxidant enzyme in insects, and higher superoxide anion concentrations, a potent reactive oxygen species. The mechanisms underlying oxidative damage are likely to be due to the shunting of energy away from antioxidant defence and to an increased metabolic rate, suggesting that the observed increased oxidative damage under predation risk may be widespread. Given the potentially severe fitness consequences of oxidative damage, this largely overlooked non-consumptive effect of predators may be contributing significantly to prey population dynamics.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Belgium
Biomarkers metabolism
Catalase metabolism
Larva enzymology
Larva growth & development
Larva physiology
Lipid Peroxidation
Malondialdehyde metabolism
Odonata enzymology
Odonata growth & development
Superoxide Dismutase metabolism
Superoxides metabolism
Food Chain
Odonata physiology
Oxidative Stress
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1744-957X
- Volume :
- 9
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Biology letters
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 23760170
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0350