Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants. / Baer, Boris; Armitage, Sophie A O; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

In: Nature, Vol. 441, No. 7095, 2006, p. 872-5.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Baer, B, Armitage, SAO & Boomsma, JJ 2006, 'Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants', Nature, vol. 441, no. 7095, pp. 872-5. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04698

APA

Baer, B., Armitage, S. A. O., & Boomsma, J. J. (2006). Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants. Nature, 441(7095), 872-5. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04698

Vancouver

Baer B, Armitage SAO, Boomsma JJ. Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants. Nature. 2006;441(7095):872-5. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04698

Author

Baer, Boris ; Armitage, Sophie A O ; Boomsma, Jacobus J. / Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants. In: Nature. 2006 ; Vol. 441, No. 7095. pp. 872-5.

Bibtex

@article{6480ed50de6f11ddb5fc000ea68e967b,
title = "Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants",
abstract = "Ant queens are among the most long-lived insects known. They mate early in adult life and maintain millions of viable sperm in their sperm storage organ until they die many years later. Because they never re-mate, the reproductive success of queens is ultimately sperm-limited, but it is not known what selective forces determine the upper limit to sperm storage. Here we show that sperm storage carries a significant cost of reduced immunity during colony founding. Newly mated queens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica upregulate their immune response shortly after completing their nest burrow, probably as an adaptive response to a greater exposure to pathogens in the absence of grooming workers. However, the immune response nine days after colony founding is negatively correlated with the amount of sperm in the sperm storage organ, indicating that short-term survival is traded off against long-term reproductive success. The immune response was lower when more males contributed to the stored sperm, indicating that there might be an additional cost of mating or storing genetically different ejaculates.",
author = "Boris Baer and Armitage, {Sophie A O} and Boomsma, {Jacobus J}",
note = "Keywords: Animals; Ants; Ejaculation; Female; Fertilization; Fungi; Haplotypes; Immunity; Male; Models, Biological; Spermatozoa; Time Factors",
year = "2006",
doi = "10.1038/nature04698",
language = "English",
volume = "441",
pages = "872--5",
journal = "Nature",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "nature publishing group",
number = "7095",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants

AU - Baer, Boris

AU - Armitage, Sophie A O

AU - Boomsma, Jacobus J

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Ants; Ejaculation; Female; Fertilization; Fungi; Haplotypes; Immunity; Male; Models, Biological; Spermatozoa; Time Factors

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - Ant queens are among the most long-lived insects known. They mate early in adult life and maintain millions of viable sperm in their sperm storage organ until they die many years later. Because they never re-mate, the reproductive success of queens is ultimately sperm-limited, but it is not known what selective forces determine the upper limit to sperm storage. Here we show that sperm storage carries a significant cost of reduced immunity during colony founding. Newly mated queens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica upregulate their immune response shortly after completing their nest burrow, probably as an adaptive response to a greater exposure to pathogens in the absence of grooming workers. However, the immune response nine days after colony founding is negatively correlated with the amount of sperm in the sperm storage organ, indicating that short-term survival is traded off against long-term reproductive success. The immune response was lower when more males contributed to the stored sperm, indicating that there might be an additional cost of mating or storing genetically different ejaculates.

AB - Ant queens are among the most long-lived insects known. They mate early in adult life and maintain millions of viable sperm in their sperm storage organ until they die many years later. Because they never re-mate, the reproductive success of queens is ultimately sperm-limited, but it is not known what selective forces determine the upper limit to sperm storage. Here we show that sperm storage carries a significant cost of reduced immunity during colony founding. Newly mated queens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica upregulate their immune response shortly after completing their nest burrow, probably as an adaptive response to a greater exposure to pathogens in the absence of grooming workers. However, the immune response nine days after colony founding is negatively correlated with the amount of sperm in the sperm storage organ, indicating that short-term survival is traded off against long-term reproductive success. The immune response was lower when more males contributed to the stored sperm, indicating that there might be an additional cost of mating or storing genetically different ejaculates.

U2 - 10.1038/nature04698

DO - 10.1038/nature04698

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16778889

VL - 441

SP - 872

EP - 875

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

IS - 7095

ER -

ID: 9619778