Document Detail


Brooding fathers, not siblings, take up nutrients from embryos.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19939847     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
It is well known that many animals with placenta-like structures provide their embryos with nutrients and oxygen. However, we demonstrate here that nutrients can pass the other way, from embryos to the parent. The study was done on a pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, in which males brood fertilized eggs in a brood pouch for several weeks. Earlier research has found a reduction of embryo numbers during the brooding period, but the fate of the nutrients from these 'reduced' embryos has been unknown. In this study, we considered whether (i) the brooding male absorbs the nutrients, (ii) siblings absorb them, or (iii) a combination of both. Males were mated to two sets of females, one of which had radioactively labelled eggs (using (14)C-labelled amino acids), such that approximately half the eggs in the brood pouch were labelled. This allowed us to trace nutrient uptake from these embryos. We detected that (14)C-labelled amino acids were transferred to the male brood pouch, liver and muscle tissue. However, we did not detect any significant (14)C-labelled amino-acid absorption by the non-labelled half-siblings in the brood pouch. Thus, we show, to our knowledge, for the first time, that males absorb nutrients derived from embryos through their paternal brood pouch.
Authors:
Gry Sagebakken; Ingrid Ahnesjö; Kenyon B Mobley; Inês Braga Gonçalves; Charlotta Kvarnemo
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2009-11-25
Journal Detail:
Title:  Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society     Volume:  277     ISSN:  1471-2954     ISO Abbreviation:  Proc. Biol. Sci.     Publication Date:  2010 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-02-09     Completed Date:  2010-05-10     Revised Date:  2011-07-28    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101245157     Medline TA:  Proc Biol Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  971-7     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, , Box 463, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. gry.sagebakken@zool.gu.se
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Carbon Radioisotopes / analysis
Embryonic Development / physiology*
Female
Male
Paternal Behavior
Scintillation Counting
Smegmamorpha / embryology,  physiology*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Carbon Radioisotopes
Comments/Corrections

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