Enhanced immune function does not depress reproductive output

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Vol. 266; no. 1420; pp. 753 - 757
• Main Authors: Williams, T. D, Christians, J. K., Aiken, J. J., Evanson, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 07.04.1999
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibody formation; Average linear density; Chicks; Clutch size; Cost functions; Egg masses; Eggs; Female animals; Immune Function; Reproductive Effort; Starlings; Sturnus vulgaris; Trade-Offs
• ISSN: 0962-8452; 1471-2954
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0701

Costs of reproduction might be mediated by a physiological (resource allocation) trade-off between immune function and reproductive effort, and several recent studies have shown that an experimental increase in reproductive effort is associated with decreased immune function. Here we test the complementary prediction of this hypothesis: that increased immune function (specific antibody production) depresses reproductive output. Female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were injected with a non-pathogenic antigen (sheep red blood cells) following completion of laying of their first clutch, to stimulate an in vivo humoral immune response (primary antibody production). We induced laying of a second clutch by removing the first clutch, and assessed changes in reproductive performance in individual females pre- and post-treatment. Injection of sheep red blood cells produced a significant antibody response in 96% (n=29) of treated females, with titres comparable to previous studies (range 1-7). However, increased antibody production did not decrease primary or secondary female reproductive effort (re-laying interval, egg size, clutch size, chick growth or fledging success), compared with control, saline-injected birds (n=22). These data do not support a simple resource allocation model for the cost of reproduction, based on a reciprocal, negative relationship between resources allocated to immune function and reproduction.