Transgenerational priming of immunity: maternal exposure to a bacterial antigen enhances offspring humoral immunity

Author:

Grindstaff Jennifer L12,Hasselquist Dennis2,Nilsson Jan-Åke2,Sandell Maria2,Smith Henrik G2,Stjernman Martin2

Affiliation:

1. Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington IN 47405, USA

2. Department of Animal Ecology, Lund UniversityEcology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden

Abstract

Young vertebrates have limited capacity to synthesize antibodies and are dependent on the protection of maternally transmitted antibodies for humoral disease resistance early in life. However, mothers may enhance fitness by priming their offspring's immune systems to elevate disease resistance. Transgenerational induced defences have been documented in plants and invertebrates, but maternal priming of offspring immunity in vertebrates has been essentially neglected. To test the ability of mothers to stimulate the immune systems of offspring, we manipulated maternal and offspring antigen exposure in a wild population of birds, pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). We show that immunization of the mother before egg laying apparently stimulates a transgenerational defence against pathogens by elevating endogenous offspring antibody production. If the disease environments encountered by mothers and offspring are similar, this transgenerational immune priming may allow young to better cope with the local pathogen fauna.

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Environmental Science,General Immunology and Microbiology,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine

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