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Testosterone and carotenoids: an integrated view of trade‐offs between immunity and sexual signalling
Author(s) -
Peters Anne
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.20563
Subject(s) - carotenoid , immune system , testosterone (patch) , signalling , biology , honesty , endocrinology , medicine , immunology , psychology , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , social psychology
Allocation tradeoffs with the immune system can enforce honesty on sexual signals that act as indicators of individual quality. Such tradeoffs can be brought about by (1) the dual action of testosterone, which stimulates sexual signals but also suppresses immune functions, and/or (2) competition for carotenoids, which can be deposited as ornamental pigments or used as antioxidants in support of immune functions. Recent studies1–3 integrate these two mechanisms by showing that testosterone treatment in male birds upregulates circulating lipoproteins, plasma carriers for carotenoids, and increases bio‐availability of carotenoids, which enhances carotenoid‐based sexual coloration and immune responsiveness. BioEssays 29:427–430, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.