Data from: Fight or flight? - Flight increases immune gene expression but does not help to fight an infection

dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Helsinki - Woestmann, Luisa
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Helsinki - Kvist, Jouni
dc.contributor.affiliationUniversity of Helsinki - Saastamoinen, Marjo
dc.contributor.authorWoestmann, Luisa
dc.contributor.authorKvist, Jouni
dc.contributor.authorSaastamoinen, Marjo
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-24T15:11:21Z
dc.date.issued2016-11-14
dc.date.issued2016-11-14
dc.descriptionFlight represents a key trait in most insects, being energetically extremely demanding, yet often necessary for foraging and reproduction. Additionally, dispersal via flight is especially important for species living in fragmented landscapes. Even though, based on life-history theory, a negative relationship may be expected between flight and immunity, a number of previous studies have indicated flight to induce an increased immune response. In this study, we assessed whether induced immunity (i.e. immune gene expression) in response to 15min forced flight treatment impacts individual survival of bacterial infection in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). We were able to confirm previous findings of flight induced immune gene expression, but still observed substantially stronger effects on both gene expression levels and lifespan due to bacterial infection compared to flight treatment. Even though gene expression levels of some immunity-related genes were elevated due to flight, these individuals did not show increased survival of bacterial infection, indicating that flight induced immune activation does not protect them from the negative effects of bacterial infection. Finally, an interaction between flight and immune treatment indicated a potential trade-off: flight treatment increased immune gene expression in naïve individuals only, whereas in infected individuals no increase in immune gene expression was induced by flight. Our results suggest that the up-regulation of immune genes upon flight is based on a general stress response rather than reflects an adaptive response to cope with potential infections during flight or in new habitats.
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.38c5g
dc.identifier.urihttps://hydatakatalogi-test-24.it.helsinki.fi/handle/123456789/9129
dc.rightsOpen
dc.rights.licensecc-zero
dc.subjectMelitaea cinxia
dc.titleData from: Fight or flight? - Flight increases immune gene expression but does not help to fight an infection
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