Journal article
One size does not fit all: Monitoring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in marsupials
General and comparative endocrinology, Vol.244, pp.146-156
01/04/2017
PMID: 26478011
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Abstract
Marsupial research, conservation, and management can benefit greatly from knowledge about glucocorticoid (GC) secretion patterns because GCs influence numerous aspects of physiology and play a crucial role in regulating an animal’s response to stressors. Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) offer a non-invasive tool for tracking changes in GCs over time. To date, there are relatively few validated assays for marsupials compared with other taxa, and those that have been published generally test only one assay. However, different assays can yield very different signals of adrenal activity. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of five different enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring adrenocortical activity via FGM in 13 marsupial species. We monitored FGM response to two types of events: biological stressors (e.g., transport, novel environment) and pharmacological stimulation (ACTH injection). For each individual animal and assay, FGM peaks were identified using the iterative baseline approach. Performance of the EIAs for each species was evaluated by determining (1) the percent of individuals with a detectable peak 0.125–4.5days post-event, and (2) the biological sensitivity of the assay as measured by strength of the post-event response relative to baseline variability (Z-score). Assays were defined as successful if they detected a peak in at least 50% of the individuals and the mean species response had a Z⩾2. By this criterion, at least one assay was successful in 10 of the 13 species, but the best-performing assay varied among species, even those species that were closely related. Furthermore, the ability to confidently assess assay performance was influenced by the experimental protocols used. We discuss the implications of our findings for biological validation studies.
Details
- Title
- One size does not fit all: Monitoring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in marsupials
- Creators
- Kerry V. Fanson - Taronga Conservation Society AustraliaEmily C. Best - University of QueenslandAshley Bunce - University of QueenslandBenjamin G. Fanson - Deakin UniversityLindsay A. Hogan - University of QueenslandTamara Keeley - University of QueenslandEdward J. Narayan - Charles Sturt UniversityRupert Palme - University of Veterinary Medicine ViennaMarissa L. Parrott - Zoos VictoriaTrudy M. Sharp - UNSW SydneyKim Skogvold - Murdoch UniversityLisa Tuthill - Moonlit Sanctuary, Pearcedale, VIC, AustraliaKoa N. Webster - Macquarie UniversityMeredith Bashaw - Taronga Conservation Society Australia
- Publication Details
- General and comparative endocrinology, Vol.244, pp.146-156
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 11
- Identifiers
- 991013269108502368
- Copyright
- © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article