@article{e33812e34f374384bfd81698d64e46b0,
title = "Muscles provide an internal water reserve for reproduction",
abstract = "The use of fat to support the energy needs of reproduction (i.e. capital breeding) has been studied in a diversity of taxa. However, despite reproductive output (i.e. young or eggs) being approximately 70% water, little is known about the availability of internal resources to accommodate the hydric demands of reproduction. Recent research suggests that dehydration increases the catabolism of muscle as a means of maintaining water balance. Accordingly, we investigated the interactive effects of reproductive investment and water deprivation on catabolism and reproductive output in female Children{\textquoteright}s pythons (Antaresia childreni). Both reproductive and nonreproductive females were either provided water ad libitum or were water-deprived for three weeks at the time when reproductive females were gravid. We found that water-deprived reproductive females had, in general, greater body mass loss, epaxial muscle loss, plasma osmolality and plasma uric acid concentrations relative to the other groups. Furthermore, water-deprived females had similar clutch sizes compared with females with access to water, but produced lighter eggs and lower total clutch masses. Our results provide the first evidence that selective protein catabolism can be used to support water demands during reproduction, and, as a result, these findings extend the capital breeding concept to non-energetic resources.",
keywords = "Bound water, Capital breeder, Protein catabolism, Reproductive costs, Water constraints",
author = "Brusch, {George A.} and Olivier Lourdais and Brittany Kaminsky and Dale Denardo",
note = "Funding Information: Authors{\textquoteright} contributions. G.A.B., O.L. and D.F.D. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. G.A.B., B.K. and D.F.D. collected the samples. G.A.B. conducted all assays. G.A.B. and O.L. performed the statistical analyses. Competing interests. We have no competing interests. Funding. This study is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for G.A.B. (grant no. 1311230), Arizona State University{\textquoteright}s Graduate and Professional Students Association JumpStart Grant and Arizona State University{\textquoteright}s Funding Information: This study is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for G.A.B. (grant no. 1311230), Arizona State University{\textquoteright}s Graduate and Professional Students Association JumpStart Grant and Arizona State University{\textquoteright}s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Graduate Excellence Fellowship for First Generation Students. This work would not have been possible without assistance from members of the DeNardo lab who helped with breeding colony management and blood collection as well as Department of Animal Care and Technologies staff who assisted with animal care. We thank Dr M. Angilletta for his contributions and O.L. wishes to thank Damien Roussel for fruitful insight on muscle physiology and catabolism. Funding Information: This study is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for G.A.B. (grant no. 1311230), Arizona State University?s Graduate and Professional Students Association JumpStart Grant and Arizona State University?s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Graduate Excellence Fellowship for First Generation Students. This work would not have been possible without assistance from members of the DeNardo lab who helped with breeding colony management and blood collection as well as Department of Animal Care and Technologies staff who assisted with animal care. We thank Dr M. Angilletta for his contributions and O.L. wishes to thank Damien Roussel for fruitful insight on muscle physiology and catabolism. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.",
year = "2018",
month = jun,
day = "27",
doi = "10.1098/rspb.2018.0752",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "285",
journal = "Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences",
issn = "0962-8452",
publisher = "Royal Society of London",
number = "1881",
}