Carry-over effects of early thermal conditions on somatic and germline oxidative damages are mediated by compensatory growth in sticklebacks

1. Most studies of climate change impacts focus on the effects of summer temperatures, which can immediately impact fitness of breeders, but winter temperatures are expected to have a greater impact on development and growth of animals with long-lasting consequences. Exposure to warmer temperatures can increase cellular oxidative damage in ectotherms. Yet, it is unknown whether thermal stress during early life has prolonged effects on oxidative status during adulthood.
2. In an experiment using F1 fish originated from a wild three-spined stickleback population at the southern edge of its European distribution, we examined whether experimental thermal conditions experienced in winter had carry-over effects on oxidative status and telomere length, a marker of accumulated stress, in the soma and germline during adulthood. For this, oxidative DNA damage, enzymatic antioxidant activities and telomere length were measured three months after the termination of the temperature manipulation. In...