The capacity of seabirds to shape their physiological and immune phenotypes may often be constrained by the ecological context. While phenotypic plasticity in physiological traits has been previously studied, the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotype plasticity in response to environmental stress have been little explored. This prompted us to enquire about how the nutritional and immune status are involved in physiological adaptations in breeding seabirds under anthropogenic pressure. At Esperanza (Hope) Bay, Antarctic Peninsula exists one of the biggest breeding penguin colony of Pygoscelis adeliae (Adélie). At this location, penguins nest nearby the Argentinian Esperanza Station and, therefore, are exposed to high levels of disturbance, whereas there is a low disturbed area, where penguins also breed far away from the Station. In both areas, the nutritional and immune status in breeding individuals was addressed and serum protein expression level was analyzed using a proteomic approach. Body mass, proteins, albumin, and triacylglycerol were higher in penguins from the low disturbance area, whereas uric acid increased in individuals from the disturbed area, indicating a poorer body condition of penguins under anthropogenic pressure. Immune responses were elevated in penguins from the disturbed area (IgY, γ-globulins and hemagglutinating activity). Finally, individuals breeding under anthropogenic pressure overexpressed proteins with immune, antioxidant, and metabolic functions. The poor nutritional status of penguins under disturbance may be the consequence of the reallocation of resources to the immune system. Altogether, this would constitute a potential strategy to preserve an adequate immune phenotype under stressed environments.

海鸟塑造其生理和免疫表型的能力通常可能受到生态环境的限制。虽然以前已经研究了生理性状中的表型可塑性，但对环境压力响应的表型可塑性的分子机制却鲜有研究。这促使我们询问在人为压力下繁殖海鸟的营养和免疫状况如何与生理适应有关。在埃斯佩兰萨（希望）湾，南极半岛是Pygoscelis adeliae最大的繁殖企鹅种群之一（阿黛丽）。在此位置，企鹅在阿根廷Esperanza站附近筑巢，因此受到高水平的干扰，而受干扰的区域却很低，那里的企鹅也远离该站繁殖。在这两个方面，都解决了繁殖个体的营养和免疫状况，并使用蛋白质组学方法分析了血清蛋白表达水平。低干扰地区的企鹅的体重，蛋白质，白蛋白和三酰甘油含量较高，而受干扰地区的个体的尿酸增加，表明在人为压力下企鹅的身体状况较差。来自受干扰区域的企鹅的免疫应答升高（IgY，γ-球蛋白和血凝活性）。最后，在人为压力下繁殖的个体会过度表达具有免疫力的蛋白质，抗氧化剂和代谢功能。企鹅在营养不良下营养状况不佳，可能是资源重新分配给免疫系统的结果。总之，这将构成在压力环境下保持足够的免疫表型的潜在策略。