Hormonal regulation of temperature acclimation in catfish hepatocytes

Thyroid hormone regulation of thermal acclimation in ectotherms: Physiological mechanisms and ecoevolutionary implications

The pathways that regulate adaptive thermal plasticity in ectothermic vertebrates have received little attention relative to those in birds and mammals. However, there is increasing evidence that thyroid hormone represents a critical regulator of thermal plasticity in both ectothermic and endothermic vertebrates. In this review, I summarize the evidence for thyroid hormone-mediated thermal compensation responses in ectothermic vertebrates, with specific focus on effects on the whole animal, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle. Interestingly, these effects can differ wildly between focal tissues and species. I move on to discuss what the role of thyroid hormone in ectotherm thermal plasticity can reveal about stressor interactions and central vs. peripheral levels of thyroid hormone regulation. Lastly, I focus on the conserved nature of thyroid hormone signaling in animal thermal responses, with specific reference to the ectotherm → endotherm spectrum. I use this framework to highlight research avenues that will further resolve the evolutionary trajectory of thyroid hormone actions across animals. I hope to emphasize what thyroid hormone-mediated cold acclimation in a 3 cm fish can contribute to ongoing debates surrounding the impacts of stressor interactions, the potential costs of plasticity, the evolution of endothermy, and the impacts of global change.

How sensitive are temperate tadpoles to climate change? The use of thermal physiology and niche model tools to assess vulnerability

Ectotherms are vulnerable to climate change, given their dependence on temperature, and amphibians are particularly interesting because of their complex life cycle. Tadpoles may regulate their body temperature by using suitable thermal microhabitats. Thus, their physiological responses are the result of adjustment to the local thermal limits experienced in their ponds. We studied three anuran tadpole species present in Argentina and Chile: Pleurodema thaul and Pleurodema bufoninum that are seasonal and have broad geographic ranges, and Batrachyla taeniata, a geographically restricted species with overwintering tadpoles. Species with restricted distribution are more susceptible to climate change than species with broader distribution that may cope with potential climatic changes in the environments in which they occur. We aim to test whether these species can buffer the potential effects of climate warming. We used ecological niche models and the outcomes of their thermal attributes (critical thermal limits, optimal temperature, and locomotor performance breadth) as empirical evidence of their capacity. We found that Pleurodema species show broader performance curves, related to their occurrence, while the geographically restricted B. taeniata shows a narrower thermal breadth, but is faster in warmer conditions. The modeled distributions and empirical physiological results suggest no severe threats for these three anurans. However, the risk level is increasing and a retraction of their distribution range might be possible for Pleurodema species, and some local population extinctions may happen, particularly for the narrowly distributed B. taeniata.

Heterologous acclimation: a novel approach to the study of thermal acclimation in the crab Cancer pagurus

The control of the attainment of acclimation in Cancer pagurus has been studied. Homologous (8 or 22 degrees C) and heterologous acclimation [central nervous system (CNS) and periphery of crabs simultaneously held at 8 or 22 degrees C] were used. The dependence of electrophysiological parameters of dactylopodite closer muscles of walking legs on nerve stimulation was determined between 6 and 26 degrees C. Muscle resting potential (RP) hyperpolarized linearly with increasing measurement temperatures and showed a 69% compensation between 8 and 22 degrees C on homologous acclimation. With the CNS temperature constant at 8 degrees C, the leg muscle RP showed a 72% compensation on heterologous acclimation to 8 and 22 degrees C; when CNS temperature was constant at 22 degrees C, leg muscle RP showed a 48% compensation on heterologous acclimation to 8 and 22 degrees C. In homologous acclimation, the shape of the excitatory junction potential vs. temperature relationship was characteristic of acclimation temperature. In heterologous acclimation, the shape of this plot was related to the temperature experienced by the leg and not by the CNS. Thus acclimation was principally dependent on local tissue temperature and was relatively independent of CNS or hormonal influences.

Non-enzymatic isolation and culture of channel catfish hepatocytes

An alternative method has been developed for isolating and culturing hepatocytes from livers of channel catfish. Hepatocytes are prepared using a collagenase-free perfusion system that relies on the chelating properties of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Hepatocyte yields of up to 3.6 x 10(8) cells per 100 g body weight have been achieved with initial viabilities routinely exceeding 95%. Cells isolated by this method and incubated in osmotically corrected culture medium at physiological pH have been maintained for several weeks in culture with minimal cell loss. During the first 24-48 h of culture, hepatocytes begin to link together and show structures that closely resemble those seen in intact liver (e.g. bile canaliculi, sinusoids). Cells cultured at 15 degrees C for 7 days maintain levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), activity similar to those measured in vivo.