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Ramenofsky M, Campion AW, Hwee DT, Wood SK, Krause JS, Németh Z, Pérez JH, Bodine S. Comparison of the Phenotypic Flexibility of Muscle and Body Condition of Migrant and Resident White-Crowned Sparrows. ECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 97:11-28. [PMID: 38717370 DOI: 10.1086/729666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
AbstractSeasonally breeding birds express variations of traits (phenotypic flexibility) throughout their life history stages that represent adaptations to environmental conditions. Changes of body condition during migration have been well studied, whereas alterations of skeletal and cardiac muscles, body mass, and fat scores have yet to be characterized throughout the spring or fall migratory stages. Additionally, we examined flexible patterns of muscle, body mass, and fat score in migrant white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) in comparison with those in a resident subspecies (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) during the stages they share to evaluate the influence of different life histories. Migrants showed hypertrophy of the pectoralis muscle fiber area on the wintering grounds in late prealternate molt, yet increased pectoralis muscle mass was not detected until birds readied for spring departure. While pectoralis profile and fat scores enlarged at predeparture in spring and fall, pectoralis, cardiac, and body masses were greater only in spring stages, suggesting seasonal differences for migratory preparation. Gastrocnemius mass showed little change throughout all stages, whereas gastrocnemius fiber area declined steadily but rebounded in fall on the wintering grounds, where migrants become more sedentary. In general, residents are heavier birds with larger leg structures, while migrants sport longer wings and greater heart mass. Phenotypic flexibility was most prominent among residents with peaks of pectoralis, gastrocnemius, and body masses during the winter stage, when local weather is most severe. Thus, the subspecies express specific patterns of phenotypic flexibility with peaks coinciding with the stages of heightened energy demands: the winter stage for residents and the spring stages for migrants.
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Elowe CR, Babbitt C, Gerson AR. White-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis) liver and pectoralis flight muscle transcriptomic changes in preparation for migration. Physiol Genomics 2023; 55:544-556. [PMID: 37694280 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00018.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory songbirds undertake challenging journeys to reach their breeding grounds each spring. They accomplish these nonstop flapping feats of endurance through a suite of physiological changes, including the development of substantial fat stores and flight muscle hypertrophy and an increased capacity for fat catabolism. In addition, migratory birds may show large reductions in organ masses during flight, including the flight muscle and liver, which they must rapidly rebuild during their migratory stopover before replenishing their fat stores. However, the molecular basis of this capacity for rapid tissue remodeling and energetic output has not been thoroughly investigated. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis of the liver and pectoralis flight muscle of captive white-throated sparrows in experimentally photostimulated migratory and nonmigratory condition to explore the mechanisms of seasonal change to metabolism and tissue mass regulation that may facilitate these migratory journeys. Based on transcriptional changes, we propose that tissue-specific adjustments in preparation for migration may alleviate the damaging effects of long-duration activity, including a potential increase to the inflammatory response in the muscle. Furthermore, we hypothesize that seasonal hypertrophy balances satellite cell recruitment and apoptosis, while little evidence appeared in the transcriptome to support myostatin-, insulin-like growth factor 1-, and mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated pathways for muscle growth. These findings can encourage more targeted molecular studies on the unique integration of pathways that we find in the development of the migratory endurance phenotype in songbirds.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Migratory songbirds undergo significant physiological changes to accomplish their impressive migratory journeys. However, we have a limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying these changes. Here, we explore the transcriptomic changes to the flight muscle and liver of white-throated sparrows as they develop the migratory condition. We use these patterns to develop hypotheses about metabolic flexibility and tissue restructuring in preparation for migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R Elowe
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Courtney Babbitt
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
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3
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Swanson DL, Zhang Y, Jimenez AG. Skeletal muscle and metabolic flexibility in response to changing energy demands in wild birds. Front Physiol 2022; 13:961392. [PMID: 35936893 PMCID: PMC9353400 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.961392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypically plastic responses of animals to adjust to environmental variation are pervasive. Reversible plasticity (i.e., phenotypic flexibility), where adult phenotypes can be reversibly altered according to prevailing environmental conditions, allow for better matching of phenotypes to the environment and can generate fitness benefits but may also be associated with costs that trade-off with capacity for flexibility. Here, we review the literature on avian metabolic and muscle plasticity in response to season, temperature, migration and experimental manipulation of flight costs, and employ an integrative approach to explore the phenotypic flexibility of metabolic rates and skeletal muscle in wild birds. Basal (minimum maintenance metabolic rate) and summit (maximum cold-induced metabolic rate) metabolic rates are flexible traits in birds, typically increasing with increasing energy demands. Because skeletal muscles are important for energy use at the organismal level, especially to maximum rates of energy use during exercise or shivering thermogenesis, we consider flexibility of skeletal muscle at the tissue and ultrastructural levels in response to variations in the thermal environment and in workloads due to flight exercise. We also examine two major muscle remodeling regulatory pathways: myostatin and insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1). Changes in myostatin and IGF-1 pathways are sometimes, but not always, regulated in a manner consistent with metabolic rate and muscle mass flexibility in response to changing energy demands in wild birds, but few studies have examined such variation so additional study is needed to fully understand roles for these pathways in regulating metabolic flexibility in birds. Muscle ultrastrutural variation in terms of muscle fiber diameter and associated myonuclear domain (MND) in birds is plastic and highly responsive to thermal variation and increases in workload, however, only a few studies have examined ultrastructural flexibility in avian muscle. Additionally, the relationship between myostatin, IGF-1, and satellite cell (SC) proliferation as it relates to avian muscle flexibility has not been addressed in birds and represents a promising avenue for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Swanson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- College of Health Science, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Ana Gabriela Jimenez
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Ana Gabriela Jimenez,
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Wone BWM, Swanson DL. Metabolic Profiling and Integration of Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Data From Pectoralis Muscle Reveal Winter-Adaptive Metabolic Responses of Black-Capped Chickadee and American Goldfinch. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.866130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal changes, such as alterations in food availability or type and cold conditions, present challenges to free-living birds living in highly seasonal climates. Small birds respond to such challenges through seasonal metabolic flexibility, which better matches seasonal metabolic phenotypes to environmental conditions and can improve fitness. To better understand the mechanistic basis of this metabolic flexibility, we conducted a large-scale metabolic profiling of pectoralis muscle in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), which are small, year-round bird species of temperate-zones. We analyzed muscle samples using non-biased, global metabolomics profiling technology based on UHLC/MS/MS2 platforms. A total of 582 metabolites was characterized for summer and winter season samples. Chickadees showed greater seasonal separation of global metabolite profiles than goldfinches, which is consistent with previous transcriptomic studies of pectoralis muscle in these two species. Reduced levels of amino acids during winter occurred in both species and might reflect decreasing dietary protein intake, amino acid shuttling to other pathways for thermogenesis and/or elevated rates of protein turnover in the pectoralis muscle. Concomitant decreased abundances in tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) metabolites suggest faster cycling of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway in winter to meet the metabolic demands of thermogenesis. Accordingly, chickadees displayed shifts toward lipid oxidation in winter, whereas goldfinches showed winter declines in ketone bodies, which suggests increased energy demand or subtle changes in substrate availability. Beyond the winter-specific changes in metabolite abundances, integration of the metabolomic and the transcriptomic data revealed a landscape of gene–metabolite associations related to the winter-adaptive metabolic response. This landscape of gene–metabolite pairs was overrepresented by pathways associated with transport of small molecules, metabolism of amino acids and derivatives, activation and biosynthesis of fatty acid derivatives, and biosynthesis and metabolism of nicotinate and nicotinamide derivatives. Collectively, our results suggest that increased levels of NADH and its derivatives in the pectoralis muscle are a potential novel mechanism for increasing winter metabolic output, fueled by lipids, for thermogenesis during winter.
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Oswald KN, Lee ATK, Smit B. Seasonal metabolic adjustments in an avian evolutionary relict restricted to mountain habitat. J Therm Biol 2020; 95:102815. [PMID: 33454043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
For endotherms, maintaining body temperature during cold winters is energetically costly.Greater increase in winter maximum thermogenic capacity (Msum) has typically been correlated with improved cold tolerance. However, seasonal studies have shown equivocal direction change in basal metabolic rate (BMR) in winter, perhaps explained by latitude or phylogeny. We examined seasonal metabolic responses in the Cape rockjumper (Chaetops frenatus; "rockjumper"), a range-restricted mountain bird. We hypothesized that, given their mountain habitat preference, rockjumpers would be physiologically specialized for cooler air temperatures compared to other subtropical passerines. We measured body condition (using the ratio of Mb/tarsus), BMR, and Msum, in wild-living rockjumpers during winter and summer (n = 12 adults in winter -- 4 females, 8 males; n = 12 adults in summer -- 6 females, 6 males). We found birds had lesser BMR and thermal conductance, and greater Msum and body condition, in winter compared to summer. These changes may help rockjumpers conserve energy in winter while still allowing birds to produce more metabolic heat during the coldest air temperatures. When compared with existing data on avian seasonal metabolic adjustments, rockjumper BMR fit general patterns observed in passerines, but their Msum was low compared with other members of the oscine Passeriformes. These patterns may be explained by the narrow temperature range of their habitat not requiring cold-adjustment, or perhaps by their basal placement within passerine phylogeny. Further work on the physiological phenotypic plasticity in habitat specialists across different latitudinal zones and taxa is needed to better understand the relationship between metabolism, habitat, and phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista N Oswald
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa; Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa.
| | - Alan T K Lee
- Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa; Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
| | - Ben Smit
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139, South Africa; Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
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Temperature affects liver and muscle metabolism in photostimulated migratory redheaded buntings (Emberiza bruniceps). J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:623-635. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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DeMoranville KJ, Corder KR, Hamilton A, Russell DE, Huss JM, Schaeffer PJ. PPAR expression, muscle size and metabolic rates across the gray catbird's annual cycle are greatest in preparation for fall migration. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb198028. [PMID: 31239296 PMCID: PMC10681010 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.198028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic flexibility across the annual cycle allows birds to adjust to fluctuating ecological demands. Varying energetic demands associated with time of year have been demonstrated to drive metabolic and muscle plasticity in birds, but it remains unclear what molecular mechanisms control this flexibility. We sampled gray catbirds at five stages across their annual cycle: tropical overwintering (January), northward spring (late) migration (early May), breeding (mid June), the fall pre-migratory period (early August) and southward fall (early) migration (end September). Across the catbird's annual cycle, cold-induced metabolic rate (V̇O2summit) was highest during migration and lowest during tropical wintering. Flight muscles exhibited significant hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia during fall migratory periods compared with breeding and the fall pre-migratory period. Changes in heart mass were driven by the tropical wintering stage, when heart mass was lowest. Mitochondrial content of the heart and pectoralis remained constant across the annual cycle as quantified by aerobic enzyme activities (CS, CCO), as did lipid catabolic capacity (HOAD). In the pectoralis, transcription factors PPARα, PPARδ and ERRβ, coactivators PGC-1α and β, and genes encoding proteins associated with fat uptake (FABPpm, Plin3) were unexpectedly upregulated in the tropical wintering stage, whereas those involved in fatty acid oxidation (ATGL, LPL, MCAD) were downregulated, suggesting a preference for fat storage over utilization. Transcription factors and coactivators were synchronously upregulated during pre-migration and fall migration periods in the pectoralis but not the heart, suggesting that these pathways are important in preparation for and during early migration to initiate changes to phenotypes that facilitate long-distance migration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keely R Corder
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Angelica Hamilton
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - David E Russell
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Janice M Huss
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Zhang Y, Yap KN, Williams TD, Swanson DL. Experimental Increases in Foraging Costs Affect Pectoralis Muscle Mass and Myostatin Expression in Female, but Not Male, Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Physiol Biochem Zool 2018; 91:849-858. [DOI: 10.1086/697153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Zhang Y, Eyster K, Swanson DL. Context-dependent regulation of pectoralis myostatin and lipid transporters by temperature and photoperiod in dark-eyed juncos. Curr Zool 2017; 64:23-31. [PMID: 29492035 PMCID: PMC5809029 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A prominent example of seasonal phenotypic flexibility is the winter increase in thermogenic capacity (=summit metabolism, [Formula: see text]) in small birds, which is often accompanied by increases in pectoralis muscle mass and lipid catabolic capacity. Temperature or photoperiod may be drivers of the winter phenotype, but their relative impacts on muscle remodeling or lipid transport pathways are little known. We examined photoperiod and temperature effects on pectoralis muscle expression of myostatin, a muscle growth inhibitor, and its tolloid-like protein activators (TLL-1 and TLL-2), and sarcolemmal and intracellular lipid transporters in dark-eyed juncos Junco hyemalis. We acclimated winter juncos to four temperature (3 °C or 24 °C) and photoperiod [short-day (SD) = 8L:16D; long-day (LD) = 16L:8D] treatments. We found that myostatin, TLL-1, TLL-2, and lipid transporter mRNA expression and myostatin protein expression did not differ among treatments, but treatments interacted to influence lipid transporter protein expression. Fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) levels were higher for cold SD than for other treatments. Membrane-bound fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) levels, however, were higher for the cold LD treatment than for cold SD and warm LD treatments. Cytosolic fatty acid binding protein (FABPc) levels were higher on LD than on SD at 3 °C, but higher on SD than on LD at 24 °C. Cold temperature groups showed upregulation of these lipid transporters, which could contribute to elevated Msum compared to warm groups on the same photoperiod. However, interactions of temperature or photoperiod effects on muscle remodeling and lipid transport pathways suggest that these effects are context-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA and
- Address correspondence to Yufeng Zhang. E-mail: , who is now at Department of Biological Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Kathleen Eyster
- Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57105, USA
| | - David L Swanson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA and
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Studying the evolutionary significance of thermal adaptation in ectotherms: The diversification of amphibians' energetics. J Therm Biol 2016; 68:5-13. [PMID: 28689721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental problem in evolutionary biology is the understanding of the factors that promote or constrain adaptive evolution, and assessing the role of natural selection in this process. Here, comparative phylogenetics, that is, using phylogenetic information and traits to infer evolutionary processes has been a major paradigm . In this study, we discuss Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models (OU) in the context of thermal adaptation in ectotherms. We specifically applied this approach to study amphibians's evolution and energy metabolism. It has been hypothesized that amphibians exploit adaptive zones characterized by low energy expenditure, which generate specific predictions in terms of the patterns of diversification in standard metabolic rate (SMR). We complied whole-animal metabolic rates for 122 species of amphibians, and adjusted several models of diversification. According to the adaptive zone hypothesis, we expected: (1) to find "accelerated evolution" in SMR (i.e., diversification above Brownian Motion expectations, BM), (2) that a model assuming evolutionary optima (i.e., an OU model) fits better than a white-noise model and (3) that a model assuming multiple optima (according to the three amphibians's orders) fits better than a model assuming a single optimum. As predicted, we found that the diversification of SMR occurred most of the time, above BM expectations. Also, we found that a model assuming an optimum explained the data in a better way than a white-noise model. However, we did not find evidence that an OU model with multiple optima fits the data better, suggesting a single optimum in SMR for Anura, Caudata and Gymnophiona. These results show how comparative phylogenetics could be applied for testing adaptive hypotheses regarding history and physiological performance in ectotherms.
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11
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Swanson DL, King MO, Culver W, Zhang Y. Within-Winter Flexibility in Muscle Masses, Myostatin, and Cellular Aerobic Metabolic Intensity in Passerine Birds. Physiol Biochem Zool 2016; 90:210-222. [PMID: 28277951 DOI: 10.1086/688956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic rates of passerine birds are flexible traits that vary both seasonally and among and within winters. Seasonal variation in summit metabolic rates (Msum = maximum thermoregulatory metabolism) in birds is consistently correlated with changes in pectoralis muscle and heart masses and sometimes with variation in cellular aerobic metabolic intensity, so these traits might also be associated with shorter-term, within-winter variation in metabolic rates. To determine whether these mechanisms are associated with within-winter variation in Msum, we examined the effects of short-term (ST; 0-7 d), medium-term (MT; 14-30 d), and long-term (LT; 30-yr means) temperature variables on pectoralis muscle and heart masses, pectoralis expression of the muscle-growth inhibitor myostatin and its metalloproteinase activators TLL-1 and TLL-2, and pectoralis and heart citrate synthase (CS; an indicator of cellular aerobic metabolic intensity) activities for two temperate-zone resident passerines, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). For both species, pectoralis mass residuals were positively correlated with ST temperature variables, suggesting that cold temperatures resulted in increased turnover of pectoralis muscle, but heart mass showed little within-winter variation for either species. Pectoralis mRNA and protein expression of myostatin and the TLLs were only weakly correlated with ST and MT temperature variables, which is largely consistent with trends in muscle masses for both species. Pectoralis and heart CS activities showed weak and variable trends with ST temperature variables in both species, suggesting only minor effects of temperature variation on cellular aerobic metabolic intensity. Thus, neither muscle or heart masses, regulation by the myostatin system, nor cellular aerobic metabolic intensity varied consistently with winter temperature, suggesting that other factors regulate within-winter metabolic variation in these birds.
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12
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Fudickar AM, Peterson MP, Greives TJ, Atwell JW, Bridge ES, Ketterson ED. Differential gene expression in seasonal sympatry: mechanisms involved in diverging life histories. Biol Lett 2016; 12:20160069. [PMID: 26979563 PMCID: PMC4843230 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In an era of climate change, understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying flexibility in phenology and life history has gained greater importance. These mechanisms can be elucidated by comparing closely related populations that differ in key behavioural and physiological traits such as migration and timing of reproduction. We compared gene expression in two recently diverged dark-eyed Junco ( Junco hyemalis) subspecies that live in seasonal sympatry during winter and early spring, but that differ in behaviour and physiology, despite exposure to identical environmental cues. We identified 547 genes differentially expressed in blood and pectoral muscle. Genes involved in lipid transport and metabolism were highly expressed in migrant juncos, while genes involved in reproductive processes were highly expressed in resident breeders. Seasonal differences in gene expression in closely related populations residing in the same environment provide significant insights into mechanisms underlying variation in phenology and life history, and have potential implications for the role of seasonal timing differences in gene flow and reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Fudickar
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Mark P Peterson
- Department of Biology and Mathematics, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA
| | - Timothy J Greives
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
| | - Jonathan W Atwell
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Eli S Bridge
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Ellen D Ketterson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Lennox RJ, Chapman JM, Souliere CM, Tudorache C, Wikelski M, Metcalfe JD, Cooke SJ. Conservation physiology of animal migration. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 4:cov072. [PMID: 27293751 PMCID: PMC4772791 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Migration is a widespread phenomenon among many taxa. This complex behaviour enables animals to exploit many temporally productive and spatially discrete habitats to accrue various fitness benefits (e.g. growth, reproduction, predator avoidance). Human activities and global environmental change represent potential threats to migrating animals (from individuals to species), and research is underway to understand mechanisms that control migration and how migration responds to modern challenges. Focusing on behavioural and physiological aspects of migration can help to provide better understanding, management and conservation of migratory populations. Here, we highlight different physiological, behavioural and biomechanical aspects of animal migration that will help us to understand how migratory animals interact with current and future anthropogenic threats. We are in the early stages of a changing planet, and our understanding of how physiology is linked to the persistence of migratory animals is still developing; therefore, we regard the following questions as being central to the conservation physiology of animal migrations. Will climate change influence the energetic costs of migration? Will shifting temperatures change the annual clocks of migrating animals? Will anthropogenic influences have an effect on orientation during migration? Will increased anthropogenic alteration of migration stopover sites/migration corridors affect the stress physiology of migrating animals? Can physiological knowledge be used to identify strategies for facilitating the movement of animals? Our synthesis reveals that given the inherent challenges of migration, additional stressors derived from altered environments (e.g. climate change, physical habitat alteration, light pollution) or interaction with human infrastructure (e.g. wind or hydrokinetic turbines, dams) or activities (e.g. fisheries) could lead to long-term changes to migratory phenotypes. However, uncertainty remains because of the complexity of biological systems, the inherently dynamic nature of the environment and the scale at which many migrations occur and associated threats operate, necessitating improved integration of physiological approaches to the conservation of migratory animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Lennox
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Jacqueline M. Chapman
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Christopher M. Souliere
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Christian Tudorache
- The Sylvius Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Julian D. Metcalfe
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Lowestoft Laboratory, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
| | - Steven J. Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
- Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
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Zhang Y, King MO, Harmon E, Eyster K, Swanson DL. Migration-induced variation of fatty acid transporters and cellular metabolic intensity in passerine birds. J Comp Physiol B 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-015-0921-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Zhang Y, Eyster K, Liu JS, Swanson DL. Cross-training in birds: cold and exercise training produce similar changes in maximal metabolic output, muscle masses and myostatin expression in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:2190-200. [PMID: 25987736 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.121822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Maximal metabolic outputs for exercise and thermogenesis in birds presumably influence fitness through effects on flight and shivering performance. Because both summit (Msum, maximum thermoregulatory metabolic rate) and maximum (MMR, maximum exercise metabolic rate) metabolic rates are functions of skeletal muscle activity, correlations between these measurements and their mechanistic underpinnings might occur. To examine whether such correlations occur, we measured the effects of experimental cold and exercise training protocols for 3 weeks on body (Mb) and muscle (Mpec) masses, basal metabolic rate (BMR), Msum, MMR, pectoralis mRNA and protein expression for myostatin, and mRNA expression of TLL-1 and TLL-2 (metalloproteinase activators of myostatin) in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Both training protocols increased Msum, MMR, Mb and Mpec, but BMR increased with cold training and decreased with exercise training. No significant differences occurred for pectoralis myostatin mRNA expression, but cold and exercise increased the expression of TLL-1 and TLL-2. Pectoralis myostatin protein levels were generally reduced for both training groups. These data clearly demonstrate cross-training effects of cold and exercise in birds, and are consistent with a role for myostatin in increasing pectoralis muscle mass and driving organismal increases in metabolic capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Kathleen Eyster
- Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57105, USA
| | - Jin-Song Liu
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - David L Swanson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
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