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Rhodes EM, Yap KN, Mesquita PHC, Parry HA, Kavazis AN, Krause JS, Hill GE, Hood WR. Flexibility underlies differences in mitochondrial respiratory performance between migratory and non-migratory White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). Sci Rep 2024; 14:9456. [PMID: 38658588 PMCID: PMC11043447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59715-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Migration is one of the most energy-demanding behaviors observed in birds. Mitochondria are the primary source of energy used to support these long-distance movements, yet how mitochondria meet the energetic demands of migration is scarcely studied. We quantified changes in mitochondrial respiratory performance in the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), which has a migratory and non-migratory subspecies. We hypothesized that the long-distance migratory Gambel's subspecies (Z. l. gambelii) would show higher mitochondrial respiratory performance compared to the non-migratory Nuttall's subspecies (Z. l. nuttalli). We sampled Gambel's individuals during spring pre-migration, active fall migration, and a period with no migration or breeding (winter). We sampled Nuttall's individuals during periods coinciding with fall migration and the winter period of Gambel's annual cycle. Overall, Gambel's individuals had higher citrate synthase, a proxy for mitochondrial volume, than Nuttall's individuals. This was most pronounced prior to and during migration. We found that both OXPHOS capacity (state 3) and basal respiration (state 4) of mitochondria exhibit high seasonal flexibility within Gambel's individuals, with values highest during active migration. These values in Nuttall's individuals were most similar to Gambel's individuals in winter. Our observations indicate that seasonal changes in mitochondrial respiration play a vital role in migration energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Rhodes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA.
| | - Kang Nian Yap
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Paulo H C Mesquita
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Hailey A Parry
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | | | | | - Geoffrey E Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
| | - Wendy R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
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Włodarczyk R, Drzewińska-Chańko J, Kamiński M, Meissner W, Rapczyński J, Janik-Superson K, Krawczyk D, Strapagiel D, Ożarowska A, Stępniewska K, Minias P. Stopover habitat selection drives variation in the gut microbiome composition and pathogen acquisition by migrating shorebirds. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae040. [PMID: 38515294 PMCID: PMC11008731 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-distance host movements play a major regulatory role in shaping microbial communities of their digestive tract. Here, we studied gut microbiota composition during seasonal migration in five shorebird species (Charadrii) that use different migratory (stopover) habitats. Our analyses revealed significant interspecific variation in both composition and diversity of gut microbiome, but the effect of host identity was weak. A strong variation in gut microbiota was observed between coastal and inland (dam reservoir and river valley) stopover habitats within species. Comparisons between host age classes provided support for an increasing alpha diversity of gut microbiota during ontogeny and an age-related remodeling of microbiome composition. There was, however, no correlation between microbiome and diet composition across study species. Finally, we detected high prevalence of avian pathogens, which may cause zoonotic diseases in humans (e.g. Vibrio cholerae) and we identified stopover habitat as one of the major axes of variation in the bacterial pathogen exposure risk in shorebirds. Our study not only sheds new light on ecological processes that shape avian gut microbiota, but also has implications for our better understanding of host-pathogen interface and the role of birds in long-distance transmission of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radosław Włodarczyk
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation,, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Joanna Drzewińska-Chańko
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation,, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Maciej Kamiński
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation,, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Włodzimierz Meissner
- Ornithology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jan Rapczyński
- Forestry Student Scientific Association, Ornithological Section, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Janik-Superson
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Biobank Lab, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Pomorska 139, 90-235 Łódź, Poland
| | - Dawid Krawczyk
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Dominik Strapagiel
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Biobank Lab, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Pomorska 139, 90-235 Łódź, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ożarowska
- Ornithology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Stępniewska
- Ornithology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Piotr Minias
- University of Lodz, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation,, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
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Schmiedová L, Kreisinger J, Kubovčiak J, Těšický M, Martin JF, Tomášek O, Kauzálová T, Sedláček O, Albrecht T. Gut microbiota variation between climatic zones and due to migration strategy in passerine birds. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1080017. [PMID: 36819027 PMCID: PMC9928719 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1080017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Decreasing biotic diversity with increasing latitude is an almost universal macroecological pattern documented for a broad range of taxa, however, there have been few studies focused on changes in gut microbiota (GM) across climatic zones. Methods Using 16S rRNA amplicon profiling, we analyzed GM variation between temperate (Czechia) and tropical (Cameroon) populations of 99 passerine bird species and assessed GM similarity of temperate species migrating to tropical regions with that of residents/short-distance migrants and tropical residents. Our study also considered the possible influence of diet on GM. Results We observed no consistent GM diversity differences between tropical and temperate species. In the tropics, GM composition varied substantially between dry and rainy seasons and only a few taxa exhibited consistent differential abundance between tropical and temperate zones, irrespective of migration behavior and seasonal GM changes. During the breeding season, trans-Saharan migrant GM diverged little from species not overwintering in the tropics and did not show higher similarity to tropical passerines than temperate residents/short-distance migrants. Interestingly, GM of two temperate-breeding trans-Saharan migrants sampled in the tropical zone matched that of tropical residents and converged with other temperate species during the breeding season. Diet had a slight effect on GM composition of tropical species, but no effect on GM of temperate hosts. Discussion Consequently, our results demonstrate extensive passerine GM plasticity, the dominant role of environmental factors in its composition and limited effect of diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Schmiedová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,*Correspondence: Jakub Kreisinger,
| | - Jan Kubovčiak
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Těšický
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Oldřich Tomášek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Tereza Kauzálová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
| | - Ondřej Sedláček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
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Marasco V, Kaiya H, Pola G, Fusani L. Ghrelin, not corticosterone, is associated with transitioning of phenotypic states in a migratory Galliform. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 13:1058298. [PMID: 36699038 PMCID: PMC9869107 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1058298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In both captive and free-living birds, the emergence of the migratory phenotype is signalled by rapid and marked increases in food intake and fuelling, as well as changes in amount of nocturnality or migratory restlessness. The metabolic hormone corticosterone and, as more recently suggested, the gut-derived hormone ghrelin have been suggested to play a role in mediating such phenomenal phenotypic flexibility given that they both regulate fuel metabolism and locomotion across vertebrate taxa. Here, using the Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) as our study species, we induced autumn migration followed by a non-migratory wintering phase through controlled changes in daylight. We thus compared plasma corticosterone and ghrelin concentrations between the two sampling phases and assessed whether these hormones might reflect the migratory state. While we found no differences in plasma corticosterone between the two sampling phases and no link of this hormone with changes in body mass, levels of food intake or migratory restlessness, the migratory birds had substantially higher levels of plasma ghrelin relative to the non-migratory birds. Furthermore, while ghrelin did not correlate with the gain in body mass over the entire pre-migratory fuelling phase (over an average of nine weeks preceding blood sampling), plasma ghrelin did positively correlate with the gain in body mass observed during the final fattening stages (over an average of three weeks preceding blood sampling). Again, variation in plasma ghrelin also reflected the amount of body mass depleted over both the long- and short-time frame as birds returned to their non-migratory baseline - lower levels of plasma ghrelin consistently correlated with larger losses in body mass. Thus, while our data do not highlight a role of the hormone corticosterone in sustaining pre-migratory fattening as shown in other bird species, they do add evidence for a potential role of ghrelin in mediating migratory behaviour and further suggest that this hormone might be important in regulating the transitioning of migratory states, possibly by promoting fuel mobilisation and usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hiroyuki Kaiya
- Department of Biochemistry, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan
- Research Division of Drug Discovery, Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Inc., Nara, Japan
| | - Gianni Pola
- Istituto Sperimentale Zootecnico per la Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University Biology Building, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Sharma A, Tripathi V, Kumar V. Control and adaptability of seasonal changes in behavior and physiology of latitudinal avian migrants: Insights from laboratory studies in Palearctic-Indian migratory buntings. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:902-918. [PMID: 35677956 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Twice-a-year migrations, one in autumn and the other in spring, occur within a discrete time window with striking alterations in the behavior and physiology, as regulated by the interaction of endogenous rhythms with prevailing photoperiod. These seasonal voyages are not isolated events; rather, they are part of an overall annual itinerary and remain closely coupled to the other annual subcycles, called seasonal life history states (LHSs). The success of migration depends on appropriate timing of the initiation and termination of each LHS, for example, reproduction, molt, summer nonmigratory, preautumn migratory (fattening and weight gain), autumn migratory, winter nonmigratory (wnM), prevernal (spring) migratory (fattening and weight gain), and spring migratory LHSs. Migration-linked photoperiod-induced changes include the body fattening and weight gain, nocturnal Zugunruhe (migratory restlessness), elevated triglycerides and free fatty acids, triiodothyronine and corticosterone levels. Hypothalamic expression of the thyroid hormone-responsive dio2 and dio3, light-responsive per2, cry1, and adcyap1 and th (tyrosine hydroxylase, involved in dopamine biosynthesis) genes also show significant changes with transition from wnM to the vernal migratory LHS. Concurrent changes in the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism and its transport also occur in the liver and flight muscles, respectively. Interestingly, there are clear differences in the behavioral and physiological phenotypes, and associated molecular changes, between the autumn and vernal migrations. In this review, we discuss seasonal changes in the behavior and physiology, and present molecular insights into the development of migratory phenotypes in latitudinal avian migrants, with special reference to Palearctic-Indian migratory buntings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakansha Sharma
- Department of Zoology, IndoUS Center in Chronobiology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vatsala Tripathi
- Department of Zoology, Dyal Singh College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Zoology, IndoUS Center in Chronobiology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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Digestive Tract Morphology and Gut Microbiota Jointly Determine an Efficient Digestive Strategy in Subterranean Rodents: Plateau Zokor. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162155. [PMID: 36009744 PMCID: PMC9404879 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Investigation of mechanistic insights of digestive strategies in rodents can be difficult, but it is important to understand how rodents adapt to different environments. Applying physiological analyses to compare the differences between digestive tracts in plateau zokor and laboratory rats, we found that the length and weight of the digestive tract of the plateau zokor was significantly greater than the laboratory rat. Particularly, the weight and length of the large intestine and cecum in plateau zokor is three times that of the laboratory rat. Our gut microbiota analysis results showed that bacteria associated with cellulose degradation were significantly enriched in laboratory rats, when compared to plateau zokor. However, both plateau zokor and laboratory rats were predicted to share the same functions in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. Our findings suggest that both the morphology of the digestive tract and gut microbiota are vital to the digestion in wild rodents. Abstract Rodents’ lifestyles vary in different environments, and to adapt to various lifestyles specific digestion strategies have been developed. Among these strategies, the morphology of the digestive tracts and the gut microbiota are considered to play the most important roles in such adaptations. However, how subterranean rodents adapt to extreme environments through regulating gut microbial diversity and morphology of the digestive tract has yet to be fully studied. Here, we conducted the comparisons of the gastrointestinal morphology, food intake, food assimilation, food digestibility and gut microbiota of plateau zokor Eospalax baileyi in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and laboratory rats Rattus norvegicus to further understand the survival strategy in a typical subterranean rodent species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our results revealed that plateau zokor evolved an efficient foraging strategy with low food intake, high food digestibility, and ultimately achieved a similar amount of food assimilation to laboratory rats. The length and weight of the digestive tract of the plateau zokor was significantly higher than the laboratory rat. Particularly, the weight and length of the large intestine and cecum in plateau zokor is three times greater than that of the laboratory rat. Microbiome analysis showed that genus (i.e., Prevotella, Oscillospira, CF231, Ruminococcus and Bacteroides), which are usually associated with cellulose degradation, were significantly enriched in laboratory rats, compared to plateau zokor. However, prediction of metagenomic function revealed that both plateau zokor and laboratory rats shared the same functions in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism. The higher digestibility of crude fiber in plateau zokor was mainly driven by the sizes of cecum and cecum tract, as well as those gut microbiota which associated with cellulose degradation. Altogether, our results highlight that both gut microbiota and the morphology of the digestive tract are vital to the digestion in wild rodents.
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Ruthsatz K, Domscheit M, Engelkes K, Vences M. Microplastics ingestion induces plasticity in digestive morphology in larvae of Xenopus laevis. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022; 269:111210. [PMID: 35398256 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Global changes in temperature, predator introductions, and pollution might challenge animals by altering food conditions. A fast-growing source of environmental pollution are microplastics. If ingested with the natural food source, microplastics act as artificial fibers that reduce food quality by decreasing nutrient and energy density with possible ramifications for growth and development. Animals might cope with altered food conditions with digestive plasticity. We examined experimentally whether larvae of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) exhibit digestive morphology plasticity (i.e., gut length, mass, and diameter) in response to microplastics ingestion. As natural systems contain non-digestible particles similar in size and shape to microplastics, we included cellulose as a natural fiber control group. Gut length and mass increased in response to microplastics and cellulose ingestion indicating that both types of fibers induced digestive plasticity. Body mass and body condition were similar across experimental groups, indicating that larvae fully compensated for low nutrient and energy density by developing longer intestines. The ability of a species to respond plastically to environmental variation, as X. laevis responded, indicates that this species might have the potential to cope with new conditions during global change, although it is uncertain whether this potential may be reduced in a multi-stressor environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ruthsatz
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Marie Domscheit
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Karolin Engelkes
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany. https://twitter.com/KarolinEngelkes
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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Cornelius JM. Advance social information allows red crossbills ( Loxia curvirostra) to better conserve body mass and intestinal mass during food stress. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220516. [PMID: 35582792 PMCID: PMC9114945 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals prepare for fluctuations in resources through advance storage of energy, planned reduction in energy costs or by moving elsewhere. Unpredictable fluctuations in food, however, may be particularly challenging if animals cannot avoid negative impacts on body condition. Social information may help animals to cope with unpredictable resources if cues from individuals with low foraging success give advance warning about deteriorating conditions. This study investigates the impact of social information on behaviour and physiology of food-restricted captive red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). Birds were restricted to two short feeding periods per day to simulate a decline in resources and were given social information from food-restricted neighbours either before (i.e. predictive) or during (i.e. parallel) the food-restriction period. Focal birds better conserved body mass during food restriction if social information was predictive of the decline in resources. Crossbills with predictive information ate more food, had larger intestinal mass and better conserved pectoral muscle size at the end of the restriction period compared to those with parallel social information. These data suggest that birds can use social information to alter behavioural and physiological responses during food shortage in ways that may confer an adaptive advantage for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. M. Cornelius
- Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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Obrochta S, Savo Sardaro ML, Amato KR, Murray MH. Relationships Between Migration and Microbiome Composition and Diversity in Urban Canada Geese. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.742369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiome analysis presents an opportunity to understand how urban environments affect avian physiology. For example, habitat use can affect microbiome diversity and composition, and hosts with more diverse gut microbiota are thought to be more resistant to pathogens and have increased fitness. However, the microbiome is an understudied aspect of avian ecology, particularly in the context of migration and urbanization in wild birds. For this study, we hypothesized that, within urban birds, migrants would exhibit greater microbial diversity and inter-individual variation in microbiome composition than residents because they are exposed to more diverse habitats. We focused on Canada geese (Branta canadensis), one of many migratory species that exhibit increasingly more year-round residency in cities. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to quantify microbiome taxonomic composition in fecal samples from 32 GPS-tracked Canada geese, 22 of which were year-round residents of the Chicago area and 10 of which were migrants. Similar to recent studies on wild species feeding near human habitation, urban resident geese had higher gut microbial diversity than migrants. They also had increased inter-individual variation in microbiome composition and, on average, lower relative abundances of bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes, and the genera Terrisporobacter, Turicibacter, and Cellulosilyticum, which all have metabolic functions that may aid in goose digestion. Therefore, the gut microbiome of resident geese may provide fewer potential health benefits. These patterns may be a result of anthropogenic influences on aspects of resident goose ecology, such as diet, as well the influence of migration on migrant goose ecology and biology. Overall, our results suggest that reduced migration for urban-adapted wildlife species may have important consequences for physiology and health.
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Handby T, Slezacek J, Lupi S, Colhoun K, Harrison XA, Bearhop S. Changes in Behaviour and Proxies of Physiology Suggest Individual Variation in the Building of Migratory Phenotypes in Preparation for Long-Distance Flights. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.749534] [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
Long-distance migration in birds is a complex syndrome that involves high energy costs and, in some species, substantial physiological re-organisation. Such flexible migratory phenotypes are commonly associated with bird species flying non-stop across vast ecological barriers, where there are few opportunities to stop and refuel en route. Prior to making migratory flights, some species have been found to atrophy organs that are not required (e.g., digestive organs) and grow those associated with powering flight (pectora muscles and heart), presumably to optimise costs. However, most studies of this flexibility have required sacrificing study animals and this has limited our capacity to measure individual variation and its potential consequences. Here we investigate the behavioural and, indirectly, physiological adaptation of an arctic breeding long-distance migrant the light-bellied brent goose Branta bernicla hrota, during spring staging in southwest Iceland. We use a sequential sampling approach to record behavioural observations and conduct stable isotope analysis of faecal samples from uniquely marked individuals to assess protein catabolism. Individuals showed a three-phase fuel deposition process, with initial slow intake rates followed by hyperphagia and then a period of inactivity immediately prior to migratory departure (despite multiple days with favourable wind conditions). The C:N ratio and δ15N values in faeces were significantly linked to fat deposition during the latter stages and suggests catabolism (reorganisation of proteins) occurring prior to departure. Our results suggest a strategic delay in migratory departure to enable reorganisation into a flying phenotype and that the extent of this varies among individuals.
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Guglielmo CG, Morbey YE, Kennedy LV, Deakin JE, Brown JM, Beauchamp AT. A Scaling Approach to Understand the Dynamics of Fat and Lean Mass in Refueling Migrant Songbirds Measured by Quantitative Magnetic Resonance. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.787623] [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
Fat contributes most of the energy for migratory flight of birds, whereas lean body tissues (muscles and organs) contribute amino acids and water to maintain metabolic and osmotic homeostasis. During refueling at stopover sites, both fat and lean mass are recovered, but the dynamics of this recovery are poorly understood. We used non-invasive quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) analysis to measure fat and lean mass of > 3,500 individuals of 25 songbird species during six spring and three autumn migration seasons between 2009 and 2019 at Long Point, ON, Canada. We used allometric scaling analysis and linear mixed-effects modeling of body composition data at both the population level (single capture) and the individual level (recapture). In the population-level analysis, lean mass scaled hypoallometrically with body mass, such that for every 20% increase in body mass, lean mass was predicted to increase by 12.1% in spring and 12.8% in autumn. Fat scaled hyperallometrically with body mass, such that for every 20% increase in body mass, fat mass was predicted to increase by 144% in spring and 136% in autumn. At the individual level, these allometric relationships were more extreme. As a result of this differential allometry, at low body masses, lean and fat mass contributes nearly equally to changes in mass, but at high body mass fat deposition becomes progressively more dominant. Spring migrants deposited relatively more fat than autumn migrants, and in autumn juvenile birds tended to have greater lean mass than adults. Our findings show that lean mass deposition during refueling by songbirds is substantial, and in line with the losses of protein expected in flight. The process of fat and lean mass deposition is characterized by non-linear dynamics which are influenced by the current body composition, season, and, to a lesser extent, age. The patterns suggest that the need for dietary protein to rebuild lean mass will be greater when body mass is low, during autumn migration, and in juvenile birds.
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Bernardo-Madrid R, Vera P, Gallardo B, Vilà M. Stopping Winter Flooding of Rice Fields to Control Invasive Snails Has no Effect on Waterbird Abundance at the Landscape Scale. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.688325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The invasive apple snail (Pomacea maculata) appeared in 2010 in the Ebro Delta Natural Park, an important area for rice production and waterbird conservation in the eastern Mediterranean. To control crop damage, farmers stopped flooding their rice fields in winter, an agri-environmental scheme (AES) applied for more than 20 years in some European and American regions to favor flora and fauna from wetlands, including wintering waterbirds. Thus, apple snail control is controversial because of its potential side effects on international waterbird conservation efforts. Despite the fact that 10 years have passed since the first flooding limitations, and the alarms raised by the managers of the Natural Park, the side effects of apple snail management on waterbird conservation have not been evaluated. Here we fill this gap by analyzing a 35-year time series to assess whether abundance trends of 27 waterbird species, from five functional groups, decreased in the Ebro Delta after stopping winter flooding. We considered the effects of confounding local factors by also assessing trend changes in l’Albufera, a similar nearby not invaded wetland where flooding has not been interrupted. In addition, as a control of the positive effect of winter flooding, we also assessed whether abundance trends increased in both wetlands after applying this AES winter flooding. Our results showed complex and decoupled trend changes across species and geographical areas, without statistical evidences, in general or for any particular functional group, on the positive effect of winter flooding in both wetlands neither on the negative effect of its cessation in Ebro Delta. These results suggest the safety of this apple snail control in terms of waterbird abundance at a landscape scale. In addition, these results question, at least in two important wintering areas in Europe, the attractor role associated with the flooding agri-environmental scheme applied for decades.
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Kelsey NA, Schmaljohann H, Bairlein F. The avian lightweights: Trans-Saharan migrants show lower lean body mass than short-/medium-distance migrants. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1010-1021. [PMID: 33813789 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Avian trans-Saharan migrants travelling long distances and crossing ecological barriers experience different constraints in terms of time, energy and safety than short-/medium-distance migrants without barrier-crossings. As such, natural selection shapes the aerodynamic properties of these groups differently. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, we lack information on whether natural selection has contributed to reducing energetic flight costs through generally lower body mass in trans-Saharan migrants. To fill parts of this gap, we investigated this eco-morphological pattern in 5,410 individuals of 22 Palearctic songbird species ranging from short-/medium-distance to trans-Saharan migrants. We used individual size-independent scaled lean body mass values based on wing length as a measure of body size and, for the first time, precisely determined lean body mass values by direct measurements via quantitative magnetic resonance technology. Scaled lean body mass for a given body size was significantly higher in short-/medium-distance migrants than in trans-Saharan migrants. Although scaled lean body mass significantly decreased with increasing migration distance in short-/medium-distance migrants, no such effect was found in trans-Saharan migrants. Our results thus show an eco-morphological pattern relating species' lean body mass not only to migration distance but also to migration group. This suggests that selective effects of the presence/absence of ecological barriers and/or of a threshold level for migration distance on migrant birds may be more important than the linear continuum of migration distance per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Kelsey
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
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14
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Zhang Z, Yang Z, Zhu L. Gut microbiome of migratory shorebirds: Current status and future perspectives. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3737-3745. [PMID: 33976772 PMCID: PMC8093701 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Migratory shorebirds have many unique life history characteristics, such as long-distance travel between breeding sites, stopover sites, and wintering sites. The physiological challenges for migrant energy requirement and immunity may affect their gut microbiome community. Here, we reviewed the specific features (e.g., relatively high proportion of Corynebacterium and Fusobacterium) in the gut microbiome of 18 migratory shorebirds, and the factors (e.g., diet, migration, environment, and phylogeny) affecting the gut microbiome. We discussed possible future studies of the gut microbiome in migratory shorebirds, including the composition and function of the spatial-temporal gut microbiome, and the potential contributions made by the gut microbiome to energy requirement during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- Colleges of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | | | - Lifeng Zhu
- Colleges of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
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15
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Seasonal Variations in the Gut Fungal Communities of Hooded Crane ( Grus monacha) at Wintering and Stopover Sites in China. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11040941. [PMID: 33810386 PMCID: PMC8067105 DOI: 10.3390/ani11040941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The gut fungi assist the host in various physiological activities, homeostasis, immune responses, and growth. The diversity and community composition of gut fungi are driven by multiple factors, including diet, environmental exposure, habitat type, and seasonal migration. Migratory birds have a peculiar life cycle, so it is interesting to understand the ecological function of their “gut fungal microbiome.” Birds are exposed to variable diets, environments, and habitats amid seasonal migration. The hooded crane is known as a long-distance migratory bird, inhabiting both wintering and stopover grounds during seasonal migration. During migratory seasons, it inhabits various habitats and is exposed to variable environments. This study analyzed the shifts between gut fungal diversity and the community composition of the hooded crane at both wintering and stopover sites amid seasonal migration. The gut fungal alpha diversity exhibited a more significant change during winter than in fall and spring. The gut fungal community composition exhibited significant shifts across winter, fall, and spring (ANOSIM, p = 0.001). The pathogenic diversity and relative abundance showed significant differences during winter at the wintering site relative to fall and spring at the stopover site. Moreover, the pathogenic fungal community composition was significantly different during fall, winter, and spring. This work contributes to present essential knowledge about the gut fungal microbiome of hooded cranes amid seasonal migration. This study also implicated that conservation measures for hooded crane conservation should be applied, as the risk of cross-transmission of potential fungal pathogens might increase during seasonal migration. Abstract The “gut fungal microbiome” maintains the immune system, homeostasis, and various physiological functions of an organism. Different factors shape and affect gut fungal diversity and community composition, such as environment, habitat type, food resources, and seasons during migration. Wild birds amid migration are exposed to different habitats with different environments, available food resources, and seasons, which may substantially impact their gut fungal community composition and diversity. The hooded crane (Grus monacha) is a known migratory bird that migrates over long distances and is exposed to varied habitats with different environments and food types. We investigated the differences in gut fungal diversity and community composition between wintering and stopover sites amid three migratory seasons. We deduced the gut fungal pathogenic diversity and community composition during winter, fall, and spring by using high throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-seq), and the internal transcribed region 2 (ITS2) was examined. Samples were collected from Shengjin Lake in the winter and Lindian during the fall and spring. The dominant fungal phyla found across the three seasons were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, and Rozellomycota. The gut fungal alpha diversity showed significant shifts during winter at the wintering site compared with the fall and spring seasons at the stopover site. The fungal community composition exhibited a significant change across the three seasons (ANOSIM p = 0.001). The results also demonstrated that the diversity and relative abundance of potential pathogens also showed divergence in winter compared to fall and spring. This study provides the basis for understanding the discrepancy in gut fungal diversity and community composition during migratory seasons at both wintering and stopover grounds. It also suggests that conservation measures should be applied to the conservation of hooded cranes and other wild birds, as the risk of cross-infection increases during seasonal migration.
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16
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Griego M, DeSimone J, Ramirez MG, Gerson AR. Aminopeptidase-N modulation assists lean mass anabolism during refuelling in the white-throated sparrow. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202348. [PMID: 33468011 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds meet the extreme metabolic demands of migration by burning both stored fat and protein. However, catabolizing these endogenous tissues for energy leads to organ atrophy, and reductions in gastrointestinal tissue can be as great as 50% of the pre-flight mass. Remarkably, during stopover refuelling birds quickly regain digestive mass and performance. Aminopeptidase-N (APN) is a brush-border enzyme responsible for late-stage protein digestion and may critically assist tissue reconstruction during the stopover, thus compensating for reduced gut size. We hypothesized that birds recovering from a fast would differentially upregulate APN activity relative to disaccharidases to rapidly process and assimilate dietary protein into lean mass. We fasted 23 wild-caught migratory white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) for 48 h to mimic mass reductions experienced during migratory flight and measured intestinal APN activity before the fast, immediately after the fast, and during recovery at 24 h and 48 h post-fast. Total fat mass, lean mass and basal metabolic rate were measured daily. We show that fasted birds maintain APN activity through the fast, despite a 30% reduction in intestine mass, but during refuelling, APN activity increases nearly twofold over pre-fasted individuals. This suggests that dynamically regulating APN may be necessary for rapid protein reconstruction during the stopover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Griego
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Joely DeSimone
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Mariamar Gutierrez Ramirez
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Alexander R Gerson
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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17
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Ferretti A, Maggini I, Cardinale M, Fusani L. Heat loss in sleeping garden warblers (Sylvia borin) during migration. J Therm Biol 2020; 94:102772. [PMID: 33293004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
For small songbirds, energy is often a limiting factor during migration and, for this reason, they are forced to alternate nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. Stopover duration has a key role for a successful migration and may have an important impact on fitness. Thus, migrants need to optimize their energy consumption at this stage to reduce their permanence at the site. A recent study has shown that lean individuals reduce their metabolic rate when tucking the head in the feathers during sleep. The underlying mechanism is very likely a reduction in conductance, but the thermoregulatory benefit of the increased insulation has never been quantified yet. Here, we compared heat loss in individual migratory birds while sleeping in different postures. Using a thermal camera and a within-individual approach, we estimated that Garden Warblers can reduce their rate of heat loss by 54% by sleeping with the head tucked in the feathers. This energy saving has a relevant impact on the individual's energy balance because it can account for up to 8.69% of daily energy expenditure during stopover. Our study provides novel and important information to understand the fundamental role of thermoregulatory strategies on bird's energy management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ivan Maggini
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Marine Research Institute, 45330 Lysekil, Sweden.
| | - Leonida Fusani
- University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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18
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Turjeman S, Corl A, Wolfenden A, Tsalyuk M, Lublin A, Choi O, Kamath PL, Getz WM, Bowie RCK, Nathan R. Migration, pathogens and the avian microbiome: A comparative study in sympatric migrants and residents. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4706-4720. [PMID: 33001530 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Animals generally benefit from their gastrointestinal microbiome, but the factors that influence the composition and dynamics of their microbiota remain poorly understood. Studies of nonmodel host species can illuminate how microbiota and their hosts interact in natural environments. We investigated the role of migratory behaviour in shaping the gut microbiota of free-ranging barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) by studying co-occurring migrant and resident subspecies sampled during the autumn migration at a migratory bottleneck. We found that within-host microbial richness (α-diversity) was similar between migrant and resident microbial communities. In contrast, we found that microbial communities (β-diversity) were significantly different between groups regarding both microbes present and their relative abundances. Compositional differences were found for 36 bacterial genera, with 27 exhibiting greater abundance in migrants and nine exhibiting greater abundance in residents. There was heightened abundance of Mycoplasma spp. and Corynebacterium spp. in migrants, a pattern shared by other studies of migratory species. Screens for key regional pathogens revealed that neither residents nor migrants carried avian influenza viruses and Newcastle disease virus, suggesting that the status of these diseases did not underlie observed differences in microbiome composition. Furthermore, the prevalence and abundance of Salmonella spp., as determined from microbiome data and cultural assays, were both low and similar across the groups. Overall, our results indicate that microbial composition differs between migratory and resident barn swallows, even when they are conspecific and sympatrically occurring. Differences in host origins (breeding sites) may result in microbial community divergence, and varied behaviours throughout the annual cycle (e.g., migration) could further differentiate compositional structure as it relates to functional needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sondra Turjeman
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ammon Corl
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Wolfenden
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Miriam Tsalyuk
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Avishai Lublin
- Division of Avian Diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Olivia Choi
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Pauline L Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,School Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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19
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Bayly NJ, Norris DR, Taylor PD, Hobson KA, Morales-Rozo A. There's no place like home: tropical overwintering sites may have a fundamental role in shaping migratory strategies. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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20
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Nwaogu CJ, Galema A, Cresswell W, Dietz MW, Tieleman BI. A fruit diet rather than invertebrate diet maintains a robust innate immunity in an omnivorous tropical songbird. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:867-883. [PMID: 31764994 PMCID: PMC7079115 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Diet alteration may lead to nutrient limitations even in the absence of food limitation, and this may affect physiological functions, including immunity. Nutrient limitations may also affect the maintenance of body mass and key life‐history events that may affect immune function. Yet, variation in immune function is largely attributed to energetic trade‐offs rather than specific nutrient constraints. To test the effect of diet on life‐history traits, we tested how diet composition affects innate immune function, body mass and moult separately and in combination with each other, and then used path analyses to generate hypotheses about the mechanistic connections between immunity and body mass under different diet compositions. We performed a balanced parallel and crossover design experiment with omnivorous common bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus in out‐door aviaries in Nigeria. We fed 40 wild‐caught bulbuls ad libitum on fruits or invertebrates for 24 weeks, switching half of each group between treatments after 12 weeks. We assessed innate immune indices (haptoglobin, nitric oxide and ovotransferrin concentrations, and haemagglutination and haemolysis titres), body mass and primary moult, fortnightly. We simplified immune indices into three principal components (PCs), but we explored mechanistic connections between diet, body mass and each immune index separately. Fruit‐fed bulbuls had higher body mass, earlier moult and showed higher values for two of the three immune PCs compared to invertebrate‐fed bulbuls. These effects were reversed when we switched bulbuls between treatments after 12 weeks. Exploring the correlations between immune function, body mass and moult, showed that an increase in immune function was associated with a decrease in body mass and delayed moult in invertebrate‐fed bulbuls, while fruit‐fed bulbuls maintained body mass despite variation in immune function. Path analyses indicated that diet composition was most likely to affect body mass and immune indices directly and independently from each other. Only haptoglobin concentration was indirectly linked to diet composition via body mass. We demonstrated a causal effect of diet composition on innate immune function, body mass and moult: bulbuls were in a better condition when fed on fruits than invertebrates, confirming that innate immunity is nutrient specific. Our results are unique because they show a reversible effect of diet composition on wild adult birds whose immune systems are presumably fully developed and adapted to wild conditions—demonstrating a short‐term consequence of diet alteration on life‐history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chima J Nwaogu
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife, UK.,A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Annabet Galema
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Will Cresswell
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews Fife, UK.,A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Maurine W Dietz
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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21
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Huang R, Li L, Song B, Lyu Y, Wu B. Appearance and Digestive System Comparison of Lonchura Striata and Copsychus Saularis: Searching for the Effect of Staple Feeding Ingredients on Avian Morphology. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2020-1308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Huang
- Ministry of Education, PR China
| | - L Li
- Ministry of Education, PR China
| | - B Song
- Ministry of Education, PR China
| | - Y Lyu
- National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - B Wu
- Ministry of Education, PR China; China West Normal University, PR China
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22
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Moreno SA, Gelambi M, Biganzoli A, Molinari J. Small nutrient molecules in fruit fuel efficient digestion and mutualism with plants in frugivorous bats. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19376. [PMID: 31852966 PMCID: PMC6920426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55915-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Frugivorous bats often possess short intestines, and digest rapidly. These characters are thought to be weight-saving adaptations for flight. The hypothesis that they limit digestive efficiency was tested by assaying glucose and protein in fecal samples of a free-ranging bat, and in fruit of its main food plant. To assure the correct calculation of digestive efficiencies, seeds were used as a mass marker for nutrients in fruit and feces. Glucose represents 32.86%, and protein 0.65%, of the nutrient content of fruit. Digestive efficiencies for these nutrients respectively are 92.46% and 84.44%, clearly negating the hypothesis for glucose. Few studies have quantified protein in fruit. Instead, "crude protein", a dietary parameter solely based on nitrogen determinations, is used as a surrogate of protein content. This study shows that, for fruit consumed by bats, crude protein estimates typically are much greater than true protein values, implying that a large fraction of the crude protein reported in previous studies consists of free amino acids. The rapid digestion of frugivores has the potential to limit protein digestion, thus it may require free amino acids for efficient assimilation of nitrogen; therefore, the crude protein approach is inadequate for the fruit that they consume because it does not differentiate free amino acids from protein. Adding simple sugars and free amino acids, instead of protein, to fruit reduce metabolic costs for plants. Direct assimilation of these small nutrient molecules increases digestive and foraging efficiencies. Both factors contribute to the persistence of the mutualism between plants and frugivores, with community-wide repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Andrea Moreno
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 05101, Venezuela
| | - Mariana Gelambi
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 05101, Venezuela
| | - Alejandro Biganzoli
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 05101, Venezuela
| | - Jesús Molinari
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 05101, Venezuela.
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23
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Ruthsatz K, Giertz LM, Schröder D, Glos J. Chemical composition of food induces plasticity in digestive morphology in larvae of Rana temporaria. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio048041. [PMID: 31852656 PMCID: PMC6955212 DOI: 10.1242/bio.048041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Food conditions are changing due to anthropogenic activities and natural sources and thus, many species are exposed to new challenges. Animals might cope with altered quantitative and qualitative composition [i.e. variable protein, nitrogen (N) and energy content] of food by exhibiting trophic and digestive plasticity. We examined experimentally whether tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) exhibit phenotypic plasticity of the oral apparatus and intestinal morphology when raised on a diet of either low (i.e. Spirulina algae) or high protein, N and energy content (i.e. Daphnia pulex). Whereas intestinal morphology was highly plastic, oral morphology did not respond plastically to different chemical compositions of food. Tadpoles that were fed food with low protein and N content and low-energy density developed significantly longer guts and a larger larval stomachs than tadpoles raised on high protein, N and an energetically dense diet, and developed a different intestinal surface morphology. Body sizes of the treatment groups were similar, indicating that tadpoles fully compensated for low protein, N and energy diet by developing longer intestines. The ability of a species, R. temporaria, to respond plastically to environmental variation indicates that this species might have the potential to cope with new conditions during climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ruthsatz
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Marie Giertz
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Schröder
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julian Glos
- Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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24
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Ferretti A, Maggini I, Lupi S, Cardinale M, Fusani L. The amount of available food affects diurnal locomotor activity in migratory songbirds during stopover. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19027. [PMID: 31836848 PMCID: PMC6910983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory passerine birds fly long distances twice a year alternating nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. The duration of each stopover depends on several factors including internal clocks, meteorological conditions, and environmental factors such as availability of food. Foraging entails energetic costs, and if birds need to refuel efficiently, they should modulate their activity in relation to food availability. We investigated how food availability influences locomotor activity in migrating birds of six passerine species at a spring stopover site in the central Mediterranean Sea. We selected birds with low fat scores which we expected to be strongly motivated to refuel. We simulated stopover sites of different quality by providing temporarily caged birds with different amounts of food to simulate scarce to abundant food. We analysed the diurnal locomotory activity as a proxy for food searching effort. Low food availability resulted in an increased diurnal locomotor activity in almost all species, while all birds showed low intensity of nocturnal migratory restlessness. In conclusion, our study shows that food availability in an important determinant of behaviour of migratory birds at stopover sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ivan Maggini
- 0000 0000 9686 6466grid.6583.8Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sara Lupi
- 0000 0000 9686 6466grid.6583.8Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- 0000 0000 8578 2742grid.6341.0Department of Aquatic Resources, Marine Research Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 45330 Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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25
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Wang X, Que P, Heckel G, Hu J, Zhang X, Chiang CY, Zhang N, Huang Q, Liu S, Martinez J, Pagani-Núñez E, Dingle C, Leung YY, Székely T, Zhang Z, Liu Y. Genetic, phenotypic and ecological differentiation suggests incipient speciation in two Charadrius plovers along the Chinese coast. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:135. [PMID: 31248363 PMCID: PMC6598359 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Speciation with gene flow is an alternative to the nascence of new taxa in strict allopatric separation. Indeed, many taxa have parapatric distributions at present. It is often unclear if these are secondary contacts, e.g. caused by past glaciation cycles or the manifestation of speciation with gene flow, which hampers our understanding of how different forces drive diversification. Here we studied genetic, phenotypic and ecological aspects of divergence in a pair of incipient shorebird species, the Kentish (Charadrius alexandrinus) and the White-faced Plovers (C. dealbatus), shorebirds with parapatric breeding ranges along the Chinese coast. We assessed divergence based on molecular markers with different modes of inheritance and quantified phenotypic and ecological divergence in aspects of morphometric, dietary and climatic niches. Results Our integrative analyses revealed small to moderate levels of genetic and phenotypic distinctiveness with symmetric gene flow across the contact area at the Chinese coast. The two species diverged approximately half a million years ago in dynamic isolation with secondary contact occurring due to cycling sea level changes between the Eastern and Southern China Sea in the mid-late Pleistocene. We found evidence of character displacement and ecological niche differentiation between the two species, invoking the role of selection in facilitating divergence despite gene flow. Conclusion These findings imply that ecology can indeed counter gene flow through divergent selection and thus contributes to incipient speciation in these plovers. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of using integrative datasets to reveal the evolutionary history and assist the inference of mechanisms of speciation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1449-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pinjia Que
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Genopode, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Junhua Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xuecong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Chung-Yu Chiang
- Department of Environmental Science, Tunhai University, Taichun, Taiwan
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Simin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | | | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Caroline Dingle
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yu Yan Leung
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Tamás Székely
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,Milner Center for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA1 7AY, UK
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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26
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Peña-Villalobos I, Casanova-Maldonado I, Lois P, Sabat P, Palma V. Adaptive Physiological and Morphological Adjustments Mediated by Intestinal Stem Cells in Response to Food Availability in Mice. Front Physiol 2019; 9:1821. [PMID: 30670976 PMCID: PMC6331426 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have evaluated plastic changes in the morphology of the digestive tract in rodents subjected to caloric restriction or restricted availability. Nevertheless, studies that link these morphological responses to physiological consequences are scarce. In order to investigate short-term plastic responses in the intestine, we acclimated adult Mus musculus (BALB/c) males for 20 days to four distinctive treatments: two caloric regimens (ad libitum and 60% of calorie ingestion) and two levels of periodicity of the regimens (continuous and stochastic treatment). At the end of the treatment we analyzed the cell proliferation and cell death dynamics of small intestinal crypts in these animals. In addition, we measured organ masses and lengths, hydrolytic digestive enzyme activities, and energy output from feces. Finally, in order to explore the metabolic changes generated by these dietary conditions we assessed the catabolic activity (i.e., enzymes) of the liver. Our results show that individuals acclimated to a continuous and 60% regimen presented longer intestines in comparison to the other treatments. Indeed, their intestines grew with a rate of 0.22 cm/day, generating a significant caloric reduction in the content of their feces. Besides, both mass and intestinal lengths were predicted strongly by the stabilization coefficient of BrdU+ proliferating cells per crypt, the latter correlating positively with the activity of n-aminopeptidases. Interestingly, by using pharmacological inhibition of the kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) by Rapamycin, we were able to recapitulate similar changes in the proliferation dynamics of intestinal stem cells. Based on our results, we propose that the impact of caloric restriction on macroscopic variation in morphology and functional changes in digestive n-aminopeptidases occurs through synchronization in the proliferation rate of stem and/or progenitor cells located in the small intestinal crypts and requires mTORC1 as a key mediator. Hence, we suggest that an excessive stem and progenitor activity could result in increased crypts branching and might therefore underlie the reported intestinal tissue expansion in response to short-term caloric restriction. Summarizing, we demonstrate for the first time that short-term caloric restriction induces changes in the level of cell proliferation dynamics explaining in part digestive tract plasticity in adaptive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Peña-Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ignacio Casanova-Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Lois
- Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Verónica Palma
- Laboratorio de Células troncales y Biología del Desarrollo, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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27
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Ramirez-Otarola N, Naya DE, Sabat P. Seasonal changes in digestive enzymes in five bird species. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Most animals must cope with seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, including variations in food availability and composition. Accordingly, it is expected that most species should exhibit reversible seasonal phenotypic adjustments in their physiology. Here, we assessed seasonal variation in the activity of three digestive enzymes (sucrase, maltase, and aminopeptidase-N) in one omniviorous bird species (Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis (P. L. Statius Müller, 1776))), three granivorous bird species (Black-chinned Siskin (Carduelis barbata (Molina, 1782)), Common Diuca Finch (Diuca diuca (Molina, 1782)), and Mourning Sierra Finch (Phrygilus fruticeti (Kittlitz, 1833))), and one insectivorous bird species (Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail (Leptasthenura aegithaloides (Kittlitz, 1830))). Based on the adaptive modulation hypothesis, we predicted that the omnivorous species should exhibit the largest seasonal variation in the activity of its digestive enzymes in relation to granivorous and insectivorous species. We found that Z. capensis adjusts total activities of disaccharidases, total sucrase activity varied between seasons in C. barbata, and total activity of aminopeptidase-N only changed seasonally in L. aegithaloides. Moreover, this last species modified the tissue-specific activity of both disaccharidases as well as the wet mass of its intestine. Taken together, our results suggest that seasonal dietary changes occur in most of the species, regardless of the trophic categories in which they belong. Consequently, a better knowledge of the diet and its seasonal variation is necessary to better account for the results recorded in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ramirez-Otarola
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6513677, Chile
| | - Daniel E. Naya
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6513677, Chile
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28
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Hennin HL, Dey CJ, Bêty J, Gilchrist HG, Legagneux P, Williams TD, Love OP. Higher rates of prebreeding condition gain positively impacts clutch size: A mechanistic test of the condition‐dependent individual optimization model. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Holly L. Hennin
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Cody J. Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental ResearchUniversity of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Département de Biologie and Centre d'études nordiquesUniversité du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski Québec Canada
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- National Wildlife Research CentreEnvironment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa Ontario Canada
| | - Pierre Legagneux
- Département de Biologie and Centre d'études nordiquesUniversité du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski Québec Canada
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Windsor Windsor Ontario Canada
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29
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Courtney Jones SK, Munn AJ, Byrne PG. Effect of captivity on morphology: negligible changes in external morphology mask significant changes in internal morphology. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172470. [PMID: 29892434 PMCID: PMC5990819 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Captive breeding programmes are increasingly relied upon for threatened species management. Changes in morphology can occur in captivity, often with unknown consequences for reintroductions. Few studies have examined the morphological changes that occur in captive animals compared with wild animals. Further, the effect of multiple generations being maintained in captivity, and the potential effects of captivity on sexual dimorphism remain poorly understood. We compared external and internal morphology of captive and wild animals using house mouse (Mus musculus) as a model species. In addition, we looked at morphology across two captive generations, and compared morphology between sexes. We found no statistically significant differences in external morphology, but after one generation in captivity there was evidence for a shift in the internal morphology of captive-reared mice; captive-reared mice (two generations bred) had lighter combined kidney and spleen masses compared with wild-caught mice. Sexual dimorphism was maintained in captivity. Our findings demonstrate that captive breeding can alter internal morphology. Given that these morphological changes may impact organismal functioning and viability following release, further investigation is warranted. If the morphological change is shown to be maladaptive, these changes would have significant implications for captive-source populations that are used for reintroduction, including reduced survivorship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie K. Courtney Jones
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
| | - Adam J. Munn
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Phillip G. Byrne
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia
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30
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Kelly TR, Bonner SJ, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, MacDougall-Shackleton EA. Exposing migratory sparrows to Plasmodium suggests costs of resistance, not necessarily of infection itself. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:5-14. [PMID: 29570956 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds move through multiple habitats and encounter a diverse suite of parasites. This raises concern over migrants' role in transporting infectious disease between breeding and wintering grounds, and along migratory flyways. Trade-offs between flight and immune defenses could interfere with infected individuals' migratory timing and success, potentially affecting infection dynamics. However, experimental evidence that parasitic infection affects migratory preparation or timing remains scant. We hypothesized that birds encountering hematozoan parasites shortly before migration incur physical costs (reduced body condition) and behavioral costs (delayed migration), due to the infection itself and/or to the demands of mounting an immune response. We experimentally inoculated song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) with Plasmodium shortly before fall migration. We monitored infection and body composition for 2 weeks after inoculation, and used radiotelemetry to track timing of migratory departure for another 7 weeks after release. Inoculated individuals that resisted infection had lower lean mass 12 days post exposure, relative to controls and infected individuals. This suggests trade-offs between body composition and immune defenses that might reduce migration success of resistant individuals. Despite group differences in body composition prior to release, we did not detect significant differences in timing of migration departure several weeks later. Thus, malarial infection did not appear to incur detectable costs to body composition or to migratory timing, at least when exposure occurs several weeks before migration. This study is novel considering not only the costs of infection, but also the costs of resisting infection, in an experimental context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tosha Ruth Kelly
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simon Joseph Bonner
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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31
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Abstract
Migratory birds are physiologically specialized to accumulate massive fat stores (up to 50-60% of body mass), and to transport and oxidize fatty acids at very high rates to sustain flight for many hours or days. Target gene, protein and enzyme analyses and recent -omic studies of bird flight muscles confirm that high capacities for fatty acid uptake, cytosolic transport, and oxidation are consistent features that make fat-fueled migration possible. Augmented circulatory transport by lipoproteins is suggested by field data but has not been experimentally verified. Migratory bats have high aerobic capacity and fatty acid oxidation potential; however, endurance flight fueled by adipose-stored fat has not been demonstrated. Patterns of fattening and expression of muscle fatty acid transporters are inconsistent, and bats may partially fuel migratory flight with ingested nutrients. Changes in energy intake, digestive capacity, liver lipid metabolism and body temperature regulation may contribute to migratory fattening. Although control of appetite is similar in birds and mammals, neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating seasonal changes in fuel store set-points in migrants remain poorly understood. Triacylglycerol of birds and bats contains mostly 16 and 18 carbon fatty acids with variable amounts of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 depending on diet. Unsaturation of fat converges near 70% during migration, and unsaturated fatty acids are preferentially mobilized and oxidized, making them good fuel. Twenty and 22 carbon n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may affect membrane function and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling. However, evidence for dietary PUFA as doping agents in migratory birds is equivocal and requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A5B7
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32
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Risely A, Waite DW, Ujvari B, Hoye BJ, Klaassen M. Active migration is associated with specific and consistent changes to gut microbiota in
Calidris
shorebirds. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:428-437. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Risely
- Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - David W. Waite
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Bethany J. Hoye
- Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Geelong Vic. Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW Australia
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology Deakin University Geelong Vic. Australia
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33
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Weegman MD, Bearhop S, Hilton GM, Walsh AJ, Griffin L, Resheff YS, Nathan R, David Fox A. Using accelerometry to compare costs of extended migration in an arctic herbivore. Curr Zool 2017; 63:667-674. [PMID: 29492028 PMCID: PMC5804222 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how individuals manage costs during the migration period is challenging because individuals are difficult to follow between sites; the advent of hybrid Global Positioning System–acceleration (ACC) tracking devices enables researchers to link spatial and temporal attributes of avian migration with behavior for the first time ever. We fitted these devices on male Greenland white-fronted geese Anser albifrons flavirostris wintering at 2 sites (Loch Ken, Scotland and Wexford, Ireland) to understand whether birds migrating further during spring fed more on wintering and staging areas in advance of migration episodes. Although Irish birds flew significantly further (ca. 300 km) than Scottish birds during spring, their cumulative hours of migratory flight, flight speed during migration, and overall dynamic body ACC (i.e., a proxy for energy expenditure) were not significantly different. Further, Irish birds did not feed significantly more or expend significantly more energy in advance of migration episodes. These results suggest broad individual plasticity in this species, although Scottish birds arriving on breeding areas in Greenland with greater energy stores (because they migrated less) may be better prepared for food scarcity, which might increase their reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitch D Weegman
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK.,Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BT, UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Geoff M Hilton
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BT, UK
| | - Alyn J Walsh
- National Parks and Wildlife Service, Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, North Slob, Wexford, Ireland
| | - Larry Griffin
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock Wetland Centre, Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire DG1 4RS, UK
| | - Yehezkel S Resheff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Anthony David Fox
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Kalø, Grenåvej 14, Rønde DK-8410, Denmark
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34
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Komal R, Dwivedi A, Vaish V, Rani S. Conquering the night: understanding nocturnal migration in birds. BIOL RHYTHM RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2017.1345452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Komal
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Anshu Dwivedi
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Vaibhav Vaish
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Sangeeta Rani
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
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35
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Vaissi S, Parto P, Sharifi M. Anatomical and histological study of the liver and pancreas of two closely related mountain newts Neurergus microspilotus and N. kaiseri (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae). ZOOLOGIA 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.34.e13229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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36
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Lattin CR, Pechenenko AV, Carson RE. Experimentally reducing corticosterone mitigates rapid captivity effects on behavior, but not body composition, in a wild bird. Horm Behav 2017; 89:121-129. [PMID: 28065712 PMCID: PMC5359069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals and captives display physiological and behavioral differences, and it has been hypothesized, but rarely tested, that these differences are caused by sustained elevation of the hormone corticosterone. We used repeated computed tomography (CT) imaging to examine body composition changes in breeding male and female wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus; n=20) in response to two weeks of captivity, and assessed behavioral changes using video recordings. Half of the birds received the drug mitotane, which significantly decreased stress-induced corticosterone titers compared to controls. Based on the CT images, fat volumes increased, and pectoralis muscle density and heart and testes volumes decreased, over the two weeks of captivity in both groups of birds. However, beak-wiping, a behavior that can indicate anxiety and aggression, showed increased occurrence in controls compared to mitotane-treated birds. While our results do not support the hypothesis that these body composition changes were primarily driven by stress-induced corticosterone, our data suggest that experimentally reducing stress-induced corticosterone may mitigate some captivity-induced behavioral changes. Broadly, our results emphasize that researchers should take behavioral and physiological differences between free-living animals and captives into consideration when designing studies and interpreting results. Further, time in captivity should be minimized when birds will be reintroduced back to the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Lattin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States.
| | - Anita V Pechenenko
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States
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37
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Hooker OE, Van Leeuwen TE, Adams CE. The physiological costs of prey switching reinforce foraging specialization. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:605-614. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver E. Hooker
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment IBAHCM University of Glasgow Rowardennan Loch Lomond Glasgow G63 0AW UK
- PR Statistics 3/1, 128 Brunswick Street Glasgow G1 1TF UK
| | - Travis E. Van Leeuwen
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment IBAHCM University of Glasgow Rowardennan Loch Lomond Glasgow G63 0AW UK
| | - Colin E. Adams
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment IBAHCM University of Glasgow Rowardennan Loch Lomond Glasgow G63 0AW UK
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38
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Rott KH, Caviedes-Vidal E, Karasov WH. Intestinal digestive enzyme modulation in house sparrow nestlings occurs within 24 hours of a change in diet composition. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:2733-2742. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.157511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nestling house sparrows near fledging age (12 days) were previously found to reversibly modulate the activity of their intestinal digestive enzymes in response to changes in diet composition. However, it is not known how quickly nestlings can adjust to new diets with different substrate compositions, nor is it known how early in life nestlings can modulate their enzyme activity in response to changes in diet. In the current study, 3-day-old nestlings were captured from the wild and fed and switched among contrasting diets – one high in protein and low in carbohydrate and another higher in carbohydrate and with lower but adequate protein – in order to determine (1) how quickly house sparrow nestlings could adjust to changes in diet composition, (2) how early in life nestlings could modulate their digestive enzyme activity in response to these changes, and (3) which digestive enzymes could be modulated in house sparrow nestlings earlier in life. We found that house sparrow nestlings as young as three days post-hatch were capable of modulating their intestinal disaccharidase activity within 24 hours of a change in diet composition, and nestlings gained the ability to modulate aminopeptidase-N by six or seven days of age. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of digestive enzyme modulation completed within 24 hours of a change in diet in an avian species and the first study to show intestinal digestive enzyme modulation in response to changes in diet composition in any animal this early in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H. Rott
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, 250 N Mills Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Enrique Caviedes-Vidal
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, 5700 San Luis, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 5700 San Luis, Argentina
| | - William H. Karasov
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Effect of Silymarin Supplementation on Nickel Oxide Nanoparticle Toxicity to Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fingerlings: Pancreas Tissue Histopathology and Alkaline Protease Activity. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTION A-SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40995-016-0052-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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40
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Seasonal dietary shifting in yellow-rumped warblers is unrelated to macronutrient targets. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 192:57-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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41
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Ma XH, Zhong MJ, Jin L, Mi ZP, Liao WB. Digestive tract adaptation associated with temperature and precipitation in male Bufo andrewsi. ANIM BIOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The digestive tract provides a functional relationship between energy intake and allocation. An understanding of effects of environmental factors on the evolution of digestive tract morphology is especially important. To investigate this, we studied the variation in digestive tract length across 10 populations of the Andrew’s toad (Bufo andrewsi) between 2012 and 2015 in Sichuan province, western China. These populations were collected in different habitats varying in temperature and precipitation. The results reveal an increase in the length of the digestive tract and gut with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation, when controlling for the effect of body size. Our findings suggest that individuals of populations living in high-temperature and low-precipitation environments have longer digestive tracts, possibly because they consume less animal-based foods and more high-fiber foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Hui Ma
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Mao Jun Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Long Jin
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhi Ping Mi
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Wen Bo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
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Corder KR, DeMoranville KJ, Russell DE, Huss JM, Schaeffer PJ. Annual life-stage regulation of lipid metabolism and storage and association with PPARs in the migrant species Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). J Exp Biol 2016; 219:3391-3398. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.141408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The annual cycle of a migrating bird involves metabolically distinct stages of substantial fatty acid storage and periods of increased fatty acid mobilization and utilization, and thus requires a great deal of phenotypic flexibility. Specific mechanisms directing stage transitions of lipid metabolism in migrants are largely unknown. This study characterized the role of the nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), in migratory adiposity of the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). Catbirds increased adipose storage during spring and fall migration and showed increased rates of basal lipolysis during migration and tropical overwintering. Expression of the PPAR target genes involved in fat uptake and storage, FABPpm and PLIN3, increased during pre-migratory fattening. We found significant correlation between PPARγ and target gene expression in adipose but little evidence that PPARα expression levels drive metabolic regulation in liver during the migratory cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely R. Corder
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford OH, 45056 USA
- Current address: Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331, USA
| | - Kristen J. DeMoranville
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford OH, 45056 USA
- Current address: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | | | - Janice M. Huss
- Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Division of Cellular and Molecular Diabetes Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte CA, 91010, USA
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La Sorte FA, Hochachka WM, Farnsworth A, Sheldon D, Fink D, Geevarghese J, Winner K, Van Doren BM, Kelling S. Migration timing and its determinants for nocturnal migratory birds during autumn migration. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1202-12. [PMID: 25850460 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
1. Migration is a common strategy used by birds that breed in seasonal environments, and multiple environmental and biological factors determine the timing of migration. How these factors operate in combination during autumn migration, which is considered to be under weaker time constraints relative to spring migration, is not clear. 2. Here, we examine the patterns and determinants of migration timing for nocturnal migrants during autumn migration in the north-eastern USA using nocturnal reflectivity data from 12 weather surveillance radar stations and modelled diurnal probability of occurrence for 142 species of nocturnal migrants. We first model the capacity of seasonal atmospheric conditions (wind and precipitation) and ecological productivity (vegetation greenness) to predict autumn migration intensity. We then test predictions, formulated under optimal migration theory, on how migration timing should be related to assemblage-level estimates of body size and total migration distance within the context of dietary guild (insectivore and omnivore) and level of dietary plasticity during autumn migration. 3. Our results indicate seasonal declines in ecological productivity delineate the beginning and end of peak migration, whose intensity is best predicted by the velocity of winds at migration altitudes. Insectivorous migrants departed earlier in the season and, consistent with our predictions, large-bodied and long-distance insectivorous migrants departed the earliest. Contrary to our predictions, large-bodied and some long-distance omnivorous migrants departed later in the season, patterns that were replicated in part by insectivorous migrants that displayed dietary plasticity during autumn migration. 4. Our findings indicate migration timing in the region is dictated by optimality strategies, modified based on the breadth and flexibility of migrant's foraging diets, with declining ecological productivity defining possible resource thresholds during which migration occurs when winds at migration altitudes are mild. These observations provide the basis to assess how avian migration strategies may be affected by adjustments in seasonal patterns of atmospheric circulation and ecological productivity that may occur under global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A La Sorte
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Wesley M Hochachka
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Andrew Farnsworth
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Daniel Sheldon
- School of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.,Department of Computer Science, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, 01075, USA
| | - Daniel Fink
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Jeffrey Geevarghese
- School of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kevin Winner
- School of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Benjamin M Van Doren
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Steve Kelling
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
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Kellermann JL, van Riper C. Detecting mismatches of bird migration stopover and tree phenology in response to changing climate. Oecologia 2015; 178:1227-38. [PMID: 25822114 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3293-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds exploit seasonal variation in resources across latitudes, timing migration to coincide with the phenology of food at stopover sites. Differential responses to climate in phenology across trophic levels can result in phenological mismatch; however, detecting mismatch is sensitive to methodology. We examined patterns of migrant abundance and tree flowering, phenological mismatch, and the influence of climate during spring migration from 2009 to 2011 across five habitat types of the Madrean Sky Islands in southeastern Arizona, USA. We used two metrics to assess phenological mismatch: synchrony and overlap. We also examined whether phenological overlap declined with increasing difference in mean event date of phenophases. Migrant abundance and tree flowering generally increased with minimum spring temperature but depended on annual climate by habitat interactions. Migrant abundance was lowest and flowering was highest under cold, snowy conditions in high elevation montane conifer habitat while bird abundance was greatest and flowering was lowest in low elevation riparian habitat under the driest conditions. Phenological synchrony and overlap were unique and complementary metrics and should both be used when assessing mismatch. Overlap declined due to asynchronous phenologies but also due to reduced migrant abundance or flowering when synchrony was actually maintained. Overlap declined with increasing difference in event date and this trend was strongest in riparian areas. Montane habitat specialists may be at greatest risk of mismatch while riparian habitat could provide refugia during dry years for phenotypically plastic species. Interannual climate patterns that we observed match climate change projections for the arid southwest, altering stopover habitat condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jherime L Kellermann
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA,
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45
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Liang QJ, Zhao L, Wang JQ, Chen Q, Zheng WH, Liu JS. Effect of food restriction on the energy metabolism of the Chinese bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis). DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 36:79-87. [PMID: 25855226 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.2.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Food resources play an important role in the regulation of animals' physiology and behavior. We investigated the effect of short-term food restriction on metabolic thermogenesis of Chinese bulbuls (Pycnonotus sinensis) by measuring changes in body mass, body fat, basic metabolic rate (BMR), and organ mass of wild-caught Chinese bulbuls from Wenzhou, China. Short-term food restriction induced a significant decrease in body mass and body fat but body mass returned to normal levels soon after food was no longer restricted. Food restriction caused a significant reduction in BMR after 7 days (P<0.05), which returned to normal levels after food restriction ceased. Log total BMR was positively correlated with log body mass (r(2)=0.126, P<0.05). The dry masses of livers and the digestive tract were higher in birds that had been subject to temporary food restriction than in control birds and those subject to continual food restriction (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). There was also significant differences in the dry mass of the lungs (P<0.05), heart (P<0.01), and spleen (P<0.05) in birds subject to short-term food restriction compared to control birds and those subject to continual food restriction. BMR was positively correlated with body and organ (heart, kidney and stomach) mass. These results suggest that the Chinese bulbul adjusts to restricted food availability by utilizing its energy reserves, lowering its BMR and changing the weight of various internal organs so as to balance total energy requirements. These may all be survival strategies that allow birds to cope with unpredictable variation in food abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Jian Liang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jia-Qi Wang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Qian Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Wei-Hong Zheng
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China;Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou 325035, China;Institute of applied ecology, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jin-Song Liu
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China;Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou 325035, China;Institute of applied ecology, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
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Albano N, Santiago-Quesada F, Masero JA, Sánchez-Guzmán JM, Möstl E. Immunoreactive cortisone in droppings reflect stress levels, diet and growth rate of gull-billed tern chicks. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 213:74-80. [PMID: 25743158 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Blood levels of corticosterone have been traditionally analyzed to assess stress levels in birds; however, measuring steroid hormone metabolites in feces and droppings has gained much interest as a noninvasive technique successfully used for such purposed in vertebrates. Diet may affect these fecal metabolite levels (e.g., due to nutritional stress), however, this variable has not been taken into account in studies with chicks despite the great dietary flexibility of many avian species. In this study, we addressed for the first time this key issue and validated the technique in wild gull-billed tern chicks (Gelochelidon nilotica). Several enzyme immunoassays were used to determine the most appropriate test to measure the stress response. Subsequently, we performed an experiment in captivity to assess adrenocortical activity in gull-billed tern chicks fed with two diets: piscivorous vs. insectivorous. Finally, the relation between the chicks' growth rate and excreted immunoreactive glucocorticoid metabolites (EGMs) was also evaluated. We found the immunoreactive cortisone metabolites to be a good index of stress (as being an index of adrenocortical reactivity) in chicks of this species. Fish-fed chicks had higher levels of cortisone metabolites when comparing both concentration and total daily excreted metabolites. Within each treatment diet, cortisone metabolite levels and growth rates were negatively correlated. These findings suggest that the diet should be considered when using this technique for comparative purposes and highlight the trade-off between stress levels and chicks growth rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Albano
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Zoology, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Francisco Santiago-Quesada
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Zoology, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
| | - José A Masero
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Zoology, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Juan M Sánchez-Guzmán
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Zoology, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Erich Möstl
- Department of Biomedical Sciences-Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
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Ruthrauff DR, Dekinga A, Gill RE, van Gils JA, Piersma T. Ways to be different: foraging adaptations that facilitate higher intake rates in a northerly wintering shorebird compared with a low-latitude conspecific. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 218:1188-97. [PMID: 25714569 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.108894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
At what phenotypic level do closely related subspecies that live in different environments differ with respect to food detection, ingestion and processing? This question motivated an experimental study on rock sandpipers (Calidris ptilocnemis). The species' nonbreeding range spans 20 deg of latitude, the extremes of which are inhabited by two subspecies: C. p. ptilocnemis that winters primarily in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska (61°N) and C. p. tschuktschorum that overlaps slightly with C. p. ptilocnemis but whose range extends much farther south (∼40°N). In view of the strongly contrasting energetic demands of their distinct nonbreeding distributions, we conducted experiments to assess the behavioral, physiological and sensory aspects of foraging and we used the bivalve Macoma balthica for all trials. C. p. ptilocnemis consumed a wider range of prey sizes, had higher maximum rates of energy intake, processed shell waste at higher maximum rates and handled prey more quickly. Notably, however, the two subspecies did not differ in their abilities to find buried prey. The subspecies were similar in size and had equally sized gizzards, but the more northern ptilocnemis individuals were 10-14% heavier than their same-sex tschuktschorum counterparts. The higher body mass in ptilocnemis probably resulted from hypertrophy of digestive organs (e.g. intestine, liver) related to digestion and nutrient assimilation. Given the previously established equality of the metabolic capacities of the two subspecies, we propose that the high-latitude nonbreeding range of ptilocnemis rock sandpipers is primarily facilitated by digestive (i.e. physiological) aspects of their foraging ecology rather than behavioral or sensory aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Ruthrauff
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA Department of Marine Ecology, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, Den Burg, Texel 1790 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Dekinga
- Department of Marine Ecology, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, Den Burg, Texel 1790 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Robert E Gill
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Jan A van Gils
- Department of Marine Ecology, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, Den Burg, Texel 1790 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Department of Marine Ecology, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, Den Burg, Texel 1790 AB, The Netherlands Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, Groningen 9700 CC, The Netherlands
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48
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St Clair CT, Baird P, Ydenberg R, Elner R, Bendell LI. Trace elements in Pacific Dunlin (Calidris alpina pacifica): patterns of accumulation and concentrations in kidneys and feathers. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2015; 24:29-44. [PMID: 25253642 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1352-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Trace element concentrations were measured in Pacific Dunlin (Calidris alpina pacifica) to identify factors that influence accumulation and to assess toxicity risks. We report concentrations of cadmium, copper, and zinc in kidneys as well as copper, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc in feathers. Relationships between element concentrations and Dunlin age, sex, bill length, habitat preference, trophic level, and sample group were investigated with regression analyses. Stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in Dunlin muscle tissue were used to determine habitat preference and trophic level, respectively. Cadmium concentrations in kidneys were significantly related to habitat preference: [Cd] in estuarine foragers >[Cd] in terrestrial foragers. Cadmium accumulation was age-dependent as concentrations increased significantly within 10 months of hatch dates but not afterward. Concentrations of cadmium and zinc in kidneys as well as lead and mercury in feathers were below those known to cause deleterious effects in birds. In contrast, selenium concentrations in feathers (range: 2.1-14.0 µg/g) were often at levels associated with toxicity risks (>5 µg/g). Toxicity thresholds are not available for copper in kidneys or copper and zinc in feathers; however, measured concentrations of these elements were within documented ranges for sandpipers. Future studies should assess potential impacts of selenium on embryonic development in Dunlin and other sandpipers. Risk assessments would yield more conclusive results for all elements if impacts under ecologically relevant stresses (e.g. development in the wild, migration, predation) were better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Toby St Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada,
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Noguera JC, Monaghan P, Metcalfe NB. Interactive effects of early and later nutritional conditions on the adult antioxidant defence system in zebra finches. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:2211-7. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.120956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, antioxidant defences comprise a mixture of endogenously produced components and exogenously obtained antioxidants that are derived mostly from the diet. It has been suggested that early life micronutritional conditions might influence the way in which the antioxidant defence system operates, which could enable individuals to adjust the activity of the endogenous and exogenous components in line with their expected intake of dietary antioxidants if the future environment resembles the past. We investigated this possibility by experimentally manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet during different periods of postnatal development in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Birds that had a low micronutrient diet during the growth phase initially had a lower total antioxidant capacity (TAC) than those reared under a high micronutrient diet, but then showed a compensatory response, so that by the end of the growth phase the TAC of the two groups was the same. Interestingly, we found an interactive effect of micronutrient intake early and late in development: only those birds that continued with the same dietary treatment (low or high) throughout development showed a significant increase in their TAC during the period of sexual maturation. A similar effect was also found in the level of enzymatic antioxidant defences (glutathione peroxidase; GPx). No significant effects were found in the level of oxidative damage in lipids (MDA). These findings demonstrate the importance of early and late developmental conditions in shaping multiple aspects of the antioxidant system. Furthermore, they suggest that young birds may adjust their antioxidant defences to enable them to ‘thrive’ on diets rich or poor in micronutrients later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C. Noguera
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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50
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Trivedi AK, Kumar J, Rani S, Kumar V. Annual life history-dependent gene expression in the hypothalamus and liver of a migratory songbird: insights into the molecular regulation of seasonal metabolism. J Biol Rhythms 2014; 29:332-45. [PMID: 25252711 DOI: 10.1177/0748730414549766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Birds seasonally switch from one life history state (LHS) to another to maximize their fitness. Accordingly, they exhibit distinct differences in their physiological and behavioral phenotypes between seasons. Possible molecular mechanisms underlying changes through the seasons have scarcely been examined in migratory birds. The present study measured key genes suggested to be involved in the metabolic regulation of 4 photoperiodically induced seasonal LHSs in a long-distance migratory songbird, the blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). Buntings were held under short days (8 h light:16 h darkness, 8L:16D), during which they maintained the winter nonmigratory phenotype. Then they were exposed for several weeks to long days (13L:11D). Differences in the activity-rest pattern, body fattening and weight gain, testis size, organ (heart, intestine) weights, and blood glucose and triglyceride levels confirmed that buntings sequentially exhibited spring migration-linked premigratory, migratory, and postmigratory LHSs under long days. The mRNA levels of circadian genes involved in metabolism (Bmal1, Clock, Npas2, Rorα, and Rev-erbα) and of genes that encode for proteins/enzymes involved in the regulation of glucose (Sirt1, FoxO1, Glut1, and Pygl) and lipids (Hmg-CoA; Pparα, Pparγ; Fasn and Acaca) showed LHS-dependent changes in their light-dark expression patterns in the hypothalamus and liver. These initial results on genetic regulation of metabolism in a migratory species extend the idea that the transitions between LHSs in a seasonal species are accomplished by changes at multiple regulatory levels. Thus, these findings promise new insights into the mechanism(s) of adaptation to seasons in higher vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit K Trivedi
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jayant Kumar
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Sangeeta Rani
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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