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Trigos-Peral G, Maák IE, Schmid S, Chudzik P, Czaczkes TJ, Witek M, Casacci LP, Sánchez-García D, Lőrincz Á, Kochanowski M, Heinze J. Urban abiotic stressors drive changes in the foraging activity and colony growth of the black garden ant Lasius niger. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170157. [PMID: 38242447 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Changes in habitat characteristics are known to have profound effects on biotic communities and their functional traits. In the context of an urban-rural gradient, urbanisation drastically alters abiotic characteristics, e.g., by increasing environmental temperatures and through light pollution. These abiotic changes significantly impact the functional traits of organisms, particularly insects. Furthermore, changes in habitat characteristics also drive changes in the behavioural traits of animals, allowing them to adapt and thrive in new environments. In our study, we focused on the synanthropic ant species Lasius niger as a model organism. We conducted nocturnal field observations and complemented them with laboratory experiments to investigate the influence of night warming (NW) associated with Urban Heat Islands (UHI), light pollution (ALAN), and habitat type on ant foraging behaviour. In addition, we investigated the influence of elevated temperatures on brood development and worker mortality. Our findings revealed that urban populations of L. niger were generally more active during the night compared to their rural counterparts, although the magnitude of this difference varied with specific city characteristics. In laboratory settings, higher temperatures and continuous illumination were associated with increased activity level in ants, again differing between urban and rural populations. Rural ants exhibited more locomotion compared to their urban counterparts when maintained under identical conditions, which might enable them to forage more effectively in a potentially more challenging environment. High temperatures decreased the developmental time of brood from both habitat types and increased worker mortality, although rural colonies were more strongly affected. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the influence of urban environmental stressors on the foraging activity pattern and colony development of ants. Such stressors can be important for the establishment and spread of synanthropic ant species, including invasive ones, and the biotic homogenization of anthropogenic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Trigos-Peral
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - I E Maák
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - S Schmid
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - P Chudzik
- Han University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - M Witek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - L P Casacci
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - D Sánchez-García
- Museum and Institute of Zoology - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Á Lőrincz
- University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - J Heinze
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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2
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Fogliano C, Carotenuto R, Agnisola C, Simoniello P, Karam M, Manfredonia C, Avallone B, Motta CM. Benzodiazepine Delorazepam Induces Locomotory Hyperactivity and Alterations in Pedal Mucus Texture in the Freshwater Gastropod Planorbarius corneus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17070. [PMID: 38069390 PMCID: PMC10706940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzodiazepines, psychotropic drugs, are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment due to over-consumption and inefficient removal by sewage treatment plants. Bioaccumulation with consequent behavioral and physiological effects has been reported in many aquatic species. However, the responses are species-specific and still poorly understood. To improve the knowledge, we exposed the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus to 1, 5, or 10 µg/L of delorazepam, the most widely consumed benzodiazepine in Italy. Conventional behavioral tests were used to assess the effects on locomotor and feeding behavior. Histological and biochemical analyses were also performed to detect possible changes in the structure and composition of the foot mucus and glands. The results show a paradoxical response with reduced feeding activity and locomotor hyperactivity. Pedal mucus was altered in texture but not in composition, becoming particularly rich in fibrous collagen-like material, and a significant change in the protein composition was highlighted in the foot. In conclusion, exposure to delorazepam induces disinhibited behavior in Planorbarius corneus, potentially increasing the risk of predation, and an increase in mucus protein production, which, together with reduced feeding activity, would severely compromise energy resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Fogliano
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Rosa Carotenuto
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Claudio Agnisola
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Palma Simoniello
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples Parthenope, 80143 Naples, Italy;
| | - Myriam Karam
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Claudia Manfredonia
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Bice Avallone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Chiara Maria Motta
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (C.F.); (R.C.); (C.A.); (M.K.); (C.M.); (C.M.M.)
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Ferreira RDO, Guimarães ATB, Luz TMD, Rodrigues ASDL, Islam ARMT, Rahman MM, Ragavendran C, Kamaraj C, Charlie-Silva I, Durigon EL, Braz HLB, Arias AH, Santiago OC, Barceló D, Malafaia G. First report on the toxicity of SARS-CoV-2, alone and in combination with polyethylene microplastics in neotropical fish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163617. [PMID: 37088384 PMCID: PMC10122543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented negative impacts in the modern era, including economic, social, and public health losses. On the other hand, the potential effects that the input of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment from sewage may represent on non-target organisms are not well known. In addition, it is not yet known whether the association of SARS-CoV-2 with other pollutants, such as microplastics (MPs), may further impact the aquatic biota. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the possible ecotoxicological effects of exposure of male adults Poecilia reticulata, for 15 days, to inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (0.742 pg/L; isolated SARS.CoV2/SP02.2020.HIAE.Br) and polyethylene MP (PE MPs) (7.1 × 104 particles/L), alone and in combination, from multiple biomarkers. Our data suggest that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 induced behavioral changes (in the open field test), nephrotoxic effect (inferred by the increase in creatinine), hepatotoxic effect (inferred by the increase in bilirubin production), imbalance in the homeostasis of Fe, Ca, and Mg, as well as an anticholinesterase effect in the animals [marked by the reduction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity]. On the other hand, exposure to PE MPs induced a genotoxic effect (assessed by the comet assay), as well as an increase in enzyme activity alpha-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, and carboxylesterases. However, we did not show synergistic, antagonistic, or additive effects caused by the combined exposure of P. reticulata to SARS-CoV-2 and PE MPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and values from the "Integrated Biomarker Response" index indicate that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was determinant for a more prominent effect in the evaluated animals. Therefore, our study sheds light on the ecotoxicity of the new coronavirus in non-target organisms and ratifies the need for more attention to the impacts of COVID-19 on aquatic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raíssa de Oliveira Ferreira
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), JordiGirona 1826, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Thiarlen Marinho da Luz
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | - Aline Sueli de Lima Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Md Mostafizur Rahman
- Laboratory of Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
| | - Chinnasamy Ragavendran
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
| | - Chinnaperumal Kamaraj
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Indian System of Medicine (IIISM), Directorate of Research and Virtual Education, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ives Charlie-Silva
- Chemistry Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP) Campus Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Edison Luiz Durigon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Andrés Hugo Arias
- National University of the South Bahía Blanca, CONICET Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), Argentina
| | - Omar Cruz Santiago
- Multidisciplinary Postgraduate Program for Environmental Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Damià Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil; Brazilian Academy of Young Scientists (ABJC), Brazil.
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Differential Gene Expression Correlates with Behavioural Polymorphism during Collective Behaviour in Cockroaches. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182354. [PMID: 36139214 PMCID: PMC9495117 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182354] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary It is currently well accepted that animals differ from one another in their behaviour and tendency to perform actions, a property we refer to as animal personality. In group-living animals, variation in animal personality can be important to determine group survival, as it determines how individuals interact with each other and with their environment. However, we have little knowledge of the proximal mechanisms underlying personality, particularly in group-living organisms. Here, we investigate the relationship between gene expression and two behavioural types (bold and shy) in a gregarious species: the American cockroach. Our results show that bold individuals have upregulated genes with functions associated with sensory activity (phototaxis and odour detection) and aggressive/dominant behaviour, and suggest that social context can modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. This work could help identify genes important in the earliest stages of group living and social life, and provides a first step toward establishing cockroaches as a focal group for the study of the evolution of sociality. Abstract Consistent inter-individual variation in the propensity to perform different tasks (animal personality) can contribute significantly to the success of group-living organisms. The distribution of different personalities in a group influences collective actions and therefore how these organisms interact with their environment. However, we have little understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying animal personality in animal groups, and research on this theme has often been biased towards organisms with advanced social systems. The goal of this study is to investigate the mechanistic basis for personality variation during collective behaviour in a species with rudimentary societies: the American cockroach. We thus use an approach which combines experimental classification of individuals into behavioural phenotypes (‘bold’ and ‘shy’ individuals) with comparative gene expression. Our analyses reveal differences in gene expression between behavioural phenotypes and suggest that social context may modulate gene expression related to bold/shy characteristics. We also discuss how cockroaches could be a valuable model for the study of genetic mechanisms underlying the early steps in the evolution of social behaviour and social complexity. This study provides a first step towards a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with differences in boldness and behavioural plasticity in these organisms.
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Texas field crickets (Gryllus texensis) use visual cues to place learn but perform poorly when intra- and extra-maze cues conflict. Learn Behav 2022; 50:306-316. [DOI: 10.3758/s13420-022-00532-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Yun-Ru Chen, Li DW, Wang HP, Lin SS, Yang EC. The impact of thigmotaxis deprivation on the development of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica). iScience 2022; 25:104802. [PMID: 35992075 PMCID: PMC9385682 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104802] [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: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thigmotaxis is required in small animals. In this study, we examined how the shelter angle affects the development of German cockroaches, Blattella germanica. Groups and individual cockroaches showed a strong preference for shelters with an angle of ≤40° after 15 min or 24 h in shelter-selection trials. For cockroaches that developed in 90/180-degree shelters, survival and fecundity were low, and the nymphal stage lasted longer. Post-molting transcriptomes of second- and sixth-instar nymphs were analyzed at 12 h and 2 days post-molting. Upregulation was observed in genes related to ATP metabolism and cellular amide metabolism. Chitin-based cuticle development and postembryonic development-related genes were downregulated. The stress responses of cockroaches that developed in shelters with angles of 90° were similar to those of gregarious cockroaches experiencing social isolation. For German cockroaches, environmental tactile stimuli are crucial to development and homeostasis. German cockroaches tended to prefer shelters with an angle of ≤40 Both fecundity and survival are low in 90°/180° developed cockroaches Genes for cuticle development were down-regulated in 90°/180° developed cockroaches German cockroaches require a shelter with an angle of ≤40° for development
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Nuutila J, Honkanen AE, Heimonen K, Weckström M. The effect of vertical extent of stimuli on cockroach optomotor response. J Exp Biol 2020:jeb.204768. [PMID: 34005539 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Using tethered American cockroaches walking on a trackball in a spherical virtual reality environment, we tested optomotor responses to horizontally moving black-and-white gratings of different vertical extent under six different light intensities. We found that shortening the vertical extent of the wide-field stimulus grating within a light level weakened response strength, reduced average velocity, and decreased angular walking distance. Optomotor responses with the vertically shortened stimuli persisted down to light intensity levels of 0.05 lx. Response latency seems to be independent of both the height of the stimulus and light intensity. The optomotor response started saturating at the light intensity of 5 lx, where the shortest behaviourally significant stimulus was 1°. This indicates that the number of vertical ommatidial rows needed to elicit an optomotor response at 5 lx and above is in the single digits, maybe even just one. Our behavioural results encourage further inquiry into the interplay of light intensity and stimulus size in insect dim-light vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Nuutila
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anna E Honkanen
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kyösti Heimonen
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Matti Weckström
- Nano and Molecular Systems Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland
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Planas-Sitjà I, Deneubourg JL. The role of personality variation, plasticity and social facilitation in cockroach aggregation. Biol Open 2018; 7:7/12/bio036582. [PMID: 30530747 PMCID: PMC6310888 DOI: 10.1242/bio.036582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality variation has been proven to affect ecology, evolution and group behaviour in many ways. Nevertheless, how social context influences behavioural strategies and individual personality variation has rarely been addressed. This study sheds light on the relationship between social interactions, personality variation and plasticity in a collective context. For this purpose, we used a binary setup (i.e. an arena with two identical shelters) to study the aggregation process of cockroaches. We tested the same individuals in isolated and social (groups of 16 individuals) conditions. We show that even if social interactions reduce the observation of personality variation, the behaviour in a group is correlated to individual preferences displayed in isolation. Furthermore, our results suggest that individuals show different levels of plasticity according to their shelter occupancy; individuals with high occupancy rates show low levels of plasticity and are less affected by social amplification in social conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Planas-Sitjà
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team - CP231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Bd. du Triomphe, Building No. 5, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Deneubourg
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team - CP231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Bd. du Triomphe, Building No. 5, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Planas-Sitjà I, Nicolis SC, Sempo G, Deneubourg JL. The interplay between personalities and social interactions affects the cohesion of the group and the speed of aggregation. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201053. [PMID: 30089129 PMCID: PMC6082527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective decision-making plays a central role in group-living animals and can be crucial to the survival of a group and the fitness of its members. As group-level properties emerge from individual decisions, personality variation can be a major determinant of collective behaviours. Here, we explore the relationship between personality and social interactions to explain the speed and cohesion of collective decision making during the aggregation process of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). We composed groups solely with shy individuals (spending a long time sheltered) or bold individuals (spending a short time sheltered) and tested them in a binary setup (arena with two shelters) for 3 consecutive days. We analysed the shelter use of individuals and groups to compare behavioural consistency among days and analyse the collective decision-making process. Contrary to the bold groups, shy groups had a faster aggregation process with more individuals sheltered mainly because shy individuals found the shelter more rapidly. Moreover, we show that personality is modulated by social interactions. We show high behavioural plasticity in bold groups, where some individuals act shy. This also suggests that learning and regulation mechanisms may take place. This study sheds some light on the implications of individual personality for collective decision making and the key role of shy individuals in gregarious species, such as P. americana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Planas-Sitjà
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team—CP 231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Stamatios C. Nicolis
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team—CP 231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Grégory Sempo
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team—CP 231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Deneubourg
- Biological and Artificial Self-organised Systems Team—CP 231, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles, Belgium
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