bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Several forms of callitachykinins are distributed in the central nervous system and intestine of the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria
Authors: Nässel Dick R. , Kim Min-Yung , Lundquist C. Tomas
Published: April 2021

We have examined the distribution of two tachykinin-related neuropeptides, callitachykinin I and II (CavTK-I and CavTK-II), isolated from whole-animal extracts of the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria. Extracts of dissected brains, thoracic–abdominal ganglia and midguts of adult blowflies and the entire central nervous system of larval flies were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of CavTKs. To identify the two neuropeptides by HPLC, we used the retention times of synthetic CavTK-I and II as reference and detection with an antiserum raised to locustatachykinin II (shown here to recognise both CavTK-I and II). The brain contains only two immunoreactive components, and these have exactly the same retention times as CavTK-I and II. The thoracic–abdominal ganglia and midgut contain immunoreactive material eluting like CavTK-I and II as well as additional material eluting later. The larval central nervous system (CNS) contains material eluting like CavTK-I and II as well as a component that elutes earlier. We conclude that CavTK-I and II are present in all assayed tissues and that additional, hitherto uncharacterised, forms of tachykinin-immunoreactive material may be present in the body ganglia and midgut as well as in the larval CNS. An antiserum was raised to CavTK-II for immunocytochemistry. This antiserum, which was found to be specific for CavTK-II in ELISA, labelled all the neurones and midgut endocrine cells previously shown to react with the less selective locustatachykinin antisera. It is not clear, however, whether CavTK-I and II are co-localised in all LomTK-immunoreactive cells since there is no unambiguous probe for CavTK-I.
Crustacean cardioexcitatory peptides may inhibit the heart in vivo
Authors: McGaw I. J. , Wilkens J. L. , McMahon B. R. , Airriess C. N.
Published: April 2021

Peptide neurohormones exist as functionally similar analogues in a wide variety of invertebrate and vertebrate phyla, and many have been implicated as cardiovascular regulators. In decapod crustaceans, these include the pentapeptide proctolin, crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) and the FMRFamide-related peptides F1 and F2, all of which are found in the pericardial organs located immediately upstream of the heart. Cardioexcitatory activity has been demonstrated by these four peptides in both isolated and semi-isolated arthropod hearts; CCAP, however, has minimal effects on the heart of Cancer magister. In the present study, we determined the effects of proctolin, F1 and F2 on the heart of the crab C. magister in both in vitro (semi-isolated heart) and in vivo (whole animal) preparations. In semi-isolated hearts, infusion of each peptide caused cardioexcitation, increasing the rate and stroke volume of the heart. In whole crabs, the peptides were cardioinhibitory; the strongest effects were observed with F1 and F2, which dramatically decreased heart rate, cardiac stroke volume and cardiac output. These results cast doubt on current perceptions of the functional role of cardioactive peptides in the regulation of invertebrate cardiovascular performance in vivo.
Roles of energy status, KATP channels and channel arrest in fish brain K+ gradient dissipation during anoxia
Authors: Johansson Dan , Nilsson Göran E.
Published: April 2021

The crucian carp (Carassius carassius L.) is one of the most anoxia-tolerant vertebrates known, being able to maintain ion homeostasis in its brain for many hours of anoxia. This study aims to clarify the importance of glycolysis during anoxia and also to investigate whether the extreme tolerance to anoxia could be due to down-regulation of K+ permeability (‘channel arrest’) and/or activation of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. The latter was also tested in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The results suggest that, during anoxia, the crucian carp brain is completely dependent on glycolysis, since blocking glycolysis with iodoacetic acid (IAA) rapidly caused an increase in [K+]o that coincided with a drastic drop in ATP level and energy charge. Testing the channel arrest hypothesis by measuring the K+ efflux rate after Na+/K+-ATPase had been blocked by ouabain revealed no change in K+ permeability in crucian carp brain in response to anoxia. Furthermore, superfusing the brain of anoxic crucian carp with the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide did not alter the efflux rate of K+ after glycolysis had been inhibited with IAA. Glibenclamide had no effect on K+ efflux rate in rainbow trout brain during anoxia.
Ultrasound acoustic startle response in scarab beetles
Authors: Forrest T. G. , Farris H. E. , Hoy R. R.
Published: April 2021

We discovered an auditory sense in a night-flying scarab beetle, Euetheola humilis, the first scarab to be shown to hear airborne sounds. In the field, beetles were captured beneath speakers broadcasting ultrasound that simulated bat echolocation pulses. Apparently, the beetles took evasive action from a potential bat predator and flew into the traps. Using another behavioral assay in laboratory studies, the beetles were sensitive to frequencies ranging from 20 to 70 kHz at levels between 60 and 70 dB SPL. One component of the behavioral response, a head roll, was graded with stimulus intensity, and the number of potentials in electromyographic recordings from muscles involved in the roll increased as stimulus intensity increased. The response latency was about 40 ms at threshold, decreasing to about 30 ms at 20 dB above threshold. The beetle’s short response latency is ideally suited for predator avoidance behavior and the frequency tuning of the response suggests that it could function in evasion from insectivorous bats. The beetle’s acoustic sensitivity is remarkably similar to that of other night-flying insects showing ultrasound-induced startle and it should provide these scarab beetles with a similar advance warning of predation risk.
A novel proline, glycine: K+ symporter in midgut brush-border membrane vesicles from larval Manduca sexta
Authors: Bader Amy L. , Parthasarathy R. , Harvey William R.
Published: April 2021

Alkali-cation-dependent uptake of proline and glycine into brush-border membrane vesicles from the midgut of the larval tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta was investigated using rapid filtration assays. Uptake of both amino acids was by electrophoretic symport, with K+ being the favored cation at pH 10. Counterflow accumulation of proline was elicited by glycine and vice versa, suggesting that the two amino acids are transported by a common symporter, which we designate the pro, gly: K+ symporter. L-α-Aminoisobutyric acid was the only other amino acid that elicited the accumulation of both proline and glycine. D-Proline was not symported; L-proline, glycine and L-α-aminoisobutyric acid appear to be the only substrates of the pro, gly: K+ symporter. Neutral amino acids with relatively short sidechains elicit glycine accumulation, suggesting that glycine may also be symported by the well-established neutral amino acid system. Since proline does not utilize the broad-spectrum, neutral system, its symport appears to be exclusively through the pro, gly: K+ symporter. Proline symport was found mainly in posterior midgut vesicles, suggesting that the pro, gly: K+ symporter may be localized in this region of the midgut.
Immunolocalization of the 17 kDa vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit c in Heliothis virescens midgut and malpighian tubules with an anti-peptide antibody
Authors: Pietrantonio Patricia V. , Gill Sarjeet S.
Published: April 2021

The transmembrane sector of V-ATPases is involved in proton conduction across the membrane where a 15–17 kDa proteolipid forms a putative proton channel. An affinity-purified rabbit polyclonal antibody was developed to an antigenic and putatively extracellular region of a cloned 17 kDa proteolipid. In larval tissue sections, this antibody labeled the midgut goblet cell apical membrane in Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and the apical membrane in Malpighian tubules from H. virescens and Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). The antibody also recognized the 17 kDa protein in an immunoblot of H. virescens Malpighian tubule homogenate. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of two transcript sizes in the midgut (1.9 and 1.2 kb) and Malpighian tubules (2.2 and 1.9 kb). Our results strongly support the hypothesis that the 17 kDa protein is a component of the V-ATPase, where it is thought to be the proton-conducting subunit. This polyclonal antibody may provide a powerful tool for V-ATPase regulation studies, while the use of the anti-peptide antibody approach may be helpful for the immunolocalization of other ductins.
Dye coupling in the muscles controlling squid chromatophore expansion
Authors: Reed Candida M.
Published: April 2021

Dye coupling between the cone-shaped radial muscle fibres, which control the expansion and closing of a squid chromatophore organ, was investigated in the squid Loligo vulgaris. Particular attention was paid to the role of the myomuscular junctions located between the muscle fibres. Lucifer Yellow was injected ionophoretically into single muscle fibres under normal artificial sea water (ASW) and under various concentrations of calcium in ASW. Under ASW, 44 % of muscle fibres examined were dye-coupled, 82 % were coupled under calcium-free sea water and 67 % were coupled under sea water containing high concentrations of calcium. Dye transfer was blocked by octanol. Muscle fibres were never seen to link adjacent chromatophore organs. Results are discussed in terms of the role of the myomuscular junctions in the regulation of chromatophore expansion in the living animal.
Wing-Beat Coupling Between Flying Locust Pairs: Preferred Phase and Lift Enhancement
Authors: Camhi J. M. , Sumbre G. , Wendler G.
Published: April 2021

Pairs of locusts flying in tandem in a wind tunnel are known to couple their wing-beats intermittently. The rhythmically oscillating air flow from the front locust’s wing-beat, detected by the rear individual, appears to convey the timing information for coupling. Three predictions of this arrangement were tested quantitatively in this study. (1) Given that the oscillating air flow has a wavelength of 7.5 cm, placing the rear locust 7.5 or 15 cm behind the front one should produce the same phase of coupling, whereas placing it at an intermediate distance of 11 cm should produce an opposite phase. (2) At any distance, the preferred phase at which wing-beat coupling occurs should depend, in part, on the difference in the wing-beat frequencies of the two locusts just before the coupling began. (3) At the moment that the wing-beats of the two locusts become coupled, a change should be observed consistently in the wing-beat frequency of the rear individual only. Each of these three predictions was fulfilled.

We also recorded the instantaneous lift of the rear locust by tethering it to a laser torque meter. Lift varied with the phase of the wing-beats between the two locusts. For a given distance between the two locusts, lift was greater by a mean of 16% of the locust’s body mass at those phases where coupling most commonly occurred than at opposite phases. This lift effect was seen even if the wing-beats of the two locusts drifted through these preferred phases without actually coupling. These results are discussed in terms of a possible energetic advantage conferred to the rear locust by flying in tandem and by coupling its flight rhythm to the leader’s wing-beat.
Extraordinary Flight Performance of Orchid Bees (Apidae: Euglossini) Hovering in Heliox (80% He/20% O2)
Authors: Dudley Robert
Published: April 2021

Limits to insect flight performance are difficult to evaluate because the full range of aerodynamic capabilities cannot be easily elicited or controlled. Invasive experimental manipulations, such as tethering and weight addition, may adversely affect the biomechanics of the flight system as a whole. Because air density is a major determinant of aerodynamic force production, gas mixtures of variable density can be used to investigate insect flight performance non-invasively. Three species of orchid bee hovering in heliox (80% He/20% O2) exhibited dramatic increases in lift and power output relative to flight in normal air. Stroke amplitude increased significantly in heliox, while wingbeat frequency was unchanged; the Reynolds numbers of the wings decreased on average by 41%. Although lift performance of airfoils generally degrades at lower Reynolds numbers, mean lift coefficients in heliox increased significantly relative to values for hovering in normal air. Mean muscle mass-specific power output for flight in heliox mixtures ranged from 130 to 160 W kg−1, substantially exceeding values determined from isolated asynchronous muscle preparations as well as limits postulated from the results of load-lifting experiments. The use of variable-density gas mixtures to examine animal flight performance is a simple yet powerful manipulation that will permit a new evaluation of both insect and vertebrate flight mechanics.
Locomotor Behavior of Nocturnal Ghost Crabs on the Beach: Focal Animal Sampling and Instantaneous Velocity From Three-Dimensional Motion Analysis
Authors: Weinstein Randi B.
Published: April 2021

Previous laboratory measurements of the energetics and biomechanics of locomotion have defined performance limits for the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata. To discover whether these animals naturally operate within these limits, a novel infrared videotaping system was used to observe nocturnally active ghost crabs in the field for three-dimensional motion analysis (N=27) and focal animal sampling (N=24). Instantaneous movement velocity, movement duration, pause duration and stride frequency were determined from video tapes. Voluntarily active crabs moved at a mean instantaneous velocity of 8 cm s−1. Stressed crabs (i.e. those captured and released into the field site) moved at a mean velocity of 83 cm s−1. The mean movement and pause period durations of voluntarily active animals moving along the beach were 11.2 and 23.4 s, respectively. Stressed crabs had much shorter movement (1.4 s) and pause (7.6 s) durations. Despite the differences in mean movement and pause duration, both voluntarily active and stressed crabs moved for an average of approximately 30% of the observation period. These data indicate that voluntarily active ghost crabs primarily move at velocities that can be sustained aerobically and that their performance is not likely to be altered by moving intermittently. By contrast, stressed crabs move at faster speeds that are closer to the limits of their continuous locomotor performance (e.g. escape behavior and aggressive encounters). In the laboratory, the endurance capacity of crabs moving continuously at these rapid speeds is only a few seconds. However, in the field, the stressed crabs are able to move intermittently for more than a few seconds, yet they do not fatigue. These observations suggest that the performance limits of the stressed crabs are increased by moving intermittently.
Nitric Oxide Loading of the Salivary Nitric-Oxide-Carrying Hemoproteins (Nitrophorins) in the Blood-Sucking BUG Rhodnius Prolixus
Authors: Nussenzveig Roberto H. , Bentley David L. , Ribeiro JosÉ M. C.
Published: April 2021

The salivary glands of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus are formed by a single layer of binucleated epithelial cells surrounded by a double layer of transversely oriented smooth muscle cells. The epithelial cells are rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria and have abundant microvillar projections towards the gland lumen. This cell layer surrounds a relatively large cavity where abundant secretory material is stored. Epithelial cells produce an intense and generalized NADPH diaphorase reaction, in contrast to other tissues such as brain, Malpighian tubules and skeletal muscle. Ultrastructural analysis of the osmiophilic reaction product indicates that it is localized within cytoplasmic vacuoles, a similar location to that of NADPH diaphorase (NO synthetase) activity in neuronal cells of vertebrates. Measurements of the time course of protein accumulation, NADPH diaphorase activity and the degree of nitrosylation of hemoproteins (nitrophorins) in the salivary glands of Rhodnius prolixus nymphs after a blood meal indicate that the nitrophorins are synthesized and accumulate when NO production is low (with a 25 % loading of the nitrophorins during the fourth-to fifth-instar molt). NO loading of the nitrophorins increases to 90 % after the molt, concomitant with a large increase in the salivary NADPH diaphorase activity. It is concluded that synthesis of NO occurs within the epithelial cells while the nitrophorins are stored extracellularly. It is hypothesized that the luminally oriented microvilli may serve as a diffusion bridge to direct intracellularly produced NO into the luminal cavity, where the nitrophorins are stored.
Cellular Metabolic Homeostasis During Large-Scale Change in Atp Turnover Rates in Muscles
Authors: Hochachka P. W. , Mcclelland G. B.
Published: April 2021

The term homeostasis traditionally refers to the maintenance of a relatively constant internal milieu in the face of changing environmental conditions or changing physiological function. Tissues such as skeletal and cardiac muscles must sustain very large-scale changes in ATP turnover rate during equally large changes in work. In many skeletal muscles, these changes can exceed 100-fold. In unique biological circumstances (for example, during periods of oxygen limitation, vasoconstriction and hypometabolism), tissues such as skeletal muscles may be obliged to sustain further decreases in ATP turnover rates and operate for varying periods at seriously suppressed ATP turnover rates. Examination of a number of cellular and whole-organism systems identifies ATP concentration as a key parameter of the interior milieu that is nearly universally ‘homeostatic’; it is common to observe no change in ATP concentration even while the change in its turnover rate can increase or decrease by two orders of magnitude. A large number of other intermediates of cellular metabolism are also regulated within narrow concentration ranges, but none seemingly as precisely as is [ATP]. In fact, the only other metabolite in aerobic energy metabolism that is seemingly as ‘homeostatic’ is oxygen – at least in working muscles. The central regulatory question is how such homeostasis of key intermediates in pathways of energy supply and energy demand is achieved.
Hypometabolic Homeostasis in Overwintering Aquatic Amphibians
Authors: Boutilier R. G. , Donohoe P. H. , Tattersall G. J. , West T. G.
Published: April 2021

Many amphibians encounter conditions each winter when their body temperature is so low that normal activities are suspended and the animals enter into a state of torpor. In ice-covered ponds or lakes, oxygen levels may also become limiting, thereby forcing animals to endure prolonged periods of severe hypoxia or anoxia. Certain frogs (e.g. Rana temporaria) can dramatically suppress their metabolism in anoxia but are not as tolerant as other facultative vertebrate anaerobes (e.g. turtle, goldfish) of prolonged periods of complete O2 lack. Many overwintering amphibians do, however, tolerate prolonged bouts of severe hypoxia, relying exclusively on cutaneous gas exchange. Rana temporaria overwintering for 2 months in hypoxic water ( approximately 25 mmHg) at 3 °C progressively reduce their blood to levels characteristic of water-breathing fish. The result is that blood pH rises and presumably facilitates transcutaneous O2 transfer by increasing Hb O2-affinity. Even after months of severe hypoxia, there is no substantial build-up of lactate as the animals continue to rely on cutaneous gas exchange to satisfy the requirements of a suppressed aerobic metabolism. Our recent experiments have shown that the skeletal muscle of frogs oxyconforms in vitro to the amount of O2 available. The cellular basis for the oxyconformation of skeletal muscle is unknown, but the hypothesis driving our continuing experiments theorises that metabolic suppression at a cellular level is synonymous with suppressed ion leak across cellular membranes.
Perireceptor Mechanisms Sustaining Olfaction at Low Salinities: Insight from the Euryhaline Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus
Authors: Gleeson Richard A. , Wheatly Michele G. , Reiber Carl L.
Published: April 2021

As the blue crab Callinectes sapidus moves from sea water to fresh water, the ‘exposed’ chemosensory dendrites in the olfactory sensilla (aesthetascs) undergo changes in length that are positively correlated with environmental salinity. In this study, we demonstrate the following. (1) The responses of the olfactory receptor cells of freshwater-acclimated crabs are reduced relative to those of seawater-acclimated animals, but increase with a time course comparable to the increase in dendrite length when these crabs are transferred to sea water. (2) The olfactory response of seawater-acclimated crabs is lost and the chemosensory dendrites osmotically ablated if the aesthetascs are acutely exposed to low salinity. However, maintaining iso-osmotic conditions with mannitol preserves both the physiological response and the structural integrity of the dendrites. (3) The flux of [14C]thiocyanate and 22Na between the hemolymph and sensillar lymph of the aesthetascs indicates continuity between these fluid compartments. (4) There is a net efflux of Na+ from the hemolymph through the aesthetascs in freshwater-acclimated crabs, and measurements of electrical potential across the antennules suggest that this efflux largely derives from passive diffusion. (5) Dendrites in the aesthetascs of crabs acclimated to brackish water are intermediate in length between those of freshwater- and seawater-acclimated animals. Together, our findings suggest that, at low salinities, the efflux of Na+ (and probably other ions) from the hemolymph generates an ionic/osmotic microenvironment within the aesthetascs that sustains the structural and functional integrity of the olfactory dendrites. We propose that the length of these dendrites, and consequently the olfactory response, is constrained by the distance over which this microenvironment can be effectively maintained.
Embryos of Artemia Franciscana Survive Four Years of Continuous Anoxia: The Case for Complete Metabolic Rate Depression
Authors: Clegg James S.
Published: April 2021

Encysted gastrula embryos of the crustacean Artemia franciscana have acquired an array of adaptations that enable them to survive a wide variety of environmental extremes.The present paper shows that at least 60 % survive 4 years of continuous anoxia at physiological temperatures (20–23 °C) when fully hydrated. Although these embryos appear to carry on a metabolism during the first day of anoxia, no evidence for a continuing metabolism throughout the subsequent 4 years was obtained. During this period, there were no measurable changes in the levels of their stored, mobilizable carbohydrates (trehalose, glycogen, glycerol). Calculations indicate that, if these carbohydrates are being utilized at all during anoxia, the rate is at the least 50 000 times lower than the aerobic rate (lower limit of detection). Indications of proteolysis during prolonged anoxia were sought but not found. Under starvation conditions, the life span of larvae produced from embryos that had undergone 4 years of anoxia was not significantly different from that of larvae produced by embryos that had not experienced anoxia. Thus, all substrates and other metabolites required to support embryonic development to the nauplius, as well as endogenous (unfed) larval growth and molting, are retained during 4 years of anoxia. It is not possible to prove experimentally the absence of a metabolic rate in anoxic embryos under physiological conditions of hydration and temperature. Nevertheless, on the basis of the results presented here, I will make the case that the anoxic embryo brings its metabolism to a reversible standstill. Such a conclusion requires that these embryos maintain their structural integrity in the absence of measurable biosynthesis and free energy flow and are thus an exception to a major biological generality. Potential mechanisms involved in their stability are discussed.
Vascular Peripheral Resistance and Compliance in the Lobster Homarus Americanus
Authors: Wilkens Jerrel L. , Davidson Glen W. , Cavey Michael J.
Published: April 2021

The peripheral resistance to flow through each arterial bed (in actuality, the entire pathway from the heart back to the pericardial sinus) and the mechanical properties of the seven arteries leaving the lobster heart are measured and compared. Resistance is inversely proportional to artery radius and, for each pathway, the resistance falls non-linearly as flow rate increases. The resistance of the hepatic arterial system is lower than that predicted on the basis of its radius. Body-part posture and movement may affect the resistance to perfusion of that region. The total vascular resistance placed on the heart when each artery is perfused at a rate typical of in vivo flow rates is approximately 1.93 kPa s ml−1. All vessels exhibit adluminal layers of fibrils and are relatively compliant at pressures at or below heart systolic pressure. Arteries become stiffer at pressures greater than peak systolic pressure and at radii greater than twice the unpressurized radius. The dorsal abdominal artery possesses striated muscle in the lateral walls. This artery remains compliant over the entire range of hemolymph pressures expected in lobsters. These trends are illustrated when the incremental modulus of elasticity is compared among arteries. All arteries should function as Windkessels to damp the pulsatile pressures and flows generated by the heart. The dorsal abdominal artery may also actively regulate its flow.
The Effects of Adrenaline on the Work- and Power-Generating Capacity of Rat Papillary Muscle In Vitro
Authors: Layland Joanne , Young Iain S. , Altringham John D.
Published: April 2021

The work loop technique was used to examine the effects of adrenaline on the mechanics of cardiac muscle contraction in vitro. The length for maximum active force (Lmax) and net work production (Lopt) for rat papillary muscles was determined under control conditions (without adrenaline). The concentration of adrenaline producing the maximum inotropic effect was determined. This concentration was used in the remainder of the experiments. Sinusoidal strain cycles about Lopt were performed over a physiologically relevant range of cycle frequencies (4–11 Hz). Maximum work and the frequency for maximum work increased from 1.91 J kg−1 at 3 Hz in controls to 2.97 J kg−1 at 6 Hz with adrenaline. Similarly, maximum power output and the frequency for maximum power output (fopt) increased from 8.62 W kg−1 at 6 Hz in controls to 19.95 W kg−1 at 8 Hz with adrenaline.

We suggest that the power–frequency relationship, derived using the work loop technique, represents a useful index with which to assess the effects of pharmacological interventions on cardiac muscle contractility.
Variation in Normalized Isometric Tetanic Force of Isolated Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibres of Rana Temporaria
Authors: Buschman H. P. J. , Van Der Laarse W. J. , Stienen G. J. M. , Elzinga G.
Published: April 2021

The origin of the threefold variation found previously in isometric force normalized to cross-sectional area of single fast-twitch tibialis anterior muscle fibres of the frog Rana temporaria was studied by using (1) a strictly defined stimulus protocol, and (2) influencing the condition of the frog using artificial hibernation. Variation in normalized force was found to be influenced by the length of the rest period between tetani. After a long rest (>6 h), tetanic force production was less than for a tetanus produced after 1 h. The length of the rest period accounted for a factor of 1.24 of the total variation in normalized force. The condition of the frog also influenced normalized force production. Little variation in normalized force was observed between different fibres from the same animal, whereas a significant difference was found between animals. After artificial hibernation, force normalized to cross-sectional area remained unchanged, but force normalized to dry mass per unit length increased; the total variation increased from a factor of 1.37 to a factor of 1.64. Force normalized to muscle protein mass per unit length, however, was not affected by artificial hibernation. We conclude that variation in normalized tetanic force can be partly reduced by standardization of the stimulation protocol and normalization to protein content per unit length.
Dragonfly Flight: III. Lift and Power Requirements
Authors: Wakeling J. M. , Ellington C. P.
Published: April 2021

A mean lift coefficient quasi-steady analysis has been applied to the free flight of the dragonfly Sympetrum sanguineum and the damselfly Calopteryx splendens. The analysis accommodated the yaw and accelerations involved in free flight. For any given velocity or resultant aerodynamic force (thrust), the damselfly mean lift coefficient was higher than that for the dragonfly because of its clap and fling. For both species, the maximum mean lift coefficient was higher than the steady CL,max. Both species aligned their strokes planes to be nearly normal to the thrust, a strategy that reduces the required for flight and which is different from the previously published hovering and slow dragonfly flights with stroke planes steeply inclined to the horizontal. Owing to the relatively low costs of accelerating the wing, the aerodynamic power required for flight represents the mechanical power output from the muscles. The maximum muscle mass-specific power was estimated at 156 and 166 W kg−1 for S. sanguineum and C. splendens, respectively. Measurements of heat production immediately after flight resulted in mechanical efficiency estimates of 13 % and 9 % for S. sanguineum and C. splendens muscles, respectively.
CO2 Release Patterns in Drosophila Melanogaster: The Effect of Selection for Desiccation Resistance
Authors: Williams Adrienne E. , Rose Michael R. , Bradley Timothy J.
Published: April 2021

We used laboratory natural selection on insects as a means of investigating the role of patterns of gas exchange in desiccation resistance. We used 15 populations of Drosophila melanogaster: five selected for desiccation resistance, five control populations and five ancestral populations. Using flow-through respirometry, we found that D. melanogaster from all populations produced irregular peaks of CO2 release. To quantify the height and frequency of these peaks, we used the standard error of a linear regression (SER) through the recordings of CO2 release. The values for the SER were significantly larger in the populations selected for desiccation resistance than in the control and ancestral populations. Occasionally, highly periodic peaks of CO2 release were observed in the desiccation-resistant populations only. Maximum SER was found to be strongly correlated with survival time in dry air among selection treatments, but not among individuals within a population. Access to dietary water resulted in lower SER values. These data demonstrate that gas exchange is physiologically controlled in Drosophila melanogaster and that the pattern of gas exchange can change under selection. The relationship between these CO2 release patterns and classic discontinuous ventilation is discussed.
Changes in Midgut Active Ion Transport and Metabolism During Larval–Larval Molting in the Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta)
Authors: Chamberlin M. E. , Gibellato C. M. , Noecker R. J. , Dankoski E. J.
Published: April 2021

Ion transport and metabolism in the posterior midgut before, during and after the molt to the fifth instar of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta were investigated. In situ measurements reveal that the transepithelial potential difference of the posterior midgut falls during the molting process. This finding was confirmed by in vitro experiments in which it was demonstrated that both the transepithelial potential and the short-circuit current are lower in molting fourth instars compared with feeding fourth instars. The short-circuit current increases after ecdysis, with a maximal rate being achieved approximately 4 h after the molt. Resumption of feeding after the molt is not necessary to initiate this increase in active ion transport. The metabolic organization of the tissue also changes during the molting process. The maximal activities of glycolytic enzymes and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, an enzyme of lipid β-oxidation, decrease during the molting process and increase after ecdysis. Although citrate synthase activity, an index of maximal aerobic capacity, decreases during the molt and increases again after ecdysis, tissue respiration is the same in feeding fourth instars and molting larvae. This result indicates that a greater percentage of maximal aerobic capacity is used during molting and that energy may be diverted to cell proliferation and differentiation and away from the support of active ion transport at this time.
Behavioral Response to Ultrasound by The Tiger Beetle Cicindela Marutha Dow Combines Aerodynamic Changes and Sound Production
Authors: Yager David D. , Spangler Hayward G.
Published: April 2021

Tethered flying tiger beetles, Cicindela marutha, respond to trains of bat-like ultrasonic pulses with a short-latency, multi-component behavior. The head rolls to one side, the metathoracic legs kick to the opposite side, the elytra swing backwards towards the hindwings and pronate, the hindwings increase their stroke excursion and frequency, and the plane of the hindwing motion tilts forward. In addition, the beetles produce trains of ultrasonic clicks typically containing 100–200 clicks in response to a 1 s stimulus. The clicks average 85–90 dB SPL at 2 cm. The latencies for hindwing changes and elytra swing in response to stimuli more than 10 dB over threshold are 90–110 ms; the latency to clicking is 120–150 ms. Neither the head roll nor the leg kick appears to be directional relative to the sound source. The behavioral response is broadly tuned with greatest sensitivity at 30–60 kHz and mean behavioral thresholds of 75–80 dB SPL. Physiological audiograms from the auditory afferents show substantially greater sensitivity and sharper tuning than the behavioral response, which suggests that tiger beetles may use their hearing in other contexts as well as during flight. The combination of aerodynamic components and arctiid-moth-like clicking may provide these insects with a powerful defense against attack by echolocating bats.
Factors Contributing to Seasonal Increases in Inoculative Freezing Resistance in Overwintering Fire-Colored Beetle Larvae Dendroides Canadensis (Pyrochroidae)
Authors: Olsen T. Mark , Sass Sandra J. , Li Ning , Duman John G.
Published: April 2021

The insects and microarthropods that vary seasonally in susceptibility to cross-cuticular inoculation by external ice (inoculative freezing) represent a phylogenetically diverse group; however, few studies have explored possible mechanisms experimentally. This study documents seasonally variable inoculative freezing resistance in Dendroides canadensis beetle larvae and combines immunofluorescence, in vivo removal of epicuticular lipids and in vitro chamber studies to explore the roles of seasonal modification in the cuticle and in epidermal and hemolymph antifreeze proteins (AFPs). Seasonal cuticular modifications contribute to the inhibition of inoculative freezing since more cold-hardy larvae froze inoculatively when epicuticular waxes were removed with hexane and, in in vitro chamber experiments, cuticle patches (with the underlying epidermis removed) from winter larvae provided greater protection from inoculative freezing than did cuticle patches from summer larvae. The results indicate that seasonal modifications in epidermal and hemolymph AFPs contribute most strongly to the inhibition of inoculative freezing. Subcuticular epidermal AFPs were present in immunocytochemically labeled transverse sections of winter larvae but were absent in summer ones. Winter integument patches (cuticle with epidermis) were more resistant to inoculative freezing than were summer integument patches. Integument patches resisted inoculative freezing as well as live winter-collected larvae only when hemolymph AFP was added. The results also suggest that some integumentary ice nucleators are removed in cold-hardy larvae and that AFP promotes supercooling by inhibiting the activity of these nucleators.
Sound Production in the Collared Dove: A Test of the ‘Whistle’ Hypothesis
Authors: Ballintijn Mechteld R. , Cate Carel Ten
Published: April 2021

The mechanism of sound production in the collared dove Streptopelia decaocto was studied to test the validity of the ‘whistle’ model and to analyze the role of vocal tract resonances. In this study, the vocalizations of six male adult doves were recorded both in normal air and in a mixture of 80 % helium and 20 % oxygen (heliox). Depending on the way in which the syrinx operates, the spectral structure of the vocalizations is expected to show specific changes in heliox. The effects of heliox differed substantially depending on the type of vocal element. Except for a significant decrease in amplitude, unmodulated elements, i.e. elements with a constant frequency, were relatively unaffected by heliox. In contrast, modulated elements, i.e. elements with an abrupt increase in frequency, showed a gradual increase in frequency with increasing helium concentration. This specific increase in frequency stopped when the modulation frequency was 1.5 times the base frequency, even when the helium concentration was increased further. In some individuals, a frequency band of half the base frequency was also observed. In general, the proportion of modulated elements also showed a significant decrease. The lack of change in the fundamental frequency of the unmodulated elements and in the base frequency of the modulated elements indicates that these vocalizations are not produced like a whistle. It is more likely that they are the result of vibration of the syringeal membranes. Generally, vocal tract resonances do not play an active role in the modification of vocalizations, although they might enhance the fundamental frequency passively. The results suggest that the almost pure tonal vocalizations are produced as such in the syrinx and undergo limited modification when passing through the vocal tract. The effect of heliox on the modulation frequency suggests (1) that different sound-producing mechanisms may underlie different types of vocalizations, and (2) that resonance properties of the vocal system may be involved in the production or modification of the modulation frequency.
Covariation in Regulation of Affinity for Branchial Zinc and Calcium Uptake in Freshwater Rainbow Trout
Authors: Hogstrand Christer , Webb Nathan , Wood Chris M.
Published: April 2021

The possible coupling between regulation of the affinities for branchial Zn and Ca influx was investigated in juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss acclimated to relatively hard fresh water ([Ca]=1.0 mmol l−1). The Km for branchial Ca influx was manipulated experimentally by exposing the fish to 2.3 μmol l−1 waterborne Zn for a total of 28 days. This procedure resulted in rapidly increased Km values for both Ca and Zn influx, an effect that remained through the experimental period. There was a significant linear correlation (r=0.88, P<0.02) between Km values for Ca and Zn measured at the same time points. Zn exposure caused progressively increasing maximum rate of transport, Jmax, values for Zn relative to the control value, but there was little, if any, effect on Jmax for Ca. These results support the idea of a shared transport site for Zn and Ca at the apical membrane of the gill epithelium and suggest that there is a certain degree of coregulation of branchial Zn and Ca uptake in rainbow trout. Removal of Ca from the water resulted in a large (six-to 24-fold) increase in affinity (decreased Km) for Zn influx and a modest (1.1-to 1.8-fold) increase in Jmax for Zn. Thus, Ca is a competitive inhibitor of Zn influx. In water lacking Ca, the Km for Zn in Zn-acclimated fish was no different from that of the control fish, suggesting that the Ca2+/Zn2+ transporter was regulated to improve Ca uptake.
The Electroneutral Cation–Chloride Cotransporters
Authors: Mount David B. , Delpire Eric , Gamba Gerardo , Hall Amy E. , Poch Esteban , Hoover Robert S. , Hebert Steven C.
Published: April 2021

Electroneutral cation–chloride cotransporters are widely expressed and perform a variety of physiological roles. A novel gene family of five members, encompassing a Na+–Cl− transporter, two Na+–K+–2Cl− transporters and two K+–Cl− cotransporters, encodes these membrane proteins; homologous genes have also been identified in a prokaryote and a number of lower eukaryotes. The cotransporter proteins share a common predicted membrane topology, with twelve putative transmembrane segments flanked by long hydrophilic N- and C-terminal cytoplasmic domains. The molecular identification of these transporters has had a significant impact on the study of their function, regulation and pathophysiology.
Relaxation and Activation of Graviresponses in Paramecium Caudatum
Authors: Bräucker Richard , Murakami Akira , Ikegaya Kazuko , Yoshimura Kenjiro , Takahashi Keiichi , Machemer-Röhnisch Sigrun , Machemer Hans
Published: April 2021

The kinetics of gravitaxis and gravikinesis in Paramecium caudatum were investigated by employing (1) step transitions from normal gravity (1 g) to weightlessness (microgravity) and (2) turns of the experimental chambers from the horizontal to the vertical position at 1 g. The transition to microgravity left existing cell orientations unchanged. Relaxation of negative gravitaxis under microgravity took longer than 10 s and may be described by the time constant of the decay of orientation coefficients. Gravitaxis was started at 1 g by turning the experimental chamber from a horizontal to a vertical position. Gravitaxis activated rapidly during the turning procedure and relaxed to an intermediate level after the turning had stopped. Gravity-induced regulation of swimming speed (gravikinesis) at 1 g had reached a steady state after 1 min; at this point, gravikinesis counteracted the effects of sedimentation (negative gravikinesis). A step transition to microgravity initially reversed the sign of the gravikinesis (positive gravikinesis). The relaxation of this kinetic response was not completed during 10 s of microgravity. The data suggest that gravikinesis is functionally unrelated to gravitaxis and is strongly affected by the rate of change in acceleration. We present a model explaining why gravikinesis reverses sign upon the onset of a step from 1 g to microgravity.
The Role of Angiotensin in Arterial Blood Pressure Regulation in the Toad Bufo Marinus
Authors: West N. H. , Kimmel P. , Topor Z. L. , Evered M. D.
Published: April 2021

Little is known about the role of the renin–angiotensin system in anuran amphibians, although they appear to possess the functional components of such a system. We investigated the role of angiotensin (ANG) in arterial blood pressure regulation in the conscious toad Bufo marinus using the angiotensin-converting enzyme blocker captopril. We found that conversion of endogenous ANG I to ANG II made a significant contribution to mean arterial pressure in undisturbed animals. The vascular tone contributed by ANG II was not mediated via alpha adrenergic mechanisms because increases in pressure in response to ANG infusion were unaffected by the presence of the alpha antagonist phentolamine. Angiotensin-induced vasoconstriction was shown to be an important mechanism in arterial blood pressure regulation in the face of an acute hypotensive perturbation of pressure brought about by sodium nitroprusside. Blockade of the conversion of ANG I to ANG II significantly delayed the recovery of mean arterial pressure after sodium nitroprusside-induced hypotension. This suggests that the renin–angiotensin system may play an important role in the initial responses to hypotension in anurans, whether brought about by haemorrhage or dehydration.
Retinal Location is the Key to Identifying Predators in Fiddler Crabs (Uca Pugilator)
Authors: Layne John E.
Published: April 2021

Fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator Bosc; Crustacea, Decapoda) feed and court in open, flat spaces. Their visual system has several putative adaptations to their flat habitat, including the tendency to keep the vertical axis of their eyes perpendicular to the plane of the substratum. It is hypothesized that one of the functions of this behavior is to distinguish accurately predators from conspecifics by aligning the region of the eye sensitive to predators with the region in space in which predators occur. To test this hypothesis, a crab was placed in a glass dish, and a moving stimulus was presented between 20 ° above and below eye level (horizontal). Stimuli below the crab’s horizon hardly ever evoked escape responses, while identical stimuli above the horizon produced escape responses whose frequency varied with the angular size, not the absolute size, of the stimulus. Experiments with artificial horizons showed that it is the position of the stimulus relative to the eye that is important, rather than its position relative to external cues such as the visible horizon, the vertical light gradient or the gravitational horizon. It is concluded that a crab responds to stimuli according to their position relative to its retinal equator. This conclusion is discussed in light of the crabs’ natural behavior with respect to supra-horizontal stimuli.
Passive Body Movement and Gas Exchange in the Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus Kingii) and Goanna (Varanus Gouldii)
Authors: Frappell Peter B. , Mortola Jacopo P.
Published: April 2021

The saccular lung in lizards is large and highly compliant compared with mammalian lungs, and these properties led us to question to what extent body movements could affect pulmonary gas exchange and the partial pressure of arterial blood gases. Specimens of two species of lizards, the frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii, approximately 600 g body mass) and the goanna (Varanus gouldii, approximately 1400 mass), were anaesthetised, maintained at approximately 36 °C and mechanically hyperventilated to lower the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide to below apnoeic threshold. Respiratory system compliance (Crs) averaged 0.112 ml kg−1 Pa−1 (goanna) and 0.173 ml kg−1 Pa−1 (frilled lizard), which is approximately 7–11 times the predicted value for a mammal of similar body mass. Mechanical ventilation was interrupted, and the changes in and were monitored over the following 10 min as the animal was either left immobile or subjected to imposed lateral body movements. During the post-hyperventilation apnoea, increased whereas did not always fall, sometimes even increasing, suggesting a reduction in the importance of pulmonary shunts. No significant differences were detected in the time course of changes in arterial blood gas levels or heart rate between runs with or without body movement. We conclude that in these species of lizards, despite the high Crs, lateral chest wall movements neither hinder nor favour pulmonary gas exchange.