nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Acid–base regulation in the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus): an aglomerular marine teleost
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

The plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) possesses an aglomerular kidney and like other marine teleosts, secretes base into the intestine to aid water absorption. Each of these features could potentially influence acid–base regulation during respiratory acidosis either by facilitating or constraining HCO3− accumulation, respectively. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the capacity of P. notatus to regulate blood acid–base status during exposure to increasing levels of hypercapnia (nominally 1–5% CO2). Fish exhibited a well-developed ability to increase plasma HCO3− levels with values of 39.8 ± 2.8 mmol l−1 being achieved at the most severe stage of hypercapnic exposure (arterial blood PCO2 = 21.9 ± 1.7 mmHg). Consequently, blood pH, while lowered by 0.15 units (pH = 7.63 ± 0.06) during the final step of hypercapnia, was regulated far above values predicted by chemical buffering (predicted pH = 7.0). The accumulation of plasma HCO3− during hypercapnia was associated with marked increases in branchial net acid excretion (JNETH+) owing exclusively to increases in the titratable alkalinity component; total ammonia excretion was actually reduced during hypercapnia. The increase in JNETH+ was accompanied by increases in branchial carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymatic activity (2.8×) and CA protein levels (1.6×); branchial Na+/K+-ATPase activity was unaffected. Rectal fluids sampled from control fish contained on average HCO3− concentrations of 92.2 ± 4.8 mmol l−1. At the highest level of hypercapnia, rectal fluid HCO3− levels were increased significantly to 141.8 ± 7.4 mmol l−1 but returned to control levels during post-hypercapnia recovery (96.0 ± 13.2 mmol l−1). Thus, the impressive accumulation of plasma HCO3− to compensate for hypercapnic acidosis occurred against a backdrop of increasing intestinal HCO3− excretion. Based on in vitro measurements of intestinal base secretion in Ussing chambers, it would appear that P. notatus did not respond by minimizing base loss during hypercapnia; the increases in base flux across the intestinal epithelium in response to alterations in serosal HCO3− concentration were similar in preparations obtained from control or hypercapnic fish. Fish returned to normocapnia developed profound metabolic alkalosis owing to unusually slow clearance of the accumulated plasma HCO3−. The apparent inability of P. notatus to effectively excrete HCO3− following hypercapnia may reflect its aglomerular (i.e., non-filtering) kidney coupled with the normally low rates of urine production in marine teleosts.
Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels are involved in phototransduction of dermal photoreceptors in Lymnaea stagnalis
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Dermal photoreceptors in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis mediate the whole-body withdrawal response, including pneumostome closure, elicited by a shadow passing over the pneumostome area. The pneumostome closure response is part of the defense reaction in Lymnaea. The shadow or ‘light-off’ stimulus elicits activity in a higher order interneuron, RPeD11, which has a major role in mediating defensive withdrawal behavior elicited by noxious or threatening stimuli. Here, we tested our hypothesis that cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are involved in the dermal photoreceptor-mediated transduction of the shadow stimulus. The response to the shadow stimulus recorded in RPeD11 was abolished by 500 μM cis-diltiazem, which blocks cGMP-activated conductance of CNG channels. On the other hand, the shadow response elicited in RPeD11 was not blocked by 2-amino ethyldiphenyl borate (2-APB), a transient receptor potential (TRP) channel blocker. Consistent with the electrophysiologic data, cis-diltiazem blocked the shadow-evoked withdrawal response, whereas 2-APB did not block the withdrawal response evoked by the shadow stimulus in intact freely behaving Lymnaea. Together, these findings support the hypothesis that the second messenger in dermal photoreceptors involves CNG and not TRP channels.
Physiological and molecular analysis of the interactive effects of feeding and high environmental ammonia on branchial ammonia excretion and Na+ uptake in freshwater rainbow trout
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Recently, a “Na+/NH4+ exchange complex” model has been proposed for ammonia excretion in freshwater fish. The model suggests that ammonia transport occurs via Rhesus (Rh) glycoproteins and is facilitated by gill boundary layer acidification attributable to the hydration of CO2 and H+ efflux by Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE-2) and H+-ATPase. The latter two mechanisms of boundary layer acidification would occur in conjunction with Na+ influx (through a Na+ channel energized by H+-ATPase and directly via NHE-2). Here, we show that natural ammonia loading via feeding increases branchial mRNA expression of Rh genes, NHE-2, and H+-ATPase, as well as H+-ATPase activity in juvenile trout, similar to previous findings with ammonium salt infusions and high environmental ammonia (HEA) exposure. The associated increase in ammonia excretion occurs in conjunction with a fourfold increase in Na+ influx after a meal. When exposed to HEA (1.5 mmol/l NH4HCO3 at pH 8.0), both unfed and fed trout showed differential increases in mRNA expression of Rhcg2, NHE-2, and H+-ATPase, but H+-ATPase activity remained at control levels. Unfed fish exposed to HEA displayed a characteristic reversal of ammonia excretion, initially uptaking ammonia, whereas fed fish (4 h after the meal) did not show this reversal, being able to immediately excrete ammonia against the gradient imposed by HEA. Exposure to HEA also led to a depression of Na+ influx, demonstrating that ammonia excretion can be uncoupled from Na+ influx. We suggest that the efflux of H+, rather than Na+ influx itself, is critical to the facilitation of ammonia excretion.
Peripheral auditory processing changes seasonally in Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Song in oscine birds is a learned behavior that plays important roles in breeding. Pronounced seasonal differences in song behavior and in the morphology and physiology of the neural circuit underlying song production are well documented in many songbird species. Androgenic and estrogenic hormones largely mediate these seasonal changes. Although much work has focused on the hormonal mechanisms underlying seasonal plasticity in songbird vocal production, relatively less work has investigated seasonal and hormonal effects on songbird auditory processing, particularly at a peripheral level. We addressed this issue in Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), a highly seasonal breeder. Photoperiod and hormone levels were manipulated in the laboratory to simulate natural breeding and non-breeding conditions. Peripheral auditory function was assessed by measuring the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) of males and females in both conditions. Birds exposed to breeding-like conditions demonstrated elevated thresholds and prolonged peak latencies when compared with birds housed under non-breeding-like conditions. There were no changes in DPOAEs, however, which indicates that the seasonal differences in ABRs do not arise from changes in hair cell function. These results suggest that seasons and hormones impact auditory processing as well as vocal production in wild songbirds.
Vision in click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae): pigments and spectral correspondence between visual sensitivity and species bioluminescence emission
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Among lampyrids, intraspecific sexual communication is facilitated by spectral correspondence between visual sensitivity and bioluminescence emission from the single lantern in the tail. Could a similar strategy be utilized by the elaterids (click beetles), which have one ventral abdominal and two dorsal prothoracic lanterns? Spectral sensitivity [S(λ)] and bioluminescence were investigated in four Brazilian click beetle species Fulgeochlizus bruchii, Pyrearinus termitilluminans, Pyrophorus punctatissimus and P. divergens, representing three genera. In addition, in situ microspectrophotometric absorption spectra were obtained for visual and screening pigments in P. punctatissimus and P. divergens species. In all species, the electroretinographic S(λ) functions showed broad peaks in the green with a shoulder in the near-ultraviolet, suggesting the presence of short- and long-wavelength receptors in the compound eyes. The long-wavelength receptor in Pyrophorus species is mediated by a P540 rhodopsin in conjunction with a species-specific screening pigment. A correspondence was found between green to yellow bioluminescence emissions and its broad S(λ) maximum in each of the four species. It is hypothesized that in elaterids, bioluminescence of the abdominal lantern is an optical signal for intraspecifc sexual communication, while the signals from the prothoracic lanterns serve to warn predators and may also provide illumination in flight.
Urea-induced hypometabolism in the hibernating wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is not reflected in isolated mitochondria
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

It has long been speculated that urea accumulated during seasonal dormancy contributes to metabolic depression. Recent work suggests urea can indeed act as a metabolic depressant during dormancy in a number of taxonomically diverse species of ectotherms. The mechanisms by which urea exerts its hypometabolic effect are unknown, but potentially stem from inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. We isolated mitochondria from Rana sylvatica skeletal muscle, an organ that is metabolically responsive to urea, and measured respiration rates in the absence or presence of 80 mmol l−1 urea in the respiration medium. Because the effect of urea may be influenced by the intracellular milieu, in these experiments we varied substrate (pyruvate or palmitoylcarnitine), temperature (4, 10, or 15°C), and pH (6.8 or 7.4). Oxygen consumption of control and urea-treated mitochondria was sensitive to each of these variables, but neither state 3 nor state 4 respiration was reduced by urea treatment and, to the contrary, urea treatment slightly increased state 4 respiration at higher test temperatures. Although we did not test the efficacy of other incubation times or urea concentrations, the outcome of our experiment intimates that the urea-induced hypometabolism observed in hibernating R. sylvatica results from inhibition of energy-utilizing processes elsewhere in the cell, rather than a direct inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. Future investigation into urea’s effects on non-mitochondrial metabolic pathways is necessary to uncover the mechanisms by which urea depresses metabolic rate.
Neural adaptation to tone sequences in the songbird forebrain: patterns, determinants, and relation to the build-up of auditory streaming
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Neural responses to tones in the mammalian primary auditory cortex (A1) exhibit adaptation over the course of several seconds. Important questions remain about the taxonomic distribution of multi-second adaptation and its possible roles in hearing. It has been hypothesized that neural adaptation could explain the gradual “build-up” of auditory stream segregation. We investigated the influence of several stimulus-related factors on neural adaptation in the avian homologue of mammalian A1 (field L2) in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). We presented awake birds with sequences of repeated triplets of two interleaved tones (ABA–ABA–…) in which we varied the frequency separation between the A and B tones (ΔF), the stimulus onset asynchrony (time from tone onset to onset within a triplet), and tone duration. We found that stimulus onset asynchrony generally had larger effects on adaptation compared with ΔF and tone duration over the parameter range tested. Using a simple model, we show how time-dependent changes in neural responses can be transformed into neurometric functions that make testable predictions about the dependence of the build-up of stream segregation on various spectral and temporal stimulus properties.
Nocturnal lizards from a cool-temperate environment have high metabolic rates at low temperatures
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Ectotherms from low-temperature environments have higher metabolic rates at low temperatures than those from warm-temperature environments. We predicted that nocturnal lizards, which are active at much lower environmental temperatures than diurnal lizards, would also have higher metabolic rates at low temperatures, and by association a lower thermal sensitivity (Q10) than diurnal and crepuscular lizards. We measured the rate of oxygen consumption ($$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} $$) of eight cool-temperate species of lizard (four nocturnal, three diurnal, and one crepuscular) at 13 and 26°C and analyzed log transformations of these data using log mass as a covariate. As expected, $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} $$ was positively correlated with temperature in all eight species, with $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} $$ being two to four times higher at 26°C than at 13°C. As predicted, at 13°C (but not 26°C) the $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} $$ was significantly higher in nocturnal than diurnal lizards. Species-specific differences and mass scaling factors explain the patterns of thermal sensitivity seen among these eight lizard species. Thermal sensitivity is strongly influenced by mass, with smaller species generally having higher thermal sensitivity of their metabolic rate, and this result deserves further exploration among other ectotherms. We conclude that, along with the previously reported lower cost of locomotion found in nocturnal lizards, they also partially offset the thermal handicap of activity at low body temperatures by having an elevated $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} $$ at lower temperatures.
Coordination of rhythm-generating units via NO and extrasynaptic neurotransmitter release
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

The buccal ganglia of the mollusc, Lymnaea stagnalis, contain two distinct but interacting rhythm-generating units: the central pattern generator for the buccal rhythm and nitrergic B2 neurons controlling gut motility. Nitric oxide (NO) has previously been demonstrated to be involved in the activation of the buccal rhythm. Here, we found that NO-generating substances (SNP and SNAP) activated the buccal rhythm while slowing the endogenous rhythm of B2 bursters. The inhibitor of NO-synthase, L-NNA, the NO scavenger PTIO, or the inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase, ODQ, each produced opposite, depolarising effects on the B2 neuron. In isolated B2 cells, only depolarising effects of substances interfering with NO production or function (PTIO, L-NNA and ODQ) were detected, whereas the NO donors had no hyperpolarising effects. However, when an isolated B2 cell was placed close to its initial position in the ganglion, hyperpolarising effects could be obtained with NO donors. This indicates that extrasynaptic release of some unidentified factor(s) mediates the hyperpolarising effects of NO donors on the B2 bursters. The results suggest that NO is involved in coordination between the radula and foregut movements and that the effects of NO are partially mediated by the volume chemical neurotransmission of as yet unknown origin.
Sex differences in auditory filters of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Receiver sensory abilities can be influenced by a number of factors, including habitat, phylogeny and the selective pressure to acquire information about conspecifics or heterospecifics. It has been hypothesized that brood-parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) females may locate or determine the quality of potential hosts by eavesdropping on their sexual signals. This is expected to produce different sex-specific pressures on the auditory system to detect conspecific and heterospecific acoustic signals. Here, we examined auditory filter shape and efficiency, which influence the ability to resolve spectral and temporal information, in males and females at center frequencies of 2, 3 and 4 kHz. We found that overall, cowbirds had relatively wide filters (lsmean ± SE: 619.8 ± 41.6 Hz). Moreover, females had narrower filters (females: 491.4 ± 66.8, males: 713.8 ± 67.3 Hz) and greater filter efficiency (females: 59.0 ± 2.0, males: 69.8 ± 1.9 dB) than males. Our results suggest that the filters of female cowbirds may allow them to extract spectral information from heterospecific vocalizations. The broader auditory filters of males may reflect limited spectral energy in conspecific vocalizations in this frequency range, and hence, weaker selection for high resolution of frequency in the range of 2–4 kHz.
Calcium-dependent control of temporal processing in an auditory interneuron: a computational analysis
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Sensitivity to acoustic amplitude modulation in crickets differs between species and depends on carrier frequency (e.g., calling song vs. bat-ultrasound bands). Using computational tools, we explore how Ca2+-dependent mechanisms underlying selective attention can contribute to such differences in amplitude modulation sensitivity. For omega neuron 1 (ON1), selective attention is mediated by Ca2+-dependent feedback: [Ca2+]internal increases with excitation, activating a Ca2+-dependent after-hyperpolarizing current. We propose that Ca2+ removal rate and the size of the after-hyperpolarizing current can determine ON1’s temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF). This is tested using a conductance-based simulation calibrated to responses in vivo. The model shows that parameter values that simulate responses to single pulses are sufficient in simulating responses to modulated stimuli: no special modulation-sensitive mechanisms are necessary, as high and low-pass portions of the TMTF are due to Ca2+-dependent spike frequency adaptation and post-synaptic potential depression, respectively. Furthermore, variance in the two biophysical parameters is sufficient to produce TMTFs of varying bandwidth, shifting amplitude modulation sensitivity like that in different species and in response to different carrier frequencies. Thus, the hypothesis that the size of after-hyperpolarizing current and the rate of Ca2+ removal can affect amplitude modulation sensitivity is computationally validated.
Extensive use of torpor in 13-lined ground squirrels in the fall prior to cold exposure
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Mammalian hibernation is characterized by profound reductions in body temperature (Tb) and metabolic, heart and respiratory rates. These reductions are characteristic of torpor, which is temporally confined to winter. Hibernators including ground squirrels are heterothermic in winter, cycling between multiday periods of torpor with low Tb and brief periods of rewarming. In contrast, ground squirrels remain homeothermic during summer, like non-hibernating mammals. The transition between the homeothermic and heterothermic phases of the circannual rhythm of hibernation is often overlooked in hibernation studies. Here, we examined the use of torpor throughout the fall transition in laboratory-housed 13-lined ground squirrels by recording core body temperature with an implanted data logger. As is typical of laboratory-based hibernation studies, animals were kept in standard housing prior to being moved into a cold, dark room to simulate natural hibernation conditions. Significantly, the vast majority of both male and female ground squirrels expressed torpor in the fall while still housed conventionally and prior to cold exposure. The expression of torpor was not predicted by body weight or age, rather it appears to be preprogrammed in a time-dependent manner that is independent of, yet enhanced by, environmental cues. The timing and duration of these torpor bouts occurring prior to cold exposure were also remarkably sporadic. Thus, it is not possible to know with certainty which animals are torpor-naive before cold exposure in the absence of continuous measurement of body temperature. We conclude that fall animals encompass variable points in the transition between summer and winter phases of the circannual cycle of hibernation, thereby confounding studies in which they are used as non-hibernating controls. Conversely, these fall transition animals offer unique opportunities to define the molecular changes that accompany and enable hibernation.
Properties of low-frequency head-related transfer functions in the barn owl (Tyto alba)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

The barn owl (Tyto alba) possesses several specializations regarding auditory processing. The most conspicuous features are the directionally sensitive facial ruff and the asymmetrically arranged ears. The frequency-specific influence of these features on sound has consequences for sound localization that might differ between low and high frequencies. Whereas the high-frequency range (>3 kHz) is well investigated, less is known about the characteristics of head-related transfer functions for frequencies below 3 kHz. In the present study, we compared 1/3 octaveband-filtered transfer functions of barn owls with center frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 9 kHz. The range of interaural time differences was 600 μs at frequencies above 4 kHz, decreased to 505 μs at 3 kHz and increased again to about 615 μs at lower frequencies. The ranges for very low (0.5–1 kHz) and high frequencies (5–9 kHz) were not statistically different. Interaural level differences and monaural gains increased monotonically with increasing frequency. No systematic influence of the body temperature on the measured localization cues was observed. These data have implications for the mechanism underlying sound localization and we suggest that the barn owl’s ears work as pressure receivers both in the high- and low-frequency ranges.
Histological assessment of cellular immune response to the phytohemagglutinin skin test in Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Bats are known reservoirs for numerous emerging infectious diseases, occupy unique ecological niches, and occur globally except for Antarctica. Given their impact on human and agricultural health, it is critical to understand the mechanisms underlying immunocompetence in this reservoir host. To date, few studies have examined immune function in the Order Chiroptera, particularly among natural colonies of bats. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin test has been widely used to measure delayed-type cellular immune response in a wide variety of vertebrates, and has been routinely employed in immunoecological studies. Although this test is frequently described as a measure of T cell proliferation, recent studies indicate it may represent a combination of immune responses. In mammals, the immune response is differentially, temporally and spatially regulated, therefore, we characterized the infiltrating leukocyte response to the PHA skin test in bats by examining a time-series of histological sections from PHA and saline injection areas in 41 Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Results suggest that bats exhibit diverse leukocyte traffic within 6 h, and up to 24 h following subcutaneous PHA injection. There was a significant presence of lymphocytes and neutrophils, as well as eosinophils, basophils, and macrophages observed in the PHA-injected tissues, compared with saline-injected control tissues. We observed a highly significant negative correlation between the number of lymphocytes and neutrophils in PHA-injected tissue, with peak lymphocyte response at 12 h, and peak neutrophil response at 24 h post-injection. These results indicate substantial variation in the immune response of individuals, and may aid our understanding of disease emergence in natural populations of bats.