nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Developmental changes in the endocrine stress response in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Non-invasive measures of stress are crucial for captive and conservation management programs. The adrenal hormone dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) has recently been adopted as a stress marker, but there is little investigation of its relationship to glucocorticoids (GC), well-known indicators of stress. This study examined the influence of age, reproductive state and environment on GC and DHEAS levels in orangutans, to test whether the GC/DHEAS ratio can provide an index of stress response in primates. We measured fecal GC (fGC) and fecal DHEAS (fDHEAS) concentrations in 7 captive orangutans from zoological parks in Japan and 22 wild orangutans from Danum Valley Conservation Area, Malaysia. We found that in a stressful condition (transportation), fDHEAS levels increased 2 days after the fGC response, which occurred 1 day after the stressor. One pregnant female had elevated levels of both hormones, and a higher fGC/fDHEAS ratio than baseline. Females in the first year of lactation had fGC levels and the fGC/fDHEAS ratio significantly higher than both baseline and females in the second and subsequent years of lactation. There was no effect of age on fGC levels, but the fGC/fDHEAS ratio was higher in infants than adults and adolescents. fDHEAS concentrations were lower in infants than juveniles, adolescents and adults, a phenomenon known as adrenarche, shared with humans and other great apes. We suggest that changes in DHEAS during orangutan life history are associated with changes in the dynamics of maintaining homeostasis that vary with age and reproductive state. The GC/DHEAS ratio index is useful to evaluate age-related abilities of responding to stressful challenges.
Evolutionarily conserved anatomical and physiological properties of olfactory pathway through fourth-order neurons in a species of grasshopper (Hieroglyphus banian)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Olfactory systems of different species show variations in structure and physiology despite some conserved features. We characterized the olfactory circuit of the grasshopper Hieroglyphus banian of family Acrididae (subfamily: Hemiacridinae) and compared it to a well-studied species of locust, Schistocerca americana (subfamily: Cyrtacanthacridinae), also belonging to family Acrididae. We used in vivo electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, and anatomical (bulk tract tracing) methods to elucidate the olfactory pathway from the second-order neurons in antennal lobe to the fourth-order neurons in β-lobe of H. banian. We observe conserved anatomical and physiological characteristics through the fourth-order neurons in the olfactory circuit of H. banian and S. americana, though they are evolutionarily divergent (~ 57 million years ago). However, we found one major difference between the two species—there are four antennal lobe tracts in H. banian, while only one is reported in S. americana. Besides, we have discovered a new class of bilateral neurons which respond weakly to olfactory stimuli, even though they innervate densely downstream of Kenyon cells.
Auditory performance in bald eagles and red-tailed hawks: a comparative study of hearing in diurnal raptors
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Collision with wind turbines is a conservation concern for eagles with population abundance implications. The development of acoustic alerting technologies to deter eagles from entering hazardous air spaces is a potentially significant mitigation strategy to diminish associated morbidity and mortality risks. As a prelude to the engineering of deterrence technologies, auditory function was assessed in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), as well as in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to a comprehensive battery of clicks and tone bursts varying in level and frequency were acquired to evaluate response thresholds, as well as suprathreshold response characteristics of wave I of the ABR, which represents the compound potential of the VIII cranial nerve. Sensitivity curves exhibited an asymmetric convex shape similar to those of other avian species, response latencies decreased exponentially with increasing stimulus level and response amplitudes grew with level in an orderly manner. Both species were responsive to a frequency band at least four octaves wide, with a most sensitive frequency of 2 kHz, and a high-frequency limit of approximately 5.7 kHz in bald eagles and 8 kHz in red-tailed hawks. Findings reported here provide a framework within which acoustic alerting signals might be developed.
Ageing impacts phenotypic flexibility in an air-acclimated amphibious fish
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

The ability to tolerate environmental change may decline as fishes age. We tested the hypothesis that ageing influences the scope for phenotypic flexibility in the mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus), an amphibious fish that transitions between two vastly different environments, water and land. We found that older fish (4–6 years old) exhibited marked signs of ageing; older fish were reproductively senescent, had reduced fin regenerative capacity and body condition, and exhibited atrophy of both oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers relative to younger adult fish (1–2 years old). However, age did not affect routine O2 consumption. We then acclimated adult fish (1–6 years) to water (control) or air for 10 days to assess the scope for phenotypic flexibility in response to terrestrial exposure. In support of our hypothesis, we found that older air-acclimated fish had a diminished scope for gill remodeling relative to younger fish. We also found that older fish exhibited poorer terrestrial locomotor performance relative to younger adult fish, particularly when acclimated to air. Our results indicate that ageing diminishes skeletal muscle integrity and locomotor performance of amphibious fishes, and may, therefore, impair terrestrial foraging ability, predator avoidance, or dispersal across the terrestrial environment. Remarkably, older fish voluntarily left water to a similar degree as younger fish despite the age-related deterioration of traits important for terrestrial life.
Pregnancy reduces critical thermal maximum, but not voluntary thermal maximum, in a viviparous skink
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Upper thermal limits are commonly measured in ectotherms; however, the effects of life-history stages, and in particular pregnancy in viviparous species, are rarely considered. In this study, we examined whether two measures of upper thermal tolerance varied among life-history stages in a viviparous New Zealand skink (Oligosoma maccanni). First, we measured voluntary thermal maxima (VTmax) and critical thermal maxima (CTmax) for four groups: late-pregnant females, newly postpartum females, males, and neonates. Second, we examined whether exposing skinks to their CTmax in late pregnancy affected success of pregnancies or size and performance of offspring. We found that both VTmax and CTmax differed among the four groups, although only CTmax differed enough to detect specific pairwise differences. Pregnant skinks and neonates had a significantly lower CTmax than postpartum skinks, and pregnant skinks also had a lower CTmax than males. Effect sizes were very large between groups, where CTmax differed significantly, and borderline large for VTmax between male and neonate skinks and between postpartum and pregnant females. Pregnancy success, and the size and sprint speed of resulting neonates were not affected by thermal-tolerance tests on late-pregnant females. The reduction in CTmax we observed in pregnant skinks could indicate that at high temperatures, pregnant skinks do not have the same ability to keep up with oxygen demands as non-pregnant skinks—possibly reflecting reduced ventilation capacity simultaneous with high oxygen demands from embryos as well as maternal tissues. These findings are consistent with some studies, showing that reduced oxygen availability can reduce thermal tolerance in reptiles.
An in vitro analysis of intestinal ammonia transport in fasted and fed freshwater rainbow trout: roles of NKCC, K+ channels, and Na+, K+ ATPase
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

We examined mechanisms of ammonia handling in the anterior, mid, and posterior intestine of unfed and fed freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), with a focus on the Na+:K+:2Cl− co-transporter (NKCC), Na+:K +-ATPase (NKA), and K+ channels. NKCC was localized by immunohistochemistry to the mucosal (apical) surface of enterocytes, and NKCC mRNA was upregulated after feeding in the anterior and posterior segments. NH4+ was equally potent to K+ in supporting NKA activity in all intestinal sections. In vitro gut sac preparations were employed to examine mucosal ammonia flux rates (Jmamm, disappearance from the mucosal saline), serosal ammonia flux rates (Jsamm, appearance in the serosal saline), and total tissue ammonia production rates (Jtamm = Jsamm − Jmamm). Bumetanide (10−4 mol L−1), a blocker of NKCC, inhibited Jsamm in most preparations, but this was largely due to reduction of Jtamm; Jmamm was significantly inhibited only in the anterior intestine of fed animals. Ouabain (10−4 mol L−1), a blocker of NKA, generally reduced both Jmamm and Jsamm without effects on Jtamm in most preparations, though the anterior intestine was resistant after feeding. Barium (10−2 mol L−1), a blocker of K+ channels, inhibited Jmamm in most preparations, and Jsamm in some, without effects on Jtamm. These pharmacological results, together with responses to manipulations of serosal and mucosal Na+ and K+ concentrations, suggest that NKCC is not as important in ammonia absorption as previously believed. NH4+ appears to be taken up through barium-sensitive K+ channels on the mucosal surface. Mucosal NH4+ uptake via both NKCC and K+ channels is energized by basolateral NKA, which plays an additional role in scavenging NH4+ on the serosal surface to possibly minimize blood toxicity or enhance ion uptake and amino acid synthesis following feeding. Together with recent findings from other studies, we have provided an updated model to describe the current understanding of intestinal ammonia transport in teleost fish.
Participation of Na+/K+-ATPase and aquaporins in the uptake of water during moult processes in the shrimp Palaemon argentinus (Nobili, 1901)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Due to the presence of the exoskeleton, the moult cycle is a required event in the life of crustaceans. In order for the exoskeleton to be replaced, it is necessary for these animals to uptake water from the environment for their body tissues during the late pre-moult, ecdysis and in the early post-moult for the expansion of the new cuticle. The mechanisms and organs used to uptake water in these events are not yet completely clear. In this study, we investigated the participation of aquaporins and Na+/K+-ATPase in cells of two potential organs responsible for the uptake of water (gills and gut) at three different stages of the moult cycle in freshwater shrimp Palaemon argentinus. We showed the participation of these two proteins with different functional patterns in gills and intestinal cells as water uptake pathways for moult and early post-moult. Our results indicate that Na+/K+-ATPase promotes the necessary osmotic gradient in the gills for water uptake through the gut cells during the pre-moult. This process, in turn, remains active during the post-moult stage with the addition of water influx through the gill cells.
Systemic versus tissue-level prolactin signaling in a teleost during a tidal cycle
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

Euryhaline Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) are native to estuaries where they encounter tidal fluctuations in environmental salinity. These fluctuations can be dramatic, subjecting individuals to salinities characteristic of fresh water (FW < 0.5‰) and seawater (SW 35‰) within a single tidal cycle. In the current study, we reared tilapia under a tidal regimen that simulated the dynamic conditions of their native habitat. Tilapia were sampled every 3 h over a 24 h period to temporally resolve how prolactin (PRL) signaling is modulated in parallel with genes encoding branchial effectors of osmoregulation. The following parameters were measured: plasma osmolality, plasma PRL177 and PRL188 concentrations, pituitary prl177 and prl188 gene expression, and branchial prl receptor (prlr1 and prlr2), Na+/Cl−-cotransporter (ncc2), Na+/K+/2Cl−-cotransporter (nkcc1a), Na+/K+-ATPase (nkaα1a and nkaα1b), cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (cftr), and aquaporin 3 (aqp3) gene expression. Throughout the 24 h sampling period, plasma osmolality reflected whether tilapia were sampled during the FW or SW phases of the tidal cycle, whereas pituitary prl gene expression and plasma PRL levels remained stable. Branchial patterns of ncc2, nkcc1a, nkaα1a, nkaα1b, cftr, and aqp3 gene expression indicated that fish exposed to tidally changing salinities regulate the expression of these gene transcripts in a similar fashion as fish held under static SW conditions. By contrast, branchial prlr1 and prlr2 levels were highly labile throughout the tidal cycle. We conclude that local (branchial) regulation of endocrine signaling underlies the capacity of euryhaline fishes, such as Mozambique tilapia, to thrive under dynamic salinity conditions.
Factors that influence magnetic orientation in Caenorhabditis elegans
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Magnetoreceptive animals orient to the earth’s magnetic field at angles that change depending on temporal, spatial, and environmental factors such as season, climate, and position within the geomagnetic field. How magnetic migratory preference changes in response to internal or external stimuli is not understood. We previously found that Caenorhabditis elegans orients to magnetic fields favoring migrations in one of two opposite directions. Here we present new data from our labs together with replication by an independent lab to test how temporal, spatial, and environmental factors influence the unique spatiotemporal trajectory that worms make during magnetotaxis. We found that worms gradually change their average preferred angle of orientation by ~ 180° to the magnetic field during the course of a 90-min assay. Moreover, we found that the wild-type N2 strain prefers to orient towards the left side of a north-facing up, disc-shaped magnet. Lastly, similar to some other behaviors in C. elegans, we found that magnetic orientation may be more robust in dry conditions (< 50% RH). Our findings help explain why C. elegans accumulates with distinct patterns during different periods and in differently shaped magnetic fields. These results provide a tractable system to investigate the behavioral genetic basis of state-dependent magnetic orientation.
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) influence excitability of stellate neurons in the mouse cochlear nucleus
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent and proton-gated channels. In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis whether ASICs might be involved in modifying the excitability of stellate cells in the cochlear nucleus (CN). We determined gene expressions of ASIC1, ASIC2 and ASIC3 in the CN of BALB/mice. ASIC currents in stellate cells were characterized by using whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In the voltage-clamp experiments, inward currents were recorded upon application of 2-[N-Morpholino ethanesulfonic acid]-normal artificial cerebrospinal fluid (MES–aCSF), whose pH 50 was 5.84. Amiloride inhibited the acid-induced currents in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of the ASIC currents by extracellular Ca2+ and Pb2+ (10 μM) was significant evidence for the existence of homomeric ASIC1a subunits. ASIC currents were increased by 20% upon extracellular application of Zn2+ (300 μM) (p < 0.05, n = 13). In current-clamp experiments, application of MES–aCSF resulted in the depolarization of stellate cells. The results show that the ASIC currents in stellate cells of the cochlear nucleus are carried largely by the ASIC1a and ASIC2a channels. ASIC channels affect the excitability of the stellate cells and therefore they appear to have a role in the processing of auditory information.
Transmission of the frequency components of the vibrational signal of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis, within and between grapevines
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

The agricultural pest, Homalodisca vitripennis, relies on vibrational communication through plants for species identification, location, and courtship. Their vibrational signal exhibits a dominant frequency between 80 and 120 Hz, with higher frequency, lower intensity harmonics occurring approximately every 100 Hz. However, previous research revealed that not all harmonics are recorded in every signal. Therefore, how the female H. vitripennis vibrational signal changes as it travels through the plant was investigated. Results confirmed that transmission was a bending wave, with decreased signal intensity for increasing distance from the source; moreover, at distances of 50 cm, higher frequencies traveled faster than lower frequencies, suggesting that dispersion of H. vitripennis signal components may enable signaling partners to encode distance. Finally, H. vitripennis generates no detectable airborne signal (pressure wave), yet their low vibrational frequency components are detectable in neighboring plants as a result of leaf-to-air-to-leaf propagation. For instance, with isolated key female signal frequencies, 100 Hz was detected at a 10 cm gap between leaves, whereas 600 Hz was detectable only with a 0.1 cm gap. Together, these results highlight the complexity of vibration propagation in plants and suggest the possibility of the animals using the harmonic content to determine distance to the signaling H. vitripennis source.
Not just going with the flow: foraging ants attend to polarised light even while on the pheromone trail
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

The polarisation pattern of skylight serves as an orientation cue for many invertebrates. Solitary foraging ants, in particular, rely on polarised light to orient along with a number of other visual cues. Yet it is unknown, if this cue is actively used in socially foraging species that use pheromone trails to navigate. Here, we explore the use of polarised light in the presence of the pheromone cues of the foraging trail. The desert harvester ant, Veromessor pergandei, relies on pheromone cues and path integration in separate stages of their foraging ecology (column and fan, respectively). Here, we show that foragers actively orient to an altered overhead polarisation pattern, both while navigating individually in the fan and while on the pheromone-based column. These heading changes occurred during twilight, as well as in the early morning and late afternoon before sunset. Differences in shift size indicate that foragers attend to both the polarisation pattern and the sun’s position when available, yet during twilight, headings are dominated by the polarisation pattern. Finally, when the sun’s position was experimentally blocked before sunset, shift sizes increased similar to twilight testing. These findings show that celestial cues provide directional information on the pheromone trail.
Mating triggers an up-regulation of vitellogenin and defensin in ant queens
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Mating induces a range of physiological changes in female insects. In species that mate during several reproductive bouts throughout their life, mating causes an increase in oviposition, affects immune function, and decreases female lifespan and receptivity to further mating. Social Hymenoptera (ants, social bees, and wasps) are unique, since queens mate during a single reproductive effort at the beginning of their life. Their reproductive strategy is thus fundamentally different from that of other insects and one might expect the effects of mating on social Hymenoptera queens to be altered. We tested the effect of mating and multiple mating on the expression of six genes likely to be involved in post-mating changes, in queens of the ant Lasius niger L. We show that mating induces oviposition, and is followed by an up-regulation of vitellogenin and defensin expression. The expression of juvenile hormone esterase, insulin receptor 2, Cu−Zn superoxide dismutase 1, and prophenoloxidase is not significantly affected by mating. Queen-mating frequency did not affect the expression of the tested genes. Altogether, our results indicate that certain effects of mating on female insect physiology are generalized across species independent of their mating strategies, while others seem species specific.
Temperature affects liver and muscle metabolism in photostimulated migratory redheaded buntings (Emberiza bruniceps)
Venue: Journal of Comparative Physiology B

We investigated the transcriptional effects of temperature on metabolism in the liver and flight muscle prior to the onset of spring migration in redheaded buntings. We measured changes in body mass, cellular lipid accumulation, and transcription of metabolic genes in the liver and flight muscle, during a week of exposure to 8-h short photoperiod (SP; 8L: 16D) and 13-h-long photoperiod (LP; 13L: 11D) at 22 °C to ascertain the responsiveness to LP, and during 2.5 weeks of LP at 22 and 38 °C to examine the effect of temperature on LP-induced metabolic response. Particularly, we measured mRNA expression of genes involved in the fatty acids and triglycerides biosynthesis (srebf1, elovl6, scd, fads2, and dgat2), glucose and lipid metabolism (sirt1, foxo1, ppara, pparg, hdac3, and hmgcr) in the liver, and fatty acid transport (cd36 and fabp3) and metabolism (myod1) in the flight muscle. Birds gained weight and had elevated lipid accumulation at 22 °C but not at 38 °C in the liver and muscle tissues. We also found significant differences in gene expression patterns during 2.5 weeks of LP exposure. For instance, as compared to week 1, there were decreased elovl6, dgat2, and srebf1 and increased foxo1 mRNA levels in the liver, and decreased cd36 and fabp3 mRNA levels in the muscle at 38 °C after 2.5 weeks of LP. It is suggested that a drastic change in temperature could alter the molecular metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle with photoperiod-induced transition in the seasonal state in migratory songbirds.