Journal of Comparative Physiology B最新文献

The Pallas’ spadefoot Pelobates vespertinus is a frog species native to eastern Europe and west Siberia. This species resists harsh winter conditions by moving up to 2 m underground. This amphibian is the first species known to withstand extreme air hypoxia. In this study, we investigated the metabolome of liver, heart, and brain of the Pallas’ spadefoot after a month-long exposure of hypoxia, with oxygen levels reduced to approximately one-tenth of the air normal content. Surprisingly, our findings revealed a limited impact of hypoxia on the metabolomic profiles. Concentrations of glycolysis end products (lactate and alanine) increased only slightly compared to other amphibians under hypoxia, and no accumulation of succinate was observed. Furthermore, there were no notable changes in the content of adenosine phosphates. These results are consistent with a previous study, which indicated that the Pallas’ spadefoot possesses relatively small glycogen and fat reserves before the winter compared to other frogs. It appears that this species conserves energy during winter by minimizing its metabolic activity. These findings corroborated the hypothesis that the survival of P. vespertinus under hypoxic conditions primarily relies on metabolic suppression rather than substantial energy reserves.

Nutritional programming is a promising concept for promoting metabolic adaptation of fish to challenging conditions, such as the increase in water temperature. The present work evaluates in ovo arginine or glutamine supplementation as enhancers of zebrafish metabolic or absorptive capacity, respectively, at optimum (28 ºC) and challenging temperatures (32 ºC) in the long-term. Growth performance, free amino acids profile, methylation index and the activity levels of digestive and intermediary metabolism enzymes were analysed to assess the metabolic plasticity induced by an early nutritional intervention. Temperature affected fish larvae growth performance. At the end of the experimental period 28 ºC-fish showed higher dry weight than 32 ºC-fish. The effects of the early supplementation were reflected in the larval free amino acids profile at the end of the experiment. Higher methylation potential was observed in the ARG-fish. In ovo amino acid supplementation modulated the metabolic response in zebrafish larvae, however, the magnitude of this effect differed according to the amino acid and the temperature. Overall, arginine supplementation enhanced carbohydrates metabolism at 32 ºC. In conclusion, the present work suggests that in ovo arginine supplementation may promote a better adaptive response to higher temperatures.

Biological processes in intertidal species follow tidal rhythms that enhance survival and fitness. Whereas tidal effects on behaviour and metabolic rates have been widely studied, impacts on other key process such as protein synthesis are still poorly understood. To date, no studies have examined the effect of immersion/emersion and tidal cycles on protein synthesis rates (k_s). Patella vulgata is an intertidal limpet present in North-Eastern Atlantic rocky shores from high to low shore. Previously reported P. vulgata respiration and heart rate measurements suggest aerobic metabolism is maintained during emersion and growth rates increase from high to low shore, but whether these patterns are reflected in k_s is currently unclear. Here, we measured for the first time in any intertidal organism, k_s, RNA to protein ratios and RNA translational efficiency (k_RNA) in P. vulgata over a full tidal cycle, at three different shore heights. k_s increased during emersion (p < 0.001) and was significantly higher in low shore animals compared to the other shore heights (p < 0.001), additionally k_s was negatively correlated to body mass (p = 0.002). RNA to protein ratios remained unchanged over the tidal cycle (p = 0.659) and did not vary with shore height (p = 0.591). k_RNA was significantly higher during emersion and was also higher in low shore limpets (p < 0.001). This study demonstrates that P. vulgata increases k_s during emersion, an important adaptation in a species that spends a considerable amount of its lifecycle emersed. Intertidal species are highly exposed to increasing air temperatures, making knowledge of physiological responses during emersion critical in understanding and forecasting climate warming impacts.

The increased limb bone density documented previously for aquatic tetrapods has been proposed to be an adaptation to overcome buoyancy during swimming and diving. It can be achieved by increasing the amount of bone deposition or by reducing the amount of bone resorption, leading to cortical thickening, loss of medullary cavity, and compaction of trabecular bone. The present study examined the effects of locomotor habit, body size, and phylogeny on the densitometric, cross-sectional, and biomechanical traits of femoral diaphysis and neck in terrestrial, semiaquatic, and aquatic carnivores, and in terrestrial and semiaquatic rodents (12 species) by using peripheral quantitative computed tomography, three-point bending, and femoral neck loading tests. Groupwise differences were analyzed with the univariate generalized linear model and the multivariate linear discriminant analysis supplemented with hierarchical clustering. While none of the individual features could separate the lifestyles or species adequately, the combinations of multiple features produced very good or excellent classifications and clusterings. In the phocid seals, the aquatic niche allowed for lower femoral bone mineral densities than expected based on the body mass alone. The semiaquatic mammals mostly had high bone mineral densities compared to the terrestrial species, which could be considered an adaptation to overcome buoyancy during swimming and shallow diving. Generally, it seems that different osteological properties at the levels of mineral density and biomechanics could be compatible with the adaptation to aquatic, semiaquatic, or terrestrial niches.

The first studies on ion regulation in fish exposed to low pH, which were inspired by the Acid Rain environmental crisis, seemed to indicate that ion transport at the gills was completely and irreversibly inhibited at pH 4.0–4.5 and below. However, work on characid fish native to the Rio Negro, a naturally acidic, blackwater tributary of the Amazon River, found that they possess ion transport mechanisms that are completely insensitive to pHs as low as 3.25. As more species were examined it appeared that pH-insensitive transport was a trait shared by many, if not most, species in the Order Characiformes. Subsequently, a few other species of fish have been shown to be able to transport ions at low pH, in particular zebrafish (Danio rerio), which show rapid recovery of Na⁺ uptake at pH 4.0 after initial inhibition. Measurements of rates of Na⁺ transport during exposure to pharmacological agents that inhibit various transport proteins suggested that characiform fish do not utilize the generally accepted mechanisms for Na⁺ transport that rely on some form of H⁺ extrusion. Examination of zebrafish transport at low pH suggest the rapid recovery may be due to a novel Na⁺/K⁺ exchanger, but after longer term exposure they may rely on a coupling of Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers and NH₃ excretion. Further work is needed to clarify these mechanisms of transport and to find other acid-tolerant species to fully gain an appreciation of the diversity of physiological mechansisms involved.

Monitoring body temperature and energy expenditure in freely-moving laboratory mice remains a powerful methodology used widely across a variety of disciplines–including circadian biology, sleep research, metabolic phenotyping, and the study of body temperature regulation. Some of the most pronounced changes in body temperature are observed when small heterothermic species reduce their body temperature during daily torpor. Daily torpor is an energy saving strategy characterized by dramatic reductions in body temperature employed by mice and other species when challenged to meet energetic demands. Typical measurements used to describe daily torpor are the measurement of core body temperature and energy expenditure. These approaches can have drawbacks and developing alternatives for these techniques provides options that can be beneficial both from an animal-welfare and study-complexity perspective. First, this paper presents and assesses a method to estimate core body temperature based on measurements of subcutaneous body temperature, and second, a separate approach to better estimate energy expenditure during daily torpor based on core body temperature. Third, the effects of light exposure during the habitual dark phase and sleep deprivation during the light period on body temperature dynamics were tested preliminary in fed and fasted mice. Together, the here-published approaches and datasets can be used in the future to assess body temperature and metabolism in freely-moving laboratory mice.

Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) within the fish gill contain the monoamine neurochemical serotonin (5-HT), sense changes in the partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) in the surrounding water and blood, and initiate the cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to hypoxia. The distribution of neuroepithelial cells (NECs) within the gill is known for some fish species but not for the Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta, a fish that has always been considered hypoxia tolerant. Furthermore, whether NEC size, number, or distribution changes after chronic exposure to hypoxia, has never been tested. We hypothesize that toadfish NECs will respond to hypoxia with an increase in NEC size, number, and a change in distribution. Juvenile toadfish (N = 24) were exposed to either normoxia (21.4 ± 0.0 kPa), mild hypoxia (10.2 ± 0.3 kPa), or severe hypoxia (3.1 ± 0.2 kPa) for 7 days and NEC size, number, and distribution for each O₂ regime were measured. Under normoxic conditions, juvenile toadfish have similar NEC size, number, and distribution as other fish species with NECs along their filaments but not throughout the lamellae. The distribution of NECs did not change with hypoxia exposure. Mild hypoxia exposure had no effect on NEC size or number, but fish exposed to severe hypoxia had a higher NEC density (# per mm filament) compared to mild hypoxia-exposed fish. Fish exposed to severe hypoxia also had longer gill filament lengths that could not be explained by body weight. These results point to signs of phenotypic plasticity in these juvenile, lab-bred fish with no previous exposure to hypoxia and a strategy to deal with hypoxia exposure that differs in toadfish compared to other fish.

Winter energy stores are finite and factors influencing patterns of activity are important for overwintering energetics and survival. Hibernation patterns (e.g., torpor bout duration and arousal frequency) often depend on microclimate, with more stable hibernacula associated with greater energy savings than less stable hibernacula. We monitored hibernation patterns of individual big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus; Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) overwintering in rock-crevices that are smaller, drier, and less thermally stable than most known cave hibernacula. While such conditions would be predicted to increase arousal frequency in many hibernators, we did not find support for this. We found that bats were insensitive to changes in hibernacula microclimate (temperature and humidity) while torpid. We also found that the probability of arousal from torpor remained under circadian influence, likely because throughout the winter during arousals, bats commonly exit their hibernacula. We calculated that individuals spend most of their energy on maintaining a torpid body temperature a few degrees above the range of ambient temperatures during steady-state torpor, rather than during arousals as is typical of other small mammalian hibernators. Flight appears to be an important winter activity that may expedite the benefits of euthermic periods and allow for short, physiologically effective arousals. Overall, we found that big brown bats in rock crevices exhibit different hibernation patterns than conspecifics hibernating in buildings and caves.

Abstract

The fish gill is a multifunctional organ that is important in multiple physiological processes such as gas transfer, ionoregulation, and chemoreception. This characteristic organ of fishes has received much attention, yet an often-overlooked point is that larval fishes in most cases do not have a fully developed gill, and thus larval gills do not function identically as adult gills. In addition, large changes associated with gas exchange and ionoregulation happen in gills during the larval phase, leading to the oxygen and ionoregulatory hypotheses examining the environmental constraint that resulted in the evolution of gills. This review thus focuses exclusively on the larval fish gill of teleosts, summarizing the development of teleost larval fish gills and its function in gas transfer, ionoregulation, and chemoreception, and comparing and contrasting it to adult gills where applicable, while providing some insight into the oxygen vs ionoregulatory hypotheses debate.

Abstract

The innate immune system, a cornerstone for organismal resilience against environmental and microbial insults, is highly conserved across the evolutionary spectrum, underpinning its pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis and ensuring survival. This review explores the evolutionary parallels between mammalian and insect innate immune systems, illuminating how investigations into these disparate immune landscapes have been reciprocally enlightening. We further delve into how advancements in mammalian immunology have enriched our understanding of insect immune responses, highlighting the intertwined evolutionary narratives and the shared molecular lexicon of immunity across these organisms. Therefore, this review posits a holistic understanding of innate immune mechanisms, including immunometabolism, autophagy and cell death. The examination of how emerging insights into mammalian and vertebrate immunity inform our understanding of insect immune responses and their implications for vector-borne disease transmission showcases the imperative for a nuanced comprehension of innate immunity’s evolutionary tale. This understanding is quintessential for harnessing innate immune mechanisms' potential in devising innovative disease mitigation strategies and promoting organismal health across the animal kingdom.