Integrative Organismal Biology最新文献

{"title":"Energetics and Oxidative Status: Seasonal Variation in Blood Oxidative Stress Metrics in Four Species of Small Birds from a Cold Winter Climate.","authors":"A G Jiménez, C J Marolf, O R Gulseth, S K Anandan, D L Swanson","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf024","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birds that overwinter in temperate regions must be physiologically flexible to face the demands of living in a thermally fluctuating environment. Much of the previous literature on this topic focuses on whole-animal metabolic rates and corresponding cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable these birds to withstand the demands of changing environmental conditions. Basal and maximal shivering metabolic rates, as well as daily energy expenditure, typically increase in winter for small birds overwintering in cold climates, which might increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within mitochondria as a natural byproduct of aerobic metabolism. In this study, we measured summer to winter differences in oxidative balance in four species of resident passerine birds. Blood samples were taken from field-collected American goldfinch (<i>Spinus tristis)</i>, black-capped chickadee (<i>Poecile atricapillus</i>), house finch (<i>Haemorhous mexicanus</i>), and house sparrow (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) during the summer and winter of 2023-2024 in South Dakota, USA. We determined plasma total antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidative damage, and red blood cell activities of three antioxidant enzymes: catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Lipid oxidative damage was significantly lower in winter for three of four species, and total antioxidant capacity for all species was significantly lower in winter compared with summer. Across all species, CAT activity was significantly higher in summer than in winter. In contrast, SOD activity was significantly higher in winter than in summer for all species. We also found species-level differences across the two seasons. These data suggest that the higher thermoregulatory costs in winter do not result in consistently elevated oxidative damage or antioxidant capacities relative to summer in small resident birds in cold climates, despite previously demonstrated winter increases in metabolic rates and energy expenditure. Such a result might occur as a function of either a reduction in dietary antioxidants and/or uncoupling of ROS production and metabolism in winter relative to summer or may be related to oxidative costs associated with reproduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12138340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144234004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Study of Sun Compass Orientation in Migrating Anadromous versus Resident Freshwater Threespine Sticklebacks (<i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i>).","authors":"L Spiecker, M Laurien, F Schröder, J C C Moreno, S M Fübbeker, S Lüdtke, C Walter, A W Nolte, G Gerlach","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf022","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the northern coastal hemisphere, different ecotypes of the threespine stickleback (<i>Gasterosteus aculeatus</i>) can be distinguished phenotypically by a different number of lateral bone plates and by their body shape and size. We focused on (1) anadromous sticklebacks, which migrate from the sea to rivers to spawn and (2) freshwater sticklebacks, which live in rivers all year round. Migration behavior is a key feature in the evolution of ecotypes, but the underlying mechanisms of migration are poorly understood. To learn more about possible orientation mechanisms that could lead to goal-directed migration, we tested anadromous sticklebacks for their sun compass orientation and compared their orientation behavior with that of the freshwater ecotype. Behavioral experiments revealed ecotype-dependent differences, whereby the ability to orient is consistently present in the anadromous ecotype, whereas the orientation in the freshwater ecotype corresponds to a random directional distribution.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf022"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12152475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144274752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward understanding the fast latex coagulation in <i>Campanula</i> spp. (Campanulaceae).","authors":"M H M Wermelink, M L Becker, R Konradi, C Taranta, M Ranft, S Nord, J Rühe, T Speck, S Kruppert","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf020","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The plant most commonly known for producing latex is the Pará rubber tree, <i>Hevea brasiliensis</i>. There are, however, thousands of latex-bearing plant species, and these species exhibit a diverse array of different types of latex, each type in accordance with its producers' main selective pressure after injury. One key function of latex is to seal, but the most crucial necessities for wound sealing differ by the environment. For species growing in arid climates, for example, minimizing water loss is crucial whereas in tropical ecosystems a strong (chemical) defense against herbivores, parasites, and germs is of more imminent importance. This diversity of ecosystems and species' environments is mirrored by a respective diversity in latices' chemical compositions, material properties, and coagulation times. While some plant species solely rely on evaporation of water for their latex coagulation, the <i>H. brasiliensis</i> latex contains the coagulation assisting protein Hevein, allowing for coagulation in 30 min. With coagulation times of 10 s and below, species of the genus <i>Campanula</i> pose considerable challenge to the measurement of latex characteristics. We here present an overview to the coagulation of latex in the genus <i>Campanula</i> and reveal substantial differences to the latex coagulation of <i>H. brasiliensis</i>. For a collection of 6 different <i>Campanula</i> species, we determined coagulation times under different temperatures, latex dry weights, contact angles of water droplets on latex surfaces and imaged laticifer cross-sections using cryo-SEM. We found <i>Campanula</i> latex to coagulate significantly faster than <i>Hevea</i> latex and no evidence of <i>Hevea-</i>like lutoids in the laticifers. A coagulation test in a pressure chamber further revealed <i>Campanula</i> latex to coagulate at pressures of 8 bar, where latex coagulation in <i>Ficus benjamina</i>, which is described to have similar coagulation mechanism as <i>Hevea</i>, has previously been reported to be impaired. Our findings thus suggest <i>Campanula</i> latex coagulation to follow a different mechanism than the one described in <i>Hevea</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf020"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12120442/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144181582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extraction and Optical Analysis of the Extracellular Fluid from the Body Segments of <i>Apis mellifera</i> Bees.","authors":"J Hernández, F Mesa, A Riveros, R Fayad, J Nisperuza","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf018","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study developed and optimized a methodology based on controlled centrifugation for the segmented extraction of extracellular fluid in <i>Apis mellifera</i> bees. Three critical variables were analyzed: relative centrifugal force, centrifugation time, and the number of individuals processed, ensuring the reproducibility and efficiency of the procedure. The results demonstrated significant differences in the volume of fluid recovered from different body segments, with the abdomen yielding the highest volumes, followed by the thorax and the head. UV-Vis spectroscopic characterization revealed distinct optical features for the samples, identifying specific absorbance peaks unique to each segment. Furthermore, biochemical analysis using Benedict's reagent confirmed the presence of reducing sugars, with head samples displaying the most intense coloration. These findings underscore the importance of segment-specific analysis to gain deeper insights into the physiology and metabolism of bees. The proposed methodology offers a novel and robust tool for physiological, metabolic, and ecotoxicological studies, facilitating the assessment of environmental and contaminant impacts on pollinator health.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf018"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12117329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144173392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activation of the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system increases DNA damage during the transition to captivity.","authors":"D A V Kilgour, L M Romero","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf019","DOIUrl":"10.1093/iob/obaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prior work has demonstrated that both acute and chronic stress can increase the number of double-stranded breaks detected in DNA and that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is the primary driver of increases in DNA damage during acute stress. However, the role of the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system in causing the increase in DNA damage observed during chronically stressful situations such as the transition to captivity is less well understood. We tested the hypothesis that chronic SAM activation via catecholamine release increases DNA damage by administering a beta-blocker to wild house sparrows (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) at capture and throughout the day during the first few days of captivity. We quantified double-stranded DNA breaks throughout the 2-week transition to captivity. We found that immediately following the treatment period, both control and beta-blocker-treated birds had similar levels of DNA damage, but after 2 weeks in captivity, treated birds had lower levels of damage. These data suggest that SAM system activation plays a role in creating the previously observed patterns of DNA damage during chronic stress and that suppressing SAM effects may lead to faster recovery and less damage overall, thereby easing the transition to captivity for wild animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf019"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12151017/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Predation by a Nudibranch Mollusc.","authors":"K Otter, S Gamidova, P S Katz","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Synopsis: </strong>Social predation is a common strategy used by predators to subdue and consume prey. Animals that use this strategy have diverse methods of finding each other, organizing behaviors, and capturing prey. There is wide variation in the extent to which these behaviors are coordinated and in the stability of individual roles. This study characterizes social predation by the nudibranch mollusc, <i>Berghia stephanieae</i>, which is a specialist predator that eats only the sea anemone, <i>Exaiptasia diaphana</i>. A combination of experimental and modeling approaches established that <i>Berghia</i> consistently preys upon <i>E. diaphana</i> in groups, even when resources are abundant. However, this preference for social foraging does not appear to be a fixed personality trait, as individuals did not exhibit stable roles such as leader or follower. Instead, the population exhibited fission-fusion dynamics with temporary roles during predation. The extent of this social feeding was not altered by length of food deprivation, suggesting that animals are not shifting strategies based on hunger state. Furthermore, classic gastropod cues-such as slime trails, attraction to injured anemones, or preference for conspecifics feeding-did not facilitate group formation. Thus, <i>Berghia</i> provides an example of a specialist predator of dangerous prey that loosely organizes social feeding, independent of hunger state and fixed individual roles, while the mechanism of aggregation remains unknown.</p><p><strong>Significance statement: </strong>Social predation is an adaptive strategy that enables predators to subdue dangerous prey while minimizing injury. Many nudibranchs specialize to predate upon cnidarians, which pose unique challenges due to their potent defenses. Although nudibranchs are often characterized as solitary hunters, our study reveals that <i>Berghia stephanieae</i> exhibits social predation behaviors, forming temporary, fluid groups to feed on sea anemones. These groups lack stable social structures, with individuals adopting temporary roles such as joining or initiating feeding. Interestingly, we found no evidence that aggregation is driven by simple cues such as slime trails, conspecific activity, or prey injury, suggesting that group formation may depend on more complex or context-specific mechanisms. This work highlights the need for further research into the ecological and sensory factors underlying social predation in nudibranchs and other marine predators.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf017"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057695/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life History-Dependent Brain Transcriptomic Signatures in Nothobranchids: Insights into Aging, Neurogenesis, and Life History Evolution.","authors":"C J Leow, K R Piller","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The African turquoise killifish <i>Nothobranchius furzeri</i> is a powerful model organism in aging research. Within the family Nothobranchiidae, a wide range of lifespan is observed in annual, semi-annual, and non-annual life histories. In this study, we examined the brain transcriptomic signatures of adult nothobranchids across life history variations. Our results show that the brain gene expression profiles exhibit strong life history signatures compared to the liver tissue. Semi-annual <i>Fundulopanchax</i> species shows upregulation in cell division and mitosis compared to non-annual <i>Aphyosemion</i> species. We identified genes related to neurogenesis such as <i>DNMT3A</i>, <i>SOX2</i>, and <i>FGF10</i> that show downregulation in the short-lived annual species compared to other life histories. The Notch signaling pathway is enriched in the non-annual species suggesting the importance of this pathway in longer-lived killifish. Our study demonstrates that other non-model nothobranchids can be used as comparative species to <i>N</i> <i>.</i>  <i>furzeri</i> in the study of aging, neurogenesis, and life history.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf016"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12015474/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting Thermal Gradient Experiments: Effects of Thermal Heterogeneity on Salamander Behavior.","authors":"J Laterza-Barbosa, R Rainha, A Flores-Guzman, A K Ting, J Chen, E A Riddell, M M Muñoz, C A Navas","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thermal gradient experiments are commonly used in studies of ectothermic organisms for a variety of scientific inquiries. Such gradient experiments, performed in the laboratory, are often used to infer the climatic preferences of animals in the absence of other variables. However, the ability to extrapolate laboratory results to the field is only as good as the accumulation of ecological data for that organism. When the variable quantified is interpreted as thermal \"preference,\" there are some assumptions that come with it, namely that the organism selects a particular preferred temperature by positive thermotaxis. Amphibians, as well as most ectotherms, tend to be thermoconformers, so conclusions from thermal gradient experiments carry different meanings than they do for organisms such as heliothermic ectotherms that maintain a narrow range of body temperatures in the lab and field. We tested whether and how the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (<i>Plethodon cinereus</i>) behaves when presented with a heterothermal gradient arena in comparison to a control (homothermal) arena. Salamanders in the control arena unambiguously moved toward either end of the arena, despite no variation in temperature being available. We found that salamanders did respond to a thermal gradient, but that their thermoregulatory behavior was limited to the avoidance of the hottest end of the gradient, and not a positive thermotaxis toward a specific temperature as assumed of a thermal \"preference.\" Our results encourage a broader consideration of how laboratory-measured behaviors relate to the predicted behaviors of organisms in natural settings, and a re-evaluation of the terminology used to describe movement behaviors in thermal gradients.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf015"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12046510/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144020984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Diffusion Diaries: Diffusible Iodine-Based Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography for Vertebrate Natural History Specimens.","authors":"J A Gray, E L Stanley, C M Sheehy, Z S Randall, G J Watkins-Colwell, D C Blackburn","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT (diceCT) is commonly used to create three-dimensional (3D) representations of the soft tissue anatomy of preserved vertebrate specimens. While widely applied, there is currently no documentation of protocols that can be adapted to a morphological and taxonomically broad range of vertebrates. We present the most taxonomically and morphologically broad sampling of diceCT vertebrates, imaged for the openVertebrate Thematic Collections Network. Within this study, we document our methods, outcomes, and observations throughout the preparation, staining, scanning, and data processing steps. Larger specimens take a longer time to stain, but the final staining time depends on the taxon, whether there is dermal and/or bony armor present, and whether any internal structures (e.g., eggs, embryos, large fat deposits) require large amounts of iodine to become fully saturated. We established a scoring system for diceCT-imaged soft tissues that reflects the usefulness of the data. We also provide examples of datasets that demonstrate severe soft tissue damage, incomplete preservation, permanent specimen alteration, and understaining. Finally, we have made all the diceCT datasets produced here freely available to download via the data repository MorphoSource, and hope that our work can serve as a resource for scientists and the public to explore and study vertebrate anatomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf014"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12010875/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144010473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanical Specialization Acts as an Asymmetrical Constraint on the Phenotype.","authors":"M I Schelp, E D Burress","doi":"10.1093/iob/obaf013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaf013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vertebrate jaws involve trade-offs between the transmission of velocity and force, which underlies their feeding performance and potentially their evolution. We investigate the velocity-force trade-off and its implications for adaptation of the anatomically complex fish jaw system among 89 species of percid fishes (Percidae). We test alternative hypotheses about how the trade-off may symmetrically or asymmetrically constrain jaw diversity. We find that the trade-off has a strong impact on the structural diversity of the jaws, indicating that specialization acts as a constraint on the phenotype. Force-modified jaws are compact with short snouts and a small oral cavity, while velocity-modified jaws are more robust with elongate snouts and a large oral cavity. The distribution of craniofacial diversity along the extremes is asymmetrical, as species with velocity-modified jaws are more phenotypically dissimilar than those with force-modified jaws. The rate of phenotypic evolution is also asymmetrical, as lineages with velocity- and force-modified jaws evolve slower and faster than unspecialized jaws, respectively. This discrepancy between phenotypic diversity and rate of evolution is explained by time to evolve, as force-modified jaws arose comparatively nearer the present. We expand recent literature linking trade-offs to asymmetrical macroevolutionary patterns, which may be an underappreciated cause of the uneven distribution of vertebrate diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":13666,"journal":{"name":"Integrative Organismal Biology","volume":"7 1","pages":"obaf013"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12012895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143978879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}