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Miller CL, Sun D, Thornton LH, McGuigan K. The Contribution of Mutation to Variation in Temperature-Dependent Sprint Speed in Zebrafish, Danio rerio. Am Nat 2023; 202:519-533. [PMID: 37792923 DOI: 10.1086/726011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe contribution of new mutations to phenotypic variation and the consequences of this variation for individual fitness are fundamental concepts for understanding genetic variation and adaptation. Here, we investigated how mutation influenced variation in a complex trait in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Typical of many ecologically relevant traits in ectotherms, swimming speed in fish is temperature dependent, with evidence of adaptive evolution of thermal performance. We chemically induced novel germline point mutations in males and measured sprint speed in their sons at six temperatures (between 16°C and 34°C). Heterozygous mutational effects on speed were strongly positively correlated among temperatures, resulting in statistical support for only a single axis of mutational variation, reflecting temperature-independent variation in speed (faster-slower mode). These results suggest pleiotropic effects on speed across different temperatures; however, spurious correlations arise via linkage or heterogeneity in mutation number when mutations have consistent directional effects on each trait. Here, mutation did not change mean speed, indicating no directional bias in mutational effects. The results contribute to emerging evidence that mutations may predominantly have synergistic cross-environment effects, in contrast to conditionally neutral or antagonistic effects that underpin thermal adaptation. We discuss several aspects of experimental design that may affect resolution of mutations with nonsynergistic effects.
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2
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Laforge MP, Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Plasticity and repeatability in spring migration and parturition dates with implications for annual reproductive success. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1042-1054. [PMID: 36871141 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
In seasonal environments, animals should be adapted to match important life-history traits to when environmental conditions are optimal. Most animal populations therefore reproduce when resource abundance is highest to increase annual reproductive success. When facing variable, and changing, environments animals can display behavioural plasticity to acclimate to changing conditions. Behaviours can further be repeatable. For example, timing of behaviours and life history traits such as timing of reproduction may indicate phenotypic variation. Such variation may buffer animal populations against the consequences of variation and change. Our goal was to quantify plasticity and repeatability in migration and parturition timing in response to timing of snowmelt and green-up in a migratory herbivore (caribou, Rangifer tarandus, n = 132 ID-years) and their effect on reproductive success. We used behavioural reaction norms to quantify repeatability in timing of migration and timing of parturition in caribou and their plasticity to timing of spring events, while also quantifying phenotypic covariance between behavioural and life-history traits. Timing of migration for individual caribou was positively correlated with timing of snowmelt. The timing of parturition for individual caribou varied as a function of inter-annual variation in timing of snowmelt and green-up. Repeatability for migration timing was moderate, but low for timing of parturition. Plasticity did not affect reproductive success. We also did not detect any evidence of phenotypic covariance among any traits examined-timing of migration was not correlated with timing of parturition, and neither was there a correlation in the plasticity of these traits. Repeatability in migration timing suggests the possibility that the timing of migration in migratory herbivores could evolve if the repeatability detected in this study has a genetic or otherwise heritable basis, but observed plasticity may obviate the need for an evolutionary response. Our results also suggest that observed shifts in caribou parturition timing are due to plasticity as opposed to an evolutionary response to changing conditions. While this provides some evidence that populations may be buffered from the consequences of climate change via plasticity, a lack of repeatability in parturition timing could impede adaptation as warming increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
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3
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Midttun HLE, Øverli Ø, Tudorache C, Mayer I, Johansen IB. Non-invasive sampling of water-borne hormones demonstrates individual consistency of the cortisol response to stress in laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio). Sci Rep 2022; 12:6278. [PMID: 35428763 PMCID: PMC9012867 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10274-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) stress hormones are well-known for their impact on phenotypic traits ranging from immune function to behaviour and cognition. For that reason, consistent aspects of an individual's physiological stress response (i.e. GC responsiveness) can predict major elements of life-history trajectory. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) emerge as a promising model to study such consistent trait correlations, including the development of individual stress coping styles, i.e. consistent associations between physiological and behavioral traits. However, consistency in GC responsiveness of this popular animal model remains to be confirmed. Such a study has so far been hampered by the small-bodied nature and insufficient blood volume of this species to provide repeated measurements of circulating GCs. Here, we adopted a technique that allows for repeated, non-invasive sampling of individual zebrafish by quantifying GCs from holding water. Our findings indicate consistency of the magnitude of post-stress GC production over several consecutive stress events in zebrafish. Moreover, water-borne GCs reflect individual variation in GC responsiveness with the strongest consistency seen in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- H L E Midttun
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Ø Øverli
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - C Tudorache
- Institute for Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - I Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - I B Johansen
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
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4
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Bek JW, De Clercq A, Coucke PJ, Willaert A. The ZE-Tunnel: An Affordable, Easy-to-Assemble, and User-Friendly Benchtop Zebrafish Swim Tunnel. Zebrafish 2021; 18:29-41. [PMID: 33428527 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2020.1948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The popularity of zebrafish in both basic biological and biomedical research has led to an increased need for understanding their behavior. Locomotor behavior is an important outcome of different factors, such as specific genotypes or external stimuli that influence the nervous and musculoskeletal system. Locomotion can be studied by forced swimming in a swim tunnel, a device capable of generating a laminar water flow at different speeds in a chamber where zebrafish can be placed. However, commercially available swim tunnels are relatively expensive and in-house built systems are mostly presented without clear building instructions or proper validation procedures. In this study, we developed an alternative, cheap (<250 euro), and user-friendly, but customizable benchtop swim tunnel, called the "Zebrafish exercise-tunnel" (ZE-Tunnel). Detailed step-by-step instructions on how to construct the tunnel components, including the frame, mechanical, and electric components are given. The ZE-Tunnel was reliably used to exercise fish for prolonged periods and its performance was successfully validated by replicating previously published experiments on critical speed testing in zebrafish. Finally, implementation of behavioral video analysis using freely available motion-tracking software showed differences in swimming dynamics in the Chihuahua skeletal zebrafish mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Willem Bek
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center of Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Adelbert De Clercq
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center of Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul J Coucke
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center of Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andy Willaert
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Center of Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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5
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Oufiero CE, Kraskura K, Bennington R, Nelson JA. Individual Repeatability of Locomotor Kinematics and Swimming Performance in a Gymnotiform Swimmer. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 94:22-34. [PMID: 33275536 DOI: 10.1086/712058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGymnotiform swimming is a specialized form of swimming wherein thrust is produced by the ribbonlike motion of an elongate anal fin, while the body is held relatively stiff. This form of swimming has been extensively examined in relation to the biomechanics of thrust production, the kinematics of the anal fin, and neuromuscular control, whereas few studies have examined whole-animal performance parameters of this swimming mode. The goals of this research were to (1) assess the maximum abilities and repeatability of two swimming performance measures, sprinting and prolonged swimming, which would indicate that these performance measures in a gymnotiform swimmer may be a target for selection, similar to body-caudal fin-swimming fish; (2) examine how a gymnotiform swimmer modulates swimming speed; and (3) determine whether modulatory behavior is consistent across different-sized fish and within individuals across time. Sprinting and prolonged swimming were examined in black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons; N=15), multiple times on the same day, and were measured again 4 wk later. Sprinting ability was measured by chasing a fish down a photocell-lined racetrack and obtaining the fastest speed between any 8-cm span. Prolonged swimming abilities were measured in a constant acceleration test (Ucat) in a Brett-style swim tunnel by measuring the maximum speed the fish could attain against a steadily increasing water velocity. We determined frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of the anal fin sine wave in fish swimming at different speeds during the Ucat trials. We found repeatable measures of sprint speed and Ucat performance over short (day) and medium (4 wk) time periods for both tests. Neither sprint nor Ucat performance was significantly dependent on size, suggesting that the primary driver of performance variation was individual differences in physiology. Most modulation of swimming speed occurred through changes in the frequency of the wave train processing down the anal fin, with only modest changes to the wavelength and minimal changes to amplitude. Finally, we compare our measures of swimming performance in this gymnotiform swimmer to published values of body-caudal fin swimmers to demonstrate that this form of locomotion results in comparable sprint and constant-acceleration values.
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Wakamatsu Y, Kashima M, Hirata H. A Reproducible Protocol to Measure the Critical Swimming Speed of Adult Zebrafish. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3712. [PMID: 33659376 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The quantitative measurement of water flow-induced swimming of fish species using a swimmill is a powerful method to evaluate motor ability of individual fish. Zebrafish is a commonly used vertebrate that enables the study of morphological, physiological and behavioral characteristics associated with genes. We here established a reproducible method that allows to measure the body length and the critical swimming speed of adult zebrafish using a swimmill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuma Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara 252-5258, Japan
| | - Makoto Kashima
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara 252-5258, Japan
| | - Hiromi Hirata
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara 252-5258, Japan
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Wakamatsu Y, Ogino K, Hirata H. Swimming capability of zebrafish is governed by water temperature, caudal fin length and genetic background. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16307. [PMID: 31704960 PMCID: PMC6841939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52592-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several zebrafish strains such as AB, Tübingen (TU), Wild India Kolkata (WIK) and Tupfel long fin (TL) have been established for genetic study. Each strain has its morphological and behavioral traits. Motor traits, however, have not been explored in zebrafish strains. We here applied a treadmill for fish (swimmill) and measured swimming capability of adult zebrafish by critical swimming speed, which is the maximum water velocity in which fish can keep swimming. First, we confirmed that swimming capability does not vary between female and male. Second, we found that the appropriate water temperature for swimming was between 16 and 30 °C. Third, our fin clip experiments using long-finned zebrafish revealed that they can exhibit high swimming capability when the caudal fin length was set between 3 and 10 mm, implying that long-finned zebrafish are unfavorable for fast swimming. Finally, we compared swimming capability of several zebrafish strains and demonstrated that WIK fish was significantly less capable of swimming despite that they have short caudal fin (~9 mm). The offspring of WIK fish were less capable of swimming, while hybrids of WIK and TU showed high swimming performance comparable to TU. Thus, lower swimming capability of WIK strain is inheritable as a motor trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuma Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, 252-5258, Japan
| | - Kazutoyo Ogino
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, 252-5258, Japan
| | - Hiromi Hirata
- Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, 252-5258, Japan.
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8
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Liotta MN, Abbott JK, Rios-Cardenas O, Morris MR. Tactical dimorphism: the interplay between body shape and mating behaviour in the swordtail Xiphophorus multilineatus (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa N Liotta
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | | | - Oscar Rios-Cardenas
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de Biología Evolutiva, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Molly R Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
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9
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Walsh CB, McGuigan K. Do slower movers have lower reproductive success and higher mutation load? Evol Lett 2018; 2:590-598. [PMID: 30564442 PMCID: PMC6292707 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Deleterious mutations occur frequently in eukaryotes, resulting in individuals carrying multiple alleles that decrease their fitness. At a population level, if unchecked, accumulation of this mutation load can ultimately lead to extinction. How selection counters the accumulation of mutation load, limiting declines in population fitness, is not well understood. Here, we use manipulative experiments in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to investigate the opportunities for selection on mutation load. Inducing high mutation load through mutagenesis, we applied one generation of within‐family selection on locomotor performance and characterized both the direct response to this selection and the indirect response of reproductive success. Offspring of slow swimming parents exhibited age‐dependent declines in swimming speed, whereas their cousins, with faster swimming parents, did not. This pattern mimics previously documented differences between high and low mutation load populations of zebrafish, suggesting that slow swimming siblings inherited (and transmitted) more mutations than their faster swimming siblings. Crosses among offspring of slow swimming fish had, on average, <75% of the reproductive success of crosses among offspring of fast swimming parents, or crosses of offspring of slow swimmers with offspring of fast swimmers. This evidence of mutationally correlated swimming speed and reproductive success reveals the potential for concordant selection on mutation load through different fitness components. There was no evidence that crosses within families (where parents potentially shared the same mutations inherited from their common ancestor) had lower reproductive success than crosses among families, suggesting that viability selection was not acting predominantly through lethal recessive homozygotes. Rather, patterns of reproductive success are suggestive of effects of mutation number per se on embryo viability. Overall, our results highlight the potential for early life mortality to remove deleterious mutations, and the need to account for this mortality when investigating the evolutionary dynamics of mutation load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Walsh
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane 4072 Australia
| | - Katrina McGuigan
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane 4072 Australia
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10
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Repeatability and reliability of exploratory behavior in proactive and reactive zebrafish, Danio rerio. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12114. [PMID: 30108258 PMCID: PMC6092368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral responses to novel situations often vary and can belong to a suite of correlated behaviors. Characteristic behaviors of different personality types (e.g. stress coping styles) are generally consistent across contexts and time. Here, we compare the repeatability and reliability of exploratory behaviors between zebrafish strains selectively bred to display contrasting behavioral responses to stressors that represent the proactive-reactive axis. Specifically, we measure exploratory behavior of individual fish in an open field test over five weeks. We quantified the stationary time, average swimming speed and time spent by a fish in the center area. We found a number of strain differences for each behavioral measure. Stationary time was the most repeatable and reliable measure for assessing proactive-reactive behavioral differences. Reactive zebrafish generally showed the highest reliability and repeatability of exploratory behavior compared to proactive zebrafish and a separate wild caught strain. Given the increased interest in the evolutionary consequences and proximate mechanisms of consistent individual differences, it will be important to continue to investigate how different selective pressures may influence expression of stress coping styles and their effects on the consistency of an animal’s behavior.
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11
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Ruberto T, Clément RJG, Spinello C, Neri D, Macrì S, Porfiri M. The Tagging Procedure of Visible Implant Elastomers Influences Zebrafish Individual and Social Behavior. Zebrafish 2018; 15:433-444. [PMID: 30070967 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2018.1616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One commonly used method to preserve individual identity in the study of social behavior of zebrafish is through silicone-based visible implant elastomers (VIEs), which represent a safe and durable tagging procedure. While the effects of VIE tagging on welfare and general health have been addressed in detail, whether this procedure influences social behavior remains unclear. In this study, we compared individual and group behaviors exhibited by shoals composed of three individuals: two nontagged and one (focal subject) that was either nontagged (control condition) or sham-, purple-, blue-, or yellow tagged. Traditional behavioral parameters of activity, shoaling, and schooling (speed, polarization, and interindividual distances), along with an information-theoretic measure of social interaction (transfer entropy), were used to study the effect of tagging. Our findings indicate that tagging procedure per se significantly increased individual speed of the tagged subjects and of the group. The tagging procedure also altered the level of interaction between individuals, measured by transfer entropy. Conversely, tagging procedure did not influence shoaling and schooling tendencies. These findings suggest that VIE tagging may elicit some level of stress, which may affect some behavioral responses more than others. We recommend use of alternative methods such as multitracking systems when possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Ruberto
- 1 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , Brooklyn, New York
| | - Romain J G Clément
- 1 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , Brooklyn, New York
| | - Chiara Spinello
- 1 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , Brooklyn, New York
| | - Daniele Neri
- 1 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , Brooklyn, New York
| | - Simone Macrì
- 2 Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Roma, Italy
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- 1 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering , Brooklyn, New York
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12
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Widrick JJ, Gibbs DE, Sanchez B, Gupta VA, Pakula A, Lawrence C, Beggs AH, Kunkel LM. An open source microcontroller based flume for evaluating swimming performance of larval, juvenile, and adult zebrafish. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199712. [PMID: 29944715 PMCID: PMC6019105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are a preferred vertebrate model for delineating genotype-phenotype relationships. One of the most studied features of zebrafish is their exceptional swimming ability. By 7 days postfertilization (dpf), zebrafish spend over two-thirds of their time engaged in spontaneous swimming activity and several months later they are capable of attaining some of the fastest swimming velocities relative to body length ever recorded in the laboratory. However, laboratory-assembled flumes capable of achieving the slow flow velocities characteristics of larvae as well as the relatively fast maximal velocities of adults have not been described in sufficient detail to allow easy replication. Here we describe an easily assembled, open-source zebrafish-scaled flume for assessing swimming performance. The flume uses two independent spherical-impeller pumps modulated by a microcontroller to achieve flow velocities ranging from 1 to 70 cm s−1. The microcontroller also monitors water temperature and flow velocity and sends these data to a personal computer for real-time display and storage. Incremental protocols for assessing maximal swimming speed (Umax) were developed, stored in custom software, and then uploaded to the microcontroller in order to assess performance of larval (14, 21, 28 dpf), juvenile (35, 42 dpf), and adult (8, 22 month) zebrafish. The flume had sufficient range and sensitivity to detect developmental changes in Umax of larvae and juveniles, an 18–24% faster Umax of adult males vs. females, and a 14–20% age-related reduction in Umax for the oldest zebrafish. Detailed information is provided to assemble and operate this low-cost, versatile, and reliable tool for assessing zebrafish swimming performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. Widrick
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Devin E. Gibbs
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Sanchez
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Vandana A. Gupta
- Department of Medicine, Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Anna Pakula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Christian Lawrence
- Aquatic Resources Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Alan H. Beggs
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Louis M. Kunkel
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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13
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Oufiero CE, Van Sant MJ. Variation and repeatability of cutaneous water loss and skin resistance in relation to temperature and diel variation in the lizard Sceloporus consobrinus. J Comp Physiol B 2018; 188:671-681. [PMID: 29619510 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-018-1156-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Variation in rates of water loss has been proposed to be an important mechanism in the survival of terrestrial organisms, as high rates of water loss in desiccating environments may lead to hydric stress and death. Vapor density deficit, the driving force for evaporative water loss, increases exponentially as temperature increases. Acute temperature changes may be the result of daily behavioral thermoregulation of ectotherms, which may influence the among individual variation rates of water loss. The goals of this study were to determine (1) how rates of cutaneous water loss (CWL) and skin resistance (Rs) are affected by acute temperature acclimation, (2) how rates of CWL and Rs vary throughout the day allowing behavioral thermoregulation and (3) the repeatability of CWL and Rs within and among sampling periods. We measured CWL and calculated skin resistance (Rs) of 30 male Sceloporus consobrinus lizards across three summers. We measured CWL on the dorsal and ventral surface of each lizard at 23 °C followed by measurements at 35 °C, and three separate times throughout the day. We found a significant increase in Rs and decrease in CWL at increased acclimation temperatures (35 °C), a significant difference in CWL and Rs throughout the day allowing behavioral thermoregulation, and support for the repeatability of CWL and Rs. Our results demonstrate variability in CWL and Rs in relation to temperature acclimation and thermoregulation, but mixed evidence for repeatability across treatments. Our results suggest other factors, such as peripheral blood flow, may be influencing the inter-individual variation in CWL and Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J Van Sant
- Department of Agriculture, Biological and Health Sciences, Cameron University, Lawton, OK, 73505, USA
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14
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Wilson AJ. How should we interpret estimates of individual repeatability? Evol Lett 2018; 2:4-8. [PMID: 30283660 PMCID: PMC6121803 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual repeatability (R), defined as the proportion of observed variance attributable to among-individual differences, is a widely used summary statistic in evolutionarily motivated studies of morphology, life history, physiology and, especially, behaviour. Although statistical methods to estimate R are well known and widely available, there is a growing tendency for researchers to interpret R in ways that are subtly, but importantly, different. Some view R as a property of a dataset and a statistic to be interpreted agnostically with respect to mechanism. Others wish to isolate the contributions of 'intrinsic' and/or 'permanent' individual differences, and draw a distinction between true (intrinsic) and pseudo-repeatability arising from uncontrolled extrinsic effects. This latter view proposes a narrower, more mechanistic interpretation, than the traditional concept of repeatability, but perhaps one that allows stronger evolutionary inference as a consequence (provided analytical pitfalls are successfully avoided). Neither perspective is incorrect, but if we are to avoid confusion and fruitless debate, there is a need for researchers to recognise this dichotomy, and to ensure clarity in relation to how, and why, a particular estimate of R is appropriate in any case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter (Penryn Campus) Cornwall TR10 9FE United Kingdom
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15
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Kraskura K, Nelson JA. Hypoxia and Sprint Swimming Performance of Juvenile Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 91:682-690. [PMID: 29120695 DOI: 10.1086/694933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Annual hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay has expanded to the point where Darwinian fitness of juvenile striped bass (Morone saxatilis) may depend on their ability to perform in low-oxygen environments. The locomotion they use in predator/prey dynamics relies primarily on white (type II) muscle that is powered by anaerobic metabolic pathways and has generally been thought to be immune to aquatic hypoxia. We tested the sprint performance of 15 juvenile striped bass twice under acute hypoxia (20% air saturation [AS]) 5 wk apart and once under normoxia (>85% AS) in between. Average sprint performance was lower under the first hypoxia exposure than in normoxia and increased in the second hypoxia test relative to the first. The rank order of individual sprint performance was significantly repeatable when comparing the two hypoxia tests but not when compared with sprint performance measured under normoxic conditions. The maximum sprint performance of each individual was also significantly repeatable within a given day. Thus, sprint performance of striped bass is reduced under hypoxia, is phenotypically plastic, and improves with repetitive hypoxia exposures but is unrelated to relative sprint performance under normoxia. Since energy to fuel a sprint comes from existing ATP and creatine phosphate stores, the decline in sprint performance probably reflects reduced function of a part of the reflex chain leading from detection of aversive stimuli to activation of the muscle used to power the escape response.
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Hoskins AJ, Hare KM, Miller KA, Schumann N, Chapple DG. Repeatability, locomotor performance and trade-offs between performance traits in two lizard species, Oligosoma alani and O. smithi. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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McGuigan K, Aw E. How does mutation affect the distribution of phenotypes? Evolution 2017; 71:2445-2456. [PMID: 28884791 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The potential for mutational processes to influence patterns of neutral or adaptive phenotypic evolution is not well understood. If mutations are directionally biased, shifting trait means in a particular direction, or if mutation generates more variance in some directions of multivariate trait space than others, mutation itself might be a source of bias in phenotypic evolution. Here, we use mutagenesis to investigate the affect of mutation on trait mean and (co)variances in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Mutation altered the relationship between age and both prolonged swimming speed and body shape. These observations suggest that mutational effects on ontogeny or aging have the potential to generate variance across the phenome. Mutations had a far greater effect in males than females, although whether this is a reflection of sex-specific ontogeny or aging remains to be determined. In males, mutations generated positive covariance between swimming speed, size, and body shape suggesting the potential for mutation to affect the evolutionary covariation of these traits. Overall, our observations suggest that mutation does not generate equal variance in all directions of phenotypic space or in each sex, and that pervasive variation in ontogeny or aging within a cohort could affect the variation available to evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina McGuigan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072
| | - Ernest Aw
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072
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Roche DG, Careau V, Binning SA. Demystifying animal 'personality' (or not): why individual variation matters to experimental biologists. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:3832-3843. [PMID: 27852750 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.146712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Animal 'personality', defined as repeatable inter-individual differences in behaviour, is a concept in biology that faces intense controversy. Critics argue that the field is riddled with terminological and methodological inconsistencies and lacks a sound theoretical framework. Nevertheless, experimental biologists are increasingly studying individual differences in physiology and relating these to differences in behaviour, which can lead to fascinating insights. We encourage this trend, and in this Commentary we highlight some of the benefits of estimating variation in (and covariation among) phenotypic traits at the inter- and intra-individual levels. We focus on behaviour while drawing parallels with physiological and performance-related traits. First, we outline some of the confusion surrounding the terminology used to describe repeatable inter-individual differences in behaviour. Second, we argue that acknowledging individual behavioural differences can help researchers avoid sampling and experimental bias, increase explanatory power and, ultimately, understand how selection acts on physiological traits. Third, we summarize the latest methods to collect, analyse and present data on individual trait variation. We note that, while measuring the repeatability of phenotypic traits is informative in its own right, it is only the first step towards understanding how natural selection and genetic architecture shape intra-specific variation in complex, labile traits. Thus, understanding how and why behavioural traits evolve requires linking repeatable inter-individual behavioural differences with core aspects of physiology (e.g. neurophysiology, endocrinology, energy metabolism) and evolutionary biology (e.g. selection gradients, heritability).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique G Roche
- Département d'Éco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel CH 2000, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Careau
- Canada Research Chair in Functional Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Sandra A Binning
- Département d'Éco-Éthologie, Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel CH 2000, Switzerland
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