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Matsumoto R, Fujiwara SI, Evans SE. The anatomy and feeding mechanism of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus). J Anat 2024; 244:679-707. [PMID: 38217319 PMCID: PMC11021680 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The fully aquatic Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) is a member of the Cryptobranchidae, and is currently distributed in western Japan, with other members of this group restricted to China and North America. Their feeding behaviour is characterized by a form of suction feeding that includes asymmetric movements of the jaw and hyobranchial apparatus. Previous studies on the North American species, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, have suggested that this specialized jaw movement is produced by a flexible quadrate-articular joint combined with a loosely connected lower jaw symphysis including two small fibrocartilaginous pads. However, little is known about this feeding behaviour in the Asian species, nor have the three-dimensional asymmetric jaw movements been fully investigated in any member of Cryptobranchidae. In this study, we explore the asymmetric jaw movements in A. japonicus using three methods: (1) dissection of musculoskeletal structures; (2) filming of feeding behaviour to understand in which situations asymmetric feeding is used; (3) analysis of 3D movement of jaws and skull. In the third component, fresh (from frozen) specimens of A. japonicus were manipulated to replicate asymmetric and symmetric jaw movements, with the specimens CT scanned after each step to obtain the 3D morphology of the jaws at different positions. These positions were combined and their Euler angles from resting (closed) jaw position were calculated for asymmetric or symmetric jaw positions. Our filming revealed that asymmetric jaw movements are linked to the position of the prey in relation to the snout, with the jaw closest to the prey opening asymmetrically. Moreover, this action allows the salamander to simultaneously grasp prey in one side of the mouth while ejecting water on the other side, if the first suction attempt fails. The asymmetric jaw movements are performed mainly by rotation of the mandible about its long axis, with very limited lateral jaw movements. During asymmetric and symmetric jaw movements, the posterior ends of the maxilla and quadrate move slightly. The asymmetric jaw movements are permitted by a mobile quadrate-articular joint formed by wide, round cartilages, and by two small fibrocartilage pads within the jaw symphysis that act as cushions during jaw rotation. Some of these soft tissue structures leave traces on the jaws and skull, allowing feeding mode to be reconstructed in fossil taxa. Understanding cryptobranchid asymmetric jaw movement thus requires a comprehensive assessment of not only the symphysial morphology but also that of other cranial and hyobranchial elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoko Matsumoto
- Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Susan E Evans
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Cochrane MM, Addis BR, Lowe WH. Stage-Specific Demographic Effects of Hydrologic Variation in a Stream Salamander. Am Nat 2024; 203:E175-E187. [PMID: 38635365 DOI: 10.1086/729466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
AbstractWe lack a strong understanding of how organisms with complex life histories respond to climate variation. Many stream-associated species have multistage life histories that are likely to influence the demographic consequences of floods and droughts. However, tracking stage-specific demographic responses requires high-resolution, long-term data that are rare. We used 8 years of capture-recapture data for the headwater stream salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus to quantify the effects of flooding and drying magnitude on stage-specific vital rates and population growth. Drying reduced larval recruitment but increased the probability of metamorphosis (i.e., adult recruitment). Flooding reduced adult recruitment but had no effect on larval recruitment. Larval and adult survival declined with flooding but were unaffected by drying. Annual population growth rates (λ) declined with flooding and drying. Lambda also declined over the study period (2012-2021), although mean λ was 1.0 over this period. Our results indicate that G. porphyriticus populations are resilient to hydrologic variation because of compensatory effects on recruitment of larvae versus adults (i.e., reproduction vs. metamorphosis). Complex life cycles may enable this resilience to climate variation by creating opportunities for compensatory demographic responses across stages. However, more frequent and intense hydrologic variation in the latter half of this study contributed to a decline in λ over time, suggesting that increasing environmental variability poses a threat even when demographic compensation occurs.
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3
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McGrath-Blaser SE, McGathey N, Pardon A, Hartmann AM, Longo AV. Invasibility of a North American soil ecosystem to amphibian-killing fungal pathogens. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232658. [PMID: 38628130 PMCID: PMC11021929 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
North American salamanders are threatened by intercontinental spread of chytridiomycosis, a deadly disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). To predict potential dispersal of Bsal spores to salamander habitats, we evaluated the capacity of soil microbial communities to resist invasion. We determined the degree of habitat invasibility using soils from five locations throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a region with a high abundance of susceptible hosts. Our experimental design consisted of replicate soil microcosms exposed to different propagule pressures of the non-native pathogen, Bsal, and an introduced but endemic pathogen, B. dendrobatidis (Bd). To compare growth and competitive interactions, we used quantitative PCR, live/dead cell viability assays, and full-length 16S rRNA sequencing. We found that soil microcosms with intact bacterial communities inhibited both Bsal and Bd growth, but inhibitory capacity diminished with increased propagule pressure. Bsal showed greater persistence than Bd. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) identified the family Burkolderiaceae as increasing in relative abundance with the decline of both pathogens. Although our findings provide evidence of environmental filtering in soils, such barriers weakened in response to pathogen type and propagule pressure, showing that habitats vary their invasibility based on properties of their local microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie McGathey
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Allison Pardon
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Arik M. Hartmann
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ana V. Longo
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Green ET, Dell AI, Crawford JA, Biro EG, Daversa DR. Trait variation in patchy landscapes: Morphology of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) varies more within ponds than between ponds. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299101. [PMID: 38573913 PMCID: PMC10994278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The influence of intraspecific trait variation on species interactions makes trait-based approaches critical to understanding eco-evolutionary processes. Because species occupy habitats that are patchily distributed in space, species interactions are influenced not just by the degree of intraspecific trait variation but also the relative proportion of trait variation that occurs within- versus between-patches. Advancement in trait-based ecology hinges on understanding how trait variation is distributed within and between habitat patches across the landscape. We sampled larval spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) across six spatially discrete ponds to quantify within- and between-pond variation in mass, length, and various metrics associated with their relationship (scaling, body condition, shape). Across all traits, within-pond variation contributed more to total observed morphological variation than between-pond variation. Between-pond variation was not negligible, however, and explained 20-41% of total observed variation in measured traits. Between-pond variation was more pronounced in salamander tail morphology compared to head or body morphology, suggesting that pond-level factors more strongly influence tails than other body parts. We also observed differences in mass-length relationships across ponds, both in terms of scaling slopes and intercepts, though differences in the intercepts were much stronger. Preliminary evidence hinted that newly constructed ponds were a driver of the observed differences in mass-length relationships and morphometrics. General pond-level difference in salamander trait covariation suggest that allometric scaling of morphological traits is context dependent in patchy landscapes. Effects of pond age offer the hypothesis that habitat restoration through pond construction is a driver of variation in trait scaling, which managers may leverage to bolster trait diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T. Green
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), East Alton, IL, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Anthony I. Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), East Alton, IL, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - John A. Crawford
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), East Alton, IL, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth G. Biro
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - David R. Daversa
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC), East Alton, IL, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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5
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Brooks GC, Hopkins WA, Kindsvater HK. Concurrent threats and extinction risk in a long-lived, highly fecund vertebrate with parental care. Ecol Appl 2024; 34:e2946. [PMID: 38303165 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Detecting declines and quantifying extinction risk of long-lived, highly fecund vertebrates, including fishes, reptiles, and amphibians, can be challenging. In addition to the false notion that large clutches always buffer against population declines, the imperiled status of long-lived species can often be masked by extinction debt, wherein adults persist on the landscape for several years after populations cease to be viable. Here we develop a demographic model for the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), an imperiled aquatic salamander with paternal care. We examined the individual and interactive effects of three of the leading threats hypothesized to contribute to the species' demise: habitat loss due to siltation, high rates of nest failure, and excess adult mortality caused by fishing and harvest. We parameterized the model using data on their life history and reproductive ecology to model the fates of individual nests and address multiple sources of density-dependent mortality under both deterministic and stochastic environmental conditions. Our model suggests that high rates of nest failure observed in the field are sufficient to drive hellbender populations toward a geriatric age distribution and eventually to localized extinction but that this process takes decades. Moreover, the combination of limited nest site availability due to siltation, nest failure, and stochastic adult mortality can interact to increase the likelihood and pace of extinction, which was particularly evident under stochastic scenarios. Density dependence in larval survival and recruitment can severely hamper a population's ability to recover from declines. Our model helps to identify tipping points beyond which extinction becomes certain and management interventions become necessary. Our approach can be generalized to understand the interactive effects of various threats to the extinction risk of other long-lived vertebrates. As we face unprecedented rates of environmental change, holistic approaches incorporating multiple concurrent threats and their impacts on different aspects of life history will be necessary to proactively conserve long-lived species.
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Affiliation(s)
- George C Brooks
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - William A Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Holly K Kindsvater
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Cayuela H, Lackey ACR, Ronget V, Monod-Broca B, Whiteman HH. Polyphenism predicts actuarial senescence and lifespan in tiger salamanders. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:333-347. [PMID: 38279640 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Actuarial senescence (called 'senescence' hereafter) often shows broad variation at the intraspecific level. Phenotypic plasticity likely plays a central role in among-individual heterogeneity in senescence rate (i.e. the rate of increase in mortality with age), although our knowledge on this subject is still very fragmentary. Polyphenism-the unique sub-type of phenotypic plasticity where several discrete phenotypes are produced by the same genotype-may provide excellent study systems to investigate if and how plasticity affects the rate of senescence in nature. In this study, we investigated whether facultative paedomorphosis influences the rate of senescence in a salamander, Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum. Facultative paedomorphosis, a unique form of polyphenism found in dozens of urodele species worldwide, leads to the production of two discrete, environmentally induced phenotypes: metamorphic and paedomorphic individuals. We leveraged an extensive set of capture-recapture data (8948 individuals, 24 years of monitoring) that were analysed using multistate capture-recapture models and Bayesian age-dependent survival models. Multistate models revealed that paedomorphosis was the most common developmental pathway used by salamanders in our study system. Bayesian age-dependent survival models then showed that paedomorphs have accelerated senescence in both sexes and shorter adult lifespan (in females only) compared to metamorphs. In paedomorphs, senescence rate and adult lifespan also varied among ponds and individuals. Females with good body condition and high lifetime reproductive success had slower senescence and longer lifespan. Late-breeding females also lived longer but showed a senescence rate similar to that of early-breeding females. Moreover, males with good condition had longer lifespan than males with poor body condition, although they had similar senescence rates. In addition, late-breeding males lived longer but, unexpectedly, had higher senescence than early-breeding males. Overall, our work provides one of the few empirical cases suggesting that environmentally cued polyphenism could affect the senescence of a vertebrate in nature, thus providing insights on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of developmental plasticity on ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cayuela
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alycia C R Lackey
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences and Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA
| | - Victor Ronget
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Benjamin Monod-Broca
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Howard H Whiteman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Colorado, USA
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7
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Abstract
SUMMARY In ancient Greek mythology, sirens were creatures of stunning beauty whose mystical songs led sailors to sail their boats onto hidden rocks and into total destruction. In this issue, Mason-Osann and colleagues present data in the context of acute myelogenous leukemia to suggest that while synergy may show initial attractions in drug combinations, it may carry with it hazards previously unforeseen. See related article by Mason-Osann et al., p. 95 (1).
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Riquelme-Guzmán C, Sandoval-Guzmán T. The salamander limb: a perfect model to understand imperfect integration during skeletal regeneration. Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060152. [PMID: 38319134 PMCID: PMC10868587 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Limb regeneration in salamanders is achieved by a complex coordination of various biological processes and requires the proper integration of new tissue with old. Among the tissues found inside the limb, the skeleton is the most prominent component, which serves as a scaffold and provides support for locomotion in the animal. Throughout the years, researchers have studied the regeneration of the appendicular skeleton in salamanders both after limb amputation and as a result of fracture healing. The final outcome has been widely seen as a faithful re-establishment of the skeletal elements, characterised by a seamless integration into the mature tissue. The process of skeletal integration, however, is not well understood, and several works have recently provided evidence of commonly occurring flawed regenerates. In this Review, we take the reader on a journey through the course of bone formation and regeneration in salamanders, laying down a foundation for critically examining the mechanisms behind skeletal integration. Integration is a phenomenon that could be influenced at various steps of regeneration, and hence, we assess the current knowledge in the field and discuss how early events, such as tissue histolysis and patterning, influence the faithful regeneration of the appendicular skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Riquelme-Guzmán
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Center for Healthy Aging, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tatiana Sandoval-Guzmán
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Center for Healthy Aging, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Centre Munich, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Zhang Y, Chen H, Ya X, Zhou Y. A case of malignant salamander tumor of the abdomen. Asian J Surg 2024; 47:1220-1221. [PMID: 37977932 DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2023.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 467 Zhong Shan Road, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Honghai Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 467 Zhong Shan Road, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xinwei Ya
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 467 Zhong Shan Road, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of DaLian Medical University, 222 Zhong Shan Road, DaLian City, 116011, China.
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10
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Cochrane MM, Addis BR, Swartz LK, Lowe WH. Individual growth rates and size at metamorphosis increase with watershed area in a stream salamander. Ecology 2024; 105:e4217. [PMID: 38037284 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental goal of ecology is to understand how the physical environment influences intraspecific variability in life history and, consequently, fitness. In streams, discharge and associated habitat conditions change along a continuum from intermittency to permanence: Headwater streams typically have smaller watersheds and are thus more prone to drying than higher-order streams with larger watersheds and more consistent discharge. However, few empirical studies have assessed life history and associated population responses to this continuum in aquatic organisms. We tested the prediction that individual growth, rate of development, and population growth increase with watershed area in the long-lived stream salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, where we use watershed area as a proxy for hydrologic intermittence. To address this hypothesis, we used 8 years of mark-recapture data from 53 reaches across 10 headwater streams in New Hampshire, USA. Individual growth rates and mean size at metamorphosis increased with watershed area for watersheds from 0.12 to 1.66 km2 . Population growth rates increased with watershed area; however, this result was not statistically significant at our sample size. Mean age of metamorphosis did not vary across watershed areas. Lower individual growth rates and smaller sizes at metamorphosis likely contributed to reduced lifetime fecundity and population growth in reaches with the smallest watershed areas and highest vulnerability to drought. These responses suggest that as droughts increase due to climate change, headwater specialists in hydrologically intermittent environments will experience a reduction in fitness due to smaller body sizes or other growth-related mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madaline M Cochrane
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Brett R Addis
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Leah K Swartz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Winsor H Lowe
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
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11
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Korneisel DE, Hassan S, Maddin HC. The interglenoid tubercle of the atlas is ancestral to lissamphibians. Evol Dev 2024; 26:e12466. [PMID: 38100136 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Lissamphibians, represented today by frogs, salamanders, and caecilians, diverged deep in the tetrapod tree of life. Extensive morphological adaptations to disparate lifestyles have made linking extant lissamphibians to one another and to their extinct relatives difficult and controversial. However, the discovery of a feature on the atlas of the frog Xenopus laevis, may add to the small set of osteological traits that unite lissamphibians. In this study, we combine our observations of atlas development in X. laevis with a deep examination of atlantal interglenoid tubercle (TI) occurrence in fossil taxa. The TI is shown herein to occur transiently on the ossifying atlas of roughly one-third of X. laevis tadpoles but is absent in adults of this species. In ancestral character state estimations (ACSE), within the evolutionary context of lissamphibians as dissorophoid temnospondyls, this feature is found to be ancestrally shared among lissamphibians, its presence is uncertain in stem batrachians, and then the TI is lost in extant caecilians and frogs. However, our data suggests apparent TI loss around the origin of frogs may be explained by its ontogenetically transient nature. The only nonamphibian tetrapods with a TI are "microsaurs," and this similarity is interpreted as one of many convergences that resulted from convergent evolutionary processes that occurred in the evolution of "microsaurs" and lissamphibians. The TI is thus interpreted to be ancestral to lissamphibians as it is found to be present in some form throughout each extant lissamphibian clade's history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana E Korneisel
- Department of Earth Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sara Hassan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hillary C Maddin
- Department of Earth Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Schwarz D, Heiss E, Pierson TW, Konow N, Schoch RR. Using salamanders as model taxa to understand vertebrate feeding constraints during the late Devonian water-to-land transition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220541. [PMID: 37839447 PMCID: PMC10577038 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate water-to-land transition and the rise of tetrapods brought about fundamental changes for the groups undergoing these evolutionary changes (i.e. stem and early tetrapods). These groups were forced to adapt to new conditions, including the distinct physical properties of water and air, requiring fundamental changes in anatomy. Nutrition (or feeding) was one of the prime physiological processes these vertebrates had to successfully adjust to change from aquatic to terrestrial life. The basal gnathostome feeding mode involves either jaw prehension or using water flows to aid in ingestion, transportation and food orientation. Meanwhile, processing was limited primarily to simple chewing bites. However, given their comparatively massive and relatively inflexible hyobranchial system (compared to the more muscular tongue of many tetrapods), it remains fraught with speculation how stem and early tetrapods managed to feed in both media. Here, we explore ontogenetic water-to-land transitions of salamanders as functional analogues to model potential changes in the feeding behaviour of stem and early tetrapods. Our data suggest two scenarios for terrestrial feeding in stem and early tetrapods as well as the presence of complex chewing behaviours, including excursions of the jaw in more than one dimension during early developmental stages. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial feeding may have been possible before flexible tongues evolved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarz
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Egon Heiss
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Todd W. Pierson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Rainer R. Schoch
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Department of Palaeontology, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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13
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Spence M, Rull-Garza M, Roba YT, Konow N. Do salamanders chew? An X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology analysis of ambystomatid intraoral feeding behaviours. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220540. [PMID: 37839445 PMCID: PMC10577041 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chewing is widespread across vertebrates, including mammals, lepidosaurs, and ray-finned and cartilaginous fishes, yet common wisdom about one group-amphibians-is that they swallow food whole, without processing. Earlier salamander studies lacked analyses of internal kinematics of the tongue, analyses of muscle function, and sampled few individuals, which may have caused erroneous conclusions. Specifically, without tongue and food kinematics, intraoral behaviours are difficult to disambiguate. We hypothesized that ambystomatid salamanders use diverse intraoral behaviours, including chewing, and tested this hypothesis with biplanar videofluoroscopy, X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology, and fluoromicrometry. We generated musculoskeletal kinematic profiles for intraoral behaviours in Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum), including three-dimensional skeletal kinematics associated with feeding, for gape, cranial and pectoral girdle rotations, and tongue translations. We also measured muscle fibre and muscle-tendon unit strains for six muscles involved in generating skull, jaw and tongue kinematics (adductor mandibulae, depressor mandibulae, geniohyoid, sternohyoid, epaxialis and hypaxialis). A principal component analysis recovered statistically significant differences between behaviour cycles, classified based on food movements as either chewing or transport. Thus, our data suggest that ambystomatid salamanders use a previously unrecognized diversity of intraoral behaviours, including chewing. Combined with existing knowledge, our data suggest that chewing is a basal trait for tetrapods and jaw-bearing vertebrates. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Spence
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Mateo Rull-Garza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Yonas Tolosa Roba
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
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14
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Pokidysheva EN, Redhair N, Ailsworth O, Page-McCaw P, Rollins-Smith L, Jamwal VS, Ohta Y, Bächinger HP, Murawala P, Flajnik M, Fogo AB, Abrahamson D, Hudson JK, Boudko SP, Hudson BG. Collagen IV of basement membranes: II. Emergence of collagen IV α345 enabled the assembly of a compact GBM as an ultrafilter in mammalian kidneys. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105459. [PMID: 37977222 PMCID: PMC10746531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The collagen IVα345 (Col-IVα345) scaffold, the major constituent of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), is a critical component of the kidney glomerular filtration barrier. In Alport syndrome, affecting millions of people worldwide, over two thousand genetic variants occur in the COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 genes that encode the Col-IVα345 scaffold. Variants cause loss of scaffold, a suprastructure that tethers macromolecules, from the GBM or assembly of a defective scaffold, causing hematuria in nearly all cases, proteinuria, and often progressive kidney failure. How these variants cause proteinuria remains an enigma. In a companion paper, we found that the evolutionary emergence of the COL4A3, COL4A4, COL4A5, and COL4A6 genes coincided with kidney emergence in hagfish and shark and that the COL4A3 and COL4A4 were lost in amphibians. These findings opened an experimental window to gain insights into functionality of the Col-IVα345 scaffold. Here, using tissue staining, biochemical analysis and TEM, we characterized the scaffold chain arrangements and the morphology of the GBM of hagfish, shark, frog, and salamander. We found that α4 and α5 chains in shark GBM and α1 and α5 chains in amphibian GBM are spatially separated. Scaffolds are distinct from one another and from the mammalian Col-IVα345 scaffold, and the GBM morphologies are distinct. Our findings revealed that the evolutionary emergence of the Col-IVα345 scaffold enabled the genesis of a compact GBM that functions as an ultrafilter. Findings shed light on the conundrum, defined decades ago, whether the GBM or slit diaphragm is the primary filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Pokidysheva
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Aspirnaut, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Center for Matrix Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
| | - Neve Redhair
- Aspirnaut, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Octavia Ailsworth
- Aspirnaut, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Patrick Page-McCaw
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Center for Matrix Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Louise Rollins-Smith
- Department of Pathology Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Yuko Ohta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Prayag Murawala
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA; Clinic for Kidney and Hypertension Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Flajnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Agnes B Fogo
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dale Abrahamson
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The Jared Grantham Kidney Institute, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Julie K Hudson
- Aspirnaut, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sergei P Boudko
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Center for Matrix Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Billy G Hudson
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Aspirnaut, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Center for Matrix Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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15
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Chapman TL, Bidwell JR. Behavioral preference for microclimate conditions across elevation in Plethodon montanus. J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol 2023; 339:967-977. [PMID: 37614068 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The ability to behaviorally regulate body conditions is critical for ectotherms, particularly in the face of global climate change when seeking stable refugia in a changing environment could facilitate survival. This is especially important for montane species that are limited to high elevations. In the Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus), studies have demonstrated that population demographics improve at higher elevations and physiological constraints may prevent them from moving into lower-elevation habitats. However, little is known about the species' ability to utilize microhabitats and behaviorally regulate by selecting preferable microclimates. Here, we used continuous position-sensing gradient chambers to examine the behavioral preference for temperature and relative humidity (RH) in P. montanus to better understand their microhabitat use and behavioral thermoregulation across an elevation gradient. We investigated the seasonal variation in both thermal and RH preference of P. montanus collected from different elevations. Our results suggest that most recently experienced environmental temperatures influence thermal preference in animals at high elevations but not those at lower elevations. Salamanders preferred the highest available RH conditions regardless of environmental conditions or elevation. Data on shuttling behavior (movement across the behavior arena) from the experiments suggest that while salamanders shuttled a similar number of times in both types of trials, they spent significantly less time exploring when exposed to the RH gradient compared to the thermal gradient. Together these results suggest that while thermal preference is influenced by acclimation, preference for moisture conditions is less elastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor L Chapman
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
| | - Joseph R Bidwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
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16
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Markitantova Y, Fokin A, Boguslavsky D, Simirskii V, Kulikov A. Molecular Signatures Integral to Natural Reprogramming in the Pigment Epithelium Cells after Retinal Detachment in Pleurodeles waltl. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16940. [PMID: 38069262 PMCID: PMC10707686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The reprogramming of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells into retinal cells (transdifferentiation) lies in the bases of retinal regeneration in several Urodela. The identification of the key genes involved in this process helps with looking for approaches to the prevention and treatment of RPE-related degenerative diseases of the human retina. The purpose of our study was to examine the transcriptome changes at initial stages of RPE cell reprogramming in adult newt Pleurodeles waltl. RPE was isolated from the eye samples of day 0, 4, and 7 after experimental surgical detachment of the neural retina and was used for a de novo transcriptome assembly through the RNA-Seq method. A total of 1019 transcripts corresponding to the differently expressed genes have been revealed in silico: the 83 increased the expression at an early stage, and 168 increased the expression at a late stage of RPE reprogramming. We have identified up-regulation of classical early response genes, chaperones and co-chaperones, genes involved in the regulation of protein biosynthesis, suppressors of oncogenes, and EMT-related genes. We revealed the growth in the proportion of down-regulated ribosomal and translation-associated genes. Our findings contribute to revealing the molecular mechanism of RPE reprogramming in Urodela.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vladimir Simirskii
- Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (Y.M.); (A.K.)
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17
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Mulla L, Hernández-Gómez O. Wildfires disturb the natural skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2203-2215. [PMID: 37340556 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change can disturb natural associations between wildlife and microbial symbionts, in many cases to the detriment of host health. We used a North American terrestrial salamander system to assess how the skin microbiota of amphibians responds to wildfires. In northern California's redwood/oak forests, we assessed how recent wildfires affected the skin microbiota of three different salamander species (Taricha sp., Batrachoseps attenuatus, and Ensatina eschscholtzii) over two different sampling seasons in 2018 and 2021. We found species-specific responses to wildfire disturbance on the alpha diversity of the skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders, although burning in general altered the composition of the skin microbiota. The effect of burning on alpha diversities and body condition indices varied by sampling season, suggesting an additional effect of annual climatic conditions on body condition and skin microbiota response. We tested all salamanders for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and found four infected individuals in 2018 and none in 2021. Our study documents correlations in the skin microbiota response to an increasing source of disturbance in western North American ecosystems. In addition, our results highlight the need to consider the effects of increased wildfire regimes/intensities and longitudinal effects on wildlife-associated microbiota and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Mulla
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California, USA
| | - Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California, USA
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18
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Witzmann F, Fröbisch N. Morphology and ontogeny of carpus and tarsus in stereospondylomorph temnospondyls. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16182. [PMID: 37904842 PMCID: PMC10613440 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal development is well known in temnospondyls, the most diverse group of Paleozoic and Mesozoic amphibians. However, the elements of carpus and tarsus (i.e., the mesopodium) were always the last bones to ossify relative to the other limb bones and with regard to the rest of the skeleton, and are preserved only in rare cases. Thus, in contrast to the other parts of the limb skeleton, little is known about the ontogeny and sequence of ossification of the temnospondyl carpus and tarsus. We intended to close this gap by studying the ontogenies of a number of Permo/Carboniferous stereospondylomorphs, the only temnospondyls with preserved growth series in which the successive ossification of carpals and tarsals can be traced. Studying the degree of mesopodial ossification within the same species show that it is not necessarily correlated with body size. This indicates that individual age rather than size determined the degree of mesopodial ossification in stereospondylomorphs and that the largest individuals are not necessarily the oldest ones. In the stereospondylomorph tarsus, the distal tarsals show preaxial development in accordance with most early tetrapods and salamanders. However, the more proximal mesopodials exhibit postaxial dominance, i.e., the preaxial column (tibiale, centrale 1) consistently started to ossify after the central column (centralia 2-4, intermedium) and the postaxial column (fibulare). Likewise, we observed preaxial development of the distal carpals in the stereospondylomorph carpus, as in most early tetrapods for which a statement can be made. However, in contrast to the tarsus, the more proximal carpals were formed by preaxial development, i.e., the preaxial column (radiale, centrale 1) ossified after the central column (centralia 2-4, intermedium) and before the postaxial column (ulnare). This pattern is unique among known early tetrapods and occurs only in certain extant salamanders. Furthermore, ossification proceeded from distal to proximal in the central column of the stereospondylomorph carpus, whereas the ossification advanced from proximal to distal in the central column of the tarsus. Despite these differences, a general ossification pattern that started from proximolateral (intermedium or centrale 4) to mediodistal (distal tarsal and carpal 1) roughly in a diagonal line is common to all stereospondylomorph mesopodials investigated. This pattern might basically reflect the alignment of stress within the mesopodium during locomotion. Our observations might point to a greater variability in the development of the mesopodium in stereospondylomorphs and probably other early tetrapods than in most extant tetrapods, possibly mirroring a similar variation as seen in the early phases of skeletogenesis in salamander carpus and tarsus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Witzmann
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nadia Fröbisch
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Li Y, Xue M, Dai Y, Xie Y, Wei Y, Wang C, Tian M, Fan Y, Jiang N, Xu C, Liu W, Meng Y, Zhou Y. Chinese giant salamander Bcl-w: An inhibitory role in iridovirus-induced mitochondrial apoptosis and virus replication. Virus Res 2023; 335:199196. [PMID: 37597665 PMCID: PMC10445403 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) superfamily molecules play crucial roles in mitochondrial apoptosis induced by Chinese giant salamander iridovirus (GSIV). As an anti-apoptotic molecule in the BCL-2 family, the molecular mechanism of Bcl-w during GSIV infection remains unknown. In this study, we characterized for the first time an amphibian Bcl-w from Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus (AdBcl-w), and its function and regulatory mechanism during GSIV infection were investigated. AdBcl-w possesses the conserved structural features of Bcl-w and shares 35-54% sequence identities with other Bcl-w. mRNA expression of AdBcl-w was most abundant in liver and muscle. The AdBcl-w mRNA expression was regulated during GSIV infection. Western blotting assays revealed that the level of Bcl-w protein was downregulated markedly as the infection progresses. Confocal microscopy showed that overexpressed AdBcl-w was translocated to the mitochondria after infection with GSIV. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that compared with control, the apoptotic progress in cells transfected with AdBcl-w was reduced while that in cells transfected with AdBcl-w siRNA was enhanced. The number of virus major capsid protein gene copies was lower and protein synthesis was reduced in AdBcl-w overexpressing cells. In addition, AdBcl-w could bind directly to the pro-apoptotic molecule AdBak, while this interaction was weakened with GSIV infection. Moreover, p53 level was reduced and the mRNA expression levels of crucial regulatory molecules in the p53 pathway were regulated in AdBcl-w overexpressing cells during GSIV infection. These results suggested that AdBcl-w inhibit GSIV replication by regulating the virus induced mitochondrial apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Li
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China.
| | - Mingyang Xue
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Yanlin Dai
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Yixing Xie
- Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve Affairs Center, Zhangjiajie, Hunan 427400, China
| | - Ying Wei
- Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve Affairs Center, Zhangjiajie, Hunan 427400, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve Affairs Center, Zhangjiajie, Hunan 427400, China
| | - Mingzhu Tian
- Zhangjiajie Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve Affairs Center, Zhangjiajie, Hunan 427400, China
| | - Yuding Fan
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Chen Xu
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Wenzhi Liu
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Yan Meng
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences 8 Wudayuan First Road, Wuhan 430223, China.
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20
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Lee PY, Tsai BCK, Sitorus MA, Lin PY, Lin SZ, Shih CY, Lu SY, Lin YM, Ho TJ, Huang CY. Ohwia caudata aqueous extract attenuates doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Environ Toxicol 2023; 38:2450-2461. [PMID: 37461261 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to many diseases, including organ degeneration and cancer. Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells provide a valuable source for stem cell-based therapy and represent an emerging therapeutic approach for tissue regeneration. This study focused on screening the senomorphic properties of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract as an emerging strategy for preventing or treating mitochondrial dysfunction in stem cells. Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with 0.1 μM doxorubicin, for 24 h to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Next, the cells were treated with a series concentration of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract (25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) for another 24 h. In addition, an untreated control group and a doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction positive control group were maintained under the same conditions. Our data showed that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract markedly suppressed doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing Tid1 and Tom20 expression, decreased reactive oxygen species production, and maintained mitochondrial membrane potential to promote mitochondrial stability. Ohwia caudata aqueous extract retained the stemness of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells and reduced the apoptotic rate. These results indicate that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract protects Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells against doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and can potentially prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in other cells. This study provides new directions for the medical application of Ohwia caudata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Ying Lee
- Holistic Education Center, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Bruce Chi-Kang Tsai
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondrial Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Maria Angelina Sitorus
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondrial Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Yu Lin
- Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | | | - Shang-Yeh Lu
- College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Min Lin
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Technology, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Jung Ho
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Integration Center of Traditional Chinese and Modern Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Huang
- Cardiovascular and Mitochondrial Related Disease Research Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Center of General Education, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan
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21
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Sheley WC, Cray C, Wilber MQ, Carter ED, Kumar R, Hardman RH, Towe AE, Gray MJ, Miller DL. A Pilot Study Investigating Plasma Protein Electrophoresis in One Anuran and Six Urodelan Species. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:796-803. [PMID: 37846919 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-23-00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
As threats to amphibian health increase, there is a growing need for diagnostic tools to assess and monitor their health status. Plasma protein electrophoresis has proven to be useful in other nonmammalian species. It enables quantification of protein fractions in plasma that may be altered in various disease processes, and is therefore useful in narrowing down differential diagnoses and detecting inflammation, in combination with other modalities such as biochemical and hematologic testing. The amphibian electrophoretogram must be defined before baseline reference intervals are obtained across species. Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed on plasma samples collected from presumed clinically normal individuals of one anuran and six urodelans: Osteopilus septentrionalis (n=2), Gyrinophilus porphyriticus (n=1), Notophthalmus viridescens (n=1), Eurycea guttolineata (n=2), Amphiuma tridactylum (n=2), Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (n=5), and Siren lacertina (n=6). The electrophoretograms varied in number of fractions between each species; however, the number of fractions was consistent within a species. An albumin migrating fraction was consistently observed in all species. A prealbumin migrating fraction was identified in species that primarily use organs other than skin for respiration. This study provides preliminary examples of a normal plasma protein electrophoretogram for seven amphibian species. Further studies quantifying reference intervals and identification of protein fractions will help establish protein electrophoresis as a useful tool in amphibian health investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley C Sheley
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Carolyn Cray
- Division of Comparative Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33136, USA
| | - Mark Q Wilber
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Edward D Carter
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Rebecca H Hardman
- One Health Initiative, University of Tennessee, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Anastasia E Towe
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Matthew J Gray
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Debra L Miller
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
- One Health Initiative, University of Tennessee, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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22
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Erens J, Preissler K, Speybroeck J, Beukema W, Spitzen-van der Sluijs A, Stark T, Laudelout A, Kinet T, Schmidt BR, Martel A, Steinfartz S, Pasmans F. Divergent population responses following salamander mass mortalities and declines driven by the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230510. [PMID: 37752840 PMCID: PMC10523083 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding wildlife responses to novel threats is vital in counteracting biodiversity loss. The emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) causes dramatic declines in European salamander populations, and is considered an imminent threat to global amphibian biodiversity. However, real-life disease outcomes remain largely uncharacterized. We performed a multidisciplinary assessment of the longer-term impacts of Bsal on highly susceptible fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) populations, by comparing four of the earliest known outbreak sites to uninfected sites. Based on large-scale monitoring efforts, we found population persistence in strongly reduced abundances to over a decade after Bsal invasion, but also the extinction of an initially small-sized population. In turn, we found that host responses varied, and Bsal detection remained low, within surviving populations. Demographic analyses indicated an ongoing scarcity of large reproductive adults with potential for recruitment failure, while spatial comparisons indicated a population remnant persisting within aberrant habitat. Additionally, we detected no early signs of severe genetic deterioration, yet nor of increased host resistance. Beyond offering additional context to Bsal-driven salamander declines, results highlight how the impacts of emerging hypervirulent pathogens can be unpredictable and vary across different levels of biological complexity, and how limited pathogen detectability after population declines may complicate surveillance efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Erens
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Wouter Beukema
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Reptile, Amphibian & Fish Conservation Netherlands (RAVON), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs
- Reptile, Amphibian & Fish Conservation Netherlands (RAVON), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tariq Stark
- Reptile, Amphibian & Fish Conservation Netherlands (RAVON), Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Benedikt R. Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Info fauna karch, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - An Martel
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Frank Pasmans
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Takaya K, Taguchi Y, Ise T. Individual identification of endangered amphibians using deep learning and smartphone images: case study of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus). Sci Rep 2023; 13:16212. [PMID: 37758778 PMCID: PMC10533547 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40814-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Information obtained via individual identification is invaluable for ecology and conservation. Physical tags, such as PIT tags and GPS, have been used for individual identification; however, these methods could impact on animal behavior and survival rates, and the tags may become lost. Although non-invasive methods that do not affect the target species (such as manual photoidentification) are available, these techniques utilize stripes and spots that are unique to the individual, which requires training, and applying them to large datasets is challenging. Many studies that have applied deep learning for identification have focused on species-level identification, but few have addressed individual-level identification. In this study, we developed an image-based identification method based on deep learning that uses the head spot pattern of the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), an endemic and endangered species in Japan. We trained and evaluated a dataset collected over two days from 11 individuals in captivity, which included 7075 images taken by a smartphone camera. Individuals were photographed three times a day at approximately 11:00 (morning), 15:00 (afternoon), and 18:00 (evening). As a result, individual identification by our method, which used the EfficientNetV2 achieved 99.86% accuracy, kappa coefficient of 0.99, and an F1 score of 0.99. Performance was lower for the evening model than for the morning and afternoon models, which were trained and evaluated using photographs taken at the corresponding time of the day. The proposed method does not require direct contact with the target species, and the effect on the animals is minimal; moreover, individual-level information can be obtained under natural conditions. In the future, smartphone images can be applied to citizen science surveys and individual-level big data collection, which is difficult using current methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Takaya
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Yuki Taguchi
- Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ise
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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24
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Chandler HC, Caruso NM, McLaughlin DL, Jiao Y, Brooks GC, Haas CA. Forecasting the flooding dynamics of flatwoods salamander breeding wetlands under future climate change scenarios. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16050. [PMID: 37744236 PMCID: PMC10516105 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ephemeral wetlands are globally important systems that are regulated by regular cycles of wetting and drying, which are primarily controlled by responses to relatively short-term weather events (e.g., precipitation and evapotranspiration). Climate change is predicted to have significant effects on many ephemeral wetland systems and the organisms that depend on them through altered filling or drying dates that impact hydroperiod. To examine the potential effects of climate change on pine flatwoods wetlands in the southeastern United States, we created statistical models describing wetland hydrologic regime using an approximately 8-year history of water level monitoring and a variety of climate data inputs. We then assessed how hydrology may change in the future by projecting models forward (2025-2100) under six future climate scenarios (three climate models each with two emission scenarios). We used the model results to assess future breeding conditions for the imperiled Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma bishopi), which breeds in many of the study wetlands. We found that models generally fit the data well and had good predictability across both training and testing data. Across all models and climate scenarios, there was substantial variation in the predicted suitability for flatwoods salamander reproduction. However, wetlands with longer hydroperiods tended to have fewer model iterations that predicted at least five consecutive years of reproductive failure (an important metric for population persistence). Understanding potential future risk to flatwoods salamander populations can be used to guide conservation and management actions for this imperiled species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houston C. Chandler
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
- The Orianne Society, Tiger, GA, United States of America
| | - Nicholas M. Caruso
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Daniel L. McLaughlin
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Yan Jiao
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - George C. Brooks
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Carola A. Haas
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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25
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Jiang Q, Meng X, Yu X, Zhang Q, Ke F. Fusing a TurboID tag with the Andrias davidianus ranavirus 2L reduced virus adsorption efficiency. Microb Pathog 2023; 182:106220. [PMID: 37423497 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Andrias davidianus ranavirus (ADRV) is a member of the genus ranavirus (family Iridoviridae). ADRV 2L is an envelope protein that could be essential in viral infection. In the present study, the function of ADRV 2L was investigated by fusion with the biotin ligase TurboID tag. A recombinant ADRV with a V5-TurboID tag fused in the N-terminal of 2L (ADRVT-2L) and a recombinant ADRV expressing V5-TurboID (ADRVT) were constructed, respectively. Infection of the recombinant viruses and wild-type ADRV (ADRVWT) in the Chinese giant salamander thymus cell line (GSTC) showed that ADRVT-2L had reduced cytopathic effect and lower virus titers than the other two viruses, indicating the fusion of a big tag affected ADRV infection. Analysis of the temporal expression profile showed that the expression of V5-TurboID-2L was delayed than wild-type 2L. However, electron microscopy found that the virion morphogenesis was not affected in ADRVT-2L-infected cells. Furthermore, the virus binding assay revealed that the adsorption efficiency of ADRVT-2L was considerably decreased compared to the other two viruses. Therefore, these data showed that linking the TurboID tag to ADRV 2L affected virus adsorption to the cell membrane, which suggested an important role of 2L in virus entry into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Jiang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianyu Meng
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuedong Yu
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiya Zhang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Ke
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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26
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Niwa K, Nishikawa K, Matsui M, Kanamori S, Kuro-O M. Taxonomic reassessment of salamanders (genus Hynobius) from Tsushima Islands, Japan, with a resurrection of Hynobius tagoi Dunn, 1923 (Amphibia: Caudata). Zootaxa 2023; 5339:201-236. [PMID: 38221056 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5339.3.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
To clarify the taxonomic status of salamanders from Tsushima Islands, Japan, we examined two species of salamanders, Hynobius tsuensis and Hynobius sp. from Tsushima Islands, and compared them with H. nebulosus from Kyushu. We found that the three taxa differ from each other in nuclear DNA, adult morphology, and egg-sac shape, and consider them to be independent species. Based on the investigation of type specimens of the synonyms, we identified Hynobius sp. as H. tagoi Dunn, 1923 and redescribe it herein. Also, we designate a neotype for H. tsuensis and redescribe H. tsuensis. The distribution areas of the two species partly overlap but they were distinguishable by their body colorations: H. tsuensis has uniformly blackish tail sides and a distinct yellow stripe on the upper tail edge; whereas H. tagoi has brown tail sides with numerous dark stippling and without a distinct yellow stripe on the upper tail edge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Niwa
- 1Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Nihonmatsu; Sakyo-ku; Kyoto 606-8501; JAPAN. Present affiliation: Akita Prefectural Office; Sanno 4-1-1; Akita 010-8570; JAPAN..
| | - Kanto Nishikawa
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Nihonmatsu; Sakyo-ku; Kyoto 606-8501; JAPAN. Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Honmachi; Sakyo-ku; Kyoto 606-8501; JAPAN..
| | - Masafumi Matsui
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Nihonmatsu; Sakyo-ku; Kyoto 606-8501; JAPAN..
| | - Sally Kanamori
- Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies; Kyoto University; Yoshida Honmachi; Sakyo-ku; Kyoto 606-8501; JAPAN..
| | - Masaki Kuro-O
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science; Hirosaki University; Bunkyo-cho 3; Hirosaki; Aomori 036-8561; JAPAN..
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27
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Bare EA, Bogart JP, Wilson C, Murray DL, Hossie TJ. Diversity and composition of mixed-ploidy unisexual salamander assemblages reflect the key influence of host species. Oecologia 2023; 202:807-818. [PMID: 37615743 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05440-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding processes that govern and sustain biological diversity is a central goal of community ecology. Unisexual complexes, where reproduction depends on sperm from males of one or more bisexual host species, are rare and the processes driving their diversity and structure remain poorly understood. Unisexual Ambystoma salamanders produce distinct biotypes ('genomotypes') depending on which bisexual species they 'steal' sperm from. This reproductive mode should generate distinct assemblages depending on the locally available bisexual host species. Yet, how availability and relative abundance of multiple bisexual hosts influences composition and diversity of natural unisexual assemblages at local or regional scales remains unknown. We hypothesize that host identity most directly drives local assemblage composition, with host variation associated with increased beta and gamma diversity within unisexuals. We collected genetic samples from Ambystoma salamanders across Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada (2015-2022). Two host species were identified (A. texanum and A. laterale) with nine sites having a single host and one site having both. Unisexual assemblages were grouped into four clusters by similarity, with host identity being a key determinant. Gamma diversity increased as a result of distinct host-specific assemblages forming at different sites on the island (i.e., high beta diversity). Assemblage composition, but not diversity, was correlated with relative host abundance, which may reflect matching niche requirements between host and unisexual forms they produce. Our results demonstrate that diversity and structure of unisexual assemblages are clearly shaped by their host(s) and such systems may serve as models for studying how biotic interactions shape ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A Bare
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada.
| | - Jim P Bogart
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Chris Wilson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada
- Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Dennis L Murray
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 1Z8, Canada
| | - Thomas J Hossie
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9L 1Z8, Canada
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28
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Hopkins WA, Case BF, Groffen J, Brooks GC, Bodinof Jachowski CM, Button ST, Hallagan JJ, O'Brien RSM, Kindsvater HK. Filial Cannibalism Leads to Chronic Nest Failure of Eastern Hellbender Salamanders ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis). Am Nat 2023; 202:92-106. [PMID: 37384763 DOI: 10.1086/724819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
AbstractIn species that provide parental care, parents will sometimes cannibalize their own young (i.e., filial cannibalism). Here, we quantified the frequency of whole-clutch filial cannibalism in a species of giant salamander (eastern hellbender; Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) that has experienced precipitous population declines with unknown causes. We used underwater artificial nesting shelters deployed across a gradient of upstream forest cover to assess the fates of 182 nests at 10 sites over 8 years. We found strong evidence that nest failure rates increased at sites with low riparian forest cover in the upstream catchment. At several sites, reproductive failure was 100%, mainly due to cannibalism by the caring male. The high incidence of filial cannibalism at degraded sites was not explained by evolutionary hypotheses for filial cannibalism based on poor adult body condition or low reproductive value of small clutches. Instead, larger clutches at degraded sites were most vulnerable to cannibalism. We hypothesize that high frequencies of filial cannibalism of large clutches in areas with low forest cover could be related to changes in water chemistry or siltation that influence parental physiology or that reduce the viability of eggs. Importantly, our results identify chronic nest failure as a possible mechanism contributing to population declines and observed geriatric age structure in this imperiled species.
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29
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Cox JL, Fitzpatrick BM. Biofluorescent sexual dimorphism revealed in a southern Appalachian endemic salamander, Plethodon metcalfi. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3588. [PMID: 36869050 PMCID: PMC9984499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29051-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofluorescence occurs when a living organism absorbs high energy light and reemits it at longer wavelengths. Many species within clades of vertebrates are known to fluoresce including mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. Most, if not all, amphibians exhibit biofluorescence when exposed to either blue (440-460 nm) or ultra-violet (360-380 nm) wavelengths of light. Salamanders (Lissamphibia: Caudata) appear to consistently fluoresce in green wavelengths (520-560 nm) when excited by blue light. Biofluorescence is theorized to have many ecological functions including mate signaling, camouflage, and mimicry. Despite the discovery of their biofluorescence, its role in salamander ecology and behavior remains unresolved. In this study we present the first case of biofluorescent sexual dimorphism within Amphibia and the first documentation of the biofluorescent pattern of a salamander within the Plethodon jordani species complex. This sexually dimorphic trait was discovered in the southern Appalachian endemic species, Southern Gray-Cheeked Salamander (Plethodon metcalfi, Brimley in Proc Biol Soc Wash 25:135-140, 1912), and may extend into other species within the Plethodon jordani and Plethodon glutinosus species complexes. We propose that this sexually dimorphic trait could be related to fluorescence of ventral modified granular glands used in plethodontid chemosensory communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan L Cox
- National Park Service, Twin Creeks Science and Education Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1316 Cherokee Orchard Rd., Gatlinburg, TN, 37738, USA.
| | - Benjamin M Fitzpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 596 Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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30
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Zhu W, Zhao T, Zhao C, Li C, Xie F, Liu J, Jiang J. How will warming affect the growth and body size of the largest extant amphibian? More than the temperature-size rule. Sci Total Environ 2023; 859:160105. [PMID: 36370793 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Declining body size is a universal ecological response to global warming in ectotherms. Ectotherms grow faster but mature at a smaller size at higher temperatures. This phenomenon is known as the temperature-size rule (TSR). However, we know little about the details of the relationship between temperature and size. Here, this issue was studied in the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), one of the largest extant amphibians and a flagship species of conservation in China. Warm-acclimated A. davidianus larvae (25 °C) had accelerated development but little superiority in body growth when compared to their 15 °C counterparts when fed with red worm. This predicts a drastic decrease in adult body size with warming. However, a fish diet (more abundant lipid and protein) improved the growth performance at 25 °C. The underlying mechanism was studied. Warm-acclimated larvae had enlarged livers but shortened tails (fat depot). Their livers suffered from energy deficiencies and decreased protein levels, even when protein synthesis and energy metabolism were transcriptionally upregulated. This could be a direct explanation for their poor growth performance. Further analyses revealed a metabolic disorder resembling mammal glycogen storage disease in warm-acclimated larvae, indicating deficiency in glycogen catabolism. This speculation is consistent with their increased lipid and amino acid catabolism and explained the poor energy conditions of the warm-acclimated larvae. Additionally, a deficiency in glycogen metabolism explains the different efficiency of worm and fish diets in supporting the growth of warm-acclimated larvae, even when both diets were provided sufficiently. In conclusion, our results suggest that the relationship between temperature and body size can be flexible, which is a significant finding in terms of the TSR. The underlying metabolic and nutrient mechanisms were revealed. This knowledge can help deepen our understanding of the consequences of warming and can contribute to the conservation of A. davidianus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Tian Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Chunlin Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Cheng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Feng Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Jiongyu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Jianping Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
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31
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Margenau EL, Wood PB, Brown DJ, Ryan CW. Evaluating Mechanisms of Short-term Woodland Salamander Response to Forest Management. Environ Manage 2023; 71:321-333. [PMID: 36269374 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01735-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Contemporary forest management often requires meeting diverse ecological objectives including maintaining ecosystem function and promoting biodiversity through timber harvesting. Wildlife are essential in this process by providing ecological services that can facilitate forest resiliency in response to timber harvesting. However, the mechanisms driving species' responses remain ambiguous. The goal of this study was to assess mechanisms influencing eastern red-backed salamander (RBS; Plethodon cinereus) response to overstory cover removal. We evaluated two mitigation strategies for the RBS in response to overstory removal. We used a before-after-control-impact design to study how (1) retaining residual trees or (2) eliminating soil compaction affected RBS surface counts and body condition index (BCI) up to two-years post-treatment. Additionally, we assessed how surface counts of RBS were influenced by overstory tree cover. Surface counts of RBS were not strongly influenced by overstory removal when tree residuals were retained. Body condition index increased in treatments where harvest residuals were retained. In treatments where soil compaction was eliminated, surface counts and BCI were inversely related. Finally, surface counts from both mitigation strategies were not strongly influenced by overstory cover. Overall, both mitigation techniques appeared to ameliorate impacts of overstory removal on RBS. These results highlight the importance of understanding mechanisms driving species' responses to forest management. To reduce the perceived negative effects of overstory removal on RBS, incorporating these mitigation measures may contribute to the viability and stability of RBS populations. Incorporating species' life history traits into management strategies could increase continuity of ecological function and integrity through harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric L Margenau
- West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, 1145 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 5985 County Highway K, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA.
| | - Petra B Wood
- West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, 1145 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Donald J Brown
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, 1145 Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, P.O. Box 404, Parsons, WV, 26287, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 42218 NE Yale Bridge Rd, Amboy, WA, 98601, USA
| | - Christopher W Ryan
- West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, 313 Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
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32
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Foulkes S, Monk EJM, Sparkes D, Hettiarachchi N, Milligan ID, Munro K, Taylor-Kerr A, Platt N, Howells A, Kyaw JYA, Adaji E, Gallagher E, Khawam J, Wellington E, Price L, Crossman D, Norman C, de Lacy E, Cromey L, Corrigan D, Lackenby A, Barbero P, Elegunde B, Zambon M, Chand MA, Brown CS, Islam J, Atti A, Hopkins S, Hall VJ, Cole MJ. Early Warning Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variants, United Kingdom, November 2021-September 2022. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:184-188. [PMID: 36454718 PMCID: PMC9796219 DOI: 10.3201/eid2901.221293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Since June 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation (SIREN) study has conducted routine PCR testing in UK healthcare workers and sequenced PCR-positive samples. SIREN detected increases in infections and reinfections and delected Omicron subvariant waves emergence contemporaneous with national surveillance. SIREN's sentinel surveillance methods can be used for variant surveillance.
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Maden M. Salamanders as Key Models for Development and Regeneration Research. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:1-23. [PMID: 36272065 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
For 70 years from the very beginning of developmental biology, the salamander embryo was the pre-eminent model for these studies. Here I review the major discoveries that were made using salamander embryos including regionalization of the mesoderm; patterning of the neural plate; limb development, with the pinnacle being Spemann's Nobel Prize for the discovery of the organizer; and the phenomenon of induction. Salamanders have also been the major organism for elucidating discoveries in organ regeneration, and these are described here too beginning with Spallanzani's experiments in 1768. These include the neurotrophic hypothesis of regeneration, studies of aneurogenic limbs, the concept of dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation, and advances in understanding pattern formation via molecules located on the cell surface. Also described is the prodigious power of brain and spinal cord regeneration and discoveries from lens regeneration, all of which reveal how important salamanders have been as research models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm Maden
- Department of Biology & UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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34
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Abstract
Assessing numbers of leukocytes in salamanders and other amphibians can be useful metrics for understanding health or stress levels of individuals in a population. In this chapter we describe the procedures for obtaining blood samples from amphibians, preparing blood films for microscopy, counting, and identifying cells. We also provide reference values for amphibian leukocytes for use in interpreting leukocyte data. From our assessment of the published and unpublished literature, "non-stressed" salamanders would have a leukocyte profile where 60-70% of cells are lymphocytes, 17-30% are neutrophils, 1-4% are eosinophils, 4-12% are basophils, and 2-6% are monocytes. In Ambystoma spp., the eosinophil abundance can be notably higher (30% of all white blood cells), for reasons unknown. Finally, the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio of most non-stressed salamanders tends to be between 0.3 and 0.4 (sometimes less), while the ratios of stressed salamanders tend to be over 1.0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Davis
- Odum School of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - John C Maerz
- D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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35
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Yu Q, Walters HE, Yun MH. Induction and Characterization of Cellular Senescence in Salamanders. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:135-154. [PMID: 36272072 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a permanent proliferation arrest mechanism induced following the detection of genotoxic stress. Mounting evidence has causally linked the accumulation of senescent cells to a growing number of age-related pathologies in mammals. However, recent data have also highlighted senescent cells as important mediators of tissue remodeling during organismal development, tissue repair, and regeneration. As powerful model organisms for studying such processes, salamanders constitute a system in which to probe the characteristics, physiological functions, and evolutionary facets of cellular senescence. In this chapter, we outline methods for the generation, identification, and characterization of salamander senescent cells in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghao Yu
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hannah E Walters
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Maximina H Yun
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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36
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Crim MJ, Hart ML. Health Monitoring for Laboratory Salamanders. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:41-74. [PMID: 36272067 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory animal health monitoring programs are necessary to protect animal health and welfare, the validity of experimental data, and human health against zoonotic infections. Health monitoring programs should be designed based on a risk assessment and knowledge about the biology and transmission of salamander pathogens. Both traditional and molecular diagnostic platforms are available for salamanders, and they provide complementary information. A comprehensive approach to health monitoring leverages the advantages of multiple platforms to provide a more complete picture of colony health and pathogen status. This chapter presents key considerations in the design and implementation of a colony health monitoring program for laboratory salamanders, including protocols for necropsy and sample collection.
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Murawala P, Oliveira CR, Okulski H, Yun MH, Tanaka EM. Baculovirus Production and Infection in Axolotls. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:369-387. [PMID: 36272088 PMCID: PMC9665047 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Salamanders have served as an excellent model for developmental and tissue regeneration studies. While transgenic approaches are available for various salamander species, their long generation time and expensive maintenance have driven the development of alternative gene delivery methods for functional studies. We have previously developed pseudotyped baculovirus (BV) as a tool for gene delivery in the axolotl (Oliveira et al. Dev Biol 433(2):262-275, 2018). Since its initial conception, we have refined our protocol of BV production and usage in salamander models. In this chapter, we describe a detailed and versatile protocol for BV-mediated transduction in urodeles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prayag Murawala
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), Salisbury Cove, ME, USA.
- Clinic for Kidney and Hypertension Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Catarina R Oliveira
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology (GABBA), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena Okulski
- Research - Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximina H Yun
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elly M Tanaka
- Research - Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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Sallese A, Tsissios G, Pérez-Estrada JR, Martinez A, Del Rio-Tsonis K. Isolation and Characterization of Peritoneal Macrophages from Salamanders. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:259-270. [PMID: 36272082 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Salamanders have been used as research models for centuries. While they exhibit a wide range of biological features not seen in mammals, none has captivated scientists like their ability to regenerate. Interestingly, axolotl macrophages have emerged as an essential cell population for tissue regeneration. Whether the same is true in other salamanders such as newt species Notophthalmus viridescens, Cynops pyrrhogaster, or Pleurodeles waltl remains to be seen. Unfortunately, regardless of the species, molecular tools to study macrophage function in salamanders are lacking. We propose that the readily available, terminally differentiated peritoneal macrophages from newts or axolotls could be used to validate molecular reagents in the study of macrophage function during tissue regeneration in salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Sallese
- Department of Biology Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
- Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Georgios Tsissios
- Department of Biology Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
- Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
- Cellular Molecular and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - J Raúl Pérez-Estrada
- Department of Biology Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
- Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | | | - Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Department of Biology Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
- Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
- Cellular Molecular and Structural Biology Program, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
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Jiang W, Tian H, Zhang L. Husbandry, Captive Breeding, and Field Survey of Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus). Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:75-92. [PMID: 36272068 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest extant amphibian species in the world with adults capable of reaching 2 m in length. Wild populations of A. davidianus have declined dramatically during the last century, making it also one of the top threatened species globally. Fortunately, aquaculture for this species developed in China during the 1970s has been extremely successful. Many relevant commercial products of A. davidianus have been produced in recent years on account of its nutritional and medicinal values. Balancing conservation and utilization will be key to the future destiny of A. davidianus. In this chapter, we describe detailed protocols for husbandry in indoor and outdoor facilities, captive breeding under natural-imitative conditions and using artificial insemination, and surveying and monitoring A. davidianus in the field. The protocols presented here aim to make the practices of A. davidianus operative and increase public awareness of this mystical and precious species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wansheng Jiang
- Hunan Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Giant Salamander's Resource Protection and Comprehensive Utilization, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China.
| | - Haifeng Tian
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Abstract
As seen in the protocols in this book, the opportunities to pursue work at the cellular and molecular work in salamanders have considerably broadened over the last years. The availability of genomic information and genome editing, and the possibility to image tissues live and other methods enhance the spectrum of biological questions accessible to all researchers. Here I provide a personal perspective on what I consider exciting future questions open for investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elly M Tanaka
- Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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Vickers E, Kerney R. Screening Salamanders for Symbionts. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2562:425-442. [PMID: 36272092 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2659-7_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts are broadly categorized by their impacts on host fitness: commensals, pathogens, and mutualists. However, recent investigations into the physiological basis of these impacts have revealed nuanced microbial influences on a wide range of host developmental, immunological, and physiological processes, including regeneration. Exploring these impacts begins with knowing which microbes are present. This methodological pipeline contains both targeted assays using PCR and culturing, as well as culture-independent approaches, to survey host salamander tissues for common and unknown microbial symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli Vickers
- Gettysburg College, Department of Biology, Gettysburg, PA, USA
| | - Ryan Kerney
- Gettysburg College, Department of Biology, Gettysburg, PA, USA.
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Ocampo M, Chuirazzi C, Takahashi MK. The effects of road salt (NaCl), predation, and competition on the growth and community interactions of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus). Environ Pollut 2022; 315:120349. [PMID: 36206892 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Road deicing salts are frequently used in northern regions of the world during the winter and early spring months. As a result, a significant portion of road runoff into surrounding aquatic habitats contains road deicing salts. Previous studies found road salt contaminations in vernal pools that pond-breeding amphibians commonly use, including spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus). Studies have examined the impact of road salt on both amphibian species, but to our knowledge no previous studies have examined how road salt impacts the interspecific competition between both amphibians. We hypothesized that road salt would negatively impact growth and survivorship of both amphibian species. During the spring and summer of 2017, we conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment in which we created eight experimental conditions with three main factors: presence/absence of NaCl (1000 mg/L Cl-), presence/absence of interspecific competition between the two amphibian species (A. maculatum and L. sylvaticus), and presence/absence of predatory dragonfly larvae (Family Libellulidae). Our experiment revealed that salt delayed hatching and increased deformity in spotted salamander hatchlings. Additionally, salt reduced salamander survivorship by 62% and frog survivorship by 30%. Wood frog tadpoles and road salt interacted to diminish salamander survivorship a further 80% beyond salt alone, likely through an increase in interspecific competition. Road salt increased the larval period of salamanders and decreased the proportion metamorphosed by the end of the experiment. Dragonfly larvae reduced salamander survivorship by 35%, whereas they increased wood frog tadpole development rates. Dragonfly larvae and salt interacted to alter tadpole denticle size, with salt negating the impact of dragonfly larvae. Thus, we found that salt interfered with aquatic predatory chemical cues. Overall, the results of this study suggest that management strategies should be implemented in order to reduce the impact of road salts on freshwater aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Ocampo
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, 17837, USA.
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Bolom-Huet R, Pacheco XP, Muñoz-Alonso A, Sunny A. Potential Distribution and Connectivity for Two Plethodontid Salamanders: Conservation Areas and Landscape Corridors for Two Endemic Species of México and Guatemala. Environ Manage 2022; 70:965-977. [PMID: 36038650 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01700-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss is one of the most important threats to biodiversity; it alters the habitat connectivity of species and is among the main causes of the global amphibian extinction crisis. Identifying the potential areas of distribution and connectivity of species is of the utmost importance so that informed decisions can be made for the conservation of vulnerable amphibian populations. In this study, we performed species distribution models and used circuit theory to model omnidirectional connectivity for two plethodontid salamanders of conservation concern distributed in the forests of Chiapas, Mexico, and Guatemala (Bolitoglossa franklini and Bolitoglossa lincolni). Potential distribution maps show an affinity for well-preserved montane forests for both species. Likewise, we found that the niches of the species are not similar. The connectivity models show that the main areas of connectivity are in the Meseta Central de Chiapas, Sierra Madre de Chiapas, and the Cordillera Volcánica Guatemalense, in this last range, important areas of connectivity were located, as well as least-cost paths and barriers to the movement of both species. We identified that important areas of climatic suitability and connectivity are not within the protected natural areas and may be threatened by the increasing influence of anthropogenic activities. The results of our study show the importance of preserving the regional forests to ensure the persistence of species with arboreal habits and high sensitivity to habitat transformation, as well as to recognize and prioritize potential areas for management and protection in both southern Mexico and Guatemala.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Bolom-Huet
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario 100, Colonia Centro, 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Xareni P Pacheco
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario 100, Colonia Centro, 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Antonio Muñoz-Alonso
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Periférico Sur s/n, María Auxiliadora, 29290, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Armando Sunny
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario 100, Colonia Centro, 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
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Yu HX, Li Y, Ezeorba T, Mo HL, Zhang ZH, Yang QY, Wang LX. Molecular characterization and functional exploration of GPR84 in Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus). Dev Comp Immunol 2022; 137:104526. [PMID: 36058385 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) is a putative medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) receptor involved in immune regulation and other metabolic processes. Most available studies focused on the GPR84 characterization from mammals, neglecting vital information that could be obtained from other levels of life, such as amphibians, necessary for an apt evolutionary understanding of the orphan GPR84. Hence, this study molecularly characterized and functionally explored the GPR84 from the Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus). Therefore, we report that the Chinese Giant Salamander (CGS), one of the world's largest amphibians, expresses a GPR84 protein having 376 amino acids, with about 70% homologous to other amphibians and around 50% to human GPR84. Investigating the relative localized expression of gpr84 mRNA in CGS using quantitative PCR revealed the highest expression in the kidney and liver. Furthermore, four medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) at micromolar levels activated CGS-GPR84 transfected and expressed in HEK293 cells. In HEK293 cells, four different concentrations of MCFAs inhibited forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation and resulted in a dose-dependent increase in extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Interestingly, MCFAs activation of GPR84 concomitantly led to the upregulation of inflammatory mediators such as Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) and IL-6. Conclusively, this study successfully elucidated the intriguing molecular and functional properties of CGS GPR84, particularly as an immune modulator, and has positioned the findings within the existing body of knowledge for a better overall understanding of GPR84, especially in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xia Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yang Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Timothy Ezeorba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu, 0023442, Nigeria
| | - Hao-Lin Mo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Qi-Yuan Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Massachusetts, 001339, USA
| | - Li-Xin Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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Kaucka M, Joven Araus A, Tesarova M, Currie JD, Boström J, Kavkova M, Petersen J, Yao Z, Bouchnita A, Hellander A, Zikmund T, Elewa A, Newton PT, Fei JF, Chagin AS, Fried K, Tanaka EM, Kaiser J, Simon A, Adameyko I. Altered developmental programs and oriented cell divisions lead to bulky bones during salamander limb regeneration. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6949. [PMID: 36376278 PMCID: PMC9663504 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34266-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are major differences in duration and scale at which limb development and regeneration proceed, raising the question to what extent regeneration is a recapitulation of development. We address this by analyzing skeletal elements using a combination of micro-CT imaging, molecular profiling and clonal cell tracing. We find that, in contrast to development, regenerative skeletal growth is accomplished based entirely on cartilage expansion prior to ossification, not limiting the transversal cartilage expansion and resulting in bulkier skeletal parts. The oriented extension of salamander cartilage and bone appear similar to the development of basicranial synchondroses in mammals, as we found no evidence for cartilage stem cell niches or growth plate-like structures during neither development nor regeneration. Both regenerative and developmental ossification in salamanders start from the cortical bone and proceeds inwards, showing the diversity of schemes for the synchrony of cortical and endochondral ossification among vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Kaucka
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, 24306, Germany
| | - Alberto Joven Araus
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Marketa Tesarova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua D Currie
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Johan Boström
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Michaela Kavkova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Julian Petersen
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
- Department of Orthodontics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Zeyu Yao
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Anass Bouchnita
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79902, USA
| | - Andreas Hellander
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tomas Zikmund
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, 61200, Czech Republic
| | - Ahmed Elewa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Phillip T Newton
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Ji-Feng Fei
- The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, 1030, Austria
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Andrei S Chagin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, 41346, Sweden
| | - Kaj Fried
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Elly M Tanaka
- The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Jozef Kaiser
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, 61200, Czech Republic
| | - András Simon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedicum, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden.
| | - Igor Adameyko
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden.
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Abstract
Martha Muñoz has shown that organisms can influence their own evolution-a lesson she's passing on to her students.
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Kowalewski M, Wańha W, Litwinowicz R, Kołodziejczak M, Pasierski M, Januszek R, Kuźma Ł, Grygier M, Lesiak M, Kapłon-Cieślicka A, Reczuch K, Gil R, Pawłowski T, Bartuś K, Dobrzycki S, Lorusso R, Bartuś S, Deja MA, Smolka G, Wojakowski W, Suwalski P. Stand-Alone Left Atrial appendage occlusion for throMboembolism prevention in nonvalvular Atrial fibrillatioN DiseasE Registry (SALAMANDER): protocol for a prospective observational nationwide study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063990. [PMID: 36130748 PMCID: PMC9494590 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent disease considerably contributing to the worldwide cardiovascular burden. For patients at high thromboembolic risk (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥3) and not suitable for chronic oral anticoagulation, owing to history of major bleeding or other contraindications, left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is indicated for stroke prevention, as it lowers patient's ischaemic burden without augmentation in their anticoagulation profile. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Stand-Alone Left Atrial appendage occlusion for throMboembolism prevention in nonvalvular Atrial fibrillatioN DiseasE Registry (SALAMANDER) will be conducted in 10 heart surgery and cardiology centres across Poland to assess the outcomes of LAAO performed by fully thoracoscopic-epicardial, percutaneous-endocardial or hybrid endo-epicardial approach. The registry will include patients with nonvalvular AF at a high risk of thromboembolic and bleeding complications (CHA2DS2-VASc Score ≥2 for males, ≥3 for females, HASBLED score ≥2) referred for LAAO. The first primary outcome is composite procedure-related complications, all-cause death or major bleeding at 12 months. The second primary outcome is a composite of ischaemic stroke or systemic embolism at 12 months. The third primary outcome is the device-specific success assessed by an independent core laboratory at 3-6 weeks. The quality of life (QoL) will be assessed as well based on the QoL EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Medication and drug adherence will be assessed as well. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Before enrolment, a detailed explanation is provided by the investigator and patients are given time to make an informed decision. The patient's data will be protected according to the requirements of Polish law, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and hospital Standard Operating Procedures. The study will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was granted by the local Bioethics Committee of the Upper-Silesian Medical Centre of the Silesian Medical University in Katowice (decision number KNW/0022/KB/284/19). The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented during national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05144958.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Kowalewski
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
- Thoracic Research Centre, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Innovative Medical Forum, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Department, Heart and Vascular Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Wojciech Wańha
- Department of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Radoslaw Litwinowicz
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Michalina Kołodziejczak
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Michal Pasierski
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafal Januszek
- Department of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Łukasz Kuźma
- Department of Invasive Cardiology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Marek Grygier
- Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Maciej Lesiak
- Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Krzysztof Reczuch
- Centre for Heart Disease, University Hospital Wroclaw Department of Heart Disease, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Robert Gil
- Department of Invasive Cardiology, Center of Postgraduate Medical Education, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Pawłowski
- Department of Invasive Cardiology, Center of Postgraduate Medical Education, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Bartuś
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, Jagiellonian University, John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sławomir Dobrzycki
- Department of Invasive Cardiology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Roberto Lorusso
- Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Department, Heart and Vascular Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Stanislaw Bartuś
- Department of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marek Andrzej Deja
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Smolka
- Department of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Wojciech Wojakowski
- Department of Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Piotr Suwalski
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland
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Zhang J, Dai Y, Fan Y, Jiang N, Zhou Y, Zeng L, Li Y. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Mannosyltransferase Ⅰ Protects Chinese Giant Salamander, Andrias davidianus, against Iridovirus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169009. [PMID: 36012277 PMCID: PMC9409044 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol mannosyltransferase I (GPI-MT-I) is an essential glycosyltransferase of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor proteins (GPI-APs) that transfers the first of the four mannoses in GPI-AP precursors, which have multiple functions, including immune response and signal transduction. In this study, the GPI-MT-I gene that regulates GPI-AP biosynthesis in Andrias davidianus (AdGPI-MT-I) was characterized for the first time. The open reading frame (ORF) of AdGPI-MT-I is 1293 bp and encodes a protein of 430 amino acids that contains a conserved PMT2 superfamily domain. AdGPI-MT-I mRNA was widely expressed in the tissues of the Chinese giant salamander. The mRNA expression level of AdGPI-MT-I in the spleen, kidney, and muscle cell line (GSM cells) was significantly upregulated post Chinese giant salamander iridovirus (GSIV) infection. The mRNA expression of the virus major capsid protein (MCP) in AdGPI-MT-I-overexpressed cells was significantly reduced. Moreover, a lower level of virus MCP synthesis and gene copying in AdGPI-MT-I-overexpressed cells was confirmed by western blot and ddPCR. These results collectively suggest that GSIV replication in GSM cells was significantly reduced by the overexpression of the AdGPI-MT-I protein, which may contribute to a better understanding of the antiviral mechanism against iridovirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yanlin Dai
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yuding Fan
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
| | - Lingbing Zeng
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (Y.L.); Tel.: +86-027-8178-5190 (L.Z.); +86-027-8178-5182 (Y.L.)
| | - Yiqun Li
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, China
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (Y.L.); Tel.: +86-027-8178-5190 (L.Z.); +86-027-8178-5182 (Y.L.)
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49
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Chong B, O Aydin Y, Rieser JM, Sartoretti G, Wang T, Whitman J, Kaba A, Aydin E, McFarland C, Diaz Cruz K, Rankin JW, Michel KB, Nicieza A, Hutchinson JR, Choset H, Goldman DI. A general locomotion control framework for multi-legged locomotors. Bioinspir Biomim 2022; 17:046015. [PMID: 35533656 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac6e1b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Serially connected robots are promising candidates for performing tasks in confined spaces such as search and rescue in large-scale disasters. Such robots are typically limbless, and we hypothesize that the addition of limbs could improve mobility. However, a challenge in designing and controlling such devices lies in the coordination of high-dimensional redundant modules in a way that improves mobility. Here we develop a general framework to discover templates to control serially connected multi-legged robots. Specifically, we combine two approaches to build a general shape control scheme which can provide baseline patterns of self-deformation ('gaits') for effective locomotion in diverse robot morphologies. First, we take inspiration from a dimensionality reduction and a biological gait classification scheme to generate cyclic patterns of body deformation and foot lifting/lowering, which facilitate the generation of arbitrary substrate contact patterns. Second, we extend geometric mechanics, which was originally introduced to study swimming at low Reynolds numbers, to frictional environments, allowing the identification of optimal body-leg coordination in this common terradynamic regime. Our scheme allows the development of effective gaits on flat terrain with diverse numbers of limbs (4, 6, 16, and even 0 limbs) and backbone actuation. By properly coordinating the body undulation and leg placement, our framework combines the advantages of both limbless robots (modularity and narrow profile) and legged robots (mobility). Our framework can provide general control schemes for the rapid deployment of general multi-legged robots, paving the way toward machines that can traverse complex environments. In addition, we show that our framework can also offer insights into body-leg coordination in living systems, such as salamanders and centipedes, from a biomechanical perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baxi Chong
- Georgia Institute of Technology, North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
| | - Yasemin O Aydin
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M Rieser
- Emory University, 201 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States of America
| | | | - Tianyu Wang
- Georgia Institute of Technology, North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
| | - Julian Whitman
- Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America
| | - Abdul Kaba
- Morehouse College, 830 Westview Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314, United States of America
| | - Enes Aydin
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Ciera McFarland
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Kelimar Diaz Cruz
- Georgia Institute of Technology, North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
| | - Jeffery W Rankin
- Rancho Research Institute, 7601 Imperial Hwy, Downey, CA 90242, United States of America
| | - Krijn B Michel
- Royal Veterinary College, 4 Royal College St, London NW1 0TU, United Kingdom
| | - Alfredo Nicieza
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB), University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias-CSIC, 33600 Mieres, Spain
| | - John R Hutchinson
- Royal Veterinary College, 4 Royal College St, London NW1 0TU, United Kingdom
| | - Howie Choset
- Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States of America
| | - Daniel I Goldman
- Georgia Institute of Technology, North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
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50
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Flynn RW, Hoover G, Iacchetta M, Guffey S, de Perre C, Huerta B, Li W, Hoverman JT, Lee L, Sepúlveda MS. Comparative Toxicity of Aquatic Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure in Three Species of Amphibians. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1407-1415. [PMID: 35199880 PMCID: PMC9314107 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of concern due to their widespread occurrence in the environment, persistence, and potential to elicit a range of negative health effects. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are regularly detected in surface waters, but their effects on many aquatic organisms are still poorly understood. Species with thyroid-dependent development, like amphibians, can be especially susceptible to PFAS effects on thyroid hormone regulation. We examined sublethal effects of aquatic exposure to four commonly detected PFAS on larval northern leopard frogs (Rana [Lithobates] pipiens), American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), and eastern tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Animals were exposed for 30 days (frogs and salamanders) or until metamorphosis (toads) to 10, 100, or 1000 μg/L of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), or 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS). We determined that chronic exposure to common PFAS can negatively affect amphibian body condition and development at concentrations as low as 10 µg/L. These effects were highly species dependent, with species having prolonged larval development (frogs and salamanders) being more sensitive to PFAS than more rapidly developing species (toads). Our results demonstrate that some species could experience sublethal effects at sites with surface waters highly affected by PFAS. Our results also indicate that evaluating PFAS toxicity using a single species may not be sufficient for accurate amphibian risk assessment. Future studies are needed to determine whether these differences in susceptibility can be predicted from species' life histories and whether more commonly occurring environmental levels of PFAS could affect amphibians. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1407-1415. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Wesley Flynn
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences CenterUS Geological SurveyLa CrosseWisconsinUSA
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Gary Hoover
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Michael Iacchetta
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Samuel Guffey
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Chloe de Perre
- Department of AgronomyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Belinda Huerta
- Department of Fisheries & WildlifeMichigan State UniversityLansingMichiganUSA
- School of Chemical SciencesDublin City UniversityDublinIreland
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries & WildlifeMichigan State UniversityLansingMichiganUSA
| | - Jason T. Hoverman
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Linda Lee
- Department of AgronomyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Maria S. Sepúlveda
- Department of Forestry & Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Faculty of Life SciencesUniversidad Andres BelloSantiagoChile
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