The effects of artificially controlled temperature and day length on gonadal development in a lizard, Xantusia vigilis

1950 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Bartholomew
2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (8) ◽  
pp. R628-R635 ◽  
Author(s):  
August Kampf-Lassin ◽  
Brian J. Prendergast

Perihypothalamic thyroid hormone signaling features prominently in the seasonal control of reproductive physiology. Triiodothyronine (T3) signaling stimulates gonadal development, and decrements in T3 signaling are associated with gonadal regression. Type 3 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO3) converts the prohormone thyroxine (T4) into biologically inactive 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine, and in long-day breeding Siberian hamsters exposure to long (LD) and short (SD) photoperiods, respectively, inhibit and stimulate hypothalamic dio3 mRNA expression. Reproductive responses to intermediate-duration photoperiods (IntD) occur in a history-dependent manner; IntDs are interpreted as inhibitory only when preceded by longer photoperiods. Because dio3 expression has only been evaluated under LD or SD photoperiods, it is not known whether hypothalamic dio3 encodes absolute photoperiod duration or the reproductive interpretation of photoperiod. Male Siberian hamsters with and without a prior history of LD were exposed to IntD photoperiods, and hypothalamic dio3 mRNA expression was measured 6 wk later. Hamsters with a LD photoperiod history exhibited gonadal regression in IntD and a marked upregulation of hypothalamic dio3 expression, whereas in hamsters without prior exposure to LD, gonadal responses to IntD were absent, and dio3 expression remained low. Patterns of deiodinase expression in hamsters maintained in chronic IntD photoperiods did not appear to reflect feedback effects of gonadal status. Hypothalamic expression of dio3 does not exclusively reflect ambient photoperiod, but rather the context-dependent reproductive interpretation of photoperiod. Neuroendocrine mechanisms that compare current and prior photoperiods, which permit detection of directional changes in day length, occur either upstream, or at the level, of hypothalamic dio3 expression.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Appenroth ◽  
Vebjørn J. Melum ◽  
Alexander C. West ◽  
Hugues Dardente ◽  
David G. Hazlerigg ◽  
...  

AbstractOrganisms use changes in photoperiod to anticipate and exploit favourable conditions in a seasonal environment. While species living at temperate latitudes receive day length information as a year-round input, species living in the Arctic may spend as much as two-thirds of the year without experiencing dawn or dusk. This suggests that specialised mechanisms may be required to maintain seasonal synchrony in polar regions.Svalbard ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) are resident at 74-81° north latitude. They spend winter in constant darkness (DD) and summer in constant light (LL); extreme photoperiodic conditions under which they do not display overt circadian rhythms.Here we explored how arctic adaptation in circadian biology affects photoperiodic time measurement in captive Svalbard ptarmigan. For this purpose, DD-adapted birds, showing no circadian behaviour, either remained in prolonged DD, were transferred into a simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) or were transferred directly into LL. Birds transferred from DD to LL exhibited a strong photoperiodic response in terms of activation of the hypothalamic thyrotropin-mediated photoperiodic response pathway. This was assayed through expression of the Eya3, Tshβ and deiodinase genes, as well as gonadal development. While transfer to SNP established synchronous diurnal activity patterns, activity in birds transferred from DD to LL showed no evidence of circadian rhythmicity.These data show that the Svalbard ptarmigan does not require circadian entrainment to develop a photoperiodic response involving conserved molecular elements found in temperate species. Further studies are required to define how exactly arctic adaptation modifies seasonal timer mechanisms.Summary statementSvalbard ptarmigan show photoperiodic responses when transferred from constant darkness to constant light without circadian entrainment.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (6) ◽  
pp. R2368-R2372 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Freeman ◽  
Brett J. W. Teubner ◽  
Carlesia D. Smith ◽  
Brian J. Prendergast

Siberian hamsters ( Phodopus sungorus) exhibit seasonal cycles of reproduction driven by changes in day length. Day length is encoded endogenously by the duration of nocturnal melatonin (Mel) secretion from the pineal gland. Short-duration Mel signals stimulate reproduction and long-duration signals inhibit reproduction. The mechanism by which Mel signals are decoded at the level of neural target tissues remains uncharacterized. In Siberian hamsters, exposure to short day lengths or injections of Mel in long days results in a decrease in hypothalamic expression of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2) mRNA. Dio2 catalyzes the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine to triiodothyronine (T3). Thus exposure to short and long day lengths should decrease and increase hypothalamic T3 concentrations, respectively. We tested the hypothesis that exogenous T3 administered to short-day hamsters would mimic exposure to long day lengths with respect to gonadal stimulation. Hamsters gestated and raised in short day lengths that exhibited photoinhibition of the testes were given daily subutaneous injections of T3 or saline vehicle for 4 wk beginning at week 12 of life. The results indicate that exogenous T3 induced gonadal growth in short-day hamsters and delayed spontaneous gonadal development by an interval equal to the number of weeks during which T3 was administered. T3 injections delayed gonadal regression if given coincident with the transfer of hamsters from long to short day lengths. These results suggest that T3 mimics long day exposure in Siberian hamsters and may serve as an intermediate step between the Mel rhythm and the reproductive response.


2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (16) ◽  
pp. jeb220699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Appenroth ◽  
Vebjørn J. Melum ◽  
Alexander C. West ◽  
Hugues Dardente ◽  
David G. Hazlerigg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTOrganisms use changes in photoperiod to anticipate and exploit favourable conditions in a seasonal environment. While species living at temperate latitudes receive day length information as a year-round input, species living in the Arctic may spend as much as two-thirds of the year without experiencing dawn or dusk. This suggests that specialised mechanisms may be required to maintain seasonal synchrony in polar regions. Svalbard ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) are resident at 74–81°N latitude. They spend winter in constant darkness (DD) and summer in constant light (LL); extreme photoperiodic conditions under which they do not display overt circadian rhythms. Here, we explored how Arctic adaptation in circadian biology affects photoperiodic time measurement in captive Svalbard ptarmigan. For this purpose, DD-adapted birds, showing no circadian behaviour, either remained in prolonged DD, were transferred into a simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) or were transferred directly into LL. Birds transferred from DD to LL exhibited a strong photoperiodic response in terms of activation of the hypothalamic thyrotropin-mediated photoperiodic response pathway. This was assayed through expression of the Eya3, Tshβ and deiodinase genes, as well as gonadal development. While transfer to SNP established synchronous diurnal activity patterns, activity in birds transferred from DD to LL showed no evidence of circadian rhythmicity. These data show that the Svalbard ptarmigan does not require circadian entrainment to develop a photoperiodic response involving conserved molecular elements found in temperate species. Further studies are required to define how exactly Arctic adaptation modifies seasonal timer mechanisms.


1971 ◽  
Vol 68 (1_Supplb) ◽  
pp. S68
Author(s):  
D. Gupta ◽  
Eileen M. McCafferty ◽  
K. Rager ◽  
K. Jendricke ◽  
J. Bierich

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 327-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Lucas ◽  
JA Stirland ◽  
YN Mohammad ◽  
AS Loudon

The role of the circadian clock in the reproductive development of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus was examined in wild type and circadian tau mutant hamsters reared from birth to 26 weeks of age under constant dim red light. Testis diameter and body weights were determined at weekly intervals in male hamsters from 4 weeks of age. In both genotypes, testicular development, subsequent regression and recrudescence exhibited a similar time course. The age at which animals displayed reproductive photosensitivity, as exhibited by testicular regression, was unrelated to circadian genotype (mean +/- SEM: 54 +/- 3 days for wild type and 59 +/- 5 days for tau mutants). In contrast, our studies revealed a significant impact of the mutation on somatic growth, such that tau mutants weighed 18% less than wild types at the end of the experiment. Our study reveals that the juvenile onset of reproductive photoperiodism in Syrian hamsters is not timed by the circadian system.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document