Bank vole alarm pheromone chemistry and effects in the field

AbstractChemical communication plays an important role in mammalian life history decisions. Animals send and receive information based on body odour secretions. Odour cues provide important social information on identity, kinship, sex, group membership or genetic quality. Recent findings show, that rodents alarm their conspecifics with danger-dependent body odours after encountering a predator. In this study, we aim to identify the chemistry of alarm pheromones (AP) in the bank vole, a common boreal rodent. Furthermore, the vole foraging efficiency under perceived fear was measured in a set of field experiments in large outdoor enclosures. During the analysis of bank vole odour by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, we identified that 1-octanol, 2-octanone, and one unknown compound as the most likely candidates to function as alarm signals. These compounds were independent of the vole’s sex. In a field experiment, voles were foraging less, i.e. they were more afraid in the AP odour foraging trays during the first day, as the odour was fresh, than in the second day. This verified the short lasting effect of volatile APs. Our results clarified the chemistry of alarming body odour compounds in mammals, and enhanced our understanding of the ecological role of AP and chemical communication in mammals.

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Chemical alarm signals in wild Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z99-035 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 77 (4) ◽

pp. 562-570 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Grant E Brown ◽

Jean-Guy J Godin

Keyword(s):

Poecilia Reticulata ◽

Alarm Pheromone ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Antipredator Behaviour ◽

Skin Extract ◽

Distilled Water ◽

Alarm Signals ◽

Alarm Pheromones ◽

Chemical Alarm Signals ◽

High Predation

We investigated the presence and possible function of chemical alarm signals (alarm pheromones) in wild Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) using laboratory, trapping, and direct field observational methods. In laboratory experiments, female guppies from a population exposed to high predation significantly increased their shoaling, dashing, and freezing behaviours and significantly reduced area use when exposed to the skin extract of sympatric female guppies. When exposed to the skin extract of females from a low-predation population, female guppies from a high-predation population exhibited significant, though smaller, increases in antipredator behaviour. No significant differences in antipredator behaviours were noted when females were exposed to swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) skin extract, which lacks any known alarm pheromone. We conducted two field experiments to confirm these laboratory results. In a trapping experiment, significantly more guppies were caught in funnel traps labelled with distilled water than in paired traps labelled with sympatric guppy skin extract. In a final experiment, a realistic model of a natural predator (pike cichlid, Crenicichla alta), paired with either sympatric guppy skin extract or distilled water, was presented to groups of free-ranging guppies in pools of a high-predation river. Significantly fewer guppies were observed within a 50-cm radius of the predator model and significantly fewer guppies inspected the model when it was paired with guppy skin extract versus distilled water. Taken together, our results strongly suggest the presence of a chemical alarm signal (alarm pheromone) in the Trinidadian guppy, establish the validity of laboratory and trapping studies in the investigation of chemical alarm signalling, and demonstrate that alarm pheromones may function to mediate predation risk under natural conditions in the guppy.

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The role of experience in risk assessment: Avoidance of areas chemically labelled with fathead minnow alarm pheromone by conspecifics and heterospecifics

Ecoscience ◽

10.1080/11956860.1995.11682275 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 116-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Brian D. Wisenden ◽

Douglas P. Chivers ◽

Grant E. Brown ◽

R. Jan F. Smith

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Fathead Minnow ◽

Alarm Pheromone

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Foraging behaviour in East Asian desert rodents and its implications on coexistence

Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1080/15659801.2015.1045279 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 62 (3-4) ◽

pp. 171-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ling-Ying Shuai ◽

Yan-Ling Song ◽

Burt P. Kotler ◽

Keren Embar ◽

Zhi-Gao Zeng

Keyword(s):

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Species Coexistence ◽

Interspecific Interactions ◽

Interference Competition ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Gobi Desert ◽

Patch Use ◽

Desert Rodents ◽

Daily Scale

We studied the foraging behaviour of two sympatric rodents (Meriones meridianus and Dipus sagitta) in the Gobi Desert, Northwestern China. The role of the foraging behaviour in promoting species coexistence was also examined. We used giving-up densities (GUDs) in artificial food patches to measure the patch use of rodents and video trapping to directly record the foraging behaviour, vigilance, and interspecific interactions. Three potential mechanisms of coexistence were evaluated (1) microhabitat partitioning; (2) spatial heterogeneity of resource abundance with a tradeoff in foraging efficiency vs. locomotion; and (3) temporal partitioning on a daily scale. Compared to M. meridianus, D. sagitta generally possessed lower GUDs, spent more time on patches, and conducted more visits per tray per capita, regardless of microhabitat. However, M. meridianus possessed advantages in average harvesting rates and direct interference against D. sagitta. Our results only partly support the third mechanism listed above. We propose another potential mechanism of coexistence: a tradeoff between interference competition and safety, with M. meridianus better at interference competition and D. sagitta better at avoiding predation risk. This mechanism is uncommon in previously studied desert rodent systems.

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Sirt5 deficiency causes post-translational protein malonylation and dysregulated cellular metabolism in chondrocytes under obesity conditions

10.1101/2020.11.30.404103 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shouan Zhu ◽

Albert Batushansky ◽

Anita Jopkiewicz ◽

Dawid Makosa ◽

Kenneth M. Humphries ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cellular Metabolism ◽

Tca Cycle ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Joint Injury ◽

Primary Chondrocytes ◽

Wide Range ◽

Chondrocyte Metabolism ◽

High Concentrations

ABSTRACTObjectiveObesity accelerates the development of osteoarthritis (OA) during aging and is associated with altered chondrocyte cellular metabolism. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) in regulating chondrocyte protein lysine malonylation (MaK) and cellular metabolism under obesity-related conditions.MethodsMaK and SIRT5 were immunostained in knee articular cartilage of obese db/db mice and different aged C57BL6 mice with or without destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery to induce OA. Primary chondrocytes were isolated from 7-day-old WT and Sirt5−/− mice and treated with varying concentrations of glucose and insulin to mimic obesity. Sirt5-dependent effects on MaK and metabolism were evaluated by Western blot, Seahorse Respirometry, and gas/chromatography-mass/spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolic profiling.ResultsMaK was significantly increased in cartilage of db/db mice and in chondrocytes treated with high concentrations of glucose and insulin (GluhiInshi). Sirt5 protein was increased in an age-dependent manner following joint injury, and Sirt5 deficient primary chondrocytes had increased MaK, decreased glycolysis rate, and reduced basal mitochondrial respiration. GC-MS identified 41 metabolites. Sirt5 deficiency altered 13 distinct metabolites under basal conditions and 18 metabolites under GluhiInshi treatment. Pathway analysis identified a wide range of Sirt5-dependent altered metabolic pathways that include amino acid metabolism, TCA cycle, and glycolysis.ConclusionThis study provides the first evidence that Sirt5 broadly regulates chondrocyte metabolism. We observed changes in Sirt5 and MaK levels in cartilage with obesity and joint injury, suggesting that the Sirt5-MaK pathway may contribute to altered chondrocyte metabolism that occurs during OA development.

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The potential function of forehead gland secretions in conflict resolution of the male Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats

10.1101/2020.09.03.281303 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chunmian Zhang ◽

Congnan Sun ◽

Jeffrey R. Lucas ◽

Hao Gu ◽

Jiang Feng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

Potential Function ◽

Chemical Communication ◽

Vital Role ◽

Physical Contact ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Behavioral Studies ◽

Individual Discrimination ◽

Behavioral Evidence ◽

Almost All

AbstractChemical communication is an important aspect of social behavior in almost all animals. Here, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect the chemical composition, and behavioral tests to evaluate the potential function of forehead gland secretions between adult male Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats, Hipposideros armiger. Our results showed that the concentrations of compounds and their categories differed significantly among individuals, and behavioral studies indicated that males are capable of utilizing the secretions for individual discrimination. Moreover, paired males that were incapable of gland protrusion showed more physical contact and longer contest duration compared to pairs in which both males could protrude the gland. In trials where only one male could protrude the gland, males with gland protrusion were more likely to win in contests. These findings provide the first behavioral evidence that chemical communication plays a vital role in conflict resolution in non-human mammals.

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Agroecological aspects of application of Pseudomonas sp. DA1.2 in overcoming herbicidal stress in wheat

BIO Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/bioconf/20202303009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

pp. 03009

Author(s):

Maxim. D. Timergalin ◽

Arina V. Feoktistova ◽

Timur V. Rameev ◽

Gaisar G. Khudaygulov ◽

Sergei N. Starikov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Strain ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Steppe Zone ◽

Pseudomonas Sp ◽

Synthetic Auxins ◽

Promising Agent ◽

Relative Water ◽

Stress Application ◽

Positive Effect

This article submits results of laboratory and field experiments on the effect of an auxin-producing bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. DA1.2 in comparison with Pseudomonas koreensis IB-4 on wheat plants in conjunction with the “Chistalan” herbicide treatment. Our work shows the positive effect of bacterial treatments on plant growth, the relative water content in leaves and the role of bacteria in the redistribution of ABA and IAA in wheat shoots under conditions of herbicidal stress. Application of Pseudomonas sp. DA1.2 together with the herbicide in the field of the steppe zone led to an increase in yield by 20% relative to the control variant. This bacterial strain helps to overcome herbicidal stress and is a promising agent for improving the technology of using synthetic auxins herbicides.

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Contribution of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids to flow-induced dilation in arteries of male ERα knockout mice: role of aromatase

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.00185.2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 293 (3) ◽

pp. R1239-R1246 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Dong Sun ◽

Changdong Yan ◽

Azita Jacobson ◽

Houli Jiang ◽

Mairead A. Carroll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids ◽

Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid ◽

Wild Type ◽

Electrophysiological Technique ◽

Isolated Arteries ◽

Oxide Synthase ◽

Interfering Rna ◽

Endothelial Nitric Oxide

We studied the roles of estrogen receptors (ER) and aromatase in the mediation of flow-induced dilation (FID) in isolated arteries of male ERα-knockout (ERα-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. FID was comparable between gracilis arteries of WT and ERα-KO mice. In WT arteries, inhibition of NO and prostaglandins eliminated FID. In ERα-KO arteries, Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) inhibited FID by ∼26%, whereas indomethacin inhibited dilations by ∼50%. The remaining portion of the dilation was abolished by additional administration of 6-(2-proparglyoxyphenyl)hexanoic acid (PPOH) or iberiotoxin, inhibitors of epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) synthesis and large-conductance potassium channels, respectively. By using an electrophysiological technique, we found that, in the presence of 10 dyne/cm2 shear stress, perfusate passing through donor vessels isolated from gracilis muscle of ERα-KO mice subjected to l-NAME and indomethacin elicited smooth muscle hyperpolarization and a dilator response of endothelium-denuded detector vessels. These responses were prevented by the presence of iberiotoxin in detector or PPOH in donor vessels. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis indicated a significant increase in arterial production of EETs in ERα-KO compared with WT mice. Western blot analysis showed a significantly reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression but enhanced expressions of aromatase and ERβ in ERα-KO arteries. Treatment of ERα-KO arteries with specific aromatase short-interfering RNA for 72 h, knocked down the aromatase mRNA and protein associated with elimination of EET-mediation of FID. Thus, FID in male ERα-KO arteries is maintained via an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor/EET-mediated mechanism compensating for reduced NO mediation due, at least in part, to estrogen aromatized from testosterone.

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Conservatism Gets Funded? A Field Experiment on the Role of Negative Information in Novel Project Evaluation

Management Science ◽

10.1287/mnsc.2021.4107 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jacqueline N. Lanei ◽

Misha Teplitskiy ◽

Gary Gray ◽

Hardeep Ranu ◽

Michael Menietti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Sharing ◽

Business Strategy ◽

Research University ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Negative Information ◽

Initial Score ◽

Funding Opportunities ◽

Allocation Decisions ◽

Selection Of

The evaluation and selection of novel projects lies at the heart of scientific and technological innovation, and yet there are persistent concerns about bias, such as conservatism. This paper investigates the role that the format of evaluation, specifically information sharing among expert evaluators, plays in generating conservative decisions. We executed two field experiments in two separate grant-funding opportunities at a leading research university, mobilizing 369 evaluators from seven universities to evaluate 97 projects, resulting in 761 proposal-evaluation pairs and more than $250,000 in awards. We exogenously varied the relative valence (positive and negative) of others’ scores and measured how exposures to higher and lower scores affect the focal evaluator’s propensity to change their initial score. We found causal evidence of a negativity bias, where evaluators lower their scores by more points after seeing scores more critical than their own rather than raise them after seeing more favorable scores. Qualitative coding of the evaluators’ justifications for score changes reveals that exposures to lower scores were associated with greater attention to uncovering weaknesses, whereas exposures to neutral or higher scores were associated with increased emphasis on nonevaluation criteria, such as confidence in one’s judgment. The greater power of negative information suggests that information sharing among expert evaluators can lead to more conservative allocation decisions that favor protecting against failure rather than maximizing success. This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy.

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MO005HIGH LEVELS OF FIVE SPECIFIC FECAL METABOLITES IN IGA NEPHROPATHY PATIENTS SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE INTESTINAL-RENAL AXIS CONNECTION

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation ◽

10.1093/ndt/gfaa140.mo005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

Claudia Curci ◽

Fabio Sallustio ◽

Nada Chaoul ◽

Angela Picerno ◽

Gabriella Lauriero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

Iga Nephropathy ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Intestinal Lumen ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Intestinal Immunity ◽

Adaptive Immune Cells

Abstract Background and Aims The IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most frequent primitive glomerulonephritis. In the last years, the role of mucosal immunity in IgAN, together with that of the gut microbiota in the activation of innate and adaptive immune cells, has gained importance. Particularly interesting is the role of the microbiota and intestinal immunity in IgAN. BAFF and APRIL can be produced by the intestinal epithelium, in response to signals triggered by TLRs once activated by the commensal bacteria present in the intestinal lumen, representing the link between microbiota and intestinal immunity. To date, even if hypothesized, this relationship in IgAN patients has not been investigated. Here, we studied the intestinal-renal axis connections analyzing levels of BAFF, April and intestinal-activated B cells in IgAN patients. Method Serum and fecal samples were collected from 44 IgAN patients, 22 non-IgA glomerulonephritides (controls) and 22 healthy subjects (HS) with similar clinical features. BAFF and APRIL serum levels were measured by ELISA assay. Metabolomic analysis of fecal microbiome was performed using Biochrom 30 series amino acid analyzer and gas-chromatography mass spectrometry/solid-phase microextraction (GC-MS/SPME) analysis. B cell subsets were investigated by FACS. Results IgAN patients had increased serum levels of BAFF cytokine compared to the control group of patients with non-IgA glomerulonephritis and compared with HS (p<0.0001and p=0.012, respectively). We found that serum BAFF levels positively correlated with the levels of 24h-proteinuria in IgAN patients (r2 = 0.2269, p <0.001). We correlated serum BAFF levels with fecal concentration of 5 different metabolites of 30 IgAN patients, which were previously investigated for the fecal microbiota. These organic compounds had been found at significantly higher levels in the feces of IgAN patients compared to HS. Serum BAFF levels positively correlated with the levels of fecal metabolites: 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) phenol (r2 = 0.2882, p = 0.0027), p-tert-butyl-phenol (r2 = 0.386, p = 0.0003), methyl neopentyl phthalic acid (r2 = 0.3491, p =0.0007), hexadecyl ester benzoic acid (r2 = 0.2832, p =0.003) and furanone A (r2 = 0.1743, p = 0.024). Serum levels of APRIL were significantly increased in IgAN patients respect to control groups (4.49 ± 0.54 vs 2.27 ± 1 ng/ml, p=0.0014). We found a correlation between APRIL and serum creatinine (r2 = 0.159, p =0.04) and eGFR (r2 = 0.2395, p =0.0082), while no correlation was found between APRIL and fecal metabolite levels in IgAN patients. In addition, we found that subjects with IgAN have a significantly higher proportion of circulating Bregs, Memory B cells and IgA secreting-plasmablasts activated at the intestinal level (CCR9+INTB7+) compared to HS. Conclusion The results of our study showed for the first time an important correlation of serum levels of BAFF with intestinal microbiota in patients with IgAN, confirming the hypothesis of the pathogenic role of intestinal mucosal hyperresponsiveness in the IgAN patients. The intestinal-renal axis plays a crucial role in Berger's glomerulonephritis, whose complex pathogenesis may contribute several factors as genetics, pathogens and food.

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Dicamba Volatility

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500044453 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 486-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Richard Behrens ◽

W. E. Lueschen

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

Volatile Component ◽

Growth Chamber ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Terminal Bud ◽

Anisic Acid ◽

Blotter Paper ◽

Chamber Studies ◽

Growth Chamber Studies ◽

Soybean Leaves

Factors influencing dicamba drift, especially vapor drift, were examined in field and growth chamber studies. In field experiments, potted soybeans[Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. exposed to vapors arising from corn (Zea maysL.) foliarly treated with the sodium (Na), dimethylamine (DMA), diethanolamine (DEOA), orN-tallow-N,N1,N1-trimethyl-1,3-diaminopropane (TA) salts of dicamba (3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid), developed dicamba injury symptoms. Dicamba volatilization from treated corn was detected with soybeans for 3 days after the application. Dicamba vapors caused symptoms on soybeans placed up to 60m downwind of the treated corn. When vapor and/or spray drift caused soybean terminal bud kill, yields were reduced. In growth chamber studies, dicamba volatility effects on soybeans could be reduced by lowering the temperature or increasing the relative humidity. Rainfall of 1mm or more on treated corn ended dicamba volatilization. The dicamba volatilization was greater from corn and soybean leaves than from velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrastiMedic.) leaves and blotter paper. The volatilization of dicamba formulations varied in growth chamber comparisons with the acid being most volatile and the inorganic salts being the least volatile. However, under field conditions, use of less volatile formulations did not eliminate dicamba symptoms on soybeans. The volatile component of the commercial DMA salt of dicamba was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as free dicamba acid.

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