scholarly journals A Revised and Improved Version of the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) Transcriptome

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Roberto Carlos Frias-Soler ◽  
Lilian Villarín Pildaín ◽  
Michael Wink ◽  
Franz Bairlein

This work presents an updated and more complete version of the transcriptome of a long-distance migrant, the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). The improved transcriptome was produced from the independent mRNA sequencing of adipose tissue, brain, intestines, liver, skin, and muscle tissues sampled during the autumnal migratory season. This new transcriptome has better sequencing coverage and is more representative of the species’ migratory phenotype. We assembled 20,248 transcripts grouped into 16,430 genes, from which 78% were successfully annotated. All the standard assembly quality parameters were improved in the second transcriptome version.

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Carlos Frias-Soler ◽  
Lilian Villarín Pildaín ◽  
Agnes Hotz-Wagenblatt ◽  
Jonas Kolibius ◽  
Franz Bairlein ◽  
...  

We have sequenced a partial transcriptome of the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), a species with one of the longest migrations on Earth. The transcriptome was constructed de novo using RNA-Seq sequence data from the pooled mRNA of six different tissues: brain, muscle, intestine, liver, adipose tissue and skin. The samples came from nine captive-bred wheatears collected at three different stages of the endogenous autumn migratory period: (1) lean birds prior the onset of migration, (2) during the fattening stage and (3) individuals at their migratory body mass plateau, when they have almost doubled their lean body mass. The sample structure used to build up the transcriptome of the Northern Wheatears concerning tissue composition and time guarantees the future survey of the regulatory genes involved in the development of the migratory phenotype. Through the pre-migratory period, birds accomplish outstanding physical and behavioural changes that involve all organ systems. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms through which birds synchronize and control hyperphagia, fattening, restlessness increase, immunity boosting and tuning the muscles for such endurance flight are still largely unknown. The use of RNA-Seq has emerged as a powerful tool to analyse complex traits on a broad scale, and we believe it can help to characterize the migratory phenotype of wheatears at an unprecedented level. The primary challenge to conduct quantitative transcriptomic studies in non-model species is the availability of a reference transcriptome, which we have constructed and described in this paper. The cDNA was sequenced by pyrosequencing using the Genome Sequencer Roche GS FLX System; with single paired-end reads of about 400 bp. We estimate the total number of genes at 15,640, of which  67% could be annotated using Turkey and Zebra Finch genomes, or protein sequence information from SwissProt and NCBI databases. With our study, we have made a first step towards understanding the migratory phenotype regarding gene expression of a species that has become a model to study birds long-distance migrations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 20210195
Author(s):  
Roberto Carlos Frias-Soler ◽  
Natalie A. Kelsey ◽  
Lilian Villarín Pildaín ◽  
Michael Wink ◽  
Franz Bairlein

The fuelling capacity of migratory birds and their ability to avoid health conditions derived from the subsequent fat overload are exceptional among vertebrates. In this work, we screen the expression of the genes involved in the production of ketone bodies (KB) in the liver of northern wheatears ( Oenanthe oenanthe ) during the development and resolution of migratory fattening. Thirteen genes were found to be regulated among the migratory stages. Based on the dynamics of gene expression, we concluded that KB play a versatile role in wheatears' energy metabolism homeostasis. The ketogenic pathway can adaptively: (i) provide carbon equivalents for lipogenesis, speeding up fuelling; (ii) replace glucose during long-distance flights using lipids as the substrate; (iii) act as a floodgate to avoid steatosis; and (iv) might provide a metabolic solution to defatting in captive birds.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica H. Dunn ◽  
David J. T. Hussell ◽  
Josef Kren ◽  
Amelia C. Zoerb

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Wei Chen ◽  
Xiao Hao ◽  
JianRong Lu ◽  
Kui Yan ◽  
Jin Liu ◽  
...  

In order to solve the problems of high labor cost, long detection period, and low degree of information in current water environment monitoring, this paper proposes a lake water environment monitoring system based on LoRa and Internet of Things technology. The system realizes remote collection, data storage, dynamic monitoring, and pollution alarm for the distributed deployment of multisensor node information (water temperature, pH, turbidity, conductivity, and other water quality parameters). Moreover, the system uses STM32L151C8T6 microprocessor and multiple types of water quality sensors to collect water quality parameters in real time, and the data is packaged and sent to the LoRa gateway remotely by LoRa technology. Then, the gateway completes the bridging of LoRa link to IP link and forwards the water quality information to the Alibaba Cloud server. Finally, end users can realize the water quality control of monitored water area by monitoring management platform. The experimental results show that the system has a good performance in terms of real-time data acquisition accuracy, data transmission reliability, and pollution alarm success rate. The average relative errors of water temperature, pH, turbidity, and conductivity are 0.31%, 0.28%, 3.96%, and 0.71%, respectively. In addition, the signal reception strength of the system within 2 km is better than -81 dBm, and the average packet loss rate is only 94%. In short, the system’s high accuracy, high reliability, and long distance characteristics meet the needs of large area water quality monitoring.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M. Cornelius ◽  
Thomas P. Hahn ◽  
Ashley R. Robart ◽  
Ben J. Vernasco ◽  
Dorothy L. Zahor ◽  
...  

Physiological preparations for migration generally reflect migratory strategy. Migrant birds fuel long-distance flight primarily with lipids, but carrying excess fuel is costly; thus, the amount of fat deposited prior to departure often reflects the anticipated flight duration or distance between refueling bouts. Seasonal pre-migratory deposition of fat is well documented in regular seasonal migrants, but is less described for more facultative species. We analyze fat deposits of free-living birds across several taxa of facultative migrants in the songbird subfamily Carduelinae, including house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), pine siskins (Spinus pinus) and four different North American ecotypes of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), to evaluate seasonal fat deposition during facultative migratory periods. Our data suggest that the extent of seasonal fat deposits corresponds with migratory tendency in these facultative taxa. Specifically, nomadic red crossbills with a seasonally predictable annual movement demonstrated relatively large seasonal fat deposits coincident with the migratory periods. In contrast, pine siskins, thought to be more variable in timing and initiation of nomadic movements, had smaller peaks in fat deposits during the migratory season, and the partial migrant American goldfinch and the resident house finch showed no peaks coincident with migratory periods. Within the red crossbills, those ecotypes that are closely associated with pine habitats showed larger peaks in fat deposits coincident with autumn migratory periods and had higher wing loading, whereas those ecotypes associated with spruces, Douglas-fir and hemlocks showed larger peaks coincident with spring migratory periods and lower wing loading. We conclude that population averages of fat deposits do reflect facultative migration strategies in these species, as well as the winter thermogenic challenges at the study locations. A difference in seasonal fattening and wing loading among red crossbill ecotypes is consistent with the possibility that they differ in their migratory biology, and we discuss these differences in light of crossbill reproductive schedules and phenologies of different conifer species.


2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Outlaw ◽  
V. Nijman

Long-distance migration imposes physiological and morphological selection pressures on birds. The genus Ficedula, a lineage of Old World flycatchers, consists of long- and short-distance migratory species, as well as sedentary species. Members of each of these groups are not reciprocally monophyletic, yet each of the behavioral groups is morphologically distinguishable even when accounting for phylogeny. Long-distance migratory species have more pointed wings than either short-distance migratory or sedentary species, and migratory behaviors and wing pointed-ness are phylogenetically correlated. This suggests that migratory Ficedula species have converged on a migratory phenotype, and that migration may be a selective agent that has shaped the independently-derived migratory Ficedula species in similar ways.


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