scholarly journals Appetite regulating genes may contribute to herbivory versus carnivory trophic divergence in haplochromine cichlids

Author(s):  
Ehsan P Ahi ◽  
Anna Duenser ◽  
Pooja Singh ◽  
Wolfgang Gessl ◽  
Christian Sturmbauer

Feeding is a complex behaviour comprised of satiety control, foraging, ingestion and subsequent digestion. Cichlids from the East African Great Lakes are renowned for their diverse trophic specializations, largely predicated on highly variable jaw morphologies. Thus, most research has focused on dissecting the genetic, morphological and regulatory basis of jaw and teeth development in these species. Here for the first time we explore another aspect of feeding, the regulation of appetite related genes that are expressed in the brain and control satiety in cichlid fishes. Using qPCR analysis, we first validate stably expressed reference genes in the brain of six haplochromine cichlid species at the end of larval development prior to foraging. We next evaluate the expression of 16 appetite related genes in herbivorous and carnivorous species from the parallel radiations of Lake Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria. Interestingly, we find increased expression of two anorexigenic genes, cart and npy2r, in the brain of carnivorous species in all the lakes. This supports the notion that herbivory compared to carnivory requires stronger appetite stimulation in order to feed larger quantity of food and to compensate for the relatively poorer nutritional quality of a plant- and algae-based diet. Our study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on the neurological circuitry that controls feeding transitions and adaptations and in cichlids and other teleosts.

Author(s):  
Ehsan P Ahi ◽  
Anna Duenser ◽  
Pooja Singh ◽  
Wolfgang Gessl ◽  
Christian Sturmbauer

Feeding is a complex behaviour comprised of satiety control, foraging, ingestion and subsequent digestion. Cichlids from the East African Great Lakes are renowned for their diverse trophic specializations, largely predicated on highly variable jaw morphologies. Thus, most research has focused on dissecting the genetic, morphological and regulatory basis of jaw and teeth development in these species. Here for the first time we explore another aspect of feeding, the regulation of appetite related genes that are expressed in the brain and control satiety in cichlid fishes. Using qPCR analysis, we first validate stably expressed reference genes in the brain of six haplochromine cichlid species at the end of larval development prior to foraging. We next evaluate the expression of 16 appetite related genes in herbivorous and carnivorous species from the parallel radiations of Lake Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria. Interestingly, we find increased expression of two anorexigenic genes, cart and npy2r, in the brain of carnivorous species in all the lakes. This supports the notion that herbivory compared to carnivory requires stronger appetite stimulation in order to feed larger quantity of food and to compensate for the relatively poorer nutritional quality of a plant- and algae-based diet. Our study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on the neurological circuitry that controls feeding transitions and adaptations and in cichlids and other teleosts.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8375
Author(s):  
Ehsan P. Ahi ◽  
Anna Duenser ◽  
Pooja Singh ◽  
Wolfgang Gessl ◽  
Christian Sturmbauer

Feeding is a complex behaviour comprised of satiety control, foraging, ingestion and subsequent digestion. Cichlids from the East African Great Lakes are renowned for their diverse trophic specializations, largely predicated on highly variable jaw morphologies. Thus, most research has focused on dissecting the genetic, morphological and regulatory basis of jaw and teeth development in these species. Here for the first time we explore another aspect of feeding, the regulation of appetite related genes that are expressed in the brain and control satiety in cichlid fishes. Using qPCR analysis, we first validate stably expressed reference genes in the brain of six haplochromine cichlid species at the end of larval development prior to foraging. We next evaluate the expression of 16 appetite related genes in herbivorous and carnivorous species from the parallel radiations of Lake Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria. Interestingly, we find increased expression of two appetite-regulating genes (anorexigenic genes), cart and npy2r, in the brain of carnivorous species in all the three lakes. This supports the notion that appetite gene regulation might play a part in determining trophic niche specialization in divergent cichlid species, already prior to exposure to different diets. Our study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on the neurological circuitry that controls feeding transitions and adaptations in cichlids and other teleosts.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Mathew ◽  
Philippe Lefevre ◽  
Frederic Crevecoeur

Savings have been described as the ability of healthy humans to relearn a previously acquired motor skill faster than the first time, which in the context of motor adaptation suggests that the learning rate in the brain could be adjusted when a perturbation is recognized. Alternatively, it has been argued that apparent savings were the consequence of a distinct process that instead of reflecting a change in the learning rate, revealed an explicit re-aiming strategy. Based on recent evidence that feedback adaptation may be central to both planning and control, we hypothesized that this component could genuinely accelerate relearning in human adaptation to force fields during reaching. Consistent with our hypothesis, we observed that upon re-exposure to a previously learned force field, the very first movement performed by healthy volunteers in the relearning context was better adapted to the external disturbance, and this occurred without any anticipation or cognitive strategy because the relearning session was started unexpectedly. We conclude that feedback adaptation is a medium by which the nervous system can genuinely accelerate learning across movements.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 140498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britta S. Meyer ◽  
Adrian Indermaur ◽  
Xenia Ehrensperger ◽  
Bernd Egger ◽  
Gaspard Banyankimbona ◽  
...  

The species flocks of cichlid fishes in the East African Great Lakes are the largest vertebrate adaptive radiations in the world and illustrious textbook examples of convergent evolution between independent species assemblages. Although recent studies suggest some degrees of genetic exchange between riverine taxa and the lake faunas, not a single cichlid species is known from Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria that is derived from the radiation associated with another of these lakes. Here, we report the discovery of a haplochromine cichlid species in Lake Tanganyika, which belongs genetically to the species flock of haplochromines of the Lake Victoria region. The new species colonized Lake Tanganyika only recently, suggesting that faunal exchange across watersheds and, hence, between isolated ichthyofaunas, is more common than previously thought.


Author(s):  
Burbaeva G.Sh. ◽  
Androsova L.V. ◽  
Vorobyeva E.A. ◽  
Savushkina O.K.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of polymerization of tubulin into microtubules and determine the level of colchicine binding (colchicine-binding activity of tubulin) in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, vascular dementia (VD) and control. Colchicine-binding activity of tubulin was determined by Sherlinе in tubulin-enriched extracts of proteins from the samples. Measurement of light scattering during the polymerization of the tubulin was carried out using the nephelometric method at a wavelength of 450-550 nm. There was a significant decrease in colchicine-binding activity and the rate of tubulin polymerization in the prefrontal cortex in both diseases, and in VD to a greater extent than in schizophrenia. The obtained results suggest that not only in Alzheimer's disease, but also in other mental diseases such as schizophrenia and VD, there is a decrease in the level of tubulin in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, although to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease, and consequently the amount of microtubules.


2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Shafer ◽  
D. Jordan Lowe ◽  
Timothy J. Fogarty

The current trend toward corporate acquisitions of CPA firms poses potential threats to the autonomy and ethical standards of public accounting professionals. This recent consolidation movement suggests that for the first time a significant number of public accounting professionals are subject to the supervision and control of nonprofessionals. In addition to acknowledging the potential threats to auditor independence and objectivity, this paper suggests that these new organizational arrangements for the provision of public accounting services have other negative effects on professionalism and ethics such as desensitizing CPAs to traditional professional values, and subverting professional institutions to the goals of corporate employers. This paper develops a framework that identifies several specific research questions related to the effects of corporate ownership on professionalism and ethics in public accounting.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Stephanie Dooves ◽  
Arianne J. H. van Velthoven ◽  
Linda G. Suciati ◽  
Vivi M. Heine

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disease affecting the brain. Neurological symptoms like epilepsy and neurodevelopmental issues cause a significant burden on patients. Both neurons and glial cells are affected by TSC mutations. Previous studies have shown changes in the excitation/inhibition balance (E/I balance) in TSC. Astrocytes are known to be important for neuronal development, and astrocytic dysfunction can cause changes in the E/I balance. We hypothesized that astrocytes affect the synaptic balance in TSC. TSC patient-derived stem cells were differentiated into astrocytes, which showed increased proliferation compared to control astrocytes. RNA sequencing revealed changes in gene expression, which were related to epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling and enriched for genes that coded for secreted or transmembrane proteins. Control neurons were cultured in astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) of TSC and control astrocytes. After culture in TSC ACM, neurons showed an altered synaptic balance, with an increase in the percentage of VGAT+ synapses. These findings were confirmed in organoids, presenting a spontaneous 3D organization of neurons and glial cells. To conclude, this study shows that TSC astrocytes are affected and secrete factors that alter the synaptic balance. As an altered E/I balance may underlie many of the neurological TSC symptoms, astrocytes may provide new therapeutic targets.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Shahul Mujib Kamal ◽  
Norazryana Mat Dawi ◽  
Hamidreza Namazi

BACKGROUND: Walking like many other actions of a human is controlled by the brain through the nervous system. In fact, if a problem occurs in our brain, we cannot walk correctly. Therefore, the analysis of the coupling of brain activity and walking is very important especially in rehabilitation science. The complexity of movement paths is one of the factors that affect human walking. For instance, if we walk on a path that is more complex, our brain activity increases to adjust our movements. OBJECTIVE: This study for the first time analyzed the coupling of walking paths and brain reaction from the information point of view. METHODS: We analyzed the Shannon entropy for electroencephalography (EEG) signals versus the walking paths in order to relate their information contents. RESULTS: According to the results, walking on a path that contains more information causes more information in EEG signals. A strong correlation (p= 0.9999) was observed between the information contents of EEG signals and walking paths. Our method of analysis can also be used to investigate the relation among other physiological signals of a human and walking paths, which has great benefits in rehabilitation science.


2004 ◽  
Vol 380 (3) ◽  
pp. 749-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Xin SUN ◽  
Kazuhito TSUBOI ◽  
Yasuo OKAMOTO ◽  
Takeharu TONAI ◽  
Makoto MURAKAMI ◽  
...  

Anandamide (an endocannabinoid) and other bioactive long-chain NAEs (N-acylethanolamines) are formed by direct release from N-acyl-PE (N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine) by a PLD (phospholipase D). However, the possible presence of a two-step pathway from N-acyl-PE has also been suggested previously, which comprises (1) the hydrolysis of N-acyl-PE to N-acyl-lysoPE by PLA1/PLA2 enzyme(s) and (2) the release of NAEs from N-acyllysoPE by lysoPLD (lysophospholipase D) enzyme(s). In the present study we report for the first time the characterization of enzymes responsible for this pathway. The PLA1/PLA2 activity for N-palmitoyl-PE was found in various rat tissues, with the highest activity in the stomach. This stomach enzyme was identified as group IB sPLA2 (secretory PLA2), and its product was determined as N-acyl-1-acyl-lysoPE. Recombinant group IB, IIA and V of sPLA2s were also active with N-palmitoyl-PE, whereas group X sPLA2 and cytosolic PLA2α were inactive. In addition, we found wide distribution of lysoPLD activity generating N-palmitoylethanolamine from N-palmitoyl-lysoPE in rat tissues, with higher activities in the brain and testis. Based on several lines of enzymological evidence, the lysoPLD enzyme could be distinct from the known N-acyl-PE-hydrolysing PLD. sPLA2-IB dose dependently enhanced the production of N-palmitoylethanolamine from N-palmitoyl-PE in the brain homogenate showing the lysoPLD activity. N-Arachidonoyl-PE and N-arachidonoyl-lysoPE as anandamide precursors were also good substrates of sPLA2-IB and the lysoPLD respectively. These results suggest that the sequential actions of PLA2 and lysoPLD may constitute another biosynthetic pathway for NAEs, including anandamide.


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