Temperature acclimation affects thermal preference and tolerance in three Eremias lizards(Lacertidae)

We acclimated adult males of three Eremias lizards from different latitudes to 28℃,33℃ or 38℃ to examine whether temperature acclimation affects their thermal preference and tolerance and whether thermal preference and tolerance of these lizards correspond with their latitudinal distributions.Overall,selected body temperature(Tsel)and viable temperature range(VTR)were both highest in E.brenchleyi and lowest in E.multiocellata,with E.argus in between;critical thermal minimum(CTMin)was highest in E.multiocell...     

Temperature acclimation alters cardiac performance in the lobster Homarus americanus

The American lobster is a poikilotherm that inhabits a marine environment where temperature varies over a 25°C range and depends on the winds, the tides and the seasons. To determine how cardiac performance depends on the water temperature to which the lobsters are acclimated we measured lobster heart rates in vivo. The upper limit for cardiac function in lobsters acclimated to 20°C is approximately 29°C, 5°C warmer than that measured in lobsters acclimated to 4°C. Warm acclimation also slows the lobster heart rate within the temperature range from 4 to 12°C. Both effects are apparent after relatively short periods of warm acclimation (3–14 days). However, warm acclimation impairs cardiac function at cold temperatures: following several hours exposure to frigid (<5°C) temperatures heart rates become slow and arrhythmic in warm acclimated, but not cold acclimated, lobsters. Thus, acclimation temperature determines the thermal limits for cardiac function at both extremes of the 25°C temperature range lobsters inhabit in the wild. These observations suggest that regulation of cardiac thermal tolerance by the prevailing environmental temperature protects against the possibility of cardiac failure due to thermal stress.     

雄性山地麻蜥选择体温、热耐受性及温度对食物同化和运动表现的影响

研究了捕自安徽宿州的成年雄性山地麻蜥 (Eremiasbrenchleyi)选择体温、热耐受性、温度对食物同化和运动表现的影响。结果显示 :①选择体温、临界高温和临界低温的平均值分别为 33 7、 43 6和 3 3℃。②环境温度在 2 6～ 38℃时 ,对山地麻蜥食物通过时间、摄食量、表观消化系数 (ADC)、同化效率 (AE)和运动表现有显著的影响 ;在 2 6～ 30℃时食物通过时间随温度升高而缩短 ,超过 30℃则随温度升高而延长 ;在 2 6和 2 8℃时 ,摄食量、ADC和AE均小于更高温度的对应值。③体温在 19～ 34℃ ,蜥蜴的疾跑速随体温上升而加快 ,31和 34℃时最快 ,超过 34℃后随体温升高而减慢 ;31和 34℃时的持续运动距离最长 ,超过 36℃后随体温升高而显著缩短 ,但体温 19～ 36℃蜥蜴的持续运动距离无显著差异 ;19～ 34℃蜥蜴的跑道停顿次数较少 ,无显著差异 ,超过 34℃后显著增加。     

温度对南疆沙蜥和密点麻蜥消化酶活性的影响

为探究不同温度对南疆沙蜥Phrynocephalus forsythii和密点麻蜥Eremias multiocellata消化酶活性的影响,本研究测定了不同温度下南疆沙蜥和密点麻蜥的肝脏、胃及十二指肠的消化酶——淀粉酶(碘-淀粉比色法)、脂肪酶(比浊法)及胰蛋白酶(紫外线吸收法)的活性。结果显示,南疆沙蜥和密点麻蜥消化酶活性在4～45℃随着温度升高呈现先上升、后下降的趋势;40℃驯化的南疆沙蜥、35℃驯化的密点麻蜥肝脏、胃及十二指肠的淀粉酶、脂肪酶及胰蛋白酶活性最高。南疆沙蜥和密点麻蜥消化酶活性具有温度依赖性,这与机体在不同温度下的生理机能是密切相关的。同时,2种蜥蜴的消化酶活性最大时的驯化温度明显不同,这与它们偏好的环境温度密切相关。     

华北丽斑麻蜥食物同化和疾跑速的热依赖性

作者研究山西阳泉丽斑麻蜥(Eremias argus)成体的选择体温、热耐受性及食物同化和疾跑速的热依赖性。选择体温、临界低温和临界高温无显著的两性差异,分别为36·0℃、1·0℃和44·9℃。在实验温度范围内,体温显著影响食物通过时间、日摄食量、日粪尿排量、表观消化系数和同化效率。食物通过时间在26 -34℃范围内随体温升高而缩短,在更高的体温下则延长。蜥蜴在30、32、34和36℃体温下明显摄入较多的食物、排出明显较多的粪尿。34℃和36℃下的表观消化系数和同化效率大于其它更低或更高温度下的对应数值,但这两个变量未因体温变化而呈现清晰的规律性变化。疾跑速在18 -36℃范围内随体温升高而加快,在38℃体温下则减缓。36℃或附近体温最适合疾跑速。疾跑速最适体温接近蜥蜴的选择体温,表明蜥蜴疾跑速的最适温度可能与其选择体温密切相关[动物学报52 (2) : 256 -262 , 2006]。     

斑马鱼热耐受性对温度驯化的响应及其性别差异

为了探究斑马鱼(Danio rerio)热耐受性对温度驯化的响应及其性别差异,将性成熟斑马鱼分别于适温(28℃)、低温(20℃)和高温(34℃)下驯化14 d,之后测定不同温度驯化下雌鱼和雄鱼的临界高温(critical thermal maxima,CTmax)、致死高温(lethal thermal maxima,LTmax)、临界低温(critical thermal minima,CTmin)、致死低温(lethal thermal minima,LTmin)等热耐受性参数.结果表明:驯化温度对雄鱼和雌鱼的所有热忍耐参数(CTmax、LTmax、CTmin和LTmin)均影响显著(P<0.05),并且驯化温度和性别对热耐受性参数的影响具有交互作用(P<0.05).适温(28℃)驯化下,雌鱼与雄鱼各个热忍耐参数相比无显著差异(P> 0.05);低温(20℃)驯化下雌鱼的耐高温能力强于雄鱼,而高温(34℃)驯化下雌鱼的耐低温能力弱于雄鱼.结果提示:繁殖适温下雌雄斑马鱼的热耐受性趋于一致,而非繁殖适温下二者的热耐受性出现分化.     

Low temperature acclimation to chilling tolerance in rice roots

Rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) were subjected to low temperature pretreatment (LT-PT; 10°C) for various length of time (1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18, 24 h) followed by a 48-h chilling temperature stress (2°C). Chilling temperature tolerance of rice roots was improved with increasing duration of LT-PT, but LT-PT longer than 12 h gave no additional improvement. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity and ethanol concentration in the roots were increased with increasing duration of LT-PT up to 12 h. Chilling tolerance was also improved by exogenously applied ethanol. These results suggest that LT-PT may increase chilling tolerance in rice roots owing to ethanol accumulation in the roots and LT-PT acclimation to chilling temperature may occur within 12 h.     

密点麻蜥几种组织SDH和LDH活性对温度的适应

研究了密点麻蜥肝脏、骨骼肌、大脑组织中琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)活性对温度的依赖关系.结果表明:密点麻蜥3种组织中SDH在5～35℃范围内随温度的升高而升高,在35℃时达到峰值后随着温度的升高而下降,35℃可能为SDH的最适温度;3种组织的LDH活性随温度的升高而升高;大脑中的SDH和LDH活性最高.这表明SDH和LDH的活性与动物组织的能量代谢相适应.     

Effect of thermal acclimation on thermal preference,resistance and locomotor performance of hatchling soft-shelled turtle

The significant influence of thermal acclimation on physiological and behavioral performance has been documented in many ectothermic animals, but such studies are still limited in turtle species. We acclimated hatchling soft-shelled turtles Pelodiscus sinensis under three thermal conditions （10, 20 and 30~C） for 4 weeks, and then measured selected body temperature （Tsel）, critical thermal minimum （CTMin） and maximum （CTM~x）, and locomotor performance at different body temperatures. Thermal acclimation significantly affected thermal preference and resistance of P sinensis hatchlings. Hatchling turtles accli- mated to 10~C selected relatively lower body temperatures and were less resistant to high temperatures than those acclimated to 20~C and 30~C. The turtles＇ resistance to low temperatures increased with a decreasing acclimation temperature. The thermal re- sistance range （i.e. the difference between CTM~x and CTMin, TRR） was widest in turtles acclimated to 20~C, and narrowest in those acclimated to 10~C. The locomotor performance of turtles was affected by both body temperature and acclimation tem- perature. Hatchling turtles acclimated to relatively higher temperatures swam faster than did those acclimated to lower temperatures. Accordingly, hatchling turtles acclimated to a particular temperature may not enhance the performance at that temperature. Instead, hatchlings acclimated to relatively warm temperatures have a better performance, supporting the ＂hotter is better＂ hypothesis.     

Acclimation effects on critical and lethal thermal limits of workers of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile

For the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, bioclimatic models often predict narrower optimal temperature ranges than those suggested by behavioural and physiological studies. Although water balance characteristics of workers of this species have been thoroughly studied, gaps exist in current understanding of its thermal limits. We investigated critical thermal minima and maxima and upper and lower lethal limits following acclimation to four temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 degrees C; 12L:12D photoperiod) in adult workers of the Argentine ant, L. humile, collected from Stellenbosch, South Africa. At an ecologically relevant rate of temperature change of 0.05 degrees Cmin(-1), CTMax varied between 38 and 40 degrees C, and CTMin varied between 0 and 0.8 degrees C. In both cases the response to acclimation was weak. A significant time by exposure temperature interaction was found for upper and lower lethal limits, with a more pronounced effect of acclimation at longer exposure durations. Upper lethal limits varied between 37 and 44 degrees C, whilst lower lethal limits varied between -4 and -10.5 degrees C, with an acclimation effect more pronounced for upper than lower lethal limits. A thermal envelope for workers of the Argentine ant is provided, demonstrating that upper thermal limits do likely contribute to distributional limits, but that lower lethal limits and limits to activity likely do not, or at least for workers who are not exposed simultaneously to the demands of load carriage and successful foraging behaviour.     

Kinetics and mechanism of tolerance induction on acclimation ofVillorita cyprinoides (Hanley) to copper and zinc

The typical euryhaline clamVillorita cyprinoides (Hanley) was acclimated to copper and zinc at salinity 13 × 10⁻³ and < 1 × 10⁻³ (fresh water). Acclimation enhanced the lethal tolerance, as denoted by dose-survival curves, which was more pronounced after zinc acclimation. In fresh water copper acclimation sensitized the organisms. The copper accumulation trend was significantly changed consequent to metal acclimation, especially after zinc acclimation, indicating some tissue metal regulatory effect. Acclimation to copper equiped the organism to survive for longer periods with increased body burden of copper, while zinc acclimation supressed the uptake of the more toxic ion copper. The earlier report of increased uptake of zinc by this organism during combined exposure with copper is corelated in the present context. The role of metallothionein like protein in providing protection against metal toxicity, the environmental implication of acclimation phenomena are indicated     

Disentangling thermal preference and the thermal dependence of movement in ectotherms

Many ectotherms thermoregulate by choosing environmental temperatures that maximize diverse performance traits, including fitness. For this reason, physiological ecologists have measured preferred temperatures of diverse ectotherms for nearly a century. Thermal preference is usually measured by observing organism distributions on laboratory thermal gradients. This approach is appropriate for large ectotherms which have sufficient thermal inertia to decouple body temperatures from gradient temperatures. However, body temperatures and therefore speeds of movement of small ectotherms will closely track gradient temperature, making it difficult to distinguish between thermal preference and thermal dependence of movement. Here we develop and demonstrate the use of a patch model to derive the expected thermal gradient distribution given only the thermal dependence of movement. Comparison of this null distribution with the observed gradient distribution reveals thermal preference of small ectotherms.     

山地麻蜥主要贮能部位水分含量和能值的年变化

研究了安徽宿州山地麻蜥主要贮能部位水分含量和能值的年变化。蜥蜴分别于2001年9-11月和2002年3—8月逐月捕回,经测量、称重后解剖分离为躯干(包括尾)、肝脏和腹脂肪体三组分。所有样品65℃恒温干燥至恒重,用索氏脂肪提取器测定脂肪含量,微电脑热量计测定能值。本研究结果显示：雄体躯干、肝脏水分含量显著高于雌体,躯干、肝脏水分含量的月间差异显著;雄体躯干、脱脂躯干能值显著高于雌体,躯干、脱脂躯干能值的月间差异显著;雄体肝脏能值、脱脂肝脏能值以及腹脂肪体能值显著低于雌体,肝脏能值、脱脂肝脏能值以及腹脂肪体能值的月间差异显著。上述结果表明,山地麻蜥躯干、肝脏以及腹脂肪体能值的年变化与繁殖和冬眠关系密切,繁殖期雄体适度贮能有利于提高运动的敏捷性;雌体适度贮能有利于增加繁殖输出,提高野外生存和适应性。     

Thermal sensitivity of growth rate in hatchling Sceloporus lizards: environmental,behavioral and genetic aspects

Summary To investigate the physiological, behavioral, and genetic contributions to growth rate, we studied the thermal sensitivity of growth rate in hatchlings of the iguanid lizards Sceloporus occidentalis and S. graciosus in the laboratory. We used a cycling thermal regime patterned after thermal environments found in nature. Growth rates increased with duration of access to radiant heat. Thus, variation in the thermal environment can cause phenotypic variation in growth rate and hence body size. The two species differed in both the magnitude and thermal sensitivity of growth rate, and these differences were associated with differences in behavioral thermoregulation. Thus, growth is determined interactively by both behavior and physiology. We found evidence of among-family variation in the growth rates of S. occidentalis, suggesting that growth rate has the genetic potential to evolve. In S. occidentalis, both growth rate and egg size affected body size of hatchlings at several weeks of age. In turn, hatchling size may affect fitness: for example, larger S. occidentalis hatchlings had higher sprint speeds and may therefore be more adept at capturing prey or evading predators. Our results demonstrate that growth rate has genetic, behavioral, and physiological components, and that the resulting effects on body size may have important consequences for ecological performance e.g., sprint speed.     

Effects of acclimation temperature on thermal tolerance, locomotion performance and respiratory metabolism in Acheta domesticus L. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The effects of acclimation temperature on insect thermal performance curves are generally poorly understood but significant for understanding responses to future climate variation and the evolution of these reaction norms. Here, in Acheta domesticus, we examine the physiological effects of 7-9 days acclimation to temperatures 4 °C above and below optimum growth temperature of 29 °C (i.e. 25, 29, 33 °C) for traits of resistance to thermal extremes, temperature-dependence of locomotion performance (jumping distance and running speed) and temperature-dependence of respiratory metabolism. We also examine the effects of acclimation on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) enzyme activity. Chill coma recovery time (CRRT) was significantly reduced from 38 to 13 min with acclimation at 33-25 °C, respectively. Heat knockdown resistance was less responsive than CCRT to acclimation, with no significant effects of acclimation detected for heat knockdown times (25 °C: 18.25, 29 °C: 18.07, 33 °C: 25.5 min). Thermal optima for running speed were higher (39.4-40.6 °C) than those for jumping performance (25.6-30.9 °C). Acclimation temperature affected jumping distance but not running speed (general linear model, p = 0.0075) although maximum performance (U_MAX) and optimum temperature (T_OPT) of the performance curves showed small or insignificant effects of acclimation temperature. However, these effects were sensitive to the method of analysis since analyses of T_OPT, U_MAX and the temperature breadth (T_BR) derived from non-linear curve-fitting approaches produced high inter-individual variation within acclimation groups and reduced variation between acclimation groups. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was positively related to body mass and test temperature. Acclimation temperature significantly influenced the slope of the SMR-temperature reaction norms, whereas no variation in the intercept was found. The CCO enzyme activity remained unaffected by thermal acclimation. Finally, high temperature acclimation resulted in significant increases in mortality (60-70% at 33 °C vs. 20-30% at 25 and 29 °C). These results suggest that although A. domesticus may be able to cope with low temperature extremes to some degree through phenotypic plasticity, population declines with warmer mean temperatures of only a few degrees are likely owing to the limited plasticity of their performance curves.     

Evolution of thermal physiology and growth rate between populations of the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Summary Hatchling Sceloporus occidentalis from northern populations (central Oregon) grow more slowly than hatchlings from southern populations (southern California) in nature. In this study, I determine whether this difference in growth rate results from differences in thermal environment and/or in thermoregulatory behavior. To determine the degree to which the thermal environment affects growth rate among populations, I reared hatchings from the northern and southern populations in a cycling thermal regime in one of three experimental treatments differing in access to radiant heat (6, 9, or 12 h radiant heat; remainder of 24 h at 15°C). I also measured the body temperature that each individual voluntarily selected over the course of the daily activity cycle. Growth rate varied positively with duration of access to radiant heat. Within the three treatments, individual growth rate was positively correlated with body temperature. Moreover, the difference in growth rate between the northern and southern populations was due in part to differences in behavior — individuals from northern populations selected lower body temperatures. I found that significant variation in body temperature was associated with family membership, suggesting that thermal physiology has a genetic basis. Moreover, growth rate was correlated with body temperature among families in each population suggesting a genetic correlation underlies the phenotypic correlations. Thus, genetically based variation in thermal physiology contributes to differences in growth rate among individuals within a population as well as to differences among populations.     

A laboratory study on the thermal tolerance of four southeastern stream insect species (Trichoptera,Ephemeroptera)

The acute thermal tolerances of four southeastern stream insect species, Ephemerella invaria (Walker), Stenonema ithaca (Clemens and Leonard), Symphitopsyche morosa (Hagun), and Brachycentrus lateralis (Say) were determined using an artificial stream enclosure. All species were acclimated at 10°C for 72 hours prior to instantaneous immersion into heated water for 96 hours. Percent mortality was recorded and the temperature at which 50% mortality occurred determined (LT5o). Data were subjected to standard statistical analysis.Thermal tolerance values were compared between species tested and to results from previous investigations using similar methodologies. The evolution and life histories of these species were also discussed in relation to their thermal tolerance values.