Cyclic variations in incubation conditions induce adaptive responses to later heat exposure in chickens: a review

Selection programs have enabled broiler chickens to gain muscle mass without similar enlargement of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems that are essential for thermoregulatory efficiency. Meat-type chickens cope with high ambient temperature by reducing feed intake and growth during chronic and moderate heat exposure. In case of acute heat exposure, a dramatic increase in morbidity and mortality can occur. In order to alleviate heat stress in the long term, research has recently focused on early thermal manipulation. Aimed at stimulation of long-term thermotolerance, the thermal manipulation of embryos is a method based on fine tuning of incubation conditions, taking into account the level and duration of increases in temperature and relative humidity during a critical period of embryogenesis. The consequences of thermal manipulation on the performance and meat quality of broiler chickens have been explored to ensure the potential application of this strategy. The physiological basis of the method is the induction of epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms that control body temperature in the long term. Early thermal manipulation can enhance poultry resistance to environmental changes without much effect on growth performance. This review presents the main strategies of early heat exposure and the physiological concepts on which these methods were based. The cellular mechanisms potentially underlying the adaptive response are discussed as well as the potential interest of thermal manipulation of embryos for poultry production.     

The relationship of oocyte diameter and incubation temperature to incubation time in temperate freshwater fish species

Based on the analysis of six egg variables and incubation temperature of 65 temperate freshwater fish species, the possible relationships between oocyte diameter, incubation time and incubation temperature were reassessed and compared to the results obtained from marine fishes. Most freshwater species have eggs (mean ± s . d . 2·19 ± 1·52 mm) larger than marine species, that are chiefly demersal and develop stuck to various substrata, such as plants or rocks. A strong negative relationship was found between incubation time ( t , days) and incubation temperature ( T , ° C): t = 186·23e^{−0·197 T} ( r ²= 0·87). A strong dependence of incubation time on oocyte diameter ( Ø , mm) and incubation temperature was also found and was defined as: log₁₀ t = 3·002 + 0·599 log₁₀ Ø − 1·91 log₁₀ ( T + 2), which explained 92% of the variance of the data set. Five major groups of species were defined based on the principal component analysis (PCA) of four quantitative variables. There were two distinct groups of salmonids, displaying demersal and non-adhesive eggs with a long incubation time at low temperature, the eggs of which required a high number of degree-days. There was a large group of species possessing small, mostly demersal and adhesive eggs developing at high temperature during a short period of time, and requiring a low number of degree-days. Between these two extremes, there was a fourth group displaying intermediate values and a fifth group including three species with large, adhesive and demersal eggs incubating at high temperatures during a short period of time. The burbot Lota lota displayed an unusual combination of variables compared to the remaining species in the data set.     

Thermal responses and survival after heat exposure are modulated by maintained differences in body temperature in mice

When individual mice were examined, it was found that the colonic body temperatureT _col of each individual within a genetically heterogeneous population tended to remain either above (warm) or below (cool) the population mean.T _col of warm, but not cool, mice showed circadian variation. When exposed to aT _a of 43° C, theT _col of cool mice increased by as musch as 2.4° C more than that of warm mice for a given 15 min increment of heating at 43°C. Survival of mice after acute lethal heat load (LD₇₅, –45°C) was significantly inversely correlated withT _col. Small persistent differences in body temperature of individuals may indicate differing thermal adaptedness.     

Effects of humid heat exposure in later sleep segments on sleep stages and body temperature in humans

This study sought to investigate the effects of humid heat exposure in later sleep segments on sleep stages and body temperature in humans. The subjects were eight healthy males, from whom informed consent had been obtained. The experiments were carried out under three different sets of conditions: a control climate [air temperature (Ta)=26°C, relative humidity (RH)=50%] (C); a humid heat climate (Ta=32°C, RH=80%) (H); and a humid heat exposure in later sleep segments (C for the first 3 h 45 min, followed by a 30-min transition to H, which was then maintained for the last 3 h 45 min) (C–H). Electroencephalogram, EOG, and mental electromyogram, rectal temperature (Tre), and skin temperature (Tsk) were continuously measured. The total amount of wakefulness was significantly increased in H compared to C–H or C. Compared to C, wakefulness in C–H and H was significantly increased during later sleep segments. Tre and mean Tsk were significantly higher in H than in C–H or C. In C–H, Tsk and Tre increased to levels equal to those observed in H after Ta and RH increase. Whole body sweat loss was significantly lower in C–H and C than in H. These results suggest that humid heat exposure in the later sleep segment reduces thermal load as compared to full-night humid heat exposure. In daily life, the use of air conditioning in the initial sleep hours can protect sleep and thermoregulation.     

Adaptive sex-specific life history plasticity to temperature and photoperiod in a damselfly

We investigated four predictions about how temperature, photoperiod and sex affect the life history plasticity and foraging activity of a damselfly. (i) As predicted, increased temperatures increased foraging activity and growth rates, but in contrast with the prediction, late photoperiod (high time stress) did not affect foraging activity and growth rate. (ii) Unexpectedly, the increase in growth rate at increasing temperatures was not larger under high time stress. (iii) As predicted, age and size at emergence decreased at higher temperatures and at the late photoperiod. Temperature-induced life history shifts were direct or the result of behavioural growth mediation depending on the temperature range. Photoperiod-induced life history shifts were direct. (iv) As predicted, males emerged before females but at a smaller size. The degree of sexual size dimorphism was influenced by the joint effects of temperature and photoperiod. We could only detect genetic variation in size plasticity to photoperiod. The match between the sex-specific life history responses to temperature and photoperiod and predictions by relevant optimality models suggests adaptive life history plasticity to these variables.     

Effects of alternating exposure to cold and heat for 14 days on cold tolerance in winter

People are exposed to heat regularly due to their jobs or daily habits in cold winter, but few studies have reported whether parallel heat and cold exposure and diminish cold acclimation. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alternating exposure to cold and heat on cold tolerance in eight young males. A daily acclimation program to cold and heat, which consisted of 2-h sitting at 10 °C air in the morning and 2-h running and rest at 30 °C air in the afternoon, was conducted for 14 consecutive days. Eight male subjects participated in a cold tolerance test (10 °C [ ± 0.3], 40%RH[ ± 3]) before (PRE) and after (POST) completing the alternating exposure program. During the cold tolerance test, subjects remained sitting upright on a chair for 60 min. Rectal temperature (T_re) was lower in POST than in PRE during the 60-min cold tolerance test (P = 0.027). During the cold tolerance test, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures in POST were lower than those in PRE (P = 0.006, P = 0.005, and P = 0.004). No significant differences in skin temperatures between PRE and POST were found for the cold tolerance test. There were no significant differences in energy expenditure during cold exposure between PRE and POST. Subjects felt less cold in POST than in PRE (P = 0.013) whereas there was no significant difference in overall thermal comfort between PRE and POST. These results suggest that cold adaptation can still occur in the presence of heat stress.     

Cheek skin temperature and thermal resistance in active and inactive individuals during exposure to cold wind

1. The present study examined the effect of the thermal state of the body (as reflected by rectal temperature) on cheek skin temperature and thermal resistance in active and inactive subjects.

2. Active subjects were exposed to a 30 min conditioning period (CP) (0 °C air with a 2 m/s wind), followed immediately by a 30 min experimental period (EP) (0 °C with a 5 m/s wind). Inactive subjects were exposed to a 30 min CP (22 °C air with no wind), followed immediately by a 45 min EP (0 °C air with a 4.5 m/s wind). The CP period was used to establish a core temperature difference between the active and inactive subjects prior to the start of EP. The 0 °C exposure was replaced with a −10 °C ambient air exposure and the experiment was repeated on a separate day. Subjects were comfortably dressed for each ambient condition.

3. Cheek skin temperature was not significantly higher in active subjects when compared to inactive subjects, but thermal resistance was higher in active subjects.

4. Cheek skin temperature and thermal resistance both decreased as ambient temperature decreased from 0 to −10 °C. The lower cheek thermal resistance at −10 °C may have been due to a greater cheek blood flow as a result of cold-induced vasodilation.

Comparison of the response of in hospite and ex hospite Symbiodinium to elevated temperature

Corals exhibit different responses to increasing temperature but it remains unclear whether this is determined exclusively by symbiont type or by intrinsic properties of the host. Here, we investigated the response to elevated temperature of symbionts of the same ITS2 type from three acroporid species from Bolinao, northwestern Philippines. Maximum quantum yield (F_v/F_m) of PSII was measured in symbionts subjected to 26°C (average winter temperature) and 31°C (average summer temperature) for up to 48 hrs. Greater reduction in F_v/F_m was observed for ex hospite than for in hospite symbionts. However, no significant differences in response could be discerned for symbionts associated with or originating from the different acroporids. Thus, while these findings confirm that the coral host can protect in hospite symbionts from temperature perturbations, for the acroporids in this study, there is still no evidence that host type confers differential thermal susceptibility to the symbionts or to the coral holobiont.     

Thymol supplementation effects on adrenocortical,immune and biochemical variables recovery in Japanese quail after exposure to chronic heat stress

Chronic heat stress (CHS) exposure negatively impairs avian’ immunoneuroendocrine interplay. Thymol has shown several bioactive properties including antioxidant, bactericidal, antifungal and gamma-aminobutyric acid modulator activities. Indeed, supplementation with thymol has been used with positive effects on poultry production and immune-related variables. This study evaluates whether a thymol dietary supplementation can be used as a new functional feed strategy to mitigate CHS deleterious effects on endocrine, biochemical and immune-related variables. Starting at 100 days of age, 24 fully adult Japanese quail were fed with a diet supplemented with thymol (≈80 mg/quail per day) and other 24 quail remained non-supplemented (control diet). Between 119 and 127 days of age, half of the quail within those groups were submitted to a CHS by increasing environmental temperature from 24°C to 34°C during the light phase and the other half remained at 24°C (non-stressed controls). A period of 3 days after CHS ended (during the recovery period), corticosterone, albumin, total proteins and globulins and glucose concentrations, inflammatory response, antibody production and heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio were assessed. No differences between groups were found in basal corticosterone concentrations. Total proteins, total globulins and glucose concentrations were found elevated in the previously CHS group compared with their control counterparts. Regardless of the previous CHS exposure, thymol supplementation increased albumin concentrations and inflammatory responses and decreased antibody titers. An interaction between thymol supplementation and prior CHS exposure was found on the H/L ratio. Quail previously exposed to CHS and supplemented with thymol showed similar H/L values than their control non-stressed counterparts, suggesting that thymol has a stress preventive effect on this variable. The present findings together with the already reported thymol bioactive properties, suggest that feed supplementation with this compound could be a useful strategy to help overcoming some of the CHS induced alterations.     

Linoleate isomerase activity occurs in lactic acid bacteria strains and is affected by pH and temperature

Aims: To investigate the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to convert linoleic acid (LA) and α‐linolenic acid (α‐LNA) to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA), respectively. To assess pH and temperature influences on CLA and CLNA production by Lactobacillus sakei LMG 13558. Methods and Results: A screening of 48 LAB yielded one Lactobacillus curvatus, five Lactobacillus plantarum and four Lact. sakei strains displaying linoleate isomerase (LAI) activity. CLNA conversion percentages varied largely (1–60%). CLA conversion, occurring in three strains, was lower (2–5%). The LAI gene sequences of the ten LAI‐positive strains shared 75–99% identity with the LAI gene sequence of a Lact. plantarum AS1.555. At pH 6·2, CLA and CLNA production by Lact. sakei LMG 13558 was higher at 30°C than at 20 and 25°C. At pH 5·5 (30°C) or 37°C (pH 6·2), LA was not converted and α‐LNA only slightly converted. Conclusions: LAB show strain‐dependent LAI activity. Production of CLA and CLNA is affected by pH and temperature, as shown for Lact. sakei LMG 13558. Significance and Impact of the Study: Several LAB produce CLA and/or CLNA, as shown for Lact. sakei and Lact. curvatus for the first time. These findings offer potential for the manufacturing of fermented functional foods.     

Transferrin recycling and dextran transport to lysosomes is differentially affected by bafilomycin,nocodazole, and low temperature

The effects of bafilomycin, nocodazole, and reduced temperature on recycling and the lysosomal pathway have been investigated in various cultured cell lines and have been shown to vary dependent on the cell type examined. However, the way in which these treatments affect recycling and transport to lysosomes within the same cell line has not been analyzed. In the current study, we used fluorophore-labeled transferrin and dextran as typical markers for the recycling and the lysosomal pathways, respectively, to explore the morphology and the intravesicular pH of endocytic compartments in HeLa cells. The V-ATPase inhibitor bafilomycin selectively inhibited the transport of marker destined for lysosomal degradation in early endosomes, whereas the transport of transferrin to the perinuclear recycling compartment (PNRC) still occurred. The kinetics of transferrin acidification was found to be biphasic, indicative of fast and slow recycling pathways via early endosomes (pH 6.0) and PNRC (pH 5.6), respectively. Furthermore, the disruption of microtubules by nocodazole blocked the transport of transferrin to the PNRC in early endosomes and of lysosome-directed marker into endosomal carrier vesicles. In contrast, incubation at 20°C affected the lysosomal pathway by causing retention of internalized dextran in late endosomes and a delay in transferrin recycling. Taken together, these data clearly demonstrate, for the first time, that the transferrin recycling pathway and transport of endocytosed material to lysosomes are differentially affected by bafilomycin, nocodazole, and low temperature in HeLa cells. Consequently, these treatments can be applied to investigate whether internalized macromolecules such as viruses follow a recycling or degradative pathway.This work was supported by grants from the Austrian Science Fund P12967 and P17590 to R.F.     

Cloning and expression of heat shock protein genes in two whitefly species in response to thermal stress

Two whitefly species, Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci biotype B were shown to have different temperature tolerance and seasonal dynamics. To determine whether this variation in thermal tolerance is related to different expression patterns of heat shock protein (hsp) genes during temperature stress, we obtained complete cDNA sequences for hsp90, hsp70 and hsp20, and analysed their expression profiles across temperature gradients by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Six full‐length cDNAs were cloned and sequenced from these two species. The full‐length cDNAs of hsp90s contain 2166 and 2157 bp open‐reading frames (ORF) which encode proteins with calculated molecular weights of 83 013 and 82 857 Da in T. vaporariorum and B. tabaci, respectively. The 1947 and 1959 bp ORFs of whitefly hsp70s comprise 649 and 653 amino acids with the calculated masses of 70 885 and 71 008 Da in T. vaporariorum and B. tabaci, respectively. Both complete cDNAs of hsp20 of T. vaporariorum and B. tabaci contain 585 bp ORFs and deduced amino acid sequences had molecular weights of 21 559 and 21 539 Da, respectively. The hsp expression profile results showed that temperatures for onset (T_on) or maximal (T_max) induction of hsp expression in T. vaporariorum were generally 2–6°C lower than those in B. tabaci. These results suggest that the T_on (or T_max) of hsps can represent the differences in temperature tolerance of these two whitefly species, and may be used to determine their natural geographical distribution and natural population seasonal dynamics. Significant upregulation of most hsps were observed when temperature stress was lifted, except that hsp70 and hsp20 of B. tabaci did not respond to the cold stress, indicating that response to heat and cold stress may have a different genetic and physiological basis in two whitefly species. These results highlight the importance of understanding the complexity of the heat shock response across multiple isoforms while attempting to link them to whole‐organism traits such as thermal tolerance.     

Comparison of the urban heat island intensity quantified by using air temperature and Landsat land surface temperature in Hangzhou,China

This study compared different measures of urban heat island (UHI) intensity, which were calculated using both air temperature (T_air) at a height of 1.5 m and Landsat land surface temperature (LST) in Hangzhou, China. Two UHI-driven indicators (range and magnitude) and two land-cover-driven indicators (urban-rural and urban-agriculture) were calculated to quantify the UHI intensity based on hourly T_air from five stations and fifteen Landsat 5 LST images. Pearson correlation testing and a moving average times series of the previous 30 days were used to investigate the relationship between UHI intensities calculated by different indicators and data. The results indicate that the land-cover-driven indicators explain UHI better than the UHI-driven indicators, while the calculated values of UHI intensity using Landsat LST and hourly T_air are not comparable. We also investigated the influence of weather conditions on UHI intensity. Generally, Landsat-LST-based UHI performs best on hot sunny days, while T_air-based UHI has a better chance during the nighttime following a dry sunny day. This study suggests that the value of UHI intensity can be influenced by the selected indicators, the data used, the acquisition time and the weather conditions. Thus, these factors should be considered when comparing UHI intensity between different cities or quantifying their influences (e.g., population size, land use and land cover change) on UHI intensity.     

Macromolecular rate theory (MMRT) provides a thermodynamics rationale to underpin the convergent temperature response in plant leaf respiration

Temperature is a crucial factor in determining the rates of ecosystem processes, for example, leaf respiration (R) – the flux of plant respired CO₂ from leaves to the atmosphere. Generally, R increases exponentially with temperature and formulations such as the Arrhenius equation are widely used in earth system models. However, experimental observations have shown a consequential and consistent departure from an exponential increase in R. What are the principles that underlie these observed patterns? Here, we demonstrate that macromolecular rate theory (MMRT), based on transition state theory (TST) for enzyme‐catalyzed kinetics, provides a thermodynamic explanation for the observed departure and the convergent temperature response of R using a global database. Three meaningful parameters emerge from MMRT analysis: the temperature at which the rate of respiration would theoretically reach a maximum (the optimum temperature, T_opt), the temperature at which the respiration rate is most sensitive to changes in temperature (the inflection temperature, T_inf) and the overall curvature of the log(rate) versus temperature plot (the change in heat capacity for the system, ). On average, the highest potential enzyme‐catalyzed rates of respiratory enzymes for R are predicted to occur at 67.0 ± 1.2°C and the maximum temperature sensitivity at 41.4 ± 0.7°C from MMRT. The average curvature (average negative ) was ?1.2 ± 0.1 kJ mol^?1 K^?1. Interestingly, T_opt, T_inf and appear insignificantly different across biomes and plant functional types, suggesting that thermal response of respiratory enzymes in leaves could be conserved. The derived parameters from MMRT can serve as thermal traits for plant leaves that represent the collective temperature response of metabolic respiratory enzymes and could be useful to understand regulations of R under a warmer climate. MMRT extends the classic TST to enzyme‐catalyzed reactions and provides an accurate and mechanistic model for the short‐term temperature response of R around the globe.     

Soybean (Glycine max) modulation and N2-fixation as affected by exposure to a low root-zone temperature

Low root-zone temperatures (RZTs) are known to reduce soybean N₂-fixation. However, the relative sensitivity of the various stages of symbiosis establishment and function (N₂-fixation) to suboptimal RZTs is unresolved. We conducted experiments to examine the effect of exposure to a RZT of 15°C on nodulation. The control RZT was 25°C. Root temperatures were controlled by circulating cooled water around pots on a growth bench. Soybean seedlings [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Maple Arrow] were inoculated with 1 ml of a log-phase culture (approximately 10⁻⁸ cells) of Bradyhizobium japonicum strain 532C. They were then (1) maintained continuously at RZTs of 15 or 25°C, transferred to 15 or 25°C from the alternate temperature 7 days after inoculation (DAI), or transferred to 15 or 25°C at 14 DAI, and (2) maintained at 15 or 25°C, or transferred at either 1, 4 or 7 DAI. When seedlings were maintained at a RZT of 25°C nodule primordia (<1 mm) were visible at 7 DAI and N₂-fixation commenced at 14 DAI. Nodule function (N₂-fixation) appeared to be relatively insensitive to low RZTs since exposure of plants to 15°C following the onset of N₂-fixation (14 DAI) resulted in 68% of the N fixed and 78% of the dry weight of the 25°C RZT, although N partitioning to shoot tissues was reduced. In contrast, exposure to the low RZT shortly after inoculation declayed the onset of N₂-fixation for 4 to 6 weeks, primarily by inhibiting the early stages of nodulation. This resulted in fixed N and dry weight levels of 9% and 22% of controls, respectively.     

Effects of a five-hour exposure of arm and leg to a slightly cool thermal environment in the afternoon on the body temperature rhythm

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the different thermal conditions of the arm and leg due to wearing different types of clothing during the afternoon could modulate the circadian rhythm of body temperature and subjective sleep quality. Six healthy female volunteers were studied twice with two types of clothing, leaving the arm and leg covered or uncovered. The environmental chamber was controlled at 24 ± 0.5°C and 50 ± 5% RH during wakefulness and 28 ± 0.5°C and 50 ± 5% RH during night sleep. One type of clothing consisted of long-sleeved shirts and full-length trousers (Type L, 989 g, 0.991 clo); the other type was of half-sleeved shirts and knee-length trousers (Type H, 750 g, 0.747 clo). One testing session lasted for 16 h from 14:00 to 06:00 h the next morning. Subjects wore Type L or Type H clothing during the afternoon exposure (14:00 - 19:00), and Type L clothing during the evening (19:00 - 22:30 h) and the night sleep (22:30 - 06:00 h). Results were as follows. (1) When wearing Type H rather than Type L clothing, skin temperatures of the arm and leg were significantly lower during the time of exposure, and increased more after the evening. (2) Rectal temperature was not significantly different between the two types of clothing except during the early part of the exposure period, but it decreased during the evening by a significantly greater amount when wearing Type H clothing. (3) Subjective sleep quality was not significantly different between the two clothing types. These results suggest that afternoon exposure of the arm and leg to a slightly cool environment does not have a strong after-effect on the body temperature and subjective sleep quality.     

Haematological response to reduced oxygen-carrying capacity, increased temperature and hypoxia in goldfish, Carassius auratus L.

Goldfish were exposed to three qualitatively distinct forms of respiratory stress: phenylhydrazine HCl-induced reduction in blood oxygen-carrying capacity; transient (3 h) hypoxia; and transient (1 or 2 h) temperature-forced increases in oxygen demand. Response embodied three common features: (1) the relative number of immature red cells increased, and these were ³H-thymidine positive; (2) the abundance of apparently karyorrhectic or degenerating cells rose; (3) cells undergoing a form of division became prevalent. Neither of the latter two cell types evidenced thymidine uptake. These observations suggest that respiratory distress triggers the proliferation of new erythrocytes, and that this is accompanied by elimination of some portion of the preexisting red cell population. It is hypothesized that the latter process limits viscosity-related elevation of cardiac work costs. The significance of division by circulating erythrocytes is not clear.