The effect of temperature and thermal acclimation on the sustainable performance of swimming scup

There is a significant reduction in overall maximum power output of muscle at low temperatures due to reduced steady-state (i.e. maximum activation) power-generating capabilities of muscle. However, during cyclical locomotion, a further reduction in power is due to the interplay between non-steady-state contractile properties of muscle (i.e. rates of activation and relaxation) and the stimulation and the length-change pattern muscle undergoes in vivo. In particular, even though the relaxation rate of scup red muscle is slowed greatly at cold temperatures (10°C), warm-acclimated scup swim with the same stimulus duty cycles at cold as they do at warm temperature, not affording slow-relaxing muscle any additional time to relax. Hence, at 10°C, red muscle generates extremely low or negative work in most parts of the body, at all but the slowest swimming speeds.Do scup shorten their stimulation duration and increase muscle relaxation rate during cold acclimation? At 10°C, electromyography (EMG) duty cycles were 18% shorter in cold-acclimated scup than in warm-acclimated scup. But contrary to the expectations, the red muscle did not have a faster relaxation rate, rather, cold-acclimated muscle had an approximately 50% faster activation rate. By driving cold- and warm-acclimated muscle through cold- and warm-acclimated conditions, we found a very large increase in red muscle power during swimming at 10°C. As expected, reducing stimulation duration markedly increased power output. However, the increased rate of activation alone produced an even greater effect. Hence, to fully understand thermal acclimation, it is necessary to examine the whole system under realistic physiological conditions.     

Thermal acclimation, hydroperoxide detoxifying enzymes and oxidative stress in the lung and liver of Rana perezi

1. 1.Rana perezi adult frogs were acclimated to cold (10 ± 2°C) and warm (29 ± 1°C) temperatures for 4 months.

2. 2.After acclimation, a partial compensation of the oxygen consumption of the animals was found because of a reduction of its thermal sensitivity.

3. 3.Activities of liver and lung catalase, selenium (Se)-dependent and Se-independent glutathione peroxidases were not changed by thermal acclimation.

4. 4.Tissue peroxidation (TBA-RS) increased in the liver of heat acclimated animals.

5. 5.Hydroperoxide detoxifying enzyme activities did not show inverse compensation of temperature during acclimation. It is proposed that the pattern of thermal compensation shown by these enzymes in different species depends on a variety of factors including: (a) the thermal sensitivities of hydroperoxide producing and scavenging systems; (b) the changes induced by acclimation in the rate of hydroperoxide generation.

Muscle potentials and temperature acclimation and acclimatization in flight muscles of workers and drones of Apis mellifera

1. 1.Muscle potentials in fibrillar flight muscles of worker and drone honeybees were recorded extracellularly at thoracic temperatures from 30 to 10°C.

2. 2.Extinction temperatures for muscle potentials were higher in drones for all treatments.

3. 3.Cold acclimation (15°C) lowered extinction temperatures significantly in workers and drones. Acclimitization changed extinction temperatures significantly only in drones.

4. 4.Cold acclimitization had a bigger effect on the rate of muscle potential amplitude decline with decreasing temperature than acclimation.

5. 5.Acclimation and acclimitization had no effect on the increase of muscle potential duration with falling temperature.

6. 6.Muscle potential frequency during shivering was not much different between cold and warm treated bees.

Characterization of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase in the liver of the frog: 2. Response to season,temperature and thyroid hormone in Rana pipiens

The impact of season and temperature on frog liver γ-glutamyltranspeptidase was assessed by measuring the activity of this enzyme in plasma membranes isolated from the livers of Rana pipiens obtained as summer and winter frogs; subjected to short-term (3 weeks) temperature acclimation; and subjected to multiple-temperature shifts. Plasma levels of T₃ were determined. γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase was found to be 2·2-fold higher in the summer frog relative to the winter frog; decreased by 44 percent in the summer frog by cold acclimation and increased by 1·7-fold in the winter frog by warm acclimation; and increased by 1·9-fold in the summer frog and 2·8-fold in the winter frog subjected to multiple-temperature shifts. Plasma T₃ levels were found to be 42-fold higher in the summer frog relative to the winter frog; decreased by 42 percent by cold acclimation and increased by 2·9-fold by warm acclimation; and decreased by 39 percent and 38 percent in the summer and winter frogs subjected to multiple temperature shifts. T₃ replacement during the last phase of the multiple-temperature shift protocol, restored the plasma T₃ levels to 75 percent of the control levels and prevented the increase evoked by the multiple-temperature shifts in γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase activity. Indeed, enzyme activity in the T₃ replaced state was 19 percent lower than in the control state. The involvement of thyroid hormone as a negative regulator of enzyme activity is discussed.     

环境温度对东北林蛙不同地理种群繁殖期体温和胚胎发育的影响

全球气候变暖对两栖类的影响是生态学关注的热点问题。作为变温动物,两栖类能够从外界获取热量,并具有一定的体温调节能力。以东北林蛙(Rana dybowskii)作为实验对象,测量不同环境温度下伊春种群、白山种群和尚志种群繁殖期的体温和胚胎发育速度。结果表明:东北林蛙的体温和胚胎发育速度均与环境温度正相关;不同地理种群的选择体温、体温调节能力不同,由高到低依次为尚志种群、白山种群和伊春种群;尚志种群、白山种群和伊春种群完成胚胎发育的时间依次延长,且三者的差距随着胚胎发育的进行越来越明显;环境温度升高后,不同发育阶段完成的时间并不是等比例的减少,胚胎发育的第2阶段和第3阶段以及第4阶段的第21期(开口期)经历的时间显著缩短;与成体相比,胚胎发育过程更容易受到温度的影响,从而导致东北林蛙某些器官形态结构和功能的改变。     

温度对中华倒刺鲃不同生理生态性能的影响:驯化有益假说的验证

驯化有益假说(Beneficial acclimation hypothesis)认为生物表型的适应性变化会增强其在诱导这些变化产生的环境中的生理机能或适合度。然而,由于动物不同生理生态性能对环境驯化的响应可能不一致,那么,测试表型性状的选择对驯化有益假说的验证就尤为关键。为此,整合表征动物生存适合度的不同生理生态性能并探究其对环境驯化的响应模式就十分必要。以我国长江中上游广泛分布的中华倒刺鲃(Spinibarbus sinensis)为对象,考察了驯化温度(18℃、28℃)和测试温度(18℃、28℃)及其交互作用对该物种有氧运动能力和无氧运动能力的影响,为驯化有益假说等相关假说的验证提供参考。研究发现,中华倒刺鲃不同生理生态性能对温度驯化的响应存在差异:(1)驯化温度对表征中华倒刺鲃无氧运动能力的快速启动游泳无显著影响(除最大加速度外)(P>0.05),研究数据倾向于支持无益假说(No-advantage hypothesis);(2)驯化温度对表征中华倒刺鲃有氧运动能力的临界游泳速度(Critical swimming speed,Ucrit)和最大代谢率(Maximum metabolic rate, MMR)影响显著(P<0.05),18℃驯化-18℃测试下的Ucrit和MMR均优于28℃驯化-18℃测试下的Ucrit和MMR,结果部分支持驯化有益假说和冷有益假说(Cooler is better hypothesis);(3)驯化温度、测试温度、游泳速度对中华倒刺鲃的运动代谢率(Active metabolic rate,MO2)和单位距离能量消耗(The energetic cost of transport, COT)影响显著(P<0.05)。值得关注的是,当游泳速度小于30 cm/s时,驯化温度对MO2和COT无影响,结果支持无益假说;而当游泳速度大于30 cm/s时,在特定的流速下经过28℃驯化的中华倒刺鲃无论在28℃还是18℃的测试环境下MO2和COT均较低,结果倾向于支持热有益假说(Warmer is better hypothesis)。研究结果提示:驯化有益假说并不具有普遍性,热驯化相关假说的验证不仅受表型性状选择的影响,而且还与测试的环境选择压力有关。     

An analysis of photosynthetic response and adaptation to temperature in higher plants: temperature acclimation in the desert evergreen Nerium oleander L*

Abstract. Factors underlying the process of photosynthetic acclimation to temperature were investigated for the shrub Nerium oleander L. Ramets of a single clone were grown under day/night temperature regimes of 20°C/15°C or 45°C/32°C. Plants grown at the lower temperature regime possessed rates of photosynthesis twice that of the high-temperature grown plants when CO₂ fixation was measured at 20°C. In contrast, the plants grown at the high-temperature regime had twice the rate of CO₂ fixation of the 20°C/l 5°C-grown plants at a measurement temperature of 45° C. It was determined that the ability to acclimate to changes in temperature regime was present in fully mature leaves. A reciprocal transfer of plants between the two growth regimes resulted in the appearance of the CO₂ fixation characteristics appropriate to the new growth temperature after 12–14d. The response of CO₂ fixation to light, temperature, and CO₂ partial pressure and the temperature responses of soluble and membrane-bound photosynthetic enzyme systems were analysed to determine which components might be responsible for the superior photosynthetic performance of the 20°C/I5°C-grown plants at 20°C, and the enhanced high-temperature stability of the 45°C/32°C plants. The measured photosynthetic capacity of the 20°C/15°C plants could not be attributed to gross morphological, stomatal, or other physical changes, or to a general increase in the concentration of components of the photosynthetic process. Only a single enzyme, Fru-P₂ phosphatase, was affected to an extent similar to that of photosynthesis. The enhanced thermal stability of the 45°C/32°C plants may be attributed primarily to an enhanced stability of the chloroplast membrane-bound enzymatic activities and the stability of the photosynthetic carbon metabolism enzymes which require lighl for activation.     

Influence of acclimation and determination temperature on the oxygen consumption of the brain in two species of anurans

1. 1. The effects of sudden changes by increasing or decreasing the measurement temperature on the oxygen consumption of the brains of Bufo arenarum and Leptodactylus ocellatus were determined.

2. 2. The experiments were carried at in vitro at temperatures which range from 4 to 37°C. The brain was oxygenated and stabilized for 20 min at each of the temperatures to which it was subjected before oxygen consumption measurements were made.

3. 3. A theoretical curve representing the variation of oxygen consumption with temperature was calculated according to the following exponential relationship; for Leptodactylus ocellatus y = 0.408 × 1.07^x and for Bufo arenarum y = 0.389 × 1.065^x.

4. 4. These results were compared with the brain oxygen consumption of animals acclimated to different temperatures, whose oxygen consumption was measured at a fixed temperature. Only Leptodactylus ocellatus had a significantly lower oxygen consumption in a high range of temperatures, indicating thermal compensation, probably to save metabolic reserves.

5. 5. No deterioration of the brain tissue was observed, as several passages from high to low temperatures in the range of 20°–30°C, showed a reversible oxygen consumption in acclimated and non-acclimated Bufo arenarum and Leptodactylus ocellatus.

Thermal acclimation and hardening in tadpoles of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

1. 1.|Critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and minima (CTMin) were measured to evalute thermal hardening in Rana catesbeiana.

2. 2.|Tadpoles show heat hardening and CTMax acclimation, and both responses are influenced by developmental stage.

3. 3.|The first evidence of cold hardening in vertebrates is reported here.

4. 4.|Heat hardening significantly reduces cold tolerance, but there is otherwise no evidence of a cross-hardening effect.

The effect of temperature on feeding,growth, and metabolism during the last larval stadium of the female house cricket, Acheta domesticus

Eighth instar female house crickets at 35°C developed faster, gained slightly more wet weight, and consumed less food, water, and oxygen than at 25°C. The duration of the 8th stadium at 25°C was 13 days (undisturbed), but was 14 days when disturbed by daily weighing. The duration of the 8th stadium at 30°C was 8 days and at 35°C was 6 days. During the first half of the 8th stadium at 25, 30, and 35°C, there was a high rate of food and water consumption resulting in statistically equal maximum dry weight achievement (124 mg). Respiratory quotients greater than one during this time indicated the conversion of ingested carbohydrate to fat. During the latter half of the 8th stadium, food and water consumption declined and the crickets lost weight. The period of weight loss was proportionally much longer at 25°C than at 30 or 35°C. Respiratory quotients lower than 1.0 during the latter half of the 8th stadium at 30 and 35°C indicated the metabolism of stored lipids. The respiratory quotient at 25°C never fell below 1.0, possibly because some food remained in the gut. The absorption efficiency was not influenced by temperature (25–35°C). Though the caloric content of the faeces was lower at 25°C than at 30 or 35°C, which correlated to the much longer time for food passage at 25°C than at 35°C, the difference in total calories egested was insufficient to alter the absorption efficiency. A longer period of reduced feeding and greater dry weight loss during the latter half of the 8th stadium at 25°C resulted in a lower metabolic efficiency at 25°C than at 30 or 35°C. Eighth instar crickets in response to a step-function transfer from 30°C–25 or 35°C showed an immediate (<1 hr) and complete metabolic adjustment which was not affected by the temperature history during the 7th stadium. House crickets did not exhibit temperature acclimation in the range 20–40°C, the metabolic rate being determined by ambient temperature. The Q₁₀ for oxygen consumption in the range 20–40°C was about 2.     

Absence of metabolic cold adaptation and compensatory acclimation in the Antarctic fly, Belgica antarctica

The respiratory metabolism in larvae of the Antarctic fly, Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera: Chironomidae) was investigated at Palmer Station, Anvers Island (64°46′S, 64°03′W). Oxygen consumption was linearly related to temperature from 0 to 20°C, respectively, 49 and 338 nl/mg live wt/hr. Maintenance at 0 and 10°C for 8 days had no differential effect on the metabolic rate, suggesting that larvae lack the ability for compensatory acclimation. A comparison of standard metabolism for polar and temperate chironomids revealed no elevation of metabolic rate in polar forms. However, polar species exhibited lower activation energies than temperate forms indicating that the respiratory metabolism of polar chironomids is relatively temperature independent.     

Acclimation to temperature and death at changing lethal temperatures in the freshwater fish Chalcalburnues chalcoides

1. 1.|In the freshwater fish Chalcalburnus chalcoides, an increase in the body (standard) size caused decreases in the upper LT-50 from 36.6° to 36.0°C and lower LT-50 from 6.3° to 5.3°C

2. 2.|The fish acclimated to constant temperatures between 10°C and 30°C showed reasonable heat acclimation and also reasonable cold acclimation. Thus, an increase in the acclimation temperature from 10°C to 30°C caused increases in the upper LT-50 from 34° to 36.2°C and the lower LT-50 from 1.25 to 6.5°C.

3. 3|The mean survival time — temperature curves of 10°, 20° and 30°C acclimated fish at various constant temperatures showed decreased in the survival tim ewith increasing lethal temperatures. Furthermore, an increase in the acclimation temperature causes a shift in the survival duration-temperature curve to the right, i.e., the fish become more heat resistant. Thus, the mean survival duration of 10°, 20° and 30°C acclimated fish at 35°C were 7.5, 79.6 and 530 minutes, respectively.

4. 4.|The effect of the thermal experience to changing lethal temperatures depends on the first lethal temperature to which the fish were exposed as well as the sequence of temperature changes. In the experiments in which the first lethal temperatures were between 32° and 34°C and the temperature was varied in an ascending order, their thermal resistance was increased and the fish required 114 to 174% of the expected lethal doses to die while in the experiments in which the starting temperature were between 38° and 40°C and the temperature varied in descending order, the fish become more sensitive to the upper lethal temperature and they died after receiving only 62 to 81% of the expected lethal doses. Thus, with a gradual increase in the lethal temperature, the fish show additional acclimation in the zone of resistance which in turn causes an increase in the thermal resistance. This may have ecological significance in nature.

Correlation between fluidity and fatty acid composition of phospholipid species in Tetrahymena pyriformis during temperature acclimation

The correlation between the fluidity of phospholipids and their fatty acid composition was studied by spin label technique and gas-liquid chromatography for three major phospholipid species in Tetrahymena pyriformis during temperature acclimation. The fluidity of 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid increased within the first 10 h of the cold-acclimation when the content of γ-linolenic acid in 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid was highest, and it then decreased up to 24 h. On the other hand, the fluidities of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine showed a gradual decrease up to 24 h after the temperature shift, although γ-linolenic acid contents were highest at 10 h after the temperature shift. Thus the fluidity changes of these two phospholipids were interpreted as resulting from the altered content of other fatty acids in addition to γ-linolenic acid, since the γ-linolenic acid content was smaller than that of 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid. The results suggest that the content of γ-linolenic acid in 2-aminoethylphosphonolipid plays a role in regulating the thermal adaptation process.     

Effects of acclimation temperature on thermal tolerance and membrane phospholipid composition in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

Adaptative responses of ectothermic organisms to thermal variation typically involve the reorganization of membrane glycerophospholipids (GPLs) to maintain membrane function. We investigated how acclimation at 15, 20 and 25 degrees C during preimaginal development influences the thermal tolerance and the composition of membrane GPLs in adult Drosophila melanogaster. Long-term cold survival was significantly improved by low acclimation temperature. After 60 h at 0 degrees C, more than 80% of the 15 degrees C-acclimated flies survived while none of the 25 degrees C-acclimated flies survived. Cold shock tolerance (1h at subzero temperatures) was also slightly better in the cold acclimated flies. LT50 shifted down by ca 1.5 degrees C in 15 degrees C-acclimated flies in comparison to those acclimated at 25 degrees C. In contrast, heat tolerance was not influenced by acclimation temperature. Low temperature acclimation was associated with the increase in proportion of ethanolamine (from 52.7% to 58.5% in 25 degrees C-acclimated versus 15 degrees C-acclimated flies, respectively) at the expense of choline in GPLs. Relatively small, but statistically significant changes in lipid molecular composition were observed with decreasing acclimation temperature. In particular, the proportions of glycerophosphoethanolamines with linoleic acid (18:2) at the sn-2 position increased. No overall change in the degree of fatty acid unsaturation was observed. Thus, cold tolerance but not heat tolerance was influenced by preimaginal acclimation temperature and correlated with the changes in GPL composition in membranes of adult D. melanogaster.     

Distribution of haemolymph in the honeybee (Apis mellifica) in relation to season,age and temperature

[¹⁴C]Polyethylene glycol was proved to be a suitable marker for the determination of the extracellular space, which is identical with the volume of the haemolymph in insects. Bees kept at temperatures above 22°C show a fast circulation of haemolymph independent of the season. In winter at 5–25°C, immobilized isolated bees have a thoracic temperature which differs very little from that of the ambient. Under these conditions the time of mixing and the amount of haemolymph in head, thorax and abdomen depends on the temperature. At 5°C bees have much more haemolymph in their heads than at 25°C. At low temperatures the mixing time was increased and finally the mixing process was nearly stopped. Although bees are motionless at 5°C, limited activity of the circulatory system could be shown.The correlation between these distribution studies and the functional status of the bees within their colony is discussed.     

Effects of temperature acclimation on body mass and energy budget in the Chinese bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis

Chinese bulbuls(Pycnonotus sinensis) are small passerine birds that inhabit areas of central, southern and eastern China. Previous observations suggest that free–living individuals of this species may change their food intake in response to seasonal changes in ambient temperature. In the present study, we randomly assigned Chinese bulbuls to either a 30 °C or 10 °C group, and measured their body mass(BM), body temperature, gross energy intake(GEI), digestible energy intake(DEI), and the length and mass of their digestive tracts over 28 days of acclimation at these temperatures. As predicted, birds in the 30 °C group had lower body mass, GEI and DEI relative to those in the 10 °C group. The length and mass of the digestive tract was also lower in the 30 °C group and trends in these parameters were positively correlated with BM, GEI and DEI. These results suggest that Chinese bulbuls reduced their absolute energy demands at relatively high temperatures by decreasing their body mass, GEI and DEI, and digestive tract size.