Reinforcement pre-exposure enhances spatial memory formation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>

Apparently unpaired exposure to appetitive or aversive stimuli can suppress or enhance later associative learning. While the suppressive effect has been found in both vertebrate and invertebrate animals, it is not clear if the enhancing effect is restricted to the vertebrates. Additionally, whether Drosophila associative learning can be influenced in either direction is open. To address these questions, we examined the effects of pre-exposing flies to a high temperature negative reinforcer in the heat-box place-learning paradigm. We found that pre-exposing flies to an unavoidable high temperature enhanced later associative conditioning that uses mild increases in temperature. This enhancement lasts at least 20 min, does not depend on changes in the straightforward avoidance behavior of a high temperature source, and is independent of the antennal thermosensor. We thus provide an example of enhanced associative learning after unpaired exposure to a typical reinforcer in an invertebrate animal, suggesting the conservation of this component of learning.     

High and low temperatures have unequal reinforcing properties in Drosophila spatial learning

Small insects regulate their body temperature solely through behavior. Thus, sensing environmental temperature and implementing an appropriate behavioral strategy can be critical for survival. The fly Drosophila melanogaster prefers 24°C, avoiding higher and lower temperatures when tested on a temperature gradient. Furthermore, temperatures above 24°C have negative reinforcing properties. In contrast, we found that flies have a preference in operant learning experiments for a low-temperature-associated position rather than the 24°C alternative in the heat-box. Two additional differences between high- and low-temperature reinforcement, i.e., temperatures above and below 24°C, were found. Temperatures equally above and below 24°C did not reinforce equally and only high temperatures supported increased memory performance with reversal conditioning. Finally, low- and high-temperature reinforced memories are similarly sensitive to two genetic mutations. Together these results indicate the qualitative meaning of temperatures below 24°C depends on the dynamics of the temperatures encountered and that the reinforcing effects of these temperatures depend on at least some common genetic components. Conceptualizing these results using the Wolf–Heisenberg model of operant conditioning, we propose the maximum difference in experienced temperatures determines the magnitude of the reinforcement input to a conditioning circuit.     

An assessment of skin temperature gradients in a tropical primate using infrared thermography and subcutaneous implants

Infrared thermography has become a useful tool to assess surface temperatures of animals for thermoregulatory research. However, surface temperatures are an endpoint along the body's core-shell temperature gradient. Skin and fur are the peripheral tissues most exposed to ambient thermal conditions and are known to serve as thermosensors that initiate thermoregulatory responses. Yet relatively little is known about how surface temperatures of wild mammals measured by infrared thermography relate to subcutaneous temperatures. Moreover, this relationship may differ with the degree that fur covers the body. To assess the relationship between temperatures and temperature gradients in peripheral tissues between furred and bare areas, we collected data from wild mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in Costa Rica. We used infrared thermography to measure surface temperatures of the furred dorsum and bare facial areas of the body, recorded concurrent subcutaneous temperatures in the dorsum, and measured ambient thermal conditions via a weather station. Temperature gradients through cutaneous tissues (subcutaneous-surface temperature) and surface temperature gradients (surface-ambient temperature) were calculated. Our results indicate that there are differences in temperatures and temperature gradients in furred versus bare areas of mantled howlers. Under natural thermal conditions experienced by wild animals, the bare facial areas were warmer than temperatures in the furred dorsum, and cutaneous temperature gradients in the face were more variable than the dorsum, consistent with these bare areas acting as thermal windows. Cutaneous temperature gradients in the dorsum were more closely linked to subcutaneous temperatures, while facial temperature gradients were more heavily influenced by ambient conditions. These findings indicate that despite the insulative properties of fur, for mantled howling monkeys surface temperatures of furred areas still demonstrate a relationship with subcutaneous temperatures. Given that most mammals possess dense fur, this provides insight for using infrared imaging in thermoregulatory studies of wild animals lacking bare skin.     

Morphological and ecological determinants of body temperature of Geukensia demissa, the Atlantic ribbed mussel, and their effects on mussel mortality

Measurements of body temperatures in the field have shown that spatial and temporal patterns are often far more complex than previously anticipated, particularly in intertidal regions, where temperatures are driven by both marine and terrestrial climates. We examined the effects of body size, body position within the sediment, and microhabitat (presence or absence of Spartina alterniflora) on the body temperature of the mussel Geukensia demissa. We then used these data to develop a laboratory study exposing mussels to an artificial "stressful" day, mimicking field conditions as closely as possible. Results suggested that G. demissa mortality increases greatly at average daily peak temperatures of 45 degrees C and higher. When these temperatures were compared to field data collected in South Carolina in the summer of 2004, our data indicated that mussels likely experienced mortality due to high-temperature stress at this site during this period. Our results also showed that body position in the mud is the most important environmental modifier of body temperature. This experiment suggested that the presence of marsh grass leads to increases in body temperature by reducing convection, overwhelming the effects of shading. These data add to a growing body of evidence showing that small-scale thermal variability can surpass large-scale gradients.     

Feeling the heat at the millennium: Thermosensors playing with fire

An outstanding question regards the ability of organisms to sense their environments and respond in a suitable way. Pathogenic bacteria in particular exploit host-temperature sensing as a cue for triggering virulence gene expression. This micro-review does not attempt to fully cover the field of bacterial thermosensors and in detail describe each identified case. Instead, the review focus on the time-period at the end of the 1990's and beginning of the 2000's when several key discoveries were made, identifying protein, DNA and RNA as potential thermosensors controlling gene expression in several different bacterial pathogens in general and on the prfA thermosensor of Listeria monocytogenes in particular.     

Directional Bleb Formation in Spherical Cells under Temperature Gradient

Living cells sense absolute temperature and temporal changes in temperature using biological thermosensors such as ion channels. Here, we reveal, to our knowledge, a novel mechanism of sensing spatial temperature gradients within single cells. Spherical mitotic cells form directional membrane extensions (polar blebs) under sharp temperature gradients (≥∼0.065°C μm⁻¹; 1.3°C temperature difference within a cell), which are created by local heating with a focused 1455-nm laser beam under an optical microscope. On the other hand, multiple nondirectional blebs are formed under gradual temperature gradients or uniform heating. During heating, the distribution of actomyosin complexes becomes inhomogeneous due to a break in the symmetry of its contractile force, highlighting the role of the actomyosin complex as a sensor of local temperature gradients.     

The evolution of the avian bill as a thermoregulatory organ

The avian bill is a textbook example of how evolution shapes morphology in response to changing environments. Bills of seed‐specialist finches in particular have been the focus of intense study demonstrating how climatic fluctuations acting on food availability drive bill size and shape. The avian bill also plays an important but under‐appreciated role in body temperature regulation, and therefore in energetics. Birds are endothermic and rely on numerous mechanisms for balancing internal heat production with biophysical constraints of the environment. The bill is highly vascularised and heat exchange with the environment can vary substantially, ranging from around 2% to as high as 400% of basal heat production in certain species. This heat exchange may impact how birds respond to heat stress, substitute for evaporative water loss at elevated temperatures or environments of altered water availability, or be an energetic liability at low environmental temperatures. As a result, in numerous taxa, there is evidence for a positive association between bill size and environmental temperatures, both within and among species. Therefore, bill size is both developmentally flexible and evolutionarily adaptive in response to temperature. Understanding the evolution of variation in bill size however, requires explanations of all potential mechanisms. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to promote a greater understanding of the role of temperature on shaping bill size over spatial gradients as well as developmental, seasonal, and evolutionary timescales.     

Identification of a helix-turn-helix motif of Bacillus thermoglucosidasius HrcA essential for binding to the CIRCE element and thermostability of the HrcA-CIRCE complex,indicating a role as a thermosensor

In the heat shock response of bacillary cells, HrcA repressor proteins negatively control the expression of the major heat shock genes, the groE and dnaK operons, by binding the CIRCE (controlling inverted repeat of chaperone expression) element. Studies on two critical but yet unresolved issues related to the structure and function of HrcA were performed using mainly the HrcA from the obligate thermophile Bacillus thermoglucosidasius KP1006. These two critical issues are (i) identifying the region at which HrcA binds to the CIRCE element and (ii) determining whether HrcA can play the role of a thermosensor. We identified the position of a helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif in B. thermoglucosidasius HrcA, which is typical of DNA-binding proteins, and indicated that two residues in the HTH motif are crucial for the binding of HrcA to the CIRCE element. Furthermore, we compared the thermostabilities of the HrcA-CIRCE complexes derived from Bacillus subtilis and B. thermoglucosidasius, which grow at vastly different ranges of temperature. The thermostability profiles of their HrcA-CIRCE complexes were quite consistent with the difference in the growth temperatures of B. thermoglucosidasius and B. subtilis and, thus, suggested that HrcA can function as a thermosensor to detect temperature changes in cells.     

Food consumption does not affect the preferred body temperature of Yarrow's spiny lizard (Sceloporus jarrovi)

When animals consume less food, they must reduce their body temperature to maximize growth. However, high temperatures enhance locomotion and other performances that determine survival and reproduction. Therefore, thermoregulatory behaviors during different metabolic states reveal the relative importance of conserving energy and sustaining performance. Using artificial thermal gradients, we measured preferred body temperatures of male spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) in fed and fasted states. Both the mean and maximal body temperatures (33° and 35 °C, respectively) were unaffected by metabolic state. This finding suggests that the benefits of foraging effectively, evading predators, and defending territory outweigh the energetic cost of a high body temperature during fasting.     

Heat causes oligomeric disassembly and increases the chaperone activity of small heat shock proteins from sugarcane

Small heat shock proteins (sHsp) constitute an important chaperone family linked to conformational diseases. In plants, sHsps prevent protein aggregation by acting as thermosensors and to enhance cell stress tolerance. SsHsp17.2 and SsHsp17.9 are the most highly expressed class I sHsps in sugarcane. They exist as dodecamers at 20 °C and have distinct substrate specificities. Therefore, they are useful models to study how class I SHsps work. Here we present data on the effects of heat on the oligomerization and chaperone activity of SsHsp17.2 and SsHsp17.9. Using several biophysical and biochemical probes, we show that the effects of heat are completely reversible, an important property for proteins that act at heat shock temperatures. SsHsp17.2 and SsHsp17.9 dodecamers dissociated to dimers at temperatures ranging from 40 to 45 °C and this dissociation was followed by enhanced chaperone activity. We conclude that high temperature affects the oligomeric state of these chaperones, resulting in enhanced chaperone activity.     

中华鳖新孵幼体的热耐受性、体温昼夜变化和运动能力的热依赖性

研究中华鳖新孵幼体的热耐受性、体温及温度对运动能力的影响 .结果表明 ,在干燥和潮湿环境下 ,选择体温分别为 2 8.0℃和 30 .3℃ ;潮湿环境下 ,临界高温和低温分别为 40 .9℃和 7.8℃ .在缺乏温度梯度的热环境中 ,水温对幼鳖体温的影响比气温更直接 ,体温和环境温度的昼夜变化相一致 ,说明幼鳖生理调温能力很弱 .在有温度梯度的热环境中 ,幼鳖能通过行为调温将体温维持到较高且较恒定的水平 ,导致体温昼夜变化不明显 .幼鳖运动能力有显著的热依赖性 ,在一定温度范围内随体温升高而增强 .体温31.5℃时 ,幼鳖的运动表现最好 ,最大续跑距离、单位时间跑动距离和单位时间停顿次数分别为 1.87m、4 92m·min-1和 6 .2次·min-1.体温过高时 ,运动能力下降 .当体温为 33 .0℃时 ,最大续跑距离、单位时间跑动距离和单位时间停顿次数分别为 1.30m、4.2 8m·min-1和 7.7次·min-1.     

Integration of light and temperature signaling pathways in plants

As two of the most important environmental factors, light and temperature regulate almost all aspects of plant growth and development. Under natural conditions, light is accompanied by warm temperatures and darkness by cooler temperatures, suggesting that light and temperature are tightly associated signals for plants. Indeed, accumulating evidence shows that plants have evolved a wide range of mechanisms to simultaneously perceive and respond to dynamic changes in light and temperature. Notably, the photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) was recently shown to function as a thermosensor, thus reinforcing the notion that light and temperature signaling pathways are tightly associated in plants. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms integrating light and temperature signaling pathways in plants, with the emphasis on recent progress in temperature sensing, light control of plant freezing tolerance, and thermomorphogenesis. We also discuss the questions that are crucial for a further understanding of the interactions between light and temperature signaling pathways in plants.     

Are single-unit recordings useful in understanding thermoregulation?

The data which have emerged from single-unit recordings of thermally sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus are reviewed. Although these neurons may be important components in the central control of body temperature, the interpretation of the data is fraught with uncertainties. The neurons in question could be primary thermosensors or part of an integrative network. There is a notable lack of control data to show that thermosensitivity is peculiar to the hypothalamus. Examples are given to show how the single-unit recording technique can be used successfully for tracing thermal information passing centrally from the skin.     

Cyclic CO(2) emissions during the high temperature pulse of fluctuating thermal regime in eye-pigmented pupae of Megachile rotundata

Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), the primary pollinator used in alfalfa seed production, may need to be exposed to low-temperature storage to slow the insects' development to better match spring emergence with the alfalfa bloom. It has been demonstrated that using a fluctuating thermal regime (FTR) improves the tolerance of pupae to low temperatures. Carbon dioxide emission rates were compared between four different FTRs, all with a base temperature of 6 °C and a daily high-temperature pulse. Four different high-temperature pulses were examined, 15 or 25 °C for 2 h and 20 °C for 1 or 2 h. A subset of pupae at the FTR base temperature of 6 °C exhibited continuous gas exchange and, once ramped to 20 or 25 °C, shifted to cyclic gas exchange. As temperatures were ramped down from the high-temperature pulse to 6 °C, the pupae reverted to continuous gas exchange. The following conclusions about the effect of FTR on the CO₂ emissions of M. rotundata pupae exposed to low-temperature storage during the spring incubation were reached: 1) the high temperature component of the FTR was the best predictor of respiratory pattern; 2) neither pupal body mass nor days in FTR significantly affected which respiratory pattern was expressed during FTRs; 3) cyclic gas exchange was induced only in pupae exposed to temperatures greater than 15 °C during the FTR high temperature pulse; and 4) a two hour pulse at 25 °C doubled the number of CO₂ peaks observed during the FTR pulse as compared to a two hour pulse at 20 °C.     

The insensitivity of thermal preferences to various thermal gradient profiles in newts

Many ectotherms possess the ability to behaviourally regulate their body temperatures. Thermoregulatory behaviour is affected by various biotic and abiotic factors, which may cause a substantial bias in the laboratory estimates of preferred body temperatures (T _p). We examined thermoregulatory behaviour in alpine newts, Ichthyosaura (formerly Triturus) alpestris, in both horizontal linear and vertical nonlinear thermal gradients, to evaluate the influence of a disparate water temperature distribution on their thermal preferences. Newt positions in thermal gradients differed from those in constant temperatures, which indicates their thermal preferences in both experimental setups. The mean and range of body temperatures showed similar values in both types of aquatic thermal gradients. We concluded that under a sufficiently wide range of environmental temperatures, newt thermal preferences are largely insensitive to the thermal gradient profile. This supports the suitability of T _p estimates for further experimental and comparative studies in newts.     

Phylogenetic alpha and beta diversity in tropical tree assemblages along regional-scale environmental gradients in northwest South America

Aims Environmental gradients are drivers of species diversity; however, we know relatively little about the evolutionary processes underlying these relationships. A potentially powerful approach to studying diversity gradients is to quantify the phylogenetic structure within and between assemblages arrayed along broad spatial and environmental gradients. Here, we evaluate the phylogenetic structure of plant assemblages along an environmental gradient with the expectation that the habitat specialization of entire lineages is an important evolutionary pattern influencing the structure of tree communities along environmental gradients.Methods We evaluated the effect of several environmental variables on the phylogenetic structure of plant assemblages in 145 plots distributed in northwestern South America that cover a broad environmental gradient. The phylogenetic alpha diversity was quantified for each plot and the phylogenetic beta diversity between each pair of plots was also quantified. Both the alpha and beta diversity measures were then related to spatial and environmental gradients in the study system.Important findings We found that gradients in temperature and potential evapotranspiration have a strong relationship with the phylogenetic alpha diversity in our study system, with phylogenetic overdispersion in low temperatures and phylogenetic clustering at higher temperatures. Further, the phylogenetic beta diversity between two plots increases with an increasing difference in temperature, whereas annual precipitation was not a significant predictor of community phylogenetic turnover. We also found that the phylogenetic structure of the plots in our study system was related to the degree of seasonal flooding and seasonality in precipitation. In particular, more stressful environments such as dry forests and flooded forests showed phylogenetic clustering. Finally, in contrast with previous studies, we find that phylogenetic beta diversity was not strongly related to the spatial distance separating two forest plots, which may be the result of the importance of the three independent mountain ranges in our study system, which generate a high degree of environmental variation over very short distances. In conclusion, we found that environmental gradients are important drivers of both phylogenetic alpha and phylogenetic beta diversities in these forests over spatial distance.     

Temperature dependent mistranslation in a hyperthermophile adapts proteins to lower temperatures

All organisms universally encode, synthesize and utilize proteins that function optimally within a subset of growth conditions. While healthy cells are thought to maintain high translational fidelity within their natural habitats, natural environments can easily fluctuate outside the optimal functional range of genetically encoded proteins. The hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix (A. pernix) can grow throughout temperature variations ranging from 70 to 100°C, although the specific factors facilitating such adaptability are unknown. Here, we show that A. pernix undergoes constitutive leucine to methionine mistranslation at low growth temperatures. Low-temperature mistranslation is facilitated by the misacylation of tRNA^Leu with methionine by the methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS). At low growth temperatures, the A. pernix MetRS undergoes a temperature dependent shift in tRNA charging fidelity, allowing the enzyme to conditionally charge tRNA^Leu with methionine. We demonstrate enhanced low-temperature activity for A. pernix citrate synthase that is synthesized during leucine to methionine mistranslation at low-temperature growth compared to its high-fidelity counterpart synthesized at high-temperature. Our results show that conditional leucine to methionine mistranslation can make protein adjustments capable of improving the low-temperature activity of hyperthermophilic proteins, likely by facilitating the increasing flexibility required for greater protein function at lower physiological temperatures.     

Thermal response in adult codling moth

Abstract.  The thermoregulation behaviour of the adult codling moth, Cydia pomonella , is investigated in the laboratory using temperature gradient experiments. Unmated males and females are tested at dawn when moths typically move to resting sites. Mated females are tested during oviposition over a complete diurnal cycle. Temperature strongly affects microhabitat selection in adult moths. Unmated males and females prefer to rest at the low-temperature ends of temperature gradients between 15 and 32 °C. Relative humidity does not influence the thermal response in unmated females, whereas males show a less distinct temperature selection under high humidity. By contrast to unmated moths, ovipositing females prove to be highly thermophilous (i.e. they deposit the highest proportions of their eggs in the zones of highest temperatures of gradients between 15 and 36 °C). This striking discrepancy in thermal response of females between their premating and oviposition period is likely to reflect an adaptation to different selection pressures from the thermal environment. Unmated moths may benefit from low temperatures by a longer lifespan and crypsis within the tree canopy, whereas the choice of warmer oviposition sites by mated females will favour a faster development of eggs.