Environmental,geographical and time-related impacts on avian malaria infections in native and introduced populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus), a globally invasive species

Aim

The increasing spread of vector-borne diseases has resulted in severe health concerns for humans, domestic animals and wildlife, with changes in land use and the introduction of invasive species being among the main possible causes for this increase. We explored several ecological drivers potentially affecting the local prevalence and richness of avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) populations.

Location

Global.

Time period

2002–2019.

Major taxa studied

Avian Plasmodium parasites in house sparrows.

Methods

We analysed data from 2,220 samples from 69 localities across all continents, except Antarctica. The influence of environment (urbanization index and human density), geography (altitude, latitude, hemisphere) and time (bird breeding season and years since introduction) were analysed using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) and random forests.

Results

Overall, 670 sparrows (30.2%) were infected with 22 Plasmodium lineages. In native populations, parasite prevalence was positively related to urbanization index, with the highest prevalence values in areas with intermediate urbanization levels. Likewise, in introduced populations, prevalence was positively associated with urbanization index; however, higher infection occurred in areas with either extreme high or low levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, the number of parasite lineages increased with altitude and with the years elapsed since the establishment of sparrows in a new locality. Here, after a decline in the number of parasite lineages in the first 30 years, an increase from 40 years onwards was detected.

Main conclusions

Urbanization was related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced bird populations. In invaded areas, altitude and time since bird introduction were related to the number of Plasmodium lineages found to be infecting sparrows.     

Large-scale recording of neurons by movable silicon probes in behaving rodents

A major challenge in neuroscience is linking behavior to the collective activity of neural assemblies. Understanding of input-output relationships of neurons and circuits requires methods with the spatial selectivity and temporal resolution appropriate for mechanistic analysis of neural ensembles in the behaving animal, i.e. recording of representatively large samples of isolated single neurons. Ensemble monitoring of neuronal activity has progressed remarkably in the past decade in both small and large-brained animals, including human subjects. Multiple-site recording with silicon-based devices are particularly effective because of their scalability, small volume and geometric design. Here, we describe methods for recording multiple single neurons and local field potential in behaving rodents, using commercially available micro-machined silicon probes with custom-made accessory components. There are two basic options for interfacing silicon probes to preamplifiers: printed circuit boards and flexible cables. Probe supplying companies (http://www.neuronexustech.com/; http://www.sbmicrosystems.com/; http://www.acreo.se/) usually provide the bonding service and deliver probes bonded to printed circuit boards or flexible cables. Here, we describe the implantation of a 4-shank, 32-site probe attached to flexible polyimide cable, and mounted on a movable microdrive. Each step of the probe preparation, microdrive construction and surgery is illustrated so that the end user can easily replicate the process.     

Geographic range determinants of two commercially important marine molluscs

Aim We modelled the spatial abundance patterns of two abalone species (Haliotis rubra Donovan 1808 and H. laevigata Leach 1814) inhabiting inshore rocky reefs to better understand the importance of current sea surface temperature (SST) (among other predictors) and, ultimately, the effect of future climate change, on marine molluscs. Location Southern Australia. Methods We used an ensemble species distribution modelling approach that combined likelihood‐based generalized linear models and boosted regression trees. For each modelling technique, a two‐step procedure was used to predict: (1) the current probability of presence, followed by (2) current abundance conditional on presence. The resulting models were validated using an independent, spatially explicit dataset of abalone abundance patterns in Victoria. Results For both species, the presence of reef was the main driver of abalone occurrence, while SST was the main driver of spatial abundance patterns. Predictive maps at c. 1‐km resolution showed maximal abundance on shallow coastal reefs characterized by mild winter SSTs for both species. Main conclusions Sea surface temperature was a major driver of abundance patterns for both abalone species, and the resulting ensemble models were used to build fine‐resolution predictive range maps (c. 1 km) that incorporate measures of habitat suitability and quality in support of resource management. By integrating this output with structured spatial population models, a more robust understanding of the potential impacts of threatening human processes such as climate change can be established.     

Developmental characteristics of AMPA receptors in chick lumbar motoneurons

Ca2+ fluxes through ionotropic glutamate receptors regulate a variety of developmental processes, including neurite outgrowth and naturally occurring cell death. In the CNS, NMDA receptors were originally thought to be the sole source of Ca2+ influx through glutamate receptors; however, AMPA receptors also allow a significant influx of Ca2+ ions. The Ca2+ permeability of AMPA receptors is regulated by the insertion of one or more edited GluR2 subunits. In this study, we tested the possibility that changes in GluR2 expression regulate the Ca2+ permeability of AMPA receptors during a critical period of neuronal development in chick lumbar motoneurons. GluR2 expression is absent between embryonic day (E) 5 and E7, but increases significantly by E8 in the chick ventral spinal cord. Increased GluR2 protein expression is correlated with parallel changes in GluR2 mRNA in the motoneuron pool. Electrophysiological recordings of kainate-evoked currents indicate a significant reduction in the Ca2(+)-permeability of AMPA receptors between E6 and E11. Kainate-evoked currents were sensitive to the AMPA receptor blocker GYKI 52466. Application of AMPA or kainate generates a significant increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in E6 spinal motoneurons, but generates a small response in older neurons. Changes in the Ca(2+)-permeability of AMPA receptors are not mediated by age-dependent changes in the editing pattern of GluR2 subunits. These findings raise the possibility that Ca2+ influx through Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors plays an important role during early embryonic development in chick spinal motoneurons.     

Time-resolved rhodopsin activation currents in a unicellular expression system.

The early receptor current (ERC) is the charge redistribution occurring in plasma membrane rhodopsin during light activation of photoreceptors. Both the molecular mechanism of the ERC and its relationship to rhodopsin conformational activation are unknown. To investigate whether the ERC could be a time-resolved assay of rhodopsin structure-function relationships, the distinct sensitivity of modern electrophysiological tools was employed to test for flash-activated ERC signals in cells stably expressing normal human rod opsin after regeneration with 11-cis-retinal. ERCs are similar in waveform and kinetics to those found in photoreceptors. The action spectrum of the major R(2) charge motion is consistent with a rhodopsin photopigment. The R(1) phase is not kinetically resolvable and the R(2) phase, which overlaps metarhodopsin-II formation, has a rapid risetime and complex multiexponential decay. These experiments demonstrate, for the first time, kinetically resolved electrical state transitions during activation of expressed visual pigment in a unicellular environment (single or fused giant cells) containing only 6 x 10(6)-8 x 10(7) molecules of rhodopsin. This method improves measurement sensitivity 7 to 8 orders of magnitude compared to other time-resolved techniques applied to rhodopsin to study the role particular amino acids play in conformational activation and the forces that govern those transitions.     

Feeding efficiency of the larval ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz (Ctenophora, Lobata)

Larval stages of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi rely on metazoanprey, such as Acartia tonsa nauplii and copepodites, to supporthigh growth rates. However, M. leidyi larvae <0.5 mm (totallength) had low retention efficiencies (REs) (proportion ofencountered prey actually ingested), 5.78 ± 2.6% (mean± SE), of nauplii and were often damaged by their encounters.REs of nauplii rapidly increased, 38.94 ± 3.73%, as larvaegrew to a size of     

Hypertonic sucrose inhibition of endocytic transport suggests multiple early endocytic compartments

Incubation of animal cells with hypertonic sucrose and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1,000 renders endosomes sensitive in situ to hypotonic shock (Okada and Rechsteiner, 1982). We found that: 1) in vitro endosomes were osmotically insensitive; and 2) hypertonic sucrose inhibited transport from very early endosomes to lysosomes. Endocytic vesicles were labeled by incubating Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells for 1-10 min at 37 degrees C with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and/or fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran (FITC-dextran). Cell fractions prepared in 0.25 M sucrose were hypotonically shocked by dilution with 5 mM Na phosphate buffer, pH 6.7, to a final sucrose concentration of 0.05 M. After hypotonic shock, endocytized HRP and FITC-dextran pelleted with membrane while lysosomal hydrolases did not. The HRP activity in the pellet was latent, suggesting that endosomes were resistant to osmotic shock. Uptake in the presence of hypertonic sucrose had little effect on the subsequent osmotic sensitivity of the endosomes. Uptake in the presence of hypertonic sucrose and PEG 1,000 rendered endosomes fragile to cell homogenization. Unexpectedly, the inclusion of hypertonic sucrose in the uptake and chase media inhibited the appearance of HRP in lysosomes. HRP internalized during a 10-min uptake appeared as if it were present in two physically distinct compartments, one accessible to transport inhibition by exogenous sucrose ("very early" endosomes) and the other not ("early" endosomes). After a brief uptake (1-3 min), postincubation of CHO cells in 0.25 M sucrose-containing media completely blocked transport of internalized HRP to lysosomes. This blockage could be partially relieved by cointernalization of invertase with HRP. These results suggest that transport between multiple early endosome populations is sensitive to intraorganellar osmotic conditions.