Bioecological Drivers of Rabies Virus Circulation in a Neotropical Bat Community

Introduction

In addition to the commonly accepted importance of the vampire bat in the maintenance and transmission of the rabies virus (RABV) in South America, RABV infection of other species is widely evidenced, challenging their role in the viral cycle.

Methodology / Principles findings

To identify the bioecological drivers of RABV circulation in neotropical bat communities, we conducted a molecular and serological survey on almost 1,000 bats from 30 species, and a 4-year longitudinal survey in two colonies of vampire bats in French Guiana. RABV was molecularly detected in a common vampire and in a frugivorous bat. The sequences corresponded to haematophagous bat-related strains and were close to viruses circulating in the Brazilian Amazon region. Species’ seroprevalence ranged from 0 to 20%, and the risk of seropositivity was higher in bats with a haematophagous diet, living in monospecific colonies and in dense forests. The longitudinal survey showed substantial temporal fluctuations, with individual waves of seroconversions and waning immunity. The high prevalences observed in bat communities, in most habitats and in species that do not share the same microhabitats and bioecological patterns, the temporal variations, and a rather short period of detectable antibodies as observed in recaptured vampires suggest (i) frequent exposure of animals, (ii) an ability of the infected host to control and eliminate the virus, (iii) more relaxed modes of exposure between bats than the commonly assumed infection via direct contact with saliva of infected animals, all of which should be further investigated.

Conclusions / significance

We hypothesize that RABV circulation in French Guiana is mainly maintained in the pristine forest habitats that may provide sufficient food resources to allow vampire bats, the main prevalent species, to survive and RABV to be propagated. However, on the forest edge and in disturbed areas, human activities may induce more insidious effects such as defaunation. One of the ecological consequences is the disappearance of resources for tertiary or secondary consumers. Populations of vampires may then shift to alternative resources such as cattle, domestic animals and humans. Therefore, a good forest status, allowing both a dilution effect in highly rich bat communities and the maintenance of large populations of medium-sized and large mammals used as prey by vampires, should prevent their migration to anthropized areas.     

Partial Opsin Sequences Suggest UV-Sensitive Vision is Widespread in Caudata

Ultraviolet (UV) vision exists in several animal groups. Intuitively, one would expect this trait to be favoured in species living in bright environments, where UV light is the most present. However, UV sensitivity, as deduced from sequences of UV photoreceptors and/or ocular media transmittance, is also present in nocturnal species, raising questions about the selective pressure maintaining this perceptual ability. Amphibians are among the most nocturnal vertebrates but their visual ecology remains poorly understood relative to other groups. Perhaps because many of these species breed in environments that filter out a large part of UV radiation, physiological and behavioural studies of UV sensitivity in this group are scarce. We investigated the extent of UV vision in Caudata, the order of amphibians with the most nocturnal habits. We could recover sequences of the UV sensitive SWS1 opsin in 40 out of 58 species, belonging to 6 families. In all of these species, the evidence suggests the presence of functional SWS1 opsins under purifying selection, potentially allowing UV vision. Interestingly, most species whose opsin genes failed to amplify exhibited particular ecological features that could drive the loss of UV vision. This likely wide distribution of functional UV photoreceptors in Caudata sheds a new light on the visual ecology of amphibians and questions the function of UV vision in nocturnal animal species.     

Mineralogy and biogeochemistry of potassium in the Skogaby experimental forest,southwest Sweden: pools,fluxes and K/Rb ratios in soil and biomass

Clay minerals and K feldspars were evaluated as sources of K in a Norway spruce stand (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) from the Skogaby experimental forest in southwest Sweden. The soil, developed in a Quaternary glacial till, has only 3–5% clay, and more than 95% of its K resides in feldspars. Ratios of K/Rb were assessed in interlayers of 2:1 clay minerals (extracted with hot (100 °C) 2 M HCl), biomass and the forest floor. These compartments had similarly low K/Rb ratios, whereas K feldspars were significantly poorer in Rb. A fractionation model indicated preferential retention of Rb in the biomass and forest floor, due to stronger adsorption of Rb than K in the humus, as well as preferential uptake of K from the exchange complex in the mineral soil. Preferential uptake of K may result from weaker adsorption of K by the cation exchanger, or preference for dissolved K over Rb by the roots. A quantitative mineralogical analysis revealed that loss from micas may account for half of the Holocene loss of K from the soil, which was approximately 22 Mg ha^?1. Exceptionally low K/Rb ratios in HCl extracts of the upper 60 cm of the profile indicated extensive loss of K from mica in the parent material and re-fixation of K and Rb at lower ratios. The results indicate that fixation in and release from clay minerals may be prominent in the cycling of K, even in a soil that is poor in clay minerals.     

Auditory anatomy of beaked whales and other odontocetes: Potential for cochlear stimulation via a “vibroacoustic duct mechanism”

Computed tomography (CT) and microcomputed tomography (microCT) were used to examine the structures involved in cochlear stimulation in odontocetes and terrestrial mammals. Cranial CT examined the osseous attachment of the skull to the tympanoperiotic complex (TPC) and the path of the endocranial foramen of the vestibulocochlear nerve (EFVN), which was assumed to contain the perilymphatic duct. Additional CTs of TPC were taken postextraction to examine the gross morphology of this structure. MicroCT was used to examine the acoustic windows of the cochlea, including the round and oval windows and the apertures of the cochlear and vestibular aqueducts. Cranial CT scans demonstrated an osseous connection between the skull and TPC in beaked whales and Physeter macrocephalus. EFVN traveled through a greater length of cranial bone and communicated more closely with the periotic bone in beaked whales than in other species. Ziphius cavirostris was observed to have a reduced medial sulcus of the mallear ridge (MSMR) and tympanic plate and an enlarged aperture of the cochlear aqueduct, respectively. The potential significance of these findings, including the role of the perilymphatic duct as a novel route of cochlear stimulation referred to as the “vibroacoustic duct mechanism,” are discussed.     

The effects of sleep deprivation and time of day on cognitive performance

The extent to which the diurnal fluctuations of different cognitive processes could be affected by sleep loss may be explored to predict performance decrements observed in the real world. Twenty healthy male subjects voluntarily took part in 8 test sessions at 06:00, 10:00, 14:00, and 18:00 h, following either a night with or without sleep in random order. Measurements included oral temperature, simple reaction time, sign cancelation, Go/NoGo, and the Purdue pegboard test. The results indicate that simple reaction time and motor coordination had morning–afternoon variations closely following the rhythms of temperature and vigilance. Inhibitory attention (Go/NoGo) presented no morning–afternoon variations. Sleep deprivation may affect the profiles of cognitive performance depending on the processes solicited. Sustained and inhibitory attention are particularly affected in the morning (after 24 and 28 waking hours), while a complex task (visuo-motor coordination) would be affected after 32 waking hours only.     

Finding Nemo’s Genes: A chromosome‐scale reference assembly of the genome of the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula

The iconic orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, is a model organism for studying the ecology and evolution of reef fishes, including patterns of population connectivity, sex change, social organization, habitat selection and adaptation to climate change. Notably, the orange clownfish is the only reef fish for which a complete larval dispersal kernel has been established and was the first fish species for which it was demonstrated that antipredator responses of reef fishes could be impaired by ocean acidification. Despite its importance, molecular resources for this species remain scarce and until now it lacked a reference genome assembly. Here, we present a de novo chromosome‐scale assembly of the genome of the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula. We utilized single‐molecule real‐time sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences to produce an initial polished assembly comprised of 1,414 contigs, with a contig N50 length of 1.86 Mb. Using Hi‐C‐based chromatin contact maps, 98% of the genome assembly were placed into 24 chromosomes, resulting in a final assembly of 908.8 Mb in length with contig and scaffold N50s of 3.12 and 38.4 Mb, respectively. This makes it one of the most contiguous and complete fish genome assemblies currently available. The genome was annotated with 26,597 protein‐coding genes and contains 96% of the core set of conserved actinopterygian orthologs. The availability of this reference genome assembly as a community resource will further strengthen the role of the orange clownfish as a model species for research on the ecology and evolution of reef fishes.