Photoregulatory behavior of bluegill,Lepomis macrochira,in a virtual light gradient

Synopsis Vertical movements of bluegill were monitored in gradients of light intensity to assess this fish's photoregulatory ability and mechanisms. A computerized monitoring and control system created virtual gradients of light intensity by adjusting an overhead lamp's output in response to fish movements, in a vertical tube, to produce a programmed intensity at the fish's depth position. This approach separated the process of gradient formation from normal clues for photoregulation and allowed formation of light gradients incompatible with natural taxic responses to intensity. Hourly shifts in gradient position minimized the possibility of confounding photoregulation with position regulation. Observed patterns of movement reduced the extremes of light intensity to which bluegill were exposed, compared to no movement or random movement. Seven fish were tested, producing 10 experiments. In 4 of 10 experiments, the fish effectively photoregulated in gradients in which light intensity decreased with depth, as in natural habitats. In 1 of 10 experiments, the fish photoregulated in an inverse gradient, with intensity increasing with depth. Evidence of regulation in an inverse gradient suggests that normal taxic responses are not essential for photoregulation in bluegill.     

Responses of Littoraria irrorata say (Mollusca: Gastropoda) to water-borne chemicals: a comparison of chemical sources and orientation mechanisms

The salt marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, exhibits orientation behaviors in response to a number of chemical stimuli. In this study, we quantified the response of L. irrorata to chemical stimuli derived from three sources: Spartina alterniflora (a food source), the blue crab Callinectes sapidus (a predator), and crushed conspecifics. Animals consistently moved toward sources of S. alterniflora extract and crushed conspecifics relative to controls, but did not approach or avoid extracts from C. sapidus relative to controls. Animals had lower response rates to stimuli from S. alterniflora than to controls, but not to putatively aversive chemical stimuli (C. sapidus or crushed conspecifics). However, periwinkles that moved in experimental groups and control groups did not differ in how far they crawled. In addition, we measured turning angles of pathways of periwinkles to determine the orientation mechanism used. Littoraria irrorata displayed a taxis in response to crushed conspecifics, but a kinesis in response to C. sapidus and S. alterniflora. Our results suggest that the ecological context of chemical cues influence the evolution of orientation mechanisms. Cues that require immediate response (crushed conspecifics) elicit directed movement using taxis, whereas those that represent less alarming stimuli (a blue crab in the vicinity) or that represent a ubiquitous resource (Spartina) elicit movement by kinesis.     

Measurement of Cellular Chemotaxis with ECIS/Taxis

Cellular movement in response to external stimuli is fundamental to many cellular processes including wound healing, inflammation and the response to infection. A common method to measure chemotaxis is the Boyden chamber assay, in which cells and chemoattractant are separated by a porous membrane. As cells migrate through the membrane toward the chemoattractant, they adhere to the underside of the membrane, or fall into the underlying media, and are subsequently stained and visually counted ¹. In this method, cells are exposed to a steep and transient chemoattractant gradient, which is thought to be a poor representation of gradients found in tissues ².Another assay system, the under-agarose chemotaxis assay, ^{3, 4} measures cell movement across a solid substrate in a thin aqueous film that forms under the agarose layer. The gradient that develops in the agarose is shallow and is thought to be an appropriate representation of naturally occurring gradients. Chemotaxis can be evaluated by microscopic imaging of the distance traveled. Both the Boyden chamber assay and the under-agarose assay are usually configured as endpoint assays.The automated ECIS/Taxis system combines the under-agarose approach with Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) ^{5, 6}. In this assay, target electrodes are located in each of 8 chambers. A large counter-electrode runs through each of the 8 chambers (Figure 2). Each chamber is filled with agarose and two small wells are the cut in the agarose on either side of the target electrode. One well is filled with the test cell population, while the other holds the sources of diffusing chemoattractant (Figure 3). Current passed through the system can be used to determine the change in resistance that occurs as cells pass over the target electrode. Cells on the target electrode increase the resistance of the system ⁶. In addition, rapid fluctuations in the resistance represent changes in the interactions of cells with the electrode surface and are indicative of ongoing cellular shape changes. The ECIS/Taxis system can measure movement of the cell population in real-time over extended periods of time, but is also sensitive enough to detect the arrival of a single cell at the target electrode. Dictyostelium discoidium is known to migrate in the presence of a folate gradient ^{7, 8} and its chemotactic response can be accurately measured by ECIS/Taxis ⁹. Leukocyte chemotaxis, in response to SDF1α and to chemotaxis antagonists has also been measured with ECIS/Taxis ^{10, 11}. An example of the leukocyte response to SDF1α is shown in Figure 1.     

白蜡虫寄生蜂对颜色的选择性及活动规律

在云南省昆明市白汉场白蜡园中采用不同颜色对白蜡虫寄生蜂进行了颜色趋性实验,利用寄生蜂对颜色的趋性进行了红色、黄色、蓝色、蓝绿色、绿色、灰褐色、白色和黑色8种颜色、6:00-9:00am,9:00-12:00am,12:00am-15:00pm和15:00pm-18:00pm4个时段、寄主林树冠上部、中部、下部3个位置高度和东、南、西、北4个方位以及在阴天、雨天和晴天3种天气下的白蜡虫寄生蜂活动规律观察。结果表明,白蜡虫花翅跳小蜂(Microterys ericeri Ishii)、白蜡虫阔柄跳小蜂(Metaphycus ericeri Xu et Jiang)和中华花翅跳小蜂(Microterys sinicus Jiang)3种寄生蜂优势种对黄色有明显的趋向性,对颜色的选择性依次为黄色>蓝色>蓝绿色>绿色>白色>灰褐色>红色>黑色。在白蜡园寄主林,寄主植物中部诱集的白蜡虫寄生蜂数量最多,占52.21%;其次是下部,占39.80%;顶部最少,仅占7.99%。白蜡虫寄生蜂的活动与白蜡虫在寄主植物上的分布密切相关。白蜡虫寄生蜂在不同方向上的活动差异不显著。在一天中的不同时段里,白蜡虫寄生蜂在6:00-9:00am有一个活动高峰期,在15:00-18:00pm出现一个次高峰期。白蜡虫寄生蜂在晴天活动较活跃,在阴天和雨天活动较少。     

Difference between forward and backward swimming speeds of the single polar-flagellated bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus

The forward and backward swimming speeds and periods of a Vibrio alginolyticus strain that has a single polar flagellum were measured. The backward swimming speeds were 1.5 times greater than the forward ones on average and the average period of backward swimming was shorter than forward swimming. However, the swimming speed and period were not correlated. Similar results were obtained for a mutant that has a 1.6 times longer flagellum on average.     

Advection–diffusion equations for generalized tactic searching behaviors

 Many organisms search for limiting resources by using repeated responses to local cues, which cumulatively cause movement towards more favorable parts of their environment. This paper presents a general asymptotic expression, derived under the assumption of shallow environmental gradients, for the population-level flux of organisms moving at a constant speed and reorienting at rates determined by the environmental conditions experienced since the last reorientation. The expression takes the form of an advection-diffusion equation, in which the diffusivity and advection velocity are determined by statistics of the turning algorithm that are directly comparable to empirical observations. This work provides a mechanism with which to systematically evaluate a wide variety of tactic and kinetic strategies for determining turning behaviors. The model is applied to searchers on spatially-variable, random distributions of discrete resource patches. Such algorithms are functions of the integrated resource density encountered between turns. It is shown that behaviors in which the turning time distribution is a function of integrated density cannot result in taxis. In contrast, behaviors in which the turning rate is a function of integrated density can result in taxis. These two classes of search algorithm differ in that the latter requires the searcher to “learn” about its local environment, whereas the former requires no such assessment. This suggests neural or physiological mechanisms for remembering previous encounters may be a biological requirement for searchers on discrete resource distributions. Received: 21 September 1995/Revised version: 18 July 1996