Cellular Hypertrophy and Increased Susceptibility to Spontaneous Calcium-Release of Rat Left Atrial Myocytes Due to Elevated Afterload

Atrial remodeling due to elevated arterial pressure predisposes the heart to atrial fibrillation (AF). Although abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function has been associated with AF, there is little information on the effects of elevated afterload on atrial Ca2+-handling. We investigated the effects of ascending aortic banding (AoB) on Ca2+-handling in rat isolated atrial myocytes in comparison to age-matched sham-operated animals (Sham). Myocytes were either labelled for ryanodine receptor (RyR) or loaded with fluo-3-AM and imaged by confocal microscopy. AoB myocytes were hypertrophied in comparison to Sham controls (P<0.0001). RyR labeling was localized to the z-lines and to the cell edge. There were no differences between AoB and Sham in the intensity or pattern of RyR-staining. In both AoB and Sham, electrical stimulation evoked robust SR Ca2+-release at the cell edge whereas Ca2+ transients at the cell center were much smaller. Western blotting showed a decreased L-type Ca channel expression but no significant changes in RyR or RyR phosphorylation or in expression of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, SR Ca2+ ATPase or phospholamban. Mathematical modeling indicated that [Ca2+]i transients at the cell center were accounted for by simple centripetal diffusion of Ca2+ released at the cell edge. In contrast, caffeine (10 mM) induced Ca2+ release was uniform across the cell. The caffeine-induced transient was smaller in AoB than in Sham, suggesting a reduced SR Ca2+-load in hypertrophied cells. There were no significant differences between AoB and Sham cells in the rate of Ca2+ extrusion during recovery of electrically-stimulated or caffeine-induced transients. The incidence and frequency of spontaneous Ca2+-transients following rapid-pacing (4 Hz) was greater in AoB than in Sham myocytes. In conclusion, elevated afterload causes cellular hypertrophy and remodeling of atrial SR Ca2+-release

Prey can detect predators via electroreception in air - data

This dataset corresponds to the publication "Prey can detect predators via electroreception in air" by England &amp; Robert, published in PNAS in 2024. It contains data on the net electrostatic charges of common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) and three species of caterpillar (Aglais io, Tyria jacobaeae, &amp; Telochurus recens). It also contains behavioural data for each of these caterpillar species, showing that they respond defensively to the electric field of their predators. Lastly, it contains laser Doppler vibrometry data for Tyria jacobaeae, &amp; Telochurus recens, showing that the setae respond mechanically to electric fields at the frequency of their predators' wingbeats, and that they have an electromechanical resonance around this frequency. The data for each experiment are held in separate .csv files, that can be accessed using R, Microsoft Excel, or any other software capable of interpreting comma-separated value text files

Electrostatic pollination by butterflies and moths - data

This data set corresponds to the publication "Electrostatic pollination by butterflies and moths". It contains electrostatic charge measurements for 11 species of butterfly and moth, under "maindata.csv". It also contains charge measurements for the tethers used to control the flight of the insects, under "tethercharges.csv", and the measurements and calculations of the surface area of each species, under "surfaceareas.csv"

Prey can detect predators via electroreception in air - data

This dataset corresponds to the publication "Prey can detect predators via electroreception in air" by England &amp; Robert, published in PNAS in 2024. It contains data on the net electrostatic charges of common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) and three species of caterpillar (Aglais io, Tyria jacobaeae, &amp; Telochurus recens). It also contains behavioural data for each of these caterpillar species, showing that they respond defensively to the electric field of their predators. Lastly, it contains laser Doppler vibrometry data for Tyria jacobaeae, &amp; Telochurus recens, showing that the setae respond mechanically to electric fields at the frequency of their predators' wingbeats, and that they have an electromechanical resonance around this frequency. The data for each experiment are held in separate .csv files, that can be accessed using R, Microsoft Excel, or any other software capable of interpreting comma-separated value text files

Electrostatic pollination by butterflies and moths - data

This data set corresponds to the publication "Electrostatic pollination by butterflies and moths". It contains electrostatic charge measurements for 11 species of butterfly and moth, under "maindata.csv". It also contains charge measurements for the tethers used to control the flight of the insects, under "tethercharges.csv", and the measurements and calculations of the surface area of each species, under "surfaceareas.csv"

Appendix material - are cyclic plant and animal behaviours driven by gravimetric mechanical forcing?

Appendix material to article - https://academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jxb/erab462/6417250 Includes gravimetric tide data used in the manuscript

Non-contact measurement of a free flying bumblebee's (Bombus terrestris) electrical potential as it approaches and leaves a fixed electrode

With increasing evidence of electroreception in terrestrial arthropods, understanding receptor level processes is vital to appreciating the capabilities and limits of this sense. Here, we examine the spatio-temporal sensitivity of mechanoreceptive filiform hairs in detecting electrical fields. We first present empirical data, highlighting the time-varying characteristics of biological electrical signals. We then explore how electrically sensitive hairs may respond to such stimuli. The main findings are: 1) oscillatory signals (elicited by wingbeats) influence the spatial sensitivity of hairs, unveiling an inextricable spatio-temporal link; 2) wingbeat direction modulates spatial sensitivity; 3) electrical wingbeats can be approximated by sinusoidally modulated DC signals; and 4) for a moving point charge, maximum sensitivity occurs at a faster timescale than a hair's frequency-based tuning. Our results show that electro-mechanical sensory hairs may capture different spatio-temporal information, depending on an object's movement and wingbeat and in comparison, to aero-acoustic stimuli. Crucially, we suggest that electrostatic and aero-acoustic signals may provide distinguishable channels of information for arthropods. Given the pervasiveness of electric fields in nature, our results suggest further study to understand electrostatics in the ecology of arthropods and to reveal unknown ecological relationships and novel interactions between species

Static electricity passively attracts ticks onto hosts - data

Data associated with the publication "Static electricity passively attracts ticks onto hosts

Suppl_ JEXBOT_2021_304863.pdf, Appendix material - are cyclic plant and animal behaviours driven by gravimetric mechanical forces?

Appendix Material to Gallep Robert, JEXBOT/2021/30486

Bio-rhythms and gravimetric tide

Supplementary Material to articl