The Opa1-Dependent Mitochondrial Cristae Remodeling Pathway Controls Atrophic, Apoptotic and Ischemic Tissue Damage

SummaryMitochondrial morphological and ultrastructural changes occur during apoptosis and autophagy, but whether they are relevant in vivo for tissue response to damage is unclear. Here we investigate the role of the optic atrophy 1 (OPA1)-dependent cristae remodeling pathway in vivo and provide evidence that it regulates the response of multiple tissues to apoptotic, necrotic, and atrophic stimuli. Genetic inhibition of the cristae remodeling pathway in vivo does not affect development, but protects mice from denervation-induced muscular atrophy, ischemic heart and brain damage, as well as hepatocellular apoptosis. Mechanistically, OPA1-dependent mitochondrial cristae stabilization increases mitochondrial respiratory efficiency and blunts mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, and reactive oxygen species production. Our results indicate that the OPA1-dependent cristae remodeling pathway is a fundamental, targetable determinant of tissue damage in vivo

Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.Peer reviewe

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

DATA AND MATERIALS AVAILABILITY : The full dataset used in the final analyses (33) and associated code (34) are available at Dryad. A subset of the spatial coordinate datasets is available at Zenodo (35). Certain datasets of spatial coordinates will be available only through requests made to the authors due to conservation and Indigenous sovereignty concerns (see table S1 for more information on data use restrictions and contact information for data requests). These sensitive data will be made available upon request to qualified researchers for research purposes, provided that the data use will not threaten the study populations, such as by distribution or publication of the coordinates or detailed maps. Some datasets, such as those overseen by government agencies, have additional legal restrictions on data sharing, and researchers may need to formally apply for data access. Collaborations with data holders are generally encouraged, and in cases where data are held by Indigenous groups or institutions from regions that are under-represented in the global science community, collaboration may be required to ensure inclusion.COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals’ 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.The Radboud Excellence Initiative, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the National Science Foundation, Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Dutch Research Council NWO program “Advanced Instrumentation for Wildlife Protection”, Fondation Segré, RZSS, IPE, Greensboro Science Center, Houston Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Nashville Zoo, Naples Zoo, Reid Park Zoo, Miller Park, WWF, ZCOG, Zoo Miami, Zoo Miami Foundation, Beauval Nature, Greenville Zoo, Riverbanks zoo and garden, SAC Zoo, La Passarelle Conservation, Parc Animalier d’Auvergne, Disney Conservation Fund, Fresno Chaffee zoo, Play for nature, North Florida Wildlife Center, Abilene Zoo, a Liber Ero Fellowship, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Teck Coal, and the Grand Teton Association. The collection of Norwegian moose data was funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency, the German Ministry of Education and Research via the SPACES II project ORYCS, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Bureau of Land Management, Muley Fanatic Foundation (including Southwest, Kemmerer, Upper Green, and Blue Ridge Chapters), Boone and Crockett Club, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, Knobloch Family Foundation, Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Bowhunters of Wyoming, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, Pope and Young Club, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Disease Research Partnership, the US National Science Foundation [IOS-1656642 and IOS-1656527, the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and by a GRUPIN research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Batubay Özkan, Barbara Watkins, NSERC Discovery Grant, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration act under Pittman-Robertson project, the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Rufford Foundation, an American Society of Mammalogists African Graduate Student Research Fund, the German Science Foundation, the Israeli Science Foundation, the BSF-NSF, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and Slovenian Research Agency (CRP V1-1626), the Aage V. Jensen Naturfond (project: Kronvildt - viden, værdier og værktøjer), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy, National Centre for Research and Development in Poland, the Slovenian Research Agency, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, Whitley Fund for Nature, Acton Family Giving, Zoo Basel, Columbus, Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine, Zoo Dresden, Zoo Idaho, Kolmården Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, La Passarelle, Zoo New England, Tierpark Berlin, Tulsa Zoo, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Government of Mongolia, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration act and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the National Science Foundation, Parks Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Alberta Environment and Parks, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International and Alberta Conservation Association, the Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología (CONACYT) of Paraguay, the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, EU funded Interreg SI-HR 410 Carnivora Dinarica project, Paklenica and Plitvice Lakes National Parks, UK Wolf Conservation Trust, EURONATUR and Bernd Thies Foundation, the Messerli Foundation in Switzerland and WWF Germany, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, NASA Ecological Forecasting Program, the Ecotone Telemetry company, the French National Research Agency, LANDTHIRST, grant REPOS awarded by the i-Site MUSE thanks to the “Investissements d’avenir” program, the ANR Mov-It project, the USDA Hatch Act Formula Funding, the Fondation Segre and North American and European Zoos listed at http://www.giantanteater.org/, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Yellowstone Forever and the National Park Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant, and State University of New York, various donors to the Botswana Predator Conservation Program, data from collared caribou in the Northwest Territories were made available through funds from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories. The European Research Council Horizon2020, the British Ecological Society, the Paul Jones Family Trust, and the Lord Kelvin Adam Smith fund, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and Tanzania National Parks. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Fish and Game Department and the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kodiak Brown Bear Trust, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Koniag Native Corporation, Old Harbor Native Corporation, Afognak Native Corporation, Ouzinkie Native Corporation, Natives of Kodiak Native Corporation and the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the Slovenia Hunters Association and Slovenia Forest Service. F.C. was partly supported by the Resident Visiting Researcher Fellowship, IMéRA/Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille. This work was partially funded by the Center of Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), which is financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and by the Saxon Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK) with tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament. This article is a contribution of the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF9881) and the National Geographic Society.https://www.science.org/journal/sciencehj2023Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Movement ecology of female alpine ibex (Capra ibex): influence of resources, climate, and reproductive constraints

There is now ample evidence of the ecological impacts of recent climate change on Alpine ecosystems. Animal populations, and in particular herbivores, can be affected directly, through modifications of the environmental temperature, and indirectly, through alteration of both distribution and phenology of plant communities. Understanding the behavioral strategies and tactics that populations and individuals use to buffer climatic variability and its impacts are particularly relevant in order to evaluate their vulnerability to climate change and develop incisive management and conservation actions. This dissertation investigates how females of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) taken as a model for specialized Alpine large herbivore species, shape their behavior to deal with environmental and climatic variation and reproductive constraints during summer, a crucial period for the fitness of females of a capital breeder species. For this purpose, I used GPS locations and activity data of 22 females monitored in the Marmolada massif (northeastern Italian Alps) from 2010 to 2016. I tested for differences in space use and activity patterns of female ibex at different temporal scales (annual, intra-seasonal and hourly), in relation with changes in temperature, habitat type, and food resource availability -productivity (NDVI) and green up (?NDVI) of vegetation-. In addition, I evaluated anti-predator behavior contrasting the tactics of use of refuge areas and habitat types of females with different reproductive status. My findings showed how female ibex vary the use of space, habitat selection and rhythms of activity in a continuous trade off that allow them to fulfill different physiological needs in response to variation in environmental and climatic conditions, and under reproductive constraint. Ibex females responded to the altitudinal gradient in vegetation productivity with an altitudinal shift in spring and summer, to exploit the vegetation in earlier phenological stages. At the same time, females avoided thermal stress and maintained constant the daily foraging time through adjustments in circadian activity rhythms and altitudinal shifts. Moreover, during the reproductive period females with kids modified their movement patterns, feeding activity, and habitat use cope with increased energetic demands and the need of protecting kids with their limited locomotion capacity. My results have shown that the spatial behaviors that act at different scales were an effective strategy to optimize thermoregulation needs and forage acquisition while reducing predation risk. This thesis enriches knowledge on the influence of resources, climate, and reproductive constraints on behavioral strategies and tactics of female ibex. It represents the first attempt for this species, to my knowledge, to describe these behavioral responses as part of a complex trade-off mechanism, which occurs across different temporal scales, highlighting a presence of behavioral plasticity in ibex females. Such behavioral plasticity may allow them to buffer the environmental variations associated with current climate change.Risulta ormai evidente come il cambiamento climatico in atto stia avendo un forte impatto sull’ecosistema alpino. Le popolazioni animali, ed in particolare su gli erbivori possono essere influenzati direttamente, delle variazioni delle temperature ambientali, e indirettamente, dalle alterazioni nella distribuzione e nelle fasi fenologiche della vegetazione. La comprensione delle strategie comportamentali, utilizzate dagli animali per rispondere al cambiamento climatico è particolarmente rilevante per valutare la loro vulnerabilità a tali modifiche, permettendo così di sviluppare azioni di gestione e conservazione efficaci. Questa tesi esamina come le femmine di stambecco Capra ibex (prese come specie modello specializzata all’ambiente alpino di alta quota) variano il loro comportamento spaziale e i ritmi di attività in risposta ai cambiamenti ambientali e climatici, nonché ai vincoli riproduttivi durante il periodo primaverile e estivo. Per raggiungere gli obiettivi della mia tesi, ho utilizzato le localizzazioni raccolte attraverso collari GPS e i dati di attività del sensore di movimento posizionato sui collari di 22 femmine monitorate dal 2010 al 2016 nel massiccio della Marmolada (Alpi nord-orientali). Ho analizzato le variazioni a diverse scale temporali (annuale, intra - stagionale e oraria) del comportamento spaziale e dei pattern di attività delle femmine di stambecco in relazione ai cambiamenti nella disponibilità delle risorse trofiche - produttività (NDVI) e green-up (?NDVI) della vegetazione -, della temperatura ambientale e all’uso dei diversi tipi di habitat. Inoltre, ho valutato il comportamento anti-predatorio confrontato l'uso delle aree di rifugio delle femmine a diverso stato riproduttivo. I risultati dimostrano come le femmine di stambecco abbiano variato l'uso dello spazio, della selezione degli habitat e dei ritmi di attività, in un meccanismo di trade-off, per soddisfare diverse esigenze fisiologiche in risposta alla variazione delle condizioni ambientali, climatiche e al loro stato riproduttivo. Durante la stagione primaverile e estiva le femmine di stambecco hanno risposto al gradiente altitudinale della produttività della vegetazione con uno spostamento verso le quote più alte, per sfruttare la vegetazione nei primi stadi fenologici. Allo stesso tempo, hanno evitato lo stress termico e hanno mantenuto costante l'attività di alimentazione regolando, a scala giornaliera, i ritmi di attività e gli spostamenti altitudinali. Lo studio ha premesso di descrivere come la variazione circadiana e stagionale dell’uso dei diversi tipi di habitat rappresenti una strategia ottimale di uso dello spazio, minimizzando lo stress termico e massimizzando l'acquisizione delle risorse trofiche. Inoltre è stato messo in luce come, durante il periodo riproduttivo le femmine con il piccolo modifichino il loro comportamento spaziale e l’attività di alimentazione, variando altresì l’uso dell’habitat in risposta all'aumento delle esigenze energetiche e delle necessità di protezione dei piccoli, nonché la loro minore capacità di locomozione. I risultati hanno dimostrato come strategie comportamentali che agiscono a diverse scale rappresentano un modo efficace per ottimizzare le esigenze di termoregolazione, l'acquisizione di risorse alimentari e per ridurre il rischio di predazione. Questa tesi arricchisce le conoscenze sull'influenza delle risorse trofiche, del clima e dei vincoli riproduttivi sulle strategie e tattiche comportamentali delle femmine di stambecco. Essa rappresenta il primo tentativo per questa specie, secondo le mie conoscenze, di descrivere queste risposte comportamentali come parte di un complesso trade-off che si verifica a diverse scale temporali, evidenziando una presenza di plasticità comportamentale nelle femmine di stambecco. Tale plasticità comportamentale potrebbe consentire a questa specie di tamponare le variazioni ambientali associate agli attuali cambiamenti climatici

Movement ecology of female alpine ibex (Capra ibex): influence of resources, climate, and reproductive constraints

There is now ample evidence of the ecological impacts of recent climate change on Alpine ecosystems. Animal populations, and in particular herbivores, can be affected directly, through modifications of the environmental temperature, and indirectly, through alteration of both distribution and phenology of plant communities. Understanding the behavioral strategies and tactics that populations and individuals use to buffer climatic variability and its impacts are particularly relevant in order to evaluate their vulnerability to climate change and develop incisive management and conservation actions. This dissertation investigates how females of Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) taken as a model for specialized Alpine large herbivore species, shape their behavior to deal with environmental and climatic variation and reproductive constraints during summer, a crucial period for the fitness of females of a capital breeder species. For this purpose, I used GPS locations and activity data of 22 females monitored in the Marmolada massif (northeastern Italian Alps) from 2010 to 2016. I tested for differences in space use and activity patterns of female ibex at different temporal scales (annual, intra-seasonal and hourly), in relation with changes in temperature, habitat type, and food resource availability -productivity (NDVI) and green up (?NDVI) of vegetation-. In addition, I evaluated anti-predator behavior contrasting the tactics of use of refuge areas and habitat types of females with different reproductive status. My findings showed how female ibex vary the use of space, habitat selection and rhythms of activity in a continuous trade off that allow them to fulfill different physiological needs in response to variation in environmental and climatic conditions, and under reproductive constraint. Ibex females responded to the altitudinal gradient in vegetation productivity with an altitudinal shift in spring and summer, to exploit the vegetation in earlier phenological stages. At the same time, females avoided thermal stress and maintained constant the daily foraging time through adjustments in circadian activity rhythms and altitudinal shifts. Moreover, during the reproductive period females with kids modified their movement patterns, feeding activity, and habitat use cope with increased energetic demands and the need of protecting kids with their limited locomotion capacity. My results have shown that the spatial behaviors that act at different scales were an effective strategy to optimize thermoregulation needs and forage acquisition while reducing predation risk. This thesis enriches knowledge on the influence of resources, climate, and reproductive constraints on behavioral strategies and tactics of female ibex. It represents the first attempt for this species, to my knowledge, to describe these behavioral responses as part of a complex trade-off mechanism, which occurs across different temporal scales, highlighting a presence of behavioral plasticity in ibex females. Such behavioral plasticity may allow them to buffer the environmental variations associated with current climate change

Motion-induced blindness measured objectively.

During central fixation, a moving pattern of nontargets induces repeated temporary blindness to even salient peripheral targets: motion-induced blindness (MIB). Hitherto, behavioral measures of MIB have relied on subjective judgments. Here, we offer an objective alternative that builds on earlier findings regarding the effects of MIB on the detectability of physical target offsets. We propose a small modification of regular MIB displays: Following a variable duration (lead time), one of the targets is physically removed. Subjects are to respond immediately afterward. We hypothesize that illusory target offsets, caused by MIB, are mistaken for physical target offsets and that errors should thus increase with lead time. Indeed, for both nonsalient and salient targets, we found that detection accuracy for physical target offsets dramatically decreased with lead time. We conclude that target offset detection accuracy is a valid objective measure of MIB. With our method, effects of guessing are minimal, and the fitting of psychometric functions is straightforward. In principle, a staircase extension--for more efficient data collection--is also possible