Endocrine regulation of predator-induced phenotypic plasticity

Elucidating the developmental and genetic control of phenotypic plasticity remains a central agenda in evolutionary ecology. Here, we investigate the physiological regulation of phenotypic plasticity induced by another organism, specifically predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in the model ecological and evolutionary organism Daphnia pulex. Our research centres on using molecular tools to test among alternative mechanisms of developmental control tied to hormone titres, receptors and their timing in the life cycle. First, we synthesize detail about predator-induced defenses and the physiological regulation of arthropod somatic growth and morphology, leading to a clear prediction that morphological defences are regulated by juvenile hormone and life-history plasticity by ecdysone and juvenile hormone. We then show how a small network of genes can differentiate phenotype expression between the two primary developmental control pathways in arthropods: juvenoid and ecdysteroid hormone signalling. Then, by applying an experimental gradient of predation risk, we show dose-dependent gene expression linking predator-induced plasticity to the juvenoid hormone pathway. Our data support three conclusions: (1) the juvenoid signalling pathway regulates predator-induced phenotypic plasticity; (2) the hormone titre (ligand), rather than receptor, regulates predator-induced developmental plasticity; (3) evolution has favoured the harnessing of a major, highly conserved endocrine pathway in arthropod development to regulate the response to cues about changing environments (risk) from another organism (predator)

Author Correction: The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data

The following authors were omitted from the original version of this Data Descriptor: Markus Reichstein and Nicolas Vuichard. Both contributed to the code development and N. Vuichard contributed to the processing of the ERA-Interim data downscaling. Furthermore, the contribution of the co-author Frank Tiedemann was re-evaluated relative to the colleague Corinna Rebmann, both working at the same sites, and based on this re-evaluation a substitution in the co-author list is implemented (with Rebmann replacing Tiedemann). Finally, two affiliations were listed incorrectly and are corrected here (entries 190 and 193). The author list and affiliations have been amended to address these omissions in both the HTML and PDF versions

The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data.

The FLUXNET2015 dataset provides ecosystem-scale data on CO2, water, and energy exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere, and other meteorological and biological measurements, from 212 sites around the globe (over 1500 site-years, up to and including year 2014). These sites, independently managed and operated, voluntarily contributed their data to create global datasets. Data were quality controlled and processed using uniform methods, to improve consistency and intercomparability across sites. The dataset is already being used in a number of applications, including ecophysiology studies, remote sensing studies, and development of ecosystem and Earth system models. FLUXNET2015 includes derived-data products, such as gap-filled time series, ecosystem respiration and photosynthetic uptake estimates, estimation of uncertainties, and metadata about the measurements, presented for the first time in this paper. In addition, 206 of these sites are for the first time distributed under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 4.0) license. This paper details this enhanced dataset and the processing methods, now made available as open-source codes, making the dataset more accessible, transparent, and reproducible

Vascular endothelial growth factor: a blood biomarker in canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease that mainly occurs in the West Highland white terrier (WHWT) breed. CIPF diagnosis is challenging. Identification of measurable markers of fibrosis might be helpful in this circumstance. VEGF is an angiogenic regulator involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. The aims of the present study were (1) to investigate the potential role of VEGF as a peripheral blood biomarker in CIPF; and (2) to investigate possible breed-related differences in basal VEGF concentration, that might explain the high predisposition of the WHWT breed for CIPF. Therefore, VEGF was determined by ELISA in the serum of 14 WHWT with CIPF, 18 healthy WHWT, and 85 healthy dogs of other breeds, including : 14 Scottish terrier (ST), 16 Jack Russell terrier (JRT), 15 Maltese, 14 King Charles Spaniel (KCS), 12 Labrador Retriever (LR) and 14 Malinois Belgian Shepherd. Eight CIPF WHWT (57%) have serum VEGF concentrations above the kit detection limit (39.1 pg/ml) compared to 1 WHWT (0.05%) in the group of healthy dogs (P=0.001). Concerning inter-breed differences in healthy dogs, most values obtained were below the kit detection limit with only 3 KCS (21%), 3 JRT (19%), 3 LR (25%) and 1 ST (7%) having VEGF serum levels above 39.1 pg/ml (P=0.147). Results of the present study show that (1) VEGF might be an interesting blood biomarker for CIPF; (2) canine VEGF Quantikine Elisa kit is not appropriate for measurement of serum VEGF levels in healthy canine populations

Is the CXC-Chemokine CXCL8 involved in the breed predisposition of west highland white terrier to canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ?

peer reviewe

Long-term outcome and use of 6-Minute Walk test in West Highland white Terriers with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable interstitial lung disease occurring mainly in West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs). The effects of IPF on survival and on exercise tolerance in WHWTs are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate survival, prognostic factors, and exercise tolerance in WHWTs with IPF. ANIMALS: Privately owned WHWTs; 15 with IPF and 11 healthy controls. METHODS: Prospective case‐control study conducted in 2007–2012. For survival, descriptive statistics and Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival curves with Cox proportional hazard ratios were performed. For the prognostic factor study, KM curves, Cox regression analysis, and logistic regression models were used. The 6‐minute walk test (6MWT) was used for measurement of exercise tolerance. RESULTS: The median IPF‐specific survival of deceased WHWTs (7/15) with IPF was 32 (range 2–51) months from onset of clinical signs. The risk of death from birth in WHWTs with IPF in age‐adjusted Cox model was significantly higher (hazard ratio 4.6; 95% confidence interval 1.05–19.74, P = .04) than in control WHWTs. No significant prognostic factors were identified. In 6MWT, WHWTs with IPF walked a shorter distance, median 398 m (range 273–519 m), than healthy controls, median 492 m (420–568 m), P = .05, and the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood in diseased dogs had a moderate positive correlation with walking distance (Kendall′s tau‐b = 0.69, P = .06). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: IPF had a negative impact on life expectancy, but individual survival varied considerably. 6MWT proved to be a well‐tolerated, noninvasive test to evaluate exercise tolerance