Seasonal acclimation and thermoregulation represent major components of complex thermal strategies by which ectotherms cope with the heterogeneity of their thermal environment. Some ectotherms possess the acclimatory capacity to shift seasonally their thermoregulatory behavior, but the frequent use of constant acclimation temperatures during experiments and the lack of information about thermal heterogeneity in the field obscures the ecological relevance of this plastic response. We examined the experimentally induced seasonal acclimation of preferred body temperatures (T(p)) in alpine newts Ichthyosaura (formerly Triturus) alpestris subjected to a gradual increase in acclimation temperature from 5°C during the winter to a constant 15°C or diel fluctuations between 10° and 20°C during the spring/summer. Both the mean and range of T(p) followed the increase in mean acclimation temperature without the influence of diel temperature fluctuations. The direction and magnitude of this acclimatory capacity has the potential to increase the time window available for thermoregulation. Although thermoregulation and thermal acclimation are often considered as separate but coadapted adjustments to thermal heterogeneity, their combined response is employed by newts to tackle seasonal variation in a thermoregulatory-challenging aquatic environment.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• chování zvířat fyziologie   MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• Salamandridae fyziologie   MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• termoregulace fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Global change affects individual phenotypes and biotic interactions, which can have cascading effects up to the ecosystem level. However, the role of environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity in species interactions is poorly understood, leaving a substantial gap in our knowledge of the impacts of global change on ecosystems. Using a cladoceran-dragonfly system, we experimentally investigated the effects of thermal acclimation, acute temperature change and enrichment on predator functional response and metabolic rate. Using our experimental data, we next parameterized a population dynamics model to determine the consequences of these effects on trophic interaction strength and food-chain stability. We found that (1) predation and metabolic rates of the dragonfly larvae increase with acute warming, (2) warm-acclimated larvae have a higher maximum predation rate than cold-acclimated ones, and (3) long-term interaction strength increases with enrichment but decreases with both acclimation and acute temperatures. Overall, our experimental results show that thermal acclimation can buffer negative impacts of environmental change on predators and increase food-web stability and persistence. We conclude that the effect of acclimation and, more generally, phenotypic plasticity on trophic interactions should not be overlooked if we aim to understand the effects of climate change and enrichment on species interaction strength and food-web stability.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• bazální metabolismus * MeSH
• biologické modely MeSH
• Daphnia fyziologie   MeSH
• klimatické změny MeSH
• larva růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• nízká teplota MeSH
• populační dynamika MeSH
• potravní řetězec * MeSH
• predátorské chování * MeSH
• vážky růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• vysoká teplota MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitous occurrence of inducible Heat Shock Proteins (Hsps) up-regulation in response to cold-acclimation and/or to cold shock, including massive increase of Hsp70 mRNA levels, often led to hasty interpretations of its role in the repair of cold injury expressed as protein denaturation or misfolding. So far, direct functional analyses in Drosophila melanogaster and other insects brought either limited or no support for such interpretations. In this paper, we analyze the cold tolerance and the expression levels of 24 different mRNA transcripts of the Hsps complex and related genes in response to cold in two strains of D. melanogaster: the wild-type and the Hsp70- null mutant lacking all six copies of Hsp70 gene. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that larvae of both strains show similar patterns of Hsps complex gene expression in response to long-term cold-acclimation and during recovery from chronic cold exposures or acute cold shocks. No transcriptional compensation for missing Hsp70 gene was seen in Hsp70- strain. The cold-induced Hsps gene expression is most probably regulated by alternative splice variants C and D of the Heat Shock Factor. The cold tolerance in Hsp70- null mutants was clearly impaired only when the larvae were exposed to severe acute cold shock. No differences in mortality were found between two strains when the larvae were exposed to relatively mild doses of cold, either chronic exposures to 0°C or acute cold shocks at temperatures down to -4°C. CONCLUSIONS: The up-regulated expression of a complex of inducible Hsps genes, and Hsp70 mRNA in particular, is tightly associated with cold-acclimation and cold exposure in D. melanogaster. Genetic elimination of Hsp70 up-regulation response has no effect on survival of chronic exposures to 0°C or mild acute cold shocks, while it negatively affects survival after severe acute cold shocks at temperatures below -8°C.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• Drosophila melanogaster fyziologie   MeSH
• fyziologický stres * MeSH
• messenger RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• nízká teplota * MeSH
• proteiny Drosophily genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• proteiny tepelného šoku HSP70 genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• reakce na chladový šok genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

• MeSH
• aklimatizace účinky léků   MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• nízká teplota MeSH
• noradrenalin farmakologie   MeSH
• spotřeba kyslíku MeSH
• termoregulace MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH

Diurnal courses of photosynthetic gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll a fluorescence characteristics and the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle pigments (DEPS) were measured during the gradual acclimation of 4-year-old Norway spruce seedlings to different photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and air temperature (T(air)) regimes, simulating cloudy days with moderate T(air) (LI, maximum PPFD 300 micromol m(-2)s(-1), T(air) range 15-25 degrees C), sunny days with moderate T(air) (HI, maximum PPFD 1000 micromol m(-2)s(-1), T(air) range 15-25 degrees C) and hot sunny days (HI-HT, maximum PPFD 1000 micromol m(-2)s(-1), T(air) range 20-35 degrees C). The plants were acclimated inside a growth chamber and each acclimation regime lasted for 13d. Acclimation to HI conditions led to a strong depression of the net CO(2) assimilation rates (A(N)), particularly during noon and afternoon periods. Exposure to the HI-HT regime led to a further decrease of A(N) even during the morning period. Insufficient stomatal conductance was found to be the main reason for depressed A(N) under HI and HI-HT conditions. Only slight changes of the maximum photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiency (F(V)/F(M)), in the range of 0.78-0.82, supported the resistance of the Norway spruce photosynthetic apparatus against PSII photoinhibition during acclimation to both HI and HI-HT conditions. The HI plants showed increased content of xanthophyll cycle pigments (VAZ) and enhanced efficiency of thermal energy dissipation within PSII (D) that closely correlated with the increased DEPS. In contrast, acclimation to the HI-HT regime resulted in a slight reduction of VAZ content and significantly diminished D and DEPS values during the entire day in comparison with HI plants. These results indicate a minor role of the xanthophyll cycle-mediated thermal dissipation in PSII photoprotection under elevated temperatures. The different contributions of the thermal dissipation and non-assimilatory electron transport pathways in PSII photoprotection during acclimation of the Norway spruce photosynthetic apparatus to excess irradiance and heat stresses are discussed.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace účinky záření   MeSH
• chlorofyl metabolismus   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus účinky záření   MeSH
• fotony MeSH
• fotosyntéza účinky záření   MeSH
• fotosystém II - proteinový komplex metabolismus   MeSH
• oxid uhličitý metabolismus   MeSH
• plyny metabolismus   MeSH
• průduchy rostlin fyziologie   účinky záření   MeSH
• smrk fyziologie   účinky záření   MeSH
• světlo MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• xanthofyly metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Norsko MeSH

BACKGROUND: Nociception in rats is frequently measured in terms of latency of withdrawal reaction to radiant heat (thermal nociceptive threshold). The aim of this study was to determine how much housing acclimatization and ambient temperature affect the results of thermal pain threshold testing. METHODS: All experiments used adult male Wistar rats. Thermal pain thresholds were tested using the radiant heat withdrawal reaction at three different body sites: forepaws, hind paws and tail. Skin temperature was measured using an Infrared thermometer and ambient temperature was set at 18, 20, 24 or 26 °C. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that (1) thermal pain threshold was inversely related to both ambient and skin temperature; (2) housing acclimatization and repeated testing had no effect on nociceptive thresholds at any of the three body sites; (3) a resting, cranio-caudal distribution, of nociceptive sensitivity was observed; (4) hind paws and tail were more sensitive to changes of skin and ambient temperature than forepaws. CONCLUSION: These findings show the importance of recording laboratory conditions in experiments and their influence on results.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace fyziologie   MeSH
• bolest patofyziologie   MeSH
• fyzikální stimulace MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• měření bolesti MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• práh bolesti fyziologie   MeSH
• reakční čas fyziologie   MeSH
• teplota kůže MeSH
• teplota * MeSH
• vysoká teplota MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Plants have developed various acclimation strategies in order to counteract the negative effects of abiotic stresses (including temperature stress), and biological membranes are important elements in these strategies. Brassinosteroids (BR) are plant steroid hormones that regulate plant growth and development and modulate their reaction against many environmental stresses including temperature stress, but their role in modifying the properties of the biological membrane is poorly known. In this paper, we characterise the molecular dynamics of chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from wild-type and a BR-deficient barley mutant that had been acclimated to low and high temperatures in order to enrich the knowledge about the role of BR as regulators of the dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes. The molecular dynamics of the membranes was investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in both a hydrophilic and hydrophobic area of the membranes. The content of BR was determined, and other important membrane components that affect their molecular dynamics such as chlorophylls, carotenoids and fatty acids in these membranes were also determined. The chloroplast membranes of the BR-mutant had a higher degree of rigidification than the membranes of the wild type. In the hydrophilic area, the most visible differences were observed in plants that had been grown at 20 °C, whereas in the hydrophobic core, they were visible at both 20 and 5 °C. There were no differences in the molecular dynamics of the studied membranes in the chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from plants that had been grown at 27 °C. The role of BR in regulating the molecular dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes will be discussed against the background of an analysis of the photosynthetic pigments and fatty acid composition in the chloroplasts.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• brassinosteroidy metabolismus   MeSH
• chloroplasty genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• fotosyntéza MeSH
• ječmen (rod) genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• reakce na chladový šok MeSH
• reakce na tepelný šok MeSH
• simulace molekulární dynamiky MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The number of ecometabolomic studies, which use metabolomic analyses to disentangle organisms' metabolic responses and acclimation to a changing environment, has grown exponentially in recent years. Here, we review the results and conclusions of ecometabolomic studies on the impacts of four main drivers of global change (increasing frequencies of drought episodes, heat stress, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and increasing nitrogen (N) loads) on plant metabolism. Ecometabolomic studies of drought effects confirmed findings of previous target studies, in which most changes in metabolism are characterized by increased concentrations of soluble sugars and carbohydrate derivatives and frequently also by elevated concentrations of free amino acids. Secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids and terpenes, also commonly exhibited increased concentrations when drought intensified. Under heat and increasing N loads, soluble amino acids derived from glutamate and glutamine were the most responsive metabolites. Foliar metabolic responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations were dominated by greater production of monosaccharides and associated synthesis of secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, rather than secondary metabolites synthesized along longer sugar pathways involving N-rich precursor molecules, such as those formed from cyclic amino acids and along the shikimate pathway. We suggest that breeding for crop genotypes tolerant to drought and heat stress should be based on their capacity to increase the concentrations of C-rich compounds more than the concentrations of smaller N-rich molecules, such as amino acids. This could facilitate rapid and efficient stress response by reducing protein catabolism without compromising enzymatic capacity or increasing the requirement for re-transcription and de novo biosynthesis of proteins.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

African mole-rats are subterranean rodents, which rarely if ever leave the safety of their burrow systems. The environment of the burrows is humid, with relatively stable temperatures, and may have a hypoxic and hypercapnic atmosphere. One of crucial problems related to the subterranean way of life in mammals is avoidance of overheating, because traditional mammalian cooling mechanisms are not effective under high humidity. In African mole-rats, a variety of adaptations have evolved in response to this and other challenges of the underground ecotope. Traditionally, attention has been devoted mainly to the naked mole-rat Heterocephalus glaber, which became popular as a result of its eusociality and absence of fur, both being unique phenomena in small mammals. Despite more recent research, information on other species is still relatively limited and patchy. I review the results of studies on African mole-rats that are relevant for the understanding of their energetics and thermal biology. Attention is paid to the parameters of the burrow environment, which represent the main selection pressures shaping their physiology. In addition, an overview is given of the morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations helping mole-rats to face temperature extremes, mechanisms by which they deal with a surplus of metabolic heat and how changes in ambient temperature influence their daily activity. The naked mole-rat is compared to its furred relatives to determine whether this species is really exceptional from the point of thermal biology. An ordination analysis was conducted using published data on mole-rat body temperature, thermoneutral zone, resting metabolic rate and thermal conductance. Most of the variability in these characteristics was found to be explained by body mass, followed by temperature characteristics of climate, but not precipitation, of the species distributional ranges. This analysis shows that the naked mole-rat is comparable to the other mole-rat species in these physiological characteristics.

• MeSH
• aklimatizace * MeSH
• chování zvířat * MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• mikroftalmičtí podzemní hlodavci fyziologie   MeSH
• termoregulace * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

• MeSH
• aklimatizace MeSH
• tělesná námaha MeSH
• tělesná výchova MeSH
• termoregulace MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH