How incubation temperature affects hatchling performance in reptiles: an integrative insight based on plasticity in metabolic enzyme.

Evaluating the effects of temperature variations on animals plays an important role in understanding the threat of climate warming. The effects of developmental temperature on offspring performance are critical in evaluating the effects of warming temperatures on the fitness of oviparous species, but the physiological and biochemical basis of this developmental plasticity is largely unknown. In this study, we incubated eggs of the turtle Pelodiscus sinensis at low (24 °C), medium (28 °C), and high (32 °C) temperatures, and evaluated the effects of developmental temperature on offspring fitness, and metabolic enzymes in the neck and limb muscles of hatchlings. The hatchlings from eggs incubated at the medium temperature showed better fitness-related performance (righting response and swimming capacity) and higher activities of metabolic enzymes (hexokinase, HK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) than hatchlings from the eggs incubated at high or low temperatures. In addition, the swimming speed and righting response were significantly correlated with the HK activities in limb (swimming speed) and neck (righting response) muscles, suggesting that the developmental plasticity of energy metabolic pathway might play a role in determining the way incubation temperature affects offspring phenotypes. Integrating the fitness-related performance and the activities of metabolic enzymes, we predict that the P. sinensis from high latitude would not face the detrimental effects of climate warming until the average nest temperatures reach 32 °C.

Collective effects of rising average temperatures and heat events on oviparous embryos.

Survival of the immobile embryo in response to rising temperature is important to determine a species' vulnerability to climate change. However, the collective effects of 2 key thermal characteristics associated with climate change (i.e., rising average temperature and acute heat events) on embryonic survival remain largely unexplored. We used empirical measurements and niche modeling to investigate how chronic and acute heat stress independently and collectively influence the embryonic survival of lizards across latitudes. We collected and bred lizards from 5 latitudes and incubated their eggs across a range of temperatures to quantify population-specific responses to chronic and acute heat stress. Using an embryonic development model parameterized with measured embryonic heat tolerances, we further identified a collective impact of embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerances on embryonic survival. We also incorporated embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerance in hybrid species distribution models to determine species' range shifts under climate change. Embryos' tolerance of chronic heat (T-chronic) remained consistent across latitudes, whereas their tolerance of acute heat (T-acute) was higher at high latitudes than at low latitudes. Tolerance of acute heat exerted a more pronounced influence than tolerance of chronic heat. In species distribution models, climate change led to the most significant habitat loss for each population and species in its low-latitude distribution. Consequently, habitat for populations across all latitudes will shift toward high latitudes. Our study also highlights the importance of considering embryonic survival under chronic and acute heat stresses to predict species' vulnerability to climate change.

Efectos colectivos del aumento de las temperaturas promedio y los eventos de calor en embriones ovíparos Resumen La supervivencia de los embriones inmóviles en respuesta al incremento de temperatura es importante para determinar la vulnerabilidad de las especies al cambio climático. Sin embargo, los efectos colectivos de dos características térmicas claves asociadas con el cambio climático (i. e., aumento de temperatura promedio y eventos de calor agudo) sobre la supervivencia embrionaria permanecen en gran parte inexplorados. Utilizamos mediciones empíricas y modelos de nicho para investigar cómo el estrés térmico crónico y agudo influye de forma independiente y colectiva en la supervivencia embrionaria de los lagartos en todas las latitudes. Recolectamos y criamos lagartos de cinco latitudes e incubamos sus huevos en un rango de temperaturas para cuantificar las respuestas específicas de la población al estrés por calor crónico y agudo. Posteriormente, mediante un modelo de desarrollo embrionario parametrizado con mediciones de tolerancia embrionaria al calor, identificamos un impacto colectivo de las tolerancias embrionarias al calor agudo y crónico en la supervivencia embrionaria. También incorporamos la tolerancia embrionaria crónica y aguda al calor en modelos de distribución de especies híbridas para determinar los cambios de distribución de las especies bajo el cambio climático. La tolerancia embrionaria al calor crónico (T­crónico) permaneció constante, mientras que la tolerancia al calor agudo (T­agudo) fue mayor en latitudes altas que en latitudes bajas. La tolerancia al calor agudo ejerció una influencia más pronunciada que la tolerancia al calor crónico. En los modelos de distribución de especies, el cambio climático provocó la pérdida de hábitat más significativa para cada población y especie en su distribución de latitudes bajas. En consecuencia, el hábitat para poblaciones en todas las latitudes se desplazará a latitudes altas. Nuestro estudio también resalta la importancia de considerar la supervivencia embrionaria bajo estrés térmico crónico y agudo para predecir la vulnerabilidad de las especies al cambio climático.

Genetically Encoded Lizard Color Divergence for Camouflage and Thermoregulation.

Local adaptation is critical in speciation and evolution, yet comprehensive studies on proximate and ultimate causes of local adaptation are generally scarce. Here, we integrated field ecological experiments, genome sequencing, and genetic verification to demonstrate both driving forces and molecular mechanisms governing local adaptation of body coloration in a lizard from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found dark lizards from the cold meadow population had lower spectrum reflectance but higher melanin contents than light counterparts from the warm dune population. Additionally, the colorations of both dark and light lizards facilitated the camouflage and thermoregulation in their respective microhabitat simultaneously. More importantly, by genome resequencing analysis, we detected a novel mutation in Tyrp1 that underpinned this color adaptation. The allele frequencies at the site of SNP 459# in the gene of Tyrp1 are 22.22% G/C and 77.78% C/C in dark lizards and 100% G/G in light lizards. Model-predicted structure and catalytic activity showed that this mutation increased structure flexibility and catalytic activity in enzyme TYRP1, and thereby facilitated the generation of eumelanin in dark lizards. The function of the mutation in Tyrp1 was further verified by more melanin contents and darker coloration detected in the zebrafish injected with the genotype of Tyrp1 from dark lizards. Therefore, our study demonstrates that a novel mutation of a major melanin-generating gene underpins skin color variation co-selected by camouflage and thermoregulation in a lizard. The resulting strong selection may reinforce adaptive genetic divergence and enable the persistence of adjacent populations with distinct body coloration.

Climate warming has divergent physiological impacts on sympatric lizards.

Climate warming is expected to affect the vulnerability of sympatric species differentially due to their divergent traits, but the underlying physiological mechanisms of those impacts are poorly understood. We conducted field warming experiments (present climate vs. warm climate) using open-top chambers to determine the effects of climate warming on active body temperature, oxidative damage, immune competence, growth and survival in two sympatric desert-dwelling lizards, Eremias multiocellata and Eremias argus from May 2019 to September 2020. Our climate warming treatment did not affect survival of the two species, but it did increase active body temperatures and growth rate in E. multiocellata compared to E. argus. Climate warming also induced greater oxidative damage (higher malondialdehyde content and catalase activity) in E. multiocellata, but not in E. argus. Further, climate warming increased immune competence in E. multiocellata, but decreased immune competence in E. argus, with regards to white blood cell counts, bacteria killing ability and relative expression of immunoglobulin M. Our results suggest that climate warming enhances body temperature, and thereby oxidative stress, immune competence and growth in E. multiocellata, but decreases immune competence of E. argus, perhaps as a cost of thermoregulation to maintain body temperatures under climate warming. The divergent physiological effects of climate warming on sympatric species may have profound ecological consequences if it eventually leads to changes in reproductive activities, population dynamics and community structure. Our study highlights the importance of considering interspecific differences in physiological traits when we evaluate the impact of climate warming on organisms, even for those closely-related species coexisting within the same geographical area.

Metabolic regulation reduces the oxidative damage of arid lizards in response to moderate heat events.

Climate warming poses a significant threat to species worldwide, particularly those inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions where extreme temperatures are increasingly prevalent. However, empirical studies investigating how moderate heat events affect the physiological processes of arid and semi-arid animals are largely scarce. To address this knowledge gap, we used an arid and semi-arid lizard species (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) as a study system. We manipulated thermal environments to simulate moderate heat events (43.5 ± 0.3°C during the heating period) for lizards and examined physiological and biochemical traits related to survival, metabolism, locomotion, oxidative stress, and telomere length. We found that the body condition and survival of the lizards were not significantly affected by moderate heat events, despite an increase in body temperature and a decrease in locomotion at high test temperatures were detected. Mechanistically, we found that the lizards exhibited down-regulated metabolic rates and enhanced activities of antioxidative enzymes, resulting in reduced oxidative damage and stable telomere length under moderate heat events. Based on these findings, which indicated a beneficial regulation of fitness by physiological and biochemical processes, we inferred that moderate heat events did not have a detrimental effect on the toad-headed agama, P. przewalskii. Overall, our research contributes to understanding the impacts of moderate heat events on arid and semi-arid species and highlights the adaptive responses and resilience exhibited by the toad-headed agama in the face of climate warming.

Wireless Electrical Signals Induce Functional Neuronal Differentiation of BMSCs on 3D Graphene Framework Driven by Magnetic Field.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are suggested as candidates for neurodegeneration therapy by autologous stem cells to overcome the lack of neural stem cells in adults. However, the differentiation of BMSCs into functional neurons is a major challenge for neurotherapy. Herein, a methodology has been proposed to induce functional neuronal differentiation of BMSCs on a conductive three-dimensional graphene framework (GFs) combined with a rotating magnetic field. A wireless electrical signal of about 10 µA can be generated on the surface of GFs by cutting the magnetic field lines based on the well-known electromagnetic induction effect, which has been proven to be suitable for inducing neuronal differentiation of BMSCs. The enhanced expressions of the specific genes/proteins and apparent Ca2+ intracellular flow indicate that BMSCs cultured on GFs with 15 min/day rotating magnetic field stimulation for 15 days can differentiate functional neurons without any neural inducing factor. The animal experiments confirm the neural differentiation of BMSCs on GFs after transplantation in vivo, accompanied by stimulation of an external rotating magnetic field. This study overcomes the lack of autologous neural stem cells for adult neurodegeneration patients and provides a facile and safe strategy to induce the neural differentiation of BMSCs, which has potential for clinical applications of neural tissue engineering.

Female lizards (Eremias argus) reverse Bergmann's rule across altitude.

The evolution of body size within and among species is predicted to be influenced by multifarious environmental factors. However, the specific drivers of body size variation have remained difficult to understand because of the wide range of proximate factors that covary with ectotherm body sizes across populations with varying local environmental conditions. Here, we used female Eremias argus lizards collected from different populations across their wide range in China, and constructed linear mixed models to assess how climatic conditions and/or available resources at different altitudes shape the geographical patterns of lizard body size across altitude. Lizard populations showed significant differences in body size across altitudes. Furthermore, we found that climatic and seasonal changes along the altitudinal gradient also explained variations in body size among populations. Specifically, body size decreased with colder and drier environmental conditions at high altitudes, reversing Bergmann's rule. Limited resources at high altitudes, measured by the low vegetative index, may also constrain body size. Therefore, our study demonstrates that multifarious environmental factors could strongly influence the intraspecific variation in organisms' body size.

Can nesting behaviour allow reptiles to adapt to climate change?

A range of abiotic parameters within a reptile nest influence the viability and attributes (including sex, behaviour and body size) of hatchlings that emerge from that nest. As a result of that sensitivity, a reproducing female can manipulate the phenotypic attributes of her offspring by laying her eggs at times and in places that provide specific conditions. Nesting reptiles shift their behaviour in terms of timing of oviposition, nest location and depth of eggs beneath the soil surface across spatial and temporal gradients. Those maternal manipulations affect mean values and variances of both temperature and soil moisture, and may modify the vulnerability of embryos to threats such as predation and parasitism. By altering thermal and hydric conditions in reptile nests, climate change has the potential to dramatically modify the developmental trajectories and survival rates of embryos, and the phenotypes of hatchlings. Reproducing females buffer such effects by modifying the timing, location and structure of nests in ways that enhance offspring viability. Nonetheless, our understanding of nesting behaviours in response to climate change remains limited in reptiles. Priority topics for future studies include documenting climate-induced changes in the nest environment, the degree to which maternal behavioural shifts can mitigate climate-related deleterious impacts on offspring development, and ecological and evolutionary consequences of maternal nesting responses to climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.

Optimizing protected areas to boost the conservation of key protected wildlife in China.

To meet the challenge of biodiversity loss and reach the targets of the proposed Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the Chinese government updated the list of national key protected wildlife in 2021 and has been continually expanding the protected areas (PAs). However, the status of protected wildlife in PAs remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a national assessment of the status of protected wildlife and suggested an optimization plan to overcome these shortcomings. From 1988 to 2021, the number of protected species almost doubled, and the area of PAs increased by 2.4 times, covering over 92.8% of the protected species. Nonetheless, 70.8% of the protected species are still not effectively protected by PAs, with some having less than 10% of their habitat included in PAs. Despite the significant addition of amphibians and reptiles to the latest protection list, they are the fewest species and are the least covered by PAs compared with birds and mammals. To fix these gaps, we systematically optimized the current PAs network by adding another 10.0% of China's land area as PAs, which resulted in 37.6% coverage of protected species' habitats in PAs. In addition, 26 priority areas were identified. Our research aimed to identify gaps in current conservation policies and suggest optimization solutions to facilitate wildlife conservation planning in China. In general, updating the list of key protected wildlife species and systematically optimizing PA networks are essential and applicable to other countries facing biodiversity loss.

Taurine Stimulates AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and Modulates the Skeletal Muscle Functions in Rats via the Induction of Intracellular Calcium Influx.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a free amino acid abundantly found in mammalian tissues. Taurine plays a role in the maintenance of skeletal muscle functions and is associated with exercise capacity. However, the mechanism underlying taurine function in skeletal muscles has not yet been elucidated. In this study, to investigate the mechanism of taurine function in the skeletal muscles, the effects of short-term administration of a relatively low dose of taurine on the skeletal muscles of Sprague-Dawley rats and the underlying mechanism of taurine function in cultured L6 myotubes were investigated. The results obtained in this study in rats and L6 cells indicate that taurine modulates the skeletal muscle function by stimulating the expression of genes and proteins associated with mitochondrial and respiratory metabolism through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase via the calcium signaling pathway.

The divergent effects of moderate climate warming on the gut microbiota and energetic state of cold-climate lizards from open and semi-closed microhabitats.

Introduction: Understanding the physiological responses to warming temperatures is critical for evaluating the vulnerabilities of animals to climate warming. The physiological responses are increasingly affected by gut microbiota. However, the interactions between physiological responses and the gut microbiota of sympatric animals from various microhabitats in the face of climate change remain largely unknown. Methods: To evaluate the effects of warming temperatures on animals from different microhabitats, we compared locomotor performance, metabolic rate, growth, survival, and gut microbiota of two sympatric ectothermic species (Eremias argus and Takydromus amurensis) from open and semi-closed microhabitats under present and moderate warming climate conditions, respectively. Results and discussion: We found that locomotor performance and growth rates of snout-vent length (SVL) were enhanced in both lizard species by warming climate. Interestingly, warming temperatures enhanced resting metabolic rates (RMR) in the open-habitat lizard, E. argus, but depressed them in the semi-closed habitat lizard, T. amurensis. Reversely, the metabolism-related gut microbiota was not affected by warming in E. argus, whereas it was significantly enhanced by warming in T. amurensis, indicating a plausible compensatory effect of the gut microbiota on the metabolic regulation of T. amurensis. Furthermore, warming likely improved immunity in both lizard species by significantly reducing pathogenic bacteria while increasing probiotics. This study found that high-latitude sympatric lizards from both open and semi-closed habitats were beneficial to warming temperatures by physiological modification and regulation of the gut microbiota and highlighted the importance of integrating the physiology and gut microbiota in evaluating the vulnerability of animals to climate warming.

Temperate and tropical lizards are vulnerable to climate warming due to increased water loss and heat stress.

Climate warming has imposed profound impacts on species globally. Understanding the vulnerabilities of species from different latitudinal regions to warming climates is critical for biological conservation. Using five species of Takydromus lizards as a study system, we quantified physiological and life-history responses and geography range change across latitudes under climate warming. Using integrated biophysical models and hybrid species distribution models, we found: (i) thermal safety margin is larger at high latitudes and is predicted to decrease under climate warming for lizards at all latitudes; (ii) climate warming will speed up embryonic development and increase annual activity time of adult lizards, but will exacerbate water loss of adults across all latitudes; and (iii) species across latitudes are predicted to experience habitat contraction under climate warming due to different limitations-tropical and subtropical species are vulnerable due to increased extremely high temperatures, whereas temperate species are vulnerable due to both extremely high temperatures and increased water loss. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the vulnerability of species from different latitudinal regions to climate warming in ectotherms, and also highlights the importance of integrating environmental factors, behaviour, physiology and life-history responses in predicting the risk of species to climate warming.

Effects of climate and human activity on the current distribution of amphibians in China.

In China, as elsewhere, amphibians are highly endangered. Anthropogenic environmental change has affected the distribution and population dynamics of species, and species distributions at a broad scale are strongly driven by climate and species' ability to disperse. Yet, current knowledge remains limited on how widespread human activity affects the distribution patterns of amphibians in China and whether this effect extends beyond climate. We compiled a relatively comprehensive database on the distribution of 196 amphibian species in China from the literature, public databases, and field data. We obtained 25,826 records on almost 50% of known species in China. To test how environmental factors and human activities influence the current distribution of amphibians (1960-1990), we used range filling, which is species realized ranges relative to their potential climate distribution. We used all species occurrence records to represent realized range and niche models to predict potential distribution range. To reduce uncertainty, we used 3 regression methods (beta regression, generalized boosted regression models, and random forest) to test the associations of species range filling with human activity, climate, topography, and range size. The results of the 3 approaches were consistent. At the species level, mean annual precipitation (climate) had the most effect on spatial distribution pattern of amphibians in China, followed by range size. Human activity ranked last. At the spatial level, mean annual precipitation remained the most important factor. Regions in southeastern of China that are currently moist supported the highest amphibian diversity, but were predicted to experience a decline in precipitation under climate change scenarios. Consequently, the distributions of amphibians will likely shift to the northwest in the future, which could affect future conservation efforts.

En China, como en todos lados, los anfibios están gravemente en peligro. El cambio ambiental antropogénico ha afectado la distribución y dinámica poblacional de especies, y la distribución de especies a gran escala están muy influidas por el clima y la habilidad de dispersión de las especies. Sin embargo, el conocimiento actual sigue siendo limitado sobre cómo la actividad humana generalizada afecta a los patrones de distribución de anfibios en China y si este efecto se extiende más allá del clima. A partir de literatura, bases de datos públicas y datos de campo, integramos una base datos relativamente completa sobre la distribución de 196 especies de anfibios en China. Obtuvimos 25,826 registros de casi 50% de las especies conocidas en China. Para probar cómo los factores ambientales y las actividades humanas influyen en la distribución actual de anfibios (1960-1990), utilizamos la ocupación de rango, que contrasta los rangos de distribución observada de las especies en relación con su distribución climática potencial. Utilizamos los registros de ocurrencia de todas las especies para representar el rango observado y modelos de nicho para predecir el rango de distribución potencial. Para reducir la incertidumbre, utilizamos 3 métodos de regresión (regresión beta, modelos de regresión acelerada generalizada y bosque aleatorio) para probar las asociaciones de la ocupación de rango de especies con la actividad humana, clima, topografía y extensión de rango. Los resultados de los tres métodos fueron consistentes. A nivel de especie, la precipitación media anual (clima) tuvo el mayor efecto sobre el patrón de distribución de anfibios en China, seguida por la extensión del rango. La actividad humana ocupó el último lugar. A nivel espacial, la precipitación media anual siguió como el factor más importante. Las regiones en el sureste de China que aun son húmedas sostuvieron la mayor diversidad de anfibios, pero se pronosticó que la precipitación declinará bajo escenarios de cambio climático. Consecuentemente, la distribución de anfibios muy probablemente cambiará hacia el noreste, lo cual podría afectar esfuerzos futuros de conservación.

Electroactive Hydroxyapatite/Carbon Nanofiber Scaffolds for Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Traditional bone defect treatments are limited by an insufficient supply of autologous bone, the immune rejection of allogeneic bone grafts, and high medical costs. To address this medical need, bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising option. Among the existing tissue engineering materials, the use of electroactive scaffolds has become a common strategy in bone repair. However, single-function electroactive scaffolds are not sufficient for scientific research or clinical application. On the other hand, multifunctional electroactive scaffolds are often complicated and expensive to prepare. Therefore, we propose a new tissue engineering strategy that optimizes the electrical properties and biocompatibility of carbon-based materials. Here, a hydroxyapatite/carbon nanofiber (HAp/CNF) scaffold with optimal electrical activity was prepared by electrospinning HAp nanoparticle-incorporated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and then carbonizing the fibers. Biochemical assessments of the markers of osteogenesis in human adipose-derived stem cells (h-ADSCs) cultured on HAp/CNF scaffolds demonstrate that the material promoted the osteogenic differentiation of h-ADSCs in the absence of an osteogenic factor. The results of this study show that electroactive carbon materials with a fibrous structure can promote the osteogenic differentiation of h-ADSCs, providing a new strategy for the preparation and application of carbon-based materials in bone tissue engineering.

Rapid, accurate, and novel diagnostic technique for respiratory pathogens: Clinical application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay in older patients with pneumonia, a multicenter prospective observational study.

Background: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel nucleic acid amplification method using only one type of enzyme that can amplify DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal conditions. Chips for Complicated Infection Detection (CCID) is based on LAMP. This study translate CCID into clinical application and evaluate its diagnostic value for pneumonia. Methods: Eighty one older patients with pneumonia were prospectively enrolled from January 1 to July 23, 2021, and 57 sputum/airway secretion and 35 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were collected and analyzed by CCID and conventional microbiological tests (CMTs). Samples were collected, transported, monitored, and managed by a multidisciplinary team using a sample management information system. Results: CCID turnaround time was 50 min, and the detection limit was 500 copies/reaction. The percentage of positive samples was significantly higher using CCID than CMTs, especially for Klebsiella pneumoniae (odds ratio [OR], 9.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-70.5; p < 0.05), Enterococcus faecalis (OR, ∞; p < 0.01), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (OR, ∞; p < 0.01), fungi (OR, 26.0; 95% CI, 3.6-190.0; p < 0.01), and viruses (CCID only; p < 0.01). In addition, the percentage of positive results was significantly higher using CCID than CMTs in patients who used antibiotics for more than 3 days (91.9% vs. 64.9%; p < 0.01). Analyzing clinical impact, 55 cases (59.8%) benefited from CCID. Conclusion: CCID allows the rapid and accurate detection of pneumonia in older patients. Moreover, this technique is less affected by previous antibiotic treatment and can improve patient care.

Graphene Biodevices for Early Disease Diagnosis Based on Biomarker Detection.

The early diagnosis of diseases plays a vital role in healthcare and the extension of human life. Graphene-based biosensors have boosted the early diagnosis of diseases by detecting and monitoring related biomarkers, providing a better understanding of various physiological and pathological processes. They have generated tremendous interest, made significant advances, and offered promising application prospects. In this paper, we discuss the background of graphene and biosensors, including the properties and functionalization of graphene and biosensors. Second, the significant technologies adopted by biosensors are discussed, such as field-effect transistors and electrochemical and optical methods. Subsequently, we highlight biosensors for detecting various biomarkers, including ions, small molecules, macromolecules, viruses, bacteria, and living human cells. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of graphene-based biosensors and related broad research interests are discussed.

A reciprocal egg-swap experiment reveals sources of variation in developmental success among populations of a desert lizard.

Identifying intrinsic and extrinsic sources of variation in life history traits among populations has been well-studied at the post-embryonic stage but rarely at the embryonic stage. To reveal these sources of variation in the developmental success of embryos, we measured the physical characteristics of nest environments and conducted reciprocal egg-swap experiments in two populations of the toad-headed agamid lizard (Phrynocephalus przewalskii), isolated from each other by a mountain range. We determined the effects of population origin and nest environment on embryonic and offspring traits related to developmental success, including incubation period, hatching success, and offspring growth and survival. Females from the northern population constructed deeper nests that were colder and wetter than those from the southern population. Northern embryos had higher hatching success than the southern embryos when incubated at the northern nest environment, but not when they were incubated at the southern nest environment. The southern hatchlings grew faster than the northern hatchlings when incubated at the southern nest environment, but not after incubation at the northern nest environment. These phenomena likely reflect local adaptation of embryonic development to their nest environments among populations in lizards. In addition, the southern hatchlings had higher survivorship than the northern hatchlings regardless of nest environment, suggesting the southern population has evolved a superior phenotype at the hatchling stage to maximize its fitness.

Effects of long-term taurine supplementation on age-related changes in skeletal muscle function of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a free amino acid found abundantly in mammalian tissues. Increasing evidence suggests that taurine plays a role in the maintenance of skeletal muscle function and increase of exercise capacity. Most energy drinks contain this amino acid; however, there is insufficient research on the effects of long-term, low-dose supplementation of taurine. In this study, we investigated the effects of long-term administration of taurine at low doses on aging in rodents. In Experiment 1, we examined age-related changes in aging Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (32-92 weeks old) that O2 consumption and spontaneous activity decreased significantly with aging. In Experiment 2, we examined the effects of long-term (21-week) administration of taurine on healthy aging SD rats. SD rats were stabilized for 32-34 weeks and divided into three groups, administrated water (control), 0.5% taurine (25 mg/kg  body weight (BW)/day), or 1% taurine (50 mg/kg  BW/day) from age 34 to 56 weeks (5 days/week, 5 mL/kg BW). Our findings suggest that long-term administration of taurine at relatively low dose could attenuate the age-related decline in O2 consumption and spontaneous locomotor activity. Upon intestinal absorption, taurine might modulate age-related changes in respiratory metabolism and skeletal muscle function via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochrome c (Cycs), myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), and myoglobin, which are regulated by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). This article examines the mechanism underlying the effects of taurine on age-related changes, which may have potential clinical implications.

The thermal ecology and physiology of reptiles and amphibians: A user's guide.

Research on the thermal ecology and physiology of free-living organisms is accelerating as scientists and managers recognize the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis brought on by climate change. As ectotherms, temperature fundamentally affects most aspects of the lives of amphibians and reptiles, making them excellent models for studying how animals are impacted by changing temperatures. As research on this group of organisms accelerates, it is essential to maintain consistent and optimal methodology so that results can be compared across groups and over time. This review addresses the utility of reptiles and amphibians as model organisms for thermal studies by reviewing the best practices for research on their thermal ecology and physiology, and by highlighting key studies that have advanced the field with new and improved methods. We end by presenting several areas where reptiles and amphibians show great promise for further advancing our understanding of how temperature relations between organisms and their environments are impacted by global climate change.

Phenotypic consequences of maternally selected nests: a cross-fostering experiment in a desert lizard.

Despite the importance of maternally selected nests in shaping offspring phenotypes, our understanding of how the nest environment affects embryonic development and offspring traits of most non-avian reptiles is rather limited largely due to the logistical difficulty in locating their nests. To identify the relative contributions of environmental (temporal [seasonal] and spatial [nest-site]) and intrinsic (clutch) factors on embryonic development and offspring traits, we conducted a cross-fostering experiment by swapping eggs between maternally-selected nests of the toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) in the field. We found that nest environment explained a large proportion of variation in incubation duration, hatching success, and offspring size and growth. In contrast, clutch only explained a small proportion of variation in these embryonic and offspring traits. More significantly, compared with spatial effects, seasonal effects explained more phenotypic variation in both embryonic development and offspring traits. Eggs laid early in the nesting season had longer incubation durations and produced smaller hatchlings with higher post-hatching growth rates than did later-laid eggs. Consequently, hatchlings from early-laid eggs reached larger body sizes prior to winter. In addition, we found that female toad-headed agama did not select nests specific to reaction norms of their own offspring because hatchlings from original or translocated nests had similar phenotypic traits. Overall, our study demonstrates the importance of seasonal variation in nest environments in determining embryonic development and offspring phenotypes, which has not been widely appreciated at least in non-avian reptiles.