Increased rates of dispersal of free-ranging cane toads (Rhinella marina) during their global invasion.

Invasions often accelerate through time, as dispersal-enhancing traits accumulate at the expanding range edge. How does the dispersal behaviour of individual organisms shift to increase rates of population spread? We collate data from 44 radio-tracking studies (in total, of 650 animals) of cane toads (Rhinella marina) to quantify distances moved per day, and the frequency of displacement in their native range (French Guiana) and two invaded areas (Hawai'i and Australia). We show that toads in their native-range, Hawai'i and eastern Australia are relatively sedentary, while toads dispersing across tropical Australia increased their daily distances travelled from 20 to 200 m per day. That increase reflects an increasing propensity to change diurnal retreat sites every day, as well as to move further during each nocturnal displacement. Daily changes in retreat site evolved earlier than did changes in distances moved per night, indicating a breakdown in philopatry before other movement behaviours were optimised to maximise dispersal.

Stress and immunity: Field comparisons among populations of invasive cane toads in Florida.

Cane toads (Rhinella marina) were introduced worldwide and have become invasive in multiple locations, representing a major driver of biodiversity loss through competition (food, shelter, territory), predation, and the poisoning of native species. These toads have been used in Australia as a model for studies concerning invasion biology and ecoimmunology, as longer-established (core) and invasion front (edge) populations show altered stress and immune response profiles. Although cane toads were also introduced into the United States in the 1950s, these patterns have yet to be evaluated for the populations spanning Florida. Toads introduced into Florida have dispersed primarily northward along a latitudinal gradient, where they encounter cooler temperatures that may further impact stress and immune differences between core and edge populations. In this study, we sampled cane toads from nine different locations spanning their invasion in Florida. Cane toads from southern populations showed higher plasma bacterial killing ability and natural antibody titers than the toads from the northern populations, indicating they have a better immune surveillance system. Also, southern toads were more responsive to a novel stressor (1 hr restraint), showing a higher increase in corticosterone levels. These results indicate that possible trade-offs have occurred between immune and stress responses as these toads have become established in northern cooler areas in Florida.

Diurnal activity in cane toads (Rhinella marina) is geographically widespread.

Although adult cane toads (Rhinella marina) are generally active only at night, a recent study reported that individuals of this species switched to diurnal activity in response to encountering a novel habitat type (deeply shaded gorges) in the course of their Australian invasion. Our sampling over a broader geographic scale challenges the idea that this behaviour is novel; we documented diurnal behaviour both in the species' native range and in several sites within the invaded range, in multiple habitat types. Diurnal activity was most common in the tropics and in areas where toads attain high population densities and are in poor body condition, suggesting that the expansion of activity times may be induced by intraspecific competition for food.

Evaluación de los efectos de diversas intensidades de estimulación nerviosa sobre la amplitud de la respuesta en diferentes especies / Evaluation of the effects of various intensities of nerve stimulation on the scale of the response in different species

El comportamiento nervioso a la estimulación eléctrica ha sido ampliamente estudiado desde 1840, época en la que se comienza a entender las características de la amplitud de respuesta nerviosa y velocidades de conducción en nervios de animales. La amplitud de respuesta en segmentos de nervios es producto de los potenciales de acción compuestos resultantes a la estimulación eléctrica. En esta investigación se estudió el comportamiento nervioso a potenciales evocados in vivo en humanos (nervio ulnar) e in vitro como nervio aislado en Bufus marinus. Durante la estimulación de los nervios se encontró respuesta de comportamiento cualitativo creciente y heterogéneo intra e ínter-especie. El análisis de las respuestas y mecanismos que participan en estos resultados se discuten.

Nervous behaviour by electrical stimulation has been widely studied since 1840, times that initiated the comprehension of the conduction velocity and nerve's amplitude responses in animals. The amplitude response in nerve segments electrically stimulated is generated by the result of composed action potentials. This research pretended to study the nerve responses to evoked potentials in human in vivo (ulnar nerve) and in vitro in animals (Bufus marinus) in sciatic nerve. Electrical stimulation resulted in rising responses of heterogeneous quality inter and intra-species. Mechanisms involved in each response are examined.

Ventilatory behaviors of the toad Bufo marinus revealed by coherence analysis.

Breathing in amphibians is a remarkably complex behavior consisting of irregular breaths that may be taken singly or in bouts that are used to deflate and inflate the lungs. The valves at the two outlets of the buccal cavity (nares and glottis) need to be finely controlled throughout the bout for the expression of these complex respiratory behaviors. In this study, we use a technique based on the calculation of the coherence spectra between respiratory variables (buccal pressure; narial airflow; and lung pressure). Coherence was also used to quantify the effects of chemoreceptor and pulmonary mechanoreceptor input on narial and glottal valve behavior on normoxic, hypoxic, and hypercapnic toads with both intact and bilaterally sectioned pulmonary vagi. We found a significant reduction in narial coherence in hypoxic vagotomized toads indicating that pulmonary mechanoreceptor feedback modulates narial opening duration. An unexpectedly high coherence between Pl and Pb during non-respiratory buccal oscillations in hypercapnic toads indicated more forceful use of the buccal pump. We concluded that the coherence function reveals behaviors that are not apparent through visual inspection of ventilatory time series.

Fast and slow voltage modulation of apical Cl- permeability in toad skin at high [K+].

The influence of voltage on the conductance of toad skin was studied to identify the time course of the activation/deactivation dynamics of voltage-dependent Cl- channels located in the apical membrane of mitochondrion-rich cells in this tissue. Positive apical voltage induced an important conductance inhibition which took a few seconds to fully develop and was instantaneously released by pulse inversion to negative voltage, indicating a short-duration memory of the inhibiting factors. Sinusoidal stimulation at 23.4 mM [Cl-] showed hysteresis in the current versus voltage curves, even at very low frequency, suggesting that the rate of voltage application was also relevant for the inhibition/releasing effect to develop. We conclude that the voltage modulation of apical Cl- permeability is essentially a fast process and the apparent slow components of activation/deactivation obtained in the whole skin are a consequence of a gradual voltage build-up across the apical membrane due to voltage sharing between apical and basolateral membranes.

Interactions between body temperature regulation and blood acid-base status in anuran amphibians

In vertebrate evolution, the transition from aquatic to terrestrial mode of life was associated with considerable changes in the respiratory system and CO2/pH-sensitive receptors became fundamental. The present review focuses on the combined effects of hypercapnia and body temperature in anuran amphibians, that represent a key group for the transition. Recent studies have indicated that temperature affects the hypercapnic drive to breathe. Conversely, hypercapnia modulates the range of preferred body temperature of amphibians and central (CO2/pH) receptors are likely to be involved.

Interactions between body temperature regulation and blood acid-base status in anuran amphibians.

In vertebrate evolution, the transition from aquatic to terrestrial mode of life was associated with considerable changes in the respiratory system and CO2/pH-sensitive receptors became fundamental. The present review focuses on the combined effects of hypercapnia and body temperature in anuran amphibians, that represent a key group for the transition. Recent studies have indicated that temperature affects the hypercapnic drive to breathe. Conversely, hypercapnia modulates the range of preferred body temperature of amphibians and central (CO2/pH) receptors are likely to be involved.

pH- and voltage-dependent conductances in toad skin.

The present study focuses on two closely related topics on ion conductance in toad skins: (i) the interaction of apical protons with the apical voltage-dependent Cl(-)-activated channels of the mitochondria-rich cells, and (ii) the description and characterization of a novel subject, a voltage-dependent H(+)-activated conductance. The Cl- conductance (GCl) is activated by tissue hyperpolarization (which leads to apical membrane depolarization) and the presence of Cl- ions in the apical solution. Increasing apical proton concentration (from pH 8 to pH 4) impairs the process of activation of the Cl- conductive pathway, slowing the kinetics of It activation and reducing the steady-stage values of Gt and It. This effect is markedly voltage-dependent since no effect is seen at Vt = -100 mv and is fully present at -50 mV. The voltage-dependence of the pH effect suggests that the critical protonation sites of the apical Cl- channels are not freely exposed to the apical solution but dwell within the membrane electric field. An also coherent interpretation is that titration of apical proton binding sites affects the gating of the voltage-dependent Cl- channels, shifting the conductance-vs.-voltage curve to more negative clamping potentials. Tissue conductance in the absence of apical Cl- ions can be importantly affected by the pH of the apical solution (pHa), the effect being markedly dependent on the clamping potential. Generally speaking, the effect of rising apical proton concentration can be conspicuous at negative clamping potentials, while at positive potentials changes in tissue conductance were never observed. For a clamping potential of -100 mV, a turning point somewhere between pHa = 4 and pHa = 3 was observed. Apical acidification to pH 4 has no effect upon tissue conductance while apical acidification to pH 3 leads to a marked, slow and reversible increase of tissue conductance. A striking similitude exists between the voltage-dependent Cl(-)-gated conductance and the voltage-dependent proton-gated conductance regarding: (i) slow time courses of activation and deactivation, (ii) requirement for a negative clamping potential and the presence of a specific ion species in the apical solution for activation to take place, (iv) instantaneous ohmic behavior, and (v) steady-state rectification. However, so far the results do not permit one to conclude definitely that the voltage-dependent Cl(-)-gated conductance and the voltage-dependent proton-gated conductance share a common pathway.

[Comparison of acid and pepsinogen secretion control by oxyntopeptic cell of amphibians]. / Comparación del control de la secreción de ácido y de pepsinógeno por la célula oxintopéptica del anfibio.

Pepsinogen and HCl secretion in the amphibian stomach is performed by a single cell type, the oxyntopeptic cell. The distribution of pepsinogen in gastric mucosa of Bufo marinus is heterogeneous and higher concentrations are located in the fundus. Both secretions respond to the same secretagogues. Histamine induces the highest response for the two secretions. Carbachol alone, without the endogenous histamine component, has a small effect. Forskolin and 8Br-cAMP have a similar effect to histamine. The Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, and the diacylglycerol analogue, octanoylacylglycerol (OAG) have a small effect on both secretions as carbachol. Joint addition of histamine and carbachol, or forskolin and carbachol, or of OAG and 8Br-cAMP induce a potentiated response for the two secretions. Quantitative analysis of responses and study of the relationship between them during stimulation with histamine plus carbachol revealed a non parallel and uncoupled pattern of stimulation for acid and pepsinogen secretions.

Characteristics of toad bladder urinary acidification.

1. The urinary acification system present in the bladder of the toad Bufo marinus ictericus was investigated by means of an improved technique of mounting the membrane that minimizes the edge damage when the bladder is placed as a sheet between lucite half chambers. 2. In ouabain-treated bladders in the absence of exogenous CO2, acidification rates were similar to those observed for turtle bladder. 3. The presence of 1% CO2 at the serosal gas phase increased proton secretion (JH). Stimulation of JH was also observed when the cell pH was decreased by back diffusion of salicylic acid added to the mucosal (M) compartment. 4. The estimate of the passive proton permeability of this epithelium as a whole yielded values around 1 x 10(-4) cm/s. The maximum pH gradient that could be established across the membrane in the short circuit condition (about 3 pH units) was taken as the apparent proton-motive force (PMF') of the system and these values were similar to those observed in the turtle bladder. 5. Luminal membrane depolarization caused by substitution of NaCl by KCl in Ringer solution led to an increase in JH at M pH = 7.3 without altering the PMF', which suggests that the electrical potential difference across the luminal membrane in ouabain-treated bladders is negligible when M pH is sufficiently acid to abolish H+ secretion.