Whole-animal experiments devised to investigate possible association between photoperiodic time measurement and the circadian system (Bünning's hypothesis) are compared with more recent molecular ...investigations of circadian clock genes. In
Sarcophaga argyrostoma
and some other species, experimental cycles of light and darkness revealed a photoperiodic oscillator, set to constant phase at dusk and measuring night length repeatedly during extended periods of darkness. In some species, however, extreme dampening revealed an unrepetitive (i.e., hourglass-like) response. Rhythms of clock gene transcript abundance may also show similar phase relationships to the light cycle, and gene silencing of important clock genes indicates that they play a crucial role in photoperiodism either alone or in concert. However, the multiplicity of peripheral oscillators in the insect circadian system indicates that more complex mechanisms might also be important.
In insects, the photoperiodic system comprises a linked sequence of events from photoreception to fi nal seasonally-appropriate phenotypes such as overwintering diapause. The fi rst and last of these ...events are reasonably well known, but central phenomena such as those distinguishing short from long days (time measurement) and the nature, accumulation and transfer of this information through development, metamorphosis and sometimes across generations remains obscure. Bünning's intuitive suggestion that photoperiodic time measurement was a function of the circadian system, made eight decades ago, however, has provided a framework for numerous studies investigating these connections. This review examines the development of Bünning's hypothesis from its origin in plants to the physiology of diapause in insects. Despite considerable inter-species differences, a close and probably causal relationship between circadian rhythmicity and photoperiodism is indicated.
The identity and nature of the photoperiodic photoreceptors are now quite well known, as is the nature of the endocrine regulation of the resulting diapauses. The central problem of time ...measurement—how the photoperiodic clock differentiates long from short days—however, is still obscure, known only from whole-animal experiments and abstract models, although it is clearly a function of the insect circadian system. This review describes some of these experiments in terms of oscillator entrainment and two widely applicable photoperiodic clock models, external and internal coincidence, mainly using data from experiments on flesh flies (
Sarcophaga
spp) and the parasitic wasp,
Nasonia vitripennis
.
2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), 6-hydroxy-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (6-OH-BDE-47), and 6-methoxy-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (6-MeO-BDE-47) are the most detected congeners of polybrominated ...diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), OH-BDEs, and MeO-BDEs, respectively, in aquatic organisms. Although it has been demonstrated that BDE-47 can interfere with certain endocrine functions that are mediated through several nuclear hormone receptors (NRs), most of these findings were from mammalian cell lines exposed in vitro. In the present study, embryos and larvae of zebrafish were exposed to BDE-47, 6-OH-BDE-47, and 6-MeO-BDE-47 to compare their accumulation, biotransformation, and bioconcentration factors (BCF) from 4 to 120 hpf. In addition, effects on expression of genes associated with eight different pathways regulated by NRs were investigated at 120 hpf. 6-MeO-BDE-47 was most bioaccumulated and 6-OH-BDE-47, which was the most potent BDE, was least bioaccumulated. Moreover, the amount of 6-MeO-BDE-47, but not BDE-47, transformed to 6-OH-BDE-47 increased in a time-dependent manner, approximately 0.01%, 0.04%, and 0.08% at 48, 96, and 120 hpf, respectively. Expression of genes regulated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor (ER), and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) was affected in larvae exposed to 6-OH-BDE-47, whereas genes regulated by AhR, ER, and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) were altered in larvae exposed to BDE-47. The greatest effect on expression of genes was observed in larvae exposed to 6-MeO-BDE-47. Specifically, 6-MeO-BDE-47 affected the expression of genes regulated by AhR, ER, AR, GR, and thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRα). These pathways were mostly down-regulated at 2.5 μM. Taken together, these results demonstrate the importance of usage of an internal dose to assess the toxic effects of PBDEs. BDE-47 and its analogs elicited distinct effects on expression of genes of different hormone receptor-mediated pathways, which have expanded the knowledge of different mechanisms of endocrine disrupting effects in aquatic vertebrates. Because some of these homologues are natural products, assessments of risks of anthropogenic PBDE need to be made against the background of concentrations from naturally occurring products. Even though PBDEs are being phased out as flame retardants, the natural products remain.
The initial stages of diapause induction - as summer gives way to autumn - involve a process of time measurement in which the duration of daylength (or nightlength) is determined by a photoperiodic ...'clock' based upon the circadian system. In many insects so far examined, a photophase of suffi cient duration and illuminance resets a photoperiodic oscillator to a constant phase equivalent to the beginning of the 'subjective night' (Circadian time, CT 12 h) whereupon it proceeds to measure nightlength in a clock of the external coincidence type. A possible exception may be found in the linden bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus, which - in laboratory studies using relatively low light intensity - suggests that daylength is measured rather than the night. Earlier studies of photoperiodic responses (pupal diapause induction) in the flesh fl y Sarcophaga argyrostoma, however, showed that 'weak' or short light pulses giving rise to Type 1 phase response curves could be converted by increasing light intensity to Type 0 responses that phase set the oscillation to the beginning of the subjective night (CT 12 h) whereupon it could begin to measure the night. Based upon these data it is therefore suggested that the photoperiodic clock in P. apterus might also measure nightlength if the bugs were exposed to photophases of higher irradiance simulating daytime exposure to the light intensity experienced by these diurnally active insects in their natural environment.
This review starts by comparing photoperiodic diapause with non-photoperiodic quiescence in four representative species, paying particular attention to overwintering in Drosophila melanogaster. In ...the second part it describes dormancy strategies of insects from the equator to the polar regions, addressing topics such as the role of the circadian system in photoperiodic time measurement, latitudinal clines in diapause-related traits, hourglass-like photoperiodic clocks based on dampening circadian oscillators, and the dormancy strategies of insects close to the equator or at high latitudes where seasonal changes in photoperiod are unreliable or absent.
Characterization of toxicological profiles by use of traditional targeted strategies might underestimate the risk of environmental mixtures. Unbiased identification of prioritized compounds provides ...a promising strategy for meeting regulatory needs. In this study, untargeted screening of brominated compounds in house dust was conducted using a data-independent precursor isolation and characteristic fragment (DIPIC-Frag) approach, which used data-independent acquisition (DIA) and a chemometric strategy to detect peaks and align precursor ions. A total of 1008 brominated compound peaks were identified in 23 house dust samples. Precursor ions and formulas were identified for 738 (73%) of the brominated compounds. A correlation matrix was used to cluster brominated compounds; three large groups were found for the 140 high-abundance brominated compounds, and only 24 (17%) of these compounds were previously known flame retardants. The predominant class of unknown brominated compounds was predicted to consist of nitrogen-containing compounds. Following further validation by authentic standards, these compounds (56%) were determined to be novel brominated azo dyes. The mutagenicity of one major component was investigated, and mutagenicity was observed at environmentally relevant concentrations. Results of this study demonstrated the existence of numerous unknown brominated compounds in house dust, with mutagenic azo dyes unexpectedly being identified as the predominant compounds.
While previous studies have found that unknown natural and synthetic organo-bromine compounds (NSOBCs) contributed more than 99% of the total organic bromine (Br) in the environment, there was no ...efficient method for untargeted screening to identify NSOBCs in environmental matrixes. A novel untargeted method for identifying NSOBCs, based on ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (UHRMS) with the Q Exactive instrument was developed. This method included a data-independent precursor isolation and characteristic fragment (DIPIC-Frag) procedure to identify NSOBCs. A total of 180 successive 5-m/z-wide windows were used to isolate precursor ions. This resulted in a sufficient dynamic range and specificity to identify peaks of Br fragment ions for analysis. A total of 2520 peaks of NSOBC compounds containing Br were observed in sediments from Lake Michigan, United States. A new chemometric strategy which combined chromatographic profiles, isotopic peaks, precursor isolation window information, and intensities was used to identify precursor ions and chemical formulas for detecting NSOBCs. Precursor ions for 2163 of the 2520 NSOBCs peaks (86%) were identified, and chemical formulas for 2071 NSOBCs peaks (82%) were determined. After exclusion of isotopic peaks, 1593 unique NSOBCs were identified and chemical formulas derived for each. Most of the compounds identified had not been reported previously and had intensities which were 100- to 1000-fold greater than the congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In extracts of sediments, these compounds exhibited variations in intensities (<103 to ∼108), m/z values (170.9438–997.5217), retention times on a C18 column (1.0–29.3 min), and the number of Br atoms (1–8). Generally, compounds with greater m/z values had longer retention times and greater numbers of Br atoms. Three compounds were used in a proof-of-concept experiment to demonstrate that structures of some of the screened NSOBCs could be further predicted by combining searching of database libraries and high-resolution MS2 spectra.
Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine failure in Cambodia Saunders, David L; Vanachayangkul, Pattaraporn; Lon, Chanthap
New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine,
07/2014, Letnik:
371, Številka:
5
Journal Article
PDF
