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Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars | Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars Full text
2024
Collard, France | Benjaminsen, Stine Charlotte | Herzke, Dorte | Husabø, Eirin | Sagerup, Kjetil | Tulatz, Felix | Gabrielsen, Geir W.
Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars | Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars Full text
2024
Collard, France | Benjaminsen, Stine Charlotte | Herzke, Dorte | Husabø, Eirin | Sagerup, Kjetil | Tulatz, Felix | Gabrielsen, Geir W.
Plastic pollution threatens many organisms around the world. In particular, the northern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, is known to ingest high quantities of plastics. Since data are sparse in the Eurasian Arctic, we investigated plastic burdens in the stomachs of fulmar fledglings from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Fifteen birds were collected and only particles larger than 1 mm were extracted, characterised and analysed with Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy. All birds ingested plastic. In total, 683 plastic particles were found, with an average of 46 ± 40 SD items per bird. The most common shape, colour and polymer were hard fragment, white, and polyethylene, respectively. Microplastics ( 5 mm). This study confirms high numbers of ingested plastics in fulmar fledglings from Svalbard and suggests that fulmar fledglings may be suitable for temporal monitoring of plastic pollution, avoiding potential biases caused by age composition or breeding state. | publishedVersion
Show more [+] Less [-]Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars Full text
2024
Collard, France | Benjaminsen, Stine Charlotte | Herzke, Dorte | Husabø, Eirin | Sagerup, Kjetil | Tulatz, Felix | Gabrielsen, Geir W.
Plastic pollution threatens many organisms around the world. In particular, the northern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, is known to ingest high quantities of plastics. Since data are sparse in the Eurasian Arctic, we investigated plastic burdens in the stomachs of fulmar fledglings from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Fifteen birds were collected and only particles larger than 1 mm were extracted, characterised and analysed with Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy. All birds ingested plastic. In total, 683 plastic particles were found, with an average of 46 ± 40 SD items per bird. The most common shape, colour and polymer were hard fragment, white, and polyethylene, respectively. Microplastics ( 5 mm). This study confirms high numbers of ingested plastics in fulmar fledglings from Svalbard and suggests that fulmar fledglings may be suitable for temporal monitoring of plastic pollution, avoiding potential biases caused by age composition or breeding state.
Show more [+] Less [-]Biodegradable microplastics induce profound changes in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) defense mechanisms and to some extent deteriorate growth traits Full text
2024
Adamczyk, Sylwia | Zantis, Laura J. | van Loon, Sam | van Gestel, Cornelis A.M. | Bosker, Thijs | Hurley, Rachel | Nizzetto, Luca | Adamczyk, Bartosz | Velmala, Sannakajsa
The development of agricultural technologies has intensified the use of plastic in this sector. Products of plastic degradation, such as microplastics (MPs), potentially threaten living organisms, biodiversity and agricultural ecosystem functioning. Thus, biodegradable plastic materials have been introduced to agriculture. However, the effects of biodegradable plastic substitutes on soil ecosystems are even less known than those of traditional ones. Here, we studied the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of MPs prepared from a biodegradable plastic (a starch-polybutylene adipate terephthalate blend, PBAT-BD-MPs) on the growth and defense mechanisms of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in CLIMECS system (CLImatic Manipulation of ECosystem Samples). PBAT-BD-MPs in the highest concentrations negatively affected some traits of growth, i.e., dry weight percentage, specific leaf area, and both C and N contents. We observed more profound changes in plant physiology and biochemistry, as PBAT-BD-MPs decreased chlorophyll content and triggered a concerted response of plant defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. In conclusion, exposure to PBAT-BD-MPs induced plant oxidative stress and activated plant defense mechanisms, leading to oxidative homeostasis that sustained plant growth and functioning. Our study highlights the need for in-depth understanding of the effect of bioplastics on plants. | publishedVersion
Show more [+] Less [-]Trace element contamination biomonitoring: a comparative study between the polychaetes Alitta virens and Hediste diversicolor. Full text
2024
Watson, G J | White, S | Gobert, Sylvie | Lepoint, Gilles | Sturaro, Nicolas | Richir, Jonathan | FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
peer reviewed | Trace elements (TEs) remain of significant toxicological concern as many are critical for global decarbonisation. TEs accumulate in sediments so benthic polychaetes (e.g. Hediste diversicolor and Alitta virens) are highly relevant for ecotoxicology. However, ecological/biological differences could influence TE accumulation and biomonitoring suitability. Exploiting multiple sympatric populations (Solent, UK), we measure sediment and tissue concentrations generating EFs (enrichment factors), AEIs (Adverse Effects Indexes) and tissue bioaccumulation factors. We also assess stable isotope compositions to elucidate diet influences. Despite diverse anthropogenic activity in the Solent, the majority of TEs present low levels of sediment contamination at the sites. For Ni, Pb and As, a combination of mean AEIs >1 and some sediment concentrations exceeding SQVs (Sediment Quality Values) indicate a slight toxicological risk. For Cu and Hg, high EFs and AEI scores confirm they are the greatest risk, thus requiring source identification/control. However, only mean As tissue concentrations reflect contaminated sites, therefore, identifying the As-source(s) is also a priority. Sediment and tissue concentration relationships were generally negative and not significant for both species. Although a significant negative relationship for Cd for A. virens requires further investigation, the lack of evidence for TE bioaccumulation from sediment may limit both species' biomonitoring suitability for low-contamination sites. Species differences in tissue concentration were also TE specific: H. diversicolor had significantly higher concentrations for Ag, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn, whilst the reverse was true for Cd, Fe, Cr and As. Whilst ecological differences and that feeding sources are site and species-specific (as evidenced by C, N and S stable isotopes analysis) cannot be ignored, the diverse tissue concentrations strongly suggest different TE regulation strategies per species. Together these data will be important for ecotoxicologists and regulators to select the 'best' polychaete biomonitor and assess TE toxicity under future global decarbonisation trajectories for TE inputs. | 14. Life below water
Show more [+] Less [-]Behavioural response to boat noise weakens the strength of a trophic link in coral reefs. Full text
2024
Minier, Lana | Bertucci, Frédéric | Gay, Tamatoa | Chamot, Zoé | Turco, Théophile | Schligler, Jules | Mills, Suzanne C | Vidal, Manuel | Parmentier, Eric | Sturny, Vincent | Mathevon, Nicolas | Beauchaud, Marilyn | Lecchini, David | Médoc, Vincent | FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
peer reviewed | In oceans, the noise generated by human activities has reached phenomenal proportions, with considerable harmful effects on marine life. Measuring this impact to achieve a sustainable balance for highly vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, is a critical environmental policy objective. Here, we demonstrate that anthropogenic noise alters the interactions of a coral reef fish with its environment and how this behavioural response to noise impairs foraging. In situ observations on the Moorea reef revealed that the damselfish Dascyllus emamo reacts to boat passage by moving closer to its coral bommie, considerably reducing the volume of water available to search for prey. Using boat noise playback experiments in microcosms, we studied D. emamo's behaviour and modeled its functional response (FR), which is the relationship between resource use and resource density, when feeding on juvenile shrimps. Similar to field observations, noise reduced D. emamo's spatial occupancy, accompanied by a lower FR, indicating a reduction in predation independent of prey density. Overall, noise-induced behavioural changes are likely to influence predator-prey interaction dynamics and ultimately the fitness of both protagonists. While there is an urgent need to assess the effect of anthropogenic noise on coral reefs, the ecological framework of the FR approach combined with behavioural metrics provides an essential tool for evaluating the cascading effects of noise on nested ecological interactions at the community level.
Show more [+] Less [-]Evolutionary approach for pollution study: The case of ionizing radiation Full text
2024
Car, Clément | Quevarec, Loïc | Gilles, André | Réale, Denis | Bonzom, Jean-Marc | Laboratoire d'écologie et d'écotoxicologie des radionucléides (IRSN/PSE-ENV/SERPEN/LECO) ; Service de Radioprotection des Populations et de l’Environnement (IRSN/PSE-ENV/SERPEN) ; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN)-Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) | Risques, Ecosystèmes, Vulnérabilité, Environnement, Résilience (RECOVER) ; Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université Du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) | Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire - IRSN
International audience | Estimating the consequences of environmental changes, specifically in a global change context, is essential for conservation issues. In the case of pollutants, the interest in using an evolutionary approach to investigate their consequences has been emphasized since the 2000s, but these studies remain rare compared to the characterization of direct effects on individual features. We focused on the study case of anthropogenic ionizing radiation because, despite its potential strong impact on evolution, the scarcity of evolutionary approaches to study the biological consequences of this stressor is particularly true. In this study, by investigating some particular features of the biological effects of this stressor, and by reviewing existing studies on evolution under ionizing radiation, we suggest that evolutionary approach may help provide an integrative view on the biological consequences of ionizing radiation. We focused on three topics: (i) the mutagenic properties of ionizing radiation and its disruption of evolutionary processes, (ii) exposures at different time scales, leading to an interaction between past and contemporary evolution, and (iii) the special features of contaminated areas called exclusion zones and how evolution could match field and laboratory observed effects. This approach can contribute to answering several key issues in radioecology: to explain species differences in the sensitivity to ionizing radiation, to improve our estimation of the impacts of ionizing radiation on populations, and to help identify the environmental features impacting organisms (e.g., interaction with other pollution, migration of populations, anthropogenic environmental changes). Evolutionary approach would benefit from being integrated to the ecological risk assessment process.
Show more [+] Less [-]Transcriptomic and developmental effects of persistent organic pollutants in sentinel fishes collected near an arctic formerly used defense site Full text
2024
Jordan-Ward, Renee | von Hippel, Frank | Sancho Santos, Maria Eugenia | Wilson, Catherine | Rodriguez Maldonado, Zyled | Dillon, Danielle | Titus, Tom | Gardell, Alison | Salamova, Amina | Postlethwait, John | Contreras, Elise | Capozzi, Staci | Panuwet, Parinya | Parrocha, Chelsea | Bremiller, Ruth | Guiguen, Yann | Gologergen, Jesse | Immingan, Tiffany | Miller, Pamela | Carpenter, David | Buck, C. Loren | Northern Arizona University [Flagstaff] | University of Arizona | Department of Medicine [University of Arizona Health Sciences] ; University of Arizona | University of Oregon [Eugene] | University of Washington [Tacoma] | Emory University [Atlanta, GA] | Indiana University [Bloomington] ; Indiana University System | University of California [Irvine] (UC Irvine) ; University of California (UC) | Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des Poissons = Fish Physiology and Genomics Institute (LPGP) ; Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes (Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Alaska Community Action on Toxics | University at Albany [SUNY] ; State University of New York (SUNY) | This work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [grant numbers 1RO1ES019620, 2RO1ES019620, 1RO1ES032392], National Cancer Institute [grant number P30_CA023074], North Pacific Research Board, ARCS Foundation, and g2p2pop Research Coordination Network.
International audience | Alaska contains over 600 formerly used defense (FUD) sites, many of which serve as point sources of pollution. These sites are often co-located with rural communities that depend upon traditional subsistence foods, especially lipid-rich animals that bioaccumulate and biomagnify persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Many POPs are carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting compounds that are associated with adverse health outcomes. Therefore, elevated exposure to POPs from point sources of pollution may contribute to disproportionate incidence of disease in arctic communities. We investigated PCB concentrations and the health implications of POP exposure in sentinel fishes collected near the Northeast Cape FUD site on Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island), Alaska. Sivuqaq residents are almost exclusively Yupik and rely on subsistence foods. At the request of the Sivuqaq community, we examined differential gene expression and developmental pathologies associated with exposure to POPs originating at the Northeast Cape FUD site. We found significantly higher levels of PCBs in Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) collected from contaminated sites downstream of the FUD site compared to fish collected from upstream reference sites. We compared transcriptomic profiles and histopathologies of these same blackfish. Blackfish from contaminated sites overexpressed genes involved in ribosomal and FoxO signaling pathways compared to blackfish from reference sites. Contaminated blackfish also had significantly fewer thyroid follicles and smaller pigmented macrophage aggregates. Conversely, we found that ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) from contaminated sites exhibited thyroid follicle hyperplasia. Despite our previous research reporting transcriptomic and endocrine differences in stickleback from contaminated vs. reference sites, we did not find significant differences in kidney or gonadal histomorphologies. Our results demonstrate that contaminants from the Northeast Cape FUD site are associated with altered gene expression and thyroid development in native fishes. These results are consistent with our prior work demonstrating disruption of the thyroid hormone axis in Sivuqaq residents.
Show more [+] Less [-]Ants avoid food contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics Full text
2024
Le Hen, Gwendaline | Masoni, Alberto | Manuelli, Marta | Falsini, Sara | Corti, Emilio | Balzani, Paride | Renault, David | Papini, Alessio | Santini, Giacomo | Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution [Rennes] (ECOBIO) ; Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement - CNRS Ecologie et Environnement (INEE-CNRS) ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des sciences de l'environnement de Rennes (OSERen) ; Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Università degli Studi di Firenze = University of Florence = Université de Florence (UniFI) | University of South Bohemia | Institut universitaire de France (IUF) ; Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.) | The authors express their sincere thanks to the “Commission Bourses de Mobilité à l’Étranger de l’Université de Rennes” and the ERASMUS + program for their financial support. AM, AP and GS were supported by the National Biodiversity Future Center. DR thanks MITI-CNRS ‘AAP Santé et environnement 2022’ who supported the project PLASTIBIO. ANSES and ADEME (Appel à projets 2021 du PNR EST) who funded the project PLASTICIDE are thanked. SF acknowledges funding from the European Union - Next Generation EU. National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) - M4C2 Investment 1.3 - Research Programme PE_00000005 ″RETURN” - CUP B83C22004820002.
International audience | Micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) have recently received particular attention in freshwater and marine ecosystems, but less is known about their impact on terrestrial species. Ants can be used as biological indicators for many types of pollutants and are therefore a good candidate to explore the effects of MNP pollution. In the present study, we investigated the ability of workers from seven colonies of the acrobat ant Crematogaster scutellaris to detect MNP in their food. After two days of starvation, groups of ten ants were tested for their preference toward control and polyethylene-treated solutions. Every 5 min over a total 20 min period, the number of workers feeding on either solution was counted. The results showed that C. scutellaris workers could detect and avoid contaminated food, feeding more often on the uncontaminated solution in the first 10 min. However, after 10 min the food preference was no longer significant between the groups, likely owing to feeding satiation. We then assessed whether this feeding behaviour is sufficient to cause the accumulation of MNP in the ant. We thereby provided a solution containing fluorescent MNP (fMNP) at the same concentration as in the previous experiments. Observation of the ants' mouthparts using fluorescent light microscopy showed that after 10 min dense aggregations of fMNP were visible. Further investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms of detection of MNP by ants, and the accumulation dynamics in ants' bodies. Moreover, the effects of MNP on the integrity and fitness of ant colonies, as well as the potential transfer across terrestrial trophic chains should be explored.
Show more [+] Less [-]A critical review of pollution active biomonitoring using sentinel fish: Challenges and opportunities Full text
2024
Bancel, Sarah | Cachot, Jérôme | Bon, Corentin | Rochard, Éric | Geffard, Olivier | Ecosystèmes aquatiques et changements globaux (UR EABX) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques (EPOC) ; École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) ; Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | RiverLy - Fonctionnement des hydrosystèmes (RiverLy) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Agence de l'Eau Adour-Garonne | INRAE EABX | INRAE Riverly
International audience | Water pollution is a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. Various methods of monitoring, such as in situ approaches, are currently available to assess its impact. In this paper we examine the use of fish in active biomonitoring to study contamination and toxicity of surface waters. We analysed 148 previous studies conducted between 2005 and 2022, including both marine and freshwater environments, focusing on the characteristics of the organisms used as well as the principal goals of these studies. The main conclusions we drew are that a wide range of protocols and organisms have been used but there is no standardised method for assessing the quality of aquatic ecosystems on a more global scale. Additionally, the most commonly used developmental stages have been juveniles and adults. At these stages, the most frequently used species were the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and two salmonids: rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta). Few studies used earlier stages of development (embryos or larvae), mostly due to the difficulty of obtaining fish embryos and caging them in the field. Finally, we identified research gaps in active biomonitoring for water quality assessment which could indicate useful directions for future research and development.
Show more [+] Less [-]Continuous low-level dietary exposure to glyphosate elicits dose and sex-dependent synaptic and microglial adaptations in the rodent brain. Full text
2024
Cresto, Noemie | Courret, Margot | Génin, Athénaïs | Pauline Martin, Céline Marie | Bourret, Julie | Sakkaki, Sophie | de Bock, Frederic | Janvier, Alicia | Polizzi, Arnaud | Payrastre, Laurence | Ellero-Simatos, Sandrine | Audinat, Etienne | Perroy, Julie | Marchi, Nicola | Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF) ; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM) | ToxAlim (ToxAlim) ; Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (INP - PURPAN) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Toxicologie Intégrative & Métabolisme (ToxAlim-TIM) ; ToxAlim (ToxAlim) ; Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (INP - PURPAN) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (INP - PURPAN) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | ANR-19-CE34-0007,GLYFLORE,Impact of a chronic dietary exposure to low-doses of glyphosate on the gut microbiota and microbiota-associated physiological functions (metabolism, intestinal immunity, brain structures and behavior)(2019) | ANR-17-CE34-0005,HepatoBrain,Mélange de pesticides et axe foie-cerveau : implication des récepteurs aux xénobiotiques(2017) | ANR-22-CE17-0061,CEST-Focus,Biomarqueurs de type CEST pour délimiter la zone épileptique(2022) | ANR-19-CE16-0018,MicroSENSO,Les microglies dans l'assemblage des circuits inhibiteurs pendant les périodes critiques sensorielles(2019) | ANR-21-CE17-0031,EPI-CATCHER,Nouvelles modalités d'imagerie et de spectroscopie GABA pour localiser la zone épileptique(2021)
International audience | Prolonged exposure to low levels of dietary contaminants is a context in modern life that could alter organ physiology gradually. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of continuous exposure to acceptable daily intake (ADI) and non-observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) of glyphosate from gestation to adulthood using C57BL/6J mice and incorporating these levels into their food pellets. From adulthood, we analyzed neurophysiological and neuro-glia cellular adaptations in male and female animals. Using ex-vivo hippocampal slice electrophysiology, we found a reduced efficacy of Schaffer collateral-to-CA1 excitatory synapses in glyphosate-exposed dietary conditions, with ADI and NOAEL dose-dependent effects. Short-term facilitation of excitatory synaptic transmission was specifically increased in NOAEL conditions, with a predominant influence in males, suggesting a reduced probability of neurotransmitter release. Long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) was decreased in NOAEL-exposed mice. Next, we explore whether these neurophysiological modifications are associated with neuro-glia changes in the somatosensory cortex and hippocampus. High-resolution confocal microscopy analyses unveil a dose-dependent increased density of excitatory Vglut1+ Homer1+ synapses. Microglial Iba1+ cells displayed a shortening of their ramifications, a sign of cellular reactivity that was more pronounced in males at NOAEL levels. The morphology of GFAP+ astrocytes was generally not modified. Finally, we asked whether mouse-specific cross-correlations exist among all data sets generated. This examination included the novel object recognition (NOR) test performed before ex vivo functional and immunohistochemical examinations. We report a negative linear regression between the number of synapses and NOR or LTP maintenance when plotting ADI and NOAEL datasets. These results outline synaptic and microglial cell adaptations resulting from prenatal and continuous dietary low levels of glyphosate, discernible in, but not limited to, adult males exposed to the NOAEL. We discuss the significance of these findings to real-world consumer situations and long-term brain resilience.
Show more [+] Less [-]Light pollution affects activity differentially across breeding stages in an urban exploiter: an experiment in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) Full text
2024
Beaugeard, Erika | Brischoux, François | Angelier, Frédéric | Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) ; La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)
International audience | Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is a major urban perturbation, which can have detrimental effects on wildlife. Recent urban planning has led to an increased use of white light emission diodes (LEDs) in cities. However, little is known about the effects of this type of ALAN on wild vertebrates, especially during reproduction. We designed an experiment to test the impact of ALAN on the activity rhythms (daily time of first activity (TFA) and time of last activity (TLA)) of captive House sparrows (Passer domesticus) during several reproductive stages (from pre-breeding to post-breeding). We also tested the impact of ALAN on reproductive performance (laying date, clutch size, hatching and fledging success). Experimental birds were active earlier in the morning (earlier TFA) relative to controls although experimental and control birds did not differ in their TLA. The effect of ALAN on TFA was apparent during specific stages only (pre-breeding and chick-rearing stages), suggesting that sparrows actively adjust their activity in response to ALAN only during specific periods. This impact of ALAN on activity did not persist through the whole breeding season, suggesting that sparrows may habituate to ALAN. Alternatively, they may not be able to sustain a long-term increased activity in response to ALAN because of sleep deprivation and related physiological costs. Finally, we did not find any impact of ALAN on the reproductive performance of captive house sparrows held under optimal conditions. This suggests that ALAN may not be dramatically detrimental to the reproduction of this urban exploiter, at least when food availability is not constraining.
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