Dokument-ID Dokumenttyp Verfasser/Autoren Herausgeber Haupttitel Abstract Auflage Verlagsort Verlag Erscheinungsjahr Seitenzahl Schriftenreihe Titel Schriftenreihe Bandzahl ISBN Quelle der Hochschulschrift Konferenzname Quelle:Titel Quelle:Jahrgang Quelle:Heftnummer Quelle:Erste Seite Quelle:Letzte Seite URN DOI Abteilungen OPUS4-51652 misc Weyrich, Alexandra; Yasar, Selma; Lenz, Dorina; Fickel, Jörns Tissue-specific epigenetic inheritance after paternal heat exposure in male wild guinea pigs External temperature change has been shown to modify epigenetic patterns, such as DNA methylation, which regulates gene expression. DNA methylation is heritable, and as such provides a mechanism to convey environmental information to subsequent generations. Studies on epigenetic response to temperature increase are still scarce in wild mammals, even more so studies that compare tissue-specific epigenetic responses. Here, we aim to address differential epigenetic responses on a gene and gene pathway level in two organs, liver and testis. We chose these organs, because the liver is the main metabolic and thermoregulation organ, and epigenetic modifications in testis are potentially transmitted to the F2 generation. We focused on the transmission of DNA methylation changes to naive male offspring after paternal exposure to an ambient temperature increase of 10 degrees C, and investigated differential methylated regions of sons sired before and after the paternal exposure using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing. We detected both a highly tissue-specific epigenetic response, reflected in genes involved in organ-specific metabolic pathways, and a more general regulation of single genes epigenetically modified in both organs. We conclude that genomes are context-specifically differentially epigenetically regulated in response to temperature increase. These findings emphasize the epigenetic relevance in cell differentiation, which is essential for the specific function(s) of complex organs, and is represented in a diverse molecular regulation of genes and gene pathways. The results also emphasize the paternal contribution to adaptive processes. 2020 15 Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 5-6 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-516525 10.25932/publishup-51652 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-43295 misc Eccard, Jana; Dammhahn, Melanie; Ylönen, Hannu The Bruce effect revisited Pregnancy termination after encountering a strange male, the Bruce effect, is regarded as a counterstrategy of female mammals towards anticipated infanticide. While confirmed in caged rodent pairs, no verification for the Bruce effect existed from experimental field populations of small rodents. We suggest that the effect may be adaptive for breeding rodent females only under specific conditions related to populations with cyclically fluctuating densities. We investigated the occurrence of delay in birth date after experimental turnover of the breeding male under different population composition in bank voles (Myodes glareolus) in large outdoor enclosures: one-male-multiple-females (n = 6 populations/18 females), multiple-males-multiple-females (n = 15/45), and single-male-single-female (MF treatment, n = 74/74). Most delays were observed in the MF treatment after turnover. Parallel we showed in a laboratory experiment (n = 205 females) that overwintered and primiparous females, the most abundant cohort during population lows in the increase phase of cyclic rodent populations, were more likely to delay births after turnover of the male than year-born and multiparous females. Taken together, our results suggest that the Bruce effect may be an adaptive breeding strategy for rodent females in cyclic populations specifically at low densities in the increase phase, when isolated, overwintered animals associate in MF pairs. During population lows infanticide risk and inbreeding risk may then be higher than during population highs, while also the fitness value of a litter in an increasing population is higher. Therefore, the Bruce effect may be adaptive for females during annual population lows in the increase phases, even at the costs of delaying reproduction. 2017 14 Postprints der Universität Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 734 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-432956 10.25932/publishup-43295 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-43287 misc Liesenjohann, Thilo; Liesenjohann, Monique; Trebaticka, Lenka; Sundell, Janne; Haapakoski, Marko; Ylönen, Hannu; Eccard, Jana State-dependent foraging Parental care often produces a trade-off between meeting nutritional demands of offspring and the duties of offspring protection, especially in altricial species. Parents have to leave their young unattended for foraging trips, during which nestlings are exposed to predators. We investigated how rodent mothers of altricial young respond to risk of nest predation in their foraging decisions. We studied foraging behavior of lactating bank voles (Myodes glareolus) exposed to a nest predator, the common shrew (Sorex araneus). We conducted the experiment in summer (high resource provisioning for both species) and autumn (less food available) in 12 replicates with fully crossed factors "shrew presence" and "season." We monitored use of feeding stations near and far from the nest as measurement of foraging activity and strategic foraging behavior. Vole mothers adapted their strategies to shrew presence and optimized their foraging behavior according to seasonal constraints, resulting in an interaction of treatment and season. In summer, shrew presence reduced food intake from feeding stations, while it enhanced intake in autumn. Shrew presence decreased the number of visited feeding stations in autumn and concentrated mother's foraging efforts to fewer stations. Independent of shrew presence or season, mothers foraged more in patches further away from the nest than near the nest. Results indicate that females are not investing in nest guarding but try to avoid the accumulation of olfactory cues near the nest leading a predator to the young. Additionally, our study shows how foraging strategies and nest attendance are influenced by seasonal food provision. 2015 10 Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 857 747 754 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-432878 10.25932/publishup-43287 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-40098 misc Kuehnel, Susanne; Kupfer, Alexander Sperm storage in caecilian amphibians Background: Female sperm storage has evolved independently multiple times among vertebrates to control reproduction in response to the environment. In internally fertilising amphibians, female salamanders store sperm in cloacal spermathecae, whereas among anurans sperm storage in oviducts is known only in tailed frogs. Facilitated through extensive field sampling following historical observations we tested for sperm storing structures in the female urogenital tract of fossorial, tropical caecilian amphibians. Findings: In the oviparous Ichthyophis cf. kohtaoensis, aggregated sperm were present in a distinct region of the posterior oviduct but not in the cloaca in six out of seven vitellogenic females prior to oviposition. Spermatozoa were found most abundantly between the mucosal folds. In relation to the reproductive status decreased amounts of sperm were present in gravid females compared to pre-ovulatory females. Sperm were absent in females past oviposition. Conclusions: Our findings indicate short-term oviductal sperm storage in the oviparous Ichthyophis cf. kohtaoensis. We assume that in female caecilians exhibiting high levels of parental investment sperm storage has evolved in order to optimally coordinate reproductive events and to increase fitness. 2017 5 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-400987 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-41492 misc Morris, Penelope J.; Salt, Carina; Raila, Jens; Brenten, Thomas; Kohn, Barbara; Schweigert, Florian J.; Zentek, Jürgen Safety evaluation of vitamin A in growing dogs The safe upper limit for inclusion of vitamin A in complete diets for growing dogs is uncertain, with the result that current recommendations range from 5.24 to 104.80 mu mol retinol (5000 to 100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) metabolisable energy (ME). The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of feeding four concentrations of vitamin A to puppies from weaning until 1 year of age. A total of forty-nine puppies, of two breeds, Labrador Retriever and Miniature Schnauzer, were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Following weaning at 8 weeks of age, puppies were fed a complete food supplemented with retinyl acetate diluted in vegetable oil and fed at 1ml oil/100 g diet to achieve an intake of 5.24, 13.10, 78.60 and 104.80 mu mol retinol (5000, 12 500, 75 000 and 100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) ME. Fasted blood and urine samples were collected at 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 26, 36 and 52 weeks of age and analysed for markers of vitamin A metabolism and markers of safety including haematological and biochemical variables, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptides of type I collagen and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical examinations were conducted every 4 weeks. Data were analysed by means of a mixed model analysis with Bonferroni corrections for multiple endpoints. There was no effect of vitamin A concentration on any of the parameters, with the exception of total serum retinyl esters, and no effect of dose on the number, type and duration of adverse events. We therefore propose that 104.80 mu mol retinol (100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) is a suitable safe upper limit for use in the formulation of diets designed for puppy growth. 2012 10 Potsprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 686 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-414929 10.25932/publishup-41492 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-41442 misc Di Giacomo, Adrian S.; Di Giacomo, Alejandro G.; Kliger, Rafi; Reboreda, Juan C.; Tiedemann, Ralph; Mahler, Bettina No evidence of genetic variation in microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers among remaining populations of the Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora, an endangered grassland species The Strange-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora (Aves: Tyrannidae) is an endemic species of southern South American grasslands that suffered a 90% reduction of its original distribution due to habitat transformation. This has led the species to be classified as globally Vulnerable. By the beginning of the last century, populations were partially migratory and moved south during the breeding season. Currently, the main breeding population inhabits the Ibera wetlands in the province of Corrientes, north-east Argentina, where it is resident all year round. There are two remaining small populations in the province of Formosa, north-east Argentina, and in southern Paraguay, which are separated from the main population by the Parana-Paraguay River and its continuous riverine forest habitat. The populations of Corrientes and Formosa are separated by 300 km and the grasslands between populations are non-continuous due to habitat transformation. We used mtDNA sequences and eight microsatellite loci to test if there were evidences of genetic isolation between Argentinean populations. We found no evidence of genetic structure between populations (Phi(ST) = 0.004, P = 0.32; Fst = 0.01, P = 0.06), which can be explained by either retained ancestral polymorphism or by dispersal between populations. We found no evidence for a recent demographic bottleneck in nuclear loci. Our results indicate that these populations could be managed as a single conservation unit on a regional scale. Conservation actions should be focused on preserving the remaining network of areas with natural grasslands to guarantee reproduction, dispersal and prevent further decline of populations. 2015 12 Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 583 127 138 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-414427 10.25932/publishup-41442 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-51871 misc Amen, Rahma; Nagel, Rebecca; Hedt, Maximilian; Kirschbaum, Frank; Tiedemann, Ralph Morphological differentiation in African weakly electric fish (genus Campylomormyrus) relates to substrate preferences Under an ecological speciation scenario, the radiation of African weakly electric fish (genus Campylomormyrus) is caused by an adaptation to different food sources, associated with diversification of the electric organ discharge (EOD). This study experimentally investigates a phenotype-environment correlation to further support this scenario. Our behavioural experiments showed that three sympatric Campylomormyrus species with significantly divergent snout morphology differentially react to variation in substrate structure. While the short snout species (C. tamandua) exhibits preference to sandy substrate, the long snout species (C. rhynchophorus) significantly prefers a stone substrate for feeding. A third species with intermediate snout size (C. compressirostris) does not exhibit any substrate preference. This preference is matched with the observation that long-snouted specimens probe deeper into the stone substrate, presumably enabling them to reach prey more distant to the substrate surface. These findings suggest that the diverse feeding apparatus in the genus Campylomormyrus may have evolved in adaptation to specific microhabitats, i.e., substrate structures where these fish forage. Whether the parallel divergence in EOD is functionally related to this adaptation or solely serves as a prezygotic isolation mechanism remains to be elucidated. 2020 13 Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 3 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-518714 10.25932/publishup-51871 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-39571 misc Klose, Sascha Peter; Rolke, Daniel; Baumann, Otto Morphogenesis of honeybee hypopharyngeal gland during pupal development Background The hypopharyngeal gland of worker bees contributes to the production of the royal jelly fed to queens and larvae. The gland consists of thousands of two-cell units that are composed of a secretory cell and a duct cell and that are arranged in sets of about 12 around a long collecting duct. Results By fluorescent staining, we have examined the morphogenesis of the hypopharyngeal gland during pupal life, from a saccule lined by a pseudostratified epithelium to the elaborate organ of adult worker bees. The hypopharyngeal gland develops as follows. (1) Cell proliferation occurs during the first day of pupal life in the hypopharyngeal gland primordium. (2) Subsequently, the epithelium becomes organized into rosette-like units of three cells. Two of these will become the secretory cell and the duct cell of the adult secretory units; the third cell contributes only temporarily to the development of the secretory units and is eliminated by apoptosis in the second half of pupal life. (3) The three-cell units of flask-shaped cells undergo complex changes in cell morphology. Thus, by mid-pupal stage, the gland is structurally similar to the adult hypopharyngeal gland. (4) Concomitantly, the prospective secretory cell attains its characteristic subcellular organization by the invagination of a small patch of apical membrane domain, its extension to a tube of about 100 μm in length (termed a canaliculus), and the expansion of the tube to a diameter of about 3 μm. (6) Finally, the canaliculus-associated F-actin system becomes reorganized into rings of bundled actin filaments that are positioned at regular distances along the membrane tube. Conclusions The morphogenesis of the secretory units in the hypopharyngeal gland of the worker bee seems to be based on a developmental program that is conserved, with slight modification, among insects for the production of dermal glands. Elaboration of the secretory cell as a unicellular seamless epithelial tube occurs by invagination of the apical membrane, its extension likely by targeted exocytosis and its expansion, and finally the reorganisation of the membrane-associated F-actin system. Our work is fundamental for future studies of environmental effects on hypopharyngeal gland morphology and development. 2017 14 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-395712 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-47060 misc Heim, Wieland; Eccard, Jana; Bairlein, Franz Migration phenology determines niche use of East Asian buntings (Emberizidae) during stopover Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far, since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas. However, stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds. They are often used by a multitude of species, which could lead to increased competition. In this work, we investigated niche use of 8 migratory and closely related Emberiza bunting species at a stopover site in Far East Russia, situated on the poorly studied East Asian flyway. We used bird ringing data to evaluate morphological similarity as well as niche overlap on the trophic, spatial, and temporal dimension. Bill morphology was used as a proxy for their trophic niche. We were able to prove that a majority of the species occupies well-defined stopover niches on at least one of the dimensions. Niche breadth and niche overlap differ between spring and autumn season with higher overlap found during spring. Morphological differences are mostly related to overall size and wing pointedness. The temporal dimension is most important for segregation among the studied species. Furthermore, all species seem to exhibit a rather strict and consistent phenological pattern. Their occurrence at the study site is highly correlated with their geographic origin and the length of their migration route. We assume that buntings are able to use available resources opportunistically during stopover, while trying to follow a precise schedule in order to avoid competition and to ensure individual fitness. 2018 14 Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 1038 681 692 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-470607 10.25932/publishup-47060 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-42310 misc Beaumont, Robin N.; Warrington, Nicole M.; Cavadino, Alana; Tyrrell, Jessica; Nodzenski, Michael; Horikoshi, Momoko; Geller, Frank; Myhre, Ronny; Richmond, Rebecca C.; Paternoster, Lavinia; Bradfield, Jonathan P.; Kreiner-Møller, Eskil; Huikari, Ville; Metrustry, Sarah; Lunetta, Kathryn L.; Painter, Jodie N.; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Allard, Catherine; Barton, Sheila J.; Espinosa, Ana; Marsh, Julie A.; Potter, Catherine; Zhang, Ge; Ang, Wei; Berry, Diane J.; Bouchard, Luigi; Das, Shikta; Hakonarson, Hakon; Heikkinen, Jani; Helgeland, Øyvind; Hocher, Berthold; Hofman, Albert; Inskip, Hazel M.; Jones, Samuel E.; Kogevinas, Manolis; Lind, Penelope A.; Marullo, Letizia; Medland, Sarah E.; Murray, Anna; Murray, Jeffrey C.; Njølstad, Pa ̊l R.; Nohr, Ellen A.; Reichetzeder, Christoph; Ring, Susan M.; Ruth, Katherine S.; Santa-Marina, Loreto; Scholtens, Denise M.; Sebert, Sylvain; Sengpiel, Verena; Tuke, Marcus A.; Vaudel, Marc; Weedon, Michael N.; Willemsen, Gonneke; Wood, Andrew R.; Yaghootkar, Hanieh; Muglia, Louis J.; Bartels, Meike; Relton, Caroline L.; Pennell, Craig E.; Chatzi, Leda; Estivill, Xavier; Holloway, John W.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Murabito, Joanne M.; Spector, Tim D.; Power, Christine; Ja ̈rvelin, Marjo-Ritta; Bisgaard, Hans; Grant, Struan F.A.; Sørensen, Thorkild I.A.; Jaddoe, Vincent W.; Jacobsson, Bo; Melbye, Mads; McCarthy, Mark I.; Hattersley, Andrew T.; Hayes, M. Geoffrey; Frayling, Timothy M.; Hivert, Marie-France; Felix, Janine F.; Hyppo ̈nen, Elina; Lowe, William L. , Jr; Evans, David M.; Lawlor, Debbie A.; Feenstra, Bjarke; Freathy, Rachel M. Genome-wide association study of offspring birth weight in 86 577 women identifies five novel loci and highlights maternal genetic effects that are independent of fetal genetics Genome-wide association studies of birth weight have focused on fetal genetics, whereas relatively little is known about the role of maternal genetic variation. We aimed to identify maternal genetic variants associated with birth weight that could highlight potentially relevant maternal determinants of fetal growth. We meta-analysed data on up to 8.7 million SNPs in up to 86 577 women of European descent from the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium and the UK Biobank. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) and analyses of mother-child pairs to quantify the separate maternal and fetal genetic effects. Maternal SNPs at 10 loci (MTNR1B, HMGA2, SH2B3, KCNAB1, L3MBTL3, GCK, EBF1, TCF7L2, ACTL9, CYP3A7) were associated with offspring birth weight at P < 5 Â 10 À8 . In SEM analyses, at least 7 of the 10 associations were consistent with effects of the maternal genotype acting via the intrauterine environment, rather than via effects of shared alleles with the fetus. Variants, or correlated proxies, at many of the loci had been previously associated with adult traits, including fasting glucose (MTNR1B, GCK and TCF7L2) and sex hormone levels (CYP3A7), and one (EBF1) with gestational duration. The identified associations indicate that genetic effects on maternal glucose, cytochrome P450 activity and gestational duration, and potentially on maternal blood pressure and immune function, are relevant for fetal growth. Further characterization of these associations in mechanistic and causal analyses will enhance understanding of the potentially modifiable maternal determinants of fetal growth, with the goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with low and high birth weights. 2017 15 Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 628 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-423100 10.25932/publishup-42310 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-40111 misc Pavesi, Laura; Tiedemann, Ralph; De Matthaeis, Elvira; Ketmaier, Valerio Genetic connectivity between land and sea Introduction: We examined patterns of genetic divergence in 26 Mediterranean populations of the semi-terrestrial beachflea Orchestia montagui using mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase subunit I), microsatellite (eight loci) and allozymic data. The species typically forms large populations within heaps of dead seagrass leaves stranded on beaches at the waterfront. We adopted a hierarchical geographic sampling to unravel population structure in a species living at the sea-land transition and, hence, likely subjected to dramatically contrasting forces. Results: Mitochondrial DNA showed historical phylogeographic breaks among Adriatic, Ionian and the remaining basins (Tyrrhenian, Western and Eastern Mediterranean Sea) likely caused by the geological and climatic changes of the Pleistocene. Microsatellites (and to a lesser extent allozymes) detected a further subdivision between and within the Western Mediterranean and the Tyrrhenian Sea due to present-day processes. A pattern of isolation by distance was not detected in any of the analyzed data set. Conclusions: We conclude that the population structure of O. montagui is the result of the interplay of two contrasting forces that act on the species population genetic structure. On one hand, the species semi-terrestrial life style would tend to determine the onset of local differences. On the other hand, these differences are partially counter-balanced by passive movements of migrants via rafting on heaps of dead seagrass leaves across sites by sea surface currents. Approximate Bayesian Computations support dispersal at sea as prevalent over terrestrial regionalism. 2013 19 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-401110 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-41282 misc Sander, Martha Maria; Eccard, Jana; Heim, Wieland Flight range estimation of migrant Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus on the East Asian flyway Fat loads were quantified for 2125 Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus trapped at a stop-over site in Far East Russia during autumn migration. Flight ranges of 660-820 km were estimated for the fattest individuals, suggesting that they would need to stop for refuelling at least six times to reach their wintering areas in South East Asia. 2017 5 Bird Study urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-412823 Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät OPUS4-43577 misc Kowalski, Gabriele Joanna; Grimm, Volker; Herde, Antje; Guenther, Anja; Eccard, Jana Does Animal Personality Affect Movement in Habitat Corridors? Animal personality may affect an animal's mobility in a given landscape, influencing its propensity to take risks in an unknown environment. We investigated the mobility of translocated common voles in two corridor systems 60 m in length and differing in width (1 m and 3 m). Voles were behaviorally phenotyped in repeated open field and barrier tests. Observed behavioral traits were highly repeatable and described by a continuous personality score. Subsequently, animals were tracked via an automated very high frequency (VHF) telemetry radio tracking system to monitor their movement patterns in the corridor system. Although personality did not explain movement patterns, corridor width determined the amount of time spent in the habitat corridor. Voles in the narrow corridor system entered the corridor faster and spent less time in the corridor than animals in the wide corridor. Thus, landscape features seem to affect movement patterns more strongly than personality. Meanwhile, site characteristics, such as corridor width, could prove to be highly important when designing corridors for conservation, with narrow corridors facilitating faster movement through landscapes than wider corridors. 2019 17 Postprints der Universität Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 747 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435770 10.25932/publishup-43577 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-42939 misc Eccard, Jana; Fey, Karen; Caspers, Barbara A.; Ylönen, Hannu Breeding state and season affect interspecific interaction types Indirect resource competition and interference are widely occurring mechanisms of interspecific interactions. We have studied the seasonal expression of these two interaction types within a two-species, boreal small mammal system. Seasons differ by resource availability, individual breeding state and intraspecific social system. Live-trapping methods were used to monitor space use and reproduction in 14 experimental populations of bank voles Myodes glareolus in large outdoor enclosures with and without a dominant competitor, the field vole Microtus agrestis. We further compared vole behaviour using staged dyadic encounters in neutral arenas in both seasons. Survival of the non-breeding overwintering bank voles was not affected by competition. In the spring, the numbers of male bank voles, but not of females, were reduced significantly in the competition populations. Bank vole home ranges expanded with vole density in the presence of competitors, indicating food limitation. A comparison of behaviour between seasons based on an analysis of similarity revealed an avoidance of costly aggression against opponents, independent of species. Interactions were more aggressive during the summer than during the winter, and heterospecific encounters were more aggressive than conspecific encounters. Based on these results, we suggest that interaction types and their respective mechanisms are not either-or categories and may change over the seasons. During the winter, energy constraints and thermoregulatory needs decrease direct aggression, but food constraints increase indirect resource competition. Direct interference appears in the summer, probably triggered by each individual's reproductive and hormonal state and the defence of offspring against conspecific and heterospecific intruders. Both interaction forms overlap in the spring, possibly contributing to spring declines in the numbers of subordinate species. 2011 11 Postprints der Universität Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 729 623 633 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-429398 10.25932/publishup-42939 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie OPUS4-51951 misc Schedlbauer, Carola; Blaue, Dominique; Raila, Jens; Vervuert, Ingrid Alterations of serum vitamin E and vitamin A concentrations of ponies and horses during experimentally induced obesity Vitamin A, vitamin E and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) are a focus of current obesity research in humans. The impact of body weight (BW) gain on fat-soluble vitamins and its associated parameters in equines has not been previously reported. Ten Shetland ponies and 9 Warmblood horses, all adult geldings, non-obese and healthy, were fed an excessive energy diet for 20 months to induce BW gain. Serum alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), retinol (vitamin A), retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and retinol/RBP4 ratio were analysed before BW gain induction and at six timepoints during the BW gaining period. The mean (+/- SD) % BW gain achieved during two years of excess energy intake was 29.9 +/- 19.4% for ponies and 17 +/- 6.74% for horses. Serum alpha-tocopherol increased significantly in ponies and horses during excess energy intake and circulating alpha-tocopherol levels correlated positively with alpha-tocopherol intake (r = .6; p < .001). Serum retinol concentrations showed variations during the study but without relation to intake. Serum RBP4 decreased at the end of the study. The retinol/RBP4 ratio increased with BW gain without differences between ponies and horses. In comparison with human research, the increase in the retinol/RBP4 ratio was unexpected and needs further elucidation. 2020 10 Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 5 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-519515 10.25932/publishup-51951 Institut für Ernährungswissenschaft OPUS4-51604 misc Obbard, Darren J.; Shi, Mang; Roberts, Katherine E.; Longdon, Ben; Dennis, Alice B. A new lineage of segmented RNA viruses infecting animals Metagenomic sequencing has revolutionised our knowledge of virus diversity, with new virus sequences being reported faster than ever before. However, virus discovery from metagenomic sequencing usually depends on detectable homology: without a sufficiently close relative, so-called 'dark' virus sequences remain unrecognisable. An alternative approach is to use virus-identification methods that do not depend on detecting homology, such as virus recognition by host antiviral immunity. For example, virus-derived small RNAs have previously been used to propose 'dark' virus sequences associated with the Drosophilidae (Diptera). Here, we combine published Drosophila data with a comprehensive search of transcriptomic sequences and selected meta-transcriptomic datasets to identify a completely new lineage of segmented positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that we provisionally refer to as the Quenyaviruses. Each of the five segments contains a single open reading frame, with most encoding proteins showing no detectable similarity to characterised viruses, and one sharing a small number of residues with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of single- and double-stranded RNA viruses. Using these sequences, we identify close relatives in approximately 20 arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, spiders, and a myriapod. Using a more conserved sequence from the putative polymerase, we further identify relatives in meta-transcriptomic datasets from gut, gill, and lung tissues of vertebrates, reflecting infections of vertebrates or of their associated parasites. Our data illustrate the utility of small RNAs to detect viruses with limited sequence conservation, and provide robust evidence for a new deeply divergent and phylogenetically distinct RNA virus lineage. 2020 12 Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe 1 urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-516040 10.25932/publishup-51604 Institut für Biochemie und Biologie