scholarly journals Extreme lifespan extension in tapeworm-infected ant workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 202118
Author(s):  
Sara Beros ◽  
Anna Lenhart ◽  
Inon Scharf ◽  
Matteo Antoine Negroni ◽  
Florian Menzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Separate Experiment ◽  
Lifespan Extension ◽  
Young Workers ◽  
Chemical Profile ◽  
Temnothorax Nylanderi ◽  
Tapeworm Infection

Social insects are hosts of diverse parasites, but the influence of these parasites on phenotypic host traits is not yet well understood. Here, we tracked the survival of tapeworm-infected ant workers, their uninfected nest-mates and of ants from unparasitized colonies. Our multi-year study on the ant Temnothorax nylanderi, the intermediate host of the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis, revealed a prolonged lifespan of infected workers compared with their uninfected peers. Intriguingly, their survival over 3 years did not differ from those of (uninfected) queens, whose lifespan can reach two decades. By contrast, uninfected workers from parasitized colonies suffered from increased mortality compared with uninfected workers from unparasitized colonies. Infected workers exhibited a metabolic rate and lipid content similar to young workers in this species, and they received more social care than uninfected workers and queens in their colonies. This increased attention could be mediated by their deviant chemical profile, which we determined to elicit more interest from uninfected nest-mates in a separate experiment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates an extreme lifespan extension in a social host following tapeworm infection, which appears to enable host workers to retain traits typical for young workers.

scholarly journals Ants under crowded conditions consume more energy

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 613-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan T Cao ◽  
Anna Dornhaus
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Social Space ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cent Increase ◽  
Worker Behaviour

Social insects live in colonies consisting of many workers, where worker interactions play an important role in regulating colony activities. Workers interact within the social space of the nest; therefore, constraints on nest space may alter worker behaviour and affect colony activities and energetics. Here we show in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus that changes in nest space have a significant effect on colony energetics. Colonies with restricted nest space showed a 14.2 per cent increase in metabolic rate when compared with the same colonies in large uncrowded nests. Our study highlights the importance of social space and shows that constraints on social space can significantly affect colony behaviour and energy use in ants. We discuss the implications of our findings regarding social insects in general.

scholarly journals The parasite's long arm: a tapeworm parasite induces behavioural changes in uninfected group members of its social host

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1819) ◽  
pp. 20151473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Beros ◽  
Evelien Jongepier ◽  
Felizitas Hagemeier ◽  
Susanne Foitzik
Keyword(s):  
Social Insects ◽  
Anomalous Behaviour ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Phenotypic Changes ◽  
Flight Response ◽  
Behavioural Changes ◽  
Colony Fitness ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Temnothorax Nylanderi

Parasites can induce alterations in host phenotypes in order to enhance their own survival and transmission. Parasites of social insects might not only benefit from altering their individual hosts, but also from inducing changes in uninfected group members. Temnothorax nylanderi ant workers infected with the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis are known to be chemically distinct from nest-mates and do not contribute to colony fitness, but are tolerated in their colonies and well cared for. Here, we investigated how tapeworm- infected workers affect colony aggression by manipulating their presence in ant colonies and analysing whether their absence or presence resulted in behavioural alterations in their nest-mates. We report a parasite-induced shift in colony aggression, shown by lower aggression of uninfected nest-mates from parasitized colonies towards conspecifics, potentially explaining the tolerance towards infected ants. We also demonstrate that tapeworm-infected workers showed a reduced flight response and higher survival, while their presence caused a decrease in survival of uninfected nest-mates. This anomalous behaviour of infected ants, coupled with their increased survival, could facilitate the parasites' transmission to its definitive hosts, woodpeckers. We conclude that parasites exploiting individuals that are part of a society not only induce phenotypic changes within their individual hosts, but in uninfected group members as well.

scholarly journals PET/MRI of glucose metabolic rate, lipid content and perfusion in human brown adipose tissue

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Lundström ◽  
Jonathan Andersson ◽  
Mathias Engström ◽  
Mark Lubberink ◽  
Robin Strand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Cold Exposure ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Glucose Metabolic Rate ◽  
Fat Fraction ◽  
Arterial Blood Volume

AbstractThis study evaluated the MRI-derived fat fraction (FF), from a Cooling-reheating protocol, for estimating the cold-induced brown adipose tissue (BAT) metabolic rate of glucose (MRglu) and changes in lipid content, perfusion and arterial blood volume (VA) within cervical-supraclavicular fat (sBAT). Twelve volunteers underwent PET/MRI at baseline, during cold exposure and reheating. For each temperature condition, perfusion and VA were quantified with dynamic [15O]water-PET, and FF, with water-fat MRI. MRglu was assessed with dynamic [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-PET during cold exposure. sBAT was defined using anatomical criteria, and its subregion sBATHI, by MRglu > 11 μmol/100 cm3/min. For all temperature conditions, sBAT-FF correlated negatively with sBAT-MRglu (ρ ≤ − 0.87). After 3 h of cold, sBAT-FF decreased (− 2.13 percentage points) but tended to normalize during reheating although sBATHI-FF remained low. sBAT-perfusion and sBAT-VA increased during cold exposure (perfusion: + 5.2 ml/100 cm3/min, VA: + 4.0 ml/100 cm3). sBAT-perfusion remained elevated and sBAT-VA normalized during reheating. Regardless of temperature condition during the Cooling-reheating protocol, sBAT-FF could predict the cold-induced sBAT-MRglu. The FF decreases observed after reheating were mainly due to lipid consumption, but could potentially be underestimated due to intracellular lipid replenishment. The influence of perfusion and VA, on the changes in FF observed during cold exposure, could not be ruled out.

Hepatic enzyme specific activities and fasting metabolic rate in pullets fed on controlled amounts of food during growth and lay

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Balnave ◽  
DJ Farrell ◽  
RB Cumming ◽  
J Wolfenden
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Metabolic Rate ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Liver Lipid ◽  
Restricted Feeding ◽  
Hepatic Enzyme ◽  
Hepatic Enzymes ◽  
Liver Lipid Content ◽  
Specific Activities

Variations in growth rate and daily egg output during lay were obtained by feeding controlled amounts of food to egg-type pullets from 6 to 70 weeks of age. Prior to sexual maturity the weight and lipid content of the liver were significantly increased when growth rate was severely restricted. These changes were associated with increases in the specific activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes. Changes in hepatic enzyme specific activities in response to restricted feeding during growth were small compared with the increases observed at sexual maturity. During lay, restricted feeding had no significant effect on the liver lipid content or hepatic enzyme specific activities, but the specific activities of all the hepatic enzymes examined declined with age after sexual maturity. Restricted feeding had no influence on the fasting metabolic rate at any age. A reduction was observed between 13 and 20 weeks of age, but after a small increase at sexual maturity little further change was noted.

scholarly journals Assessment of Feeding Behavior of the Zoo-Housed Lesser Anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla) and Nutritional Values of Natural Prey

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-31
Author(s):  
Valentín Zárate ◽  
Jesica R. Mufari ◽  
Lucía G. Abalos Luna ◽  
Daniel P. Villarreal ◽  
Juan M. Busso
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Biochemical Parameters ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Nutritional Values ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Carbohydrate Digestibility ◽  
Acromyrmex Lundi

Very little information is available to zoo managers on the nutritional preferences of the lesser anteater, a highly specialized predator. By studying lesser anteater feeding behavior, we expect to contribute to improved management decisions and individual welfare experiences. We studied the response of zoo-housed lesser anteaters (n = 7) to feeders with live ants (Acromyrmex lundi) and termites (Cortaritermes fulviceps), and we also evaluated the nutritional values of these prey. We individually evaluated each lesser anteater (3 sessions), recording activities by camera. We ground insect samples into a coarse meal and evaluated in vitro biochemical parameters (humidity, lipids proteins, ash, and carbohydrates). Lesser anteaters spent more time with termites than with ants and consumed more termites. Ant meal presented a higher protein and lipid content than termite meal (35.28 ± 0.18% vs. 18.19 ± 0.34% and 16.95 ± 0.13% vs. 6.54 ± 0.31%, respectively), and carbohydrate digestibility was higher in termites. These findings indicate an association between the level of insect consumption and nutritional and digestibility values. This is the first exploration of lesser anteater responses to the presence of social insects in feeders and may serve to guide the study of food preferences in captivity.

Membrane fluidity and lipid content of human spermatozoa selected by swim-up method

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Force ◽  
G. Grizard ◽  
M. N. Giraud ◽  
C. Motta ◽  
B. Sion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fluidity ◽  
Lipid Content ◽  
Human Spermatozoa

Lipid content of the test meal modifies the result of 13C-acetate breath test

2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A466-A466
Author(s):  
H KUSUNOKI ◽  
K HARUMA ◽  
J HATA ◽  
K FUTAGAMI ◽  
M HARA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Content ◽  
Test Meal ◽  
Breath Test
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document