Issues

Summary: A shared chromatocytoskeletal machinery uses methylation to remodel chromatin and the cytoskeleton; we discuss how this might regulate and integrate cellular functions, and suggest the term ‘epiregulation’ to describe this co-regulation.

Summary: Here we integrate knowledge gained from studies of anoxia-tolerant species from many animal taxa to identify common strategies, as well as novel solutions, for the challenges of anoxia exposure.

Summary: In the euryhaline killifish Fundulus heteroclitus, ionoregulatory responses to acute hypoxia involve decreases in gill ion flux and permeability when in freshwater and seawater, but increases when in isosmotic salinity.

Summary: Symbiosis and body size are important in determining carbonic anhydrase activity and gene expression in the temperate symbiotic sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima.

Summary: Using high-speed micro-videography to resolve individual-level movements of copepods reveals that, depending on feeding strategy, calanoid copepods respond differently to changes in seawater viscosity but similarly to diet.

Summary: Hyperthermic failure of the Drosophila central nervous system causes heat coma, a trait varying in temperature between drosophilids, but neural failure is not the primary cause of heat mortality.

Summary: Evidence for the presence of cold-induced paracellular leak along the gut of the migratory locust; this leak is strongest in the mucosal to serosal direction.

Summary: Male sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, increase pheromone release after perceiving intrasexual competition, and this change in chemical signaling strategy may influence female mate choice.

Summary: Mitochondrial respiration in a marine mollusc increases with body mass, demonstrating a link with overall growth performance.

Summary: Identification of a novel microRNA that inhibits translation of the phosphofructokinase (pfk) gene, thereby inhibiting molting and body length growth of the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda.

Summary: The spiral intestine is formed and becomes functional for nutrient absorption at the timing of an embryonic event (‘pre-hatching’) in oviparous cloudy catsharks (Scyliorhinus torazame).

Editor's choice: Pieris rapae females process and interpret polarization reflections dependent on both their color and intensity and in ways different from other polarization-sensitive taxa.

Summary: Hypoxia acclimation leads to pronounced changes in redox status, with no signs of oxidative damage, during hypoxia and re-oxygenation in the estuarine killifish.

Summary: Hoverfly righting is achieved by performing a rolling manoeuvre; reorientation is achieved within 6 wingbeats and hoverfly head rotation follows that of their body after a time lag of 16 ms.

Summary: In accordance with the dynamical systems theory, lower limb attractor stability is highest at a particular gait mode closest to the corresponding preferred speed.

Summary: Cross-modal integration of information negatively affects colour learning in a butterfly.

Summary: Acclimatization to high, variable temperatures is lost slowly with constant submersion, potentially facilitating animals’ survival during intermittent stressful thermal events. Previous acclimatization state influences the changes observed with constant submersion.

Summary: Juvenile black sea bass, Centropristus striata, are significantly more sensitive to sounds than fish in two larger size classes, and all classes are most sensitive in the 150–300 Hz range.

Summary: Orexin peptides do not play a role in the temperature-dependent modulation of respiratory regulation in different sleep states in mice; however, the occurrence of sleep apneas critically depends on ambient temperature.

Ryan, C. (2020). Lipid content of whale blubber cannot be measured using biopsies. J. Exp. Biol. 223, jeb227710. doi:10.1242/jeb.227710