Visualizing Temperature: Physiology and Behaviour of Thermoregulation

可视化温度：体温调节的生理学和行为

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-05089
• 负责人: Tattersall, Glenn
• 金额: $ 4.01万
• 依托单位: Brock University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=716152
• 关键词: Visualizing; Temperature; Physiology; Behaviour; Thermoregulation

As a complex trait, animal thermal physiology involves the co-evolution of thermal sensation along with biochemical mechanisms of thermal tolerance. Therefore, ectothermic animals with different body temperatures should show functional differences in how they sense temperature. Understanding how organisms regulate their body temperature and use volitional thermal choices is important since it illustrates their potential to respond to changes in the environment. My laboratory takes an integrative approach to these questions, focusing primarily on vertebrate ectotherms (e.g., fish, reptiles) and studying conserved as well as their unique mechanisms that allow them to modify and regulate their internal body temperature. I employ the term “visualizing thermoregulation” as a focus for the next 5 years to demonstrate how we use behavioural physiology in addition to non-invasive imaging technologies in our research. The ultimate goal of my research program is to understand the thermoregulatory strategies that animals use to cope with environmental changes, and ultimately, to understand the how the body's thermostat' has evolved. The objectives of the next five years of my proposed research will examine the 3 primary “drivers” (internal / central drivers, peripheral / sensory drivers, and the evolutionary and ecological drivers). The first objective will examine the control of Tb in animals by examining the physiological relevance of altered thermoregulatory states. This will involve experiments primarily in fish models we have developed (rivulus, zebrafish, round gobies), and the use of pharmacological blockade to decipher proposed pathways that play a role in behavioural thermoregulation. We will also focus on how the mangrove rivulus have adapted to their life on land, how they have adopted a novel thermoregulatory strategy hitherto unavailable to aquatic counterparts. The second objective will examine the peripheral mechanisms related to thermoregulation. We will examine mechanisms of warm and cold thermosensation and establish their roles in thermoregulatory behaviours through a comparative analysis of animals with different thermoregulatory preferences. We will continue our research into the trade-offs between water balance and thermoregulation in reptiles, by examining scaleless phenotypes of bearded dragons and the impact this has on thermal behaviour and water balance. The third objective will adapt our knowledge from the lab into field applications, especially in endangered or threatened species, so as to translate and apply our expertise to pertinent and urgent biological questions. We plan to incorporate non-invasive approaches to study peripheral vasomotion in the field in lizards and tortoises as part of a study examining thermoregulation in the field. This will involve the use of novel logging technology (NIRS) developed in diving seals to examine blood oxygenation changes in peripheral structures.

动物热生理学是一个复杂的性状，涉及热感觉沿着热耐受生化机制的共同进化。 因此，具有不同体温的变温动物在感知温度方面应该表现出功能差异。了解生物体如何调节体温和使用自愿的热选择是很重要的，因为它说明了它们对环境变化做出反应的潜力。 我的实验室对这些问题采取了综合性的方法，主要集中在脊椎动物的外温动物（例如，鱼类，爬行动物）和研究保守以及他们的独特机制，使他们能够修改和调节他们的内部体温。我采用术语“可视化体温调节”作为未来5年的重点，以展示我们如何在研究中使用行为生理学以及非侵入性成像技术。 我的研究项目的最终目标是了解动物用来科普环境变化的体温调节策略，并最终了解身体的恒温器是如何进化的。未来五年的目标，我建议的研究将检查3个主要的“驱动程序”（内部/中央驱动程序，外围/感官驱动程序，以及进化和生态驱动程序）。 第一个目标将检查Tb在动物中的控制，通过检查改变体温调节状态的生理相关性。 这将主要涉及我们开发的鱼类模型（rivulus，斑马鱼，圆虾虎鱼）的实验，以及使用药理学阻断来破译在行为体温调节中发挥作用的拟议途径。 我们还将重点关注红树林溪流如何适应他们的生活在陆地上，他们如何采取了一种新的温度调节策略，迄今为止还没有水生同行。 第二个目标是研究与体温调节相关的外周机制。 我们将通过对具有不同温度调节偏好的动物的比较分析，研究温暖和寒冷温度感觉的机制，并建立它们在温度调节行为中的作用。我们将继续研究爬行动物的水平衡和体温调节之间的权衡，通过检查胡子龙的无鳞表型及其对热行为和水平衡的影响。 第三个目标是将我们的知识从实验室应用到实地应用中，特别是在濒危或受威胁的物种中，以便将我们的专业知识转化和应用于相关和紧迫的生物学问题。我们计划采用非侵入性的方法来研究蜥蜴和乌龟的外周血管运动，作为研究体温调节的一部分。这将涉及使用在潜水海豹中开发的新测井技术（NIRS）来检查外周结构的血氧变化。