Publications by authors named "Audrey M Mat"
The circadian clock controls behavior and metabolism in various organisms. However, the exact timing and strength of rhythmic phenotypes can vary significantly between individuals of the same species. This is highly relevant for rhythmically complex marine environments where organismal rhythmic diversity likely permits the occupation of different microenvironments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiological rhythms are a fundamental property of life. The deep ocean covers 66% of our planet surface and is one of the largest biomes. The deep sea has long been considered as an arrhythmic environment because sunlight is totally absent below 1,000 m depth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHarmful Algal Blooms are worldwide occurrences that can cause poisoning in human seafood consumers as well as mortality and sublethal effets in wildlife, propagating economic losses. One of the most widespread toxigenic microalgal taxa is the dinoflagellate Genus Alexandrium, that includes species producing neurotoxins referred to as PST (Paralytic Shellfish Toxins). Blooms cause shellfish harvest restrictions to protect human consumers from accumulated toxins.
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- Animals in the intertidal zone face significant temperature fluctuations and must adapt their behaviors to handle these changes.
- In a study on fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator), researchers found that warmer temperatures during summer led to increased daily activity, while during winter, the same temperature change resulted in reduced activity levels, indicating a shift in behavior based on seasonal conditions.
- This study supports the circadian thermoenergetics hypothesis, suggesting that crabs adjust their activity patterns to optimize energy use based on environmental temperatures, with more active behavior during warmer parts of the day in cold months to conserve energy.
Cryptochromes are flavin- and pterin-containing photoreceptors of the cryptochrome/photolyase family. They play critical roles in organisms, among are which light-dependent and light-independent roles in biological rhythms. The present work aimed at describing a cryptochrome gene in the oyster Crassostrea gigas by (i) a characterization and phylogenetic analysis and (ii) by studying its expression in the relationship to rhythmic valve behavior in different entrainment regimes.
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- The Norway lobster's behavior, particularly its circadian rhythms, significantly impacts its availability in European fisheries, yet its circadian biology remains largely anecdotal.
- Utilizing transcriptomics, researchers studied the eyestalks of male lobsters under various light conditions to identify potential molecular mechanisms involved in circadian gene regulation.
- Key findings included the identification of several candidate clock genes, with only timeless displaying a clear daily expression pattern, suggesting differences in circadian mechanisms between crustaceans and established models like fruit flies.
Article Synopsis
- A study assessed the effects of the paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) from the alga Alexandrium minutum on oysters (Crassostrea gigas) using various molecular techniques.
- Oysters exposed to a high concentration of the toxin showed significant behavioral changes, including reduced valve-opening and increased micro-closures, which correlated with toxin accumulation.
- Genetic analysis revealed altered gene expression related to metabolism, immunity, and detoxification, along with genotoxic effects indicated by changes in DNA profiles.
Although a significant body of literature has been devoted to the chronobiology of aquatic animals, how biological rhythms function in molluscan bivalves has been poorly studied. The first objective of this study was to determine whether an endogenous circadian rhythm does exist in the oyster, Crassostrea gigas. The second objective was to characterize it in terms of robustness.
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