SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

USGS1980

The influence of hunger on meal to pellet intervals in barred owls

1. Barred owls fed at a sub-maintenance (SM) level had significantly (P < 0.01) longer meal to pellet intervals (MPI)/g eaten/kg body weight (BW) than those fed at an above maintenance (AM) level; MPI/g per kg for owls fed at a maintenance (M) level was intermediate but significantly (P < 0.01) different from both SM and AM. 2. During SM feeding, MPI/g per kg gradually increased. 3. The proportion of a meal occurring in a pellet was less in “hungry” owls whether losing weight (SM) or gaining (AM) as compared to owls maintaining their normal body weight (M). 4. SM fed owls appear to be able to increase digestion time as well as thoroughness of digestion.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1983

The bile acid composition of crane gallbladder bile

1. The biliary bile acids of the whooping crane ( Grus americana ) and the Florida sandhill crane ( G. canadensis pratensis ) have been examined. 2. Cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDOCA) and lithocholic acid were found in bile from both species of these North American cranes. 3. CDOCA and CA were the primary bile acids in both species, together constituting 70% or more of the bile acids by weight. 4. The primary bile acids of cranes appear to be the same as those that have been identified in other avian species.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1984

Composition and energy contents of mature inshore spawning capelin ( Mallotus villosus ): Implications for seabird predators

1. Lipid levels of capelin are highest in late fall and lowest during the summer spawning season; protein levels are constant at 13–14% body wt throughout the year. 2. Ovid females contained significantly more lipid and protein and less water and had higher energy densities than males and spent females. 3. Surgically-removed egg masses made up 34.2 ± 10.3% female body wt and were very similar in composition and energy density to gravid females, differing from spent females and males in similar respects. Owing to the ovarian development of females, sexes differ in energy density only during the spawning season. 4. Sexes were similar in amino acid composition. Analysis of capelin and three other seabird forage species revealed that isoleucine levels were lower than minimum avian maintenance and growth requirements. 5. Implications for the foraging behaviour and food preferences of diving seabird predators (murres, puffins) are discussed

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: M↗

USGS1984

Effects of dietary excesses of branched-chain amino acids on the metabolism and tissue composition of lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush )

1. Excesses of either leucine, isoleucine or valine were fed in separate experiments to determine if the branched-chain amino acid antagonism reported in other animals occur in trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ). 2. Parameters measured include growth rate, feed utilization efficiency, plasma and muscle-free amino acids, carcass composition and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase. 3. Dietary excesses of leucine or isoleucine caused an increase in the valine requirement. 4. The inability of leucine and isoleucine supplementations to ameliorate the effects of excess dietary valine are interpreted as a valine toxicity rather than an antagonism.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1985

Evaluation of glutamic acid and glycine as sources of nonessential amino acids for lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) and rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdnerii )

1. A semi-purified test diet which contained either glutamic acid or glycine as the major source of nonessential amino acids (NEAA) was fed to lake and rainbow trout. 2. Trout fed the diet containing glutamic acid consistently showed better growth and feed conversion efficiencies than those fed the diets containing glycine. 3. The data indicate that these trout utilize glutamic acid more efficiently than glycine when no other major sources of NEAA are present.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1986

Response of rainbow trout to source and level of supplemental dietary methionine

1. Methionine and total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) requirements of rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) were investigated by feeding graded isosulfurous levels of l - and dl -methionine, l -cystine, and the free acid and calcium forms of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA). 2. Added cystine did not promote growth, survival or prevent cataracts. 3. l -methionine produced fastest growth, followed by dl -methionine, CaMHA and free acid MHA. 4. Trout fed CaMHA gained 85.7 and 92.3% as much as those fed l -methionine and dl -methionine. 5. Within each experiment, the level of L-methionine isomer that prevented cataracts was constant (1.86 g/100g protein in experiment (1), 1.45 in experiment (2) and was lower than for maximum growth (2.89 and 2.15 g) regardless of methionine source.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1987

Estimates of plasma, packed cell and total blood volume in tissues of the rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri )

1. Total blood volume and relative blood volumes in selected tissues were determined in non-anesthetized, confined rainbow trout by using 51 Cr-labelled trout erythrocytes as a vascular space marker. 2. Mean total blood volume was estimated to be 4.09 ± 0.55 ml/100 g, or about 75% of that estimated with the commonly used plasma space marker Evans blue dye. 3. Relative tissue blood volumes were greatest in highly perfused tissues such as kidney, gills, brain and liver and least in mosaic muscle. 4. Estimates of tissue vascular spaces, made using radiolabelled erythrocytes, were only 25–50% of those based on plasma space markers. 5. The consistently smaller vascular volumes obtained with labelled erythrocytes could be explained by assuming that commonly used plasma space markers diffuse from the vascular compartment.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1990

Measurements of the abilities of cultured fishes to moisturize their digesta

1. Four salmonid and four cool-water fish species were tested to determine their ability to moisturize their digesta. 2. After the fish were fed, they were sacrificed, the gut contents were removed and water content was determined. 3. The digesta of the salmonids contained the least water (63–72%) and those of largemouth bass the most (78%). 4. We conclude that there are distinct and significant differences between species and genera in the ability of fish to moisturize their digesta. The potential significance of this finding is discussed.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1990

Whole body and tissue blood volumes of two strains of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss )

1. Estimates of apparent packed cell, plasma and total blood volumes for the whole body and for 13 selected tissues were compared between Kamloops and Wytheville strains of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) by the simultaneous injection of two vascular tracers, radiolabeled trout erythrocytes ( 51 Cr-RBC) and radioiodated bovine serum albumin ( 125 I-BSA). 2. Whole body total blood volume, plasma volume and packed cell volume were slightly, but not significantly greater in the Wytheville trout, whereas, the apparent plasma volumes and total blood volumes in 4 of 13 tissues were significantly greater in the Kamloops strain. 3. Differences were most pronounced in highly perfused organs, such as the liver and kidney and in organs of digestion such as the stomach and intestines. 4. Differences in blood volumes between the two strains may be related to the greater permeability of the vascular membranes in the Kamloops strain fish.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: M↗

USGS1991

Male sex steroids and hormonal control of male courtship behavior in the yellow-bellied slider turtle, Trachemys scripta

Survey of androgens and estrogens in serum, liver and testes of male yellow-bellied slider turtles, Trachemys (= Pseudemys ) scripta , a species exhibiting dissociated gametogenesis age-dependent melanism, revealed the presence of numerous androgen precursors, androgens, androgen metabolites, and estrogens in quantities varying with season, tissue, and male coloration. The most commonly found and abundant androgens in all males were dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione, which were present at significantly higher levels in testes than in serum or liver. Epitestosterone was found in the serum and liver of only melanistic males; testosterone was only rarely recovered. Behavioral testing of castrated male turtles implanted with various androgens, as well as intact and sham-operated controls, revealed that melanistic males courted more frequently than nonmelanistic males, and that exogenous testosterone was most effective in inducing courtship behavior in castrated males.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: M↗

USGS1993

Elemental composition of a migratory and a land-locked strain of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

1. The growth and elemental composition of an anadromous strain and a land-locked strain of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) were compared. 2. All fish were raised from the egg stage under identical conditions. 3. The land-locked strain was significantly higher in lipids than the anadromous strain throughout the study. 4. Results of exposure to seawater at 2-week intervals between days 431 and 512 of the study indicated that neither strain produced smolts. 5. Strains could not be separated by discriminant analysis into separate groups, based on concentrations of the six most abundant elements or all ten elements sampled during the expected period of smolting (days 440–550). 6. The laboratory fish differed significantly in composition from those collected in the Merrimack River. 7. The log e of the whole-body element content increased significantly with log e of wet body wt in both strains.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1993

Effects of salinity on chloride cells and Na+ K+-ATPase activity in the teleost Gillchthys mirabilis

1. Longjawed mudsuckers, Gillichthys mirabilis , in 30ppt seawater (SW) were transferred to 1.5, 30 and 60ppt SW. 2. In the first 1–3 days after transfer, plasma chloride level and plasma osmolarity rose in the 60ppt SW fish, and decreased in the 1.5ppt SW fish. 3. By day 21, however, plasma chloride and osmolarity were at or near the levels seen in the controls (30ppt). 4. Branchial and jawskin Na + , K + -ATPase activities were high in all salinities, and did not differ significantly among treatments. 5. The vital fluorescent stains DASPEI and anthroylouabain were used to detect mitochondria and Na + , K + -ATPase, respectively, in chloride cells. 6. Both stains indicated that jawskin chloride cell density did not differ among treatment groups. 7. In contrast, chloride cell size increased significantly with increasing salinity. 8. The chloride cells of fish in 60 ppt SW were noticeably angular in outline, whereas those of both the 1.5 and 30ppt SW fish were circular. 9. The results are discussed in relation to the ion transport requirements encountered in the intertidal habitat of the mudsucker.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1995

Protein retention and liver aminotransferase activities in Atlantic salmon fed diets containing different energy sources

Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) fingerlings (14.4 g) were fed diets containing either glucose, dextrin, raw corn starch and lipid, or a high protein U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service open-formula diet (ASD2-30) for 12 weeks. Significant differences in weight gain and feed: gain ratio were not observed among salmon fed the diets containing glucose, dextrin or ASD2-30. Diets containing dextrin and glucose supported greater protein retention and reduction in alanine aminotransferase activity than the other diets. Activity of aspartate aminotransferase was not affected by the dietary treatment. Protein retention correlated highly with alanine aminotransferase activity.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1996

Kangaroo rat bone compared to white rat bone after short-term disuse and exercise

Kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys ordii ) were used to study the effects of confinement on mechanical properties of bone with a long range objective of proposing an alternative to the white rat model for the study of disuse osteoporosis. Kangaroo rats exhibit bipedal locomotion, which subjects their limbs to substantial accelerative forces in addition to the normal stress of weight bearing. We subjected groups of kangaroo rats and white rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) to one of two confinement treatments or to an exercise regime; animals were exercised at a rate calculated to replicate their (respective) daily exercise patterns. White laboratory rats were used as the comparison because they are currently the accepted model used in the study of disuse osteoporosis. After 6 weeks of treatment, rats were killed and the long bones of their hind limbs were tested mechanically and examined for histomorphometric changes. We found that kangaroo rats held in confinement had less ash content in their hind limbs than exercised kangaroo rats. In general, treated kangaroo rats showed morphometric and mechanical bone deterioration compared to controls and exercised kangaroo rats appeared to have slightly “stronger” bones than confined animals. White rats exhibited no significant differences between treatments. These preliminary results suggest that kangaroo rats may be an effective model in the study of disuse osteoporosis.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: P↗

USGS1994

A review of lead poisoning in swans

Nearly 10,000 swans of six species or subspecies from 14 countries have died from poisoning caused by lead that originated from ingestion of fishing weights, shotgun pellets (shot), or contaminated vegetation or sediments associated with mining and smelting wastes. Lead contamination in mute swans in England caused local population declines during the late 1970s and 1980s. More tundra swans died from lead poisoning than any other species. The extreme record involved an estimated 7200 tundra swans that died over five winters at one locality in North Carolina. The recent legislation to ban lead fishing weights in most of England and Wales and recent replacement of lead shot with steel shot for waterfowl hunting in the United States and a few areas of Europe, including Denmark, are expected to reduce the incidence of lead poisoning in swans.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C: P↗

USGS1996

Regional cholinesterase activity in white-throated sparrow brain is differentially affected by acephate (Orthene®)

Effects of a 14-day dietary exposure to an organophosphorus pesticide, acephate (acetylphosphoramidothioic acid O,S-dimethyl ester), were determined on cholinesterase activity in three regions (basal ganglia, hippocampus, and hypothalamus) of the white-throated sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis , brain. All three regions experienced depressed cholinesterase activity between 0.5–2 ppm acephate. The regions exhibited cholinesterase recovery at 2–16 ppm acephate; however, cholinesterase activity dropped and showed no recovery at higher dietary levels (>16 ppm acephate). Evidence indicates that the recovery is initiated by the magnitude of depression, not the duration. In general, as acephate concentration increased, differences in ChE activity among brain regions decreased. Three terms are introduced to describe ChE response to acephate exposure: 1) ChE resistance threshold, 2) ChE compensation threshold, and 3) ChE depression threshold. It is hypothesized that adverse effects to birds in the field may occur at pesticide exposure levels customarily considered negligible.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C: P↗

USGS2006

Conservation of Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in teleost fish

In mammals, toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize ligands, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and respond with ligand-specific induction of genes. In this study, we establish evolutionary conservation in teleost fish of key components of the TLR-signaling pathway that act as switches for differential gene induction, including MYD88, TIRAP, TRIF, TRAF6, IRF3, and IRF7. We further explore this conservation with a molecular phylogenetic analysis of MYD88. To the extent that current genomic analysis can establish, each vertebrate has one ortholog to each of these genes. For molecular tree construction and phylogeny inference, we demonstrate a methodology for including genes with only partial primary sequences without disrupting the topology provided by the high-confidence full-length sequences. Conservation of the TLR-signaling molecules suggests that the basic program of gene regulation by the TLR-signaling pathway is conserved across vertebrates. To test this hypothesis, leukocytes from a model fish, rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), were stimulated with known mammalian TLR agonists including: diacylated and triacylated forms of lipoprotein, flagellin, two forms of LPS, synthetic double-stranded RNA, and two imidazoquinoline compounds (loxoribine and R848). Trout leukocytes responded in vitro to a number of these agonists with distinct patterns of cytokine expression that correspond to mammalian responses. Our results support the key prediction from our phylogenetic analyses that strong selective pressure of pathogenic microbes has preserved both TLR recognition and signaling functions during vertebrate evolution.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part D: G↗

USGS2007

Peptidomic analysis of skin secretions supports separate species status for the tailed frogs, Ascaphus truei and Ascaphus montanus

The tailed frog Ascaphus truei Stejneger, 1899 is the most primitive extant anuran and the sister taxon to the clade of all other living frogs. The species occupies two disjunct ranges in the Northwest region of North America: the Cascade Mountains and coastal area from British Columbia to Northern California, and an inland range in the northern Rocky Mountains and the Blue and Wallowa mountains. A previous study led to the isolation of eight peptides with antimicrobial activity (termed the ascaphins) from skin secretions of A. truei from the coastal range. The present study has used peptidomic analysis to identify the products of orthologous ascaphin genes in electrically-stimulated skin secretions from inland range specimens. Structural characterization of the peptides demonstrated that ascaphins from the inland range contained the following amino acid substitutions compared with orthologs from the coastal range frogs: ascaphin-1 (Ala 12 → Glu), ascaphin-3 (Asp 4 → Glu), ascaphin-4 (Ala 19 → Ser), ascaphin-5 (Lys 12 → Thr), and ascaphin-7 (Gly 8 → Ser and Ser 20 → Asn). Orthologs of ascaphins-2, -6, and -8 were not identified but a paralog of ascaphin-5, identical to ascaphin-5 from coastal range frogs, was found. The data support the claims, derived from analysis of the nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial genes, that the inland populations of the tailed frog should be recognized as a distinct species, the Rocky Mountain tailed frog Ascaphus montanus and that the divergence of the species from A. truei probably occurred in the late Miocene (approximately 10 Mya).

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part D: G↗