Photoperiodism in South American subterranean rodents under field and laboratory conditions

• Grant number: 17/19680-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2018 - January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Akemi Oda
• Grantee: Gisele Akemi Oda
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Verônica Sandra Valentinuzzi

Abstract

Photoperiodism is the temporal adjustment of physiology and behavior of organisms by the annual variation of daylength/nightlength (photoperiod), allowing synchronization with the seasons. In this project, we intend to study seasonality and photoperiodism in rodents (Ctenomys aff. knighti) that inhabit the extreme photic subterranean environment, continuing our parallel laboratory, field and mathematical modeling studies of the Chronobiology of these endemic South American animals. In the laboratory, we will record: 1) aftereffects of daily rhythms of locomotor activity in freshly caught animals in summer and winter; 2) resynchronization rates for different artificial photoperiods; 3) body mass, food consumption, locomotor and core body temperature (Tb) rhythms of the animals kept in the vivarium under natural photoperiod and constant ambient temperature of 22ºC throughout the year; 4) profile of reproductive and thyroid hormones fecal metabolites throughout the year. In semi-natural arenas, we will register: 1) profile of fecal reproductive and thyroid hormones metabolites throughout the year and continue our records of locomotor activity; 2) daily light exposure and Tb, as well as the environmental cycles of temperature, humidity and vegetation cover over the years; 3) experimental manipulations of vegetation cover to verify effects on diurnality/nocturnality index. In the mathematical approach, we will simulate a multi-oscillatory system for photoperiod time measurement, subjected to light regimens based on field data from this species, with variation of the photoperiod, extending our previous studies to the new perspective of annual synchronization. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FLORES, DANILO E. F. L.; ODA, GISELE A.. Quantitative Study of Dual Circadian Oscillator Models under Different Skeleton Photoperiods. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS, v. 35, n. 3, FEB 2020. (19/04451-3, 17/16242-4, 17/19680-2)

JANNETTI, MILENE G.; BUCK, C. LOREN; VALENTINUZZI, VERONICA S.; ODA, GISELE A.. Day and night in the subterranean: measuring daily activity patterns of subterranean rodents (Ctenomys aff. knighti) using bio-logging. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY, v. 7, JUL 19 2019. (16/25058-0, 14/09324-6, 14/20671-0, 17/19680-2)

YASSUMOTO, I, TAMIRIS; TACHINARDI, PATRICIA; ODA, GISELE A.; VALENTINUZZI, VERONICA S.. Acute effects of light and darkness on the activity and temperature rhythms of a subterranean rodent, the Anillaco tuco-tuco. Physiology & Behavior, v. 210, OCT 15 2019. (17/22973-1, 17/19680-2)

SILVERIO, JEFFERSON T.; TACHINARDI, PATRICIA. Chronobiology in the wild: toolkit to study daily rhythms in free-living animals. SLEEP SCIENCE, v. 13, n. 2, SI, p. 87-91, 2020. (17/19680-2, 17/22973-1)

FLORES, DANILO E. F. L.; JANNETTI, MILENE G.; IMPROTA, GIOVANE C.; TACHINARDI, PATRICIA; VALENTINUZZI, VERONICA S.; ODA, GISELE A.. Telling the Seasons Underground: The Circadian Clock and Ambient Temperature Shape Light Exposure and Photoperiodism in a Subterranean Rodent. FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, v. 12, OCT 1 2021. (17/16242-4, 10/03565-0, 19/26752-5, 16/25968-6, 17/19680-2, 16/25058-0, 17/22973-1)