Effects of extreme seasonality on metabolism and immunity of amphibians in a tropical semi-arid zone (Caatinga)

• Grant number: 15/02484-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 24, 2015
• End date: April 23, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
• Grantee: Carla Bonetti Madelaire
• Supervisor: Inna Sokolova
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/24206-4 - Sazonal relationship between reproduction, energetics and immunocompetence in toads (Rhinella jimi)from Caatinga, BP.DR

Abstract

TThis proposal aims to establish a new collaboration between research groups at UNC Charlotte and University of São Paulo and obtain preliminary data to investigate the effects of the global climate change on the amphibian populations of a semi-arid Brazilian Caatinga region. The proposed project will combine complementary expertise of the US and Brazilian laboratories to determine the role of bioenergetic mechanisms in understanding the effects of climate change on survival and fitness of amphibians from the semi-arid Caatinga region of Brazil, which is considered one of the hot-spots of climate change in South America. In order to determine the effects of seasonality and physiological stress on key metabolic regulatory pathways and immunocompetence of amphibians, we will assess the role of the key metabolic regulators, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and hypoxia inducible factor HIF-1±, in seasonal metabolic adaptations, and determine the links between the bioenergetic status and immunocompetence of the amphibians in response to seasonally elevated temperatures and drought. Samples will be collected from three anuran species Pleurodema diplolister, Rhinella granulosa and R. jimi during three different periods (dry season, rainfalls and the intervals between the rainfalls) and links between hormonal status, metabolic status and immunocompetence will be tested. The results of this project will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in 2016. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)

MADELAIRE, CARLA BONETTI; GOMES, FERNANDO RIBEIRO; SOKOLOVA, INNA. Biomarker-based assessment of the muscle maintenance and energy status of anurans from an extremely seasonal semi-arid environment, the Brazilian Caatinga. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, v. 240, FEB 2020. (14/50643-8, 15/02484-0)