Heatwaves and microplastic effects on the hypothalamic hypophyseal thyroid and immune pineal axes and the tadpole's resistance to ranavirus infection and antiviral immunity

• Grant number: 25/00287-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
• Grantee: Stefanny Christie Monteiro Titon
• Supervisor: Jacques Robert
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Rochester (UR), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00618-9 - Immune-pineal-ocular axis in amphibians, BP.PD

Abstract

Amphibians have experienced an extensive decline in the global population in recent decades. This decline has been associated with several factors, including infectious diseases and anthropically mediated environmental changes, such as climate change, and pollutants. Although endocrine and immune physiological adjustments in response to high temperatures and pollutants show high ecological relevance in amphibians, the relations between these parameters, especially in the context of infection following heatwaves and microplastic exposure, have not yet been explored. This study evaluates the heatwaves and microplastic effects on the hypothalamic hypophyseal thyroid and immune pineal axes and the tadpole's resistance to ranavirus infection and antiviral immunity. We hypothesize that heatwaves combined with microplastic exposure alters the function of the hypothalamic hypophyseal thyroid and pineal axes, which in turn affect the development of antiviral immunity and negatively impact the tadpole's resistance to ranavirus infection. We further postulate that the combined effects of heatwaves + microplastics will show a more pronounced impact on the endocrine and immune systems when compared with the isolated effects of each one alone (heatwave or microplastics). Understanding the impact of heat waves and microplastic modulation on the individual's endogenous defense processes is crucial for establishing conservation strategies. (AU)