Bankekokholm0440

Genetic analyses were used to demonstrate that Fibro-purF motif RNAs regulate gene expression in accordance with predicted PRA concentrations. These findings indicate that Fibro-purF motif RNAs are genetic regulation elements that likely suppress PRA biosynthesis when sufficient levels of this purine precursor are present.Flexible vocal production control enables sound communication in both favorable and unfavorable conditions. The Lombard effect, which describes a rise in call amplitude with increasing ambient noise, is a widely exploited strategy by vertebrates to cope with interfering noise. In humans, the Lombard effect influences the lexical stress through differential amplitude modulation at a sub-call syllable level, which so far has not been documented in animals. Here, we bridge this knowledge gap with two species of Hipposideros bats, which produce echolocation calls consisting of two functionally well-defined units the constant-frequency (CF) and frequency-modulated (FM) components. We show that ambient noise induced a strong, but differential, Lombard effect in the CF and FM components of the echolocation calls. We further report that the differential amplitude compensation occurred only in the spectrally overlapping noise conditions, suggesting a functional role in releasing masking. Lastly, we show that both species of bats exhibited a robust Lombard effect in the spectrally non-overlapping noise conditions, which contrasts sharply with the existing evidence. Our data highlight echolocating bats as a potential mammalian model for understanding vocal production control.Why do hummingbirds hum and insects whine when their wings flap in flight? Gutin proposed that a spinning propeller produces tonal sound because the location of the center of aerodynamic pressure on each blade oscillates relative to an external receiver. S3I-201 price Animal wings also move, and in addition, aerodynamic force produced by animal wings fluctuates in magnitude and direction over the course of the wingbeat. Here, we modeled animal wing tone as the equal, opposite reaction to aerodynamic forces on the wing, using Lowson's equation for the sound field produced by a moving point force. Two assumptions of Lowson's equation were met animal flight is low ( less then 0.3) Mach and animals from albatrosses to mosquitoes are acoustically compact, meaning they have a small spatial extent relative to the wavelength of their wingbeat frequency. This model predicted the acoustic waveform of a hovering Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae), which varies in the x, y and z directions around the animal. We modeled the wing forces of a hovering animal as a sinusoid with an amplitude equal to body weight. This model predicted wing sound pressure levels below a hovering hummingbird and mosquito to within 2 dB; and that far-field mosquito wing tone attenuates to 20 dB within about 0.2 m of the animal, while hummingbird humming attenuates to 20 dB at about 10 m. Wing tone plays a role in communication of certain insects, such as mosquitoes, and influences predator-prey interactions, because it potentially reveals the predator's presence to its intended prey.Birds occupy a unique position in the evolution of cardiac design. Their hearts are capable of cardiac performance on par with, or exceeding that of mammals, and yet the structure of their cardiomyocytes resembles those of reptiles. It has been suggested that birds use intracellular Ca2+ stored within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to power contractile function, but neither SR Ca2+ content nor the cross-talk between channels underlying Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) have been studied in adult birds. Here we used voltage clamp to investigate the Ca2+ storage and refilling capacities of the SR and the degree of trans-sarcolemmal and intracellular Ca2+ channel interplay in freshly isolated atrial and ventricular myocytes from the heart of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). A trans-sarcolemmal Ca2+ current (ICa) was detectable in both quail atrial and ventricular myocytes, and was mediated only by L-type Ca2+ channels. The peak density of ICa was larger in ventricular cells than in atrial cells, and exceeded that reported for mammalian myocardium recorded under similar conditions. Steady-state SR Ca2+ content of quail myocardium was also larger than that reported for mammals, and reached 750.6±128.2 μmol l-1 in atrial cells and 423.3±47.2 μmol l-1 in ventricular cells at 24°C. We observed SR Ca2+-dependent inactivation of ICa in ventricular myocytes, indicating cross-talk between sarcolemmal Ca2+ channels and ryanodine receptors in the SR. However, this phenomenon was not observed in atrial myocytes. Taken together, these findings help to explain the high-efficiency avian myocyte excitation-contraction coupling with regard to their reptilian-like cellular ultrastructure.Colour change is involved in various functions ranging from thermo- and hydroregulation to camouflage and communication. The role of colour change in communication has received increased attention over the past few decades, yet has been studied predominantly in the context of intrasexual competition. Here, we investigate the role of colour change in mate choice in an animal that can change its colour, the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis). We conducted behavioural experiments and colour analysis to investigate whether colour changes, including in the UV range, are involved in mate choice. This study presents evidence of female mate choice for specific aspects of colour change in courting males, both in the visible (i.e. human visible range 400-700 nm) and the UV range. Females chose males exhibiting more saturation changes regardless of the body region and spectral range. In addition, females chose males showing fewer brightness changes at the level of the lateral line and males showing lower hue changes at the level of the bands and the interbands, in the visible range. At UV wavelengths, selected males showed more brightness changes and higher maximum brightness. These results suggest that male colour change is important in female mate choice in the panther chameleon.