Effects of timed food availability on reproduction and metabolism in zebra finches: Molecular insights into homeostatic adaptation to food-restriction in diurnal vertebrates

Prabhat, Abhilash; Batra, Twinkle; Kumar, Vinod

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104820

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Similar to these findings, zebra finches under dLAN increased their body mass and fat score without changing the total food intake. Light at night induced fattening and lipid accumulation in the liver was observed in female zebra finches [17,27]. This could be the result of change in rhythmicity and allocation of energy expenditure throughout the day (Figure 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Birds were weighed on a table top balance to an accuracy of 0.1 g in the morning. Food intake was measured as per Prabhat et al, (2020) [27]. After six weeks, we recorded body subcutaneous fat depots over tracheal pit (T) and abdomen (A) regions and assessed and scored in a scale of 0-4, where 0 = no visible fat (dark red); 1 = T, wide wedge of fat; A, trace of fat (light red); 2 = T, completely covered with fat but deeply concave; A, slips of fat (light yellow); 3 = T, moderate fat reserves but concave; A, slightly bulging pad (light yellow); 4 = T, heavy fat deposits up to clavicles; A, clearly bulging fat pad (yellow).…”

Section: Measurement Of Body Mass Food Intake Seed Storage In Crop and Fat Scorementioning

confidence: 99%

“…After six weeks, we recorded body subcutaneous fat depots over tracheal pit (T) and abdomen (A) regions and assessed and scored in a scale of 0-4, where 0 = no visible fat (dark red); 1 = T, wide wedge of fat; A, trace of fat (light red); 2 = T, completely covered with fat but deeply concave; A, slips of fat (light yellow); 3 = T, moderate fat reserves but concave; A, slightly bulging pad (light yellow); 4 = T, heavy fat deposits up to clavicles; A, clearly bulging fat pad (yellow). We also monitored changes in crop seed content as a marker to monitor stored feed, and we counted seeds visible on the surface of both left and right crops at the start and end of the experiment at lights on [17,27].…”

Section: Measurement Of Body Mass Food Intake Seed Storage In Crop and Fat Scorementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zebra finches are diurnal and highly social avian species that can breed well in the laboratory conditions and show all behavioral responses in captivity such as feeding, perch hopping and reproductive behavior [13,26,27]. It is an excellent model to study behavior and physiology and widely used for understanding highly focused and mechanistic questions [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Night Illumination on Behavior, Body Mass and Learning in Male Zebra Finches

Prabhat

Kumar

et al. 2021

Birds

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An increase in artificial night lighting has blurred the boundaries of day and night and transformed the natural day-night environment with alteration in the temporal niche of the animals. Male zebra finches were exposed to a dim light at night (dLAN) protocol (Light: dLAN, 12L = 200 lux: 12dLAN = 5 lux) with controls on darkness at night (Light: dark, 12L = 200 lux: 12D = 0 lux) for six weeks. We assayed sleep-wake, daily behaviors, mood, and cognition, as well as changes in physiological parameters. Dim light at night increased sleep frequency, delayed sleep onset, advanced awakening latency, and caused a reduction in total sleep duration. dLAN birds did not associate (physical association) with novel object and birds spent significantly lesser time on perch with novel object as compared to LD. In colour learning task, night illuminated birds took more time to learn and made more error, compared to LD. dLAN significantly altered the 24-h daily behavioral rhythm (amplitude and acrophase) of feeding, drinking, preening, and perch-hopping behavior. In particular, birds extended their feeding hours in the nighttime under dLAN, with no difference in total food intake. Birds under dLAN increased fattening and hence significantly increased body mass. Our results show that dim light at night altered feeding rhythm, caused decrease in sleep behavior, and negatively affected learning and memory performance in male zebra finches.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Measurement Of Body Mass Food Intake Seed Storage In Crop and Fat Scorementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Measurement Of Body Mass Food Intake Seed Storage In Crop and Fat Scorementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Night Illumination on Behavior, Body Mass and Learning in Male Zebra Finches

Prabhat

Kumar

et al. 2021

Birds

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“…We, lastly, hypothesize that the higher intra-strain variability in brain OT peptide content in WRM, compared to BF, could point to an evolutionary explanation according to which, out of the variable wild WRM pool, those with low brain OT peptide content were selected for breeding, to eventually make up the domesticated BF. Although such variability could also be due to differential metabolic states 63 , we believe that our experimental set up minimized the probability, since, before decapitation, all birds were kept in the dark, and did not eat, drink or sing in the hours before 64 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreased synthesis and variable gene transcripts of oxytocin in a domesticated avian species

Tobari

Theofanopoulou

Mori

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The Bengalese finch was domesticated more than 250 years ago from the wild white-rumped munia. Similar to other domesticated species, Bengalese finches show a reduced fear response and have lower corticosterone levels, compared to white-rumped munias. Bengalese finches and munias also have different song types. Since oxytocin (OT) has been found to be involved in stress coping and auditory processing, we tested whether the OT sequence and brain expression pattern and content differ in wild munias and domesticated Bengalese finches. We identified intra-strain variability in the untranslated regions of the OT sequence in Bengalese finches in comparison to the munia OT. Several of these changes fall in specific transcription factor binding sites, which show either a conserved or a relaxed evolutionary trend in the avian lineage, and in vertebrates in general. Although in situ hybridization in several hypothalamic nuclei did not reveal significant differences in the number of cells expressing OT between the two strains, real-time quantitative PCR showed significantly lower OT mRNA expression in the diencephalon of the Bengalese finches relative to munias. Our study thus points to a decreased OT synthesis in the domestic strain compared with the wild strain in birds. This is an opposite pattern from that found in some domesticated mammals, suggesting that different processes of OT function might have occurred in mammals and birds under domestication.

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Seasonality in tropical birds

et al. 2022

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The survival of offspring depends on environmental conditions. Many organisms have evolved with seasonality, characterized as initiation‐termination‐reinitiation of several physiological processes (i.e., body fattening, molt, plumage coloration, reproduction, etc). It is an adaptation for the survival of many species. Predominantly seasonal breeders use photoperiod as the most reliable environmental cue to adapt to seasonal changes but supplementary factors like temperature and food are synergistically involved in seasonal processes. Studies from diverse vertebrate systems have contributed to understanding the mechanism involved in seasonal reproduction at the molecular and endocrine levels. Long‐day induced thyrotropin (thyroid‐stimulating hormone) released from the pars tuberalis of the pituitary gland triggers local thyroid hormone activation within the mediobasal hypothalamus. This locally produced thyroid hormone, T3, regulates seasonal gonadotropin‐releasing hormone secretion. Most of the bird species studied are seasonal in reproduction and linked behavior and, therefore, need to adjust reproductive decisions to environmental fluctuations. Reproductive strategies of the temperate zone breeders are well‐documented, but less is known about tropical birds' reproduction and factors stimulating the annual breeding strategies. Here, we address seasonality in tropical birds with reference to seasonal reproduction and the various environmental factors influencing seasonal breeding.

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Effects of timed food availability on reproduction and metabolism in zebra finches: Molecular insights into homeostatic adaptation to food-restriction in diurnal vertebrates

Cited by 11 publications

References 66 publications

Effects of Night Illumination on Behavior, Body Mass and Learning in Male Zebra Finches

Effects of Night Illumination on Behavior, Body Mass and Learning in Male Zebra Finches

Decreased synthesis and variable gene transcripts of oxytocin in a domesticated avian species

Seasonality in tropical birds

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