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Are ectotherm brains vulnerable to global warming?

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 36; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.009

1872-8383

Iván Beltrán, Suzana Herculano‐Houzel, Barry Sinervo, Martin J. Whiting,

Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior

Ectotherm brains are remarkably plastic to changes in developmental temperature; however, their physiological requirements may still make them susceptible to the higher temperatures associated with global warming. Global warming affects the development of the ectotherm brain because rising temperature stimulate neuronal activity and growth up to a certain threshold, above which it is detrimental to neuron development. Making predictions about temperature effects on neuronal development and cognition is currently hampered by what might be highly taxon-dependent effects documented in a limited number of species. We propose that studying the developmental plasticity of the ectotherm brain can help us predict how a wider range of species will respond to global warming. Elevated temperatures during development affect a wide range of traits in ectotherms. Less well understood is the impact of global warming on brain development, which has only rarely been studied experimentally. Here, we evaluate current progress in the field and search for common response patterns among ectotherm groups. Evidence suggests that temperature may have a positive effect on neuronal activity and growth in developing brains, but only up to a threshold, above which temperature is detrimental to neuron development. These responses appear to be taxon dependent but this assumption may be due to a paucity of data for some taxonomic groups. We provide a framework with which to advance this highly promising field in the future. Elevated temperatures during development affect a wide range of traits in ectotherms. Less well understood is the impact of global warming on brain development, which has only rarely been studied experimentally. Here, we evaluate current progress in the field and search for common response patterns among ectotherm groups. Evidence suggests that temperature may have a positive effect on neuronal activity and growth in developing brains, but only up to a threshold, above which temperature is detrimental to neuron development. These responses appear to be taxon dependent but this assumption may be due to a paucity of data for some taxonomic groups. We provide a framework with which to advance this highly promising field in the future. an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to estradiol, which then binds to nuclear and membrane-bound estrogen receptors in various target tissues to exert genomic and non-genomic effects. the process by which a genotype produces distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions under which development takes place. animals that derive the heat they require for body functioning from external sources, such as sunlight or a heated surface. This group includes invertebrates, fishes, amphibians and nonavian reptiles. proteins that are produced in response to exposure to stressful or abnormal conditions (commonly elevated temperatures), to facilitate cells processes including protein synthesis and refolding, and prevent protein aggregation and denaturation. spheroidal structures with high density of synapses located in the mushroom bodies of insects. higher integration centers in the insect brain that process olfactory and visual information. The mushroom bodies are composed of thousands of neurons (Kenyon cells), whose dendrites form a calyx-shaped structure and whose axons form a stalk or peduncle-shaped structure. a lipid-rich specialized membrane that surrounds nerve cell axons insulating them to increase the rate at which electrical impulses (i.e., action potentials) pass along neurons. the study of the timing of recurring biological events (e.g., reproductive events), and the biotic and abiotic forces responsible for their timing. part of the anterior region of the hypothalamus. It is recognized as a pivotal region in the central regulation of body temperature in mammals, and is crucial for the control of some male sexual behavior in mice and reptiles. refers to a collection of cells located ventrally in the intermediate hypothalamic region. The VMH is important in the regulation of female sexual behavior, feeding, energy balance, and cardiovascular function.