Symposium2 of ICCPB2011

Organizers:
Suzie Currie (Mount Allison University, Canada)
Pat Wright (University of Guelph, Canada)

The theme of this symposium is the tradeoffs that occur between physiological systems in fish when homeostasis is challenged on multiple fronts. We have chosen to focus on the crossover between osmoregulation and other physiological systems because of the relatively high energetic cost of maintaining osmotic balance, the multiple tissue sites involved in fish and the intense international research interest in osmoregulation. Speakers will be challenged to consider whether there is evidence within their own research for conflict or compromise between osmoregulation and other physiological systems (e.g. respiration, acid-base balance, digestion, cellular stress, development).

Speakers:
1) Chris Wood (McMaster University, Canada): Osmoregulation and digestion
2) Martin Grosell (RSMAS, University of Miami, USA): Osmoregulation and acid-base balance
3) Patricia Schulte (University of British Columbia, Canada): The role of alternative isoforms as an evolutionary strategy for mitigating potential conflicts between osmoregulation and other physiological systems
4) Junya Hiroi (St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Japan): Osmoregulation and the developmental program
5) Suzie Currie (Mount Allison University, Canada): Conflicts & compromises: TMAO as an osmolyte and chemical chaperone in elasmobranchs experiencing environmental stress

Organizer:
Klaus H. Hoffmann (University of Bayreuth, Germany)

The increasing availability of invertebrate genomes has revealed a large number of genes without functions. RNA interference (RNAi) or posttranslational gene silencing has emerged as a powerful tool for down-regulating gene expression in insects and other invertebrates, such as nematodes, molluscs, crustaceans or spiders. This suppression of gene expression by injection or feeding of double-stranded RNA has become a widely used technique in analyzing gene functions in vivo, especially in non-model organisms. Moreover, the possibility of studying the functions of homologous genes in different taxa may give us a comparative and evolutionary insight into their life processes. Finally, ingested double-stranded RNAs can act as species-specific insecticides in an ecologically friendly pest control.

Speakers:
1) Kenji Tomioka (Okayama University, Japan): Molecular dissection of an insect circadian clock with RNAi
2) Klaus H. Hoffmann (University of Bayreuth, Germany): Using RNA interference in analyzing the role of juvenile hormone in insect reproduction
3) Taro Mito (University of Tokushima, Japan): Ancestral development mechanisms in insects revealed by RNAi analysis of cricket genes
4) Wenquing Zhang (Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China): RNAi studies in insects in China.
5) Yasuhiko Kato, Hajime Watanabe (Osaka University, Japan): Development of an RNA interference method in the cladoceran crustacean Daphnia magna.

Organizers:
Kenji Tomioka (Okayama Univ., Japan)
Elzbieta Pyza (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland)

Circadian rhythms are commonly observed in many physiological functions including vision, olfaction, learning and memory, and locomotor activity. The rhythms are regulated by an endogenous timing mechanism called a circadian clock. The circadian clock exerts its influences not only to daily but also to seasonally timed events. Recent studies revealed that the clock is based on the molecular oscillatory network consisting of so-called clock and clock-related genes and their product proteins. Recent progress in molecular studies makes it possible to understand clock-controlled systems at molecular and cellular levels. In this symposium, the circadian timing system and its influences on various physiological functions in insect models will be discussed at molecular and cellular levels.

Speakers:
1) Elzbieta Pyza (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland): Circadian regulation of neuronal and glial cell activity and plasticity in the fly’s visual system.
2) Terry L. Page (Vanderbilt Univ., USA): Circadian regulation of olfactory learning and memory.
3) Norio Ishida (AIST, Japan):Molecular approach to understand circadian mating behavior of Drosophila.
4) Kenji Tomioka (Okayama Univ., Japan): The circadian clock regulates physiological functions through a neuropeptide PDF in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus..
5) Sakiko Shiga (Osaka City Univ., Japan): Circadian clock neurons presumably involved in photoperiodism in the blowfly Protophormia terraenovae.

Organizers:
Hiroto Ogawa (Dept. Biol. Sci., Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ.)
Hideaki Takeuchi (Dept Biol. Sci., Grad. Schl. Sci., Univ. Tokyo)

The brain is a very complex system with anatomically and functionally hierarchical structure, which consists of gene, signaling molecule, synapses, neuron, and network. To understand the brain function underlying individual behaviors, therefore, an integrative approach combining molecular biology, functional anatomy, electrophysiology, optical imaging and computational analysis is required. In this symposium, we will introduce a recent advance in various types of methods for monitoring the neural activity and for analyzing neuronal dynamics of the nervous system involved in variety of behaviors. Further we would like to introduce recent studies on neural system using various species of animals, which provide suitable materials for studies of different levels of behaviors in the neuroscience field.

Speakers:
1) Kotaro Kimura (Dept. Biol. Sci., Grad. Schl. Sci., Osaka Univ): An integrative and quantitative analysis of dopamine-dependent odor avoidance behavior of the nematode C. elegans
2) Fabrizio Gabbiani (Dept. Neurosci., Baylor College of Medicine): Collision Detection as a Model for Sensory-Motor Integration
3) Hiroto Ogawa (Dept. Biol. Sci., Fac. Sci. Hokkaido Univ.): Directional-dependent plasticity in neural and behavioral responses to air currents in the cricket
4) Hideaki Takeuchi (Dept Biol. Sci., Grad. Schl. Sci., Univ. Tokyo): Neural basis underlying female mating preference in medaka fish
5) Masanori Murayama (Brain Sci. Inst., RIKEN): Fiberoptic Ca2+ imaging of dendrites in freely moving rats

Organizers:
Ishwar Parhar (Monash Univ., Malaysia)
Hironori Ando (Kyushu Univ., Japan)

Most animals exhibit mysterious and unique reproductive behavior that is fundamental for production of offspring. The occurrence of reproductive behavior in animals is controlled by both inner specific physiological conditions and outer environmental signals in conjunctions with social cues. Various neuronal and humoral integrative systems play important roles in making animal reproduction successful. Recent rapid developments of biochemical, molecular, and genetic techniques have accumulated data on the molecular mechanism of reproductive behavior, such as neuronal changes in sensory nervous systems, neuroendocrine regulation by neuropeptide and neurosteroid hormones, communication of individuals by pheromones, and the interaction of animals with environmental signals. In this symposium, we focus on the animal reproductive behavior from physiological as well as biochemical points of views with special reference to evolutionally aspects from invertebrates to vertebrates. These unique reproductive behaviors of various animal species will have great contribution to open new interdisciplinary research fields in comparative physiology and biochemistry. This symposium is supported by the Japan Society for Comparative Endocrinology (JSCE).

Speakers:
1) Michiyasu Yoshikuni (Kyushu Univ., Japan): Spawning behaviors induced by neurosecretory hormones in echinoderms
2) Fumiyo Toyoda (Nara Medical Univ., Japan): Involvement of multiple hormones in the newt reproductive behavior
3) Hironori Ando (Kyushu Univ., Japan): Molecular basis of neuroendocrine control of spawning migration in grass puffer
4) Tomoko Soga (Monash Univ., Malaysia): Role of RF-related peptide in male reproductive behavior in mice

Organizers:
Kazuyoshi Tsutsui (Waseda Univ., Japan)
Hubert Vaudry (Univ. Rouen, France)

Comparative studies are generally recognized to be performed by researchers who love a specific group of animals. However, these studies have a potential to contribute more generally to other animals groups or throughout animal kingdom as all extant animals are related with each other via a history of evolution that is imprinted in their genome. Therefore, this symposium provides an excellent opportunity to introduce how much comparative studies can satisfy the interest of wide range of researchers even that of clinical researchers. We select six researchers who are world leaders in comparative endocrinology and identified new hormones in various vertebrate species or new functions of known hormones by way of comparative studies using physiological, biochemical and genomic techniques. We believe that this symposium will add value to the ICCPB2011 by introducing the importance of comparative studies from an endocrinological discipline and attract attention of many researchers in the field of comparative physiology and biochemistry. This symposium is supported by the Japan Society for Comparative Endocrinology (JSCE).

Speakers:
1) Hubert Vaudry (Univ. Rouen, France): Identification and functional characterization of novel neuropeptides: from frogs to humans
2) Kazuyoshi Tsutsui (Waseda Univ., Japan): Discovery and evolutionary history of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), a new key neuropeptide controlling reproduction
3) Jae Young Seong (Korea Univ., Korea): Molecular co-evolution of kisspeptins and GPR54s
4) Billy Chow (Univ. Hong Kong, China): Analysis of VPAC and secretin receptors in vertebrates: its implications on molecular and functional evolution of the secretin receptor family
5) Yoshio Takei (Univ. Tokyo, Japan): Reverse phylogenetic approach to discovery of novel adrenomedullins in mammals
6) Honoo Satake (Suntory Inst. for Bioorganic Res., Japan): Homologous and unique structures and functions of ascidian peptidic signaling molecules

Organizers:
Vera Maria F. Almeida-Val (INPA – LEEM, Amazonas, Brazil)
Adalberto Luis Val (INPA – LEEM, Amazonas, Brazil)

Adaptations of organisms to long- and short-term environmental changes are one of the basic concepts of evolution. These adaptations involve genetic changes that result in either metabolic/physiological adjustment to short-term changes or in changes at population and species levels. During the evolution, individuals must cope with short- and long-term variations of the same physical parameters, i.e., temperature, pressure, and oxygen. In most cases, functional responses involve adjustments in metabolic processes which depend on the genetic make-up and may, in addition, result in anatomical and morphological variation. Evolutionary changes rely on genetic mutation and selection in the broad sense, but a quantitative assessment of genetic variation alone fails to consider the phenotype range of variation of any given genotype. Thus, these two adaptation processes are interdependent: metabolic adaptation and long-term genetic changes will alter different spectra – the spectrum of selection is altered by physiological changes, and the spectrum of physiological and metabolic patterns will be altered by genetic mutation over evolutionary time. Currently, the interplay between metabolic and genetic adaptation may be the reflection of gene regulation processes: regulatory loci directly respond to specific environmental stimuli by triggering a specific series of “changes” and, in consequence, induce metabolic adjustments during transcriptional phase. Subsequently, other changes in metabolism, which may be post-transcriptional, may take place to induce the fine adjustments that allow for a perfect interaction between organisms and environment. In fact, the discovery of regulation of many genes reconciles the apparent paradox between “unity versus diversity” suggested by Peter W. Hochachka in 1988, in which the relative constancy of chemical structure opposes with genotypic and phenotypic diversity within and between species. The present symposium will bring an up to date view of the importance of gene regulation in the adaptation of living organisms to their environment.

Speakers:
1) Adalberto Luis Val, Sergio Ricardo Nozawa, Vera Maria Fonseca de Almeida-Val(Laboratory of Ecophysiology and Molecular Evolution, INPA, National Institute for Research of the Amazon, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil): Transcriptomic studies in aquatic organisms of the Amazon: current status
2) J.Eduardo P.W.Bicudo (Department of Physiology,Bioscience Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil): Physiological acclimatization and phenotypic plasticity in indigenous populations of the Upper Rionegro,Amazon,Brazil
3) David Randall, Carrie Hung (Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong): Changes in gene expression during hypoxia and starnation in fish
4) Vera Maria Fonseca de Almeida-Vai, Nayara Castro, Daniel Raid, Adalberto Luis Val(Laboratory of Ecophysiology and Molecular Evolution,INPA,National Institute for Research of the Amazon, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil): Amazon fish LDH as model for studies of temperature adaptations

Organizers:
Pawel Koteja (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland)
Marek Konarzewski (Univ. Bialystok, Poland)

Experimental evolution - experiments with artificial selection or laboratory natural selection - provide a straightforward and methodologically strong method of testing hypotheses concerning correlated evolution of complex morpho-physiological adaptations. The experiments can be used to find out how selection on a defined trait, or selection for an ability to cope with a defined environmental challenge, changes other traits of the organisms. The selected lines provide also a superb model to study biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlining adaptations observed at organismal level. The selection experiments, however, do not provide any information on whether the traits of interest are subject to natural selection. Such an information can be obtained only by studying free-living populations under natural conditions. Recently, modern molecular methods allowed also to get insights into selection processes in ancestors of extant species. However, because of tremendous complexity of natural environment and relations among individuals in the free-living populations, a research on natural selection on physiological traits can hardly provide results allowing strong inferences concerning causal factors. This symposium will provide a platform of communication for evolutionary physiologists and ecologists who approached the questions concerning evolution of physiological adaptations related to energy metabolism applying the two research lines.

Speakers:
1) Monika Wieczorek (Polish Acad. Sci., Poland.): Natural selection on body mass and metabolic rates in root voles, Microtus oeconomus
2) Edyta Sadowska (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland): Inter-population variation and natural selection on metabolic traits in the bank vole, Myodes glareolus.
3) Vincent Careau (Univ. California, USA): Links between activity, exploratory behavior, and energy metabolism: lessons from various types of experimental evolution
4) Aneta Ksiazek (Univ. Bialystok, Poland): Physiological and molecular consequences of divergent selection for basal metabolic rate (BMR) in laboratory mice
5) Sebastian Maciak (Univ. Bialystok, Poland): Genome and cell size as factors determining metabolic rate scaling.
6) Pawel Koteja (Jagiellonian Univ., Poland): Correlated responses to a multidirectional artificial selection in the bank vole, Myodes glareolus.

Organizers:
Kentaro Arikawa (Sokendai-Hayama, Japan)
Akihisa Terakita (Osaka City Univ., Japan)

Structure and function of photoreceptors are diverse due to the animals’ behavioral characteristics, and have been extensively studied from the molecular to the systems level. Diversity of photoreceptors has highlighted their evolutionary history. Recent development of this field has greatly indebted to the detailed analyses of opsin-based photopigments. These studies have revealed that invertebrate and vertebrate visual photoreception evolved independently, and have also indicated clear evolutional linkage between the invertebrate visual and vertebrate non-visual photoreceptions. To elucidate how photoreception has evolved, analysis of photoreceptor proteins is indispensable, but proteins are not the only factor: some insects have photoreceptors of different spectral sensitivities using the same photopigment molecule. . In this symposium, evolution and diversity of photoreceptors will be discussed with recent findings on opsin-based pigments as well as other factors.

Speakers:
1) Eric Warrant (Lund Univ., Sweden): Signal, noise and information in the photoreceptors of a nocturnal bee
2) Michiyo Kinoshita (Sokendai-Hayama, Japan): Relationship between retinal organization and visual functions in Papilio butterflies
3) Takashi Nagata (Osaka City Univ., Japan): Molecular basis of vision in a jumpping spider.
4) Mitsumasa Koyanagi (Osaka City Univ., Japan): Evolution of opsin-based pigments and photoreceptor cells
5) Daisuke Kojima (Univ. Tokyo, Japan): Non-visual photoreception in vertebrates.

Organizers:
Enrique Caviedes-Vidal (Univ. Nac San Luis, Argentina)
William H. Karasov (Univ. Wisconsin-Madison, USA)

In recent years we have witnessed in biology a burgeoning increase in the documentation of patterns of physiological variation at large spatial and temporal scales. Analysis of the mechanisms underpinning these variations and their ecological significance has always been pivotal to support these documentations. Recently, molecular work continues a long tradition of reductionism in biological science that has greatly advanced our knowledge about the mechanisms underlying physiological variation at large scales. However, interpreting the functional significance of the vast amounts of the mechanistic processes, and their genomic expressions requires an integrative systems analysis and an evolutionary approach. Such an approach relies on understanding the organ and whole organismal function, as well as an analysis of the perspective that seeks the evolutionary origin of the variation and the conditions that are required to maintain it. Furthermore, organismal perspectives are necessary to link genomic information with ecological processes important to society such as responses of ecological systems to climate change, provisioning of ecosystem services, and conservation and management of biodiversity. Thus, we advocate that the classical reductionism continues to be of importance in this task, especially if the focus includes identifying and understanding in an integrated fashion the network of mechanisms that give rise to the biological process we see at the whole-organism, population, community, and ecosystem level.
This symposium brings together a number of biologists whose work, in total, spans the molecular to the ecosystem. They focus on a wide range of physiological features such as energy and water balance, digestive and kidney function. But all place their work within the integrative contexts that are the overarching theme of the symposium. Thus, this symposium is a special opportunity to highlight the integrative research perspective that has been overshadowed by the ascendency of molecular biology and the reductionist approach.

Speakers:
1) Enrique Caviedes-Vidal (Univ.Nac San Luis, Argentina): Ontogeny: Digestive mechanisms and ecological consequences.
2) Denise Dearing (Univ. Utah, USA): Transcending Plant-Herbivore Interactions in the Time of Omes.
3) Todd McWhorther (Univ. Adelaide, Australia): Water balance in nectar-feeding birds: the intestine as an osmoregulatory organ.
4) William H. Karasov (Univ. Wisconsin-Madison, USA): Intestinal absorption: a view from molecules to ecosystem.
5) Francisco Bozinovic (Pontificia Univ. Católica, Chile): Environmental thermal mean and variance interact to determine physiological tolerance and fitness. Implications for climate change.