Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a Gram negative bacterium found exclusively in the mammalian oral cavity where it resides in the gingival crevice, the space between the tooth and gum tissue. Though it has historically been considered a common commensal organism, it is now appreciated that A. actinomycetemcomitans is an opportunistic pathogen associated with the diseases periodontitis and endocarditis. To cause infection, A. actinomycetemcomitans must interact and compete with neighboring bacteria for space and nutrients, though little is known about the physiology it employs within the gingival crevice. Using A. actinomycetemcomitans grown in a chemically defined medium containing carbon sources found in vivo, I use transcriptome analyses and growth studies to show that A. actinomycetemcomitans preferentially utilizes lactate over the phosphotransferase system (PTS) sugars glucose and fructose. Additionally, the presence of lactate or pyruvate inhibits the transport and metabolism of these sugars in a post-transcriptionally controlled process I have termed PTS substrate exclusion. Since lactate is an energetically inferior carbon source, PTS substrate exclusion appears to be a carbon resource partitioning mechanism that allows A. actinomycetemcomitans to avoid competition for energetically favorable sugars with other species, and I propose a model to describe this phenomenon. To begin to understand the mechanism of PTS substrate exclusion, I examine the first step of the proposed model by purifying and characterizing the L-lactate dehydrogenase (LctD) from A. actinomycetemcomitans. I demonstrate that, unlike other studied lactate dehydrogenases, the LctD from A. actinomycetemcomitans does not exhibit feedback inhibition in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of pyruvate, which supports my hypothesis that elevated intracellular pyruvate levels inhibit the PTS. The results of my studies provide insight into a new regulatory mechanism governing carbon utilization in this bacterium. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Botany, 2008. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88).

Orientadores: Sergio Furtado dos Reis, Marcio Silva Araujo. / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T20:53:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_JoaoCarlosLopes_M.pdf: 677158 bytes, checksum: b1c8a350aeb6b46bf7f5c1573c624dec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: A dieta é um dos principais atributos do nicho ecológico de qualquer espécie animal. Geralmente nos estudos ecológicos os indivíduos de uma população são considerados ecologicamente equivalentes em relação ao uso de recurso. Contudo, esta abordagem tem se mostrada inadequada na descrição da utilização de recurso para várias espécies, como demonstrado por dados empíricos. A variação intrapopulacional pode ser ocasionada por fatores exógenos ou fenômenos endógenos ocasionados pelas diferenças sexuais e/ou ontogenéticas. Além disso, indivíduos pertencentes à mesma classe etária, ao mesmo sexo e dentro da mesma localidade podem também exibir variação no nicho. Esse fenômeno é denominado de "especialização individual" e sua ocorrência tem sido descrita para comunidades temperadas ou depauperadas até o presente momento. Para verificar quais fenômenos podem produzir a variação no nicho de lagartos tropicais foi utilizado como modelo Tropidurus hispidus. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: descrever a composição da dieta; investigar a existência de variação intrapopulacional no nicho trófico; determinar em que níveis essa variação se expressa; e testar se a morfologia é um mecanismo subjacente ao uso de recursos alimentares nesta espécie. Dentre os fenômenos analisados, a variação intrapopulacional parece ser ocasionada unicamente pela especialização individual. Os itens mais consumidos por T. hispidus, formigas, besouros e cupins, produzem uma variedade de substâncias químicas tóxicas que podem impor um alto custo para desintoxicação e gerar preferências alimentares individuais. Outra possível fonte de variação é a ocorrência de diferentes comportamentos de forrageio por indivíduos da mesma população. Este é o primeiro registro da ocorrência de especialização individual em lagartos tropicais e reforça a percepção de que esse fenômeno esta presente em comunidades tropicais de alta diversidade, contrariando o padrão estabelecido na literatura, relacionando à ocorrência da especialização individual a comunidades temperadas e depauperadas. / Abstract: The diet is one of the main atributes of the ecological niche of animal species. Generally, the individuals of a population are considered ecologically equivalent in ecological studies that focus on resource use. Nevertheless, this approach has been inadequate to correctly describe resource use by various species, as demonstrated by empirical data. Intrapopulation variation may be caused by exogenous factors or endogenous phenomena such as sexual and/or ontogenetic differences. Additionally, individuals belonging to the same age or sex, and within a single site or time can also show differences in niche. This phenomenon has been defined as "individual specialization" and its occurrence is related to temperate and/or depauperate communities. To verify which phenomena produce niche variation in tropical lizards, we used Tropidurus hispidus as a model system. The aims of this study were to describe the diet composition; to investigate the existence of intrapopulational variation in trophic niche; to determine at which levels this variation is expressed, and test if the morphology is an underlying mechanism in food resource use in this species. The intrapopulation variation seems to be caused uniquely by individual specialization. The most consumed items by T. hispidus, ants, beetles and termites, produce a variety of toxic chemical substances that can impose a high cost for desintoxication and generate individual alimentary preferences. Another possible source of variation is the occurrence of different forage behaviors by individuals of the same population. This is the first record of the occurrence of individual specialization in tropical lizards, which suggests the presence of this phenomenon in highly diverse tropical communities, contradicting the established literature relating the occurrence of individual specialization to temperate and depauperate communities. / Mestrado / Mestre em Ecologia

Animals living in marine sediments (the second largest habitat on earth) play a major role in global biogeochemical cycling. By feeding on organic matter from settled phytoplankton blooms they produce food for higher trophic levels and nutrients that can fuel primary production. In the Baltic Sea, anthropogenic stresses, such as eutrophication and introductions of invasive species, have altered phytoplankton dynamics and benthic communities. This thesis discusses the effects of different types of phytoplankton on the deposit-feeding community and the importance of benthic biodiversity for fate of the phytoplankton bloom-derived organic matter. Deposit-feeders survived and fed on settled cyanobacterial bloom material and in doing so accumulated the cyanobacterial toxin nodularin. Their growth after feeding on cyanobacteria was much slower than on a diet of spring bloom diatoms. The results show that settling blooms of cyanobacteria are used as food without obvious toxic effects, although they do not sustain rapid growth of the fauna. Since all tested species accumulated the cyanotoxin, negative effects higher up in the food web can not be ruled out. Both species composition and richness of deposit-feeding macrofauna influenced how much of the phytoplankton bloom material that was incorporated in fauna or retained in the sediment. The mechanism behind the positive effect of species richness was mainly niche differentiation among functionally different species, resulting in a more efficient utilization of resources at greater biodiversity. This was observed even after addition of an invasive polychaete species. Hence, species loss can be expected to affect benthic productivity negatively. In conclusion, efficiency in organic matter processing depends both on pelagic phytoplankton quality and benthic community composition and species richness. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 4: In press. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

Juste après son apparition au début de l'Ère Tertiaire, l'ordre des Primates connaît plusieurs phases de diversification intenses. Ces épisodes successifs sont à l'origine de l'émergence des groupes actuels. Malgré l'importance de ces évènements, leurs modalités restent peu connues, particulièrement l'importance des facteurs écologiques. En Europe et en Amérique du Nord, la transition Paléocène-Éocène est marquée par un réchauffement climatique majeur. C'est à cette époque que les primates modernes (Euprimates) apparaissent, se dispersent, et se diversifient de manière explosive au cours de l'Éocène. Ce travail a pour objectif de caractériser l'émergence de cette diversité à travers les facteurs écologiques tels que le partage des ressources, les phénomènes de compétition, et les changements paléoenvironnementaux. Dans ce but, l'étude de la structure des dents et des micro-usures laissées par le bol alimentaire permet la reconstruction du régime alimentaire des primates paléogènes (Adapiformes, Omomyiformes, Anthropoidea et Plesiadapiformes), l'un des meilleurs indicateurs de l'écologie d'un animal.En Europe, les premiers euprimates (e.g., Donrussellia [adapiformes]), bien qu'ayant un patron dentaire de type insectivore, étaient majoritairement frugivores et secondairement insectivores. Ils occupaient ainsi des niches distinctes des plésiadapiformes (folivores, frugivores et gommivores). La diversification des euprimates au cours de l'Éocène a conduit à l'augmentation des pressions de compétition au sein des communautés et à l'apparition de spécialisations écologiques. Par exemple, les adapinés, initialement frugivores, ont montré une évolution de leur régime alimentaire par l'intégration de feuilles et d'objets durs.En Asie, l'étude des communautés fossiles a mis en exergue une forte pression de compétition entre les formes de petite taille (éosimiidés, tarsiidés, adapidés), qui avaient tous un régime alimentaire à base de fruits et d'insectes. Les anthropoïdes asiatiques (amphipithècidés) montrent des spécialisations écologiques très singulières avec notamment un régime alimentaire à base d'objets durs. En Afrique, les communautés éocènes témoignent d'une diversité importante, avec la colonisation des niches insectivores (adapiformes), frugivores (adapiformes, strepsirhiniens et anthropoïdes) et folivores (adapiformes, anthropoïdes).Cette étude a mis en exergue la diversité et la variabilité du régime alimentaire qui peut exister pour une espèce donnée (actuelle ou fossile) en fonction des facteurs biotiques (compétition) et abiotiques (environnement, géographie). La comparaison entre les différents continents montre que les primates (adapiformes, omomyiformes et anthropoïdes) n'occupaient pas les mêmes niches écologiques au sein des différentes communautés. Ces différences au niveau du partage des ressources et des phénomènes de compétition se sont répercutées sur la dynamique des différentes radiations. / Soon after its appearance at the beginning of the Tertiary, the Primate order underwent several successive episodes of diversification which were the basis for the emergence of the higher taxonomic groups that can be observed in nature today. Despite the importance of these events, little is known regarding the factors that governed them, in particular the importance of the ecological factors involved. The Paleocene-Eocene transition in North America and Europe was marked by a period of major global warming. It was during this time that modern primates (Euprimates) appeared and dispersed before experiencing an explosive diversification throughout the Eocene. This study aims to characterize the emergence of this diversity through the identification of ecological factors, such as environment, resource partitioning and competition. In this framework, the study of dental structure and of dental microwear is used to reconstruct the diet of Paleogene primates (Adapiformes, Omomyiformes, Anthropoidea and Plesiadapiformes), one of the best indicators of the ecology of a given animal. In Europe, although exhibiting a dental morphology better suited to insect-eating, the first euprimates (e.g., Donrussellia [adapiformes]) were fruit-eaters, only supplementing their diet with insects. They mostly occupied different niches to co-occurring plesiadapiforms (leaf-, fruit- and gum-eaters). The diversification of euprimates led to the increasing competition among primate communities and to the apparition of different dietary specializations. For example, Adapines, initially having a diet based on fruit, show a dietary shift by incorporating leaves and harder objects in their diet.In Asia, the study of fossil primate communities has highlighted resource partitioning and competition among small-bodied primates (eosimiids, tarsiids, and adapids), which all had a diet based on fruit and insects. Asian anthropoids (amphipithecids) show some singular ecological specialization towards sclerocarpic foraging.In Africa, Eocene primates show a high diversity, with the colonisation of numerous ecological niches such as insect-eating (adapiformes), fruit-eating (adapiformes, strepsirhines and anthropoids) et leaf-eating (adapiformes, anthropoides).This study highlights dietary diversity and variability which can exist for a given primate (extant or fossil) according to factors which can be biological in nature (i.e., competition) or not (i.e., environment, geography). The comparison between the different continents demonstrates that primates (Adapiformes, Omomyiformes, and Anthropoidea) occupied different niches in different primate communities. These differences in resource partitioning and competition are most probably reflected in the different paths these adaptive radiations took.

Many plant species recognize kin and respond with changes in functional traits. Researchers hypothesize that siblings compete less than strangers. However, no study has directly tested whether siblings are less competitive. Measuring natural selection on kin recognition responses in root allocation and other destructively measured traits is challenging, since trait and fitness cannot be measured on the same individual. Here, a methodology using family-level selection is developed, measuring the trait on one individual and measuring its fitness value using another related individual. Three greenhouse pot experiments were conducted using six Brassica oleracea cultivars at two nutrient levels. We investigated whether root allocation and morphological traits were under natural selection. We tested whether or not there was cultivar recognition or resource partitioning in B. oleracea. We found that putative competitive traits (size, height, emergence and root allocation) had expected patterns of individual selection for an increase in each trait and group selection for a reduction of each trait. There was no indication that resource partitioning was occurring or that B. oleracea could recognize cultivars. However, plants were experiencing competitive interactions within pots. In conclusion, we demonstrate that using family-level selection estimates the fitness consequences of root allocation and morphological traits. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis (M.S.)--North Carolina State University, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 21, 2004). Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-94).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-03-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:08:31Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 provete_db_me_sjrp.pdf: 1175451 bytes, checksum: 67537c8f0f07b7c8a68bfe408c754c71 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Girinos são um importante componente de ecossistemas de água doce e, ao longo dos últimos trinta anos, vêm sendo utilizados como modelos para testar hipóteses em ecologia de comunidades. O conjunto de informações disponível atualmente sugere que a presença de predadores influencia a abundância e o uso de hábitat por girinos e, conseqüentemente, a estrutura da comunidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o uso de recursos e investigar a influência de predadores na distribuição espacial de espécies e na estrutura de comunidades de girinos. As principais questões deste estudo foram: 1) qual o papel dos fatores abióticos na estruturação de comunidades de girinos?; 2) qual o grau de sobreposição de nicho entre as espécies nos três principais eixos de recursos: tempo (ocorrência sazonal), alimento e espaço (hábitat)?; 3) os girinos apresentam um padrão de distribuição não-aleatório em relação aos predadores? As amostragens tiveram freqüência mensal com coletas simultâneas de girinos e insetos predadores. Na caracterização dos corpos d’água foram utilizados dez descritores ambientais. Para determinar as guildas de espécies com relação ao uso de hábitat e ocorrência mensal foi implementada, respectivamente, uma análise de agrupamento e de ordenação por escalonamentro multidimensional não métrico. Para investigar a associação entre a abundância de girinos e os gradientes ambientais foi usada uma análise de correspondência canônica. A partilha de recursos entre girinos foi analisada utilizando-se uma análise de sobreposição de nicho em conjunto com um modelo nulo, considerando como eixos de recursos a ocorrência mensal, ocorrência nas poças e os itens alimentares. A análise da co-ocorrência pareada de girinos e predadores foi efetuada utilizando-se... / Tadpoles are an important component of freshwater ecossystems and in the last thirty years has been used as model organisms to test hypothesis in community ecology. The data currently available suggest that the presence of predators influences the abundance and habitat use by tadpoles and, consequently the community structure. The aims of this study were to establish how tadpoles divide resources and to investigate the influence of predators on species distribution and on community structure of tadpoles. The main questions were: 1) What is the role of abiotic factors in the community structure?; 2) What is the extent of niche overlap among species, considering the three main resource axes: time (seasonal occurrence), diet items and space (macrohabitat)?; 3) Tadpoles exhibit a non-random distribution pattern in relation to predaceous insects? We conducted monthly samplings to collect tadpoles and predaceous insects. We also used 10 environmental descriptors to characterize the water bodies. To recognize species guilds in relation to habitat use and monthly occurrence, we employed respectively a cluster analysis and a n-MDS, respectively. To investigate the association between species abundance and environmental gradients we used a canonical correspondence analysis. The resource partitioning among tadpoles was analyzed using a null model, considering as recource axes monthly occurrence, pond occupancy and diet items. The pair-wise co-occurrence analysis between tadpoles and predaceous insects was carried out using a null model. Our main findings demonstrate that forest canopy cover and pond hydroperiod were the main factors influencing species abundance along water bodies sampled. There was a species sorting along these two environmental gradients, with species restricted to both ends of these continuums. There was a high overlap in seasonal occurence... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4458.pdf: 3504048 bytes, checksum: 2d58625c30daf18fd32a2c6a4a57ddf0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-27 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Streams and rivers are loctic environments characterized for a strong and unidirectional water flow. These environments in general have the light incidence partial or totally obstructed by the canopy of the riparian vegetation showing a high dependence of allocthonus organic inputs. The stream fishes are usually small sized, with reproductive strategies adapted to the unstable environment and have great trophic plasticity. The endemism is very common in this ictiofauna. The studies on trophic ecology and resources partitioning are important for the understanding of the community dynamics in the environment and the maintenance of the species. The Lapa Stream Watershed is located in the central region of the São Paulo State on area of basaltic cuesta relief. The surroundings of these streams are relatively well preserved and the main economic activities of the region are farming and ecotourism. This study was performed throughout four seasonal fish collections, carried out between April of 2002 and February of 2003 in the diurnal and nocturnal periods. Twelve collection stations were distributed in Lapa and Cantagalo Streams and in Passa Cinco River and sampling were made using cast nets, baited traps, sieves, and gill nets. The diet of 29 species were studied and it was found that insetivory was the main alimentary habit, followed by iliophagy - algivory and omnivory. The alimentary overlapping was high in several species pairs, but the habitat segregation occurred in some of them. The diet of three species altered along the upstream downstream gradient. The patterns of simpatry had been analyzed in three genera: Bryconamericus, Apareiodon and Astyanax and the food was the main resource partitioned among these species followed by the space resource. The results had shown that the micro basin is still well preserved, but that investments in the maintenance and recovery are necessary. / Os riachos e rios são ambientes lóticos, caracterizados por um fluxo de água forte e unidirecional, com ictiofauna de pequeno porte e geralmente endêmica. Os estudos sobre ecologia trófica e partilha de recursos nestes ambientes são importantes no entendimento da dinâmica da comunidade no ambiente e na manutenção das espécies. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram estudar a ecologia trófica da ictiofauna no córrego da Lapa e analisar os padrões de simpatria de espécies congenéricas nesta bacia. A microbacia do córrego da Lapa localiza-se na região central do estado de São Paulo em relevo de cuestas basálticas. O estudo foi realizado por meio de quatro coletas sazonais, realizadas entre abril de 2002 e fevereiro de 2003 nos períodos diurno e noturno. Foram amostradas 12 estações distribuídas nos córregos da Lapa, Cantagalo e no rio Passa Cinco com o auxílio de tarrafas, peneiras, peneirões, armadilhas iscadas e redes de emalhar. A dieta de 29 espécies foi analisada, sendo que o principal hábito alimentar foi o insetívoro, seguido por algívoro - iliófago e onívoro. A sobreposição alimentar foi alta em diversas espécies, mas houve segregação de hábitat em boa parte delas. A dieta de três espécies foi alterada no gradiente nascente foz. Os padrões de simpatria foram analisados em três gêneros: Bryconamericus, Apareiodon e Astyanax, sendo que o alimento foi o principal recurso partilhado pela maioria destas espécies, seguido pelo espaço. Os resultados mostraram que a microbacia encontra-se ainda bem preservada, mas que investimentos na sua manutenção e recuperação são necessários.

Orientadores: Fernando Roberto Martins, Roque Cielo Filho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T19:33:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Azevedo_MarioJoseMarques_M.pdf: 1374222 bytes, checksum: 6cfc592a0f568c5e7abef9efd6a9adeb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O padrão de utilização de recursos e a teoria de nichos ecológicos constituem elementos importantes na compreensão de como comunidades ecológicas são estruturadas. A maneira como os recursos são partilhados entre as espécies é refletida na sua distribuição de abundância. Abundância e diversidade de espécie são resultantes de processos que determinam as comunidades. Um padrão frequentemente observado é a relação unimodal entre diversidade e produtividade. Processos competitivos são inferidos na determinação da diversidade ao longo do gradiente de produtividade. Devido à abundância das espécies serem resultantes de interações biológicas, os modelos de distribuição de abundância de espécies (DAE) permitem inferir na maneira como o espaço de nicho é partilhado. Utilizamos os modelos de DAE proposto por Tokeshi e índices de concentração de dominância e equabilidade para testar por meio de regressões como a riqueza, biomassa e equabilidade variam ao longo de um gradiente de estresse nutricional definido pela concentração de alumínio no solo. Verificamos um padrão linear negativo entre a riqueza e gradiente de estresse nutricional com fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecídua no extremo de menor estresse e cerradão no extremo oposto do gradiente. A biomassa apresentou um padrão em forma de "U" quando relacionado ao mesmo gradiente. Os índices e os modelos foram condizentes na verificação da concentração de dominância por poucas espécies nos extremos do gradiente, porém somente o índice Evar verificou a maior equabilidade nos valores intermediários do gradiente. Nossos resultados permitiram inferir que tal gradiente foi importante na determinação da riqueza e biomassa das comunidades. Os modelos e índices permitiram verificar o padrão de partilha de nicho, porém não foi possível afirmar o processo que resultou tal partilha / Abstract: The resource utilization patterns and ecological niche theory are important in understand how communities are assembled. The way how resources are apportioned between species are showed in its abundance distribution. Abundance and diversity are outcome of process that structure communities. The pattern frequently found is a "hump-back" relationship between diversity and productivity. Competitive processes are inferred in determination of diversity along productivity gradient. Due to species abundance are outcome of biological interaction, models of species abundance distribution (SAD) allow us to infer how niche are apportioned. We use Tokeshi's SADs models and dominance and evenness index to test, using regression, how richness, biomass and evenness change along stress nutrition gradient defined by aluminium concentration in soil. We verified a negative linear pattern between richness and nutrition stress gradient with semideciduous forest fragment at extreme of lesser stress gradient and cerradão at opposite extreme gradient. The biomass showed a "U" shape pattern along the same gradient. The index and SADs models showed similar result measuring dominance of few species at extremes of gradient, however only Evar index measured more evenness between extremes of gradient. Our results allow inferring that such gradient war important to define community richness and biomass. The models and index allowed testing the patterns of niche apportionment, however its do not allowed us confirm the process of niche apportionment / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestre em Ecologia