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This research tested the ability of fish morphology to predict membership of fishes in habitat guilds, their swimming performance, and habitat preference. Further, it considered methods for choosing a surrogate species to identify habitat of target species. Morphological discriminant functions were developed using morphological traits of fishes from one river to identify membership in two habitat guild systems (mesohabitat and microhabitat). Functions were then used to test factors influencing classification success of holdout tests and validated using fishes of a second river. Morphology was only partly successful (50%) at predicting membership in habitat guilds. Morphology identified species by shape, i.e., classifying test species into guilds with members of their genus, but not habitat use, because morphology and habitat were not strongly linked through function. By improving guild definition, relationships between morphology and habitat (Froude number) were identified for all fish groups examined (darters, benthic minnows, pelagic minnows, and suckers). Relationships were not transferable among groups. Further, morphology of eight minnows was linked to swimming performance, a key task for using habitat, in lab measurements of critical swimming speeds. In turn, swimming performance was related to habitat (Froude number). Morphology will be most successful at predicting habitat use of fishes when (1) more, discrete guilds are used, (2) guilds are identified within families, (3) variation in lifestyles (benthic vs. pelagic) is considered, and (4) key tasks related to using habitat are strongly associated with morphology. Finally, I examined a phylogenetic approach to identifying useable habitat. Closely related surrogate species were not more accurate in identifying habitat of target species than surrogates chosen by other methods. When a target species used only one mesohabitat, the highest overlap in habitat use occurred with other fishes of the same family using that mesohabitat (within a physiographic province). For target species using several mesohabitat types, surrogates from the next highest taxonomic unit, e.g., genus or subgenus, provided the most accurate information. Ecomorphology offers a mechanistic and defensible method for identifying habitat preferences of fishes and should be more widely considered as a tool for establishing habitat relationships of stream fishes. / Ph. D.

Title: Training and performance swimmers international level in juniors, seniors and masters Objectives: The main aim of the thesis is to evaluate swimmers performance and its development during the period of competitive swimming and in the masters category in free style discipline. Particular aims are: to record and evaluate performance and training load in competitive swimming and masters category, to record swimmer's opinion on his/her sport activity and determine his/her sport anamnesis. Methods: In our thesis, we have applied a hybrid type of research, in which we have used both quantitative and qualitative investigation of the selected topic. The quantitative part of the thesis was based on studies of documents and interviews. Data obtained was analyzed and interpreted by using descriptive statistics and tabular and graphic visualization. The methods of observations and interviews were used in the qualitative part of the research to explain sport anamnesis of the swimmer. The investigation was carried out in the competition season of 2011/2012. Results: Result presented demonstrate that even with a lower volume of training and in spite of aging, it is possible to achieve performance approaching the performance of sport swimmers during their top season. The sport anamnesis of swimmers...

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T14:38:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Liege.pdf: 1528273 bytes, checksum: 24802d187b49fbdd9ae41bc256da6f08 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-24 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Predict how biological characteristics of the species fit the peculiarities of habitats is a key issue in ecology. Morphology assists in understanding this process, which is important for evaluating the effects of the habitat disturbances in the aquatic community, while reservoirs are complex ecosystems with ideal spatial gradients to examine the habitat s effect on species distribution. Thus, the hypothesis evaluated is that the species which share similar characteristics to form groups occupy similar habitats. Samples of fish were performed in longitudinal and transverse gradients for 3 years and selected 14-18 adults of each species were selected for morphometry. Mantel s and Partial Mantel s Tests identified relationships between spatial distribution, ecomorphological index and the phylogenetic distances. By non-metric multidimensional scaling and permutational multivariate analysis of variance it was identified that both, longitudinal and transversal gradients, had influence on species distribution, but the transversal gradient was the most influential on the abundance of species. From common species, according to Indicator Species Analysis (INDVAL), six were indicators of the littoral zone, three were indicators of deep zone, and two were indicators of the pelagic zone end four species occurred in more than one. Canonical Discriminate analysis was used to identify ecomorphological index that contributed to groups of species formed at INDVAL. Index related to head and mouth separate the species of the deep zone from littoral and pelagic ones, while body form and eye separated the pelagic from littoral zone. The morphology helped to define groups of species according to transversal gradient. The littoral zone had the greatest number of indicator species and greater morphological diversity than the pelagic and deep zones of Salto Santiago Reservoir, representing the importance of this habitat for species. Among the pelagic zone and deep, the morphology of the species is more specialized in locomotion and foraging, demonstrating the close relationship between habitat and morphology / Prever como características biológicas das espécies se ajustam às peculiaridades dos habitats é uma questão-chave na Ecologia. A morfologia auxilia na compreensão desse processo, o qual é importante para avaliar os efeitos das perturbações do habitat sobre as comunidades aquáticas, enquanto que reservatórios são ecossistemas complexos que formam gradientes espaciais ideais para inferir efeitos de habitats na distribuição das espécies. Deste modo, a hipótese testada foi que espécies que partilham características similares formam grupos que ocupam habitats semelhantes dentro do reservatório. Amostragens de peixes foram realizadas nos gradientes longitudinal e transversal durante três anos e selecionados de 14 a 18 adultos de cada espécie para morfometria. Os testes de Mantel e Mantel parcial identificaram interdependências entre distribuição espacial, índices ecomorfológicos e filogenia das espécies. Através da técnica de escalonamento multidimensional não-métrico e da análise multivariada de variância permutacional foi identificado que ambos os gradientes longitudinal e transversal influenciaram na distribuição das espécies, porém o gradiente transversal foi o mais influente. Das espécies mais abundantes, a Análise de Espécies Indicadoras (INDVAL) identificou 6 espécies com preferência à zona litorânea; três à zona profunda; duas à zona pelágica e 4 espécies ocorreram em mais de uma zona. A Análise de Discriminante Canônico foi utilizada para identificar os índices ecomorfológicos que mais contribuem para distinção entre os grupos de espécies indicadoras formadas na INDVAL. Índices relacionados à cabeça e boca separam espécies da zona profunda das zonas litorânea e pelágica, enquanto forma do corpo e olho separou espécies da zona pelágica da litorânea. Assim, a morfologia contribuiu para a formação dos grupos de espécies de acordo com o gradiente transversal. A zona litorânea apresentou maior número de espécies indicadoras e maior diversidade morfológica que as zonas pelágica e profunda do reservatório de Salto Santiago, indicando a importância desse habitat para as espécies. Entre as zonas pelágica e profunda, a morfologia das espécies foi mais especializada na locomoção e forrageio, demonstrando a intima relação entre habitat e morfologia

Le collagène XXII (COLXXII) a été décrit, en 2004, comme un marqueur des jonctions tissulaires chez la souris. En particulier, la jonction myotendineuse (JMT) est une matrice extracellulaire spécialisée qui assure une liaison structurale entre le muscle squelettique et le tendon et permet la transmission des forces de contraction au squelette. Mon projet de thèse a visé à caractériser le rôle de COLXXII in vivo; le modèle du poisson zèbre a été choisi. Chez le poisson zèbre, col22a1 code pour COLXXII dont l'expression débute dans tout le somite, puis, se restreint progressivement aux extrémités des fibres musculaires au niveau de la JMT, où est déposée la protéine. Utilisant la technique de morpholino-knockdown, nous avons montré que les morphants développent un phénotype dystrophique et que le COLXXII fait très probablement partie du complexe d'ancrage intégrine α7β1. Cependant, compte tenu de la durée d'efficacité réduite des morpholinos, notre étude était limitée. Utilisant la technologie CRISPR-Cas9, nous avons donc généré deux lignées invalidées pour col22a1. L'analyse ultra-structurale des poissons col22a1-/-, de la jeune larve à l'adulte, montre que les interdigitations du sarcolemme, caractéristiques de la JMT, sont pratiquement absentes chez les mutants (comme chez les morphants), pouvant impacter la transmission des forces et/ou l'attachement du muscle aux myoseptes (tendons). De façon intéressante, pour les deux lignées, la même proportion de larves présente un phénotype très sévère entrainant la mort vers 2 semaines post-fécondation (spf). Les autres larves, elles, survivent et ne montrent pas de phénotype global particulier. En revanche, une forte réduction des interdigitations de la JMT est constatée et dans de rares cas, après challenge des poissons, une rupture musculaire est observée. Une première approche de q- PCR par gène candidat a été réalisée et il semble possible que les différences phénotypiques soient liées à des évènements conjoints d'expressivité variable et de compensation génique. Enfin, utilisant un système original de test de nage à contre-courant par palier, j'ai montré que les poissons col22a1-/- âgés de 6 mois ont une capacité de nage très diminuée et consomment d'avantage d'O2 pendant l'effort comparés aux animaux sauvages. L'efficacité du système musculo-squelettique semble donc moindre en l'absence de collagène XXII. Nos résultats devraient permettre de considérer COL22A1 comme un gène candidat pour les cas de dystrophies musculaires dont la cause génétique est non élucidée / The myotendinous junction (MTJ) is a specialized extracellular matrix which allows the transmission of skeletal muscle forces to bones. My thesis project aimed at characterizing the in vivo role of COLXXII using the zebrafish as a model. The zebrafish col22a1 gene encodes COLXXII whose expression begins in the entire somite, and is then restricted gradually at the MTJ, where the protein is deposited. Morphants (Knockdown) develop a dystrophic phenotype and we have demonstrated that COLXXII is likely a member of the integrin a7ß1 anchoring complex. However, because morpholinos are efficient only few days after injection, our study was limited to early stages of zebrafish development. We thus generated two mutant lines (CRISPR-Cas9) invalidated for col22a1. The typical sarcolemmal interdigitations of the MTJ are almost absent in mutants, from larvae to adult (as in morphants), which could impact the force transmission and/or the muscle attachment to myosepta (tendons). In the two mutant lines, the same proportion of larvae displays a severe phenotype leading to fish death 14 days post-fertilization. On the contrary, other larvae survive without any obvious general phenotype. A first candidate genes approach was realized by qPCR and tends to show that the phenotypic differences may be due to both, variable expressivity and genetic compensation. Finally, I have shown that 6 months col22a1-/- fish show a highly decreased swimming capacity and consume more O2 during effort compared to wild type animals. Thus, we conclude that the musculoskeletal system efficiency seems altered in absence of COLXXII. Our results should allow considering COL22A1 as a candidate gene for muscular dystrophies with unclarified genetic cause.

Lors de catastrophes pétrolières, l’utilisation de dispersant est une stratégie de lutte qui permet le transfert de la nappe de pétrole de la surface vers la colonne d’eau, sous forme de gouttelettes d’hydrocarbure. En milieu côtier, la dispersion d’une nappe de pétrole est une mesure controversée car la faible profondeur de la colonne d’eau ne permet pas une dissémination rapide des gouttelettes d’hydrocarbure et expose ainsi les écosystèmes aquatiques à de fortes concentrations de contaminant. Afin d’évaluer la toxicité de l’application de dispersant en zones côtières, une approche expérimentale a été menée chez des juvéniles de Liza sp. en considérant trois scenarii : (i) la dispersion mécanique de la nappe simulant une dispersion naturelle due aux conditions météorologiques ; (ii) la dispersion chimique de la nappe simulant l’application de dispersant ; (iii) l’absence de dispersion de la nappe simulant son confinement avant récupération. La toxicité de chaque condition a été évaluée au travers d’une mesure de la mortalité sur un groupe d’individu, par l’estimation des performances de nage et de la capacité métabolique au niveau de l’organisme, et par une approche multimarqueur au niveau de l’organe.La comparaison entre une nappe de pétrole non dispersée et une nappe de pétrole dispersée chimiquement montre que l’application de dispersant entraine une augmentation des phénomènes de mortalité et une diminution, au niveau hépatique et branchial, des capacités de défense contre les xénobiotiques. A l’inverse, la comparaison entre une nappe de pétrole dispersée mécaniquement et chimiquement montre que, lorsque l’agitation de la mer est importante, l’application de dispersant ne semble pas potentialiser la toxicité du pétrole.Ces résultats suggèrent que (i) la récupération de la nappe de pétrole devrait être considérée comme une technique de lutte prioritaire sur l’utilisation de dispersant ; (ii) l’application de dispersant pourrait être considérée lors de conditions météorologique appropriées. / Dispersant application is an oil spill response technique which accelerates the dispersion of petroleum from the sea surface into the water column by inducing the formation of oil droplets. In coastal areas this response technique is controversial since the low water depth reduces the dissemination of oil droplets and by the way increases the exposure of aquatic ecosystems to petroleum. To evaluate the toxicity of dispersant application in nearshore areas, an experimental approach was conducted. Juvenile of Liza sp. were exposed to three scenarios of contamination: (i) to chemically dispersed oil - simulating, in vivo, dispersant application ; (ii) to mechanically dispersed oil - simulating, in vivo, natural dispersion due to meteorological conditions ; (iii) to an undispersed oil slick simulating, in vivo, oil slick confinement as a response technique. Toxicity of each condition of exposure was evaluated through the mortality upon a group of individuals, through the swimming performance and the metabolic scope at the organism level, and through the measurement of biomarkers at the organ level.Comparison between an undispersed oil slick and a chemically dispersed oil slick shows that dispersant application induces an increase of the mortality and decreases the ability of the animal to cope with environmental contaminants (deduced from gill and liver total glutathione rate). Conversely, comparison between both a mechanically and a chemically dispersed oil slick, suggests that, when sea water is under mixing processes, dispersant application does not enhance petroleum toxicity. Taken together these results suggest that (i) an oil slick must not be dispersed when recovery can be conducted; (ii) dispersant application could be considered as a response technique when meteorological conditions are appropriated.

Les organismes cybrides souffrent généralement d'une altération de la spécificité des interactions mito-nucléaires, résultant en une détérioration du phénotype. Toutefois, diverses études démontrent que le transfert de mitochondries peut occasionnellement être positif. À l'heure actuelle, de nombreuses questions demeurent quant au degré d'influence de ces transferts sur les différents niveaux d'organisation du phénotype. Afin de répondre à ces questions, les formes sauvages et cybrides du poisson Chrosomus eos sont étudiées. Ainsi, le premier volet de ce projet de recherche démontre un impact des mitochondries Chrosomus neogaeus à différents niveaux d'organisation du phénotype des poissons C. eos, lorsque les formes sauvages et cybrides sont retrouvées en allopatrie. Le deuxième volet de cette thèse révèle, quant à lui, que ces modifications phénotypiques ne sont pas suffisantes pour induire un évènement de spéciation entre les deux biotypes, lorsqu'en sympatrie. De plus, cette étude suggère que la coévolution mito-nucléaire peut ne pas être une condition sine qua non à la perpétuation des individus en milieu naturel. Finalement, l'approche holistique considérée dans le troisième volet de cette recherche atteste de l'influence des mitochondries C. neogaeus à différents niveaux d'organisation du phénotype de C. eos, lorsque les formes sauvages et cybrides sont sympatriques. Cette influence est moins prononcée que celle observée à partir de biotypes allopatriques. Combinés, ces chapitres contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des liens existant entre les mitochondries et le phénotype d'un individu. / Cybrid organisms generally suffer from a disruption of the mito-nuclear interactions specificity, resulting in a phenotype deterioration. However, several studies demonstrate that between-species transfers of mitochondria can occasionally be beneficial. Currently, many questions still remain about how much these transfers can impact the various biological organisation levels of the phenotype. To address these questions, Chrosomus eos wild type and cybrids fish are considered. Thus, the first part of this research project demonstrates that Chrosomus neogaeus mitochondria impact the C. eos phenotype, at various levels of biological organisation, when wild type and cybrids are found in allopatry. On the other hand, the second part of this thesis reveals that these phenotypic modifications cannot trigger a speciation event between the two sympatric biotypes. This study also suggests that mito-nuclear coevolution would not be a sine qua non condition to survive and perform in natural environments. Finally, the holistic approach considered in the third part of this research shows that C. neogaeus mitochondria influence various levels of C. eos phenotype, when wild type and cybrids are sympatric. The magnitude of this influence is less pronounced than the one observed from allopatric biotypes. Combined, all these parts contribute to a better understanding of the links existing between mitochondria and the phenotype of an individual.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:13:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucileine de Assumpcao.pdf: 365155 bytes, checksum: e34cb08ebfe3d7fe233342e001a86050 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study aimed to evaluate the morphometric characteristics related to swimming performance of two migratory neotropical species, of long distances, which would subsidize the study of swimming performance and the planning of futures fish pass systems. A total of 80 adult fish of the species Leporinus elongatus and Prochilodus lineatus (40 of each one) were analyzed, collected on the fish pass of Sergio Motta Hydroelectric Power Plant (Porto Primavera), high Paraná river, during November 2007 to January 2008 and October 2009. Thirteen morphological measurements were done to obtain eight morphometric ratios (muscle ratio, propulsive ratio, fineness ratio, aspect ratio, caudal peduncle depth factor, caudal fin length ratio, pectoral fin ratio and length from nose to pectoral fin base ratio) considered potentially important to describe the fish swimming performance. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Analysis of variance were applied to verify the morphological diversification pattern between the two species. Leporinus elongatus and Prochilodus lineatus differed regarding morphometric characteristics related to swimming performance, as muscle ratio, caudal fin length ratio, caudal peduncle depth factor, length from nose to pectoral fin base ratio and fineness ratio. These morphometric ratios can be used to predict the swimming performance of the studied species. However, it is important to emphasize the need of more studies related to survey of swimming performance (tests of prolonged and burst speed) to predict if the species presented differences for swimming speed/performance, whereas the predictive character of this kind of approach would give better precision to analysis, besides contributing significantly to subsidize the absence of basic information about the biology of our neotropical migratory native species. / Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as características morfométricas relacionadas ao desempenho natatório de duas espécies de peixes neotropicais migradoras, de longas distâncias, as quais poderão subsidiar os estudos de capacidade natatória e o planejamento de futuros sistemas de transposição para peixes. Um total de 80 peixes adultos das espécies Leporinus elongatus e Prochilodus lineatus (40 de cada espécie) foram analisados, coletados na escada para peixes da Usina Hidrelétrica Engenheiro Sergio Motta (Porto Primavera), alto rio Paraná, no período de novembro de 2007 a janeiro de 2008 e em outubro de 2009. Treze medidas morfológicas foram realizadas para obtenção de oito razões morfométricas (razão muscular, razão propulsora, razão fineza, razão aspecto, fator altura do pedúnculo caudal, razão comprimento da nadadeira caudal, razão nadadeira peitoral e razão comprimento da ponta do focinho à base da nadadeira peitoral) consideradas potencialmente importantes para descrever o desempenho natatório dos peixes. A Análise dos Componentes Principais (ACP) e a Análise de Variância foi aplicada para verificar o padrão de diversificação morfológica entre as duas espécies. Leporinus elongatus e Prochilodus lineatus diferiram quanto às características morfométricas relacionados ao desempenho natatório, como a razão muscular, razão comprimento da nadadeira caudal, fator altura do pedúnculo caudal, razão distância da ponta do focinho à base da nadadeira peitoral e razão fineza. Essas razões morfométricas podem ser utilizadas para predizer o desempenho natatório das espécies estudadas. Ressalva-se, no entanto, a necessidade da realização de estudos relativos a levantamento da capacidade natatória (testes de velocidade prolongada e de explosão) para predizer se as espécies apresentam diferenças nas velocidades de natação/capacidade natatória, uma vez que o caráter preditivo deste tipo de abordagem forneceria maior precisão às análises, além de contribuir, de modo significativo, para subsidiar a ausência de informações básicas sobre a biologia de nossas espécies migradoras neotropicais.

L’anthropisation croissante des zones côtières induit le rejet dans les écosystèmes aquatiques d’Hydrocarbures Aromatiques Polycycliques (HAP). En plus de la concentration et de la voie de contamination considérées, leurs effets dépendent du stade de développement de l’organisme. Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer les effets d’une contamination par voie trophique à des concentrations sublétales de HAP sur une espèce modèle, le poisson zèbre Danio rerio. Deux types de mélanges de HAP, pyrolytique et pétrogénique, représentatifs de ce qui est rencontré en milieu contaminé ont été testés via des expositions chroniques. Au niveau individuel, les réponses biologiques ont été évaluées au travers de performances physiologiques considérées comme des mesures indirectes de la fitness : la capacité métabolique aérobie, les performances de nage et la réponse de fuite. A l’échelle sub-individuelle, l’exposition aux HAP a été évaluée sur le cœur via la mesure du rythme cardiaque. Ces paramètres biologiques ont été mesurés (i) à différents temps d’exposition des poissons ainsi que (ii) sur leur descendance dans le but d’évaluer l’effet parental de la contamination. Les résultats mettent en évidence une diminution de la capacité métabolique aérobie chez la descendance de poissons contaminés aux HAP d’origine pyrolytique. Chez les poissons adultes directement exposés aux HAP de type pétrogénique, une réduction de la capacité métabolique a également été observée, associée à une réduction de la vitesse de nage critique. Cette étude contribuera à établir une vision globale des effets de l’exposition aux HAP et à mieux comprendre les mécanismes régulant des fonctions biologiques clés dans la survie d’un organisme tout au long de son cycle de vie. / The increase of anthropogenic activities on coastal areas induces discharges of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic ecosystem. PAHs effects depend on their concentration and the way of contamination, but also on the different developmental stages of the organism. In this context, the aim of our study was to observe the effects of an exposure to two PAHs mixes, pyrolytic and petrogenic, on the model species zebrafish Danio rerio. These chronicle exposures at sub-lethal concentrations were representative of contaminated areas. Biological responses of fish were estimated at individual levels through the assessment of aerobic metabolic scope, swimming and escape performance, which are considered to be relevant indirect measures of the fitness. Furthermore, measurements of cardiac frequency allowed observing PAHs impairments at sub-individual levels. These physiological performances were estimated (i) a several times of exposure (i.e. from 2-months juveniles to 6-months adults) and (ii) on their progeny, in order to observe parental effect of the PAHs exposure. An increase of aerobic metabolic scope was observed on the progeny of fish contaminated by pyrolytic mix. Regarding petrogenic PAHs exposure, the increase of aerobic metabolic scope was associated to increase of critical swimming speed in adults. This study will contribute to establishing a global vision of PAHs exposure impairments and to a better understanding of the regulating mechanisms of the main biological functions on which organism survival depends.