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review of anthraquinone applications for pest management and agricultural crop protection.we have reviewed published anthraquinone applications for international pest management and agricultural crop protection from 1943 to 2016. anthraquinone (aq) is commonly found in dyes, pigments and many plants and organisms. avian repellent research with aq began in the 1940s. in the context of pest management, aq is currently used as a chemical repellent, perch deterrent, insecticide and feeding deterrent in many wild birds, and in some mammals, insects and fishes. criteria for evaluation of e ...201627252044
evidence for selection maintaining mhc diversity in a rodent species despite strong density fluctuations.strong spatiotemporal variation in population size often leads to reduced genetic diversity limiting the adaptive potential of individual populations. key genes of adaptive variation are encoded by the immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) playing an essential role in parasite resistance. how mhc variation persists in rodent populations that regularly experience population bottlenecks remains an important topic in evolutionary genetics. we analysed the consequences of strong ...201627225422
[tula hantavirus in crimea].genetic evidence of the tula virus (tulv) in crimea region of russia is presented. based on the reverse transcription pcr and subsequent sequence analysis, a total of 4 rna isolates of the tulv were identified from the tissue samples of the altai voles microtus obscurus captured in the bakhchisaray district of the republic crimea. phylogenetic analysis of the s-, m-, and l-segment sequences of the crimean tulv strains showed that they formed distinct genetic lineage, russia iv, in the tulv varia ...201527192820
rodent food quality and its relation to crops and other environmental and population parameters in an agricultural landscape.the diet, its quality and quantity considerably influence population parameters of rodents. in this study, we used nirs methods for estimation of nitrogen content in stomachs of rodent populations. the study was carried out in diverse arable landscape in south moravia, czech republic. rodents were sampled in cultural crops (alfalfa, barley, wheat, sunflower, maize and rape) as well as in fallow habitats (herbal set-aside and old orchard). influence of habitat, date, year, individual parameters ( ...201627099997
line-1 distribution in six rodent genomes follow a species-specific pattern.l1 distribution in mammal's genomes is yet a huge riddle. however, these repetitive sequences were already found in all chromosomic regions, and in general, they seem to be nonrandomly distributed in the genome. it also seems that after insertion and when they are not deleterious, they are always involved in dynamic processes occurring on that particular chromosomic region. furthermore, it seems that large-scale genome rearrangements and l1 activity and accumulation are somehow interconnected. i ...201627019429
de novo lipogenesis is suppressed during fasting but upregulated at population decline in cyclic voles.arvicolines are susceptible to the development of fatty liver during short-term fasting. we examined the potential role of de novo lipogenesis (dnl) (i) in the development of fasting-induced fatty liver and (ii) during a population cycle by measuring the mrna expression of acetyl-coa carboxylase-1 (acc1) and fatty acid synthase (fas). laboratory voles (microtus oeconomus and microtus arvalis) were fed or fasted for 12 or 18 h and their liver mrna levels were determined. both species showed decre ...201626892709
high genetic structuring of tula hantavirus.tula virus (tulv) is a vole-associated hantavirus with low or no pathogenicity to humans. in the present study, 686 common voles (microtus arvalis), 249 field voles (microtus agrestis) and 30 water voles (arvicola spec.) were collected at 79 sites in germany, luxembourg and france and screened by rt-pcr and tulv-igg elisa. tulv-specific rna and/or antibodies were detected at 43 of the sites, demonstrating a geographically widespread distribution of the virus in the studied area. the tulv prevale ...201626831932
an assessment of non-volant terrestrial vertebrates response to wind farms--a study of small mammals.the majority of studies on the effects of wind energy development on wildlife have been focused on birds and bats, whereas knowledge of the response of terrestrial, non-flying vertebrates is very scarce. in this paper, the impact of three functioning wind farms on terrestrial small mammal communities (rodents and shrews) and the population parameters of the most abundant species were studied. the study was carried out in southeastern poland within the foothills of the outer western carpathians. ...201626818016
dissecting geographic variation in population synchrony using the common vole in central europe as a test bed.spatial synchrony of population fluctuations is ubiquitous in nature. theoretical models suggest that correlated environmental stochasticity, dispersal, and trophic interactions are important promoters of synchrony in nature to leave characteristic signatures of distance-dependent decays in synchrony. recent refinements of this theory have clarified how distance-decay curves may steepen if local dynamics are governed by different density-dependent feedbacks and how synchrony should vary regional ...201626811786
induced pluripotent stem cells of microtus levis x microtus arvalis vole hybrids: conditions necessary for their generation and self-renewal.every year, the list of mammalian species for which cultures of pluripotent stem cells (pscs) are generated increases. pscs are a unique tool for extending the limits of experimental studies and modeling different biological processes. in this work, induced pluripotent stem cells (ipscs) from the hybrids of common voles microtus levis and microtus arvalis, which are used as model objects to study genome organization on the molecular-genetic level and the mechanisms of x-chromosome inactivation, ...201726798492
candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis in ticks and rodents from urban and natural habitats of south-western slovakia.candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis (cnm) is an emerging tick-borne pathogen causing severe disease in immunocompromised patients. in europe, ixodes ricinus is the primary vector and rodents act as reservoir hosts. new data on the prevalence of cnm in ticks and rodents contribute to the knowledge on the distribution of endemic areas and circulation of the bacterium in natural foci.201626728197
molecular survey of zoonotic agents in rodents and other small mammals in croatia.croatia is a focus for many rodent-borne zoonosis. here, we report a survey of 242 rodents and small mammals, including 43 myodes glareolus, 131 apodemus flavicollis, 53 apodemus agrarius, three apodemus sylvaticus, six sorex araneus, four microtus arvalis, one microtus agrestis, and one muscardinus avellanarius, collected at eight sites in croatia over an 8-year period. multiplex masstag polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was used for detection of borrelia, rickettsia, bartonella, babesia, ehrlich ...201626711522
barn owl productivity response to variability of vole populations.we studied the response of the barn owl annual productivity to the common vole population numbers and variability to test the effects of environmental stochasticity on their life histories. current theory predicts that temporal environmental variability can affect long-term nonlinear responses (e.g., production of young) both positively and negatively, depending on the shape of the relationship between the response and environmental variables. at the level of the czech republic, we examined the ...201526709518
[morphological peculiarities of the liver in common voles inhabiting the territory of borodino coal deposits and recultivation areas].the aim of this work was to study the morphological changes of liver in common voles (microtus arvalis pallas) inhabiting the territories of brown coal deposition in borodino coal opencast (krasnoyarsk region) and on reclaimed dumps 10 and 20 years after its production. trapping of the voles (10 animals in each group) living under natural conditions on each territory, was conducted for 30 days. histological examination of the liver in all animals demonstrated degenerative changes and necrosis of ...201526601468
identification of two novel members of the tentative genus wukipolyomavirus in wild rodents.two novel polyomaviruses (pyvs) were identified in kidney and chest-cavity fluid samples of wild bank voles (myodes glareolus) and common voles (microtus arvalis) collected in germany. all cloned and sequenced genomes had the typical pyv genome organization, including putative open reading frames for early regulatory proteins large t antigen and small t antigen on one strand and for structural late proteins (vp1, vp2 and vp3) on the other strand. virus-like particles (vlps) were generated by yea ...201526474048
environmental monitoring and surveillance of rodents and vectors for francisella tularensis following outbreaks of human tularemia in georgia.tularemia is a re-emerging bacterial zoonosis, broadly distributed across the northern hemisphere. in georgia, there is a history of human tularemia outbreaks dating back to the 1940s. in response to outbreaks, health officials initiated long-term field surveillance and environmental monitoring. the objective of our study was to obtain information from 57 years of field surveys to identify species that play a role in the occurrence francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica in the environment in g ...201526394283
rickettsia species in fleas collected from small mammals in slovakia.epidemiological and epizootiological studies of rickettsia felis and other rickettsia spp. are very important, because their natural cycle has not yet been established completely. in total, 315 fleas (siphonaptera) of 11 species of ceratophyllidae, hystrichopsyllidae and leptopsyllidae families were tested for the presence of rickettsia species and coxiella burnetii with conventional and specific quantitative real-time pcr assays. fleas were collected from five rodent hosts (myodes glareolus, ap ...201526346455
tularemia outbreaks and common vole (microtus arvalis) irruptive population dynamics in northwestern spain, 1997-2014.during the last decades, large tularemia outbreaks in humans have coincided in time and space with population outbreaks of common voles in northwestern spain, leading us to hypothesize that this rodent species acts as a key spillover agent of francisella tularensis in the region. here, we evaluate for the first time a potential link between irruptive vole numbers and human tularemia outbreaks in spain. we compiled vole abundance estimates obtained through live-trapping monitoring studies and off ...201526333034
out of the reservoir: phenotypic and genotypic characterization of a novel cowpox virus isolated from a common vole.the incidence of human cowpox virus (cpxv) infections has increased significantly in recent years. serological surveys have suggested wild rodents as the main cpxv reservoir. we characterized a cpxv isolated during a large-scale screening from a feral common vole. a comparison of the full-length dna sequence of this cpxv strain with a highly virulent pet rat cpxv isolate showed a sequence identity of 96%, including a large additional open reading frame (orf) of about 6,000 nucleotides which is a ...201526311891
tracing reinforcement through asymmetrical partner preference in the european common vole microtus arvalis.the mechanistic basis of speciation and in particular the contribution of behaviour to the completion of the speciation process is often contentious. contact zones between related taxa provide a situation where selection against hybridization might reinforce separation by behavioural mechanisms, which could ultimately fully isolate the taxa. one of the most abundant european mammals, the common vole microtus arvalis, forms multiple natural hybrid zones where rapidly diverging evolutionary lineag ...201526303785
establishment and development of echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes in the common vole (microtus arvalis) after oral inoculation with parasite eggs.transmission of the zoonotic tapeworm, echinococcus multilocularis mainly occurs between the red fox (vulpes vulpes) and various species of vole. microtus arvalis is considered one of the key intermediate hosts in europe. we infected 21 m. arvalis aged 35 days (n=2), 56 days (n=6), 84 days (n=4) and 263 days (n=9) with 100 e. multilocularis eggs. four voles aged 263 days were euthanized at 6 weeks post inoculation (wpi) with the remainder euthanized 10 wpi for analysis of metacestode growth and ...201526279253
experimental infection of chicken embryos with recently described brucella microti: pathogenicity and pathological findings.brucellae are facultative intracellular pathogens causing disease in a wide range of domestic and wild animals as well as in humans. brucella (b.) microti is a recently recognized species and was isolated from common voles (microtus arvalis), red foxes and soil in austria and the czech republic. its pathogenicity for livestock and its zoonotic potential has not been confirmed yet. in the present study 25 spf chicken embryos were inoculated at day 11 of age with 1.6×10(3) and 1.6×10(5)b. microti ...201526264524
occurrence and maintenance of hantavirus infections among rodent populations in their natural habitat--results of a field study from podkarpackie province, poland 2010-2012.human cases of hantavirus infection have been reported annually in poland's podkarpackie province, since 2007. in 2014 the number of cases reported significantly increased prompting a rise in studies focusing on the infection.201526233088
first isolation and characterization of brucella microti from wild boar.brucella microti was first isolated from common vole (microtus arvalis) in the czech republic in central europe in 2007. as b. microti is the only brucella species known to live in soil, its distribution, ecology, zoonotic potential, and genomic organization is of particular interest. the present paper is the first to report the isolation of b. microti from a wild boar (sus scrofa), which is also the first isolation of this bacterial species in hungary.201526163135
a novel satellite dna sequence in the peromyscus genome (pmsat): evolution via copy number fluctuation.satellite dnas (satdna) are tandemly arrayed repeated sequences largely present in eukaryotic genomes, which play important roles in genome evolution and function, and therefore, their analysis is vital. here, we describe the isolation of a novel satellite dna family (pmsat) from the rodent peromyscus eremicus (cricetidae, rodentia), which is located in pericentromeric regions and exhibits a typical satellite dna genome organization. orthologous pmsat sequences were isolated and characterized fr ...201526103000
anaplasma phagocytophilum prevalence in ticks and rodents in an urban and natural habitat in south-western slovakia.ixodes ricinus is the principal vector of anaplasma phagocytophilum, the ethiological agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis in europe. anaplasmosis is an emerging zoonotic disease with a natural enzootic cycle. the reservoir competence of rodents is unclear. monitoring of a. phagocytophilum prevalence in i. ricinus and rodents in various habitat types of slovakia may contribute to the knowledge about the epidemiology of anaplasmosis in central europe.201525980768
ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of the trematode notocotylus noyeri (digenea: notocotylidae), a parasite of microtus arvalis (rodentia: cricetidae).in the present paper, we describe the ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of the notocotylid notocotylus noyeri (joyeux, 1922) by means of transmission electron microscopy. the mature spermatozoon of n. noyeri exhibits the general pattern described in the majority of digeneans: two axonemes of the 9 + "1" pattern of the trepaxonemata, nucleus, mitochondria, parallel cortical microtubules, spine-like bodies and ornamentation of the plasma membrane. the glycogenic nature of the electron-dense granu ...201525960545
effects of short term bioturbation by common voles on biogeochemical soil variables.bioturbation contributes to soil formation and ecosystem functioning. with respect to the active transport of matter by voles, bioturbation may be considered as a very dynamic process among those shaping soil formation and biogeochemistry. the present study aimed at characterizing and quantifying the effects of bioturbation by voles on soil water relations and carbon and nitrogen stocks. bioturbation effects were examined based on a field set up in a luvic arenosol comprising of eight 50 × 50 m ...201525954967
molecular examinations of babesia microti in rodents and rodent-attached ticks from urban and sylvatic habitats in germany.small mammals serve as reservoir hosts for tick-borne pathogens, especially for those which are not transmitted transovarially in ticks - such as babesia microti. molecular investigations on the prevalence of b. microti in wild small mammals and on attached ticks from differently structured areas may provide information on the circulation of b. microti in different ecological niches. in 2012 and 2013, 622 rodents (396 myodes glareolus, 178 apodemus flavicollis, 36 apodemus sylvaticus, 4 apodemus ...201525922232
an example of population-level risk assessments for small mammals using individual-based population models.this article presents a case study demonstrating the application of 3 individual-based, spatially explicit population models (ibms, also known as agent-based models) in ecological risk assessments to predict long-term effects of a pesticide to populations of small mammals. the 3 ibms each used a hypothetical fungicide (fungicidex) in different scenarios: spraying in cereals (common vole, microtus arvalis), spraying in orchards (field vole, microtus agrestis), and cereal seed treatment (wood mous ...201625891765
[care of young, aggressiveness, and secretion of testosterone in male rodents: a correlation analysis ].to test the current hypotheses on the relationship between the mating system, reproductive strategy, aggression, and secretion of testosterone, a comparative study of interactions in pair encounters, the level of parental care, and the gonadal testosterone level in males was performed in six rodent species (clethrionomys rutilus, meriones meridianus, microtus arvalis, lagurus lagurus, lasiopodomys mandarinus, and meriones unguiculatus) with different types of spatial-and-ethological population s ...201625510112
candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis and anaplasma phagocytophilum in natural rodent and tick communities in southern hungary.the aim of this study was to investigate the natural cycle of the new human pathogenic bacteria candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis and anaplasma phagocytophilum in southern hungary. we collected rodents with live-traps (2010-2013) and questing ticks with flagging in 2012. small mammals were euthanized, tissue samples were collected and all the ectoparasites were removed and stored in 70% alcohol. we found relatively low overall prevalence of tick infestation (8%). samples were analysed for a. ph ...201525468763
[species composition, abundance, and annual cycles of fleas (siphonaptera) on bank voles (clethrionomys glareolus) in the western part of vologda province (babaevo district)].a total of 383 fleas of 11 species were collected from 428 bank voles (clethrionomys glareolus) near babaevo vill. (59 degrees 4', n, 35 degrees 8' e). three species (amphipsylla rossica, doratopsylla dasycnema, palaeopsylla soricis) are not typical for these rodent hosts, moving onto the latter occasionally from other animals, such as the common vole microtus arvalis and shrews inhabiting adjacent or similar biotopes. peromyscopsylla bidentata, infesting the bank vole in the most part of its ra ...201425464742
adler hantavirus, a new genetic variant of tula virus identified in major's pine voles (microtus majori) sampled in southern european russia.although at least 30 novel hantaviruses have been recently discovered in novel hosts such as shrews, moles and even bats, hantaviruses (family bunyaviridae, genus hantavirus) are primarily known as rodent-borne human pathogens. here we report on identification of a novel hantavirus variant associated with a rodent host, major's pine vole (microtus majori). altogether 36 hantavirus pcr-positive major's pine voles were identified in the krasnodar region of southern european russia within the years ...201525433134
continental-scale footprint of balancing and positive selection in a small rodent (microtus arvalis).genetic adaptation to different environmental conditions is expected to lead to large differences between populations at selected loci, thus providing a signature of positive selection. whereas balancing selection can maintain polymorphisms over long evolutionary periods and even geographic scale, thus leads to low levels of divergence between populations at selected loci. however, little is known about the relative importance of these two selective forces in shaping genomic diversity, partly du ...201425383542
sexual maturation in common vole (microtus arvalis) males raised under laboratory conditions.the common vole is one ofthe most numerous rodents in europe and asia but its reproductive biology is not fully described. it is thought that females reach reproductive abilities at a very young age, however, there is no data concerning male sexual maturation. the aim of the present study was to determine the rate of sexual maturation of males of the common vole. research was carried out on 4, 6, 8 and 10 week-old animals. body, testes and accessory sex glands weights were compared to evaluate m ...201425134343
molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of tick-borne encephalitis virus in rodents captured in the transdanubian region of hungary.abstract tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) infection is a common zoonotic disease affecting humans in europe and asia. to determine whether tbev is present in small mammalian hosts in hungary, liver samples of wild rodents were tested for tbev rna. over a period of 7 years, a total of 405 rodents were collected at five different geographic locations of the transdanubian region. tbev nucleic acid was identified in four rodent species: apodemus agrarius, a. flavicollis, microtus arvalis, and my ...201425072995
chromosome synapsis and recombination in the hybrids between chromosome races of the common vole microtus aravalis: "arvalis" and "obscurus". 201424985517
the changing pace of insular life: 5000 years of microevolution in the orkney vole (microtus arvalis orcadensis).island evolution may be expected to involve fast initial morphological divergence followed by stasis. we tested this model using the dental phenotype of modern and ancient common voles (microtus arvalis), introduced onto the orkney archipelago (scotland) from continental europe some 5000 years ago. first, we investigated phenotypic divergence of orkney and continental european populations and assessed climatic influences. second, phenotypic differentiation among orkney populations was tested aga ...201424957579
stability of the southern european border of echinococcus multilocularis in the alps: evidence that microtus arvalis is a limiting factor.summary the known range of the zoonotic fox tapeworm echinococcus multilocularis has expanded since the 1990s, and today this parasite is recorded in higher abundances throughout large parts of europe. this phenomenon is mostly attributed to the increasing european fox populations and their invasion of urban habitats. however, these factors alone are insufficient to explain the heterogeneous distribution of the parasite in europe. here, we analysed the spatial interrelationship of e. multilocula ...201424932666
multiple infections of rodents with zoonotic pathogens in austria.rodents are important reservoirs for a large number of zoonotic pathogens. we examined the occurrence of 11 viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents in rodent populations in austria, including three different hantaviruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, orthopox virus, leptospira spp., borrelia spp., rickettsia spp., bartonella spp., coxiella burnetii, and toxoplasma gondii. in 2008, 110 rodents of four species (40 clethrionomys glareolus, 29 apodemus flavicollis, 26 apodemus sylvaticus, and ...201424915446
overcompensation and phase effects in a cyclic common vole population: between first and second-order cycles.population cycles in voles are often thought to be generated by one-year delayed density dependence on the annual population growth rate. in common voles, however, it has been suggested by turchin (2003) that some populations exhibit first-order cycles, resulting from strong overcompensation (i.e. carrying capacity overshoots in peak years, with only an effect of the current year abundance on annual growth rates). we focus on a common vole (microtus arvalis) population from western france that e ...201424905436
surveillance of hantaviruses in poland: a study of animal reservoirs and human hantavirus disease in subcarpathia.the first cluster of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (hfrs) in poland was identified in 2007 in the subcarpathian region. the natural environment of this area is a key habitat for hantavirus vectors. the animal reservoir of existing human hfrs clusters was studied to assess the occurrence of viruses (including tula virus, puumala virus, and dobrava-belgrade virus) among rodents. we examined 70 suspected human cases with symptoms corresponding to the clinical picture of hfrs. serological an ...201424902039
short-term variations in gene flow related to cyclic density fluctuations in the common vole.in highly fluctuating populations with complex social systems, genetic patterns are likely to vary in space and time due to demographic and behavioural processes. cyclic rodents are extreme examples of demographically instable populations that often exhibit strong social organization. in such populations, kin structure and spacing behaviour may vary with density fluctuations and impact both the composition and spatial structure of genetic diversity. in this study, we analysed the multiannual gen ...201424888708
the interplay between seasonality and density: consequences for female breeding decisions in a small cyclic herbivore.cyclic rodent population dynamics are subjected to both intrinsic regulatory processes such as density-dependence and extrinsic environmental forcing. among extrinsic factors, seasonal environmental variation is understood to facilitate cycles. in rodents, these processes have been studied mostly independently and their relative importance for population dynamics is poorly known.201424886481
variable effects of host characteristics on species richness of flea infracommunities in rodents from three continents.we studied the effect of host gender and body mass on species richness of flea infracommunities in nine rodent host species from three biomes (temperate zone of central europe, desert of the middle east and the tropics of east africa). using season- and species-specific generalized linear mixed models and controlling for year-to-year variation, spatial clustering of rodent sampling and over-dispersion of the data, we found inconsistent associations between host characteristics and flea species r ...201424820040
the importance of predation risk and missed opportunity costs for context-dependent foraging patterns.correct assessment of risks and costs of foraging is vital for the fitness of foragers. foragers should avoid predation risk and balance missed opportunities. in risk-heterogeneous landscapes animals prefer safer locations over riskier, constituting a landscape of fear. risk-uniform landscapes do not offer this choice, all locations are equally risky. here we investigate the effects of predation risk in patches, travelling risk between patches, and missed social opportunities on foraging decisio ...201424809666
[monitoring populations of rodent reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. projects, aims and results].rodents can harbor and transmit pathogens that can cause severe disease in humans, companion animals and livestock. such zoonotic pathogens comprise more than two thirds of the currently known human pathogens. the epidemiology of some zoonotic pathogens, such as hantaviruses, can be linked to the population dynamics of the rodent host. in this case, during an outbreak of the rodent host population many human infections may occur. in other rodent-borne zoonotic diseases such phenomena are not kno ...201424781907
genetic detection of dobrava-belgrade hantavirus in the edible dormouse (glis glis) in central serbia.hantaviruses are endemic in the balkans, particularly in serbia, where sporadic cases and/or outbreaks of hantaviral human disease have been reported repeatedly, and evidenced serologically. here, we present genetic detection of dobrava-belgrade virus (dobv) hantaviral sequences in wild rodents trapped in central serbia. all the animals were pre-screened serologically by indirect immunofluorescence (if) test and only those with a positive finding of hantaviral antigens were further tested by pol ...201524762257
short- and long-term effects of litter size manipulation in a small wild-derived rodent.iteroparous organisms maximize their overall fitness by optimizing their reproductive effort over multiple reproductive events. hence, changes in reproductive effort are expected to have both short- and long-term consequences on parents and their offspring. in laboratory rodents, manipulation of reproductive efforts during lactation has however revealed few short-term reproductive adjustments, suggesting that female laboratory rodents express maximal rather than optimal levels of reproductive in ...201424671828
[comparative morpho-functional characteristics of the organs of the reproductive system of small mammals under conditions of anthropogenic transformation of southern ural steppe ecosystems].the morpho-functional characteristics of reproductive organs of small mammals--striped field mouse (apodemus agrarius pallas, 1771), house mouse (mus musculus linnaeus, 1758), wood mouse (sylvaemus uralensis pallas, 1811), common vole (microtus arvalis pallas, 1778), bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus schreber, 1780), steppe lemming (lagurus lagurus pallas, 1773), little suslik (spermophilus pygmaeus pallas, 1778), and red-heeked suslik (spermophilus major pallas, 1779)--belonging to the populat ...201324592716
temporal niche switching and reduced nest attendance in response to heat dissipation limits in lactating common voles (microtus arvalis).according to the heat dissipation limit theory, maximum metabolic turnover is limited by the capacity of the body to dissipate excess heat. small mammals, including common voles (microtus arvalis), face a heat dissipation limitation during lactation. pup growth and milk production are reduced under higher ambient temperatures. heat dissipation problems might in part be alleviated by modifying behavior, such as reducing nest attendance and being active at energetically optimal times of day. accor ...201424518859
[hantaviruses in germany: threat for zoo, pet, companion and farm animals?].hantaviruses are so-called "emerging" and "re-emerging" viruses because of the new and sudden nature of their appearance. human infections can lead to two distinct disease patterns, the haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and the hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. all known human pathogenic hantaviruses are transmitted through rodent hosts. there are three rodent-associated hantaviruses in germany. the bank vole-associated puumala virus (puuv) is responsible for most of the human hantavirus ...201424511827
structure and dynamics of hybrid zones at different stages of speciation in the common vole (microtus arvalis).the genetic structure and dynamics of hybrid zones provide crucial information for understanding the processes and mechanisms of evolutionary divergence and speciation. in general, higher levels of evolutionary divergence between taxa are more likely to be associated with reproductive isolation and may result in suppressed or strongly restricted hybridization. in this study, we examined two secondary contact zones between three deep evolutionary lineages in the common vole (microtus arvalis). di ...201424450982
ignoring heterozygous sites biases phylogenomic estimates of divergence times: implications for the evolutionary history of microtus voles.phylogenetic reconstruction of the evolutionary history of closely related organisms may be difficult because of the presence of unsorted lineages and of a relatively high proportion of heterozygous sites that are usually not handled well by phylogenetic programs. genomic data may provide enough fixed polymorphisms to resolve phylogenetic trees, but the diploid nature of sequence data remains analytically challenging. here, we performed a phylogenomic reconstruction of the evolutionary history o ...201424371090
a small scale survey of leptospira in mammals from eastern poland.samples of 30 dead small mammals each were collected on area 'a' located in eastern poland and exposed to floods by the vistula river, and on area 'b', also located in eastern poland, but not exposed to floods. kidneys and livers of the mammals were examined by the pcr and nested pcr methods for the presence of leptospira dna. from 7 species of small mammals examined, the presence of leptospira dna was detected in 2 of them. the prevalence of positive results was greatest in apodemus agrarius wh ...201324364438
consistency in boldness, activity and exploration at different stages of life.animals show consistent individual behavioural patterns over time and over situations. this phenomenon has been referred to as animal personality or behavioural syndromes. little is known about consistency of animal personalities over entire life times. we investigated the repeatability of behaviour in common voles (microtus arvalis) at different life stages, with different time intervals, and in different situations. animals were tested using four behavioural tests in three experimental groups: ...201324314274
common vole (microtus arvalis) ecology and management: implications for risk assessment of plant protection products.common voles (microtus arvalis) are common small mammals in some european landscapes. they can be a major rodent pest in european agriculture and they are also a representative generic focal small herbivorous mammal species used in risk assessment for plant protection products. in this paper, common vole population dynamics, habitat and food preferences, pest potential and use of the common vole as a model small wild mammal species in the risk assessment process are reviewed. common voles are a ...201424293354
presence of the 54-chromosome common vole (mammalia) on olkhon island (lake baikal, east siberia, russia), and the occurrence of an unusual x-chromosome variant.we report a new finding of the 54-chromosome sibling species of the common vole in east siberia - the first description from olkhon island (lake baikal). the karyotype of a male specimen revealed by routine staining and c-banding demonstrates the unambiguous presence of microtus rossiaemeridionalis ognev, 1924 (recently often regarded as as junior synonym of microtus levis miller, 1908). comparison with conspecific specimens from the european part of the species range (from the left bank of the ...201124260647
responses of wild small mammals to arsenic pollution at a partially remediated mining site in southern france.partial remediation actions at a former gold mine in southern france led to a mosaic of contaminated and rehabilitated zones. in this study, the distribution of arsenic and its potential adverse effects on small mammals were investigated. the effectiveness of remediation for reducing the transfer of this element into wildlife was also discussed. arsenic levels were measured in the soil and in the stomach contents, livers, kidneys, and lungs of four small mammal species (the wood mouse (apodemus ...201424239822
seasonal variation in the behaviour of a short-lived rodent.short lived, iteroparous animals in seasonal environments experience variable social and environmental conditions over their lifetime. animals can be divided into those with a "young-of-the-year" life history (yy, reproducing and dying in the summer of birth) and an "overwinter" life history (ow, overwintering in a subadult state before reproducing next spring).we investigated how behavioural patterns across the population were affected by season and sex, and whether variation in behaviour refle ...201324238069
demodex microti n. sp. (acari: demodecidae) in microtus arvalis (pallas) (rodentia, cricetidae) with a checklist of the demodecid mites of cricetids.demodex microti n. sp. (acari, demodecidae) is described from the skin of the genital area of the common vole microtus arvalis (pallas) in poland based on the morphology of the adult and immature stages. the new species appears most similar to d. cricetuli hurley & desch, 1994 from the gray dwarf hamster, cricetulus migratorius (pallas), but differs in the following features: the supracoxal spines are conical and located at the edge of the gnathosoma, the spines of the terminal segment of palp a ...201324048750
differential behavioural and endocrine responses of common voles (microtus arvalis) to nest predators and resource competitors.adaptive behavioural strategies promoting co-occurrence of competing species are known to result from a sympatric evolutionary past. strategies should be different for indirect resource competition (exploitation, e.g., foraging and avoidance behaviour) than for direct interspecific interference (e.g., aggression, vigilance, and nest guarding). we studied the effects of resource competition and nest predation in sympatric small mammal species using semi-fossorial voles and shrews, which prey on v ...201324010574
evidence of recombination in tula virus strains from serbia.tula hantavirus (tulv) belongs to bunyaviridae family, with negative sense rna genome. segmented nature of hantaviral genome allows for genetic reassortment, but the evidence of homologous recombination also exists. in this study we analyzed tulv sequences isolated in serbia on different occasions and from different rodent hosts: 1987 strain from microtus subterraneus and 2007 strain from microtus arvalis. phylogenetic analysis of both l and s segment sequences is suggestive of geographically re ...201424008094
divergent evolutionary processes associated with colonization of offshore islands.oceanic islands have been a test ground for evolutionary theory, but here, we focus on the possibilities for evolutionary study created by offshore islands. these can be colonized through various means and by a wide range of species, including those with low dispersal capabilities. we use morphology, modern and ancient sequences of cytochrome b (cytb) and microsatellite genotypes to examine colonization history and evolutionary change associated with occupation of the orkney archipelago by the c ...201323998800
[molecular cytogenetic markers of cryptic species and hybrids of the common vole superspecies complex microtus arvalis s. l].molecular markers of cryptic cytogenetical differentiation were shown in chromosomal polymorphic pan-european model group of rodents microtus arvalis s. l. by fish analysis. the polytypy of 46-chromosomes karyotypes determined by the sites of interstitial telomeric sequences (its) and ribosomal dna emphasizes the genetical isolation of m. arvalis s. s. and m. obscurus.201323875463
the propensity of voles and mice to transmit borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection to feeding ticks.lyme borreliosis (lb) caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the most common tick-borne zoonosis in the northern hemisphere. b. burgdorferi s.l. can infect humans and wild and domestic animals. ixodes ricinus is the main vector, and small rodents are the most important mammalian reservoirs hosts of b. burgdorferi s.l. in europe. the prevalence of b. burgdorferi s.l. in i. ricinus ticks from captured rodents, calculated specific infectivities, and transmission coefficients we ...201323849517
nutrias and muskrats as bioindicators for the presence of echinococcus multilocularis in new endemic areas.nutrias (myocastor coypus) and muskrats (ondatra zibethicus) are large invasive semi-aquatic or aquatic rodents, naturalized throughout europe. they are regarded as pests, and can be infected with several pathogens and parasites transmissible to wildlife, livestock, pets and humans. as a rule, in europe the life cycle of the cestode echinococcus multilocularis involves red foxes (vulpes vulpes) as main definitive hosts and common voles as intermediate hosts. the suitability of nutrias and muskra ...201323725822
sex-biased parasitism is not universal: evidence from rodent-flea associations from three biomes.the distribution of parasites among individual hosts is characterised by high variability that is believed to be a result of variations in host traits. to find general patterns of host traits affecting parasite abundance, we studied flea infestation of nine rodent species from three different biomes (temperate zone of central europe, desert of middle east and tropics of east africa). we tested for independent and interactive effects of host sex and body mass on the number of fleas harboured by a ...201323636459
analysis of anticoagulant rodenticide residues in microtus arvalis tissues by liquid chromatography with diode array, fluorescence and mass spectrometry detection.we describe here a fast and selective analytical method to determine the levels of four anticoagulant rodenticides (chlorophacinone, bromadiolone, brodifacoum and difenacoum) in animal tissues by liquid chromatography (lc) using different detection methods: fluorescence (fld), diode array (dad) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (esi-ms). rodenticides were extracted from freeze-dried and homogenized tissue samples (liver, intestine and muscle) that had been obtained from the common vo ...201323523881
morphological and chromosomal variation in the common vole microtus arvalis pall. at the northern boundary of its distribution area. 201323479010
sex-specific clines support incipient speciation in a common european mammal.hybrid zones provide excellent opportunities to study processes and mechanisms underlying reproductive isolation and speciation. here we investigated sex-specific clines of molecular markers in hybrid zones of morphologically cryptic yet genetically highly-diverged evolutionary lineages of the european common vole (microtus arvalis). we analyzed the position and width of four secondary contact zones along three independent transects in the region of the alps using maternally (mitochondrial dna) ...201323340600
efficacy of methyl nonyl ketone as an in-soil repellent for common voles (microtus arvalis).common voles (microtus arvalis) can cause enormous damage in agriculture. tests were conducted using an alternative approach to rodenticide-based vole management by developing an in-soil odour repellent based on the secondary plant metabolite methyl nonyl ketone (mnk). replicated 25 m(2) plots were established in forage grassland to test efficacy and application schemes using a foam application that included mnk.201323292923
tick parasites of rodents in romania: host preferences, community structure and geographical distribution.ticks are among the most important vectors of zoonotic diseases in temperate regions of europe, with widespread distribution and high densities, posing an important medical risk. most ticks feed on a variety of progressively larger hosts, with a large number of small mammal species typically harbouring primarily the immature stages. however, there are certain ixodidae that characteristically attack micromammals also during their adult stage. rodents are widespread hosts of ticks, important vecto ...201223171665
from home range dynamics to population cycles: validation and realism of a common vole population model for pesticide risk assessment.despite various attempts to establish population models as standard tools in pesticide risk assessment, population models still receive limited acceptance by risk assessors and authorities in europe. a main criticism of risk assessors is that population models are often not, or not sufficiently, validated. hence the realism of population-level risk assessments conducted with such models remains uncertain. we therefore developed an individual-based population model for the common vole, microtus a ...201323086922
strong pituitary and hypothalamic responses to photoperiod but not to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone in female common voles (microtus arvalis).the annual cycle of changing day length (photoperiod) is widely used by animals to synchronise their biology to environmental seasonality. in mammals, melatonin is the key hormonal relay for the photoperiodic message, governing thyroid-stimulating hormone (tsh) production in the pars tuberalis (pt) of the pituitary stalk. tsh acts on neighbouring hypothalamic cells known as tanycytes, which in turn control hypothalamic function through effects on thyroid hormone (th) signalling, mediated by chan ...201222982975
to breed, or not to breed? predation risk induces breeding suppression in common voles.breeding suppression hypothesis (bsh) predicts that, in several vole species, females will suppress breeding in response to high risk of mustelid predation; compared to breeding females, suppressing females would gain higher chances of survival. seminal evidence for bsh was obtained in the laboratory, but attempts to replicate breeding suppression under field conditions were less conclusive. we tested whether breeding suppression occurs in common voles (microtus arvalis), and how population dens ...201222700062
avian predators as a biological control system of common vole (microtus arvalis) populations in north-western spain: experimental set-up and preliminary results.ecologically based rodent pest management using biological control has never been evaluated for vole plagues in europe, although it has been successfully tested in other systems. the authors report on the first large-scale replicated experiment to study the usefulness of nest-box installation for increasing the breeding density of common kestrels (falco tinnunculus) and barn owls (tyto alba) as a potential biological control of common vole (microtus arvalis) abundance in agricultural habitats in ...201322517676
[pcr identification of dna of hosts of the taiga tick nymphs (ixodes persulcatus: ixodinae) in st. petersburg and its suburbs].pcr identification of host dna in unfed females and males of taiga tick ixodes persulcatus was performed. amplification of each sample was done using primers species-specific by 12s rdna mitochondrial gene. four species of small mammals (apodemus uralensis, clethrionomys glareolus, microtus arvalis, and sorex araneus) and two passeriform bird species (fringilla coelebs and parus major) were analysed. for one third of tick samples, hosts of previous stages were established using this method. in f ...201222384683
contaminant exposure in relation to spatio-temporal variation in diet composition: a case study of the little owl (athene noctua).we assessed dietary exposure of the little owl athene noctua to trace metal contamination in a dutch rhine river floodplain area. diet composition was calculated per month for three habitat types, based on the population densities of six prey types (earthworms, ground beetles and four small mammal species) combined with the little owl's functional response to these prey types. exposure levels showed a strong positive relationship with the dietary fraction of earthworms, but also depended on the ...201222325438
urine marking in male common voles: does behavioural activity matter?rodent urine provides animals with a large amount of information, from the identity of the animal through its physical condition to social status. many studies therefore focus on rodent urine-marking behaviour and use marking frequency as an indicator of social status or competitive ability. however, marking, like many other aspects of rodent behaviour, may be affected by individual behavioural activity, a factor that has not been examined so far. we therefore studied a relationship between male ...201222285890
tula virus infections in the eurasian water vole in central europe.recent reports of novel hantaviruses in shrews and moles and the detection of rodent-borne hantaviruses in different rodent species raise important questions about their host range and specificity, evolution, and host adaptation. tula virus (tulv), a european hantavirus, is believed to be slightly or non-pathogenic in humans and was initially detected in the common vole microtus arvalis, the east european vole m. levis (formerly rossiaemeridionalis), and subsequently in other microtus species. h ...201222225425
toxoplasma gondii in foxes and rodents from the german federal states of brandenburg and saxony-anhalt: seroprevalence and genotypes.data on the genotypes of toxoplasma gondii circulating in wildlife are scarce. in the present study, foxes and rodents from two federal states in central or eastern germany were examined for t. gondii infections. body fluids were collected at necropsy or fluids were obtained from frozen tissues of naturally exposed red foxes (vulpes vulpes), voles (microtus arvalis), shrews (neomys anomalus) and a striped field mouse (apodemus agrarius) and tested for t. gondii by serology. dna isolated from tis ...201122105083
Female-biased infection and transmission of the gastrointestinal nematode Trichuris arvicolae infecting the common vole, Microtus arvalis.Previous studies addressing the importance of host gender in parasite transmission have shed light on males as the more important hosts, with the higher transmission potential of males being explained by the fact that they often harbour higher parasite loads than females. However, in some systems females are more heavily infected than males and may be responsible for driving infection under such circumstances. Using a wild population of common voles (Microtus arvalis), we showed that females wer ...201122056297
neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii in brain tissue of feral rodents and insectivores caught on farms in the netherlands.we investigated the presence of both neospora caninum and toxoplasma gondii in 250 brain tissue samples from 9 species of feral rodents and insectivores caught on 10 organic farms in the netherlands in 2004. collected samples were conserved in 4% paraformaldehyde solution and analysed by real-time pcr. for n. caninum, 31 samples originating from 6 species tested positive (12.4%): common shrews (33.3%), wood mice (17.6%), harvest mice (16.7%), house mice (15.4%), white-toothed shrews (10.8%) and ...201121958437
[meiosis in gray voles of the subgenus microtus (rodentia, arvicolinae) and in their hybrids].the results of light and electron microscopic (em) studies of meiosis in microtus arvalis males of the karyoform "arvalis" (2n = 46, nfa = 80), in hybrids between the chromosomal forms arvalis and obscurus (2n = 46, nfa = 68), in m. rossiaemeridionalis voles (2n = 54, nfa = 54), and in a hybrid between the species m. rossiaemeridionalis and m. kermanensis (2n = 54, nfa = 54) are presented. sc (synaptonemal complex) karyotypes of the parental forms and the hybrids were constructed on the basis of ...201121938960
behavioral responses to combinations of timed light, food availability, and ultradian rhythms in the common vole (microtus arvalis).light is the main entraining signal of the central circadian clock, which drives circadian organization of activity. when food is made available during only certain parts of the day, it can entrain the clock in the liver without changing the phase of the central circadian clock. although a hallmark of food entrainment is a behavioral anticipation of food availability, the extent of behavioral alterations in response to food availability has not been fully characterized. the authors have investig ...201121790327
prevalence of coxiella burnetii and rickettsia spp. in ticks and rodents in southern germany.coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of q fever, and rickettsia spp. are bacterial pathogens that can be transmitted by ticks of the genus dermacentor (i.e., dermacentor marginatus and d. reticulatus). in germany, the occurrence of these ticks is currently limited to few areas. however, due to increasing temperatures, these vectors will likely extend their distribution in the future, and c. burnetii and rickettsia spp. might spread with them. to assess the prospective risk of human infections ...201021771522
cadmium accumulation in small mammals: species traits, soil properties, and spatial habitat use.in this study, the impact of species-specific spatial habitat use, diet preferences, and soil concentrations and properties on the accumulation of cadmium in small mammals was investigated. the results show that for the wood mouse (apodemus sylvaticus), a mobile species with a large range in diet composition, accumulation of cadmium was not related to local soil concentrations or soil properties, but to diet preferences. for the common vole (microtus arvalis), a nonmobile, specific feeding speci ...201121770371
[diversity of blood parasites of genus bartonella in wild rodents in mazury lakes district].this long-term study of genetic diversity and epidemiology of the alpha-proteobacterium bartonella in wild rodents from forest (myodes glareolus and apodemus flavicollis) and abandoned farmland (microtus arvalis and mi. oeconomus) was carried out in the years 2007-2009 in the mazury lakes district. in total, 1193 rodents were marked and recaptured, and 2226 blood samples were collected. the highest bartonella prevalence was found in a. flavicollis (43.5%), the lowest in mi. oeconomus (9.4%), whi ...201121638804
rodents as sentinels for the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus.abstract introduction: tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) causes one of the most important flavivirus infections of the central nervous system, affecting humans in europe and asia. it is mainly transmitted by the bite of an infected tick and circulates among them and their vertebrate hosts. until now, tbe risk analysis in germany has been based on the incidence of human cases. because of an increasing vaccination rate, this approach might be misleading, especially in regions of low virus circu ...201121548766
[rodent fleas (siphonaptera, insecta) in the terek-kuma interfluve].the fauna of rodent fleas comprises 19 species in the terek-kuma interfluve. most detected parasites settle together with their hosts within and outside this area. only gerbils and their parasites are limited to the spread in a semi-desert zone. the attribution of the fleas to various hosts, such as little sousliks, gerbils, jerboas, mice, and common voles, is not absolute and the parasites are, in addition to the principal hosts, encountered on the rodents of other species. exchange of the para ...201121476257
enhanced aflp genome scans detect local adaptation in high-altitude populations of a small rodent (microtus arvalis).adaptation to adverse environmental conditions such as high altitude requires physiological and/or morphological changes. genome scans provide a means to identify the genetic basis of such adaptations without previous knowledge about the particular genetic variants or traits under selection. in this study, we scanned 3027 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (aflp) in four populations of the common vole microtus arvalis for loci associated with local adaptation and high altitude. we investiga ...201121352386
a real-time multiplex-nested pcr system for coprological diagnosis of echinococcus multilocularis and host species.a hybridization probe-based real-time multiplex-nested pcr system was developed for the simultaneous detection of echinococcus multilocularis and host species directly from faecal samples. species identification was determined by melting curve analysis. specificity was assessed by using dna extracted from various cestodes (e. multilocularis, echinococcus granulosus (g1), echinococcus ortleppi, echinococcus canadensis (g6, g7), taenia crassiceps, taenia hydatigena, taenia mustelae, taenia pisifor ...201121327991
exploring the life cycle of besnoitia besnoiti - experimental infection of putative definitive and intermediate host species.the biology of besnoitia besnoiti, the cause of bovine besnoitiosis, is poorly understood. its definitive host is unknown, and information on potential intermediate hosts is scarce. in order to investigate potential definitive and intermediate hosts for european isolates of b. besnoiti, domestic dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs (cavia porcellus), gerbils (meriones unguiculatus), common voles (microtus arvalis) and nmri-mice were inoculated with b. besnoiti isolated from naturally infected german ...201121310538
[comparative analysis of the dxpas34 regulatory region in rodents].mouse x chromosome inactivation center contains the dxpas34 minisatellite locus which plays an important role in expression regulation of the tsix and xist genes, involved into female dosage compensation. comparative analysis of the dxpas34 locus from mouse, rat, and four common vole species revealed similar organization of this region in the form of tandem repeat blocks. a search for functionally important elements in this locus showed that all the species examined carried the conservative moti ...201021254565
ambient temperature shapes reproductive output during pregnancy and lactation in the common vole (microtus arvalis): a test of the heat dissipation limit theory.the heat dissipation limit theory suggests that heat generated during metabolism limits energy intake and, thus, reproductive output. experiments in laboratory strains of mice and rats, and also domestic livestock generally support this theory. selection for many generations in the laboratory and in livestock has increased litter size or productivity in these animals. to test the wider validity of the heat dissipation limit theory, we studied common voles (microtus arvalis), which have small lit ...201121147967
investigation of the ecology of francisella tularensis during an inter-epizootic period.abstract a 1-year study of the ecological cycle of francisella tularensis was performed in an enzootic area during an inter-epizootic period. the study was based on multiple sampling of all major constituents of the disease cycle. seroprevalence of tularemia in the european brown hare (lepus europaeus) population was 5.1% (10/197) with low antibody titers (1/10 and 1/20), and f. tularensis ssp. holarctica was isolated from four hares. f. tularensis was not detected in the 38 common voles (microt ...201021142970
estimating population structure from aflp amplification intensity.in the last decade, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (aflps) have become one of the most widely used molecular markers to study the genetic structure of natural populations. most of the statistical methods available to study the genetic structure of populations using aflps consider these markers as dominant and are thus unable to distinguish between individuals being heterozygous or homozygous for the dominant allele. some attempts have been made to treat aflps as codominant markers by us ...201020874760
seasonal variation of reproductive success under female philopatry and male-biased dispersal in a common vole population.variation of reproductive success, an important determinant of the opportunity for sexual selection, is an outcome of competition within one sex for mating with members of the other sex. in promiscuous species, males typically compete for access to females, and their reproductive strategies are strongly related to the spatial distribution of females. i used 10 microsatellite loci and the mtdna control region to determine seasonal differences in the reproductive success of males and females of th ...201120850510
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