| coexistence of white-footed mice and deer mice may be mediated by fluctuating environmental conditions. | white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis, and deer mice, p. maniculatus nubiterrae, occur sympatically throughout much of the appalachian mountains of the eastern united states. previous studies have shown that these two species are behaviorally and ecologically similar and do not partition food or microhabitat. in this paper i use a 14-year data set to demonstrate that the two species have differential population growth and survival rates in response to food abundance and season, w ... | 1996 | 28307870 |
| experimental tests of nest site competition in two peromyscus species. | the importance of interspecific competition for nest sites between the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis) and the cloudland deermouse (p. maniculatus nubiterrae) were investigated in the montane forests of southwestern virginia over 3 years. trials were conducted for both species using large, outdoor enclosures in order to examine: (i) nest site preference in isolation and (ii) nest site selection made in the presence of potential competitors. both species demonstrated a str ... | 1996 | 28307125 |
| optimal foraging behavior and the thermal neutral zone of peromyscus leucopus during winter: a test using natural and controlled ambient temperatures. | endotherms foraging at temperatures outside of their thermal neutral zone (tnz) pay an increased energetic cost. we asked if thermally-induced changes in foraging costs influence quitting harvest rate (qhr) of mice. we predicted that mice foraging during the winter would have a higher qhr in more costly colder conditions. we conducted our study with wild caught peromyscus leucopus in an enclosure located in west terre haute, indiana. we assayed changes in qhr using the forager's giving up densit ... | 2016 | 26857984 |
| genetic variation in male sexual behaviour in a population of white-footed mice in relation to photoperiod. | in natural populations, genetic variation in seasonal male sexual behaviour could affect behavioural ecology and evolution. in a wild-source population of white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus, from virginia, u.s.a., males experiencing short photoperiod show high levels of genetic variation in reproductive organ mass and neuroendocrine traits related to fertility. we tested whether males from two divergent selection lines, one that strongly suppresses fertility under short photoperiod (responde ... | 2015 | 25983335 |
| landscape resistance and habitat combine to provide an optimal model of genetic structure and connectivity at the range margin of a small mammal. | we evaluated the effect of habitat and landscape characteristics on the population genetic structure of the white-footed mouse. we develop a new approach that uses numerical optimization to define a model that combines site differences and landscape resistance to explain the genetic differentiation between mouse populations inhabiting forest patches in southern québec. we used ecological distance computed from resistance surfaces with circuitscape to infer the effect of the landscape matrix on g ... | 2014 | 24975474 |
| photoperiodic regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis in adult male white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | photoperiodic organisms monitor environmental day length to engage in seasonally appropriate adaptions in physiology and behavior. among these adaptations are changes in brain volume and neurogenesis, which have been well described in multiple species of birds, yet few studies have described such changes in the brains of adult mammals. white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) are an excellent species in which to investigate the effects of day length on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, as males, in ... | 2014 | 24893623 |
| urban park characteristics, genetic variation, and historical demography of white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus) populations in new york city. | severe fragmentation is a typical fate of native remnant habitats in cities, and urban wildlife with limited dispersal ability are predicted to lose genetic variation in isolated urban patches. however, little information exists on the characteristics of urban green spaces required to conserve genetic variation. in this study, we examine whether isolation in new york city (nyc) parks results in genetic bottlenecks in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus), and test the hypotheses that park size ... | 2014 | 24688884 |
| insulins, leptin and feeding in a population of peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse) with variable fertility. | this article is part of a special issue "energy balance". natural populations display a variety of reproductive responses to environmental cues, but the underlying physiology that causes these responses is largely unknown. this study tested the hypothesis that heritable variation in reproductive traits can be described by heritable variation in concentrations of hormones critical to both energy balance and reproduction. to test this hypothesis, we used mouse lines derived from a wild population ... | 2014 | 24583085 |
| radiotelemetric assessment of diel cycles in euthermic body temperature and torpor in a free-ranging small mammal inhabiting man-made nest sites. | five free-ranging white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus, known to inhabit man-made nest boxes were captured during winter, surgically-implanted with temperature-sensitive radiotelemeters, and released at the site of capture. the body temperatures of mice which voluntarily inhabited nest boxes were monitored from a remote location with an am receiver on 17 days.all five mice were able to maintain stable euthermic body temperatures (approximately 35-37°c during the day; 37-39°c at night) during e ... | 1983 | 28310688 |
| optimal foraging: the responses of peromyscus leucopus to experimental changes in processing time and hunger. | food density, degree of hunger prior to foraging, and food processing difficulty were varied in order to determine their effects on the diet diversity of captive peromyscus leucopus foraging for buried seeds. no relationship was found between diet diversity and food density. however, diet diversity exhibited a significantly positive relationship with hunger, and a significantly negative relationship with seed processing time. these results strongly support optimal foraging theory. | 1980 | 28310630 |
| landscape models for nuclear genetic diversity and genetic structure in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | dramatic changes in the north american landscape over the last 12 000 years have shaped the genomes of the small mammals, such as the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus), which currently inhabit the region. however, very recent interactions of populations with each other and the environment are expected to leave the most pronounced signature on rapidly evolving nuclear microsatellite loci. we analyzed landscape characteristics and microsatellite markers of p. leucopus populations along a tr ... | 2014 | 24448564 |
| a comparison of scent marking between a monogamous and promiscuous species of peromyscus: pair bonded males do not advertise to novel females. | scent marking can provide behavioral and physiological information including territory ownership and mate advertisement. it is unknown how mating status and pair cohabitation influence marking by males from different social systems. we compared the highly territorial and monogamous california mouse (peromyscus californicus) to the less territorial and promiscuous white-footed mouse (p. leucopus). single and mated males of both species were assigned to one of the following arenas lined with filte ... | 2012 | 22393377 |
| sexual imprinting and speciation between two peromyscus species. | sexual isolation, a reproductive barrier, can prevent interbreeding between diverging populations or species. sexual isolation can have a clear genetic basis; however, it may also result from learned mate preferences that form via sexual imprinting. here, we demonstrate that two sympatric species of mice-the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus) and its sister species, the cotton mouse (p. gossypinus)-hybridize only rarely in the wild despite co-occurrence in the same habitat and lack of any ... | 2017 | 29231989 |
| components of variance of odontometric traits in a wild-derived population of peromyscus leucopus. | | 1968 | 28562855 |
| prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in two species of peromyscus mice common in northern wisconsin. | two species of mice, the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus (rafinesque; rodentia: cricetidae) and the woodland deer mouse, peromyscus maniculatus (wagner; rodentia: cricetidae), serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens in many parts of north america. however, the role p. maniculatus plays in the amplification and maintenance of anaplasma phagocytophilum (rickettsiales: ehrlichiaceae) and borrelia burgdorferi (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae) is not well understood. in northern wisconsin ... | 2018 | 29506103 |
| ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) reservoir host diversity and abundance impacts on dilution of borrelia burgdorferi (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae) in residential and woodland habitats in connecticut, united states. | the dilution effect in the zoonotic disease transmission cycle theorizes that an increased diversity of host species will alter transmission dynamics, result in a decrease in pathogen prevalence, and potentially lower human disease incidence. the interrelationship of borrelia burgdorferi (johnson, schmid, hyde, steigerwalt, and brenner) (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae), the etiological agent of lyme disease (ld), and its primary vector, blacklegged ticks (ixodes scapularis say) (acari: ixodidae ... | 2018 | 29340657 |
| parallelisms and contrasts in the diverse ecologies of the anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi complexes of bacteria in the far western united states. | anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi are two tick-borne bacteria that cause disease in people and animals. for each of these bacteria, there is a complex of closely related genospecies and/or strains that are genetically distinct and have been shown through both observational and experimental studies to have different host tropisms. in this review we compare the known ecologies of these two bacterial complexes in the far western usa and find remarkable similarities, which will help ... | 2016 | 29056734 |
| signatures of positive selection and local adaptation to urbanization in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | urbanization significantly alters natural ecosystems and has accelerated globally. urban wildlife populations are often highly fragmented by human infrastructure, and isolated populations may adapt in response to local urban pressures. however, relatively few studies have identified genomic signatures of adaptation in urban animals. we used a landscape genomic approach to examine signatures of selection in urban populations of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) in new york city. we analysed ... | 2017 | 28980357 |
| exploration of stable isotope analysis for tick host identification. | due to the problem of tick-borne diseases, there is a need to better understand the importance of different host species in maintaining enzootic disease cycles. we explored the utility of stable isotope analysis to identify the larval hosts of questing ixodid ticks. in laboratory experiments, we used ixodes scapularis and two host species that are important in the lyme disease system in eastern north america. first, we tested how effectively a short-term dietary tracer (13c in corn) was reflecte ... | 2017 | 28919405 |
| invasive exotic shrub modifies a classic animal-habitat relationship and alters patterns of vertebrate seed predation. | recent evidence suggests that invasive exotic plants can provide novel habitats that alter animal behavior. however, it remains unclear whether classic animal-habitat associations that influence the spatial distribution of plant-animal interactions, such as small mammal use of downed woody debris, persist in invaded habitats. we removed an invasive exotic shrub (buckthorn, rhamnus cathartica) from 7 of 15 plots in wisconsin. in each plot, we deployed 200 tagged quercus rubra seeds in november 20 ... | 2017 | 27936498 |
| linking predator-prey interactions with exposure to a trophically transmitted parasite using pcr-based analyses. | parasite transmission is determined by the rate of contact between a susceptible host and an infective stage and susceptibility to infection given an exposure event. attempts to measure levels of variation in exposure in natural populations can be especially challenging. the level of exposure to a major class of parasites, trophically transmitted parasites, can be estimated by investigating the host's feeding behaviour. since the parasites rely on the ingestion of infective intermediate hosts fo ... | 2013 | 23110593 |
| arboreal habitat structure affects locomotor speed and perch choice of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | arboreal habitats pose several challenges for locomotion resulting from narrow cylindrical surfaces, steep slopes, and secondary branches that can form obstructions. we used laboratory trials to test whether different diameters, slopes, or complexity of branches affected maximum speeds and perch choice of the semi-arboreal white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus). we tested locomotor performance of mice running horizontally and up and down 45° slopes for cylindrical artificial branches with five ... | 2012 | 22927206 |
| photoperiod mediated changes in olfactory bulb neurogenesis and olfactory behavior in male white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | brain plasticity, in relation to new adult mammalian neurons generated in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus, has been well described. however, the functional outcome of new adult olfactory neurons born in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles is not clearly defined, as manipulating neurogenesis through various methods has given inconsistent and conflicting results in lab mice. several small rodent species, including peromyscus leucopus, display seasonal (photoperiodic) brain pl ... | 2012 | 22912730 |
| calcium availability influences litter size and sex ratio in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | the production of offspring typically requires investment of resources derived from both the environment and maternal somatic reserves. as such, the availability of either of these types of resources has the potential to limit the degree to which resources are allocated to reproduction. theory and empirical studies have argued that mothers modify reproductive performance relative to exogenous resource availability and maternal condition by adjusting size, number or sex of offspring produced. the ... | 2012 | 22870218 |
| detection and evaluation of antibody response to a baylisascaris-specific antigen in rodent hosts with the use of western blotting and elisa. | diagnosis of parasitic diseases that involve tissue-stage larvae is challenging, and serology remains the most effective antemortem test for detecting these infections. baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon roundworm, is a zoonotic ascarid. raccoons are the usual definitive host, and humans may be infected as accidental hosts. more than 150 species of birds and mammals may act as paratenic hosts, and rodents play an important role in the transmission and maintenance of this parasite in nature. mi ... | 2018 | 30074878 |
| urban landscape genetics: canopy cover predicts gene flow between white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus) populations in new york city. | in this study, i examine the influence of urban canopy cover on gene flow between 15 white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus) populations in new york city parklands. parks in the urban core are often highly fragmented, leading to rapid genetic differentiation of relatively nonvagile species. however, a diverse array of 'green' spaces may provide dispersal corridors through 'grey' urban infrastructure. i identify urban landscape features that promote genetic connectivity in an urban environment a ... | 2012 | 22320856 |
| modeling biotic and abiotic influences on population size in small mammals. | most previous work in population ecology has modeled density-dependent effects in isolation. in this paper, we concurrently modeled the effect of density-dependent and density-independent factors on the rate of population change (r t ) in peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mouse), using a ricker equation expanded to include weather and seasonality. from 1973 to 1996, we live-trapped p. leucopus monthly in a 2-ha ohio woodlot. population peaks (july to august) varied from 27 to 181 individuals, wh ... | 1998 | 28308199 |
| optimum brood size: tests of alternative hypotheses. | the most productive litter size (five) was not as common as expected in a free-living population of white-footed mice. i evaluated four competing hypotheses that can explain this pattern. reproductive costs and annual variation in recruitment appear to be insufficient explanations for the empirical distribution of litter size. optimal investment of reproductive resources that vary among parents is supported by some tests, but not by all. the abundance of litters less than the apparent optimum is ... | 1992 | 28567753 |
| retrotransposon mys is concentrated on the sex chromosomes: implications for copy number containment. | chromosomal distribution of the mys retrotransposon was examined by in situ hybridization with a biotinylated probe. thirty-six mice from four species of the peromyscus leucopus/maniculatus complex were examined. mys hybridized to every chromosome in all individuals examined. however, the pattern of hybridization was nonrandom. mys elements were excluded from c-banding regions of the autosomes, and hybridized preferentially to g-bands. the most prominent feature of these hybridizations was the p ... | 1990 | 28564430 |
| the scale of demographic heterogeneity in a population of peromyscus leucopus. | the patterns of spatial heterogeneity in density and demography were studied in a population of peromyscus leucopus inhabiting a deciduous forest in west-central indiana. a series of 9 live-trapping grids sampled densities from 3 spatial scales: 3 ha, 80 ha and 350 km2. we found high levels of variation within all three spatial scales. there was as much variation within a single, large grid as within the entire sugar creek valley (350 km2). the patterns of density variation were not temporally s ... | 1990 | 28313143 |
| demography of a habitat generalist, the white-footed mouse, in a heterogeneous environment. | a population of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) in southeastern massachusetts was lived-trapped monthly in five habitat types for 5 yr in order to study the demography of a habitat generalist. we identified three demographic groups (two of low density and one of high density), which differed primarily in density, adult survival, proportion of males breeding, and variability in the proportion of males. the low-density segments of this population were at times able to achieve demographic p ... | 1987 | 29357183 |
| practical guide to trapping peromyscus leucopus (rodentia: cricetidae) and peromyscus maniculatus for vector and vector-borne pathogen surveillance and ecology. | arthropods pests are most frequently associated with both plants and vertebrate animals. ticks, in particular the blacklegged ticks ixodes scapularis say and ixodes pacificus cooley & kohls (acari: ixodidae), are associated with wildlife hosts and are the primary vectors of lyme disease, the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in the united states. immature blacklegged ticks in the eastern united states frequently use small mammals from the genus peromyscus as hosts. these mice are com ... | 2020 | 33135755 |
| vertical transmission: a vector-independent transmission pathway of babesia microti in the natural reservoir host peromyscus leucopus. | babesia microti, a malaria-like pathogen, is increasing in mammal and human populations in endemic areas and is unlikely to be the sole result of horizontal pathogen transmission. | 2020 | 32959880 |
| lactobacilli and other gastrointestinal microbiota of peromyscus leucopus, reservoir host for agents of lyme disease and other zoonoses in north america. | the cricetine rodent peromyscus leucopus is an important reservoir for several human zoonoses, including lyme disease, in north america. akin to hamsters, the white-footed deermouse has been unevenly characterized in comparison to the murid mus musculus. to further understanding of p. leucopus' total genomic content, we investigated gut microbiomes of an outbred colony of p. leucopus, inbred m. musculus, and a natural population of p. leucopus. metagenome and whole genome sequencing were combine ... | 2020 | 32817657 |
| efficacy of a low dose fipronil bait against blacklegged tick (ixodes scapularis) larvae feeding on white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) under laboratory conditions. | lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the usa with cases continuing to increase. current control measures have not been shown to be impactful, and therefore alternatives are needed. treating pathogen reservoirs with low dose systemic acaricides in endemic areas may provide a useful tool for disrupting the cycle of the vector and pathogen. the purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a 0.005% fipronil bait, presented orally to white-footed mice, in controlling b ... | 2020 | 32736585 |
| molecular detection of leptospira interrogans and borrelia burgdorferi in wild rodents from mexico. | leptospirosis and lyme borreliosis are zoonotic emerging diseases of global importance and wide distribution. the aim of this study was to detect by molecular testing to leptospira interrogans and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in wild rodents from nuevo leon, quintana roo, and campeche, mexico. this study is the first in report to chaetodipus nelsoni, dipodomys merriami, and peromyscus eremicus infected with l. interrogans in mexico. besides, chaetodipus hispidus, heteromys gaumeri, heteromys ... | 2020 | 32639187 |
| effects of captivity, diet, and relocation on the gut bacterial communities of white-footed mice. | microbes can have important impacts on their host's survival. captive breeding programs for endangered species include periods of captivity that can ultimately have an impact on reintroduction success. no study to date has investigated the impacts of captive diet on the gut microbiota during the relocation process of generalist species. this study simulated a captive breeding program with white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) to describe the variability in gut microbial community structure and ... | 2020 | 32551052 |
| mitochondrial dna and protein differentiation between hybridizing cytotypes of the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus. | restriction-enzyme analysis of mitochondrial dna and protein electrophoresis were used to document patterns of gene flow across a hybrid zone between chromosomal races of peromyscus leucopus. chromosomal markers (three inversions) are such that individuals can be classified as potential f1 's, backcrosses, or parental types. allozymic characterization of the hybrid zone is congruent with the chromosomal data (stangl, 1986) and indicates an assymetrical distribution of markers, with the northeast ... | 1987 | 28564355 |
| proximate and ultimate controls on life-history variation: the evolution of litter size in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | recruitment of litter-mates of nest-box-inhabiting white-footed mice was monitored to study the evolution of litter size. the frequency distribution of litter sizes was nonsymmetrical, and the most frequent litter size was less than the optimum. this was not the result of differential parental survival, which was independent of litter size produced. recruitment remained constant or increased slightly to a peak in litters of five young, and then dropped precipitously for larger litters. the singl ... | 1986 | 28564119 |
| humane use of cardiac puncture for non-terminal phlebotomy of wild-caught and released peromyscus spp. | the cardiac puncture technique for obtaining relatively large volume (50-150 µl) blood samples from sedated rodents has been used in research for nearly a century. historically, its use to phlebotomize and then release live rodents was more common. however, recently its use in a non-terminal capacity frequently imparts negative connotations in part because exsanguination of sedated animals via cardiac puncture is now an american veterinary medical association-approved euthanasia technique. this ... | 2020 | 32397470 |
| administration of an orally delivered substrate targeting a mammalian zoonotic pathogen reservoir population: novel application and biomarker analysis. | reservoir-targeted vaccines (rtvs) have the potential to be effective at breaking the transmission cycle of many tick-borne pathogens including, but not limited to, borrelia burgdorferi, b. miyamotoi, b. mayonii, babesia microti, and anaplasma phagocytophilum. to determine what proportion of a wild reservoir species we could effectively target, we distributed an experimental non-rtv rhodamine b (rhb)-coated pellet formulation devoid of nutrient supplementation using bait boxes with ad libitum ac ... | 2020 | 32213011 |
| multiple responses to different photoperiods occur in the mouse, peromyscus leucopus. | 1. peromyscus leucopus exhibits multiple responses to different daylengths. the winter molt and gonadal regression are complete in populations chronically exposed to 12, 11, 10, or 9 h of light per day while hypertrophy of brown fat and occurrence of daily torpor were greater in mice on 9 or 10 h of light when compared to animals on 11 or 12 h photocycles. 2. a precise "critical" daylength is not observed in this species for gonadal regression, occurrence of daily torpor, or hypertrophy of brown ... | 1980 | 28309556 |
| on the evolution of litter size in peromyscus leucopus. | | 1978 | 28564099 |
| signatures of rapid evolution in urban and rural transcriptomes of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) in the new york metropolitan area. | urbanization is a major cause of ecological degradation around the world, and human settlement in large cities is accelerating. new york city (nyc) is one of the oldest and most urbanized cities in north america, but still maintains 20% vegetation cover and substantial populations of some native wildlife. the white-footed mouse, peromyscusleucopus, is a common resident of nyc's forest fragments and an emerging model system for examining the evolutionary consequences of urbanization. in this stud ... | 2013 | 24015321 |
| evolution of peromyscus leucopus mice in response to a captive environment. | many wildlife species are propagated in captivity as models for behavioral, physiological, and genetic research or to provide assurance populations to protect threatened species. however, very little is known about how animals evolve in the novel environment of captivity. the histories of most laboratory strains are poorly documented, and protected populations of wildlife species are usually too small and too short-term to allow robust statistical analysis. to document the evolutionary change in ... | 2013 | 23940813 |
| pulsed resource availability changes dietary niche breadth and partitioning between generalist rodent consumers. | identifying the mechanisms that structure niche breadth and overlap between species is important for determining how species interact and assessing their functional role in an ecosystem. without manipulative experiments, assessing the role of foraging ecology and interspecific competition in structuring diet is challenging. systems with regular pulses of resources act as a natural experiment to investigate the factors that influence the dietary niches of consumers. we used natural pulses of mast ... | 2019 | 31632649 |
| genome sequences of three lactobacillus species strains of the stomach of the white-footed deermouse (peromyscus leucopus). | three colony types of lactobacillus were isolated from the stomach of ll colony stock peromyscus leucopus deermice, a reservoir for several human zoonoses. genome sequences revealed two isolates to be new strains of lactobacillus animalis and lactobacillus reuteri the third was distinct from known species and was provisionally designated lactobacillus sp. strain ll6. | 2019 | 31582438 |
| immature ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) collected from peromyscus leucopus (rodentia: cricetidae) and peromyscus maniculatus (rodentia: cricetidae) nests in northern wisconsin. | the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say, is the primary lyme disease vector in the eastern united states. both immature stages of i. scapularis take blood meals from mice belonging to the genus peromyscus. mice are active during the night and spend the majority of diel periods in nests. thus, immature i. scapularis have a greater opportunity to drop from peromyscus hosts while in nests compared with the forest floor. here, we collected 11 peromyscus nests during a 3-mo period during which th ... | 2020 | 31411327 |
| testosterone does not mediate variation in basal metabolic rate and activity in relation to reproductive condition and photoperiod in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | the photoperiodic response of many temperate zone rodents, including white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus), is a heritable life-history trait with underlying physiological variation. previous studies of intact male p. leucopus utilized two wild-derived bidirectional selection lines, a short photoperiod responsive (r) line selected for reproductive suppression in short-day conditions (sd) and a nonresponsive (nr) line selected for reproductive maturity in sd. nr mice in sd had greater food inta ... | 2019 | 31380609 |
| conservation of the genome-wide recombination rate in white-footed mice. | despite being linked to the fundamental processes of chromosome segregation and offspring diversification, meiotic recombination rates vary within and between species. recent years have seen progress in quantifying recombination rate evolution across multiple temporal and genomic scales. nevertheless, the level of variation in recombination rate within wild populations-a key determinant of evolution in this trait-remains poorly documented on the genomic scale. to address this notable gap, we use ... | 2019 | 31366913 |
| the genome of peromyscus leucopus, natural host for lyme disease and other emerging infections. | the rodent peromyscus leucopus is the natural reservoir of several tick-borne infections, including lyme disease. to expand the knowledge base for this key species in life cycles of several pathogens, we assembled and scaffolded the p. leucopus genome. the resulting assembly was 2.45 gb in total length, with 24 chromosome-length scaffolds harboring 97% of predicted genes. rna sequencing following infection of p. leucopus with borreliella burgdorferi, a lyme disease agent, shows that, unlike bloo ... | 2019 | 31355335 |
| development of homeothermic endothermy is delayed in high-altitude native deer mice (peromyscus maniculatus). | altricial mammals begin to independently thermoregulate during the first few weeks of postnatal development. in wild rodent populations, this is also a time of high mortality (50-95%), making the physiological systems that mature during this period potential targets for selection. high altitude (ha) is a particularly challenging environment for small endotherms owing to unremitting low o2 and ambient temperatures. while superior thermogenic capacities have been demonstrated in adults of some ha ... | 2019 | 31337307 |
| exogenous melatonin reproduces the effects of short day lengths on hippocampal function in male white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus. | photoperiodism is a biological phenomenon, common among organisms living outside of the tropics, by which environmental day length is used to ascertain the time of year to engage in seasonally-appropriate adaptations. white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) are small photoperiodic rodents which display a suite of adaptive winter responses to short day lengths mediated by the extended duration of nightly melatonin secretion. exposure to short days alters hippocampal dendritic morphology, impairs ... | 2013 | 23806713 |
| evidence for feedback control of pineal melatonin secretion. | melatonin is the principle hormonal product of the pineal gland. it is secreted with a robust daily rhythm, peaking near the middle of the night. during the daytime, concentrations remain very low, as exposure to light robustly suppresses its secretion. the regulation of melatonin by light is well-characterized, but an interesting feature of the daily melatonin rhythm is that its peak occurs near the middle of the night and then levels begin to drop hours before morning light exposure. the mecha ... | 2013 | 23528860 |
| seasonal changes in thermogenesis, organ weights, and body composition in the white-footed mouse,peromyscus leucopus. | 1. seasonal adjustments in wild-caughtperomyscus leucopus include autumn increases in basal metabolic, nonshivering thermogenesis, and interscapular brown fat and decreases in weights of gonads, liver, adrenal glands, and total lipid. body weight and nonextractable dry weight do not change. 2. basal metabolic rate, nonshivering thermogenesis, and interscapular brown fat increase following initial cold exposure in mid-september and are maintained at similar levels through january. 3. there is a p ... | 1973 | 28308572 |
| assessing effectiveness of recommended residential yard management measures against ticks. | public health authorities recommend a range of nonchemical measures to control blacklegged ticks ixodes scapularis say, 1821 (ixodida: ixodidae) in residential yards. here we enumerate these recommendations and assess their relationship to larval tick abundance in 143 yards in dutchess county, new york, an area with high lyme disease incidence. we examined the relationship between larval tick abundance and eight property features related to recommendations from public health agencies: presence o ... | 2019 | 31120510 |
| tick borne illness-lyme disease. | lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borneillness in the united states. thecausative spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted by 4 species of ixodes tick species. over 90% of us cases occur in northeasternstates from maine to virginia, and in wisconsin, minnesota, and michigan. infection also takes place in northern california and oregon. lyme borreliosis is also diagnosed in parts of europe, china, and japan. the white-footed mouse is the primary animal reservoir for b. burgdo ... | 2018 | 29402399 |
| prevalence and genetic characterization of deer tick virus (powassan virus, lineage ii) in ixodes scapularis ticks collected in maine. | deer tick virus (dtv) is a genetic variant of powassan virus (powv) that circulates in north america in an enzootic cycle involving the blacklegged or "deer tick," ixodes scapularis, and small rodents such as the white-footed mouse. the number of reported human cases with neuroinvasive disease has increased substantially over the past few years, indicating that powv may be of increasing public health importance. to this end, we sought to estimate powv infection rates in questing i. scapularis co ... | 2019 | 31218999 |
| evidence of degradation of hair corticosterone in museum specimens. | researchers increasingly rely on non-invasive physiological indices, such as glucocorticoid (gc) levels, to interpret how vertebrates respond to changes in their environment. recently, hair gcs have been of particular interest, because they are presumed stable over long periods of storage, which may facilitate the study of large-scale spatial and temporal patterns of stress in mammals. in the current study, we evaluated the stability of hair corticosterone levels in museum specimens, and the pot ... | 2018 | 30099031 |
| indirect effects of japanese barberry infestations on white-footed mice exposure to borrelia burgdorferi. | japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii de candolle; ranunculales: berberidaceae) is an exotic shrub that has invaded woodland understories in the northeastern united states. it forms dense thickets providing ideal structure and microclimate for questing blacklegged ticks (ixodes scapularis say; acari: ixodidae). while there have been studies on the favorable habitat barberry provides blacklegged ticks, little has been studied on the relationship between barberry, vectors (ticks), and reservoirs ... | 2018 | 29850912 |
| transplacental transmission of tick-borne babesia microti in its natural host peromyscus leucopus. | babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne pathogen and the causative agent of human babesiosis. mathematical modeling of the reproductive rate of b. microti indicates that it cannot persist in nature by horizontal tick-host transmission alone. we hypothesized that transplacental transmission in the reservoir population contributes to b. microti persistence and emergence in north american rodent populations. | 2018 | 29728129 |
| biomarker responses of peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the southeast missouri lead mining district. | biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. the exposure of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the southeast missouri lead mining district and at a reference site in mo, usa. mice from the contaminated sites showed evidence of oxidative stress and reduced activity of red blood cell δ-a ... | 2018 | 29380143 |
| presence of segmented flavivirus infections in north america | identifying viruses in synanthropic animals is necessary for understanding the origin of many viruses that can infect humans and developing strategies to prevent new zoonotic infections. the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus, is one of the most abundant rodent species in the northeastern united states. we characterized the serum virome of 978 free-ranging p. leucopus mice caught in pennsylvania. we identified many new viruses belonging to 26 different virus families. among these viruses wa ... | 2020 | 32687041 |
| aversion of the invasive asian longhorned tick to the white-footed mouse, the dominant reservoir of tick-borne pathogens in the u.s.a. | the asian longhorned tick (haemaphysalis longicornis) was reported for the first time in the u.s.a. in 2017 and has now spread across 12 states. the potential of this invasive tick vector to transmit pathogens will be determined through its association to hosts, such as the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus), which is the primary reservoir for the causative agent of lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) and other zoonotic pathogens. larval h. longicornis were placed on p. leucopus; 65% of th ... | 2020 | 32249973 |
| higher prevalence of babesia microti than borrelia burgdorferi in small mammal species in central pennsylvania, united states. | babesia microti can lead to severe babesiosis in immunosuppressed populations, but due to high numbers of asymptomatic cases, clinical reporting is unable to define its geographic distribution. although lyme disease caused by borrelia burgdorferi is endemic throughout pennsylvania (pa), human babesiosis is under recognized, despite sharing the same vector and primary reservoir host. ixodes ticks are known to carry b. microti throughout pa, but information about pathogen prevalence in small mamma ... | 2020 | 31750805 |
| modeling transmission dynamics of lyme disease: multiple vectors, seasonality, and vector mobility. | lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the united states, which humans acquire from an infected tick of the genus ixodes (primarily ixodes scapularis). while previous studies have provided useful insights into various aspects of lyme disease, the tick's host preference in the presence of multiple hosts has not been considered in the existing models. in this study, we develop a transmission dynamics model that includes the interactions between the primary vectors involved: black ... | 2019 | 30997436 |
| cost analysis of vaccination in tick-mouse transmission of lyme disease. | lyme disease is one of the most prevalent and fastest growing vector-borne bacterial illnesses in the united states, with over 25,000 new confirmed cases every year. humans contract the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi through the bite of the tick ixodes scapularis. the tick can receive the bacterium from a variety of small mammal and bird species, but the white-footed mouse peromyscus leucopus is the primary reservoir in the northeastern united states, especially near human settlement. the tick's ... | 2020 | 32169319 |
| optimization of tissue sampling for borrelia burgdorferi in white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus). | peromyscus leucopus (the white-footed mouse) is a known reservoir of the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi. sampling of white-footed mice allows for year-round b. burgdorferi surveillance as well as opportunities to establish the diversity of the different variants in a geographic region. this study explores the prevalence of b. burgdorferi infections in the tissues of white-footed mice, investigates the correlations between b. burgdorferi infected tissues, and determines the optimum ... | 2020 | 31978068 |
| host-specific expression of ixodes scapularis salivary genes. | ixodes scapularis vectors several pathogens including borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme disease. nymphal and larval stages, and the pathogens transmitted by i. scapularis are maintained in a zoonotic cycle involving rodent reservoir hosts, predominantly peromyscus leucopus. humans are not reservoir hosts, however, accidental encounters of infected ticks with humans, results in pathogen transmission to the human host. laboratory models of non-reservoir hosts such as guinea pigs develop a st ... | 2019 | 30545615 |
| effects of a zoonotic pathogen, borrelia burgdorferi, on the behavior of a key reservoir host. | most emerging infectious diseases of humans are transmitted to humans from other animals. the transmission of these "zoonotic" pathogens is affected by the abundance and behavior of their wildlife hosts. however, the effects of infection with zoonotic pathogens on behavior of wildlife hosts, particularly those that might propagate through ecological communities, are not well understood. borrelia burgdorferi is a bacterium that causes lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the usa ... | 2018 | 29721281 |
| tick-borne disease risk in a forest food web. | changes to the community ecology of hosts for zoonotic pathogens, particularly rodents, are likely to influence the emergence and prevalence of zoonotic diseases worldwide. however, the complex interactions between abiotic factors, pathogens, vectors, hosts, and both food resources and predators of hosts are difficult to disentangle. here we (1) use 19 yr of data from six large field plots in southeastern new york to compare the effects of hypothesized drivers of interannual variation in lyme di ... | 2018 | 29738078 |
| evaluating the effectiveness of an integrated tick management approach on multiple pathogen infection in ixodes scapularis questing nymphs and larvae parasitizing white-footed mice. | we investigated the effectiveness of integrated tick management (itm) approaches in reducing the burden of infection with borrelia burgdorferi, babesia microti, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes scapularis. we found a 52% reduction in encountering a questing nymph in the metarhizium anisopliae (met52) and fipronil rodent bait box treatment combination as well as a 51% reduction in the combined white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) removal, met52, and fipronil rodent bait box treatment ... | 2020 | 31853763 |
| integrated control of juvenile ixodes scapularis parasitizing peromyscus leucopus in residential settings in connecticut, united states. | lyme disease continues to be the most common vector-borne disease in the united states with an estimated 330,000 human cases annually. in the eastern united states, the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, is the primary vector of the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, and the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus, is a primary reservoir host. in four residential neighborhoods in connecticut over three years, we tested the effectiveness of different low-toxicity integrated tick man ... | 2018 | 29859885 |
| the role of ixodes scapularis, borrelia burgdorferi and wildlife hosts in lyme disease prevalence: a quantitative review. | due to the ongoing expansion of ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick) throughout the northeastern and midwestern united states, there is need to identify the role wildlife hosts play in the establishment and maintenance of tick populations. to quantify and synthesize the patterns of i. scapularis and borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and sensu lato prevalence relative to wildlife hosts, we reviewed the findings of independent studies conducted throughout the united states. we performed a compreh ... | 2018 | 29680260 |
| retrotransposon-based bloodmeal analysis of nymphal deer ticks demonstrates spatiotemporal diversity of borrelia burgdorferi and babesia microti reservoirs. | deer tick transmitted borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (lyme disease) and babesia microti (babesiosis) increasingly burden public health across eastern north america. the white-footed mouse is considered to be the primary host for subadult deer ticks and the most important reservoir host for these and other disease agents. local transmission is thought to be modulated by less reservoir competent hosts such as deer diverting ticks from feeding on mice. we measured the proportion of mouse fed or ... | 2020 | 33158895 |
| small-mammal characteristics affect tick communities in southwestern tennessee (usa). | life histories can influence the degree of parasite infestations on a host. pressures exerted on hosts based on age and sex convey varying degrees of parasite prevalence due to differences in host lifestyles, but it is not known how interactions between different host traits affect tick numbers. the objective of this study was to determine if host characteristics (e.g., age, sex, weight, and their interactions) affect the mean number of ticks found on small mammals regardless of host species or ... | 2020 | 32547921 |
| host distribution and pathogen infection of fleas (siphonaptera) recovered from small mammals in pennsylvania. | the number of recognized flea-borne pathogens has increased over the past decade. however, the true number of infections related to all flea-borne pathogens remains unknown. to better understand the enzootic cycle of flea-borne pathogens, fleas were sampled from small mammals trapped in central pennsylvania. a total of 541 small mammals were trapped, with white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) and southern red-backed voles (myodes gapperi) accounting for over 94% of the captures. only p. leucop ... | 2020 | 32492279 |
| no island-effect on glucocorticoid levels for a rodent from a near-shore archipelago. | island rodents are often larger and live at higher population densities than their mainland counterparts, characteristics that have been referred to as "island syndrome". island syndrome has been well studied, but few studies have tested for island-mainland differences in stress physiology. we evaluated island syndrome within the context of stress physiology of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) captured from 11 islands and five mainland sites in thousand islands national park, ontario, can ... | 2020 | 32110493 |
| field evaluation of a novel oral reservoir-targeted vaccine against borrelia burgdorferi utilizing an inactivated whole-cell bacterial antigen expression vehicle. | blacklegged ticks (ixodes scapularis) are the principal vector for borrelia burgdorferi, among other infectious agents, in the northeastern, mid-atlantic, and upper midwestern usa. white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) are the primary and most competent reservoir host of b. burgdorferi in the northeast. live reservoir-targeted vaccines (rtvs) to limit enzootic transmission of b. burgdorferi were previously developed and successfully evaluated in laboratory and controlled field trials. a novel, ... | 2020 | 31898760 |
| experimental demonstration of reservoir competence of the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus (rodentia: cricetidae), for the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia mayonii (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae). | the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus (rafinesque), is a reservoir for the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern half of the united states, where the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae), is the primary vector. in the midwest, an additional lyme disease spirochete, borrelia mayonii, was recorded from naturally infected i. scapularis and p. leucopus. however, an experimental demonstration of reservoir competence was lacking for a natu ... | 2020 | 31819966 |
| genomes, expression profiles, and diversity of mitochondria of the white-footed deermouse peromyscus leucopus, reservoir of lyme disease and other zoonoses. | the cricetine rodents peromyscus leucopus and p. maniculatus are key reservoirs for several zoonotic diseases in north america. we determined the complete circular mitochondrial genome sequences of representatives of 3 different stock colonies of p. leucopus, one stock colony of p. maniculatus and two wild populations of p. leucopus. the genomes were syntenic with that of the murids mus musculus and rattus norvegicus. phylogenetic analysis confirmed that these two peromyscus species are sister t ... | 2019 | 31772306 |
| genomic signatures of selection along a climatic gradient in the northern range margin of the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus). | identifying genetic variation involved in thermal adaptation is likely to yield insights into how species adapt to different climates. physiological and behavioral responses associated with overwintering (e.g., torpor) are thought to serve important functions in climate adaptation. in this study, we use 2 isolated peromyscus leucopus lineages on the northern margin of the species range to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) showing a strong environmental association and test for evid ... | 2019 | 31300816 |
| performance trade-offs in wild mice. | various aspects of performance (e.g., speed, strength, endurance) are thought to be important determinants of the success of animals in natural activities such as foraging, mating, and escaping from predators. however, it is generally known that morphological properties enhancing one type of performance (e.g., strength) can lead to a reduction in another (e.g., speed). such performance trade-offs have been quantified at the inter-specific level, but evidence at the individual level remains equiv ... | 2019 | 31267235 |
| rodent species as possible reservoirs of borrelia burgdorferi in a prairie ecosystem. | lyme borreliosis is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the united states and europe. it is caused by a group of spirochete bacteria belonging to the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. these pathogens are transmitted among vertebrate reservoir hosts through the bite of hard-bodied ticks. while the enzootic cycle of borrelia transmission is well understood in its primary reservoir, the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus, far less is known about other reservoir hosts, par ... | 2019 | 31248821 |
| mice against ticks: an experimental community-guided effort to prevent tick-borne disease by altering the shared environment. | mice against ticks is a community-guided ecological engineering project that aims to prevent tick-borne disease by using crispr-based genome editing to heritably immunize the white-footed mice ( peromyscus leucopus) responsible for infecting many ticks in eastern north america. introducing antibody-encoding resistance alleles into the local mouse population is anticipated to disrupt the disease transmission cycle for decades. technology development is shaped by engagement with community members ... | 2019 | 30905296 |
| identification of a novel variant of golli myelin basic protein bg21 in the uniquely neuroprotective white-footed mouse. | the myelin basic protein (mbp) gene is a complex gene which codes for several distinct forms of mbp. the various forms of mbp are functionally involved in the development of the nervous system, t-cell regulation, and myelination. several neurological disorders have been linked to mbp abnormality, further demonstrating its functional significance in the nervous system. the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus) exhibits profound neuroprotective characteristics, is asymptomatic to various diseas ... | 2019 | 30742937 |
| the liver x receptor agonist lxr 623 restricts flavivirus replication. | the vector-borne flaviviruses (vbfvs) are well known for causing great misery and death in humans worldwide. the vbfvs include those transmitted by mosquitos, such as zika virus (zikv), dengue virus; and those transmitted by ticks including the tick-borne flavivirus serocomplex and powassan virus (powv). two of our recent reports showed that intracranial powv infection in the reservoir host, peromyscus leucopus, was restricted and caused no overt clinical disease. several modes of analyses sugge ... | 2021 | 34162308 |