| the effect of aluminum exposure on reproductive ability in the bank vole (myodes glareolus). | human impact on the environment is steadily increasing the amounts of aluminum in the ecosystems. this element accumulates in plants and water, potentially exposing herbivores to its harmful effect. in heavily polluted sites, a decrease in the density of small rodent populations has been observed. this decline may be caused by many factors, including decreased fertility. the aim of the presented research was to determine how aluminum, administered at concentrations similar to those recorded in i ... | 2017 | 27687699 |
| prpc governs susceptibility to prion strains in bank vole, while other host factors modulate strain features. | bank vole is a rodent species that shows differential susceptibility to the experimental transmission of different prion strains. in this work, the transmission features of a panel of diverse prions with distinct origins were assayed both in bank vole expressing methionine at codon 109 (bv109m) and in transgenic mice expressing physiological levels of bank vole prpc (the bvprp-tg407 mouse line). this work is the first systematic comparison of the transmission features of a collection of prion is ... | 2016 | 27654300 |
| modification of nickel accumulation in the tissues of the bank vole myodes glareolus by chemical and environmental factors. | in a full factorial laboratory experiment, the effects of temperature and two chemical stressors (nickel and chlorpyrifos) on the accumulation of nickel in the liver and kidney of bank voles were studied. the nine-week experiment consisted of three periods: acclimatisation (3 days), intoxication (6 weeks) and elimination (3 weeks). during the main intoxication phase the animals were orally exposed for 42 days to different doses of nickel (ni) (0, 300 and 800mg/kg food) or chlorpyrifos (cpf) (0, ... | 2016 | 27632790 |
| bank voles accrue scientific interest. | | 2016 | 27439091 |
| genomic response to selection for predatory behavior in a mammalian model of adaptive radiation. | if genetic architectures of various quantitative traits are similar, as studies on model organisms suggest, comparable selection pressures should produce similar molecular patterns for various traits. to test this prediction, we used a laboratory model of vertebrate adaptive radiation to investigate the genetic basis of the response to selection for predatory behavior and compare it with evolution of aerobic capacity reported in an earlier work. after 13 generations of selection, the proportion ... | 2016 | 27401229 |
| evolutionary conflict between maternal and paternal interests: integration with evolutionary endocrinology. | conflict between mates, as well as conflict between parents and offspring are due to divergent evolutionary interests of the interacting individuals. hormone systems provide genetically based proximate mechanisms for mediating phenotypic adaptation and maladaptation characteristic of evolutionary conflict between individuals. testosterone (t) is among the most commonly studied hormones in evolutionary biology, and as such, its role in shaping sexually dimorphic behaviors and physiology is relati ... | 2016 | 27400975 |
| experimental evolution on a wild mammal species results in modifications of gut microbial communities. | comparative studies have shown that diet, life history, and phylogeny interact to determine microbial community structure across mammalian hosts. however, these studies are often confounded by numerous factors. selection experiments offer unique opportunities to validate conclusions and test hypotheses generated by comparative studies. we used a replicated, 15-generation selection experiment on bank voles (myodes glareolus) that have been selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolism, predat ... | 2016 | 27199960 |
| are aryl hydrocarbon receptor and g-protein-coupled receptor 30 involved in the regulation of seasonal testis activity in photosensitive rodent-the bank vole (myodes glareolus)? | within the reproductive system both aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr) and g-protein-coupled receptor 30 (gpr30) contribute to estrogen signaling and controlling of reproductive physiology. the specific question is whether and how ahr and gpr30 are involved in regulation of testis function in seasonally breeding rodents. bank vole testes were obtained from animals reared under 18 hours light:6 hours dark (ld) and 6 hours light:18 hours dark (sd) conditions. aryl hydrocarbon receptor and gpr30 expre ... | 2016 | 27004452 |
| population sex-ratio affecting behavior and physiology of overwintering bank voles (myodes glareolus). | many boreal rodents are territorial during the breeding season but during winter become social and aggregate for more energy efficient thermoregulation. communal winter nesting and social interactions are considered to play an important role for the winter survival of these species, yet the topic is relatively little explored. females are suggested to be the initiators of winter aggregations and sometimes reported to survive better than males. this could be due to the higher social tolerance obs ... | 2016 | 26976741 |
| sub-ångström cryo-em structure of a prion protofibril reveals a polar clasp. | the atomic structure of the infectious, protease-resistant, β-sheet-rich and fibrillar mammalian prion remains unknown. through the cryo-em method microed, we reveal the sub-ångström-resolution structure of a protofibril formed by a wild-type segment from the β2-α2 loop of the bank vole prion protein. the structure of this protofibril reveals a stabilizing network of hydrogen bonds that link polar zippers within a sheet, producing motifs we have named 'polar clasps'. | 2018 | 29335561 |
| a shift in the thermoregulatory curve as a result of selection for high activity-related aerobic metabolism. | according to the "aerobic capacity model," endothermy in birds and mammals evolved as a result of natural selection favoring increased persistent locomotor activity, fuelled by aerobic metabolism. however, this also increased energy expenditure even during rest, with the lowest metabolic rates occurring in the thermoneutral zone (tnz) and increasing at ambient temperatures (ta) below and above this range, depicted by the thermoregulatory curve. in our experimental evolution system, four lines of ... | 2017 | 29326604 |
| experimental cowpox virus (cpxv) infections of bank voles: exceptional clinical resistance and variable reservoir competence. | cowpox virus (cpxv) is a zoonotic virus and endemic in wild rodent populations in eurasia. serological surveys in europe have reported high prevalence in different vole and mouse species. here, we report on experimental cpxv infections of bank voles (myodes glareolus) from different evolutionary lineages with a spectrum of cpxv strains. all bank voles, independently of lineage, sex and age, were resistant to clinical signs following cpxv inoculation, and no virus shedding was detected in nasal o ... | 2017 | 29257111 |
| the effect of chlorpyrifos on thermogenic capacity of bank voles selected for increased aerobic exercise metabolism. | agro-chemicals potentially cause adverse effects in non-target organisms. the rate of animal energy metabolism can influence their susceptibility to pesticides by influencing food consumption, biotransformation and elimination rates of toxicants. we used experimental evolution to study the effects of inherent differences in energy metabolism rate and exposure to the organophosphate insecticide, chlorpyrifos (cpf) on thermogenic capacity in a wild rodent, the bank vole (myodes = clethrionomys gla ... | 2016 | 26878110 |
| gerstmann-sträussler-scheinker disease subtypes efficiently transmit in bank voles as genuine prion diseases. | gerstmann-sträussler-scheinker disease (gss) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder associated with mutations in the prion protein gene and accumulation of misfolded prp with protease-resistant fragments (prp(res)) of 6-8 kda. with the exception of a few gss cases characterized by co-accumulation of prp(res) of 21 kda, efforts to transmit gss to rodents have been unsuccessful. as a result, gss subtypes exclusively associated with 6-8 kda prp(res) have often been considered as non-transmissib ... | 2016 | 26841849 |
| proteome dynamics: tissue variation in the kinetics of proteostasis in intact animals. | understanding the role of protein turnover in the maintenance of proteostasis requires accurate measurements of the rates of replacement of proteins in complex systems, such as intact animals. moreover, any investigation of allometric scaling of protein turnover is likely to include species for which fully annotated proteomes are not available. we have used dietary administration of stable isotope labeled lysine to assess protein turnover rates for proteins from four tissues in the bank vole,myo ... | 2016 | 26839000 |
| fitness costs of increased cataract frequency and cumulative radiation dose in natural mammalian populations from chernobyl. | a cataract is a clouding of the lens that reduces light transmission to the retina, and it decreases the visual acuity of the bearer. the prevalence of cataracts in natural populations of mammals, and their potential ecological significance, is poorly known. cataracts have been reported to arise from high levels of oxidative stress and a major cause of oxidative stress is ionizing radiation. we investigated whether elevated frequencies of cataracts are found in eyes of bank voles myodes glareolu ... | 2016 | 26814168 |
| limits to sustained energy intake. xxiii. does heat dissipation capacity limit the energy budget of lactating bank voles? | understanding factors limiting sustained metabolic rate (susmr) is a central issue in ecological physiology. according to the heat dissipation limit (hdl) theory, the susmr at peak lactation is constrained by the maternal capacity to dissipate body heat. to test that theory, we shaved lactating bank voles (myodes glareolus) to experimentally elevate their capacity for heat dissipation. the voles were sampled from lines selected for high aerobic exercise metabolism (a; characterized also by incre ... | 2016 | 26747907 |
| hindlimb muscle fibre size and glycogen stores in bank voles with increased aerobic exercise metabolism. | to test hypotheses concerning physiological factors limiting the rate of aerobic exercise metabolism, we used a unique experimental evolution model: lines of bank voles selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolism (a) and unselected, control lines (c). we investigated putative adaptations that result in the increased performance of the hindlimb muscle (gastrocnemius joined with plantaris). the body mass-adjusted muscle mass was higher in a-lines (0.093 g) than in c-lines (0.083 g; p=0.01). ... | 2016 | 26685167 |
| effect of selection for high activity-related metabolism on membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition in bank voles. | endothermy, high basal metabolic rates (bmrs), and high locomotor-related metabolism were important steps in the evolution of mammals. it has been proposed that the composition of membrane phospholipid fatty acids plays an important role in energy metabolism and exercise muscle physiology. in particular, the membrane pacemaker theory of metabolism suggests that an increase in cell membrane fatty acid unsaturation would result in an increase in bmr. we aimed to determine whether membrane phosphol ... | 2015 | 26658414 |
| genetic variations of turkish bank vole, myodes glareolus (mammalia: rodentia) inferred from mtdna. | the bank vole, myodes glareolus, lives in deciduous forests throughout the palearctic region. in turkey, this species is distributed only in northern anatolia (the black sea region) where these forests exist. this study reveals genetic differentiation among bank vole populations based on two regions of mitochondrial dna (cytochrome b and d-loop). populations in northern anatolia are divided into two genetic lineages (the "eastern" and "western black sea" lineages) by the kızılırmak valley. while ... | 2016 | 26540489 |
| reproduction is not costly in terms of oxidative stress. | one of the core assumptions of life-history theory is the negative trade-off between current and future reproduction. investment in current reproduction is expected to decrease future reproductive success or survival, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these costs are still obscure. to test for a role of oxidative stress, we measured oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in liver, heart, kidneys and muscles, as well as the level of antioxidants (total glutathione and catalase), in bre ... | 2015 | 26519508 |
| mapping 3' transcript ends in the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus) mitochondrial genome with rna-seq. | although posttranscriptional modification of mitochondrial (mt) transcripts plays key roles in completion of the coding information and in the expression of mtdna-encoded genes, there is little experimental evidence on the polyadenylation status and the location of mt gene poly(a) sites for non-human mammals. | 2015 | 26503603 |
| correction: bank vole prion protein as an apparently universal substrate for rt-quic-based detection and discrimination of prion strains. | | 2015 | 26284358 |
| epidemiological dynamics of nephropathia epidemica in the republic of tatarstan, russia, during the period of 1997-2013. | this report summarizes epidemiological data on nephropathia epidemica (ne) in the republic of tatarstan, russia. ne cases identified in the period 1997-2013 were investigated in parallel with the hantavirus antigen prevalence in small rodents in the study area. a total of 13 930 ne cases were documented in all but one district of tatarstan, with most cases located in the central and southeastern districts. the ne annual incidence rate exhibited a cyclical pattern, with the highest numbers of cas ... | 2016 | 26160776 |
| no alad polymorphism in bank vole populations from unpolluted and lead-zinc polluted areas in poland. | although a variety of biomarkers has been developed to assess the adverse effect of lead on human and animal populations, studies show that the most important factor conditioning the response may be the genetic make-up of an individual. alad (delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase) gene polymorphism found in human populations results in the existence of two alleles: alad1 and alad2. the difference between them is the result of one nucleotide change (g177c, rs1800435) which implicates different en ... | 2015 | 26103685 |
| state-dependent foraging: lactating voles adjust their foraging behavior according to the presence of a potential nest predator and season. | parental care often produces a trade-off between meeting nutritional demands of offspring and the duties of offspring protection, especially in altricial species. parents have to leave their young unattended for foraging trips, during which nestlings are exposed to predators. we investigated how rodent mothers of altricial young respond to risk of nest predation in their foraging decisions. we studied foraging behavior of lactating bank voles (myodes glareolus) exposed to a nest predator, the co ... | 2017 | 25926712 |
| temporal trends in the levels of polychlorinated dioxins, -furans, -biphenyls and polybrominated diethyl ethers in bank voles in northern finland. | dioxin-like chemicals and brominated flame retardants are ubiquitous in the environment, despite the introduction of international prohibitions and restrictions. these chemicals do not remain in the vicinity of their source, instead they can be transported over long distances, in fact even to pristine areas in the northern latitudes. however, there have been rather few time series experiments monitoring the trends in the levels of chlorinated and brominated forms of these chemicals in the enviro ... | 2015 | 25918894 |
| evolution of basal metabolic rate in bank voles from a multidirectional selection experiment. | a major theme in evolutionary and ecological physiology of terrestrial vertebrates encompasses the factors underlying the evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals and interspecific variation of basal metabolic rate (bmr). here, we applied the experimental evolution approach and compared bmr in lines of a wild rodent, the bank vole (myodes glareolus), selected for 11 generations for: high swim-induced aerobic metabolism (a), ability to maintain body mass on a low-quality herbivorous diet (h) ... | 2015 | 25876844 |
| correlation between infectivity and disease associated prion protein in the nervous system and selected edible tissues of naturally affected scrapie sheep. | the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (tses) or prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterised by the accumulation of a pathological form of a host protein known as prion protein (prp). the validation of abnormal prp detection techniques is fundamental to allow the use of high-throughput laboratory based tests, avoiding the limitations of bioassays. we used scrapie, a prototype tse, to examine the relationship between infectivity and laboratory based diagno ... | 2015 | 25807559 |
| [a modular approach to studying of fluctuating asymmetry of complex morphological structures in rodents with the mandible of the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus, arvicolinae, rodentia) as an example]. | the expediency of a modular approach to estimating fluctuating asymmetry (fa) of complex morphological structures was shown using the mandible of the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus schreber, 1780) as an example. fa of the shape of two mandibular regions (modules) defined developmentally and functionally, was assessed by means of geometric morphometrics. the differences between mandibular regions in the fa levels were found for both individual landmarks and integral indices of asymmetry. rega ... | 2015 | 25782276 |
| initial molecular-level response to artificial selection for increased aerobic metabolism occurs primarily through changes in gene expression. | experimental evolution combined with genome or transcriptome resequencing (evolve and resequence) represents a promising approach for advancing our understanding of the genetic basis of adaptation. here, we applied this strategy to investigate the effect of selection on a complex trait in lines derived from a natural population of a small mammal. we analyzed the liver and heart transcriptomes of bank voles (myodes [=clethrionomys] glareolus) that had been selected for increased aerobic metabolis ... | 2015 | 25739734 |
| [radiation doses and allozyme variability in the population of the northern red-backed vole (clethrionomys rutilus) from the east urals radioactive trace zone]. | the paper estimates the external (due to radionuclides accumulated in the soil) and internal (due to incorporated radionuclides) exposure of rodents that live in the head of the east urals radioactive trace (eurt). it is shown that in the last decades the dose rates were lower than the values that lead to doubling the number of mutations in the allozyme loci in mammals. the variability ofthe eight allozyme loci in populations of northern red-backed voles from the eurt zone and their neighboring ... | 2014 | 25711026 |
| on the systematic position of collyricloides massanae vaucher, 1969 (platyhelminthes: digenea) with notes on distribution of this trematode species. | the systematic position of the collyricloides massanae, a rare cyst-dwelling parasite, located on intestinal wall of european birds and rodents, have always been controversial. based on newly obtained sequences of the 28 sdna of c. massanae from avian and rodent host from central europe, and on the previously published sequences of several genera and families among microphalloidea, we evaluate its taxonomic position and the phylogenetic relationships within the genera collyriclum kossack, 1911 a ... | 2015 | 25638231 |
| octylphenol induces changes in glycosylation pattern, calcium level and ultrastructure of bank vole spermatozoa in vitro. | our previous studies revealed that in bank vole testicular cells octylphenol (op) action is related either to its binding to estrogen receptors or increasing camp level that modulates spermatozoa motility and acrosome reaction (ar), (kotula-balak et al., 2011, 2014). to better understand the mechanisms underlying these changes, in the present study we aimed at evaluating the glycosylation pattern, calcium (ca(2+)) level and ultrastructure of op-treated vole spermatozoa. glycans were recognized b ... | 2015 | 25553917 |
| mitogenomic phylogenetics of the bank vole clethrionomys glareolus, a model system for studying end-glacial colonization of europe. | we have revisited the mtdna phylogeny of the bank vole clethrionomys glareolus based on sanger and next-generation illumina sequencing of 32 complete mitochondrial genomes. the bank vole is a key study species for understanding the response of european fauna to the climate change following the last glacial maximum (lgm) and one of the most convincing examples of a woodland mammal surviving in cryptic northern glacial refugia in europe. the genomes sequenced included multiple representatives of e ... | 2015 | 25450101 |
| selection for high activity-related aerobic metabolism does not alter the capacity of non-shivering thermogenesis in bank voles. | an intriguing question is how the capacity of non-shivering thermogenesis (nst)-a special mechanism supporting endothermic thermoregulation in mammals-is affected by selection for high exercise metabolism. it has been proposed that high nst could be a mechanism to compensate for a low basal production of heat. on the other hand, high basal or activity metabolism is associated with physiological characteristics such as high performance of the circulatory system, which are also required for achiev ... | 2015 | 25446149 |
| increased radiation from chernobyl decreases the expression of red colouration in natural populations of bank voles (myodes glareolus). | pheomelanin is a pink to red version of melanin pigment deposited in skin and hair. due to its bright colour, pheomelanin plays a crucial function in signalling, in particular sexual signalling. however, production of pheomelanin, as opposed to its dark alternative, eumelanin, bears costs in terms of consumption of antioxidants important for protection of dna against naturally produced reactive oxidative species. therefore, decreased expression of pheomelanin is expected in organisms exposed to ... | 2014 | 25413373 |
| [a hantavirus killed an israeli researcher: hazards while working with wild animals]. | an israeli researcher working in finland with bank voles, contracted an infectious viral disease and died. this was a rare event, but it is important to learn about this class of viruses and to be aware of the hazards while working in the field in close contact with wild animals. the virus termed puumala belongs to the genus hanta from the bunyaviridae family. the natural reservoir is rodents, mice, rats and bank votes for the puuamala strain. the disease is termed hfrs (hemorrhagic fever with r ... | 2014 | 25286630 |
| regulation of forest defoliating insects through small mammal predation: reconsidering the mechanisms. | population densities of forest defoliating insects may be regulated by small mammal predation on the pupae. when outbreaks do occur, they often coincide with warm, dry weather and at barren forest sites. a proposed reason for this is that weather and habitat affect small mammal population density (numerical response) and hence pupal predation. we propose an alternative explanation: weather and habitat affect small mammal feeding behaviour (functional response) and hence the outbreak risks of for ... | 2014 | 25234375 |
| effect of copper exposure on reproductive ability in the bank vole (myodes glareolus). | the amount of copper in natural ecosystems is steadily increasing, due to human activities. it accumulates in plants, posing a threat to herbivores. in polluted areas the population density of small rodents is observed to be lower. the decline in rodent numbers may be caused by increased mortality or diminished fertility. this study examined the effect of copper on the reproductive activity of the bank vole (myodes glareolus), a small rodent which during foraging often wanders into fields where ... | 2014 | 25098774 |
| learning ability in bank voles selected for high aerobic metabolism, predatory behaviour and herbivorous capability. | although great progress has been made in understanding neurological mechanisms of cognitive processes, the questions concerning interrelation between evolution of cognitive abilities and evolution of diverse life histories and adaptive strategies remains largely open. we approached the problem using a unique experimental evolution model system: lines of bank voles selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolism, intensity of predatory behaviour towards crickets, and ability to grow on a low-qu ... | 2014 | 24952259 |
| spontaneous expression of magnetic compass orientation in an epigeic rodent: the bank vole, clethrionomys glareolus. | magnetoreception has been convincingly demonstrated in only a few mammalian species. among rodents, magnetic compass orientation has been documented in four species of subterranean mole rats and two epigeic (i.e. active above ground) species-the siberian hamster and the c57bl/6j mouse. the mole rats use the magnetic field azimuth to determine compass heading; their directional preference is spontaneous and unimodal, and their magnetic compass is magnetite-mediated. by contrast, the primary compo ... | 2014 | 24913128 |
| immunogenetic factors affecting susceptibility of humans and rodents to hantaviruses and the clinical course of hantaviral disease in humans. | we reviewed the associations of immunity-related genes with susceptibility of humans and rodents to hantaviruses, and with severity of hantaviral diseases in humans. several class i and class ii hla haplotypes were linked with severe or benign hantavirus infections, and these haplotypes varied among localities and hantaviruses. the polymorphism of other immunity-related genes including the c4a gene and a high-producing genotype of tnf gene associated with severe puuv infection. additional genes ... | 2014 | 24859344 |
| effects of chemical and thermal stress on acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain of the bank vole, myodes glareolus. | one of the most important issues in ecotoxicology is better understanding the effects of interactions between chemical pollutants and physical environmental factors on animals. to fill this knowledge gap, changes in the activity of acetylcholinesterase (ache) in the brain samples of bank voles myodes (clethrionomys) glareolus due to temperature effects, and two chemical stressors were studied in a full factorial laboratory experiment (27 treatments). the experiment was divided into three phases: ... | 2014 | 24853134 |
| genetic variation in bank vole populations in natural and metal-contaminated areas. | the effects of isolation and heavy-metal pollution on genetic diversity in myodes (=clethrionomys) glareolus populations were studied. isolation and pollution are considered to have important effects on biodiversity. animals were collected from ten populations in isolated (island), mainland, and metal-polluted areas. three populations were in areas near zinc and lead smelters; four were on islands in the relatively unpolluted mazurian lake district and in the bieszczady mountains; and three were ... | 2014 | 24840501 |
| adaptive phylogeography: functional divergence between haemoglobins derived from different glacial refugia in the bank vole. | over the years, researchers have used presumptively neutral molecular variation to infer the origins of current species' distributions in northern latitudes (especially europe). however, several reported examples of genic and chromosomal replacements suggest that end-glacial colonizations of particular northern areas may have involved genetic input from different source populations at different times, coupled with competition and selection. we investigate the functional consequences of differenc ... | 2014 | 24827438 |
| positive selection on mhc class ii drb and dqb genes in the bank vole (myodes glareolus). | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class iib genes show considerable sequence similarity between loci. the mhc class ii dqb and drb genes are known to exhibit a high level of polymorphism, most likely maintained by parasite-mediated selection. studies of the mhc in wild rodents have focused on drb, whilst dqb has been given much less attention. here, we characterised dqb genes in swedish bank voles myodes glareolus, using full-length transcripts. we then designed primers that specificall ... | 2014 | 24748547 |
| do photoperiod and endocrine disruptor 4-tert-octylphenol effect on spermatozoa of bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus)? | photoperiod is an environmental signal that controls physiology and behavior of all organisms. bank voles, which are seasonal breeders, are stimulated to reproduce by the long photoperiod associated with spring and summer. to date, physiology of bank vole spermatozoa has not been explored, although they constitute an interesting model for examining the relationship between photoperiod and xenoestrogen on spermatozoa function. in an attempt to evaluate the acute effect of 4-tert-octylphenol (op) ... | 2014 | 24698786 |
| molecular and ecological signs of mitochondrial adaptation: consequences for introgression? | the evolution of the mitochondrial genome and its potential adaptive impact still generates vital debates. even if mitochondria have a crucial functional role, as they are the main cellular energy suppliers, mitochondrial dna (mtdna) introgression is common in nature, introducing variation in populations upon which selection may act. here we evaluated whether the evolution of mtdna in a rodent species affected by mtdna introgression is explained by neutral expectations alone. variation in one mi ... | 2014 | 24690754 |
| relaxed functional constraints on triplicate α-globin gene in the bank vole suggest a different evolutionary history from other rodents. | gene duplication plays an important role in the origin of evolutionary novelties, but the mechanisms responsible for the retention and functional divergence of the duplicated copy are not fully understood. the α-globin genes provide an example of a gene family with different numbers of gene duplicates among rodents. whereas rattus and peromyscus each have three adult α-globin genes (hba-t1, hba-t2 and hba-t3), mus has only two copies. high rates of amino acid evolution in the independently deriv ... | 2014 | 24595364 |
| polyandrous females produce sons that are successful at post-copulatory competition. | some of the genetic benefit hypotheses put forward to explain multiple male mating (polyandry) predict that sons of polyandrous females will have an increased competitive ability under precopulatory or post-copulatory competition via paternally inherited traits, such as attractiveness or fertilization efficiency. here, we tested these predictions by comparing the competitive ability of sons of experimentally monandrous and polyandrous female bank voles (myodes glareolus), while controlling for p ... | 2014 | 24517341 |
| seasonal dynamics of products of lipid peroxidation in liver of bank vole (myodes glareolus) under conditions of environmental pollution by heavy metals. | the presented research involves the integral assessment of biochemistry indexes of natural populations of voles under conditions of environmental pollution by heavy metals. the raised content of mobile forms of pb, cd, cr, ni and co in soils was revealed for a distance of 500 m to the south-west of tripillya thermal power plant (tpp) (kyiv region, ukraine). it considerably (up to 3-5 times) exceeds the levels in the territory of kaniv nature reserve (cherkassy region, ukraine). the territory of ... | 2015 | 24479334 |
| the complete mitochondrial genome of the bank vole clethrionomys glareolus (rodentia: arvicolinae). | we present the first complete sequence of the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus) mitochondrial genome (genbank accession no. kf918859). the bank vole mitogenome is 16,353 base pairs long and shows the gene content, genome architecture and gene strand asymmetry typical for mammals. the sequence provides an important new genomic resource for the bank vole, which is a popular study species in ecological and evolutionary research. | 2016 | 24438307 |
| concurrent effects of age class and food distribution on immigration success and population dynamics in a small mammal. | during the settlement stage of dispersal, the outcome of conflicts between residents and immigrants should depend on the social organization of resident populations as well as on individual traits of immigrants, such as their age class, body mass and/or behaviour. we have previously shown that spatial distribution of food influences the social organization of female bank voles (myodes glareolus). here, we aimed to determine the relative impact of food distribution and immigrant age class on the ... | 2014 | 24256406 |
| accuracy of allele frequency estimation using pooled rna-seq. | for nonmodel organisms, genome-wide information that describes functionally relevant variation may be obtained by rna-seq following de novo transcriptome assembly. while sequencing has become relatively inexpensive, the preparation of a large number of sequencing libraries remains prohibitively expensive for population genetic analyses of nonmodel species. pooling samples may be then an attractive alternative. to test whether pooled rna-seq accurately predicts true allele frequencies, we analyse ... | 2014 | 24119300 |
| molecular dynamics simulation of temperature induced unfolding of animal prion protein. | to elucidate the structural stability and the unfolding dynamics of the animal prion protein, the temperature induced structural evolution of turtle prion protein (tprpc) and bank vole prion protein (bvprpc) have been performed with molecular dynamics (md) simulation. the unfolding behaviors of secondary structures showed that the α-helix was more stable than β-sheet. extension and disruption of β-sheet commonly appeared in the temperature induced unfolding process. the conversion of α-helix to ... | 2013 | 23925513 |
| [the effect of a caudal hippocampus lesion on learning in a morris water maze in bank voles (clethrionomys glareolus)]. | a bilateral cytotoxic lesion of the caudal hippocampus (about 1/3 of the whole hippocampus, which is insufficiently studied) influences learning of bank voles (clethrionomys glareolus) in the morris water maze. this effect has been estimated in this paper. a version of the test intended to measure long-term spatial memory was used. the lesion was shown to exert an influence on the learning dynamics by slowing it down, as well as to reduce the accuracy of platform location memorizing at early sta ... | 2016 | 23789425 |
| photoperiod-dependent effects of 4-tert-octylphenol on adherens and gap junction proteins in bank vole seminiferous tubules. | in the present study we evaluated in vivo and in vitro effects of 4-tert-octylphenol (op) on the expression and distribution of adherens and gap junction proteins, n-cadherin, β -catenin, and connexin 43 (cx43), in testes of seasonally breeding rodents, bank voles. we found that in bank vole testes expression and distribution of n-cadherin, β -catenin, and cx43 were photoperiod dependent. long-term treatment with op (200 mg/kg b.w.) resulted in the reduction of junction proteins expressions (p < ... | 2013 | 23737770 |
| adaptive evolution during an ongoing range expansion: the invasive bank vole (myodes glareolus) in ireland. | range expansions are extremely common, but have only recently begun to attract attention in terms of their genetic consequences. as populations expand, demes at the wave front experience strong genetic drift, which is expected to reduce genetic diversity and potentially cause 'allele surfing', where alleles may become fixed over a wide geographical area even if their effects are deleterious. previous simulation models show that range expansions can generate very strong selective gradients on dis ... | 2013 | 23701376 |
| [parental care and testosterone in males of the bank vole (myodes glareolus): sensitization and androgenic stimulation of parental behavior]. | the relationship between parental responsiveness of bank vole males and their body weight, testes mass, and plasma and gonadal testosterone levels were examined. two groups of voles were studied: group i consisted of 14 breeding pairs where females gave birth to young within a month after formation of pairs, and group ii represented 13 pairs without offspring and signs of pregnancy in females. males in group i, unlike those in group ii, had contact with pups before the tests on parental responsi ... | 2016 | 23662470 |
| differential susceptibility to cadmium-induced liver and kidney injury in wild and laboratory-bred bank voles myodes glareolus. | the objective of the study was to compare the sensitivity of wild and laboratory-bred bank voles to cadmium (cd)-induced histopathological changes in the liver and kidneys. for 4 weeks, the male bank voles-both wild and laboratory-bred-were provided with diet containing cd in quantities <0.1 (control), 30, and 60 μg/g dry weight. at the end of exposure period, histopathology and analyses of cd, metallothionein (mt), glutathione (gsh), zinc (zn), copper (cu), iron (fe), and lipid peroxidation-all ... | 2013 | 23564442 |
| does 4-tert-octylphenol affect estrogen signaling pathways in bank vole leydig cells and tumor mouse leydig cells in vitro? | primary leydig cells obtained from bank vole testes and the established tumor leydig cell line (ma-10) have been used to explore the effects of 4-tert-octylphenol (op). leydig cells were treated with two concentrations of op (10(-4) m, 10(-8) m) alone or concomitantly with anti-estrogen ici 182,780 (1 μm). in op-treated bank vole leydig cells, inhomogeneous staining of estrogen receptor α (erα) within cell nuclei was found, whereas it was of various intensity among ma-10 leydig cells. the expres ... | 2013 | 23557686 |
| development of hyperglycemia and diabetes in captive polish bank voles. | diabetes has been detected in danish and swedish bank voles (myodes glareolus). there are no data, however, concerning the prevalence of diabetes in populations from other geographic regions. we investigated the frequency and physiological effects of glucose metabolism disorders in captive bank voles from poland. single measurement of fasting blood glucose concentration performed in the 3-4month old captive-born bank polish voles without any disease symptoms showed that 8% of individuals (22/284 ... | 2013 | 23291363 |
| biochemical characterization of prion strains in bank voles. | prions exist as different strains exhibiting distinct disease phenotypes. currently, the identification of prion strains is still based on biological strain typing in rodents. however, it has been shown that prion strains may be associated with distinct prpsc biochemical types. taking advantage of the availability of several prion strains adapted to a novel rodent model, the bank vole, we investigated if any prion strain was actually associated with distinctive prpsc biochemical characteristics ... | 2013 | 25437201 |
| the occurrence of demodex spp. (acari, demodecidae) in the bank vole myodes glareolus (rodentia, cricetidae) with data on its topographical preferences. | an examination of 16 bank voles from poland (pomerania) revealed the presence of two species of the family demodecidae (acari, prostigmata), specific to the host. demodex buccalis bukva, vitovec et vlcek, 1985 was noted only in one bank vole, where 18 specimens were found: the prevalence of infestation being 6.3%. d. glareoli hirst, 1919 was observed in 75% of the examined bank voles, in which were on average 5.1 specimens. additionally, mites of the both species exhibited topical specificity--r ... | 2013 | 24881283 |
| [morphofunctional analysis of testes and sperm in the assessment of male reproductive success in the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus)]. | the morphofunctional analysis of testes and sperms in bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus, schreber, 1780) from a natural population is carried out to assess the reproductive potential of animals. it is shown that the reproductive success of males depends on the density of the population. under physiological stress, such as a "peak" of the population size, the animals, against a background of accelerated aging, have activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which contributes to oppre ... | 2016 | 23136744 |
| [interrelationship between the level of chromosomal aberrations and demographic parameters]. | the interrelationship between the level of chromosomal abnormalities and demographic parameters has been studied using individuals from the natural population of bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus) from a locality within the middle ural, of the southern taiga subzone (57 degrees 15' n, 58 degrees 44' e). routine methods of cytogenetic analysis are applied to examination of variability in the frequency of structural chromosomal aberrations, gaps and changes in number of chromosomes in bank voles' ... | 2012 | 23101399 |
| decaying mouse volatiles perceived by calliphora vicina rob.-desv. | volatiles emitted by decaying human remains are in the focus of recent research. the identification of core volatiles in this field is of high importance, because cadaveric volatiles generally show high variation. in this study, the volatile profiles of five mice (myodes glareolus) were sampled with charcoal filter tubes from their time of death until advanced decay. eleven compounds were quantitated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. electroantennographic experiments with female ... | 2012 | 22970999 |
| maintenance of genetic diversity in cyclic populations-a longitudinal analysis in myodes glareolus. | conspicuous cyclic changes in population density characterize many populations of small northern rodents. the extreme crashes in individual number are expected to reduce the amount of genetic variation within a population during the crash phases of the population cycle. by long-term monitoring of a bank vole (myodes glareolus) population, we show that despite the substantial and repetitive crashes in the population size, high heterozygosity is maintained throughout the population cycle. the stri ... | 2012 | 22957157 |
| steroid concentrations and immunoexpression of steroidogenic enzymes in ovaries of aged bank voles: effect of photoperiod. | the main objective of the present study was to establish morphological and steroidogenic changes occurring in the ovaries of senescent bank voles, with respect to the photoperiod of rearing. obtained results revealed less pronounced changes in the ovaries of females reared in a long photoperiod (ld). their gonads still possessed some healthy follicles and old corpora lutea (cls). senescence-related changes encompassed the presence of abnormal follicles, large regions containing extra-follicular ... | 2012 | 22952145 |
| effect of dietary cadmium and/or lead on histopathological changes in the kidneys and liver of bank voles myodes glareolus kept in different group densities. | bank voles free living in a contaminated environment are known to be more sensitive to cadmium (cd) toxicity than the rodents exposed to cd under laboratory conditions, but the reasons for this difference are poorly defined. the present work was designed to determine whether dietary lead (pb), a common environmental co-contaminant, and/or animal density that affects various physiological processes, would influence susceptibility to cd toxicity in the kidneys and liver of these animals. for 6 wee ... | 2012 | 22855305 |
| interactive effects of past and present environments on overwintering success-a reciprocal transplant experiment. | life-history traits are influenced by environmental factors throughout the lifespan of an individual. the relative importance of past versus present environment on individual fitness, therefore, is a relevant question in populations that face the challenge of temporally varying environment. we studied the interacting effects of past and present density on body mass, condition, and survival in enclosure populations of the bank vole (myodes glareolus) using a reciprocal transplant design. in conne ... | 2012 | 22837835 |
| gene conversion in the mitochondrial genome on interspecific hybridization in voles of the clethrionomys genus. | the phenomenon of interspecific hybridization accompanied by transfer of the mitochondrial genome from the northern red-backed vole (clethrionomys rutilus) to the bank vole (cl. glareolus) in northeastern europe is well known already for 25 years. however, the possibility of recombination between homologous segments of maternal and paternal mtdnas of the voles during fertilization was not previously studied. analysis of data on variability of nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial gene for cy ... | 2012 | 22813593 |
| hantavirus infections in europe and their impact on public health. | hantaviruses (genus hantavirus, family bunyaviridae) are enveloped tri-segmented negative-stranded rna viruses each carried by a specific rodent or insectivore host species. several different hantaviruses known to infect humans circulate in europe. the most common is puumala (puuv) carried by the bank vole; another two important, genetically closely related ones are dobrava-belgrade (dobv) and saaremaa viruses (saav) carried by apodemus mice (species names follow the international committee on t ... | 2013 | 22761056 |
| rise in the number of notified human hantavirus infections since october 2011 in baden-wurttemberg, germany. | from october 2011 to april 2012, 852 human hantavirus infections were notified in germany, of which 580 (68%) were in baden-württemberg. case numbers started to rise earlier than they did before the previous outbreaks in 2007 and 2010, and are the largest ever reported in this state during october to april of any year. the early rise could be due to a beech mast year in 2011, followed by an early and massive reproduction of the reservoir bank vole populations during winter 2011 and spring 2012. | 2012 | 22687824 |
| predation risk and food: opposite effects on overwintering survival and onset of breeding in a boreal rodent. | 1. in seasonal environments, optimal onset of breeding and survival plays major roles in individual fitness. many physiological and behavioural factors related to breeding increase the risk of predation; thus, breeding decisions should be based on current risks and benefits. according to life-history theory, if current predation risk is high and breeding itself increases the risk, it may be beneficial to postpone breeding. 2. during winter in northern hemispheres, food availability is limited an ... | 2012 | 22686945 |
| is reproduction costly? no increase of oxidative damage in breeding bank voles. | according to life-history theory, investment in reproduction is associated with costs, which should appear as decreased survival to the next reproduction or lower future reproductive success. it has been suggested that oxidative stress may be the proximate mechanism of these trade-offs. despite numerous studies of the defense against reactive oxygen species (ros) during reproduction, very little is known about the damage caused by ros to the tissues of wild breeding animals. we measured oxidativ ... | 2012 | 22573758 |
| sperm competition roles and ejaculate investment in a promiscuous mammal. | theoretical models of sperm competition predict how males should allocate sperm and seminal fluid components to ejaculates according to their mating role (dominant vs. subordinate). here, we present a detailed analysis of ejaculate expenditure according to male roles in the bank vole (myodes glareolus). sperm competition occurs regularly in this species, and dominant males typically achieve higher fertilization success than subordinates. contrary to theoretical predictions, we found that dominan ... | 2012 | 22515660 |
| detection of aromatase, androgen, and estrogen receptors in bank vole spermatozoa. | spermatozoa are highly specialized cells which transport a single-copy haploid genome to the site of fertilization. before this, spermatozoa undergo a series of biochemical and functional modifications. in recent years, the crucial role of androgens and estrogens in proper germ cell differentiation during spermatogenesis has been demonstrated. however, their implication in the biology of mature male gametes is still to be defined. our study provides evidence for the first time that aromatase, th ... | 2012 | 22494682 |
| can number and size of offspring increase simultaneously?--a central life-history trade-off reconsidered. | to maximize their fitness, parents are assumed to allocate their resources optimally between number and size of offspring. although this fundamental life-history trade-off has been subject to long standing interest, its genetic basis, especially in wild mammals, still remains unresolved. one important reason for this problem is that a large multigenerational pedigree is required to conduct a reliable analysis of this trade-off. | 2012 | 22462658 |
| [evaluation of abundance of residents and immigration by irretrievable requisitioning of the bank vole (myodes glareolus schreber, 1780)]. | the activity of average statistical species was approximated by normal distribution. this is provided by calculation of the part of resident animals without repeated hatching, i.e., the edge effect. residence beyond the space covering 99% of species activity was considered as nonresidence. the appearance of nonresidence in general can be considered as "excursions" and "resettlement." the experiments on requisitioning of small settled animals from a preliminary marked site were carried out. it wa ... | 2016 | 22292295 |
| [structure of the bank vole (myodes glareolus) population cycles in the center and periphery of its distribution area]. | the results of long-term studies of two bank vole (myodes glareolus) populations in stationary sites in the central part and periphery of its distribution area are described. four phases of a multiannual population cycle and two of its structural parts have been detected for both populations. the first part of the cycle is "determined", with the "peak" phase passing into a "depression" (population collapse). this transition is mainly "determined" by intrapopulation processes and is weakly depend ... | 2016 | 22292294 |
| advantage of rare infanticide strategies in an invasion experiment of behavioural polymorphism. | killing conspecific infants (infanticide) is among the most puzzling phenomena in nature. stable polymorphism in such behaviour could be maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection (benefit of rare types). however, it is currently unknown whether there is genetic polymorphism in infanticidal behaviour or whether infanticide may have any fitness advantages when rare. here we show genetic polymorphism in non-parental infanticide. our novel invasion experiment confirms negative frequency-d ... | 2012 | 22215086 |
| life in varying environments: experimental evidence for delayed effects of juvenile environment on adult life history. | 1. the effects of environment experienced during early development on phenotype as an adult has started to gain vast amounts of interest in various taxa. some evidence on long-term effects of juvenile environment is available, but replicated experimental studies in wild animals are still lacking. 2. here we report the first replicated experiment in wild mammals which examines the long-term effects of juvenile and adult environments on individual fitness (reproduction, survival and health). the e ... | 2012 | 22191455 |
| intralocus sexual conflict for fitness: sexually antagonistic alleles for testosterone. | intralocus sexual conflict occurs when a trait encoded by the same genetic locus in the two sexes has different optima in males and females. such conflict is widespread across taxa, however, the shared phenotypic traits that mediate the conflict are largely unknown. we examined whether the sex hormone, testosterone (t), that controls sexual differentiation, contributes to sexually antagonistic fitness variation in the bank vole, myodes glareolus. we compared (opposite-sex) sibling reproductive f ... | 2012 | 22171083 |
| introgression of mitochondrial dna among myodes voles: consequences for energetics? | introgression of mitochondrial dna (mtdna) is among the most frequently described cases of reticulate evolution. the tendency of mtdna to cross interspecific barriers is somewhat counter-intuitive considering the key function of enzymes that it encodes in the oxidative-phosphorylation process, which could give rise to hybrid dysfunction. how mtdna reticulation affects the evolution of metabolic functions is, however, uncertain. here we investigated how morpho-physiological traits vary in natural ... | 2011 | 22151479 |
| combined effect of dietary cadmium and benzo(a)pyrene on metallothionein induction and apoptosis in the liver and kidneys of bank voles. | bank voles free living in a contaminated environment have been shown to be more sensitive to cadmium (cd) toxicity than the rodents exposed to cd under laboratory conditions. the objective of this study was to find out whether benzo(a)pyrene (bap), a common environmental co-contaminant, increases cd toxicity through inhibition of metallothionein (mt) synthesis-a low molecular weight protein that is considered to be primary intracellular component of the protective mechanism. for 6 weeks, the fem ... | 2012 | 22124863 |
| [blood system peculiarities in the bank vole (clethrionomys glareolus) under chronic environmental pollution]. | the parameters of peripheral blood and hemopoietic organs in mature and immature bank voles inhabiting a chemically polluted area were studied. variability of the blood system parameters depending on the level of toxic load and the animals' reproductive status was determined. alteration of the cell composition of erythrocytes and leucocytes, the structure of erythrocytes, and the hemoglobin fractions and leucocyte functions describe the adaptive response to the factors of a changed environment m ... | 2016 | 22117428 |
| negative frequency-dependent selection of sexually antagonistic alleles in myodes glareolus. | sexually antagonistic genetic variation, where optimal values of traits are sex-dependent, is known to slow the loss of genetic variance associated with directional selection on fitness-related traits. however, sexual antagonism alone is not sufficient to maintain variation indefinitely. selection of rare forms within the sexes can help to conserve genotypic diversity. we combined theoretical models and a field experiment with myodes glareolus to show that negative frequency-dependent selection ... | 2011 | 22096197 |
| sexual antagonism for testosterone maintains multiple mating behaviour. | 1. the persistence of multiple mating remains one of the fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. in theory, multiple mating is predicted to improve female fitness cumulatively through direct and/or genetic benefits. however, intra-locus sexual conflicts may potentially constrain or even eliminate these benefits owing to the gender load imposed by sexually antagonistic selection. 2. here, we tested whether sexually antagonistic selection can maintain the variance in multiple mating behavio ... | 2012 | 21950272 |
| loss of density-dependence and incomplete control by dominant breeders in a territorial species with density outbreaks. | a territory as a prerequisite for breeding limits the maximum number of breeders in a given area, and thus lowers the proportion of breeders if population size increases. however, some territorially breeding animals can have dramatic density fluctuations and little is known about the change from density-dependent processes to density-independence of breeding during a population increase or an outbreak. we suggest that territoriality, breeding suppression and its break-down can be understood with ... | 2011 | 21726437 |
| a trade-off between current and future sex allocation revealed by maternal energy budget in a small mammal. | sex-allocation theories generally assume differential fitness costs of raising sons and daughters. yet, experimental confirmation of such costs is scarce and potential mechanisms are rarely addressed. while the most universal measure of physiological costs is energy expenditure, only one study has related the maternal energy budget to experimentally controlled offspring sex. here, we experimentally test this in the bank vole (myodes glareolus) by simultaneously manipulating the litter's size and ... | 2011 | 21325329 |
| morphometrics as an insight into processes beyond tooth shape variation in a bank vole population. | phenotype variation is a key feature in evolution, being produced by development and the target of the screening by selection. we focus here on a variable morphological feature: the third upper molar (um3) of the bank vole, aiming at identifying the sources of this variation. size and shape of the um3 occlusal surface was quantified in successive samples of a bank vole population. the first source of variation was the season of trapping, due to differences in the age structure of the population ... | 2010 | 21085584 |
| does personality in small rodents vary depending on population density? | personality means an individual's unique way of behaving and reacting to the environment. it is a stable and heritable trait, which is expressed consistently in different situations. the aim of our study was to develop novel tests to depict the personality structure of the bank vole myodes glareolus, and to determine if the phase of the population cycle, i.e. population density, affects personality. we focused on some central aspects of bank vole behaviour: mobility, risk taking, exploratory beh ... | 2011 | 20976607 |
| social cues of sperm competition influence accessory reproductive gland size in a promiscuous mammal. | theory predicts that males should increase overall investment in ejaculate expenditure with increasing levels of sperm competition. since ejaculate production is costly, we may expect males to tailor their reproductive investment according to anticipated levels of sperm competition. here, we investigate plasticity in ejaculate investment in response to cues of population average levels of sperm competition in a promiscuous mammal, the bank vole (myodes glareolus). we manipulated the social exper ... | 2011 | 20880887 |
| effects of 4-tert-octylphenol on the testes and seminal vesicles in adult male bank voles. | the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of 4-tert-octylphenol (op) on male testes and seminal vesicles of bank vole. adult males kept under long or short photoperiod were orally administered op (200mg/kg bw) for 30 or 60 days. treatment for 30 days had no discernible effect on the parameters examined. treatment for 60 days adversely influenced weights and histological structure of the testes and seminal vesicles. in these tissues, expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and ... | 2011 | 20850518 |
| sex-specific selection on energy metabolism--selection coefficients for winter survival. | selection for different fitness optima between sexes is supposed to operate on several traits. as fitness-related traits are often energetically costly, selection should also act directly on the energetics of individuals. however, efforts to examine the relationship between fitness and components of the energy budget are surprisingly scarce. we investigated the effects of basal metabolic rate (bmr, the minimum energy required for basic life functions) and body condition on long-term survival (8 ... | 2010 | 20695968 |
| fitness trade-offs mediated by immunosuppression costs in a small mammal. | trade-offs are widespread between life-history traits, such as reproduction and survival. however, their underlying physiological and behavioral mechanisms are less clear. one proposed physiological factor involves the trade-off between investment in male reproductive effort and immunity. based on this hypothesis, we investigated differences in fitness between artificially selected immune response bank vole groups, myodes glareolus. significant heritability of immune response was found and a cor ... | 2010 | 19686266 |
| polyandry enhances offspring survival in an infanticidal species. | the adaptive significance of polyandry is an intensely debated subject in sexual selection. for species with male infanticidal behaviour, it has been hypothesized that polyandry evolved as female counterstrategy to offspring loss: by mating with multiple males, females may conceal paternity and so prevent males from killing putative offspring. here we present, to our knowledge, the first empirical test of this hypothesis in a combined laboratory and field study, and show that multiple mating see ... | 2010 | 19675002 |
| semen quantity and quality correlate with bank vole males' social status. | laboratory studies reveal that in several rodent species the females prefer dominant males as mating partners. here we investigate the correlation between bank vole males' social rank and their sperm quality and quantity. we used agonistic encounters to determine males' social status. sperm quality was assessed by its motility, viability, maturity, morphology and sperm tail membrane integrity. relatively more dominant males were heavier than males of lower social status. the males' social positi ... | 2009 | 19635532 |